Adventures in Askr (Ft. Erandia and Friends)

"Father..." Legendary Ike gazed onto the axe user surrounded by his younger selves (and no doubt the ones who have yet to know of their father's untimely demis--)

"Soooo big guy, why aren't you over there greeting your old man?" Brown eyes stared at the other's stiffening form as Erandia stepped forward and stopped beside her hero. Ike's tense form began relaxing, as he thinks of multiple excuses to give his nosy summoner. In the end, he knows it's useless to try and get out of whatever foreboding conversation they'll have so he settles for a sigh and to continue gazing at the form of his not quite deceased father.

"You know, in multiple different Zeniths, each summoned hero is settled in differently." The red-head starts off, as she crosses her arms and lean on the arch of the doorway to settle herself. Ike barely moved a muscle and it's only due to experience does Erandia know that he is still listening.

"Sometimes, they appear after their journeys are finished. Sometimes, there's generally no guidance or reason. Sometimes it even... treats this as a game of sorts."

"A game?"

"It's a long story, but generally, Alfonse had told me that most other versions of himself had regaled tales of their own summoners; sometimes they're all too eager or just unattached, like they have no stake in the matter." Smiling wryly, she looks onto the scene of young Ike in Greil's own outfit handing over Urvan to its former owner. "They treat it like the world is just a game so, the world also treats this as a game. Maybe you don’t know or remember, but I was exactly the same as them at one point. Apathetic, uninterested... It took Frederick a good few months before he managed to shape me up to be a presentable summoner, you know?"

Ike frowns in confusion as his blue eyes broke the gaze towards his father to assess the words of his summoner. It is rather weird to think, how this confident and sometimes hot-headed tactician was once incompetent and cold even to the littlest of heroes summoned. He wasn't there when Frederick was still mostly in charge, so he reserves his judgement and says nothing to the matter.

"Anyway, my point is, normally, each Zenith has different ways of asking or delivering heroes to their respective Askrs. In our case, those who were summoned in this, our, Zenith, are those with strong wishes that resonated deep within their subconscious. The timeline of when or where they were doesn't matter, it's their wishes. This is why you have multiple versions of the same hero in different outfits and weapons. Heck, sometimes you even get the exact same heroes in the same outfits and weapons but in different timelines than your own." She gestures her hand at the other Heroes in the far end corner, talking and laughing without a care. "Take Takumi there, for example. He has multiple versions from different timelines but at the same time, he also has an exact copy of him but in a different timeline. Remember the first time the two met?"

Ike recalls briefly how the terrible meeting of the two Takumis went. Upon arrival, he went ballistic at the Corrins (and at his siblings) for fraternizing with the enemy and for letting their heads be filled with stupid ideologies of peace (“With those Nohrian Scums? Are you joking!?”). The other Takumi couldn't take his family being called out like that and in the end, it was best for Erandia to send his counterpart home (after reluctantly being asked to pass on his knowledge of Close Counter to some other poor schmuck)

"I learned later that the Takumi we have is from a timeline wherein he's a bit ahead of everyone. He knows of Corrin's decision and of what happens during their war. The reason he was here is to apologize for giving Corrin and Azura such a hard time from before it escalated." Erandia chuckled a bit at seeing Innes arrive at the group just to begin arguing with Takumi. Ike processed her words as she continues on her explanation.

"And the other Takumi? Our own told me that it reminded him of a time before the actual war, when he was still unconfident and trying to prove himself to the rest of his family."

"My guess? That other me... he probably wished for someone to see him as he is."

"And so, the penultimate point I am trying to make here is, everyone has a wish they wanted to fulfill, and this Zenith, at least to my knowledge and experience, tries to grant that through the one thing it can give."

"And what is that?"

"Simple." Erandia smiles as she straightens up from her former position.

"Time, Ike. The time to reflect, to apologize, to get stronger..." She pats his broad arms before heading off towards another direction as her voice echoes in Ike's mind. "To spend time with a fallen loved one. Don't let this opportunity pass on, Ike."

---

"So, you are also another version of Ike?" Greil stood proudly, a soft smile covering his lips as the last Ike finally arrives to greet him. Ike gives a nod towards his other three counterpart before letting his blue eyes gaze at his father's form once again.

'Don't let this opportunity pass on, Ike.'

"Father..." With his mind made up he steps forward and grips the man in a tight hug. A cacophony of regrets and wishes echo in his mind but as he felt his father's strong and warm hands hug him back, he can't help but think of what his summoner said.

'To spend time with a fallen loved one...'

"I'm so proud of you, son."

"I've done many terrible things, father."

"That doesn't mean you haven't done good things. People wouldn't thank you or admire you if you haven't done something to earn it."

His heart burst with joy and allowed himself to smile at his father's words.

'To spend time with a fallen loved one. Don't let this opportunity pass on, Ike.'

"Thank you..." He whispers to no one in particular.