Chapter Text
iv.
Time, paradoxes...whatever Kiran and Commander Anna called it...it surely was a thing.
The Alm that she had tackled back then was one she met a little too soon - he had just left Grandpapa (er, she meant Sir Mycen) to join the Deliverance. He was surprised to see her, but he left just as quickly as he came.
"Don't feel too bad about it, Celica," Kiran had reassured her after the (awkward) encounter. "I'm trying my best to summon him; I can't guarantee he'll be from your timeline."
She only nodded and thanked him before heading off to the training floor once more, and no one spoke about it that night.
For that, she was grateful.
-
"Mother Mila," she had knelt beside her bedside that night, hands clasped together with her eyes closed. Her lips murmured quiet prayers against her hands, each one spoken with fervor.
She prayed for the safety of her team, and for the others. She prayed that the Earth Mother - wherever she was - continued to guide her friends, guide Alm and his party, wherever they were.
(Maybe even guide them to her.)
She knew some of the Heroes were religious; they prayed to gods and goddesses she had no knowledge of, but she - ever curious - pressed to know more, and in return she spoke about the Earth Mother.
Maybe this was what was keeping her grounded in the midst of what she saw in her endless cycle.
-
The next day, Kiran summoned again. Celica, Hector, Eirika, and Azura stood among them, watching as out stepped (rather gracefully) a woman with long, forest green hair wearing a blue dress that Celica had never seen anyone wear before.
Before she could make her introduction, the clanging of armor against the marble floor could only resound, and the priestess watched as Hector ran - ran like he never could on the battlefield, thanks to his bulking armor - and took the woman into his arms.
She watched as she hugged back with a light laugh, inspecting him briefly to make sure that he wasn't hurt before turning to them now with a bright smile.
Her name was Lyndis, she said, and she had come from the noble House of Caelin. Celica could see that she was clutching Hector's hand tightly now, and she could only hope that Lyndis wouldn't let go of it again.
(The said axe-wielder introduced them a bit later, and Lyndis - she told her to call her 'Lyn' instead - couldn't thank her enough for keeping Hector safe all this time. It was no problem, Celica told her. That was all she could do for a friend.)
v.
The Alm who had only left Grandpapa in the beginning wasn't the only 'Alm' she met in this world.
There was an Alm she met who had been whisked away now that the war in their (or...his world, or time; whatever it was) was over. He didn't say much; he only asked where her ring was, and that he seemed to understand that she was not his Celica.
Another Alm she met was fighting on Embla's side. He seemed a little reluctant to fight her, and she in turn was reluctant to fight him; in those cases, Hector told her to keep moving forward, and so that was what she did.
She had to admit that it was frustrating, to say the least.
" — Now that's a story you've never told me," Hector told her one night over dinner in the mess hall. Lyn had since come to join their table, and the pair could only watch as Celica continued to fret as she ate her stew.
"It was embarassing, so I kept it to myself," she replied, setting her utensils down. "I just...I don't know. Maybe I'm just anxious I'll never see him again. Or maybe he's never going to forgive me if he shows up."
"You don't know that," Lyn reassured her, then putting her own utensils down. "What would you do if he - let's say - didn't forgive you?"
"I...I'd be upset, no doubt about that. At the same time...maybe I deserve it. I said some horrible things to him before I was summoned..."
"If he knows that you don't mean any of it, maybe he'll forgive you."
"Yeah," another voice spoke up from behind her, and in came Eirika holding her own plate of food and utensils, setting it down carefully before seating herself. "I could hear the conversation coming over, but from the stories you've told us about him, maybe he hasn't changed?"
"I don't know. A lot can happen in seven years." Celica flashed them all a weak smile before beginning to eat again. "You have no idea how much I appreciate your advice, though, you guys."
-
She had just finished up relaying greetings with a Lachesis before heading back through the corridors, bathing in the orange glow of the setting sun as she walked to her quarters.
That ended the cycle for today. She said her prayers, and retired to bed.
vi.
She rushed to the summoning ruins once she had received word that Kiran has summoned Heroes from her world. She may have been out of breath from spending time in the training ruins already, and she might have overexerted herself a little in running, but she had to be there to see these Heroes for herself.
One of them just has to be him, she repeated to herself. It just has to be.
Her prayers went unanswered once she made her way into the summoning ruins. Mae had crushed her into a giant hug once she caught sight of her; Boey, on the other hand, was gaping in disbelief before pulling (rather prying) Mae off of her; Genny, sweet Genny, was stammering her greetings, and she was also greeted by Faye and another member of Alm's party - she introduced herself as Clair a moment later.
She was unsure if her Alm had already met Clair in her time; she was fairly sure that wherever he went though, Faye was sure to follow. And she highly doubted that Alm - at some point - met Mae, Boey, and Genny on his travels.
For the most part, she was just glad they made it here unharmed.
-
Her suspicions were confirmed when she spoke to Faye and Clair about their time. Alm had met Clair prior to meeting her, and Faye had since followed Alm into joining the Deliverance. For the most part, Clair spouted her praises of him - of how kind, how brave, how handsome he was.
(Frankly, Celica thought she couldn't have been any more right.)
Faye, on the other hand, continued wondering when Alm was ever going to show up. And that was something Celica was beginning to question as well - or really, if he was ever going to show up at all.
She understood the summoning process, and how random it was. She had some sliver of hope, after all; despite her being missing she hoped that the Earth Mother would give her a sign.
She wasn't sure when it would come, though.
-
She watched as Faye and Clair expressed the same surprise she herself had shown when another Alm came to greet her. He had expressed immense delight in seeing her, and out of courtesy he greeted Faye and Clair, but as he had come he left just as quick, and the waiting continued.
vii.
She had come to understand that Kiran sporadically summoned at night - or rather, at the most ungodly hours of the night. She wasn't sure why, but after yet another nightmare, she instead decided to take a good, long walk to the summoning ruins.
This was where she expected Kiran would make his all-nighters; getting him coffee several times a day made her realize that this was unhealthy, and yet he was so used to it, that it no longer worried her as much. Pushing open the double doors, the priestess pulled the plush robe she wore closed before heading inside.
"You're up pretty late, aren't you?" she spoke up after greeting a new Hero she had not seen before as they passed by her.
"I know," Kiran replied, aiming another orb at its target. "But I'll head in after this last one, don't worry!"
"Who are you trying to summon this time?"
"Someone special."
"Oh?" Celica didn't further her questioning, instead perching herself on the large rock Sharena sat on when she summoned. Crossing her legs, she watched as Heroes continued appearing before them, some giving the same spiel one did five minutes ago and then some. After a good moment or so, Celica helped herself off the rock and turned on her heel.
"I think I'm going to head in, Kiran. I'll see you in the —"
" — I'm Alm, leader of the Deliverance. You can be sure I'll take my sword up for your cause."
-
Celica stopped in her tracks, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her fists as tears threatened to roll down her face at the sound of his voice. No, she tried telling herself. This is just some weird dream you're having at this part of the night, and he's not here. He's not standing there, in front of Kiran - in front of you, and -
"I've been meaning to call you here forever!" she heard Kiran say from a good distance away from her. "We're so honored to have you join our cause, Alm!"
"I'd say likewise, but uh - I have absolutely no idea what's going on," Alm answered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
That was his voice. Without a doubt, it was Alm's voice, and as she turned her head slight without a doubt that was him. Sure, yes, he was later than she expected, but he was there. He was there, in person, and for the most part, he was safe.
(And she didn't have to wait seven years this time.)
-
"...Alm," she called out to him. She felt as if her throat was dry, but her feet moved on their own. The padding of the slippers she wore on her feet softened the thudding her feet made as she walked back from the door to meet him up there.
As her feet moved on their own, her heartbeat grew louder - ringing in her ears, drowing out the sound of her footsteps, thumping so loudly that she thought Kiran could hear it too, and she broke off from a walk, to a jog, to a sprint, and her body just moved on its own.
"Celica?" Alm had to recover for a good bit, having to make sure he was seeing things right as it was practically the middle of the night in this world's case. "Oh, gods, is that really you?"
"Alm, I..." She kept her arms around him tighter, and she let out a shaky sigh of relief when his own arms encircled around her back and hugged her closer, and that's when she knew she'd have to say something. "Alm, I - forgive me. I said such horrible things to you at the castle, and I wanted you to come here so I could apologize, but then I thought you'd be mad at me and - "
She felt him pull away slightly, and she was greeted with the incredulous look on his face.
"Mad at you?" he repeated, then shaking his head before holding her close. "I could never be mad at you, Celica. Sure, I'm upset that you don't see my side of things, but I could never be mad at you."
Celica didn't say anything more, but instead, as she buried her face into his shoulder, she only reveled in the fact that he was here, with her, and the wait was finally over.