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Chrom, donning the armor of a great lord, marched through the great hallway of the castle, his armor clunking along the blue carpeted runners. He had been called by the summoner and Anna to meet some of the new heroes hailing from Frelia.
For some reason, the summoner Kiran had also requested he wear the chef’s kerchief they had received from Lucia the previous month. Kiran insisted it would help him form bonds with the new heroes faster, though he wasn’t entirely sure how the hell a frilly purple and pink kerchief adorned with bows would do anything but humiliate him in battle. Hopefully his closest comrades wouldn’t see, at the very least. Not everyone had been called to battle, just a select few for this mission.
A few more allies gathered and a terrible shiver radiated down his spine, his gut twisting at the alarming déja vù.
“I remember this malevolence…” His body was tense as his eyes darted around in panic. His breathing hitched. “Kiran, is the Fell Dragon here?!”
Kiran’s eyes bulged, her lips forming a flat, pursed line across her face. She answered shakily, “Uh, so… about that…”
Chrom had the wind knocked out of him as he was assaulted by a body pouncing on him, large white paws gripping his shoulders and wrapping around his waist.
“Hello, my prey,” a low, wicked voice announced in his ear. His body was a cage, disallowing any movement as his heart threatened to rip its way out of his chest.
“Yes… and no. I mean, he’s kind of here… as female Harvest Festival Robin,” Kiran admitted sheepishly. “I apologize for the scare, but you know, I figured this mission would be an excellent way for you two to increase your bonds together! Nils and Frederick will be joining, as well. I’m sure your knight will protect you from any harm she attempts!”
Robin bit his ear almost playfully, though Chrom couldn’t register nuance as he recovered from the wave of panic finally receding.
As soon as his breath returned, he shouted, “Why the hell didn’t you warn me beforehand, Kiran?! And why this Robin!?”
He didn’t normally lose his temper, but gods, couldn’t either of them have thought this through?! Prior to his summoning, his own Robin had sacrificed herself to rid the world of the Fell Dragon Grima, the wound in his heart still extraordinarily fresh. Seeing her face (and a male likeness of it) everywhere around the castle was difficult enough. It brought him great joy to see her again, but any happiness was quickly replaced with a rush of sadness, knowing when he eventually returned home, his Robin would still be gone.
But this? This was a cruel joke, seeing a Grima-possessed version of his wife just… parading around in costume like it’s the Harvest Festival. He knew that a true Robin existed somewhere deep inside this one, but it was difficult to fathom going through the emotional turmoil a second time to free her—let alone losing her in the process once more. That was her world’s Chrom’s responsibility, not his, much as he wished to save her.
“Aw, what’s the matter, worm? Scared to go on a mission with me?” She pawed at the stupid kerchief he forgot he was wearing.
“Even you could spare a little bit of slightest bit of empathy,” he spat. “Kindly get off me.”
Robin hopped down and slithered to his side.
“I’ll have you know, human, that my memories are so blurred they may as well be nonexistent. You are not the only one here suffering from the events of your own world.” Her words were scathing in his ears. “And not only is the summoning worm forcing me on missions with the likes of you, but I have to engage in battle with a fish carcass on my head!”
Something about her words felt reminiscent of Robin, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Maybe the memory loss aspect…
Instead of lingering on that, he let himself chuckle at the Frelian snapper resting upon her head, grateful he wasn’t alone in wearing ridiculous headgear in the name of “bonding” with heroes from other realms.
Kiran interjected with a forced smile, “So! As soon as Frederick and Nils arrive, you’ll head off to greet the new heroes.”
“And where might you be headed, worm?”
“I’ve got to put together some last minute squads for the Coliseum, and then set up expedition teams to find lost lore and gather up hero feathers to promote some of the units in the barracks.. er, I’m quite busy, I must be going!”
Kiran scuttled away frantically, leaving Chrom to ponder whether Kiran felt guilty about putting him through this, or whether she truly had other missions to oversee.
“Keep staring at me in that way and I’ll claw your eyes out so you have no choice but to cease,” threatened Robin, baring her teeth. “Though it brings me great pleasure to see the despair in them. It is a welcome change from the other worms called Chrom, always trying to coax their precious vessel from me.” Her smile was more foxlike than wolflike, sly and devious.
“I’m afraid I have no intentions of the sort as it stands currently. Another you has done enough to harm my Robin, my children, my sisters and friends, and myself,” he retorted, his gaze focusing on a pillar instead, forcing himself to cease the replaying images in his head.
She circled him like her prey, her wolf tail wrapping around him, toying with him. “Ah, then my other self has done well.”
“My Robin sacrificed herself to rid the world of the likes of you. Don’t hold yourself in such high regard, imagining that you couldn’t be defeated here and now,” he warned.
She recoiled.
Perplexing was the best way he could describe the knot twisting in his stomach, his emotions tumultuous. The urge to cut her down rose as her words stung in his ears. Any eye contact he made ignited an intense desire to capture her with his lips, a desperate attempt to reach the Robin trapped within. She was wrong; he wanted to save her, just like his counterparts, no matter the pain.
That flicker of hope still alight allowed him to continued, softer, “I can only hope that your world’s me defeats you once and for all. In the meantime,” his focus left the pillars in favor of her, “perhaps running around in a silly werewolf costume, fighting for the good of a heroic kingdom is punishment enough for possessing my other half.”
She scowled at that. “I’ll have you know that I am enjoying none of this.”
Chrom took note of the light blush kissing her cheeks, chuckling to himself.
In the distance, he could see Frederick and Nils approaching, odd accessories perched atop their heads, as well—though neither quite as embarrassing as his own.
“Well, shall we be off, then?”