The Narrow View Through the Mask

by Lucathia

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Heroes and make no profit from writing this.

Summary: Alfonse runs across Bruno, but it's not the Bruno he knows.

Notes: A treat for zynnser for Yuletide 2018, who requested Alfonse meeting Brave Veronica's brother. I also had fun having Alfonse wear Bruno's mask, just like what I have him doing in game. 8D

Alfonse sighed and left the others, the chatter growing quiet as his feet took him away from the campfire. It was a day to celebrate, with new winter heroes joining them to close out the year. So many heroes had joined them over the year, even some unexpected ones. Veronica was one such hero, once their deadliest enemy, now their dear comrade, even though she wasn't the same Veronica who had wanted and still wanted to kill them.

This Veronica wasn't compelled by her blood to wage war, though she feared it to be possible. She sought her brother, as his whereabouts were unknown to her. At times, Alfonse had to wonder—was her brother also on a quest to seek a way to suppress the destiny written in their blood? Had he actually succeeded? Alfonse felt he must have, as Veronica didn't show any signs of bloodlust. But if he had succeeded, why hadn't he returned to his sister?

Alfonse wandered around their base, checking up on their supplies and equipment. By the tents, their box of accessories grew full. Some of the accessories had even fallen out of the box in disarray. Alfonse walked closer, shaking his head at the messiness of the Order of Heroes. Although each of the heroes were formidable fighters, formidable housekeepers they were not. Alfonse bent down and began picking up the fallen accessories.

He was putting away a yellow ducky when his eyes landed on a familiar mask on the floor. It was Zacharias's mask. Well, a close imitation. Alfonse had been the one to buy it, unable to resist the purchase when he had seen it. It resembled Zacharias's mask too much. It could possibly even be his spare, or perhaps Zacharias no longer had need of his mask and had thought to discard it. Alfonse liked to imagine that he might have found a clue about his friend's whereabouts, that Zacharias had passed through the very same streets as Alfonse and the rest. Was Alfonse perhaps tracing his friend's footsteps?

Alfonse reached out to pick the mask up, hands running across the surface, as he wondered if there would ever come a day that Zacharias would join them again, if they could ever have those old days back. If not for Zacharias encouraging Alfonse to branch out on his own, he'd have stayed a passive prince who only ever got told that everything he did was wrong. While he was still getting told that, at the very least, he himself believed in what he was doing, even if his judgment still wasn't anywhere as wise as his father's. The Order of Heroes wasn't a useless past time. He'd become someone he liked better because of the Order. Though he could never be as optimistic or as welcoming as Sharena, even he had found meaning among the Order and allies he depended on.

But none of them were Zacharias. It just wasn't the same.

He brought the mask closer, settling it on his face on top of his nose. Through the mask, his sight was narrower, the edges of the mask visible at the corners of his sight. He had to turn his head or his whole body to see around him, instead of just moving his eyes. He took in the surroundings through the mask, the world altogether a narrower place. Just like the narrow view through Zacharias's mask, Zacharias's world had narrowed down into his quest to break the curse of his blood. Everything he did was for that sake. There was no room for Alfonse in his life.

All alone away from the rest of his comrades, with a mask on his face obscuring his sight, Alfonse felt that he was probably closer than ever to Zacharias right then.

The crunching of snow announced her presence before she rounded the corner. "Brother! What are you doing over here all by yourself?" Sharena asked. "Wait, are you playing dress up without me?"

Before Alfonse could react, Sharena jumped forward. She began digging through the accessory box, shouting in delight when she came across a butterfly mask, something about how they'd match if she also wore a mask. She slipped it on her face and turned around. "How do I look?"

"Mysterious," Alfonse said with a wry smile. Even Sharena looked quite mysterious with such a mask on. But her excited grin at Alfonse's answer dashed away all the mystery.

"So this is what Marth sees all the time! Brother, you look blue!" exclaimed Sharena, no doubt because of how her sight was partially obscured by the mask.

He was feeling a bit blue indeed, even with his sister making him smile, as his friend's absence felt even more pronounced now. Zacharias had been Sharena's friend too. The three of them had been childhood friends, never apart for long. Zacharias had even taught Sharena the lance. If only he too could be here, joking around with them...

Perhaps a bit of training would take his mind off matters. Alfonse contemplated for a moment if he wanted to ask any of the healers to come with him, or anyone else to train with him, but he'd really rather be alone right now. So, he bid his sister goodbye and headed off to train, not noticing how Sharena watched him go with a worried frown.

Alfonse swung his sword, testing the weight. Had he become any stronger? A worthy prince of his kingdom? Sharena was completely a people's person and could make friends with just about anyone. She would make a benevolent ruler, loved by her kingdom. But Alfonse, on the other hand, was her opposite. He could only throw himself into his training.

In the midst of his training, snow began to fall. He sighed and lowered his sword. Commander Anna would never let him hear the end of it if he let himself get sick because he wasn't taking care of himself. He checked the sky, the dark night filling with white snowflakes drifting about him. Through his narrow view, Alfonse could somewhat make out the moon hanging far up. It was certainly best to make his way back before the snow got worse.

A slight movement made Alfonse turn to the side, just in time to catch sight of the back of a white haired man. It was as if he had appeared with the snow.

"Zacharias!" Alfonse shouted after him, hurrying to follow him, feet stepping into the very same footprints his friend was leaving behind. This time, Alfonse was literally following his footsteps. When the man showed no indication of stopping, Alfonse braced himself and shouted, "Bruno!"

His friend finally turned around at the use of that name. Was "Zacharias" too unfamiliar for him now? Had he discarded that name altogether, renouncing the part of him that had been Alfonse and Sharena's friend? But to Alfonse, he had always been Zacharias... and never Prince Bruno.

"You are from Askr?" Zacharias, no Bruno, asked, as he looked Alfonse up and down, taking in his appearance.

There was no mask on Bruno's face, finally leaving his face bare for Alfonse to see, and oh did he drink in the sight greedily. He was older than the Zacharias in Alfonse's memories, his face sharper, his eyes wearier. But this face was clearly that of his friend Zacharias. If Alfonse had still doubted that Bruno was indeed Zacharias, this would have banished all doubt, except... why would he ask him such a question, as if they were strangers?

Oh no, it couldn't be that Bruno couldn't recognize Alfonse because of the mask Alfonse was currently wearing? Alfonse's face warmed up at the thought. His face was probably warm enough to melt the snow! He had completely forgotten he was still wearing the mask! He quickly snatched the mask off, shoved it behind him, and said, "It's me, Alfonse."

Bruno just raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that supposed to tell me anything?"

Alfonse blinked in surprise and gestured at himself. "You... don't know me?" He had expected teasing for being caught wearing the mask—Zacharias would certainly have teased him—but this was Bruno, not Zacharias. Zacharias... hadn't ever existed. He had only ever been a mask for Bruno, a mask that he now no longer needed.

"Clearly you're not as important as you think," Bruno said, and oh did that hurt.

Alfonse took a few deep breaths, letting logic guide him. Bruno's words hurt, but Alfonse didn't believe he was trying to be cruel. Even though Bruno had pretended not to know him before this, that lie had already been revealed. There was no use in pretending now, not when he wasn't even wearing the mask to conceal his appearance.

Alfonse frowned and looked Bruno over again. While it was possible that Bruno could have lost his memories during his search for a way to break the curse of his blood, or that he wished to distance himself from Alfonse again, there was also another possibility, that this was a different Bruno altogether. With how many different versions of heroes from various worlds that have been summoned—Kiran had even summoned an Alfonse and a Sharena from a different world—it was highly possible that this Bruno was from a different world altogether, one where he and Alfonse had never become friends.

That was a thought Alfonse didn't like to entertain at all, a sad, depressing thought, that there were worlds out there where Zacharias and he had never become friends. If not for Zacharias, the Order wouldn't even exist as it did now, not truly.

An alternate version of Bruno had not been among the heroes that Kiran had summoned. Had he been summoned by someone else?

"Are you from a different world?" Alfonse asked, rather hoping it to be so. It would mean that his Bruno hadn't forgotten him so completely that he was treating him like a stranger all over again.

Bruno gave Alfonse a measured look before replying, "Yes."

What were the chances that this Bruno could be the Bruno of their Veronica? She had always been looking for her brother. Chances were likely slim, but Alfonse couldn't ignore the possibility. And so, he said, "I have someone I want you to meet."

But before Alfonse led him over, he handed him an accessory first, just in case.

Alfonse wondered how to introduce Bruno to the rest, but he needn't have worried, as Veronica easily solved that problem.

"Brother?!" Veronica gasped upon seeing Bruno. Bruno, on the other hand, didn't utter anything upon seeing his sister. Alfonse felt that Bruno didn't seem shocked over her brave attire either, another point in favor of this possibly being their Veronica's brother.

Veronica placed her hand over her heart and said, "Good evening, Brother, I am so glad to see you."

Bruno lifted an eyebrow, turned to Alfonse with a questioning glance, as if asking him just what they were teaching his sister, before he turned his attention back on her. "Is there a need to be so formal? We haven't seen each other for so long."

Veronica frowned. "Am I being formal? I just wished to be friendly..." She paused before going on excitedly, "Did you know that just by saying good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, one can make friends? I learned so much here!"

Bruno smiled at that. Alfonse felt his heart flutter. He'd missed that smile.

"Have you made a lot of friends?" Bruno asked, to which Veronica answered with a nod, and Alfonse could see Bruno and Zacharias melding into one. He was still that kind boy who had believed in Alfonse. Even across worlds, he was still the same kind soul.

But Bruno soon sighed. "Sister, have you given chase all the way across worlds? You shouldn't have. I left for a reason."

The curse of their blood. Even in that other world, it still held true. Yet, like Alfonse had been wondering earlier, wasn't this Veronica much calmer? She didn't seem to be plagued by bloodlust. Why was that? Had Bruno discovered something?

Veronica shook her head. "It is true that I have been searching for you, but that is not how I came to be here. I heard the call of their summoner, a call for aid. They.. They needed me, and I wished to answer their plead."

Bruno gave a nod. "That is good to hear, Sister. You should live for yourself, decide things for yourself, and stop living in my shadow. That book, however, I am glad to see you have kept it safe."

Veronica hugged the book closer to herself. "You gave it to me, after all. It's precious to me. And for the longest time, it was all I had of you. Tell me, Brother, can I hope that you will stay this time?"

"I don't believe that's up to me to decide," Bruno answered while eying the book in Veronica's hands. He then turned toward Alfonse.

Alfonse smiled and gestured at the reindeer horns Bruno held. He'd given them to Bruno before they approached the camp. "I'm sure you'll fit right in with the festivities once you put those on."

Bruno looked down at the reindeer horns. He looked at Veronica's expectant gaze. He quirked a smile at that and put the reindeer horns on, prompting a delighted smile to spread across his sister's face.

"Still better than the mask you were wearing before," Bruno said to Alfonse while shaking his head. "You were trying much too hard to be mysterious. Who even wears masks like that?"

Alfonse stared at Bruno and couldn't help it. Who wears masks like that? You do!

He burst out laughing. He laughed so much that he doubled over, and Sharena even came over to see what was going on, only too happy to find a new addition to the Order, as well as her brother in high spirits. Both Veronica and Bruno looked at him as if he had gone crazy. When Alfonse finally got a hold of his laughter, he said while wiping his eyes, "Welcome to the Order of Heroes, Bruno. We're glad to have you join us."

This wasn't his Bruno, but Alfonse still felt lighter than before. He could see himself becoming close with this Bruno too, and he had also gained a clue for his Bruno. That book that Veronica treasured? Alfonse was pretty sure it must play a key part in keeping Veronica sane. Perhaps Bruno had even decided to stay because of it. Besides, since Kiran wasn't the one who had summoned Bruno, Alfonse had no doubts that it was Zacharias—his Bruno—who had done so.

With Bruno appearing in the midst of snow when Alfonse had been at his loneliest, he could not help but think that Zacharias had been trying to look after him in his own way. Even if he could not be here himself, at least he could be here in some way, making sure the world would not remain as lonely as that narrow view through that silly mask.

One day, they were sure to reunite.

the end

A/N: If you follow me anywhere else, you'll probably know that Fire Emblem Heroes has taken over my life for the past year and a half, nearing two years now, though it's not a series that has bitten me hard in the plotbunny department. Thanks zynnser for requesting FEH and spurring me to dip my writing fingers in this sandbox. Alfonse has really grown on me throughout the game, and I'm really hoping we can get a playable Bruno someday. (BTW, my main goal in the game is Soren. I've finished merging him to 5*+10, among others, so my goal now is to +10 at least one Ike for him. I'm really hoping we'll get a Soren alt someday... You bet I'll try to summon him!)

Oh, and this is my 100th fic on ffnet!

Happy New Year, everyone, and may your pulls be fruitful this year!