Chapter 7: Reincarnation:
She hates the way Chrom looks at her, his eyes looking half hurt, half scared, and entirely confused.
"Robin… Do you really despise us so, that you wish to forsake your humanity?" His voice is thick with pain, with sorrow… And as her ears flick, she can pick out notes of fear as well. She knows that it's a fear of almost losing her, and that makes a sense shame settle deep into her body.
"Did we hurt you that much?" The shame in her gut coils a little tighter at that.
"I-it's not that, Chrom." She rasps out. She tries to shake her head, but all the muscles along her neck still burn. She can only watch him, and see fresh pain bleed over his face.
"Then why-!?" He insists, desperate for answers.
"Because it's easier!" She blurts out.
She wants to shut her mouth. For the gods to become fickle again and take away her ability to speak. To only be able to snarl and howl. But her prayers go unanswered, and her words don't stop.
"It's easier to be a beast. Everything is more simple; you only need to hunt, to defend your forest. You don't worry about humans, beyond driving them away. You don't… You don't fear growing closer to them. You don't feel a pain in your heart whenever you think about them leaving, or making impossible wishes that they might stay-"
With each word, a little more understanding seems to dawn across his face. And that's even worse; this weight in her heart is almost too painful for Robin to carry all by herself. She doesn't want to force it onto another person.
It already hurts her enough, knowing how wrong her feelings are.
"Because… At the end of it all, you're the prince of a kingdom, and I'm…" She glances down to herself; to her mismatched limbs, her patchwork of skin and fur. It's nothing like the soldiers she's glimpsed through the trees. All in shining armor instead of ragged and dirt-stained clothing, their appearances carefully polished… And all without a hint of claws, fur, or fangs.
"Well… Look at me." She wants to scream the last words. Instead they come out hushed, almost choked out by her shame.
"I… I am looking at you." Chrom tells her. "And… I'm trying to make sense of what you're saying. Are you… Afraid of being near me?"
"…Yes."
"Can you please tell me why?"
Because it will only end with her heart shattered. Because she's certain that the prince of a kingdom is meant to end up with a princess, not a half-beast. And he also isn't meant to take on aspects of a wolf in turn. Because all she's brought him is pain and uncertainty.
"I'm… Sorry." She finally whispers.
"But why?" Chrom still presses; and with a jolt, she meets his eyes, finds herself staring into them, almost lost in the blue. This is a reversal of before; him desperately trying to wrench some honesty out of her with only his gaze. "Why are you afraid, and why are you sorry?"
"I-I'm sorry, because I…" And this time, she finds herself crumbling before him, with all her secrets laid bare beneath his gaze. She knows she can't hide the truth from him, not matter how her heart cries out. "…Because I love you."
There it is. She never thought those words could hurt, and ache more than the bite of blades or fangs. And yet, each word feels ready to pry her heart from her chest, and shatter it into a thousand unmendable pieces-
Chrom stalls those feelings, when he puts his hand over her heart. Her own heartbeat stills for a moment, as he presses the heel of his palm against her ruff of fur. His fingers splay out, reaching over her collar and brushing gentle against her neck.
She freezes under his attention, and the pain in her heart snuffs out for an instant, replaced by confusion.
Chrom takes a half-breath and half shiver as he watches her; his throat flashes in the wane castle light as he stares at Robin.
"I… I remember what you asked me before, when we met eyes." He tells her. Robin forces herself to nod at that; the last time they locked eyes like this feels like an eternity ago. "You… Asked me what I wanted, and I couldn't tell you. Just that I was looking for some place to call home, and belong."
They aren't very different in that regard, Robin thinks. Already she feels sick, knowing what she almost threw away in her battle. She'd almost slipped back into a life of nothing but instinct… And almost left Chrom behind. No matter how much her heart aches as she listens to him, a part of her knows she can't stand to let it go. She can't leave his side-
"I… I think I've figured out where I want to be, more than anything." Chrom tells her, and her side prickles as a hand traces over her ribs. "More than being a prince, o-or even fully human. I… I should've been braver. Should've said something sooner. M-maybe then we would be able to share what was in our hearts."
"…Our?" Robin whispers out. Chrom nods, and leans closer as his arms wrap around her. It doesn't feel like being trapped… If anything, she feels oddly safe.
"Robin, I'll say this until my breath runs out, for as long as I need to."
He could crush the breath out of her if he wanted to; instead he presses her against him, like he can ease all the heart ache out of her if he just holds on long enough. And stranger still, that tactic seems to be working.
"I love you. I want no one else at my side but you. And… If that makes me a stranger in my own kingdom, then so be it." His chest flutters against hers, and with a jolt she feels him trembling. But still he holds her tight against him, as he murmurs the words again and again. "I love you, Robin."
She desperately wants to repeat his words, tell him again that she loves him, but her voice has chosen now to become fickle. Instead she finds her eyes sliding shut, while she brushes her lips against Chrom's cheek. It's half on instinct as Robin feels her way into a kiss.
Chrom stills at that, giving a soft murmur of appreciation.
"Robin, I-"
"…Disgraceful." A different voice cuts at them, colder than any winter she's faced. She lifts her eyes from Chrom… And finds herself facing the king of Ylisse. Chrom's father sneers at both of them, hand on his spear.
There's fresh wounds on his skin, and she suspects he's fought the wolf pack. But there's still plenty of strength left in his limbs, and hate in his gaze.
"I'll see you cleansed from this place. You…" He scowls at Chrom. "And that abomination you brought in as well."
-o-o-o-
"You won't touch her." Chrom growls out, crouched over Robin and glaring back at the king. Chrom doesn't care now, at how his own father sneers down at him. The hate in the man's eyes cuts at him only once, and then washes over him. Because that contempt doesn't matter to Chrom anymore; just that he won't let any harm come to Robin.
"You think you can stop me?" His father sneers. "The forest has poisoned your mind, driven you mad-"
"You're one to talk!" Chrom blurts out, jolting to his feet and bringing Falchion with him. He forces his blade up, even as the motion of leveling his blade on his father twists at his heart. "You… You turned your back on the old ways, and tried to shut us out of our birthright."
His father's eyes narrow to a glare, and any mercy or pity left in his face drained away. Chrom can still remember the glyphs in the ruins; the secrets his father tried to scour from their history.
"Why would you do that-!?" Chrom still presses.
"…Because the ways of conquering the wilderness, are superior. The wilds have gone old and dark, corrupted by that vile Rot. They're better off conquered and purged. And if I must destroy my own kin along with the wilds, then so be it." His father spits out the last.
Chrom remembers a similar ire in his father's voice, decades ago… An ire directed at his own sister, shouting that no one would venture into the woods, except to fight. That had been the only time Emmeryn had asked to explore the wilds, instead of leading the Ylisse forces. There'd been no more questions or suggestions after that.
Knowing that makes Chrom sick.
"…No wonder everything's gone wrong. You've gone mad with hate and fear…" Chrom mutters out, but his father must hear him. His eyes go black with rage, and the man races towards Chrom with a shriek. His father invokes Naga to guide his hand and strike down the infidels.
He's not a son to him any longer, Chrom knows. He's an animal in his father's eyes… And he feels like a beast as well, bristling and baring his teeth against his father. His father doesn't flinch from that, instead lashing out with his hunting spear and aiming the silver straight at Chrom's heart.
Chrom shoves Robin to the side, yanking himself out of the way as the silver blade bites at his chest. It gouges him with a deep cut, and fire burns through him. His body ripples in answer, and he drops to the ground with fresh grown claws scraping the floor. They scrabble for purchase as he writhes out of the way, dashing on all fours… And with each lunge, he feels more and more on home on four paws.
A rush of adrenaline surges through him as he weaves around the spear and lunges at his father. There's an almost seductive thrill to the power in his limbs, and that same power leaves him sharp fanged. He can't hold Falchion any longer, and the blade tumbles from his former fingers, as he slips back into a wolfish shape.
His father narrows his eyes, turning to try and face Robin instead. Treating her as the cause of all this. Rage sparks through Chrom at that, and he rushes between his father and Robin, snarling in fury.
As he fights with his father, and tries to lock fangs around his throat, his thoughts begin to fray; like the fresh coat of fur is smothering them.
Maybe that's why he doesn't see his father spin the spear, and rake the blade across his neck. The wound burns along him… But not deep enough to bleed out all of his life. Chrom drops to the floor, his own blood spilling across the tiles, and his father's blood staining his own jaws. The taste intoxicates him, makes him forget his own pain as he struggles back up-
"CHROM, STOP!" Robin screams, and something about her voice stills that bloodlust and snaps his thoughts into focus. He sees how his father still clutches his spear, and how Chrom would've driven himself onto the blade if he charged. So instead he lurches back, limping on three limbs now.
His retreat brings him up next to Robin… And she doesn't blanch from his twisted shape, or the blood he's shed. She lays a hand along Chrom's neck, and something about her touch numbs the pain and rage twisting through him-
He leans against her touch, feeling his changes melt for an instant, leaving him human and shaking on his hands and arms. Fresh blood wells from the cut along his neck and over his skin, making him shiver.
The look from his father pushes another shudder through Chrom. His father fights his way up to his own feet, stepping over the crippled and twisted form of the black wolf. For a moment, Chrom wonders if the broken corpse twitches in response… But the rest of his attention is fixed on his father.
"Y-you won't touch Robin." Chrom tells him, his voice whispering out and repeating his promise. This time he doesn't need to hide behind a wolf's visage to challenge his father. "Even… Even if I have to fight you with just my hands."
He doesn't shrink from his father… And this time rage doesn't cloud over his thoughts. Just the steadfast desire to protect Robin-
"It's okay… You won't have to fight him alone." He stills at Robin's voice, and the last of his anger drains away, hearing that the iron in her words. Yet as strong as her voice is, her touch is soft when she rests a hand over his shoulder. Her claws prick at his skin, and dip over his collarbone… Right where his scars linger on his skin.
It snuffs out the last of his anger; even the glare of his father can't compare to that.
"I'll stay by your side." Robin continues to tell him.
"…Abomination." His father hears that tenderness as well, and hisses the word out in a curse.
"No more than you are." Robin snaps back… And his father lets out a maddened howl in response. The world seems to grow darker around them, answering his rage. Magic answers magic, and there's a power in his father's anger… And it magnifies the darkness in the castle.
The miasma swirls around his father, the tendrils of shadow looking almost like thorns and fangs… And they bite into his father, the same way Validar's fangs sank into Chrom. His father barely gets a moment to scream, before the Rot swarms over him. His breath turns to a snarl, while his body hunches over and contorts.
Thorns explode from his father's flesh, twisting his body, choking the air with brick dust and that strange, half-sweet and half decaying scent of rot. Through the miasma, the black wolf stirs, eyes open, climbing onto shaky limbs… And then springing on his father, and somehow melting into him, melding their forms together. Chrom has never seen a wolf and man so mashed up and twisted together, and the sight leaves him sick to his stomach.
…And Chrom isn't certain how to face such a monster.
-o-o-o-
Thorns sprout from the floor as the monster thrashes upright, looming tall over Robin and dwarfing even Chrom. She's never seen a wolf stand on twisted human legs, or ripple with such strength and fangs… Or loom over them, with talons like daggers, and fangs all borne against them.
Robin feels a cry echo through the halls, wild and equal to any peal of thunder. It is almost like she hears the call of a wild animal… Or a god.
'Grima.' She thinks, the name flaring through her head. 'It's like the God is answering…'
And is pressing down on her head, trying to find some place into her mind. A glare of moonlight seeps through the windows, and Robin's skin gives a squirm… She's under the glare of a god, and it disapproves of the shape she's in. Rages at the pledge that has been denied the two gods. She can feel her body strain in answer, trying to shift back, while a strange growl builds in her head. A growl that almost forms into words… And those words remind her of all the wrongs visited on the forest.
That she has nothing to do with these humans-
"You are better meant serving Grima… Not that pathetic creature beside you. What can he give you, that Grima cannot? You are more powerful than him. Stronger without your humanity-"
The growl turns into a voice… And a familiar one at that. She sees the monster's eyes burn a bright red… An echo of Validar. And she knows that some part of him is holding on, and infecting Chrom's father in turn. Rot is burning through them, consuming both of their fathers with a hate.
And that same hate wants to drag her down in turn… And only when her hand brushes against Chrom's arm, does that hate suddenly dim.
The god's presence rages. But the howls seem to slide off of her, and instead find a grip on Chrom's father. He writhes under the attention of the wild magic… And for an instant, over the screams, growls, and hum of magic, she can hear a dark laughter.
A laughter that clearly belongs to Validar. She can see the monster cling onto Chrom's father, warp his flesh and leave him a possessed beast. She doesn't know how they'll face such a combined monster-
Something glints on Chrom's neck, even as the sky bruises over with thick clouds, and blinds the eyes of Naga and Grima. The Rot seems to choke even the sky now… But it can't fully manage to kill the light. The light at Chrom's neck is equal to the brilliance of the two moons. With a start, Robin realizes there's an answering light at her own neck, emitting from their rings.
"Chrom…" Robin takes a step back from the monster, and her hand going to her ring. The monster gives a harsh snarl in response, finding the light offensive. The air grows thick and dark around them, with a strange, sickly sweet taste. A mixture of blood and rotting flowers floods her senses, still trying to drown Robin… To make her change, and match the monster.
Robin half feels a plan in her head, but doesn't have time to do more than brace for a fight. Her claws scratch at the floor, digging in to brace herself. She can feel another battle raging through her body, and she knows Chrom is fighting as well… But they both still have enough magic to keep them standing.
'Don't flee. Don't flinch… And don't give into him.'
As the monster lunges, she and Chrom move almost as one, and ripple between human and beast as they slam into the monster. In one instant Robin feels her own claws and fangs cutting through the beast, and sees an echoing attack and change rippling through Chrom.
And all the while the light burns away, the rings blazing against the rot and shadow, but never losing their glow. Even against the burn and the attack, the monster doesn't lose its fighting fury; instead it sinks claws around Robin, making her ache… And her thoughts go oddly dull, like the monster is trying to seep corruption into her-
"You'll go mad, as Grima wills it… And you will forget. Forget the weakness lodging in your heart." Her father growls. "Now come back to me."
The wolf drives Robin into the floor, trying to trap her as a beast… And her mind feels feverish under the grip and the bleeding. She thrashes out in a blind panic, instinct clouding her thoughts, scattering any thought of strategy or careful counterattack. She scrabbles at the floor, tries to find some way to fight back, and her paw brushes over the pommel of a sword for an instant-
Chrom's sword, she realizes. She lifts her eyes, and sees Chrom laying on the floor, pinned by the other set of claws. He bleeds, his breath oddly raspy… But he hasn't shifted as much as Robin. His fingers clutch at the ring, like it's a lifeline, and keeping him as close to human as possible.
"I gave you an order… To forget about him-!"
But instead of forgetting, or her mind going hazy… A set of images settle into her. She remembers her time with Chrom, from sunrise to moonset… And how she can't give up any of those memories. The rings blaze in defiance, and Robin's mind gives a thrum. Her limbs lash out, paws morphing to near hands as she grasps at the sword.
Chrom writhes under Validar's grip, pinned by his other paw… But still desperate to fight. Robin tries to mirror his motions… And another memory plays through her head. Of a time so many nights ago, when she'd first attacked Chrom. Shame tries to burn through her at that, but she can also remember how he'd brought the blade up, the strike he'd used against her… And how she can mimic that now.
She twists, heedless of how the claws cut at her and draw furrows of blood and twist her flesh, and she carries the blade with her; turning her twist into a cutting arc. The sword bites Validar, and his claws loosen on them for just an instant.
Robin writhes out from underneath them, cutting and slicing with the sword, driving the monster back. It gives Chrom just enough room to get himself free, and lash out with his feet; they catch the monster square in the chest and send it staggering back.
It gives them a moment to flinch away, to lean against the other as the monster writhes and froths. The strikes of Falchion do something to it, leave it bleeding ichor and struggling to hold onto its own monstrous shape. Chrom shudders against Robin, his own light flickering as he shakes-
And at that, a desperate idea flashes through Robin's head, remembering the story Chrom had told her about the rings.
Those artifacts have been resting around their necks for days and nights now, absorbing whatever magic coats the two of them. Robin throws the sword behind them in a brilliant flash, then snatches Chrom by the wrist and pulls him to the side, rolling across the floor as the monster tries to pounce on them again. Instead of getting her back broken by a wolf-beast, she finds herself bumping against Chrom and half draped across his chest.
"G-give me your hand!" Robin blurts out, yanking at the ring around her own neck and pulling it free. There's a strength to her claws now, and she yanks the collar free from her neck along with the ring. The monster howls in rage as the binding falls free from her throat… And for the first time, Robin feels as though she can breathe freely. But she doesn't linger on that sensation.
"I think I know what we need to do… To complete the ceremony." To do what their fathers have both done their best to break, in their zeal to one god and one force over another.
She finds Chrom's wrist again… But hesitates at slipping the ring over his fingers. She knows what needs to come next, to switch the artifacts they carry, and gain a different type of magic. But she doesn't want to force that magic on Chrom; not like what her own father has done to her-
Chrom meets her eyes for a moment… And something odd flickers through his face; a glint of understanding, along with an odd gentleness. He meets her hand as well, clasping her fingers for an instant before offering his own ring.
"I never quite imagined things going like this… But I wouldn't change it. Or the person." Chrom tells her. "So… I'll take your burden and your strength, both of them."
'And we'll be stronger, even if we're leaning on the other.'
The monster whirls at that thought, and their motions. The next moment Chrom accepts her ring and offers his own. The metal instantly warms to her. It melts away her fur, so the band can properly fit over her fingers. Robin marvels at her hand for a split second, and how her fingers are almost a match for Chrom's, gone slender and fine, instead of ending in claws-
And a split second is all she has, before the rest of the world catches up.
The beast screams in rage at that, lunging at them… But not before a glow spreads from the rings and envelops Chrom and Robin. The light seems to sear away at the monster, diminishing its strength for an instant… And that instant is long enough for Robin to share a look with Chrom.
Her hand reaches out to grab the sword, pulling the blade from the floor, and she pushes it into Chrom's palm. It's another bit of shared metal between them, grasped by both of their hands.
"You… Are… Mine!"
There's a pull at her mind, one more demand she shed her humanity. But instead of getting pulled into another reckless battle, she wraps an arm about his shoulders and stands with Chrom. They brace their feet, and hold the blade together. They don't flinch, even when the monster roars towards them. The light from rings and blade both eat away at the monster-
And pierce straight through it, as she and Chrom move together, driving the blade through the wolf's heart. The sword drives through the monster, even as its fangs try to close around Robin once more.
She can hear Validar give a sharp wail, and one last dying howl against their own magic. Chrom's father melts away as well… And with them burns away the thick miasma and Rot, cleansed by a different sort of magic.
Moonlight floods back into the room, suddenly bright and clear. Her body doesn't feel torn between two forces any longer… And she collapses to the ground.
"Robin…?" Chrom wheezes out, staring at her. "A-are you okay? Are you-?"
"I'm… A-alright." Robin answers, staring at herself. And feeling more and more human by the second.
-o-o-o-
The miasma and clouds disperse, letting in rays of sunlight from a slowly growing dawn. And as the dawn seeps in, Chrom glimpses the moons setting. Their shape has turned more crescent like; at last the two moons are shifting their phases, away from full. The gods have shut their eyes and slipped back into slumber.
'Because we've finally listened to them.'
Chrom finds himself at the castle walls, looking out over a changed kingdom. Where the rot has been seared away, there are flowering vines in place, growing strong over the city walls and bearing strange, blue and violet flowers. A mixture of wild and civilization that now clings to his city.
It feels almost like being reborn, as he lifts his head to the rays of sunlight shining over the forest. Below he can just glimpse the Shepherds, stirring back to life. The stone falls away from their forms, as they stretch and look out over the changed landscape.
"Thank the gods…" He murmurs to the setting moons, giving them a final prayer. They're all still alive, despite everything. Frederick moves amongst all the troops, gently rallying them, checking each person. Until at last, he turns his eyes to the castle. Chrom wonders if Frederick and the others can see him; if they can, they raise no alarm or cry. Instead, they hesitantly make their way back to the city, and the castle.
At a glimpse down, he spots Lissa and Emmeryn greeting the Shepherds at the gates, further easing their worries and their wounds.
There's so much rebuilding to do… And yet he feels hope for it, like he's finally found a battle he can win.
"You have your pack returned to you-" That's Robin's voice, a little halting. But it still makes him smile when he hears it and lifts his spirits that little more. "I-I mean, you have your kingdom. And your people back."
Robin watches him… Though there's still a hesitation clinging to her. He can almost tell that there's another thought lurking in her; and is there a place for me, in all of this?
Chrom finds himself giving her an answer, as he takes a step closer. He encircles her hands with his own, clasping them together. The gesture draws her closer to him, resting her head in the crook of his neck, and she gives a long sigh.
"I think you should meet the Shepherds, now that my father… Now that he isn't blinding them. And now that my sister can vouch for us both. I think… They'll grow to accept you. Especially after all you've done." He murmurs to her. Robin gives a shiver in response, and a little more tension drains out of her-
"Sir Chrom!" That voice raises both of their heads, and Chrom find himself smiling as he looks down. The troops have made their way close enough to hail him.
"Hey Stahl; enjoyed that nap in stone?"
"I've had better rests, if I'm honest." Stahl answers, still smiling. And that grin doesn't once slip when he sees Robin, though he does give her a quick blink. "You know… She looks a lot like that person I saw in my dreams… Running alongside you, fighting too…"
He trails off, still watching her. And Robin doesn't shrink from his gaze, or even bristle, braced against Chrom instead.
"Is she going to stay-?" Stahl asks, more curious than apprehensive. Chrom can only give a shrug at that, not wanting to pressure Robin just yet. With a nod, Stahl turns back to the Shepherds, helping to bring them back into the city.
Leaving Chrom with Robin. She lets out a long sigh, watching the Shepherds move along. To his relief she shows no sign of bolting; it gives him a little more courage to ask his own question.
"Robin, I wonder… What will you do now?" He hopes she won't melt back into the woods; not after all that they've shared. That she won't break from him, and leave him with just a ring and a memory. After a moment, Robin meets his eyes with a decisive light in her own. Her hand squeezes his as she finds her answer.
"What I will do now is… Is learn to live as a human. And… And learn how to deal with my heart, and all I feel towards you." She murmurs, voice soft as she feels out her way. "If… If you would allow me to make a home here, and a pack with you-"
"There's no one else I'd rather have at my side…" He pauses for only a moment, before adding, "My love." Robin gives a soft gasp at that, before her arms wrap around him. Now that she has hands, Robin uses them to grasp at him, to clutch at his clothing and pull him close into an embrace.
"Beloved…" Robin tests the word, smiling at that; the shift also lights up her face, and gives her eyes a little more brightness. Chrom finds himself murmuring the word again, if only to keep that smile on her face.
"Is it alright for me to call you that-?" He still asks.
He isn't given that answer in words. Instead, Robin leans forward, before giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. One that Chrom gladly returns, after a quick gasp. Robin murmurs a gentle nonsense against his lips, until they finally break apart; Chrom knows he's grinning like a fool, but he can't bring himself to care. Not with how Robin looks at him with gentle eyes, and how she reaches up to cup his face with her hands.
"Just fine, to call my that… And to hear that, my love." Robin murmurs. A slight, almost breathless laugh is in her voice.
Chrom leans into her touch, until their foreheads bump together, and his cheeks flush from feeling Robin's breath. And with every breath he takes and watches her, Chrom feels a little more like who he's supposed to be.