Since He Left

Another one-shot, focusing on Robin and Lucina once again (second-favourite pairing after Morgan and Nah...) Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem or Nintendo or anything...

"Ugh..." Robin opened his eyes, and saw Chrom and Lissa hovering near him.

"You're awake now. Here, take my hand." Chrom reached out, and Robin took the hand, helped up.

"Ugh... where...?" Robin looked around, Lissa and Chrom smiling at him. "I'm in Ylisse." He saw a small grave on the field, but too far for Robin to read, before Lissa's voice grabbed his attention.

"Yes! It's almost been a year since you banished Grima!" declared Lissa. "The world's safe now."

"Yes. Also..." Chrom seemed uncomfortable for a moment. "Eh... I'll let Lucina explain this." He then smiled again. "Good to have you back, Robin. Lucina didn't leave, if you're wondering."

"Alright." Robin let out a small breath. "I hope she doesn't kill me for leaving her alone," he muttered.

Lissa groaned. "When we get back, you'll see." She let out a sigh. "We're going to have to stay at an inn tonight, because Chrom decided that his wife shouldn't fly, being pregnant..."

"Sumia's pregnant again?" Robin looked at Chrom with a strange face. "Seriously?"

"Leave me alone," muttered Chrom. "We have some peace, so why not? Cynthia..." He stopped.

Robin and Lissa both grinned in mischief. "I'll join you this time," Robin told Lissa.

"Good." The two let out small laughter as Chrom sort of stood there, uncomfortable and miserable.

...

"Alright." The next morning, Robin sat on a rock near the inn he and the royals were staying at. It was extremely early, and Robin found a Steel Sword and Thoron tome in his cloak. "Huh."

"Got anything for if Lucina gets Falchion and tries to kill you?" Robin turned to see his best friend, ready with Falchion at his side.

"Yeah. By the way..." Robin looked at the legendary sword. "Why do you still carry that around?"

"Because I can," grinned Chrom, before growing serious. "I spent so much time with it during the wars we fought in... I can barely get myself to part with it."

Robin nodded, "I see." He stood. "Get Lissa. We'd better leave, Ylisstol's still a bit away..."

"Chrom already did that." Lissa blinked sleep out of her eyes as she revealed herself from behind a tree. "Let's go." She slowly began to walk.

"Right." Robin let Chrom take the lead. "Robin... why didn't you let me use Falchion on Grima?"

"Because that dragon deserves to never return. Ever," growled Robin. "Well... at least, I-"

"Wait!" gasped Lissa. "Bandits behind us. They're going to surround us," she murmured.

"Oh, ready?" Robin prepared himself with his Thoron tome. "Bandits have nothing compared to us."

"Yes." Chrom drew Falchion. "Good thing I've been training with Lucina lately. I'm going to need it."

"They don't seem that well-armed," responded Robin. "Is there something special to note about these guys?" He looked at his best friend.

"These bandits seem trained," admitted Chrom. "Eh. We should be fine. Robin?"

"You and I will cover Lissa while she heals us if we're injured," responded Robin in a rush. "I'll take her back and left side, you take the front and right side. Chrom!"

"Alright!" Chrom began a short charge, while Robin prepared himself with his Thoron tome.

"Do I get a say in this plan of yours?!" complained Robin as he nudged her on towards Chrom.

"No," replied Robin cheerfully. His tome charged with electricity for a moment before he released the spell. "Thoron!" He grinned, checking to make sure Lissa wasn't isolated. "Chrom! Get back, you've-"

Chrom leaped back from a triple bandit threat. "I've got this!" he growled to Robin, but he was covered in small cuts and wounds. "Make sure we're not flanked, Robin!"

"Heal him, Lissa!" grunted Robin as he drew his Steel Sword. Soon, they managed to escape from the bandits, although there were now a few dozen bodies on the road they were travelling on.

"Huff. Huff." Chrom stabbed Falchion in the ground, using it to stay standing up. "Ugh..."

Lissa got all his wounds to heal. "There. You'll be tired for a while, but... we should go on."

"Yeah." Robin looked up in the sky. He saw a pegasus flying above. "Say... that pegasus looks like Sumia or Cynthia's pegasus..." He watched Chrom look up. "It can't be..."

"That's because..." Chrom smiled weakly. "It is." He took in a deep breath. "SUMIA!" he yelled.

Soon, Robin watched as the pegasus knight descended to the three. "Hi, Sumia," he grinned.

"Robin?" Sumia got off her pegasus, starting to run at him. "Is that you?"

Don't run, he protested inwardly. You'll trip... As he watched, the clumsy pegasus rider did trip.

"Yeah, it's me," he told her as he offered Sumia a hand. "Better help Chrom, looks like he dying over there," he joked, but Sumia let out a gasp, and Robin nearly gave himself a face palm.

"Chrom!" Sumia rushed to her husband, Lissa hovering near her brother. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Chrom looked at Robin, helped by Sumia. "Heh... looks like we've got a ride. Although..." He turned to his wife. "Why are you flying? I thought I forbid it."

"I was worried about you!" protested Sumia. "Besides, I'm still early, and I'm not doing anything fancy." She looked at the three. "Are we ready to fly?"

"I'd rather walk then go by pegasus," admitted Robin. "I hate flying." He watched the royals laugh.

"We know," smiled Lissa. "But... if we go with Sumia, you'll be alone again... will you be okay?"

"Better then fine." Robin groaned, and Lissa healed his wounds quickly. "Thanks. I'll be fine walking."

"Hm..." Chrom looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sumia. I'm going to walk with Robin," he told her. "Take Lissa with you. Besides..." He looked at his best friend. "Looks like Robin could use some company, after all."

Sumia sighed. "I suppose nothing will stop you." Climbing back on her pegasus, Sumia helped Lissa up. "Just make sure you return by tonight!"

"Alright," agreed Chrom as he watched his wife take to the skies, before turning to Robin. "Well, old friend? Time to go."

"Yeah." Robin withdrew his weapons and followed Chrom towards Ylisstol. "I can't wait to see Lucina... Morgan... everyone..."

Chrom winced slightly, before nodding. "Yes." He led Robin to a hill, and pointed to Ylisstol. "It's close, you know."

Robin nodded. "I know..." He smiled. "That's where home is," he whispered quietly.

"Yes." Chrom grunted. "Well... time to go, then." Chrom led Robin away from the hill to take a path down, and soon they were in Ylisstol. "Here we are."

"Wow..." Robin looked around. "It's just as I remembered..." He grinned. "I wish we could go back to the time when we were carefree... remember when I revealed to you that I could use a tome?"

"Mm," nodded Chrom, leading Robin to the castle. "Well?" He gestured Robin in. "Go in."

"Yeah."Robin entered the castle, and blinked. "Wow..." It's just as I remembered, he thought. "Wait... where's Lucina...?" He thought for a moment before deciding to enter his old room.

He entered to find Lucina with a young Morgan, and looked up when Robin entered. "Robin?"

"Lucina." He gave a sigh. "I just couldn't let Chrom beat Grima to a pulp. I'm sorry."

Lucina blinked. "Is that all?" she asked him. "That you are sorry?" She looked at the young child in her lap. "This is Morgan, Robin. She doesn't even know her own father."

"I..." Robin could find nothing he could say. "That night..." He sighed. "Alright..." He sat down on his bed beside Lucina. "Lucina,,, we have a weird family."

Lucina glared at him, standing to set Morgan in a crib. "The grown up Morgan decided to leave soon after your death, before I was revealed to be pregnant." She stared at Robin coldly. "I couldn't stop her, not when I was pregnant."

"Why are you telling me all of this...?" whispered Robin, looking at his wife.

"We found her. Dead," spat Lucina. "I was full of regret and sadness, Robin. I could've saved our daughter... but..." She looked at Robin again. "If you were here, Morgan wouldn't have left alone to try and find you. It's your fault our daughter is dead, Robin!"

Robin was silent for a while. Morgan's dead... he thought. "I..." He stood. "I think I can't be with you anymore, Lucina." He looked at the small ring on her finger. "Are you going to keep that?"

"What...?" Lucina blinked, before gasping. "No... Robin. You just returned, you can't leave again so quickly!" She began to cry silently. "Our child needs us..."

"Our child needs you," replied Robin. "I wasn't there when she was born, Lucina. I wasn't there for you, or Chrom, or anyone. I'd better just leave." He walked towards the door.

Lucina got in his way. "No," she insisted. "Robin, did you know where Morgan was buried?"

Robin was reminded of the grave in the field. "The grave... in the field where I was first found..."

Lucina nodded. "Our daughter was buried where you were first found," she whispered quietly.

"Why are you still in my way, then?" he asked. "Everything's my fault... you don't blame me?!"

"I do!" screamed Lucina, looking at Robin. "I do blame you, because you left our daughter and I! You killed our daughter!" Lucina looked at Robin as he stared back at her.

"I know, Lucina," he spoke quietly. "You don't know how much I blame myself." He grabbed an Elwind tome from a shelf. "I'm leaving. Try and get someone who can make you happy... because I can't do that." He jumped out the window, using Elwind to soften the fall.

I have to escape, he thought to himself, looking up as Lucina stared at him in horror. "I should've known a princess like you could never really..." Robin stopped his painful words. "Love me." With that, he began to run away, despite Lucina's cry for him to come back.

Robin began to run, vaguely towards the field he had been in so little ago. "Robin!"

He turned his head to see Chrom, but continued to run. "I'm leaving, Chrom!" he called.

"Robin!" Chrom began to run after his friend. "Did you talk to Lucina?! Did she tell you?!"

"Yes." Robin kept running, and Chrom soon let out a growl as he ran. "Morgan died because I killed Grima! She tried to find me!" he grunted, and Robin was nearing the cliff he and Chrom had been up on just earlier. "She hates me, Chrom! I can't stand that..."

"Hah!" Chrom tackled Robin, and the tactician fell, Chrom standing up and pointing Falchion at his throat. "Huff... huff... don't try to run again. You've got no chance."

"Chrom... I..." Robin revealed his Elwind tome, blowing his friend away. "You can't stop me," he panted as he got up unsteadily, staggering away.

"ROBIN!" roared Chrom. "I won't let you run away!" His words made Robin stop for some reason, and Chrom forced his friend down with his sword's hilt. "Now..." He tore the Elwind tome from Robin's grasp. "What happened to my tactician of the Yliessean army, huh?!"

"What happened?!" roared Robin. "His wife got angry for leaving her alone with their daughter, his older daughter died, and to top it all off, his best friend won't listen to his wishes!"

"Because they're more absurd then most of your plans!" hissed Chrom, hovering near his friend.

"You think so?!" growled Robin, and he revealed his Levin Sword, clashing with Chrom. "I'll fight you for my freedom if I have to, Chrom."

"No..." Chrom leaped back. "Robin... this isn't you. The Robin I know wouldn't point his sword at me."

"I've changed, Chrom," responded Robin. "Lucina changed me, if you must know." He sighed, suddenly tired. "I just want her to be happy, Chrom."

"Running away won't do that," hissed Chrom. "We both know that without your tomes, I can beat you in a fight." He withdrew Falchion. "Stop this madness."

"Chrom..." Robin looked away. "I don't know what to do! All I've really known is war and strategies..."

"Then learn!" snapped Chrom. "Don't just run because you don't know what to do! Find out!"

"Robin..." From behind Chrom was Lucina, breathing heavily. "I'm..." She paused. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say that. I should be sorry... for the death of our daughter, and more..." Robin dropped his sword as a weak headache suddenly struck him. "Ugh..." he groaned. "I... I can't..."

"Robin!" He heard Lucina scream as he fell to darkness, the headache seemingly exploding in his head.

...

Robin awoke in his room in the castle. He was alone in the night. Lucina doesn't want anything with me anymore... he thought to himself, and he noticed his cloak was on the ground. "Wait..." he mused.

"You're awake." He heard Lucina speak as a candle was lit. "I..." She pointed to a small crib. "That is Morgan." She began to cry quietly. "Our daughter. Robin, yesterday, I said painful things, and I..."

Yesterday? Thought Robin. That explains a bit... "I need to see Morgan's grave. You stay here, Lucina, if Chrom comes after me, don't tell him I'm gone." He equipped himself with his tactician robe and two tomes for Elwind and Thoron. "Bye." He jumped out the window again, landing with Elwind.

"Robin..." Looking up, he saw Lucina's face. "I just want you to know..." She held out her hand with the ring on it. "I'm not throwing this away."

"Alright." Robin began to silently move away, and soon made it to the cliff where he and Chrom had been yesterday. "Huh..." He sat down on a rock, watching for a while. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Oh?" Robin turned to see Chrom looking back at him. "If you need to know, I trailed you loosely."

"I hate you sometimes, Chrom," sighed Robin. "Did you hear my conversation with Lucina?"

Chrom nodded. "Yes." He turned in the night. "Follow me. I'll lead you to Morgan's grave." Robin stood up quickly, following Chrom to the path they had been yesterday, now cleaned up of all bodies. "Wait... who would clean up a road of dead bandits?"

"The innkeepers, I bet," replied Chrom. "That wouldn't be good for business, you know."

"Yeah." Robin and Chrom made it to the field in the afternoon. "Phew..." Robin sighed as Chrom led him to a small grave. "We sure hurried here."

"I know you would want to see your daughter's grave as soon as you could," commented Chrom.

"Right." Robin brushed some dust away, and saw her name: Morgan. "I'm so sorry, my daughter."

Robin heard no response as he watched. He continued. "That I wasn't there for you, in your final moments..." He grunted. "That I was never the father you described constantly to me..."

"Robin, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but..." Chrom gestured to men marching towards the two. "Bandits. They don't give up very easily, do they."

"Doesn't seem like it." Robin unleashed his Thoron tome. "Here we go. No way will we lose."

Chrom drew Falchion. "Soon I'll put this sword in a chest and lock it away... but for now..." Chrom began to charge. "I'll destroy all of them!"

Soon, all the bandits were dealt with. "Morgan..." Robin took one last look at her grave as he and Chrom began to walk back to Ylisstol. "I'm sorry that you felt you had to search for me on your own. That you left because I was stubborn... and..." Robin shook his head as he followed Chrom.

...

It was late night when the two men hurried back to the castle, and they entered, both exhausted from rushing back. However, their wives pestered them to no end.

Robin was trapped in his room with his angry wife. "Why weren't you back for supper?" she demanded, Robin laying on their bed.

Robin sighed. "Because bandits attacked Chrom and I before we made it back," he replied.

Lucina blinked. "So that's where father was this whole time..." she muttered. "Mother was angry that she didn't know where he was, and that aunt Lissa forbid her to fly for him again..."

Robin chuckled as he took his cloak off. "Chrom was already out when I went," he told his wife. "He heard us." He looked at his wife. "Morgan... she died not knowing if I was alive or not..."

Lucina crawled up beside Robin. "Yes," she whispered. "Robin, I was angry for everything. Just... I felt that the world had taken too much from me," confessed Lucina.

Robin turned to hug his wife, who was in a simple white dress. "The world has taken too much from you, Lucina. In the future... and now..." He sighed. "I was made to be Grima's vessel. How do you still love me at all?" asked Robin. "I'm the person who's supposed to take everything from you!"

"But you didn't," whispered Lucina. "Now, Grima's gone. The Mark isn't on your hand anymore. That means Grima has no more control over you, even if he was still here!"

Robin blinked. "Right... but..." He looked at Morgan. "Does she have the Mark of Grima and the Brand of the Exalt?"

"Yes." Lucina sighed. "In her right eye is the Brand, and on her left hand is the Mark."

"Right..." Robin stood up. He got some rations out from his cloak, cold jerky to be exact. "Wait... around this time of year, a year after I've returned... shouldn't there be a celebration for Grima's defeat or something, although Chrom would probably hate that?"

"There will be. In about two weeks," admitted Lucina. "My father's going crazy with everything he has to do." She looked upon her husband. "Why do you ask?"

"I..." Robin looked at the daughter, sleeping peacefully. "Because Chrom will probably announce I'm back, and I just need to know so that he won't surprise his tactician..." he muttered.

Lucina smiled. "Of course." She hugged Robin. "I love you, Robin," she whispered.

Robin grinned. "I love you as well, Lucina," he told her. "You're my ray of light in the world of darkness..." He sighed. "Chrom... why did you take me in? I don't belong with you, the Shepherds..." he murmured quietly, to himself.

...

The next day, Robin forced Chrom to come with him around Ylisstol. Once the two were quietly in the crowd, Robin turned to the Exalt as they walked around.

"Chrom," sighed Robin. "Lucina told me that you're preparing a big festival for Grima's defeat."

Chrom nodded sagely. "Yes. To this point, I'm pretty much being forced... like you dragging me with you in the town..." he muttered, pretending to sulk.

Robin grinned. "Hey, I'm buying lunch, so get over it. " Robin then turned serious. "Chrom... why did you just take me in at the beginning? You could've left me or something... I was born to be the vessel-"

Chrom glared at his best friend. "Of Grima, but that failed. Of all times, why ask this now?" growled Chrom. "When the journey's done, why now, Robin! After you made sure Grima was forever banished!" Chrom stared at his best friend. "Besides, back then we didn't know-"

"Because I wonder," replied Robin. "I was the tactician of the Ylissean army, but... so many Shepherds died, you know. Because I didn't have good enough plans to prevent those deaths!"

"I bet they wouldn't blame you, though," sighed Chrom as he followed Robin. "They knew the risks-"

"They might've known the risks, but that doesn't change the fact that they still hoped they didn't wind up dead!" hissed Robin. "Any sane person would hope for that!"

Chrom blinked. "Yeah, of course," replied Chrom. "Robin... just know that those Shepherds-"

"Some of the future children had to watch as they lost their parents again!" growled Robin. "Kjelle in particular had to watch Sully fall in front of her eyes!"

"Robin!" snapped Chrom. "Without you, the casualties to the Shepherds would've been much higher, if we weren't wiped out completely!"

Robin took in a shaky breath. "Perhaps... but every world would be better if I hadn't ever existed, because I'M the reason Lucina's future is like it is, and Chrom, I could've killed you! I would've-"

"No you wouldn't have," grunted Chrom. "Look, in the final showdown against Validar, you may have struck me, but it wasn't lethal, like in your visions. Basilio, you and I all planned-"

Robin laughed slightly, bitterly. "What if that plan failed? We had nothing if I had killed you for real!"

"But that didn't happen," spoke Chrom. "Robin, don't blame yourself for things you haven't done."

Robin sighed. "Alright... thanks, Chrom." He looked at the sky. "If I had... Lucina and Morgan... Sumia and Cynthia... everyone would've probably tried to kill me... and they would've had good reason."

Chrom looked at Robin. "To the castle. I think you should talk with your wife about what could've happened..." He forced Robin into the main hall. "Go find Lucina and confide in her."

Good friend you are, telling me to get your future daughter to talk to, thought Robin as he headed for his room. He found Lucina there, with their child. "Lucina..." he whispered.

"Robin." Lucina set Morgan on her crib and turned to her husband. "Are you okay? You look..."

"Haunted?" he tried. She nodded, and Robin laughed bitterly. "Of course. Your father told me to confide in you for some reason, and don't ask me why, I don't know."

Lucina shrugged. "Alright. Well, what do you wish to talk to me about?" Robin looked at the white dress she was wearing, before Lucina spoke. "Robin?"

Robin shook his head. "Right." He lay down on their bed. "Well... I was talking to Chrom about what might've happened if I had killed him and things hadn't gone according to plan against Validar..."

Lucina blinked, waiting for her husband to continue, until he just stared into her eyes for a while. "What?" she asked him as he continued to stare into her eyes.

"Aren't you going to say something?" asked Robin. Lucina shook her head. "Well... that's all I've got."

"Well... I think that everything would've just gone towards the future I experienced," admitted Lucina.

Robin nodded. "That's it. Chrom just told me to talk to you," he told her. "Probably because you could predict what happened in the future?" he asked hopefully.

"Perhaps..." mused Lucina. "My father may be thinking like that... but I've already told you about the future that we've now avoided." Lucina turned to her husband. "Risen everywhere, Grima haunting the survivors constantly..."

"Mm," replied Robin. "If I had really lost control and killed Chrom, because Validar managed to get me to follow him..." He shuddered.

"Peace, Robin," murmured Lucina, snuggling up to him. "Just know... that we've changed the future. Together."

"Yeah," responded Robin. He gave a sigh, and her soft snores told him that Lucina was asleep.

Since I left... so much happened... he reflected. I wish that Morgan didn't try to find me on her own... that's something I could've changed... Robin gave a quiet sigh. Sumia and Chrom are going to have Cynthia now... that's good news I can look forward to... but...

He looked at the ceiling. I'm going to retire, he thought to himself. No way am I going to continue being the tactician of the army...

Robin had one last, long thought before he lost himself to sleep. I'll make sure Lucina and this Morgan have a good life...

He smiled to himself as sleep finally claimed him.

Geez... this took WAY too long... and towards the end, I felt like this became a bit sloppy... yet another thing to fix on fanficton later...

Well... I already have a vague idea of what will happen in my... OTHER fanfiction... so screw this, that's WAY more important!

Thanks for reading! (I also hope that this gave you readers a more serious look of what could happen while Robin was gone after killing Grima... that was the intent of this whole thing...)

One last note: This should be longer, but frankly? I feel like I'm better suited to short chapters rather then big massive pieces. It gives me more motivation to complete something...