Title: Another one bites the dust

Characters/Pairings: Chrom, Robin, Lissa, Frederick

A/N: Written for the Into the Barracks Big Bang—my fic ended up a bit bigger than I expected, so I'll be updating it as I go.

Summary: In the end, there wasn't even a body to bury. Robin's body disintegrated like petals in the wind, removing even the faintest traces of her existance.

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In the end, there wasn't even a body to bury, for neither Grima nor the two Robins. Like petals scattered in the wind, their bodies disintegrated before everyone's eyes and it was almost like they never were. Even Robin's clothes vanished with her, as though to remove even the faintest trace of her existence.

The wind whistled through the rocky outcrop, reminding Frederick to breathe. To move. Time ticked ever forward and though the war was over, there was no guarantee there wasn't another enemy nearby. He should do his duty and stand guard over his royal charges. At the very least, he should scan their surroundings.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from where Robin had last stood, a smile on her face as she bid them farewell.

Frederick wasn't the only one. Chrom's fingers were still outstretched, as though to grasp some remnant of Robin from the air. "She's gone," he muttered as his hand curled into a fist, grabbing nothing. His arm fell to his side, his shoulders slumped forward. "She's really gone."

"They both are…" Lucina mumbled in disbelief, her head swivelling as she tried to comprehend what just happened. She loosened her grip on her sword, letting it fall slack. "Even…Grima…"

She didn't sound like she believed the words, even as she said them, even though she had witnessed the dragon's defeat herself. Frederick couldn't blame her. He could barely wrap his head around the time travelling, let alone just who Robin had been.

Had been. Frederick hated how quickly past tense came to him, that not even for a moment he considered 'was'. After all that death, all that loss, it had become second nature.

"Robin…no!" Lissa wailed, clutching her staff tightly. Tears slide down her cheek as she shook her head furiously. "She's not gone."

"Lissa," Frederick gently admonished, reaching out to her.

Before he could touch her, she fell to her knees. Her staff fell to the ground as she rubbed her eyes. "She can't be gone. She just can't."

Emmeryn can't be dead.

Frederick curled his hand into a fist, gritting his teeth. How many times had he heard that phrase, that denial? He had said them himself, just after Emmeryn had died. How stupid this was. Robin had appeared out of nowhere and just as suddenly, she had vanished without a trace. From the beginning to the end, Robin had defied any of Frederick's norms.

Maybe they should have left her in that field. If only to spare them this heartbreak. Lissa's cries were the only sound in this barren wasteland. She buried her face in her hands. Slowly, Frederick crouched next to her and patted her on the back.

"Is it over?" Sully rode up to them, the first to arrive as usual. The rest of their troops were dispatching the last remnants of the enemy. Her expression hard, she flicked blood off her sword. "Grima's gone?"

"Yeah." Chrom finally turned away from the spot where Robin had disappeared. A bittersweet smile crossed his face as he gripped the falcon tightly. "We're saved."

It was an expression unbefitting a king but Frederick didn't have the heart to correct him. Not this time, not after how quickly Chrom had to adapt to Emmeryn's death. This time, he could mourn without having to rush from one battle to the next.

"We are?" Lucina looked at her father hopefully. She breathed in, breathed out, but that didn't stop the trembling in her arms. Her voice wavered nervously. "Grima won't come back?"

Joy and sorrow warred on Chrom's expression before he finally shook his head. "No." His eyes lowered, staring at his sword for a long moment before slowly sheathing it. Each movement was deliberate and Frederick could hear the closing of a chapter of their lives. "Thank's to…" he choked, closing his eyes before pushing through it. "To Robin's sacrifice, Grima will never come back."

"Truly?" Lucina dropped her falcon and rushed to her father. Desperation tinged her voice as she stared intently into his eyes. Her voice cracked. "The future…the future's safe?"

Still shaky, Chrom couldn't do more than nod. It was all the reassurance Lucina needed before launching herself into his arms. Frederick had always seen Lucina as a stoic girl, the toll of responsibility at such a young age. He had been wrong—she took more after her father than he'd realized. Lucina's expression crumbled and she cried, burying her face in her father's tunic. She wailed, as though a dam had burst, and Frederick tore his eyes from the scene. It felt too private. Personal. It was nothing something Lucina would want others to witness.

Besides, he had someone else who needed his attention. Watching the scene, Lissa had lasted all of three seconds before weeping herself. Out of habit, he wrapped his arms around her, gently patting her back. If he were honest, Frederick felt pricks at the edges of his eyes, his sight blurry.

Awkwardly, Chrom stroked Lucina's back. He glanced at her, then at the spot Robin had vanished. Biting his lip, he shook his head. "She'll be back."

Lucina's sobs died down and she turned her head a little to hear him better. "What?"

"Robin," Chrom answered, his voice stronger now. His arms tightened around Lucina. "She'll be back. You heard Naga."

Lissa hiccupped into Frederick's shoulder. Wiping her tears, she curled her hand on Frederick's armoured arm as she turned to face her brother. After a few seconds, she nodded, her expression just as confident as Chrom's. "You're right. She wouldn't leave without goodbye."

Chrom smiled at her gratefully. "We just have to wait for her."

His expression was resolute and Frederick felt a surge of pride. That was a kingly expression. A flare of hope ran through him as he considering the idea. Robin, returning from whatever destruction had felled a great dragon.

Impossible. Truly impossible. Yet, if anyone could do it, it had to be the amnesic who won battle after battle and saved the world.

"We had better clean up then," Frederick added, blinking away his own tears. "It would be terrible if she returned to this mess."

Lissa looked up at him before chuckling. "Especially if she had to eat your bear jerky after all of this."