The sound of glass shattering echoes through the house. Robin shutters; the seven year old hides underneath her covers. Peeking out she sees a man wearing combat clothes enter. He moves towards Robin and before she can react he snatches her right wrist and yanks her out of bed. Looking at the back of her hand he smirks, "Found you 'Heart'".
Robin whimpers as the man tightens his grip. There is a sound. Motion: at a very swift pace, then "Checkmate!" as the man crumples. A woman in assassin garb stands in view now, holding a bloody sword. All defining characteristics of her are shrouded in shadow: impossible to see.
"Mother!" Robin cries and runs to the woman.
"Shh Shh it's alright." the woman smooths Robin's hair with her left hand. She refuses to release the sword from her right.
"Mother what was that?" Robin sobs against the woman's chest.
"Nothing dear, you're just dreaming." the woman soothes, pulling Robin closer against her.
"Dreaming?" Robin sniffs.
"Yes when you wake up none of this will have happened." the woman seems to smile, but her face remains unseen, "Now get back into bed and try to make the dream more pleasant."
"Yes Mother." Robin smiles as she obeys. Climbing into bed she settles back in place.
"That's my girl." the woman places her forehead to Robin's. Even this close, all Robin can see is shadow.
As Robin drifts off to sleep she hears the woman let out a shaky breath, "No one will ever hurt her. You dastards will not touch my daughter!"
Robin jolted up in bed, gasping. She looked around room and gradually her breathing slowed. She was in her bed at the palace and nothing was amiss. Nothing was lurking in the shadows and everything was safe. With a sigh of relief she turned to look at the bed. Chrom still slept soundly. She smiled at his peaceful face. Carefully, so as not to disturb him, she left the bed, grabbed a robe, and walked to the little balcony terrace of their room. Rubbing her arms in the cool air, Robin stood near the railing composing herself. This had become an all too occurring pattern for the past month. Were they dreams, nightmares, memories, visions, something else entirely? Robin didn't know.
With a deep breath she let the emotions of the dream go. Nothing had hurt her, but the sheer fear was almost overwhelming. Even standing there awake she was becoming less sure as to why she had been afraid. That was one of the most infuriating parts to these dreams: they were dreams and didn't hold in memory for long.
She chuckled. For her relying on memory would never be certain. The memories from before meeting Chrom never came back: it didn't seem like they ever would. She counted her blessings that upon returning she still remembered everyone. Although her mind had been a bit of a jumbled mess for the first few months, the wonderful times she shared with her friends and family were still etched in her mind. The thought of losing those precious times almost choked her up.
A breeze of cold air rushed past and she shivered. Then there was warmth at her back as arms wrapped around her.
"Can't sleep?" a voice asked in her ear.
"Chrom," she turned her head to him, "I thought you were asleep."
"I was, until suddenly my wife wasn't beside me." he smirked drowsily, "What's wrong? I know it's something or you wouldn't get out of bed at this time of night. And you really should rest."
His hands settled at the top of the beginning bump of her stomach as he said the last part.
"Just a dream." she muttered leaning against him.
"The same dream that's woken you up at least every three nights for almost a month. If it's that frequent it's not just a dream." he argued worry edging into his voice.
"No," she shook her head, "I never remember for long, but I think they're all different."
"Then what do you remember of tonight's?" he asked.
Robin closed her eyes, "Fear, there was danger; from what I'm not sure. But then it was gone, someone was there, and I felt safe. A woman? I can't think of what she looked like."
Chrom's face seemed thoughtful and confused.
"I think it might have been my 'mother', but I don't know." she sighed shaking her head.
"Now that I think about it, didn't this happen when you were pregnant with Lucina too?" he questioned.
Robin thought back. Truthfully she had been exhausted during a lot of the pregnancy with Lucina. It sounded familiar. Getting up in the middle of the night, but she had been so tired she would never remember.
"It might just be that part of me wants to know what my mother was like so it invents one in my dreams." Robin shrugged lightly.
"Or you could be remembering your mother, your own motherhood triggering the memories." Chrom rubbed her stomach gently.
"Chrom…" she took a breath, "that's one thought I'd rather not get my hopes up on. I still can't remember anything before meeting you, and at this point I think those memories are gone for good. I don't know who my mother was. It might be better that way. I will probably never remember her, never see her, never get to know her." She sighed exposing so much inner pain she didn't know she was holding on to, "It might just be easier to not remember anything. Besides meeting my-meeting Validar certainly didn't go well, and this is the woman who bore his child."
"But ran away with that child." Chrom interjected turning Robin so they were face to face, "I-I know you say these things, but I think you really do want to see her again. You try to be practical about things, but you can indulge your emotions."
She didn't respond to that, she knew he was right.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Now will you come to bed, or do I have to carry you?"
She laughed lightly and kissed him on the cheek "I'm going."
The woman stared up at the sky from the chair in front of the cottage. No matter what realm you lived in the stars were always the same. This out realm, the realm where she was born, and wherever that girl was now; all of them had the same sky. The woman picked out all the constellations she could think of. They reminded her of the wonder filled stories of her youth.
"So many years ago." she remarked, running her hand over the streak of gray in her light brown hair.
There came a groan from the cottage doorway as a 40 year Anna stumbled her way into the yard.
"Well now sobered up have we?" the woman asked turning to her friend.
"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't let me drink that much…" Anna rubbed her temples.
"I thought so too, but you wouldn't be stopped when I tried." the woman shrugged.
"Well I suppose it's not every day I get to celebrate my daughter's engagement." Anna laughed.
"No, it's not." the woman responded with a sad smile.
"Alex…" Anna breathed.
The silence between them lasted more than a few moments. Anna tried her best to think of something to say, but this was one topic that all words would prove meaningless.
"It's been almost seven years since she left." Alex finally broke the silence, "At this point I should just content myself to memories and praying for her happiness. But just in case I'll leave everything intact, she may need somewhere to come home to. Though she's likely already found one."
"If she's proven to be anything like you, I know she did." Anna nodded.
"I just hope I raised her capable of handling anything. She is more than capable when she sets her mind to something. Hopefully even…" Alex trailed off.
"You've certainly proved capable of handling yourself. I know at least some of it rubbed off." Anna smiled, "You should write a book. Think of all the gold we can make!"
"I don't know if I could do that. It takes more than words on a page to develop into a strong person" Alex chuckled.
"I think it would sell. Especially with a little help." the merchant responded only half-jokingly.
Alex laughed harder and waved her hand, dismissing the idea, "Sorry I think not."
Anna spent the rest of the evening trying her best to convince her friend about this new scheme for gold. All the while the topic of Alex's daughter remained hidden: a wound that neither of them wanted to touch.
You really are a strong woman to laugh and joke despite how painful it must be. But you're also still a mother who deserves an answer. Anna thought chatting with her friend.
Notes:
I'll start off my saying thanks for reading. Honestly I haven't written fan fiction in at least 5 years. Any feedback you feel like leaving is greatly appreciated.