DISCLAIMER: NO PROFIT IS BEING MADE OFF THE MATERIAL PRESENTED HERE. I DO NOT OWN FIRE EMBLEM AND IN NO REALISTIC WORLD WILL I. sadly.

A/N: Done, and I guess, dusted. This was a major pain to writer, as Robin's thoughts don't come easy. Either way, enjoy, review, and please, point out any obvious stupid errors I have made. I'm hoping for a Monday/Wednesday/Friday update schedule for this, but this week work has already eaten about three more hours of my time than excepted, so we'll see how that holds. Feel free to shoot me questions about any plot(ish) points that don't make sense. Reviews on these are always helpful. Enough of my yacking.


Robin sighed, running the whetstone down the length of his sword for perhaps the hundredth time, applying no pressure at all.

"Somehow I can't shake an ill feeling about this venture." The tactician murmured to himself. "Walhart has subjugated an entire continent without the slightest signs of losing momentum. It's logistically and logically impossible for him to have always had such an army, so he has some degree of tactical sense... " Robin shook his head. Self doubt was the last thing he needed. None the less, vile tendrils continued to creep into his thoughts, distracting from his task of planning a second war.

"What are you doing out here?" Without turning he identified Severa, her bitting tone making the task simple.

"I am thinking. What are you doing out here?" He challenged, forced calm injected into the words. Severa and her bitchy exterior was the last thing he needed to deal with tonight, given the mountainous task of overthrowing a man who was rumored to field a million soldiers.

"Don't turn my question back on me!" Robin didn't so much as flinch at her rage. "Why aren't you sleeping you dolt?" Robin didn't answer for a long moment. "The last thing the army needs is a tired tactician getting us all killed." The young woman's words bit hard, and Robin fought a brief war to keep from rising to the bait. Severa wasn't as horrible as her exterior would suggest, but Robin had learned that she was good, exceedingly so, and manipulating people, subtle small actions, designed to give her information.

"What do you want Severa?" He turned, meeting Cordelia's daughters eyes with a stony glare. Playing word games was an activity that, on a normal day, Robin would have delighted in, especially turning the game back on someone. Tonight however, he found no appeal to verbal dancing, and opted for directness. "It is remarkably hard to plan a war when being yelled at." Without fear, the young woman met his eyes, glaring, not amused in the slightest by his willingness to take the bait

"I'm figuring out what our dumbass Tactician is doing." She snapped, complete with accompanying violent gesture. "And trying to figure out why he seems intent on getting us killed by falling asleep on the battlefield." Robin struggled to suppress his urge to mangle the girl. He knew what she was doing and refused to rise to the bait, although it was getting harder and harder. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself that she was knew nothing about him, and was showing genuine concern, in her own misguided way. This wasn't the first time she'd voiced this concern to him.

"No, that isn't why you are here." He hissed, losing his civil tone despite all efforts otherwise. "After last time you started that up, I happen to know Lucina chewed your ass up one side and down the other. And you might not respect me, but you respect her." Lucina had never confirmed to Robin that is what happened, but from observing Chrom's daughter, and Severa, along with listening to the rumor mill, Robin was certain of the chain of events regardless.

"You are Damn right." Severa stepped in closer, her right hand drifting towards the sword at her hip, eyes cold. "What did you do to Lucina?" The accusation caught Robin somewhat off guard, even though he had anticipated the question to a certain degree. Severa wanted a rise out of him, and to her, the fastest way to do that was take a stab at his relationship with Lucina. Part of him wanted to laugh at Severa's attempt to look threatening, but the rational side of him knew that doing so would start a very messy fight.

"The hell do you mean?" He shook his head, the profanity slipping out, although perhaps adding a degree of authenticity to the preplanned response. "I haven't done anything to Lucina." Which was the truth.

"Liar." Severa spat, eyes flashing. "You did something. Now stop denying it, you coward. At least be a man enough to own up to what you did!" Robin snorted, spreading his hands, a gesture of conciliation and confusion. He hadn't done a thing to Lucina, although, if Severa knew about his future self's relationship with her, there would be some, off base, merit to the accusations.

"I didn't do anything to Lucina, and if someone did... " he trailed off, his stance shifting a little, alongside a drastic change in his mood. His fingers brushed the tome hanging from his hip, and lightning crackled in the air. Severa rolled her eyes, making it clear she saw only what she wanted to see. At least, that was what she wanted Robin to believe.

"Coward. Won't even own up to it." She spat. Robin glared at her. His self control was wavering, and of course it would be Severa to find the chinks in his armor. Few things got under the Tactician's skin like being called a coward, and even more considering the kind of accusation Severa was making.

"I would call you the coward, making accusations without proof, just to get a rise out of someone." The young man growled, pushing back, just a bit. Self control or no, Severa could get under his ski. "Contrary to what you seem to think, I do have limits to my patience." He waved a hand, the aggression fading from both stance and tone. "I didn't do anything to Lucina. Yes, she is more relaxed, almost cheerful. Yes, I know why. No, I won't tell you." Robin charged ahead, seizing his chance to head the temperamental girl off, as the force of her anger seemed to build. "Why are you really here." He repeated his question, magic dancing across his fingers, a growing signal of his roiling emotions, almost eager to be unleashed.

"Figuring out why you seem so dead set on not being at 100%." She snapped. "God's you are an idiot. Waltzing around out here in the woods, instead of sleeping so you are can lead!" Robin sighed. Truly, he couldn't fault Severa for her views, but at the same time, her words struck a nerve deep inside him.

"In the future, where you came from, what time did Lucina wake up and go to sleep. What time did the me from your future do the same." The gears turned in Severa's head, and Robin waited for her to figure it out. The only way to drive this point home was for the hardheaded girl to see it for herself, Robin knew.

"Before you died, Lucina was asleep hours ago, and awake with the sun." The young woman answered, words slow and considered. Her brow furrowed. "After you died, I'm not convinced she slept a wink for months. You...we never saw you sleep. I stayed up three straight days, and never saw you sleep a wink."she admitted, seeming quite frustrated with that remark.

"Mhm." Robin nodded. That was easy to guess, now to see if she could make the next leap. "I am, fundamentally the same person I was in the time Severa. And I am willing to bet my left arm you gave my future self an equal amount of grief about this issue, it would be unlike you to do otherwise." The daughter of Cordelia nodded, the harsh frown marring her features as easy indicator of confusion. Robin gave himself a mental pat on the back. "And what did my future self say, Severa?"

"There is only so much weight two shoulders can bear before the body begins to give way." Severa replied almost by rote. Robin just held her gaze. "Which, you idiot, doesn't answer the question!" And the bitch was back.

"Yes, Severa, it does." Robin turned away, hoping she wouldn't see the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "The fate of the entire army rests on my shoulders, a concept you grasp extremely well, to be out here, chastising me about not sleeping. Do you know what I see when I sleep?"

"No?" Curiosity overtook hostility in those words again. Robin sighed. He didn't want to have this conversation. He didn't want Severa of all people to know these things, no matter how well he understood the facade she put up.

"I see faces, Severa. I see fields of corpses. I see Chrom, crucified, and waved at a taunt before hordes of Risen that I face alone. I see Lucina..." He trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. "I see each and every possible consequence of my mistakes, in gruesome, precise detail." He gave a hollow laugh, feeling the tears start to run down his cheeks. "My dreams Severa, are a litany of hell, brought on by my own mind." Robin gave a snort. "You would much rather I lead an army without sleep than with it I assure you." He paused, blinking away the tears. In the past days, the nightmares had gotten worse, evolving from just his friends dead, to other, progressively more horrible scenes.

"Oh." There was a distinct subdued note in Severa's voice. Robin sighed once more, knowing he had just left a heavy weight upon the shoulders of that young woman. He chanced a short glance in her direction, and blinked in surprise.

If one knew where to look, Severa's family wore their hearts on the sleeves. "Severa..." he paused, careful to make sure just the right amount of emotion went into his words. "Your mother isn't going to die." Robin didn't have the wherewithal to play word game any longer. His own emotions were to jumbled, and needed to be sorted out. Severa jerked. "And neither is Lucina, and neither am I. "

"You think I care what happens to you?" Her tone was incredulous.

"No." Robin said flat, a veneer of self control sliding into place. "You care what happens to Lucina." Sitting down heavily, Robin closed his eyes. "You saw Lucina break when I died Severa. You saw the strong, unshakable warrior everyone of you looked up to, the children here and that we haven't met." Robin exhaled, giving voice to thoughts neither of them were going to like. "You alone saw this, both because you know how to look, and because she let you see." He sighed, perhaps for the dozenth time. "And you're scared for her. Scared I'm going to die, and that she will break again...only this time, there won't be a second time line, a second me." He shuddered, wishing those words never needed to be spoken. "You are afraid, Severa of what happens when Lucina breaks completely." He laughed, a bitter, cold, and choking sound that covered a sob.

"Self important jackass. What makes you think that?" Severa demanded. Robin sighed, again. He would have to be careful, lest the action became a habit.

"Because Severa, just like all the others, you put up a front. Yours is being a bitch. Cynthia hides behind her love of gallant combat and heroism. Nah just put on a brave face. Lucina...Lucina inherited her father's unbreakable will. Kjelle throws herself into her obsession with all things plate steel." He gave a bitter snort. "You all came from your own personal hell. Each one learned to cope differently." For the first time since the start of their Argument, Robin turned and met Severa's eyes. "You put up the front of being hardened, bitter and cold. Of not caring. Inside, you are screaming, every day. You can't bear the thought of losing someone close to you again." Robin stopped, daring her to disagree. Not that she would.

Severa didn't speak for a long time. "In the future...You seemed invincible. Forged in war, a master swordsman, a mage, a brilliant tactical mind. The right hand of Chrom." Robin didn't interrupt as she paused. "I first met you during a full gathering of the Shepards, it was the same time I met most of the others." She sighed, shoulders drooping. "You awed us, especially because when we found Lucina she was sparing with you...it was inspiring. We looked up to you. Then the war happened...our parents started dying."

Robin picked up after a minute of silence. "Lucina became the defacto parent for the group." He murmured. That would have made sense, Chrom's daughter was wise beyond her years, a trait no doubt forced upon her, both by exposure to war, and exposure to Robin's future self. "I was the same warrior who had awed you those years ago except now I was your protector as well. A sheild against the darkness."

Severa nodded. "You gave us hope. Hope that despite the claims of the Grimeal...we could win. That we would win. " Robin's eyes closed, his lips tensing. Even a blind-man would have seen the next words coming. "Then Grima killed you."

"Yes." His reply was strangled. So Severa didn't know. "And so you came back, when all options ran out." That wasn't the truth Robin knew, but he wanted to give Severa the out. Enough painful memories were dragged up tonight, there didn't need to be more, never mind revealing truths that Severa wasn't ready for.

"Yes." She replied. Robin nodded, playing along. "And your out here doing whatever..."she paused. "I lost so much Robin. We almost lost Lucina when you died." Robin jerked, every muscle tensing. There was an implication there, subtle that is was. "Please, take care of yourself." He gave a worthless laugh, hollow, pained.

"I will Severa." He paused. "You do know you are probably the fourth best sword in the Sheppards, right? He asked, watching for her reaction. Severa jerked, as if slapped.

"What?" She demanded. Robin nodded thoughtfully.

"Chrom, Lucina, Me, You, Lon'Qu, perhaps that new swordsmistress, Say'ri. The five best with a sword." He replied sagely. "If not quite that order. The first three are still a might murky, but you are by far the fourth best." Before Severa could respond , he carried on. "I know you feel like you live in the shadow of your mother Severa but none of the Shepards compare you to her. She doesn't have expectations of you based on that. Hell..." Robin trailed off unsure if he should reveal the next part or not. Realizing he was in to far to back out, the young man plowed on. "She hates being called a genius."

A spark of shock flared in the young woman's features. No one had ever told her that, Robin deduced. "Really?" Strangled emotions, ones Robin made no attempt to unravel, filled the word. It wasn't his place to interfere more than he already had.

"Really." He gave a softer smile, the caustic tone gone from his earlier words. "But that is not my story. I do suggest avoiding harshness when breaching the topic however." To his surprise the hotheaded girl nodded, taking serious note of the words. And advice. Robin masked his surprise.

"Thank you, Robin." She exhaled, turning to leave. "I know something happened between you and Lucina, by the way. She was sleeping under your cloak when I woke up." Robin rolled his eyes.

Robin snorted. "I have something like four of those. That doesn't prove anything Severa." She rolled her eyes.

"God's you're an idiot. Tried that lie in the future too." Robin waved her away, trying to keep his features blank. When she was gone, he exhaled, all semblance of his control shattering. Tears leaked from his eyes, and he ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"Goddamnit." He mumbled, glaring at his sword, which lay next to the whetstone. A string of curses burst from Robin, as he fought with himself. Sometimes decisions were so much easier to make in a vacuum, he thought.

"Robin?" Lucina shattered his internal battle, words smooth and flowing. Robin's heart skipped a beat, from shock, and abject terror. Lucina could not know. He schooled his features blank again.

"Right here." Robin mentally swore at how ragged his voice sounded. After a moment, Lucina stepped into the clearing.

As always, Lucina carried herself with an air of power and grace. The divine Falchion clinking at her hip. Her hair flowed freely, gently wrapping around her neck, coax by the slight breeze. Bright and alive, her eyes found his in a moment, and Robin couldn't help but shiver. The depth of feeling hidden in those blue orbs was breathtaking. Lucina had loved him in her future, beyond any hope of description. He wasn't sure if he had a child that would eventually step from the past as if nothing had happened, but such an event wouldn't have surprised Robin the least.

Although Robin was a good portion of unsure how to handle his 'relationship' with Lucina, there was no denying she was beautiful. How he fit into the engima she presented was an issue Robin had resovled to take one day at a time, and, was one he was less sure mattered over much. Other mysteries existed to be solved. He seemed to have an entire life to solve Lucina.

"You look like hell." She observed, tone soft, questioning. Robin grunted. Lucina sat, flowing into a lotus without pause, waiting.

"Dealing with Severa is tiring." He replied, hoping the understatement and subtle redirection would keep Lucina from prying to close.

"You look a whole lot worse than just encountering Severa." The words carried no accusation. Robin sighed, this time more directed towards himself.. Of course Lucina would see through that. Anyone else would have been diverted, but she had known him far longer than any of the Shepards, having had years to assess and comb through his mannerisms, find the little tells that he so gleefully exploited against her and her father.

"Hm." Robin knew Lucina would figure out what the nonsense noise meant, and it was easier than words. She sighed, leaning forwards to place her hands over his.

"What are you afraid of, Robin?" She asked him, expression serene, despite flare in her eyes that told Robin she wanted nothing less than to sit there, calm and collected.

"Everything?" Robin offered, quelling his swirling thoughts and analysis of Lucina. As well as he could read her, she read him better, there was no dispute. "Two shoulders can only bear so much weight, Lucina." He shook his head, before brushing a few errant locks of hair behind an ear.

"You find that line adept at describing your position, don't you?" She murmured. "A favorite of your other self's." Robin chuckled, again, a bitter self serving sound, one which had become normal for him.

"Indeed. Doesn't surprise me." He shrugged, meeting Lucina's eyes. "The weight of an entire army is on my shoulders at any given moment, Lucina. Thousands of soldiers, some I will never knows the names of. Others, like the Shepards, that I had deep personal connections with. Now, adding in time traveling children? For all I know, on any given battlefield, I could be sending a close friends child to their death." He paused. "For all I know, one of those endless soldiers of Walhart's could be my child!" He snorted. "Which seems, I suppose unlikely, given how much of an ass I imagine my future self to be." Robin frowned at a shift in Lucina's face. The muscles of her jaw tightened a little, and her gaze shifted, just a smidge to not directly meet his. "You're hiding something. Or more, accurate, you haven't told me something." He steeled himself for almost any possible revelation.

Robin was treated to the rare sight of a cringing Lucina. "Um...well...about that." She fidgeted, moving a hand almost reflexively to her Falchion. Robin's jaw dropped. Impossible. Lucina wasn't serious.

"Your kidding." The words were flat and incredulous. "You actually slept with me in the future." Lucina didn't answer. "You're a smart woman Lucina, but what the hell? That seems utterly stupid!" Robin waved a hand, trying to convey his point better. "I'm...well... a jackass, for one. For two, even if I was younger, age difference, and three-" Robin's brain caught up with his mouth, feeding a long line of reason's why sleeping with him in the future was utter stupidity.

"Actually,"Lucina cut him off with a blush. "I'd say it was a very good idea." Robin gawked. "And yes, you have a daughter." Robin closed his eyes, let out a long slow breath. Millions of feelings wared for dominance inside him. Robin, however pushed them all down, drawing his face into a serene expression.

He nodded. And passed out.