Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem
Chrom grimaced as he saw Morgan climbing all over Robin. He's in for it, he thought.
Robin's face tensed up. "Morgan!" she snapped. The toddler got off her. "Don't climb on me again!" she snarled.
Morgan cringed as she stood up. Chrom put his hand on her shoulder. "That's enough, Robin." His voice held a steely calmness.
The cruel look vanished from Robin's face, replaced by a look of broken serenity. "Yes. Of course, dear," she said happily and sat back down on the bed again.
Chrom looked at her eyes. They were blank and unfocused. It hurt him to look at her. Robin has never been really… right in the head after little Lucina died. At first, it was only brief spouts of depression. When she was carrying Morgan, she down spiraled into little more than an empty doll with no control over her emotions. She managed to stay in court until an "unfortunate" incident a few years ago. Ever since then, she's been forced to stay locked-up in the palace.
Morgan turned and looked at Chrom. "Daddy, can I go outside to play with Severa and Inigo?"
Chrom tried to put a serene look on his face. "Of course, Morgan. Cordelia won't mind watching you. For some reason, she always hangs onto my every whim…"
Morgan ran off to play, squealing loudly. Chrom felt two slim arms wrap themselves around him. "Chrom," he heard Robin say softly.
He turned around to face her. "Robin! You shouldn't be out of bed," he scolded.
She frowned petulantly. "But I'm thirsty."
"I'll ask the maids to get you some water," he replied quickly.
She hugged him once again. "But I want you to do it," she murmured. "You never see me anymore. I'm stuck in this bed 24/7." She stood up on her toes to look at him eye-to-eye. "Did I do something to anger you? Why don't you see me anymore?"
Chrom sighed and gently pushed her off of him. "No, you haven't angered me. I'm just… busy. That's all."
Robin frowned but didn't challenge him. She spun away from him, twirling around like a five year-old. "Can you get me some water?"
Chrom forced a smile. "Of course. My love," he added quickly. He hurriedly got her some water while she remained in bed.
Morgan toddled up to Chrom. "Daddy?"
Chrom sighed and looked away from his study. "What, Morgan?"
"Mother wants to read her old books."
Chrom stiffened. "She hasn't read those in years. And how would you know?"
Morgan's reply had an innocent tone to it. "I was visiting her in her room. She started crying out of nowhere about her books and how you hated her. And she was asking me if I cared about her. After I told her I did, she collapsed from a headache."
"Oh, all right. I'll go ask Miriel to give them back-"
"Daddy," Morgan interrupted, "do you love Mother?"
Chrom gritted his teeth. "Why don't you call her 'Mommy'? Why Mother? You're only five!"
"Because that's how Nah refers to Nowi. And Nowi's so different from Mother. Nowi plays with Nah and reads her stories. All Mother does is yell at me and cry."
Chrom flinched. "I didn't think you thought about it like that."
"I was amazed when I heard how Severa and Inigo's mothers treated them. I didn't know mothers were like that. It makes me wonder why Mother couldn't be like that…"
The conversation was starting to bother Chrom. "Well okay, Morgan. I'll bring the books to your mother. Just go to your room or something."
"But-"
"Now!" Chrom snapped.
Morgan's eyes filled with tears. "First it was Mother, now it's you!" he shouted. He ran out of the room while Chrom slumped down in his chair.
Where did I go wrong..? he wondered.
Robin flipped the book shut. "I'm soooo bored." She turned to face Morgan sitting in the corner of her room. "Can you get me a Fire Tome?"
Morgan froze. "Daddy said you can't have any Tomes."
Robin pouted. "Just this once, Morgan? Please?"
Morgan hesitated. "Would you be proud of me?"
"Of course," Robin said.
Morgan smiled innocently. "I know where Daddy keeps the Tomes." He ran off, leaving Robin smirking in her bed. He soon came back and nervously handed her the book. She flipped through the pages, spreading flickering embers out in a fan around her. Morgan forgot his anxiety and stood, utterly transfixed as Robin spread the fire out.
"I'll try and make it explode," she said. She focused and sent out a quick but concentrated burst of flame. It shot past, burning Morgan's arm. He started to cry loud, screaming sobs. Chrom burst in.
"What's going on here?!" he demanded.
Robin looked up towards him. "Oh. We were just playing with this Tome."
Chrom saw Morgan crying and immediately assumed the worst. "Lissa!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Lissa soon appeared at the doorway.
"What is it, Chrom?" Her face turned a grave shade when she saw Morgan. "I'll take him to the infirmary." Lissa took Morgan away, running as fast as she could while carrying him.
Chrom turned to face Robin. "I thought I said you couldn't have Tomes!"
She looked at him, unable to comprehend where his anger was coming from. "I was just playing," she defended herself.
Chrom rested against her, defeat weighing him down. "Robin… You burned your son- no, our son. You burned our son. Don't tell me you don't feel anything."
Robin still didn't understand. "Burned…" she murmured emptily.
Chrom tightened his grip around her arm. "Just please… stop it."
"Stop… what?"
"Just stop it. Just stop everything. Stop nothing. I don't know anymore. Just please… stop," he murmured.
"I'm sorry," Robin said. "I'll stop."
For a while, Chrom said nothing. Eventually, he stood up. "I'll go check on Morgan."
Robin watched him leave, having lost all interest in her Tome. She put a hand to her chest. "Something… hurts," she said to no one in particular.
Chrom frowned as he noticed the aged piece of paper nonchalantly tossed onto his desk. "Who's it from?" he muttered to himself as he picked it up and read it.
Dear Husband, I'm going to change everything. I'm sorry if you don't like my methods. I can't understand why everyone's mad or sad at me. I just want it all to go away.
Chrom dropped the note to the floor in shock. After a few moments, he shot off toward Robin's room. "Robin!" he yelled. He threw open the door and saw her choking on the bed. He saw the little white pills tossed on the floor. She couldn't speak as she convulsed in agony.
Before he knew what he was doing, Chrom had picked her up and was running toward the infirmary. Lissa was there to see him come in. After a moment's shock, she began to work on Robin. Chrom waited outside the tent, nervously pacing around until his footprints were imbedded into the ground.
After a few hours, Gaius brought Morgan up to see Chrom. Morgan sat next to his father. "Is Mother going to be all right?" he asked.
"Probably," Chrom answered untruthfully.
"This is just like when she would have those bad dreams. She would always be crying in her sleep about a 'Lucina' and jerking around. She got very sick and could barely get out of bed. But she got better and can do stuff now. Mother'll get better like she did before. I know it," Morgan said forcefully.
Chrom sighed deeply. "I'm not so sure this time, Morgan…"
Lissa came out of the tent. "You can visit her now." Once Morgan had gone in, she leaned in towards Chrom. "You should make it quick. She doesn't have much time left."
Chrom nodded wearily and entered the tent. Robin was lying in the cot, a tiny smile gracing her lips. Morgan sat quietly in the corner. Robin's eyes flickered open. "Chrom..?" she asked in the thin light of the tent.
Chrom stepped forward. "Yes, Robin?"
She made an effort to grasp his hand weakly. He never noticed how thin her hand was in his. So frail and delicate.
"I-I'm sorry," she choked out. "I've been like this all these years. It must've been a living hell for you and Morgan." She saw Morgan in the corner. "I'm sorry, Morgan," she breathed.
Morgan stood by Chrom, his gaze holding a bit of sadness.
Robin turned her head back again to look at Chrom. "You know, it was pretty boring locked up in that room all day," she tried to joke.
Chrom couldn't bring himself to smile. It was taking all his willpower to keep from crushing her hand in his. He just wanted to clench it in pain.
Robin looked at Morgan. "I know, I've been so cruel to you your entire life. And I know this is selfish, but… can I just have a hug? One hug?"
Morgan didn't move, his eyes holding distrust.
Tears began to well up around Robin's eyes. "Of course you wouldn't hug me. I hurt you so much. Forgive me for asking."
The tent was silent. Then Morgan hugged her. Robin put her arms around Morgan, pulling him in closer. She rested her tear-streaked face on his tiny shoulder.
Chrom put his hand on Morgan's other shoulder. "Come. We should leave." He led Morgan out of there, turning his head back to look at Robin. She head fell back onto the pillow and her arm sagged before falling down onto the cot. Why don't you see me anymore? she seemed to say.
Chrom did nothing but tighten his grip on Morgan's shoulder and prepare himself for a long talk.
Morgan stood near the corner as his Mother talked with his father. He didn't know why she was there. All he knew was that there was a commotion and Gaius had taken him here.
He didn't trust his mother. All his life, she had yelled at him and taken advantage of him. And now she was laying in another bed, waiting while everyone took pity on her. Despite this, he couldn't bring himself to hate her. She made him so miserable and angry, but she was his mother, after all. It frustrated him how he couldn't hate her. He wanted to so badly. But he could never bring himself to. His mother was just so hard to hate.
She called him over. Morgan stood by Chrom, letting his gaze wash over her. She told him she was sorry. Finally, the dreaded question. "I know, I've been so cruel to you your entire life. And I know this is selfish, but… can I just have a hug? One hug?"
Morgan held his ground stubbornly. He would not embrace this woman. He hated her with all his heart, right? But… looking at her face, it hurt to do nothing. Her eyes began to tear up. "Of course you wouldn't hug me. I hurt you so much. Forgive me for asking."
It hurt too much. Against his better judgment, Morgan hugged his mother. Letting her tears soak into his shoulder. His father led him away, far away from the tent, and turned around.
"Why are we leaving Mother?" Morgan asked.
"I-I'm afraid she needs to sleep," Chrom answered.
Morgan's gaze took on an innocent look. "Oh," she chirped. "When will she wake up?"
"That's the problem," Chrom sighed.
Morgan looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Chrom knelt down and looked at Morgan eye-to-eye. "Morgan, Mother will never wake up."
Morgan gripped his father's arm, tears welling in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"She's dead, Morgan. She'll never wake up."
Morgan's five year-old mind raced desperately to figure it out. "But… she got better before."
"That was different."
"You're lying!" Hysteria was present in his voice. The tears were coming down in a torrent, soaking his clothes.
Chrom hugged him. "She's gone, Morgan. She died."
Morgan sobbed into his shoulder, finally saying the word he had refused his entire life; "Mommy…"
Fin
It felt weird writing Robin like this. But I knew this was the theme I was going for. It seemed interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. And you guys know I'm always up for challenges, right? I'm getting bored here! I mean. FE:A fics are fun, but I'm gonna run out of ideas sooner or later. Oh well, I enjoyed it. If you guys want to though, you're always welcome to pm me with a challenge in mind. Anything except yaoi/yuri lemons. Remember, guys, I'm always here. Hope you enjoyed~