Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Awakening, all rights to the owners.
The first time Chrom met Robin was the night before the battle to save Emmeryn. The prince had been sitting in the strategy tent all afternoon, trying to think of something, anything, that would allow him to save his sister. In desperation, he had whispered. "Naga, anyone, please, just give me some way to win."
And someone had listened.
He felt them before he heard them. A chill had gone down his spine, goosebumps appeared on his skin, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end... and a voice, quiet and haunting, had whispered in his ear, "are you willing to pay the price?"
"Any price." Chrom had growled. "Just keep my family and friends alive, and let us win this war."
There was quiet for a moment. Chrom dared not turn around, fearful that this was a dream and that trying to look at the presence would cause it to vanish. Then, the voice spoke again: "Give me a name."
That wasn't the price, it was an order. The prince's mind raced, grasping for anything that could be suitable. "Robin!" He blurted out, coming across an acceptably androgynous name.
The presence vanished immediately, leaving Chrom wondering if it had even been real. He spent the next hour drafting a clumsy plan involving the pegasus knights and a full frontal assault, and went to sleep, turning fitfully in his bed.
Next morning Chrom wakes up to find that his army has suddenly obtained a new member. At breakfast, he sees a tall, thin, red-eyed, pale-skinned girl with long white hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her sharp eyes instantly find his, and Chrom knows exactly who she is.
"Hello Robin." He whispers hoarsely.
"Chrom." The girl acknowledges, expression calm. "I finished the plans for today's battle. We should have Emmeryn safe and be out of Plegia by mid afternoon if everything goes well."
"Alright, I presume you have a briefing ready for everyone?" The prince asks.
"Chrom, did you forget already?" Lissa asks, looking up from her own food. "Robin explained everything yesterday, remember?"
The blue-haired boy blinks owlishly. "I… uh…"
"Milord, I know you are under stress, but that is no excuse for ignoring something so critical." Frederick admonishes.
"It's fine Frederick." Robin says, still looking at me. "Chrom. You're part of the frontline. Run in, kill things, protect the pegasus knights as they save Emmeryn, and then the Khans will lead us out. That's the gist. I'll explain more as we prepare."
"Ah, uh, okay." Chrom stammers. "Thank you."
Throughout breakfast, Chrom keeps a careful eye on the girl. He doesn't know what he's looking for. Perhaps some sign of evil that others could pick up on, so that maybe someone else can realize that she's not human. Perhaps it won't stop the price, whatever that is, but someone else knowing what Robin is could stop her from becoming a threat later, after Chrom…
Chrom doesn't know what will happen to him, but he assumes he won't survive long after the war. He isn't the most well-read person ever, but he's heard tales (mostly in little snippets from Sumia) of demons that make a deal in exchange for your soul, or eternal servitude. Chrom expects something like that to happen to him but for the safety of his sister and victory for Ylisse he's willing to pay that price.
Robin's plan is a modification of Chrom's. It involves the full frontal assault and the pegasus knights, but with additional notes like having the mages and Virion man the walls afterwards to ward of the Wyvern Brigade, and to have all other units spread out across the fort's grounds to strike down any Risen the enemy Grimleal might try to summon there to shoot down the pegasus knight rescue. It's a deceptively simple plan.
The plan goes off without a hitch. Chrom leads the charge to the gates, picking up a war monk named Libra and a dark mage named Tharja along the way (who takes an instant interest in Robin). Gangrel beats a hasty retreat as the Shepherds cut through the fort's soldiers, and the angular man shrieks for the Wyvern Brigade.
Just as Robin predicted, someone tries to summon Risen archers in the fort. The Shepherds frantically cut them down as they try to aim their bows, and they fend of the monsters long enough for the pegasus knights to successfully carry Emmeryn off the battlefield. The ariel knights circle one, waiting for the Wyvern Brigade to be dealt with, and soar off towards the Ylissian main army.
Chrom rallies the Shepherds when he sees Flavia and Basillio run up. The two khans lead the Ylissians deeper into the desert towards a caravan. The two Feroxi leaders has set up the caravan to smuggle them out of the country, as the non-ariel members of the shepherds had no easy way to return to the main force. Even their camp and all personal belongings had to be left with the main force as there was no easy way to bring it along.
Chrom ends up sharing a wagon with Robin, Frederick, and Lissa. He sits uncomfortably next to Robin, who he swears is staring at him when he's not looking. Lissa seems terribly amused at something and keeps smiling at him the entire trip back.
###
Over the next few months the war truly starts. Large-scale battles become commonplace, and the Shepherds find themselves going on strike missions against key targets. Robin's strategies become key in keeping the Shepherds alive, and it's only thanks to her genius (and occasionally quick-thinking if things go wrong) that prevent deaths among the team.
Robin herself is a curious person. She shows no sign that she's any different from a normal person except one single interaction. Late at night, with no one around, Chrom had asked her if she was who he named.
Chrom had expected her to unmask, taunt him about the price he doesn't know, speak in that haunting whisper, something to show the demon beneath. Instead she just said "yes Chrom" and left.
The first thing Chrom notices when watching Robin is that she is always calm. Nothing seems to surprise her, despite Gaius and Lissa's best efforts. That's not to say she's emotionless though, she can occasionally be seen smiling as she speaks with Sumia or playing War of Worlds with Virion.
Chrom can't decide if it's an act or not. He doesn't trust the girl. She seems to insist on taking time out of her day to talk or spar with him. During this time she seems so… normal. She asks about his family, about Ylisse, his friendships, everything. Her backstory as an amnesiac (something Chrom only learned when Gregor joked about it) gave her the perfect excuse to ask about anything she wanted and Chrom couldn't refuse without looking mean.
The prince spends an inordinate amount of time wondering what the price for his deal is. At first he thought it would just be his life, but as Robin asks more and more about everything she can, he worries she's planning on staying and that he'll have to help.
He also notices how others react to seeing him and Robin talk. Lissa giggles, Sumia smiles, Corderlia stares, and Frederick scowls but avoids them. There's some assumption they all have, and Chrom doesn't know what. Is Robin manipulating them?
The war drags on with massive losses on Plegia's side. Despite superior numbers Plegia has few elite troops, and Ylisse's small but elite military and Ferox's hoard of powerful warriors tend to decimate every fight they partake in. The sheer number of Plegia's forces keeps them from making much ground, but over the course of the months the war has taken, they've pushed up to the capital and cornered Gangrel in the main castle.
The Shepherds prepare for a final fight, talking excitedly. Chrom, however, sits in a corner. He is making peace with his upcoming fate, whatever it may be. "I did what I had to." He thinks, looking lovingly at Lissa, who is flirting with a disgruntled Lon'qu. "I kept them alive, Ylisse is safe. Even if I become a puppet, or get my soul taken, the deal will protect my family and friends. Robin has held her end of the deal, so I'll hold mine."
What pains the boy most is that no one knows. He didn't risk telling anyone for fear that Robin would abandon the deal. There was also the problem of no one knowing that Robin wasn't human. To everyone else she was an amnesiac Chrom found in a field half a year ago, not a pact demon that suddenly appeared a mere three months ago and rewrote everyone's memories.
Chrom's journal however, in which he writes infrequently, has a record of the deal and what Robin is. Perhaps one day, after the price is taken and Chrom is dead or possessed, Lissa will stumble upon it and know what the cost of Emmeryn's life was.
This all goes through the prince's mind as he watches the Shepherds, his Shepherds, prepare for the final fight. Lissa, Frederick, Sully, Stahl, Virion, Vaike, Miriel, Sumia, Kellam, Donnel, Cordelia, Maribelle, Ricken, Lon'qu, Panne, Gaius, Gregor, Nowi, Libra… even Tharja, Anna, and Robin.
Yes, Robin. Chrom will miss all of them, even the demon. At least, he'll miss this version of the demon: a curious tactician who is surprisingly pleasant and tries her best to keep them all alive.
Now that he thinks of it, Robin really would have made his life better if she were just a normal person. She goes out of her way to ask him questions, not others, and Chrom could easily see himself enjoying her presence if he didn't know what she was. She helped take the burden of paperwork off his shoulders, and seemed (for whatever reason) to enjoy spending time around him.
Really they could have been great friends and Chrom finds himself wishing, just for the smallest moment, that his memory had been rewritten with everyone else's so he could see her like that.
A hand falls on Chrom's shoulder, and he glances tiredly at whoever it is. Robin of all people looks down at him, and rubs his shoulder… comfortingly?
"Everything will be fine." She says, calm as ever. Her red eyes almost seem soft. "I have a plan."
Chrom never had a doubt that they'd win the battle, so he just smiles weakly and excuses himself. He doesn't miss the way Robin frowns as he leaves.
###
"Surrender Gangrel!" Chrom shouts, striding to the front of his team. Frederick and Robin stand by his side, flanking him. Gangrel stands outside the castle looking very alone, his guards are organized but few, and all stand at least several meters away. Even Aversa who has stood by him until now is nowhere to be seen.
"No!" The man cries defiantly. He raises his jagged sword at the Shepherds. "What would I be if I just gave up? A sad failure rotting in a cell, that's what! I won't be chained like a dog for trying to rule a broken country!"
At this moment, Chrom thinks that perhaps a small glimpse of the man Plegia sees is showing through. He is man twisted by desperation and religious pressure, but he is someone who tried to fix Plegia, someone who gave jobs by building an army, and paid that army from his own pockets. He also fed the starving masses (albeit by stealing from Ylisse through poorly disguised bandit raids) which is why he was supported for so long despite his obvious insanity.
That's in the past though. Gangrel still needs to be taken down even if Chrom doesn't feel so proud about doing it.
"Shepherds..." Chrom says quietly, raising his sword. Everyone readies themselves: leveling lances, hefting axes, and opening tomes. The prince lowers his sword. "Advance."
There isn't much strategy to this battle. Gangrel's force is pitifully small because most of his army is dead, wounded, or has been forced out of the city by the Feroxi. What troops he does have are just standard fare guards with only a few notable elites. Chrom, and indeed also Robin, are expecting a slaughter...
...and that's exactly what they get. Despite assurances of safety should they surrender, most of the Plegian soldiers fight to the death while being encouraged by their squad commanders. The squad commanders themselves are elite units, fervent supporters of Gangrel, but they fall when faced with multiple foes.
Eventually Gangrel is cornered and, despite his best efforts to die fighting, subdued and chained to be brought back to Ylisse and presented to Emmeryn.
Everyone breaths a collective sigh of relief. Within the hour, messages start arriving with offers to surrender from Plegian commanders. The first is a man called Mustafa, and the rest follow his example quickly after.
Chrom smiles at his friends as they cheer and congratulate each other. He can imagine Emmeryn back home getting news of their victory and smiling.
The ride home is actually rather quiet. Everyone is tired from the fight, and they look forward to arriving home and going back to bed, or seeing family, or spending time with loved ones. There will be a party in a weeks time Chrom expects, but in the meantime everyone will appreciate some downtime.
The day passes without incident. Chrom doesn't even see Robin after he returns that day, and instead spends it with Emmeryn and Lissa.
The next day the blue-haired prince dismisses the Shepherds for a week vacation. Robin stays in the Ylisstol, her backstory as amnesiac giving her a perfectly acceptable reason not to leave.
All through the week, Chrom expects it to happen. Robin spends more time around him, still asking questions. Sometimes she asks him to play a game: cards, War of Worlds, anything. When he loses Chrom expects her to collect, but she doesn't.
The prince is starting to get anxious. The day before the Shepherds are due back, he confronts his tactician.
"Robin." Chrom barks, knocking on her door early in the morning. "I need to speak with you."
He hears her scramble behind the door, and it takes a few minutes before she opens it. When she does her hair is frayed, her clothes hastily thrown on, and her eyes lack their usual sharp acuity.
"I- uh- sure. Come in?" Robin says, sounding confused. She hides a yawn as Chrom steps inside, clearly having just woken up. "What is it Chrom? Why are you here? Did I forget a meeting or something?"
"No." Chrom shakes his head, taking a deep breath. "I've come to ask about the price."
"What?" Robin blinks. "Come again?"
"The price." The prince says in frustration. "For our deal."
"Ah…" Her eyes flash, and she suddenly straightens up. A smile creaks across her face."Have you come to negotiate?"
Chrom shakes his head. "No. I want to know when you're collecting."
She tilts her head. "I've already collected."
The prince blinks slowly. "What?"
"The price has already been paid." She repeats.
Chrom's mind races. Already paid? Did something else change that he didn't notice? What happened. "What did you take? What did you do?"
"Take? I didn't take anything." Robin hums. "The price was my body, being allowed to live, nothing more."
"What about everyone's memories?" Chrom pushes.
"A few spells, some at long range." She says dismissively. "The Shepherds, Emmeryn and Philia. No one else."
"So… the price was just that you can live?" The prince croaks.
"Yes. Being formless energy gets horribly boring, I needed the magic of a contract to make a body." Robin hums.
"S-So I'm alive?" Chrom's voice breaks. "Gods, I'm alive…"
"Chrom?" The demon's voice calls out as the prince falls to his knees. "You're crying. Are you alright? Chrom?"
Gonna alternate between male and female Robin every chapter, otherwise I'd only be writing female Robin. This chapter is a much better example of what this collection will be like.