Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Awakening, all rights to the owners.
Minor: Dark Flier, Immortal, Boxer (Pugilist), Exploitive, Swordmaster, Angry Cinnamon Roll, Tripping, Perpetual Cheer, Chef, Blacksmith, Pegasus Knight, Teacher, Librarian, Masochist, Literal-Minded.
Standard: Elemental, Deaf, Foreign, Future sight, Tiny, Nurse/Medic, Valmese Tactician, Medusa, Racer, Amazon, Genderfluid, Gift from Validar + evil to good, Mind Control, Banshee, Bard, Old, Dancer, Mimic, Emotionless, Khan, Crippling Overspecialization (Idiot Savant), Coward, ESP, PTSD, POW, Magician, Mute, Savage, Handicapped, Secret Helper, Crazy, Respawn, MPD, Morpher, Dreamwalker, Motherly, Lich, Twins, Regenerating, Sadist, Animal Whisperer (horse/wyvern), Naga/Tiki Assistant, Sleepless, Goddess.
Unlikely: Chrom's child, Minotaur, Paladin, Werewolf, Assassin, Future Soldier, Bounty Hunter, Weather control, Kleptomaniac, Druid, Steampunk, Shadow Familiar, Magic Augmentation, Lucky, Exile, Piper (Charmer), Gladiator, Witch Doctor, Centaur, Drunk, Demon, Punk, Harpy, Revenant, Luck Manipulation, Demon Summoner, Megalomaniac, Kitsune, King of Plegia, Mood Ring, Reverse Aging, Hammerspace, Prostitute, Demon hunter, Cyborg, Maid/Servant/Butler, Deadlord, Rebellion, Einherjar, Trap.
Other: Pokemon Trainer, Self-insert, Second Generation replacement, Dimensional Walker, Cycle, Fates.
An idea of my own devising. Despite what the name would imply, it's different from Timesnap Robin.
Robin glances out the window. Rain crashes down in the garden outside, and rivers of water slide off the the leaves of the trees and make muddy the well-maintained paths. The tactician nods to herself and glances down at her stopwatch.
"Two forty." She mutters. "So it started between now and two thirty." The brown-haired girl stands up, stretches, doesn't bother to put her book away, and whispers: "Return to set mark."
There's a feeling of falling for a moment as the world warps around her. The bookcases disintegrate and the floors melt as Robin's magic reworks reality around her. Sound has totally cut out, and all she can smell is ozone. This is familiar to her though, she's done this hundreds of times before even since her bout of amnesia.
All of a sudden the world snaps back into focus. She's standing just inside her room with her hand on the knob, exactly where she set her mark that morning. Unphased, she steps out into the hallway just like she did before and moves to breakfast.
"Good morning Chrom. You're up early." She greets, sliding into a seat next to the prince.
"I could say the same for you." The prince chuckles. "But yes, I am. I have a meeting today."
"Really?" Robin says, pretending to be surprised. She's gone through this once already and can predict almost everything Chrom will say.
"Yep. I'm going to be meeting with the stoneworking guilds today to see about expanding the east wing." The prince sighs. "It's going to be boring one, and it'll take a while to walk back."
"Bring a cloak, it's going to rain in the afternoon." Robin advises.
"Another one of your predictions?" Chrom chuckles. "Alright, if you say so."
"I haven't been wrong yet have I?" The tactician hums. "A woman is always right."
"I thought that was relationship advice, not a general fact." The prince says with a smile. "Thought when it applies to you specifically, I suppose it might as well always be true."
"You flatter me." Robin says. "Erm… don't take what I said as relationship advice though. It's actually really bad advice."
"Whatever you say Robin."
###
Someone knocks on the door, probably Chrom. Robin imagines he's done work for the day so they can spend some time relaxing together, preferably with a glass of wine and a good board game.
Robin takes a moment to set her time mark: a magic signature that she can return to at any moment with a few words and a quick spell. No one else is aware of her power, and she likes it that way. Revealing such a thing would put a massive burden on her shoulders, everyone would start expecting so much of her. Maybe it's selfish, but she likes her secret.
She always sets a mark before any extended time with Chrom. He tends to reveal personal misgivings or problems he's having, and Robin likes to be able to help him with those. That usually requires multiple takes as she runs through the next few days trying to find a way to help him or to see what advice solves the problem. When she does find the solution she goes to her mark one last time, fixes up any last details, and continues life as normal from there.
"That you Chrom?" The tactician calls, having finished her mark.
"Yeah. I'm done for the day, are you busy?"
"Nope, I'm good. What game this time?"
"Can you just bring chess? I don't think I can handle war of worlds this time."
"Tired, are we?" Robin says. She nabs the small travel chess set from its place in her drawer. She moves to the door and opens it revealing the prince standing on the other side. He's dressed more casually than usual, just in a basic baggy shirt and pants. The tactician actually feels over-dressed in her usual longcoat.
"A bit. Not too much for wine and a game or five though." He chuckles. "My room? Next to the fireplace?"
"Yes!" Robin says eagerly. Chrom has these amazingly comfy chairs in his room. They're the perfect place to curl up and read… probably. Robin has never actually done reading there because it isn't her room.
They move over to his room and drop into the chairs. Chrom grabs the wine and Robin arranges the chess set. The prince pours them both a glass and they start the first game.
Time passes slowly, blissfully so. They chat about this and that as they play, though often the game is interrupted when they stumble upon a particularly interesting topic of discussion.
At some point during the fourth game, a good hour and a bit after the sun has set, Chrom asks something that peaks Robin's interest. "Robin…"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'd make a good father?"
The tactician gently shakes her glass, watching the liquid inside swirl in a slow circle. "What brings this up? Something on your mind?"
"Not really." Chrom says. He goes to pour himself more wine, pauses, and sets his drink aside. "I'm just thinking about the future I guess. Ever since Miriel and Vaike got together I've been dwelling on the idea. I never really considered that someday I might follow in their footsteps and get married."
"Ah…" Robin chuckles lightly. "Deep thoughts."
"Sorta." The man grins.
"So what's up? Someone in mind maybe?" The tactician hums. She grabs a knight and flicks it closer to the center of the board; a spot supported by her white bishop and a pawn.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"I've been mulling a lot of things over."
"I can tell. Everything fine?"
"Of yes, I'm fine. It's just that time in my life I guess."
"Puberty?"
"Ha ha. You know what I mean. I'm a young adult having to figure out what the hell I'm doing with my life. It's only really occurred to me recently that I won't be running around the country stabbing bandits my entire life. At some point I'll have to start dealing with politics, and some point I'll be old, and at some point I might have different priorities." He whispers softly. "Eventually I think I'd like to have a kid. Maybe not now, but... "
"Eventually."
"Exactly."
###
The next morning Robin doesn't set her mark as usual. She chooses to keep the last one, the one she set before her evening with Chrom. She walks out of her room to the dining hall and greets everyone as she steps inside. Chrom, looking a tad hungover, also says hello when Robin takes a seat beside him.
Robin hasn't told him about her self-imposed mission. She never tells him when her powers are concerned. This is a particularly big undertaking though, and she honestly considers alerting Chrom of her powers just so he knows and cooperates with her test.
The impulse passes and Robin doesn't speak. She's just answering a simple question, and this idea sounds totally insane even if he knows about her powers. She's going to spend multiple years of her life watching him just so she can answer the question "Do you think I'd make a good father?"
It sounds crazy, but Robin isn't concerned. It's not like she's wasting her life. Her body also reverses with time, so it's not like she's shaving years off her life by doing this. She'll go back to being just as young as she was before, but with a bit more knowledge.
Ooh, she should pick up a new hobby or two. That way she'll have a few new skills when she returns to her mark.
Still, it's the first time she's done something that takes this long. The longest she's ever gone before returning to a mark is a week. Chrom getting married and having a child will take at least a year if he has a whirlwind romance, and probably a few years longer. This is a big commitment.
"But I can help him make a better life decision with this knowledge." Robin thinks. "It's worth it. I'll pay attention to everything, not just if he's a good father. That way I can always give advice and help him out when I go back."
###
One month. Nothing significant. The Shepherds go about killing bandits and keeping the peace as usual. Chrom shows no particular interest in anyone; even Sumia's obvious advances fail to have an effect on him.
Two months. Same as the first.
Three. Still nothing.
At four months Robin starts to realize just how long this is going to take. Who knows when Chrom is going to fall in love? What if he isn't interested in anyone who's a Shepherd?
The tactician decides to start influencing things a bit to try and speed the process up. Nothing intrusive, she just pairs him up with different people on the battlefield to try and help him bond with the girls. She also changes around the chore schedule so he's working with a different girls fairly frequently.
Robin fully realizes how manipulative this is, but she isn't worried. She'd never do this if she planned to keep this version of the world.
Over the next three months other events start to interrupt. Plegia declares war, and Robin finds she can't sacrifice proper strategy to pair Chrom up with random Shepherds anymore. It's a hassle really. It would be so much easier if Chrom would show an interest in someone, then Robin wouldn't have to worry about all that for a year and could just focus on getting this annoying war over with.
At least there are more women to try and pair Chrom up with. They recruit quite a few as they smash their way through Plegia's criminally under-trained forces. The prince doesn't take to any of them though, much to Robin's frustration.
Emmeryn's execution is one of the few things to properly shock Robin into focusing on the war. Because she can't return to her mark without going back almost ten months, she only has one shot at saving Emmeryn this time.
Well. One shot until she goes back to her mark to give Chrom advice… which might be an issue if she lets Emmeryn die. The stress is going to mean Chrom might not get married for a while. She needs a damn good plan.
"Pegasus knights here, cavaliers there, Kellam should go there…" Robin mumbles, working fervently on her map. A good plan now means she can recycle it, less work next time.
"How are we doing Robin?" Chrom asks, stepping inside the strategy tent.
"I have some semblance of a plan." She mutters, and stabs another pin into the map. "Gah… I'm wishing we didn't waste that wyrmslayer earlier, we could use it now."
She notices the prince's grimace, and hurries to reassure him.
"We'll be fine Chrom. Emmeryn will be fine." The girl says. "Like I said, I have a plan. It would be easier with the wyrmslayer, but we'll get through this without it no problem."
Chrom places a hand on her shoulder and gives her a grim nod. "I have faith in you Robin. Thank you for your work."
###
The plan works for the most part. Vaike suffered a few more scratches than she'd have liked, and Lon'qu may have a permanent leg injury now, but at least no one died and Emmeryn was saved.
Robin also has an idea that she really should have considered before. She should try bonding with Chrom.
Well, less bonding and more seducing. If Robin has realized anything it's that Chrom is thick-headed, and she mostly just wants to figure out if he's a good father. She doesn't want to wait two years for Chrom to finally realize he's in love with someone, so the best way to try and make this work is to see if she can seduce him herself. She'll need to be as direct and aggressive as possible or this will probably go right over his head.
Robin doesn't exactly have experience with that, but it shouldn't be too difficult. All she needs is to look confident and show sexual interest. That's not hard.
She waits until the end of the war. It takes another few months, she's past the one year mark of her mission. A year devoted to trying to find if Chrom is a good father, and he isn't even married yet. Robin has been paying attention to his other life choices, but there hasn't been much of significance.
When they defeat Gangrel, Robin starts putting her plan into motion. She makes it look accidental, people are known to be impulsive when overcome with emotion after all. After the king falls she cheers with all their other troops. She jumps in joy and plasters a smile on her face, pretending to be overcome with emotion, and when Chrom wanders close to try and talk to her she snaps out and pulls him into a hug.
The prince is surprised, but allows her to squeeze him until she "calms down".
So starts Robin's deliberate seduction. She begins hanging around him as often as possible, "accidentally" bumps against him much more often, and leaves the top buttons of her coat undone to show her cleavage when she leans over. The most important part is just being forwards; she tries to have meals with him as often as possible and even takes on some of his work now that she barely has any.
The first time she asks him to go see a play with her he's surprised, but accepts.
It's working.
###
"I do." Robin says with a smile, a genuine one. The crowd cheers when Chrom leans forwards and kisses her on the mouth.
The tactician possessively clings to the prince for the rest of the day. She nibbles his ears whenever she gets a chance, presses herself into his side, and generally showers her new husband with affection. Just because he won't remember any of this when she resets time doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy seeing him blush.
It's a shame this isn't permanent though. She really does enjoy doing this. Some point during her seduction she actually ended up falling in love with him. It's not that she didn't like him before, it's just that she was coming onto him as a means to an end.
She hasn't forgotten her goal though. Chrom needs to have a kid so she can tell him if he's a good father or not. That's why she's doing all this, that's why she's spent a year and a half just getting to this point.
Yes. So she just needs to get pregnant, and spend basically another full year waiting for that kid to come along.
Hmm… maybe she should stock up on books.
###
"Thank you dear." Robin murmurs. She accepts the plateful of food from the man, and eagerly digs into it.
"How are you faring today?" The prince asks, sitting on a chair next to the bed where she lies. "Aches again?"
"A bit. Some morning sickness too." The tactician says casually. "Oh, and I think the baby kicked somewhere nasty. Shooting pain for a moment."
Chrom snorts and shakes her head. "You don't seem all that phased."
"Meh, I expected this to suck. Honestly it's better than I thought." She hums, stuffing some cheese into her mouth. "The worst part is no wine."
"Really? Not the sickness, the exhaustion, the aches?"
"Of course not. Wine usually solves that, so therefore not having wine is the worst." Robin says simply. "I'm a regular drankard after all."
Chrom rolls his eyes. "Honey, you have half the amount I do when we share a bottle, and as far as I'm aware you don't drink otherwise."
"Details, details."
The prince is kind of amazed. If he didn't know better he'd think his wife was talking about a head cold and not being pregnant. All the discomfort and pain don't seem to phase her in the slightest. How can she be so calm day after day? "You're incredible."
"Nah, I'm just chill. This cheese though, this in incredible."
###
"Ow."
"That has to be the single most understated reaction I've ever seen." Maribelle says in slight disbelief. "Is that really it?"
"I mean it hurts, but I've had worse." She mutters, trying to keep her breathing steady. Gods, hurry up kid. I don't have all day… "You remember that time I got mauled by a wyvern? Now that was agony."
Lissa shakes her head. "Geeze. Only you Robin…"
It takes five more minutes for the baby to finally come out. Lissa waves her heal staff over the exhausted tactician while Maribelle gently cleans off the wailing infant and swaddles it in blankets before handing them to Robin.
"A girl." Maribelle whispers as she hands the baby to the tactician. "Shall I get Chrom?"
"Of course." The girl nods. She happily holds the (now quiet) infant to her chest where they lie mostly immobile, only occasionally moving their tiny balled hands to struggle against the swaddling blankets.
Chrom tries to look calm, but he's never been good at hiding his emotions. He rushes to Robin's side to look down at the bundle in her arms. "Oh gods…"
"I know right? So cute…" Robin coos. "A girl."
"Lucina." Chrom breathes, voicing the name they'd chosen in advance. "Hello little one."
###
Raising an infant is exhausting, and Robin can't say she enjoys it. Don't get her wrong, she loves her little girl, but dealing with her constant wailing is grating.
Chrom makes things a lot easier. Aside from feeding, he can help deal with the rest of Lucina's other needs. Robin can say with confidence that he does make a good father… she's just waiting a few more months as a safeguard, she wants to make sure he's still supportive when the novelty wears off.
That's what she said to herself five months ago. Chrom has proven himself just fine. Robin is just reluctant to go back. For all of Lucina's wailing Robin loves her daughter, and she's reluctant to lose Chrom's affection.
"Honey…" Chrom mutters tiredly, putting an arm over her frame and nuzzling her neck. "Why are you awake so late?"
"Thinking." She says quietly. "Dear…"
"Yes?"
"What if I told you I had a mission?"
"To what?"
"Remember two years ago, when you asked me if you'd make a good father?"
"I do." The prince mumbles. "What about it?"
"What if I told you that all of this, our romance, our marriage, Lucina, was all manipulated by me just so I can answer that question?"
Chrom snorts. "A bit late for an answer."
"What if I also told you I could jump back in time, and just never told you?" Robin adds. "That I could go back to the time to when you asked that, and give you an answer. That all of this was just to answer that question?"
"I'd say that's insane." The prince mumbles. "You'd never go that far just for a stupid question."
Robin is silent. Eventually Chrom falls back asleep. The tactician leans down and kisses him on the forehead, and then walks back to Lucina's bedroom and does the same to the little girl. The lady stares down at the child, watching as she breathes peacefully in quiet sleep.
She could just not go back. She could stay, set a new time mark. She could live this life… but it was dishonest. Robin used extensive manipulation to get here, she let Lon'qu sustain a permanent injury that could have been avoided if she'd just been willing to set new marks.
Robin can't keep this. She knows that. It wouldn't be fair to Chrom, and not to everyone else she played with to get where she is.
"Return to set mark."
###
"Is… Is that you Chrom?" Robin asks hoarsely, remembering the words she spoke just after setting the mark.
"Yeah. I'm done for the day, are you busy?"
"No, I'm… fine. Can we play chess?"
"That sounds good. I don't think I can handle war of worlds this time."
"Tired, are we?" Robin says. She nabs the small travel chess set from its place in her drawer. She moves to the door and opens it revealing the prince standing on the other side. He's dressed just the same as Robin remembered, and handsome as always.
"A bit. Not too much for wine and a game or five though." He chuckles. "My room? Next to the fireplace?"
"Yes please." Robin murmurs. Those chairs are incredible. She spent so many nights curled up in one of those next to the fire.
They move over to his room and drop into the chairs. Chrom grabs the wine and Robin arranges the chess set. The prince pours them both a glass and they start the first game.
Time passes slowly. They chat about this and that as they play, and Robin drowns in nostalgia. It's so painfully casual though, she already misses being able to cuddle him.
Eventually the fourth game comes, a good hour and a bit after the sun has set, Chrom asks something that peaks Robin's interest. "Robin…"
"Yeah?" The tactician's heart pounds, this is the question she's waited two years to be able to answer adequately.
"Are you alright? You look stressed." Chrom says, worried.
Robin stares. He didn't ask. She… she can try again. "Return to set mark."
Chrom fades away in front of her, and the world melts and vaporizes before her eyes. The smell of ozone fills her nose, and sound totally cuts out.
It snaps back into focus, she's in her room again. "Is that you Chrom?"
"Yeah. I'm done for the day, are you busy?"
"No, I'm good." Robin says, forcing herself to be calm. "What game do you want to play?"
"Can you just bring chess? I don't think I can handle war of worlds this time."
"Tired, are we?" Robin says. She nabs the small travel chess set from its place in her drawer. She moves to the door and opens it revealing the prince standing on the other side. He's handsome as always, even in his casual baggy clothing.
"A bit. Not too much for wine and a game or five though." He chuckles. "My room? Next to the fireplace?"
"Yes please."
Robin waits impatiently for the question to come up. Four games, three hours, and he finally says "Robin."
"Yes?"
"Do you think I'd make a good father?"
"Absolutely." Robin says without hesitation. "You'd treasure your little girl over anyone else, and would make a fantastic husband."
"Ah, w-well." Chrom coughs, flustered. "Thank you. I didn't think you'd have such an opinion on it."
"I have full trust you'll be incredible." She says firmly. "Don't ever doubt you will."
The prince fidgets in place, not expecting Robin's unabashed confidence in him. "I-I… I don't know what to say."
"Did you have someone in mind?" Robin asks.
"W-Well…" Chrom coughs, getting ever more red. "I'd prefer not to say."
That's not what he said last time. "Why not? You can trust me."
The prince looks very uncomfortable. "Look, I've drunk too much. Can we shelve this conversation until I'm in a good state of mind?"
Robin's fists clench for a moment, but she forces the tension out of them. "Of course it can. Don't let me push you around Chrom."
They finish their game and go to bed. Robin almost forgets that she doesn't sleep with the prince anymore. It's going to be strange adapting back to the way things used to be.
She'll do things properly this time. No manipulation, no permanent injuries. Gods it's going to be weird sleeping alone though… Hopefully she can win Chrom over when she's being genuine, because she already misses the man.
Yes, I'm aware that Robin is a bit sociopathic and obsessive here. That's kinda the point, she's supposed to be a bit deranged, why else would she spend two years answering a simple throwaway question?
TwinsMadness: Glad to hear it.
Darkness is complete: Sure, I like that idea. Simple, but… I have ideas.
W for Wumbo: I suppose that's usable, but I also find it's very similar to taguel and probably not distinct enough to be worth doing.
Nimaka: That's great! I'm happy.
Bakururu: Must be a better chapter than I thought it was. I never known when something is heartwarming and when something is just… okay.
It's never been suggested that Robin him/herself is an Einherjar. I'll note it down.
Guest: I guess? Unlikely, but sure.