Title: Robcina Week 2018 - Nightmares

Description: After returning from their trip to a timeline that was so much like their own, but one that fell down a darker path, Robin can't stop fearing what might have been had the same events played out here. Try as he might, he cannot stop the nightmares born of the knowledge of the fate that befell the Robin and Lucina of that world.

Notes: Written for Day 2 of Robcina Week 2018. Takes place a few weeks after the events of A Future Disowned.

Robin stood in the center of a field on the edge of a cliff. The sea rolled in the distance, spraying against the rocks. The tall grass swayed in the wind, the light of the setting sun casting the world in golden hues.

Across from him stood Lucina, Falchion held in her hand. The naked blade gilded orange, it's deadly tip pointed straight at Robin's chest.

No, this was all wrong. This… I've been here before. This has already happened, why-

Robin tried to take a step forward, to speak, to do something to convince Lucina to back down. He had to explain, he had to-

He couldn't move. His body refused to obey his commands. Why couldn't he-

Robin's heart froze in his chest, again taking in his surroundings. He suddenly became aware of the black smoke that billowed all around them, the fires burning in the distance. Bodies and soldiers and risen lay scattered all around them. To his horror Robin realized that those that lay nearest to him were those of his friends, their lifeless eyes staring back at him.

A whispering voice echoes in his head, filling his thoughts. A will that was not his own took hold of him, forcing his body to obey. He took a step forward, than another. No, he didn't want this. He had to resist. He was going to kill her! He had to stop it!

Lucina took a step back, her hand trembling. She began to speak, but of what she said, Robin heard nothing. The world was silent to his ears, a seeping black void beginning to close in around his vision.

Robin tried to shout for her to run, to get away from him before he lost control. But no words came from his mouth. His body began to move on it's own, the darkness on the edge of his thoughts closing in all around him. No! He had to fight it, he had to-

Lucina jerked suddenly, her eyes going wide in shock and pain. She staggered back, a crackling spear of electricity jutting from her chest. She stared at him, their eyes meetings. He only then realized that she had been crying this whole time. Lucina's mouth worked wordlessly, mouthing her dyings words to him.

"I love you."

Cold, mocking laughter echoes through Robin's mind, dragging him down into the abyss. Everything faded to black, pain and grief enveloping him.

"NO!"

Robin's eyes snapped open. He flailed, clawing at his covers, only succeeding in tangling them around him. He reached out, the image of his wife dying before his eyes. His heart hammered in his chest, beating so violently it seemed as though it would burst.

No. No, no, no, no, no. Gods, he had to-

"Robin!"

A hand seized his arm, pulling him back down towards the bed. He twisted desperately, trying to break free- only to freeze as another hand gently cupped the side of his face, a soft, soothing voice whispering to him.

"Robin, please, be still. It's alright, you were only dreaming. Whatever you saw, it was only a dream."

Robin blinked, his vision blurred from the tears pooling there. He'd been crying. He hadn't even noticed until now. Blinking again, his vision cleared. Lucina's face stared back at him, her deep blue eyes filled with worry as she leaned closer as if to examine him closer to determine just what was wrong.

"Lucina." Robin exhaled, breathing a sigh of relief. He brought a hand up to his face, trying to wipe away the tears still streaming down his cheeks. It was only as he did so that he realized he was trembling, his hand shaking violently as he held it up to his face.

He gripped his wrist with his other hand, trying to will his body to still. He… the dream… it had felt so real. He squeezed his eyes shut, struggling again the images of the nightmare that continued to race through his mind.

"I-I'm alright, Lucina. Really, it's n-nothing to worry about. J-Just a nightmare, like y-you said. I'm alright, r-really I'm-" Robin stammered, opening his eyes to find the worry held in his wife's gaze only intensify. He had to convince her otherwise, but before he could say more she gripped his arm tighter, silencing him.

"No, you aren't alright. Look at yourself, you're trembling. You… you were screaming my name in your sleep. Nor has this been the first nightmare. They've been becoming more frequent since he got back from that other future, haven't they?" She ran a hand down his cheek, trying to sooth him. Her lips pursed, her expression softening. "You can talk to me, Robin. What troubles you."

"I…" Robin began to lie and say nothing was the matter. But he stopped himself. He had to tell the truth. Maybe if he did…

"I dreamed that I killed you Lucina," Robin said, waiting for the look of shock to play out on his wife's face at this revelation.

Yet none came, Lucina instead nodding. She said nothing, her silence an invitation to continue.

And so Robin described the dream to her. As he spoke he felt the aching pain in his chest grow with each word, fresh tears welling in his eyes as he had to relive the sight of her dying before him, struck down by his own hands. He wanted to run away, to escape those horrible images. As if distance could somehow separate him from the sights inflicted by his dreams.

If only.

It was only when he'd finished did Lucina venture to speak, understanding now mixed with the concern carried by her gaze. "It's what happened to the me who traveled to that world, isn't it? That's what you saw in your dream. The fate that befell us there."

Robin nodded. It had been only a few weeks, after all, since the two of them had learned of the truth behind their daughter's future, a future they'd traveled to without even realizing it at first. In that world events had played out differently: the war with Valm had happened many years later, allowing time for Morgan and Marc to be born. This shift had led to other events to play out quite differently, culminating in the him of that world falling to Grima's control. After that, well…

They had learned of the fate that had befallen that world's Lucina soon after. From that other Robin, who'd spoken to them as he lay dying, freed at last from Grima's control. Even now his words echo through Robin's mind, refusing to fade away.

"But you… you wouldn't give up on me. You confronted me, tried to save me. And then I— I… He… made me kill you."

Robin nodded, feeling tears that had been growing begin to spill down his face, staining his clothes and the bed sheet. "Lucina… I… I'm scared. If… if it happened once… it could happen here too. I don't want to consider it, but if I… I…"

"Robin, please. It's okay. That will never happen. You know that," Lucina tried to reassure him. Her hand found his, squeezing it tightly. "You are not the Robin of that world. Nor am I that Lucina. We are not the same as they."

"But it could have been us! If things had played out differently, than we could have been them. What then? I don't… I don't want to see you die, Lucina. Gods, I don't want to kill you like he-"

A resounding slap filled the bedroom, Robin recoiling back as stinging pain spread across his face. His mouth fell open, a protest beginning to fall forth. Only to be stopped at Lucina leaned forward suddenly, following up her strike by pressing her lips against his, silencing all thoughts of argument. Arms wrapped around him, pulling him into an embrace, one that he returned in kind.

When at last Robin managed to free his lips from the drawn out kiss, he let a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob fall from his throat. "I-I deserved that, didn't I?" He brought a hand to his face, which still stung painfully from the slap.

"It was the only thing I could think of doing, given the circumstances," Lucina told him, not refuting his assertion in the slightest. "It it painfully foolish to consider what might have been, Robin. Yes, had fate been less kind, our situations may yet have been reversed. But no matter what may have been, it was not so."

"But-" Robin started to argue.

"Robin, I understand what you are feeling. Learning what might have been… it fills me with sorrow to think of what that me must have gone through. The pain of watching the man she loved fall to Grima's control…" Lucina shook her head. "But, that can't happen now or ever again. Grima is gone, you saw to that. The fact that you no longer bear the Fell Dragon's mark on the back of your hand is proof of that." She took his right hand up in hers, lifting it slightly to draw attention to the unmarked skin there.

"Lucina, I…" Robin began to tremble again. He shook his head, trying to hold back tears as he began to cry for a third time.

"I'm not going anywhere, Robin. I promise. I won't ever let such a fate befall us. Now, or ever." She wrapped her arms tighter around him, pulling them both back down into the bed. It was all Robin could do but return the hug, gripping her tighter as well as she now lay on top of him.

"Thank you," he whispered, feeling the pain he'd felt ever since the nightmare had begun start to recede. "I don't know where I'd be without you, Lucina."

"Nor would I," Lucina murmured back, a smile tugging at her lips as she nuzzled closer. "This time, remember that. No matter what horrible things your dreams may bring, they cannot take away what we have."

Robin too felt himself smile at her words. Gods, how foolish had he been to forget that. It had somehow escaped him before, but now, with her so close… he couldn't imagine how that truth had eluded him before.

"I love you, Lucina," he sighed. Closing his eyes, Robin allowed himself to surrender to sleep once more. His last thoughts before dreams claimed him were of her, and the warmth of her body held close again him.

With her so close...perhaps this time his dreams would not be so dark. Not when he had her light to drive that darkness away.