Final Checkmate

I wrote this while listening to one song from the game in particular, "And what if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals?" There's this sad kind of resignation to it, and the mood perfectly inspired this piece.

"I'm sorry, Chrom. It has to be me."

A flash of light flew before his eyes, striking the future Robin. She shrieked in pain as flames surrounded her body, her cries merging with Grima's as the two died in unison. It took only a second more for Chrom to realize what had happened.

He wished she hadn't done it. He turned around as if in slow motion, knowing what he would find. The present Robin stood there calmly, even as her body started to fade. She held a magic tome beneath her arm, its binding worn and tattered from use. Her tactician's robes blew gently in the wind as purple flames encircled her body. Everything about her posture sent the same message: she didn't regret her actions. It was her serene acceptance that pained Chrom the most.

"Robin!" He called.

She smiled in those last moments. It was the same smile she'd always shown Chrom, the smile that let him know everything would be alright and that she loved him. And he believed her every time, because it was Robin and she never failed to have a plan. Always. Even now, as she was fading away, he knew that she had been preparing for this for a while. The chance to use her weakness as her final checkmate was too good to pass up. It was completely selfless. It was so like her. And it wasn't supposed to be this way.

The tears came before he knew it. He was shouting that it was wrong. She didn't have to do this for him, for any of them. She could be selfish, for once in her life… but in his heart he knew that she would never have been able to live with the guilt. For the sake of their future, she wanted to vanquish Grima forever, to prevent any more destruction. It wasn't enough just to seal Grima away for a few hundred years. The time to end things was now, and it was all up to her. No more heartbreak. No more sorrow. No more Robin.

"It's alright, Chrom," Robin said. Her voice had a faraway quality about it even though she was right in front of him. "This is how it should be. This is the path I choose."

"No!" He shouted. "I won't let this be how it ends! I won't let you die!"

She laughed, and Chrom felt his heart slowly shattering at the sound. "Thank you. I… I knew you'd make this hard on me. But I suppose I'm glad you care so much. I feel reassured that this was the right choice. I messed things up in the future, but here in the present, I had a chance to set things right. I hope the life you lead from now on will be a happier one."

"Not without you in it," he said, and his voice broke as he said it. "Please, Robin, I can't go on if you're not here with me. I need you."

"No," she said. She sounded strong and clear although her body was growing ever fainter as time passed. "You don't. You deserve a world of peace, a world without strife, and most importantly, a world without Grima. And this is the only way I can give you that."

"I don't care," he said. Desperation engulfed his words as he tried to reason with her even though he knew it was too late. "I don't care if Grima is defeated or not if you'd just stay with me."

She shook her head. "We both know you don't mean that. You're the Prince of Ylisse. You have a chance to rebuild this world now that the fighting is over. It's time to lead everyone forward, and you're the only one who can do it," she said. Robin held his gaze. A trace of sadness entered her voice as she said, "With or without me."

He looked away for a moment. "I just… I don't want to let you go."

She smiled. "I know. I love you, Chrom."

"And I love you." He said it in barely a whisper, but he knew she had heard.

She held up her hand in farewell. "Thank you… for everything."

She faded away, the last of the purple flames vanishing in the wind. But before she disappeared, Chrom saw the single tear that slipped down her face.

His steps were heavy as he walked forward later that day. Chrom looked out at the battle-worn land before him. He saw the scars of war and the pain they all had suffered. But he also saw a land of promise, and the world that Robin had worked so hard to save. No matter how much he was falling apart inside, he was determined to ensure that her actions were not in vain. The words that followed were his tribute to her sacrifice, and the start of a new day.

"The war is ended, my friends. It's taken a long time to get here, but the fell dragon has fallen for good and peace has been reclaimed. None of this would have been possible without your help. And, of course, not without Robin's sacrifice."

Chrom saw the sadness on their faces, and he struggled to maintain his composure as he went on. "She gave her life to protect all of us, and I know she wouldn't want us to grieve forever."

"I just… can't believe she's really gone," Lissa sobbed.

"I refuse to believe that," Chrom said fiercly. "Naga said there was a chance she could return, if we hold her close in our hearts. Our love for Robin will bring her back to us, someday. And I will find her. I'll spend the rest of my life searching if that's what it takes."

All around him, he gradually saw hope return to the faces of his comrades and friends. Words of encouragement and reassurance were shared by all, but it was Lucina's words that lifted Chrom most. When she stepped forward and held his gaze, Chrom saw his own strength reflected back at him through his daughter.

Their daughter.

He saw Robin in her too, now that he looked closely. It was the first time Chrom had really looked at Lucina since the time she had shown him the Brand in her eye. How long ago that was. There was more of Robin in Lucina than he'd stopped to notice before. She was there in the shape of her eyes and the soft flow of her hair. Lucina had her nose too, he realized. And there was that firm determination in her eyes, a look that said she refused to give up no matter how bad things got.

"I knew we could change things, Father," she said. "And I know you'll find her."

She felt the loss of Robin as deeply as he did. Lucina had already lost her parents once before, but at least this time that loss didn't have to be permanent. Chrom was determined to find Robin again, not only for himself, but also for Lucina and Morgan.

He closed the distance between them and hugged her tightly. "I will," he promised.

In the year that followed, Chrom did his best to reunite the people. Emmeryn was in his thoughts as he worked tirelessly to follow in her footsteps and demonstrate the same selflessness that she had shown as Exalt. Peace slowly returned, and a tentative union between Ylisse and Plegia was established. The Shepherds continued to fight the Risen that appeared from time to time, until eventually none remained. As their group separated to walk their own paths in life, Chrom felt a bittersweet sort of happiness at being able to have this moment.

Chrom never forgot Robin. Frederick reported back to him every once in a while, but the news stayed the same. No one had seen or heard of anyone matching Robin's description. True to his word, Chrom went out in search of her whenever there was a free moment to spare. He spoke to the people inhabiting remote villages, ventured to out-of-the way caves and mountains, and even searched in his own backyard. There were times when he roamed the castle's many corridors with the half-hearted hope that he might see her around the next corner.

And of course he went to the fields. Every open field there was, he searched. If there was any hint of grass, Chrom checked to see if she was there. Either Frederick or Lissa usually accompanied him, but there was one field that he insisted on going to alone.

Of course Lissa wanted to tag along with him. "Come on, Chrom. In case you've forgotten, I was there too when we found her! You can't take all the credit, let me go too!"

He'd give a half-hearted smile and pat her on the shoulder every time. His answer was always the same. "I'm sorry, Lissa. This just feels like something I have to do alone."

She huffed out a sigh, but cracked a small smile. "Fine. If you weren't her husband, I'd keep ribbing you about it. Go on then."

He had visited that particular field many times in search of her. At least once a month, he found the time to travel there. It was always the same sight. Clear blue sky, bright green grass, and the sound of the wind. It was a beautiful field, but it was always lacking one beautiful thing. Chrom lay down on the grass and propped his hands behind his head. He watched the clouds pass by slowly for a moment before he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Just for a moment," he thought. "I can imagine that she's still here with me."

His imagination must have been more creative than he thought, because Chrom could have sworn he heard her laugh. He also could hear someone approaching, accompanied by the rustling sound of a long cloak.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know."

It couldn't be…

Chrom opened his eyes as he sat up suddenly. There was no mistaking it. It WAS her.

Robin smiled down at him, her pale white hair blowing in the breeze. She held out her hand to him as she said, "Hey, Chrom."

He took her hand and she pulled him up to stand beside her. "How?" Was all he could manage.

She laughed and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "It'll take more than that to kill me."

He made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob as he embraced her in his arms. She hugged him back, resting her head on his shoulder. "I never stopped looking for you," he said. "Figures you'd show up in this field again."

"It's called irony, love," she said and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm so glad I get to see you again."

"That's my line," he said. "Honestly, Robin? I don't know what I'm going to tell Lissa. Or Frederick. Or Lucina. Just let me be selfish for a little while longer."

Robin pulled back to lean her forehead against his. Her words were soft as she said, "I missed you."

"Don't say anymore," he said. "I need to convince myself that this isn't some wonderful dream I'm having."

She leaned in, her eyes already closing as she replied, "I'll show you."

"Milady, you really shouldn't be doing this."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Frederick, how many times have I told you to call me by my name? We've been married for almost three years already! I thought we were over this milady business."

The knight in question bowed in resignation. "Forgive me, Lissa. I'm afraid it's become a bit of a reflex for a knight of my station."

"Old habits die hard," she muttered.

He cleared his throat, at which Lissa rolled her eyes. "That aside, milord requested to do this alone. Following him is most disrespectful."

"He's my brother, it's practically in my job description to be disrespectful," she said. "Come on, Frederick, I'll shoulder all the blame, so why don't you just go back home?"

"Because," he said in a tone of infinite patience. "It's better that I follow you to make sure you don't do anything too stupid."

She turned around, hands on her hips. "Excuse me? It isn't very knightly to call a princess stupid."

"Ah, but I'm your husband, therefore I should be allowed to voice my concerns for some of your more, shall we say, questionable actions."

Lissa was about to make what she hoped to be a clever reply, but she lost all train of thought when she saw the field. And more importantly, the people standing in it.

Frederick hadn't noticed anything odd yet and kept talking. "Although if I'm being honest, I was considering following milord as well. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he got himself into any trouble while left unguarded, and besides –"

"Chrom! Robin!" Lissa shouted as she took off across the grass.

The two in question broke apart, Chrom sighing loudly. "She couldn't have waited five more minutes?!"

Robin looped her arms around his neck, pulling him back in. "Lissa can wait. For now, I want to remember everything I can about you."

And with that she closed her eyes and kissed him. Chrom didn't mind in the slightest, and the two left Lissa and Frederick to awkwardly wait on the side, unaware of anything in the world but each other.

As much as I enjoy writing emotional angst, I'm a sucker for happy endings. This can be read in tandem with another story I've written, The Robin's Song (shameless self-advertisment). As always, thanks for reading!