The first time Lucina saw her father in the past she was too busy to have a breakdown. She had been racing towards the time gate in the desolate future one second, then protecting her dead aunt Lissa from a Risen attack in the past the next. She had seen her aunt as she never had before; young -very young- and terrified. And then her father had been there. She had shouted for help and gotten it, and despite knowing from the beginning of this insane time travel plan that she would come face to face with her father again she still was not prepared for the onslaught of emotions that his presence brought her. He too was young and unsure, but what was worse was looking into his eyes through her mask and seeing confusion and absolutely no recognition at all. He didn't know her, didn't love her, and it broke her heart. Not for the last time in this bizarre and bittersweet past she thanked her mask for keeping her emotions hidden from those around her.
The ensuing fight against the Risen provided little challenge for her. But she fought as far from her father and his small band as she could; she couldn't bear to be near them because it hurt far, far too much. But soon the battle was over and she approached them again to deliver her warning. She felt she would be prepared. The fighting had given her something familiar to lock onto and calm her down. But then she saw her father again, and with him was her mother. She too was staring at Lucina with confusion, without knowing her. And they weren't standing together.
This sent another strange spear of hurt through Lucina's heart. She had gone back in time far enough to meet her parents before they were even together. In her time, before she had lost them, the two were inseparable. They were the King and Queen of Ylisse -the general of the Shepherds and his chief tactician. And yet here and now, they were no more than acquaintances. They didn't stand shoulder to shoulder or hand in hand as they used to -or, she supposed, as they would come to. It was painful to see her parents alive and young and untroubled by war. A painful reminder that she had never known them as such. After she left them she walked for hours without aim, her vision blurred by tears trapped behind her mask. She was so alone, so horribly alone. Her companions were all missing, thrown into this world all over the place, all over time. And her brother… no. No, it was best not to think about Morgan.
The second time she met them she was better prepared. She had planned this meeting. She felt a thrill at using her father's moves against him, just like she had when she was younger and he was training her in combat. And this time as she watched her mother and father move across the battlefield together, this time she was impressed. This time, she could see a hint of the spark between them.
The third time she met them she appeared to them both outside Emmeryn's castle. She had never met her Aunt Emmeryn but they had often spoken of her in the future with great sadness. Her mother had often lamented that she had never gotten to know her properly. But Lucina was determined to stop this assassination. Stop it, and she could prove to herself that fate could be changed. Stop it, and she could change the course of the war.
She spoke to them outside the castle and informed them that she was from the future. They hadn't believed her until she had stopped the assassin hiding nearby. A lucky strike from another revealed her to be a woman, but that still meant nothing to them. And when their group had reformed to fight off the intruders she had seen for herself how fiercely her parents could fight, particularly together. It had only fuelled her own determination, and they had beaten the would-be assassins with ease.
The fourth time she met them she was too late to save her aunt Emmeryn. She had never seen her father more distraught. She watched, too far away and too horror struck to do anything, as Emmeryn had fallen to her death and Chrom had raced towards her, powerless to save her. Her aunt Lissa had screamed and all but collapsed, but her mother had grabbed her and held her close and yelled Chrom's name desperately and Lucina could see the tears in her mother's eyes. Her plan had failed. She hadn't been able to save Emmeryn and it had crushed her. This was different; they had altered things after all. But not enough. Her parents had always harboured guilt in Lucina's future because they hadn't been able to stop Emmeryn's assassination. Now they'd be just as guilt ridden because they had been so close to saving her. And now, not only had they failed to save Emmeryn but the Pegasus knights as well. Captain Phila and her soldiers were killed in the attempt and it was all on them, and it would haunt them for years.
The next time she had met with them was on an island off the coast of Plegia. This time they were married, this time her past self was sleeping peacefully miles away in her crib in Ylisstol. This time she's had two long years to prepare for it. This time she told them who she was, and this time when her emotions crashed over her she didn't try to stop her tears. But Chrom had believed her and embraced her, wiped away her tears and made her feel warmth that she hadn't felt in years. Getting her father back -even if it wasn't quite the same thing, even if he wasn't really her true father- would have been wonderful enough. But she got her mother back too; a mother who loved her and wanted to protect her. Her mother and father had died together in her future; they had gone to stop Grima from being resurrected and neither had returned. But now here they were; beautiful and together and so very much alive. Lucina couldn't remember the last time she had felt such happiness. And together they would find the others. She had thought all hope was lost, but having them back and determined and standing beside her made her, for the first time in years, hope for the future. Hope that they could do this; they could change the tides of fate and save her friends, her brother, the world. She remembered something her father had told her long ago, when the war with Plegia had been dragging on and she was beginning to lose all faith that peace would fall. Her father had smiled and held her close, brushed the tears from her eyes and told her of how strong his soldiers -his Shepherds- were, and how the strength of their bonds would never let them down. And he'd told her something that she had almost forgotten the truth and importance of, something she'd almost forsaken as wishful thinking; Hope will never die.
And now, after years of grieving and fighting and praying for a miracle, she started to believe it.