The entire castle was in a panic, searching urgently for the missing Lucina and Morgan. Hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. It was easy to assume the worst with the recent news—that they were kidnapped, tortured, killed. But Libra knew better than that.
When their usual hiding places were claimed to be thoroughly searched and announced properly empty, Libra retreated to the sanctuary. He didn't expect for either to be there. He merely went to pray for Naga's guidance in someone finding the two children. He went to pray for Naga to be there as guidance for Lucina and Morgan, too. Never did Libra expect to actually find the two of them in front of Naga's altar.
He bowed his head and thanked the goddess for their physical safety before he approached them.
Lucina sat on the heels of her feet. Her little shoulders curled and head bent so her forehead touched her clasped hands. Next to her Libra could only assume Morgan laid curled up beneath the tattered tactician coat. The coat raised and lowered in an even manner that made Libra presume the boy was asleep.
"Child," Libra said softly and rested a hand on her shoulder when she still had not noticed his presence. She did not jump at the unexpected intrusion. She only unfurled herself and stared up at him, looking much younger and sadder than the girl he remembered that was so excited to turn double digits. And to his tremendous heartbreak, her face was smeared with snot and ruddy with tear tracks. "What are you doing here? Everyone is looking for the both of you."
The girl sniffed and dragged the back of her hand underneath her nose. Vacantly Libra wished he had a handkerchief on his person for her. Her voice was so tiny and scratchy from crying that Libra almost didn't catch her utter "I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for. You've done nothing that can't be fixed."
Her bottom lip stuck out when she nodded.
"Now what are you doing here when you should still be in bed?" Libra shifted his gaze from Lucina to the still sleeping coat mound of Morgan.
This time when she spoke, he did not understand. "What was that?"
She dragged the heel of her hand across her eye. "I was just praying," she said. "Father always says Naga likes to help if we need her. And we thought if we came here she can't ignore us."
Libra smiled and knelt down next to her. "You Father is a very smart man." He continued to smile even as he realized how he still spoke in the present. It would take some time to change that then, he thought regretfully. "Though you could have stayed in your rooms and saved everyone their worries. Naga does not ignore anyone in their prayers."
"Then why aren't are parents back yet? I asked her to bring Mother and Father home. Morgan was asking, too, before he fell asleep."
Libra's kind smile faltered and then fell apart completely.
"The other Shepherds came back. If everyone else did then Mother and Father have to, too, right? They're Mother and Father. They're unbeatable. They have to come back." Her voice cracked several times and constricted as she started to cry again. Her entire face twisted up in pain that no child should have to bear.
Libra, an orphan once himself and during this new war found himself taking care of more each day, found that he did not know what to do for his late friends' children. Because he too could not fathom their absence.
"Aunt Lissa said," she sniffed again louder, pulling him out of his reverie, and her voice wavered, "she said that they—they—"
Libra didn't know why it surprised him that she knew. She was a child, yes. Both she and Morgan were still children. But in times of war children had the unfortunate tendency to be thrust into adulthood too soon. Too, too soon. He lowered his head as if in prayer. "Yes."
There was a strangled wail that turned into smothered sobs. Libra was surprised when Lucina fell into him to cry. Even more surprised that Morgan merely stirred beneath Robin's favorite coat. The poor boy had to have cried himself to exhaustion.
Absently Libra thought how he would most likely be given the duty of giving the passing rites and rituals for both Chrom and Robin just like he did for Emmeryn. Both with absent bodies just like Emmeryn.
"They're safe with Naga now, I assure you." He spoke the words earnestly for her, but even so, Libra felt unsure of that fact himself. He couldn't pinpoint it and didn't have time with Lucina's following outburst.
"I don't care! I want Naga to give them back. She doesn't need them like I do. That's all I want. I want them back." The ferocity of her words and the sharpness in her voice tapered off as she continued on and soon enough she quietly cried into him. "I don't want a stupid sword. I want my Mother and Father. They said they'd return. They promised us, Uncle Libra."
He wrapped his arms around her and closed his wet eyes. It was his duty to disperse the word of Naga, to speak kindly of her. He should have corrected Lucina's bitter words but couldn't find a thing to say. So he merely sat there until she too cried herself into exhaustion.
.
.
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I sat down to plot out a full story for Awakening and somehow ended up with this. (Rather I should be reworking the next piece for my Blue Exorcist oneshot series.) You can read the Uncle mention as Libra and Lissa as husband and wife, or as it's a strong headcanon of mine, that Lucina and Morgan refer to all the Shepherds as "Uncle" and "Aunt" growing up like one does to their parents' closest friends.