Perhaps it made him weak, but Morgan was terrified. Maybe his father was living in ignorance of what was coming, but Morgan knew his mother too well. In his short life he had encountered so much death that it had escaped his mind to ever fear it. But this was different.

He knew that his mother felt obligated to do this. Giving her life to save the world. It seemed like an easy choice, even to Morgan. But could she really give her son? Did she, like God, feel such an attachment to posterity that she would sacrifice his life?

Selfish. That's what Morgan was. That's all he was at this point. But he knew things that Robin didn't - that she never would if she went through with this. He knew that when he was a child the family would take a weekly picnic in the field where she had met Chrom, and the two would retell one story each of their young lives to the children. He knew that his mother would often say that these were the best moments of her life. He knew that he and Lucina would bicker as kids but grow an unmatchable bond in adolescence.

He knew so much that would make his mother so happy, if she would only listen.

But, he supposed, the rest of the world was more important than their happy family. So Robin would have to die.

And he... would never get to live.

Morgan held tightly to Lucina's hand as their mother prepared to face Grima for the final time. She was untouchable, a master of her own emotions, and they looked up to her in awe. He had always looked up to her, really.

Tears were dripping down Lucina's cheeks, and she extended her grasp to Morgan's arm. He placed the other around her and pulled her into his chest, the tears permeating his shirt. He was crying too now, and neither could stop. It was as if their hold on each other would last forever, no matter what happened after.

But they both knew that it wouldn't. They both knew Morgan would be gone in minutes. And no matter how they held each other, they couldn't change that.

Morgan closed his eyes as a bright light shone in between the woman and the monster. He didn't want to watch his mother. He didn't want to watch as his world, his life, crumbled around him. He could no longer hear Lucina's sobs. He became suspended in the moment, hearing nothing, seeing nothing but the light, so bright it showed through his closed eyelids. Every part of him was numb. He was ready.

And then the light went away, and his sister's quiet inquiries. For a moment he thought she had come with him; this was some sort of hell.

He opened his eyes and saw his father, love shining in his eyes as he held out his hand to his brave wife.

She was there. Morgan's mother was there. And so, he gradually realized, was he.

Lucina laughed incredulously. Their father's head turned, and he smiled at the two of them. As Robin slowly made sense of the situation, a wide smile came to her lips. Her eyes locked with Morgan's, and in that second he was sure that she knew how beautiful their life would be. She knew how much she would love getting to know her son.

And suddenly all the pain, all the heartache, all the fear - it was all worth it. Just to see his family happy, and to know that it wouldn't end.