Hey everyone! I figured with all the response this story has been getting, I should go ahead and write the next chapter.
As always, Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo and IS, and author's comments are at the end.
Legacy
Chapter Two
Crossroads of Fate
"Fate is the endless chain of causation, whereby things are; the reason or formula by which the world goes on."
"Morgan! Over here!" Lyn shouted, calling the Tactician over to a map-seller's brightly decorated stall. Despite being located in Sacae, Bulgar was a surprisingly large town, more than deserving of its title as the commercial center of the plains. Stalls lined the roads, and there were numerous taverns and inns in addition to the residential district. In the center of the town stood a well-kept fountain, which was heralded as a meeting point for anyone hoping to rendezvous in the town.
They had headed here at Lyn's suggestion. Neither of them were sure where they were going, but, wherever it was, it wouldn't hurt to be well-equipped. Lyn had bartered earlier in the morning for a new sword and some Vulneraries, while Morgan had managed to obtain some books detailing the history of the surrounding areas (as well as the continent itself). He'd been looking for a weapon too, but it turned out there were very few practicing mages on the plains of Sacae. Thankfully, one of the merchants had recently returned from somewhere called Etruria, so he'd happened to have a few basic fire tomes lying around. It wasn't anything special, but it was better than being defenseless.
The maps they were looking at would be helpful, too. The map-seller not only had maps of Sacae, but also the surrounding regions. To Morgan's joy, there were even maps of the entire continent. He purchased one of those, as well as a detailed map of the Sacae plains and its surrounding region, and the Lyn lead Morgan towards the central plaza area.
"What now?" Morgan asked. While the journey was the both of theirs, he was in unfamiliar territory, literally, and he trusted Lyn's judgment. If she had somewhere in mind, he'd happily follow.
"It's almost dark, so we're better off staying in town for the night. There's a small town on the border between Bern and Sacae that we should be able to reach by nightfall tomorrow, if we leave at daybreak," Lyn answered. He felt relieved they were traveling together; without Lyn's guidance, he'd have no idea where to go.
"Great! That gives me a little time to read up on the history of this area before we leave!" Morgan grinned as he replied.
Lyn turned her head, but was interrupted before she could reply.
"Oh, my heart! What a dazzling vision of loveliness!" A green-haired man sauntered up to them, keeping his eyes fixed on Lyn. He was wearing armor, so Morgan could guess he was a knight. From the condition that his armor was in (compounded with the fact that his horse was now drinking from the fountain), Morgan could guess that he didn't take his job very seriously.
Lyn's face reminded him of Lucina's the first time he'd seen Inigo hit on her. It wasn't a very pleasant expression, and he was glad he wasn't on the receiving end. She quickly grabbed his wrist, starting towards the inn.
"Wait, o beauteous one!" The knight called after them. "Would you not favor me with your name? Or better yet, your company?"
Lyn turned sharply, addressing their pursuer, "Where are you from, sir knight," her tone sounded almost mocking, "that you speak so freely to a stranger?"
"Ha! I thought you'd never ask! I am from Lycia, I hail from the Caelin canton, home to men of passion and fire!" Either this knight was really oblivious or really brave; Morgan couldn't tell which.
"Shouldn't that be 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues?'" Lyn bit back. The knight seemed unaffected.
"You're even more lovely when you're cruel!"
Lyn sighed, turned the other direction, and started walking briskly towards the inn. Morgan ran after her calling, "Lyn, wait up!"
Zugu had hit the jackpot. The Marquess had promised a handsome sum of money to whomever was first to catch the Sacaen broad, and she had fallen right into his lap. Truth be told, he could run after the her right now, and cut her and her companion down in the center of the town. But, there was no rush. He could wait until nightfall, he thought, smiling.
Morgan was at a loss.
His plan had originally been to test out the tome, plot out their route for the morning, and then begin on Elibean history before going to bed. But, then he'd encountered an unexpected roadblock.
His magic was gone. Well, maybe not gone. But, he'd been able to cast magic before. He'd been able to summon massive lightning bolts and terrifying dark spells. When he'd casted those, he'd always felt like he was dipping into a larger sea of magic, and merely funneling it into a physical form. Only now, it felt like he was funneling from an arid desert. He could still technically get the magic to cast and form a small flame, but it was nothing compared to what he was able to do before.
"Is something wrong?" Lyn called from the next bed over, noticing her companion's troubled expression. She was sharpening her sword.
Morgan sighed, "For some reason, I can't use magic. I mean, I can, it's just," he sighed, "not as powerful as it should be."
Lyn frowned, "I see. Well, you're still a strategist, right? Magic or not, isn't that the purpose of this journey?"
The tactician smiled as he put the tome away, "You're right. And, at least, it's good to find this out now instead of in battle. All I have to do, then," Morgan said as he pulled out one of the nearby maps, "is adjust accordingly."
"You did what?" the orange-haired knight roared. At first, the knights had made the patrons of the tavern on edge, but after a time, it had become natural, and turned to nothing but background noise.
"I'm telling you Kent," the green-haired knight grinned, "This one was worth it. She was really a beauty. As if all of the natural ferocity and beauty of the Sacae plains took human form!"
"Sain," Kent sighed, "You are missing the point. We've already spent nearly a month in this town, and we still haven't made any progress. Eventually, we will have to go back to Caelin. We can't afford to be wasting time like this."
"Ah, but Kent," Sain smiled again, taking a sip of his drink, "There was something else with this one too. Like, an air of sophistication that tied it all together. Ah, fair Lyn, will we ever meet again!" He cried out dramatically, earning a giggle from a group of women seated nearby.
Kent buried his face in his hands, "What will it take for you to understand that—" Kent paused, "Sain, what did you say her name was?"
"Lyn! The treasure of Sacae!"
"Who were we tasked with finding?"
"Lyndis! The lady born of both Sacae and Caelin!" Sain paused, thinking, "Say Kent...you don't think, you don't think that she was...?"
Before Kent could reply, a villager burst through the door of the tavern, screaming, "Help! The traveler's district it's...it's on fire!"
Both Lyn and Morgan had been able to make it out of the inn, but barely. They'd barely had time to run from their room on the second floor to the exit, and the building collapsed seconds after they left. Both were short on breath from the smoke, and they hadn't had a chance to relax; not long after the inn had fallen, the two had been approached by a group of suspicious characters. Neither of them were in a condition to fight, so Morgan had advised they run. Unfortunately, even Lyn wasn't familiar with this part of town, and they'd run into a dead end.
Their "friend" hadn't been far behind.
"Heh," he called, having them boxed in, "You two are tougher than I expected. I thought for sure the fire would have gotten you."
Lyn drew her sword, managing what she could of a fighting stance, "That was you! Do you know how many lives you put in danger?"
The bandit smirked, "It won't matter. Once I hand you over, I'm sure Lundgren'll be willing to hand-wave a few civilian casualties."
"Monster!" She cried, "Don't you have any respect for human life? What am I worth to you, anyway?"
"Your name is Lyndis, is it not?" The bandit seemed to be taunting them.
"That name...how do you..." Morgan couldn't see Lyn's face, but her entire body was shaking. This wasn't good. At their current condition, they weren't even guaranteed victory two-on-one. But, there was still a chance, and those odds dropped dramatically if one of them couldn't fight. All he needed was a plan, just something, something to get them out of there alive.
"Time to die, darlin'!" The bandit raised his axe. They were out of time.
Or, at least, they would have been if the bandit didn't collapse, a sword in his back.
"Such a strategy! Against a girl, no less! Coward!" Morgan recognized the voice. The green-haired knight they met earlier stood over the body. But...why had he come to save them?
"Certainly so," Another knight, one Morgan didn't recognize, walked in front and offered Lyn his hand, "I'm sorry we took so long. Maneuvering our horses in these narrow streets was...difficult."
Lyn regained her composure, "Thank you, but, I believe you owe us an explanation as well."
"Ah, yes, but it's..." the knight seemed at a loss for words, "information that is rather confidential. Perhaps it would be better if we met again on the morrow?"
Lyn sighed, "I'd rather get this taken care of sooner, but given the condition that we're in, it might be a good idea to rest," Lyn helped Morgan up, acting as a support. Morgan wasn't weak, but he wasn't strong either, and after the fire, he'd barely been able to run. The fight hadn't helped.
"Ah, wonderful! Then, it is a date, o wonderful Lady Lyndis!" Lyn faltered a bit, but was able to regain her composure quickly enough that (Morgan hoped) neither knight noticed.
"Let's go."
They met in the morning on the outskirts of town.
Both Lyn and Morgan were looking much better, all things considering. The knights had come with their horses, and, to Lyn's surprise, what looked like several days worth of rations. She placed a hand on her hip, and turned to them, "You were going to share your story with me?"
"Yes," the serious one spoke first, "My name is Kent, and this is my companion, Sain," he gestured towards the green-haired knight from earlier. "We're knights of Lycia, and we were sent out to the plains of Sacae to find someone."
Lyn frowned, "Lycia...that's the country beyond the mountains in the south-west, isn't it?"
"Correct," Kent replied. "We've come as messengers to the Lady Madelyn, who eloped some nineteen years ago."
"Madelyn?" that name was her mother's name. It couldn't be a coincidence.
"Our Lord Marquess of Caelin's only daughter. He was heartbroken his daughter would abandon him so. Eventually, he declared he had no daughter," So that was why her mother had always looked so sad when she asked about her grandparents. She was ashamed she hadn't understood before now.
Before Lyn could say anything, Sain continued, "This year, we received a letter from Lady Madelyn. She, her husband, and her daughter were living happily in the Sacae plains. The Marquess was ecstatic to learn that he had a granddaughter of eighteen years. I can still remember the smile on his face, when he learned he was a grandfather. Not only that, but his granddaughter shared the name of his late wife! Lyndis!"
"Lyndis?" It hadn't been a coincidence after all.
"It thawed the Marquess' heart. Unfortunately," Sain looked away, "Lady Madelyn passed away a few days after sending her letter."
"But her daughter yet lives," Kent continued. "I knew right away. You are Lady Lyndis, are you not?"
"You...knew my mother?" Imagining her mother in court was difficult for Lyn. She knew that, long before she was born, her mother had been raised in a large city. She knew that she had wanted to get away with that life, and that was how she'd met Hassar. Lyn was hard-pressed to believe that Madelyn, who could shoot better than most men of the Lorca, would be well-suited for any sort of court life.
"Ah, I only saw pictures," Kent replied, "But, you are her spitting image."
"To the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn," but, she paused. She wasn't going to cry, not here, not now, "when I was with my parents, when it was just the three of us...I was always Lyndis." She smiled, "To think, I thought I was all alone in the world, and now I have a grandfather. Lyndis, I never thought I'd hear that name again, but, wait!" she frowned, "That bandit! He also called me Lyndis! He wasn't one of yours, surely?"
"No!" Sain shouted, "Lundgren!"
"How!? We made sure we were selected for this mission to prevent this from happening!"
Lyn cocked her head to the side, "Lundgren?"
"He's the Marquess' younger brother and the heir to the throne, unless the Marquess has a descendent in Caelin," Kent frowned.
"I have no intention of inheriting any title," Lyn stated firmly.
Sain frowned, "Lundgren isn't the type of man to care. To him, you're a threat."
Lyn sighed, "Then what do you suppose I do?"
"Accompany us to Caelin," Kent stated, "Even if you don't accept the throne, at least meet with your grandfather."
"My grandfather? I...I'll go with you."
"Morgan!" Lyn ran up to her companion, "I wanted to talk to you once Kent and Sain left."
"You did?" He cocked his head to the side, confused.
"Yes," she looked sad, for some reason. "The situation has changed. What do you want to do? You're welcome to follow us to Caelin, but, there's no guarantee it'll be safe."
Morgan smiled, "I wouldn't be a very good tactician if I only went places that were safe. I'm your master strategist, aren't I? I'd be more than happy to follow you."
So, I kept some of the dialogue and I changed some of the battles. I'm trying to keep this story as dynamic and interesting as possible, while staying true to FE7. Hopefully, the end result is something that won't feel like more repetition for people who've played the game. I'm also (likely) going to give Morgan a bigger story role later on, but I'm trying to prevent him from being a Gary Stu. If I ever slip in that regard, please let me know.
I also nerfed Morgan's stats...a bit...because it's not really fair to have a Maxed out Sorcerer tanking FE7 (Although can you imagine how easy that would make Hector Hard Mode?) There's also a story reason. I promise. As his main class was Tactician/Grandmaster, he's studying Anima magic.
I don't really have much else to say, so...
It's time for...Reader's Review Corner!
Kingawesome – Morgan is 17, a year younger than Lyn, and two years younger than Lucina. I'm not sure yet if I'll write something for FE6, but he'd definitely be alive during that time period.
Fellblood Morgan – Hopefully this new chapter alert finds it's way into your mailbox :P
Gunlord500 – Yes! Lucina, Chrom, and Robin all got their stories, so it's time Morgan got his! But, there's also plenty of canon evidence that points to Morgan as FE7's tactician.
Lord Destroyer – Yes! All of this. Actually, I think there's more evidence, too. People have speculated that the Dragon's Gate connects Elibe and Archanea/Ylisse, and that Ruins of Time is the other end of the gate. Coincidentally, it's also where you recruit Morgan!
Flufflover – Most definitely. This fic won't be shipping free, but I am doing my best to make sure that the relationships and romances evolve in the most natural way (which is why I reserve final rights on voting).
Fireminer – Yes! After this chapter, Morgan will be playing a role in combat. I've posted his stats at the end of this chapter.
Kyrura Akai Tsuki – Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic.
Axel's World – Thank you for reading!
Temporarily Permanent – Thank you! Morgan's hair (as he is Chrom's son) is canonically indigo, but it won't be important to the story.
Guest – Thank you! One vote Inigo/Lucina!
Mzr90 – Thank you! One vote Morgan/Lyn!
Morgan (Lvl 1 Tactician)
HP – 16
Magic – 4
Skill – 6
Speed – 8
Luck – 7
Def – 2
Res – 4
Con – 5
Move – 5
As always, please review! Let me know what you liked or didn't like, and who you'd like to see together!
Until then, I'll see y'all next chapter!
