Outtake Fourteen: Family
Game: Awakening
Spoilers: Midway through the game.
Summary: When Lucina decides to wander around the Palace of Ylisstol, she finds something she did not expect to find.
Note: Special thanks goes to ZeroRei00 for pointing out a mistake (it wasn't my fault though, blame the computer I'm using). It's all fixed now. Anyway, I'm introducing a pairing here that I'm tentative about, but not so tentative that I actually have the pair get together in the game.
Enjoy!
Lucina paced through the halls of the Palace of Ylisse. She had no purpose in her walking, only a simple desire to enjoy that wonderful feeling of belonging, of being truly home. For the first time in years, the Ylissean princess felt at ease enough to move about without her sword, despite the fact that she and the rest of the Shepherds had been back in Ylisstol for only a few hours.
She paused by one of the grand windows of the palace, and smiled at the sight of her country, alive and green. Leaning against the sill, she thought just how much good all their hard work had done. With Valm put back in its place and Plegia being silent as stone, peace was surely filling all of the halidom and its neighbors.
A noise caught her attention, coming from down the hall. She turned in the direction. What was that sound…?
Another noise drifted down the hall, the sound of someone singing. The tune echoed in Lucina's mind, familiar and comforting. She frowned and took several steps toward the source, which was coming from a room she recognized, though could not place.
She came to the doorway, and peered in, only to see something she never thought she would see.
The room was a nursery, and by one of the sunny windows in a rocking chair was none other than her mother, holding a bundle close to her as she hummed a lullaby. Lucina could see a patch of dark blue hair sticking out from the blankets. "Mother?"
Silver looked up, and smiled when she saw her daughter. "Lucina. Come, meet yourself."
Lucina frowned but moved forward into the room. Silver adjusted the bundle in her arms, and Lucina realized that this was herself as an infant. The little Lucina, to whom Silver had bestowed the nickname Lucy, blinked at her future self. Lucina knelt down and smiled. "I was this small?" she asked.
"Smaller, actually. Lucy here has grown quite a bit over our trip to Valm. Isn't that right, Lucy?"
The infant cooed with delight at the sound of her mother's doting voice and resumed staring at Lucina. "Hey there, Lucy," Lucina began, finding it odd to be talking to herself.
The child grinned and reached out with small hands, wriggling in Silver's lap. The tactician adjusted the small blanket that wrapped around Lucy to keep her warm from the castle drafts. "Would you like to hold her?"
"I…I don't know…"
"Come now, Lucina. If you're serious about your relationship with Laurent, you have to get used to holding young children."
Lucina's face went red, but she sat down on the carpet next to her mother's rocking chair, ready to accept the infant. Lucy was placed carefully in her lap, and the child reached for the nearest toy and promptly began mouthing it. The two Lucinas sat in quiet companionship with their mother, who had begun to hum again, much to Lucy's delight.
After several minutes, they heard footsteps coming down the hall, and Chrom, followed by Morgan, appeared in the doorway.
"There you are," he said, smiling at the sight. He came over, picking up Lucy. The little girl squealed with delight as Chrom raised her above his head, gently tossing her, only to catch her again. Lucy's face was lit up with a huge grin.
"Chrom, every time you do that I worry you'll drop her," Silver said, watching her husband and infant daughter anxiously. Chrom lowered Lucy.
"Don't worry, Silver. She's fine."
Lucina laughed. "So that's how I got my good head for heights."
"See? I help her." Chrom settled on the floor next to Lucina, letting Lucy entertain herself with her toys. Morgan kneeled down next to her. "So this is Lucy? How cute!" He grinned at Lucina. "Boy, you sure were cute as a baby!"
Lucina smiled. "Now we just need a mini you."
"Not for a while, you two," Silver admonished. "Not until everything cools down."
Chrom playfully pouted, and Lucy, sitting next to him, copied his face, making everyone laugh. Morgan stood after a few minutes and moved over to a small table pressed under a window to peruse a couple tactical tomes that were there, obviously to keep Silver occupied during long nights watching over Lucy.
Silver noticed this and called her son's attention. "Two rooms down to the left there's a chess set, if you want to play."
Morgan nodded eagerly and fetched the chess set while Silver set up a playing space. Morgan returned and the pair began setting up a game on the table Silver had moved from under the window. "I'm going to beat you this time, Mother," the young man said.
"Good luck with that," Lucina commented from her place next to Lucy. The pair was stacking wooden blocks, much to Chrom's amusement.
"Have faith, dearest sister." He glanced at the chessboard and noted that his mother had chosen the white pieces, meaning she would move first, which she already had. Morgan sighed, and began calculating his own first move.
Chrom sighed happily, leaning against Lucy's crib, watching with a content smile. Lucy and Lucina were both grinning as they played with the soft blocks Sumia and Gaius had given the infant as a present. Morgan and Silver were much more serious, each sporting the same frown of concentration. He laughed slightly.
"What?" Lucina asked, handing her younger self a block.
"Nothing. I'm just glad to be home with my family."
Published 8/15/2013, edited 8/17/2013