Chapter 4: Nightmares and Assassins
Morgan stared through the wall of flames separating her from Marc. Next to her, she saw herself screaming hateful words at her brother, and was struck by the horrible feeling of helplessness, watching a huge mistake play out in front of her and being unable to do anything about it.
The scene changed, and Morgan watched as her Father sat on a log, stoking a fire while the other Shepherds slept on bedrolls nearby.
"Bah!" A voice not her own spat. "Look at this foolish boy of a prince, playing around with a stick when he should be keeping watch. It's this same irresponsibility that leads to his demise! The reason you and your siblings are alone!"
Morgan's first thought was agreement, but immediately after felt shame. Her fathers death couldn't have been his fault. It was unfair to blame him for unintentionally repeating history, as his father before him had done, leaving behind his children to fend for themselves.
The scene changed again, and Morgan gasped in shock. Before her were her comrades, lying prone in various positions, all dead. Yarne and Nah, impaled on the same pike as if Yarne had tried to shield the small girl with his body. Brady, face twisted in pain with an axe in his gut. Owain, impaled on his own blade, desperately reaching for Severa, who was laying face down in the dirt mere inches away. Kjelle, crushed under her own armour, Next to Inigo whose legs were missing.
Morgan turned away before she could see anymore, and the next thing she knew she was sitting bolt upright in bed, the taste of bile on her tongue as she choked back a sob.
Almost immediately, Lucina was by her side, rubbing circles on her back and whispering soothing words in her ear. Leaning into the embrace, Morgan bawled even harder on her sister's shoulder as her fear and pent up emotions poured out of her.
"Shhh, Morgan," Lucina soothed. "It's alright now, I've got you."
Slowly, Morgan managed to calm herself, allowing herself to be comforted by the presence of her sister.
"Thanks Lu," she said, suppressing a sniffle. "Love you."
"And I you, Morgan," Lucina replied with a small smile. "Would you like to talk about your nightmares?"
Morgan thought for a moment, but shook her head. "No thank you. It was just more of the usual scary stuff. I'm a little jealous of you. You're so strong. It's like you're never afraid… not like me."
Lucina grimaced. "Honestly, Morgan, it's the opposite. It's your strength I envy. I feel as if I am still stuck in our time. I am unable to let go and relax. You are already adapting to our new environment, and in my mind, that is the truer display of strength."
Wiping away the last of the mucus and tears on her face, Morgan snorted in disbelief. "Me? The strong one? You're nuts Lu."
Lucina made a small noise of indignation, but her face bore a smile, so Morgan could tell she didn't mean it. "If I am 'nuts' it is only because you drove me there."
Morgan stifled a giggle and embraced her sister once again. "Thanks," she murmured.
Lucina brushed her hand through Morgan's hair in a soothing motion. "Anytime," she replied.
The tender embrace lasted a moment longer before Lucina spoke again. "Will you be alright today?" She asked. "We must be in top form if we are to prevent fathers injury and Auntie Emmeryn's assassination."
Morgan pulled back and raised her hand in a mock salute. "I was born ready! Just let me get dressed and we can head out to make preparations!"
Lucina patted her head. "Good. I'm nearly ready myself. Once I've finished up I'll check out of the inn. Meet me down there and bring our bags so we can get some breakfast."
Morgan snorted. "Can't thwart assassins on an empty stomach."
Lucina laughed. "Too true. Now let's get going."
Lucina watched with concealed amusement as Morgan tore into her pastry with gusto. For a thirteen year old, Morgan was a messy eater. She ate like she was half her age, and had crumbs and a bit of icing on her face as she sat contentedly chewing.
Resisting the urge to grab her handkerchief and wipe her sister's face, Lucina instead decided to think about what her friends might be doing, wherever they might have been.
Lucina loved her friends, but they were a colourful group. They were easily distracted and more than a little scatterbrained in some cases. Laurent may have been distracted by some new quest for knowledge, while Owain or Cynthia may be playing Hero to a sleepy little town somewhere. Gerome would have almost surely made his way to Wyvern Valley in Valm. Hopefully they would be able to reunite and join forces. She briefly thought about Inigo, and scowled. She was still a little upset at him for forcing her to leave Marc behind. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and returned to her own breakfast.
The pair soon finished their breakfast and headed for the shopping district. Lucina spotted a wonderful dress with interlocking purple and orange patterns that she deeply wished she could buy, but she knew that their money would be better spent on food and vulneraries.
Lucina had figured that her anticipation would make the hours crawl by, but to her surprise it was sunset before she knew it. Making their way to the far walls of Castle Ylisstol, Lucina pulled back a bush, revealing a hole small enough for two teenagers to crawl through with only minor difficulty.
"Just like I thought," she said. "The hole father accidentally bashed in the wall while training as a child are exactly where he showed us they were. It's a good thing he only ever told us about these, or else we'd have no way into the castle."
Lucina crouched low to the ground, and shuffled her way through the hole, and Morgan followed behind her.
"Position yourself on that side of the courtyard, I'll take the other. Remember, we must carry ourselves as stealthily as possible. Preventing fathers' injury is paramount, before we move on to protect Aunty."
"Got it!" Morgan chirped. "See you soon!"
With that, she scurried off into the bushes towards the end of the courtyard Lucina had told her too. Quietly, Lucina moved towards her own end.
Lucina positioned herself in the lengthening shadows behind a parapet, and watched as the sun dipped low behind the castle walls. Soon the sky also darkened, and servants came through and lit the torches in the courtyard. Lucina took the time to study her surroundings, and realized a little belatedly that when she lived in this castle in the future, it had been her favourite place to play with her siblings and friends.
She was startled out of a fond memory of Severa pulling Owain out a tree he had been hiding in when she noticed the bushes across from her rustle unnaturally. She had her target.
Soon thereafter, familiar voices carried across the cool night air.
"…The day he understands peace will be the day death gives it to him," Chrom said to Robin. "… so perhaps I must be death's agent. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to."
Lucina decided now was the time to make her move, before the assassin had the chance.
"Well spoken, sir," she said, using her 'Marth' voice.
"Marth," Chrom responded, surprised, as Lucina walked over to the pair.
"Good evening to you,"
"How did you get in here?" Chrom asked.
"The cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove,"
"There? But how would you…? Ugh."
"You know the place?" Robin asked, confused.
"Yes," He replied, "I bashed in part of the wall while training with the Shepherds. It was only a small hole, and I thought I'd concealed it well, but…"
Lucina smiled. "Your secret is safe with me. I came here only to warn you."
"To warn me?" Chrom asked, taken aback.
Lucina mentally prepared herself, and hoped that Morgan was standing by. They had planned it so that Morgan would cover her from any nasty surprises. Now it was time to drop the big surprise.
"The Exalt's life is in danger," Lucina said calmly.
"What, Emmeryn?" Chrom asked incredulously. "That's absurd. She's guarded at all hours."
Lucina took a deep breath. "What if… What if I told you I have seen the future. Would you believe me? A future where Emmeryn is killed. Here. Tonight."
"Seen the future? Have you lost your wits?" Chrom asked, even more incredulous than before.
Lucina sighed. "Yes, I expected you wouldn't believe me," she said. "Even if I had hoped you might anyway," she thought privately. "So allow me to prove it!"
Lucina drew her sword, and Chrom and Robin both assumed a defensive stance, hands on their weapons.
Holding the blade aloft in a showy stance meant to attract attention, Lucina calmly said, "I'm about to save your life, from him."
Lucina turned towards the bushes she had seen move suspiciously earlier, and just as she expected, an assassin leapt forth, his cover having been blown.
The hooded figure drew their blade and made a dash for Lucina, likely hoping to cut her down for ruining his attempt on Chroms life, but Lucina remained calm.
Throwing Falchion high up into the air, Lucina leapt after it, catching it as the Assassin skidded to a stop where she had just been standing. Lucina twisted her body and flipped through the air, bringing her sword down in a slash across the assassin's back, felling him in one strike.
Lucina flicked her sword, the blood flying off into the grass. "I trust this proof shall suffice?" She asked.
Chrom stared back at her, shaken, but managed to speak. "Yeah…" he said, as sweat dripped down his face.
Lucina was about to speak again, but heard the bushes rustle behind her again. She turned to react and saw another assassin leaping towards her, but her foot caught on the blade of the already dead assassin, and she tumbled backwards, the second assassin's blade slicing through her mask, only just missing her face.
"Oh crap baskets!" She heard from the other end of the courtyard. "Arcwind!"
A glowing green burst of wind slammed into the assassin as Lucina fell back, hair loose and flying in her face. Chrom drew his sword and ran past her, uttering a war cry as he leapt up into the air, plunging his blade into the chest of the man laying on the ground, finishing him off.
Internally, Lucina was panicking. Her cover had been blown! She had almost died! "That was far too sloppy," she couldn't help thinking. Thankfully though, she was able to keep her face schooled into a calm look.
Chrom turned back towards her and Robin, who was standing nearby with a hand on her tome, scanning for further danger. She also noticed Morgan stepping out of her own shadow that she'd been hiding in, in case of just such an occurrence.
"Wait you're…," Chrom blurted out, stumbling over his words, "you're a woman?"
Lucina suppressed a cheeky smile. "And quite the actress too," she said, dropping her 'Marth' voice, "Honestly I'm surprised you didn't figure it out until just now."
Robin snorted in amusement, but that was all either of them had time to say in response before they were cut off by the sound of a magical explosion and a shockwave. The four warriors shared a look, before drawing their weapons and running for the castle interior.
They ran together for the Exalts quarters, and ran into the Shepherds along the way, in varying states of dress and armour. In another situation Lucina might have even found the nightcap stylized like a sheep her uncle Vaike was wearing to be humorous.
Thankfully, the courtyard was quite close, and they arrived in record time, assuming a defensive position in the hallways and behind pillars.
"Remember," a voice echoed down the halls," I want the emblem in my hand and Emmeryn dead on the floor, let nothing distract you from either purpose."
A much closer voice gasped in confusion, and Lucina saw her uncle Gaius standing amongst the enemy lines. She recalled her mother once telling her that some of her friends' parents had originally been a part of their enemies forces, but she had never known Gaius to be one of them.
"Woah, woah," he exclaimed, "did I just hear that right? We're here to KILL the exalt? I'm just here for the plunder. You know, line my pockets with some royal goods. The exalt's such a sweet lady... Sure, I'll rob her blind, but I'd never harm her!"
"Chrom!" Lucina heard Morgan call out. "The man with the orange hair is trustworthy. Offer him candy and he'll agree to fight for you. He wants no part in killing your sister!"
However, Lucina did not know if Chrom was listening. He was currently arguing with Emmeryn about whether or not he and Lissa should stay or flee.
A glow drew Lucina's attention, and she noticed that Falchion was glowing with Naga's holy light.
"Falchion is gleaming…" she murmured to herself
"What's wrong?" Chrom asked her, concerned.
"I don't really know myself," Lucina thought. "It's not your concern," she said aloud.
Chrom's expression soured. "Seems like nothing ever is with you," he muttered.
"My apologies," Lucina said, turning her face to hide her blush.
Chrom sighed. "Just stay by Emmeryn's door. We'll handle the killers."
With that, Chrom stalked off down the hall to join Robin, and assumed a defensive stance as the assassins crept forward, blades drawn.
"Chrom, please!" Emmeryn called desperately. "Flee while you still can! You each have but one life, and I do not wish it weighed against mine!"
"I'm sorry m'lady," Lucina responded, "but he's already gone."
She turned her attention to Morgan before Emmeryn could say anything else.
"You watch that end of the hallway and I'll watch this one. Not a single one of them will reach Aunty, understand?"
But Morgan didn't move, instead, her mouth hung open.
"Aunty?" Emmeryn asked as she opened the door to her chambers.
Lucina realised her blunder. Their cover really was broken now, and it was her fault.
A war cry broke the silence before Lucina could start to spiral, and Morgan blasted the man with a blade of wind from her tome before he could reach them.
"I'll explain later," Lucina said. "For now, we'll keep you safe."
Lucina turned in time to engage another assassin that appeared in the entrance to the hall from the castle foyer. Effortlessly, she knocked his blade aside and plunged Falchion into his gut. She grimaced and assumed a defensive stance. Two more assassins entered from the foyer, but a blast of wind blew under Lucina's legs and knocked them off of their feet. Lucina dispatched them both with a quick swipe of Falchion.
Lucina heard Morgan's magical wind whip up again, and turned to watch it tear down the hallway, slicing into an enemy who had slipped past the Shepherds.
Down the hall in the other direction, Lucina heard Chrom shouting. She turned and prepared to intervene, but was relieved to see it was only her Aunt Panne.
"Hold!" She yelled. "Panne is not your enemy!"
Chrom looked over from the end of the hall. "You know her?"
"I know… of her. And I knew she would come here tonight."
"Quite the prophet, aren't you?"
"As you say. And I swear to you, Panne is an ally."
Chrom ordered the Shepherds to accommodate their new ally, and Lucina returned her attention to her own fight, slashing another assassin. Vaguely, she heard Frederick question her trustworthiness, but Chrom vouched for her.
"… she's also saved our lives. Twice. And that's enough for me."
"Chrom…" she said, touched. "Thank you."
"Now, to the matter at hand: driving these scoundrels from our castle!"
The Shepherds rallied around their commander's conviction, and with a deafening battle cry, they pushed the enemy out of the halls and back into the foyer.
"Marth!" Robin called out as she blasted an assassin with lightning. "We can handle the rest! Will you and Mo protect the Exalt?"
Lucina nodded, and Morgan shouted the affirmative. Robin returned her attention to directing the Shepherds, and Lucina turned towards the door behind her. it was open, and Emmeryn, though pale at the sight of the assassins bodies, was regarding her and Morgan with curiousity.
"I trust in Chrom and his friends to handle the rest," Emmeryn said. "And I believe we have much to discuss. Please, come in."
Morgan could still hear the sounds of fighting outside as Emmeryn closed the door behind them, but they drew further away with each passing moment.
Emmeryn walked across the room to a table, and offered a chair to the two girls. "Please, sit," she asked politely. "I would offer you some tea, but I don't have much stomach for anything right now, so you will have to forgive me."
"Please, your excellency," Lucina asked, slightly panicked, "you don't need to offer us anything!"
Emmeryn let out a small laugh. "I was going to ask who's children you were, but it is clear to me now that you are Chrom's. You share his mannerisms. I take it I am not mistaken about you being time travellers?"
Morgan's jaw dropped. "How did you know?" She asked incredulously.
Emmeryn smiled at her. "Please dear, sit. Take off your mask. I would like to see my niece's faces while I talk to them."
Morgan looked at Lucina, who nodded at her numbly. They took a seat across from Emmeryn, and Morgan removed her mask.
Emmeryn examined them both carefully, and Morgan shifted under her gaze. Emmeryn smiled at her.
"Lissa is going to owe me her dessert once they figure out your identity," she said cryptically.
Morgan was confused. "Uhh, why?" She asked, forgetting to speak properly. "Oops," she thought. "I guess that's what happens when you live on the run for several years."
Emmeryn seemed to realize her own error, and explained herself. "My sister and I had a bet on who Chrom would end up with. She thought it would be Sumia, but I knew it would be Robin. I noticed that you have Robin's mystery brand in your eye. Now, would you like to tell me what drove you two to use Naga's ritual?"
Morgan grimaced, and Lucina sighed. "I am surprised to hear that you know about the ritual, your Grace. We only found out because Naga herself contacted us."
Morgan nodded. "To make a long story incredibly short," she said, "the Fell Dragon was revived in the future. Nearly twenty or so years from now, give or take. Father and the Shepherds tried to prevent it from happening, but they never returned home. So, we took up the fight with our friends. Unfortunately, fourteen kids versus a big scary dragon with an army of the undead is bound to go poorly, and all we could do was run."
Emmeryn looked at the girls with sad eyes. If she was shocked by the story, she didn't show it. Instead, she stood, rounded the table, and gathered both girls in a hug. Lucina and Morgan froze, but allowed their aunt to hold them. Morgan felt her eyes begin to fill with tears, and blinked them away before returning the embrace.
"Morgan!" Lucina admonished. "That is not proper behaviour!"
Emmeryn chuckled as she ended the embrace. "It is more than okay dear. I am terribly sorry that you girls had to go through with that, but I am so glad that you came home to us anyway. I'm sure you have many questions, as do I for you. Will you stay, at least for a little while, so we may speak at length?"
Morgan wanted to stay. She wanted it very badly. But that was up to Lucina. Morgan looked hopefully at her sister as she seemed to consider it. Lucina glanced at her, and softened.
"All right," Lucina said. "We'll stay and talk, if only for a little while.
"Wonderful!" Emmeryn brightened. "As soon as everything is taken care of and cleaned up, we may speak in a private room. Now, what are your names?"
Morgan, mask back on, watched in amazement as her aunt diffused her fathers anger. They expressed their gratitude that the other was safe, and Chrom turned to Lucina and her, and thanked them as well. He tried to offer them rewards, but Emmeryn assured him that she would handle everything.
"Now, before I speak with Marth and Mo here, I would personally thank our new Taguel friend. She had no reason to help us, yet she did, and I am grateful for her assistance. Phila, do you know where she is?"
"Yes, your Grace," she replied professionally. "Last I saw she was being attended by lady Maribelle after receiving some light wounds."
"Thank you, Phila. Let us go and see her now."
Emmeryn made her way to the foyer, and the small entourage followed. Pausing, Emmeryn examined the small makeshift triage. Spying the woman in question, Emmeryn made her way over.
"Brave taguel," she said," there are not words to express my gratitude."
Panne looked at her, mild surprise on her face. "So you know our true name?"
To Morgan's surprise, Robin spoke up, confusion evident in her voice. "Sorry, what's a taguel?"
Panne levelled a calculating look at the tactician. "I am a taguel," she said. "The... The last taguel. We are shape-shifters. Most of your kind called us 'beast' or 'coney' in the midst of their hunt. I only helped you because my warren owes Ylisse a debt. Do not think us friends, you and I!"
Robin blanched and took a step back. "I don't understand…" she managed.
Morgan herself was rather surprised. In her mind, there wasn't much in this world her mother didn't know at least something about, let alone something like the beast folk. Something was wrong.
"Yes, it's precious little your kind seems to understand," Panne was saying. "It was man-spawn like you that invaded our warren and slaughtered my people."
Morgan already knew the tragic story, but the people of this time all gasped in shock.
"What?!" Emmeryn asked in astonishment. "Is this true? Who would do such a thing?"
Panne laughed bitterly. "Do not act so shocked. You are all the same. Right down to your base desire to ruin and destroy all you touch—even each other."
Emmeryn grimaced, "...There is truth to your words, perhaps. I'm told that, in taguel society, everyone is treated as an equal. Mankind could have learned much from your warren. The words may come too late and mean too little, but I am deeply sorry. We have stolen your friends and family and made the world a lesser place."
"Your Grace—," Phila exploded, "you had no fault in this!"
Panne seemed skeptical too. "You claim to be blameless," she pointed out, "and yet you would apologize? Pah! Your words are but wind."
Emmeryn looked her in the eye. "I know…," she said sadly, "But they are all I have."
Panne seemed surprised by the sincerity of the Exalt, and Morgan had to agree. One of Morgan's closest friends was Panne's son, so of course she felt his pain at being the last of his kind. For Emmeryn to feel so strongly for a stranger was a true indication of her character. She truly lived up to all the stories she had heard.
"...You seem sincere, man-spawn," Panne finally said. "You feel my pain as your own. ...I've never felt that before. Look at me. ...See what I am. I will never trust mankind. But you... Perhaps you truly are not like the others."
Emmeryn gave her a sad but genuine smile. "All I ask is a chance to earn your trust."
Panne, though skeptical, nodded her assent.
"Thank you, Panne. If you find it agreeable, I would ask that you spend some time with my brother and his Shepherds. If anyone can prove that not all humans are as despicable as those who killed your family, it will be them."
Again, Panne nodded, if a little apprehensively.
"Then I shall leave you to discuss the details with Chrom. I would very much like the chance to speak with you again, Panne, but I must attend to other matters. Marth and Mo have important information to share with me. I wish you well. Marth, Mo, Phila, come with me please."
The four women made their way out of the foyer and deeper into the castle. Emmeryn led them through the halls, in a path that Morgan recognized as leading towards her mother's study. Of course, it wasn't her study yet, but one day it would be.
"Phila," Emmeryn said when they reached the door, "I have some matters of the utmost importance to discuss with Marth and Mo. Please see to it that we are not interrupted unless there is an emergency."
"Yes, your Grace," Phila responded. Emmeryn ushered the sisters into the room, and closed the door behind them.
Sitting at a desk that was covered in what appeared to be legal documents, Emmeryn produced a tea set from the desk, along with a mundane fire tome not meant for combat. Morgan once again took off her mask as she sat down.
"While I prepare us some tea, why don't you tell me about your friends? You mentioned that you came with others, however I notice that they are not with you. I imagine there must be a story behind that."
Morgan understood the tactic immediately. A nice easy topic to start the conversation. She smiled. The more she interacted with Aunt Emmeryn, the more she liked her.
"Well," Morgan began, "there's Yarne, he's Panne's son. He took being the last of his kind real hard, so he's a bit of a scaredy-rabbit, but he's reliable when it counts. And he's fun to tease. Then there's Owain. He's our cousin, Lissa's son, and he's… creative. Let's leave it at that. His best friend is Inigo. He secretly wants to be a dancer, but he's not good at hiding that secret. He's also a flirt, and Lucina has a crush on him."
"Morgan!" Lucina exclaimed, cheeks burning.
Morgan ignored her, and moved on, "There's Severa, Lucina's best friend and Cordelia's daughter. She's got an attitude problem. Then there's Brady. He's Maribelle's son. He looks scary, but he's actually super sensitive. After that there's Kjelle. She's Sully's daughter, and that's also the perfect way to describe her. My best friend is Nah. She's a Manakete! She tries really hard to act mature. There's Laurent, Miriel's son, and he's basically just like his mom. Sumia's daughter is Cynthia, and she wants nothing more than to be a hero, like our parents. There's also Noire. She's nice, but she's also got a big temper. And then we have Gerome. He's kind of a sourpuss, but he's really just scared of losing people."
Morgan placed a hand on her chin in contemplation. "I think that's it," she said. "Did I forget anyone, Lu?"
Lucina looked at her sadly, and turned to Emmeryn. "There… is also our brother, Marc. He is Morgan's Twin. We do not know if he made it back with us. We were attacked before we could enter Naga's portal to the past, and he stayed back to make sure we escaped, and because of the attack, we all landed in different places in the past."
When Lucina finished, Emmeryn immediately stood up, tea forgotten for the moment, and walked around the desk to give the girls another hug.
"You children have lost too much for ones so young," she said. "If you like, you can leave more in depth descriptions of them with me. I can have messages placed on notice boards throughout the Halidom. Perhaps a discrete message such as "your friends await you in Ylisstol" would suffice?"
"That is… most kind Milady," Lucina responded. "Thank you."
"Please, Lucina," Emmeryn said, "call me Emmeryn, or Emm, or even Aunty. I won't have my family call me anything differently."
Morgan smiled. "Thank you Aunty. Before we get into the important stuff, I wanted to ask if something was wrong with Mo- I mean, with Robin. I was concerned when she began asking about the Taguel. It seemed like something she should've already known about."
Emmeryn looked concerned. "I see… Robin has amnesia in this timeline. I take it that was not the case in the time you escaped from?"
Morgan paled. "No," she said, "from what we know, she was originally a refugee from Plegia, who sought out Daddy to offer her tactical services, plus whatever insider knowledge she possessed. I'm glad that she at least managed to still join the Shepherds, even with her amnesia. I wonder what might have caused it…"
"Yes," Lucina agreed, "this is very concerning information. Could our presence have altered that much?"
"I do not know," Emmeryn said plainly. The books we have on the matter speculated about the effects Time travel might have on the flow of events, but nothing was said for certain."
Morgan and Lucina glanced at each other. "Books?" They asked in unison.
"Is that how you knew about the ritual?" Lucina asked.
"Yes," Emmeryn said. "It's been a secret passed down from Exalt to Exalt since the very first. If you did not know it in your time, I suspect it is because I died before I could share it with Chrom or Lissa, and neither of them were ever too big on reading. Adding to that everything you told me about the future, I doubt they would've had the time to read our records even if they had wanted to."
Lucina nodded.
"I see," Emmeryn continued. "May I also ask what events you seek to change that will avert your own future?"
Again, Lucina nodded. "The beginning of the end," she began, "was actually supposed to be tonight. Father was supposed to receive a debilitating injury, and you were supposed to have died. Following this, the conflict that started with Aunt Maribelle's kidnapping escalated into a large-scale war with Plegia that raged for over a decade. We were all born in the midst of this war. One day, a conqueror from Valm joined the fray, and it became a war on two fronts. All the death and destruction caused by this war eventually gave the grimleal enough power to resurrect Grima. Father and the Shepherds tried to prevent it, but they never came home. Sir Frederick and the surviving Shepherds returned to us with Fathers sword and Mothers cloak."
Lucina took a deep, shaky breath, trying to compose herself, and Morgan decided to pick up the story. Her left eye began to itch, and she rubbed it.
"After that, the Risen showed up, and it was pretty much over. Sorry about that by the way. I think we brought some back with us by mistake. The remaining Shepherds fought back, but one by one, they died too. Eventually it was just Aunt Lissa and Sir Frederick left, and then they were gone too. By then I think that Ylisse was the only nation still standing. We'd received no word from our allies in Ferox, or even from the Plegians or Valmese. I'm not very sure. I wasn't even ten yet… Grima himself led the final charge on Ylisstol."
Morgan sniffled, and Lucina picked up the story again.
"I tried to fight back and save the people, but there were so many Risen. When Grima appeared, I thought it was over. The others saved me, and we managed to escape. Ylisse fell that day. I was thirteen years old. We spent the next three years running. Hiding. We met up with the rest of our friends who weren't in Ylisstol. We tried, but we knew. There was nothing left to save. Eventually, Naga contacted us, and we made our way to the past."
Emmeryn wiped a tear from her eye.
"I… am sorry…that you were left to this fate. We failed you. You did not deserve any of this."
Emmeryn embraced the girls again, the tea now completely forgotten.
"I am so proud of you both. Of all of you. You were so brave. I am sorry that my passing caused you so much pain. If I am to die, I promise you, I will ensure that it will not start the same chain of events."
Morgan wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but it eased her heart, if only a little. Emmeryn spoke with such conviction that Morgan couldn't help but believe her.
Lucina raised her head from Emmeryn's shoulder, looking alarmed. "You won't die, Aunt Emmeryn, not if I can help it! I promised I won't lose anyone else, and I intend to keep that promise."
Emmeryn let the girls go, and laughed lightly.
"I can see so much of your parents in you," she said. "Your fathers brashness, your mothers conviction, you're their spitting image. Both of you."
Morgan and Lucina both blushed. As Princesses of the realm they were expected to live up to the standards their parents set. To hear that they were like them even in small ways was validating.
"Speaking of Mom," Morgan said, remembering her concerns from earlier, "I was wondering what exactly you knew about her condition, if anything at all.
Emmeryn frowned, concerned. "Apologies," she said. "Allow me to explain. Chrom found your mother outside Southtown with Amnesia only a few months ago. Our best healers, including myself and Lissa, have attempted to restore her memories without success. Beyond that, we know very little."
Emmeryn sighed. Lucina had a hand on her chin in heavy contemplation, while Morgan had buried her head in her hands.
"Miriel hypothesized two possibilities," Emmeryn continued, "either Robin experienced some traumatic event just before she met Chrom that caused her to forget her past, or there was a curse placed on her, again, just before she met Chrom."
"That is… extremely concerning," Lucina said after a not insignificant pause. "As we mentioned, Mother never had amnesia in our timeline. I can remember certain stories she used to tell us about our grandmother on her side. I sincerely hope that we were not somehow the cause of this."
Morgan felt her panic beginning to rise, and raised her head from her hands. "Mom's okay though, right? This wasn't caused by some sort of wound?"
Emmeryn smiled at her. "As far as I'm aware she was perfectly healthy aside from her condition when Chrom found her, and any damage she might've had would have since been healed by your aunt Lissa or myself. Your mother is fine."
"That's somewhat of a relief…" Morgan said, smiling softly, staring at her hands folded in her lap.
Emmeryn's hand entered her field of view and gave Morgan's hand a squeeze. Looking up, Morgan saw she was holding Lucina's hand as well.
"Tell me, Lucina, did Falchion glow earlier?" She asked.
Puzzled by the sudden change in topic, Morgan looked to Lucina, who appeared equally puzzled.
"Um, yes, I believe that it began to glow briefly just before the battle began," Lucina said. "Why do you ask?"
Emmeryn beamed at them. "I felt that you could use some good news, and I am pleased to be able to give it to you. According to our records, Falchion was tied to the ritual Naga devised, and will begin to glow when the course of fate has successfully been altered."
Morgan gasped, and looked back at Lucina again to see her jaw hanging wide open.
"Congratulations girls, you've done it."
Morgan leapt out of her chair, squealing with joy.
"Yes!" She cheered, and pulled Lucina out of her chair, out of Emmeryn's grasp, and into her arms. "We did it, we did it, wediditwediditwediditwedidit!"
Morgan felt her feet leave the ground as Lucina picked her up and spun her around, squeezing her tightly, and laughed.
"There are the smiles I wanted to see," Emmeryn said as the girls calmed down. "Well done, both of you."
Lucina let Morgan go, but kept holding her hand.
"As happy as that makes me to hear," she said, schooling her expression, "we're not yet finished. Our foes will surely try to force history back to its original course, regardless of whether or not they know about our interference. We must remain vigilant."
"That, and we want to find our friends," Morgan added.
Emmeryn smiled at them. "Of course. You may have whatever assistance you wish when it comes to searching for them. In the meantime, may I ask you to continue to watch over the Shepherds?
"Of course!" Morgan chirped. "You can count on us, Aunty Emm!"
Here we have my longest chapter in this fic yet! I think that it's due in part to the large amount of dialogue included. I haven't been going much into the battle sequences with this story, because I feel that's been done a lot before. I want to focus on the interactions Lucina and Morgan have before and after these battles. Give a bit of padding to this admittedly imperfect story. (I still love it to pieces regardless of flaws) I do have plans to show off some battles, but those will also be used to show off the interactions between the kids and their peers or parents, or to convey what I imagine the characters are feeling. I'm not sure how dialogue heavy I'll be going in the future, but more character interactions such as this can be expected.
Now, I know that Lucina never talked with Emmeryn like this in canon, but I wanted to let them meet, because it felt right. It also let me convey a lot of lore and ideas through the dialogue they shared, which is why I think it ended up being such a heavy focus this time. Also, the whole Falchion glowing thing was never really explained in game, so I sort of went with my own headcanon and what I felt was implied.
Please, tell me what you think! I'm always open to constructive criticism and ideas. No Outrealm Outtakes this time, but I've got plenty of comedic ideas to flesh out later, so please enjoy! Thanks for reading.