Well everybody, strap yourselves in, this is a long one. You may want to pull up "ID: Sorrow" and "Don't Speak Her Name" on youtube for this one. It's officially time for the big sad. You'll know the right moment to play them. A certain interaction for "ID: Sorrow" and a certain battle for "Don't Speak Her Name". (There's a lot dialogue I pulled right from halters 9 and 10 of the game in this chapter, obviously, if you recognize the dialogue, it's from the game)
Chapter 6: Emmeryn
The news of Exalt Emmeryn's capture shook Lucina to her core.
She couldn't believe it. Was every change she had wrought up until this point for nothing? Perhaps Gerome had been right to assume fate could not be changed, even with Naga's power backing them up. Was she doomed to watch her parents struggle in vain against the whims of destiny as it flowed back to its original course?
"Lu," Morgan asked shyly, snapping Lucina out of her spiral of despair. "What do we do now? Father said they were going to march to Plegia to try and rescue Aunty Em. Are we going to help?"
The look in Morgan's branded eyes hardened Lucina's resolve. "If nothing else," she thought to herself, "I owe it to Morgan and Marc to keep fighting. I cannot give in yet."
Lucina closed her hand around Falchions pommel.
"No," she replied. "We won't give up. It isn't over yet. She can still be saved. Gangrel wants her execution to be public. If we play our cards right, that will be his downfall. Come, Morgan. We must prepare to follow father and the Shepherds."
Morgan nodded determinedly. "Right. We can do this. Everything will work out fine. Mother's tactics and magic and fathers swordsmanship are an unbeatable combination for anything less than a god."
Lucina smiled thinly. "That's the spirit. But we have to hurry. We have little time to spare."
"You can count on me, Lu," Morgan said with a salute, before turning and dashing off to collect their belongings, Lucina right on her heels.
The march south from Regna Ferox was exhausting. Traveling through the desert was time consuming and difficult. Only the Mages, who could bend the wind to prevent the sand from hindering them, and the Pegasus Knights, who simply flew, weren't struggling.
The desert was tough on even the hardiest of the shepherds though, because days in the arid desert and plains under the hot sun was simply not an easy trek. After a week of the harsh conditions, the supply convoy was stretched thin, and the Plegian capital was still not in sight. It did not help that the Shepherds had been harassed by the Grimleal the entire way. Aside from one scare with a large force where Nowi and Gregor had been recruited, the cultists weren't terribly powerful or as dangerous as they could be, yet they still cost precious time the Shepherds couldn't afford to spare.
The Grimleal ambushes would've been worse, had it not been for Lucina and Morgans efforts. They had kept away from the main body of the group, scouting ahead and intercepting enemy forces before they could impede the Shepherds any further.
The Shepherds' progress was slow enough that their window of opportunity to save Emmeryn was closing rapidly. Just as Lucina began to privately think to herself that they might not make it in time, she walked around the edge of a small abandoned outpost and could make out the giant skull of the Fell Dragon, under which nestled the capital city of Plegia.
Sighing a breath of relief, Lucina touched Morgan's shoulder, causing her to look up from her feet to the city in front of them, and smiled at her.
"We made it Morgan," she said, if only because it felt right to say something in the moment. She did feel a little silly though.
Morgan, apparently too tired to make a comment on the clicheness of Lucina's remark, instead opted to simply smile back at her, before grasping for her hand.
Lucina allowed her to take it, giving Morgan's hand a squeeze in return, before letting go and turning and walking back to the other side of the building to prepare their tent as the sun began its descent towards the horizon.
Before long, the Shepherds arrived nearby. If they were surprised to find 'Marth' and 'Mo' already there, none of them showed it, except for Frederick, who's suspicious gaze scrutinized them harshly. Since Lucina's mask was broken, she made sure to hide her brand with her bangs in case one of the Shepherds decided to come over to speak with them. In the end, it appeared that it didn't matter, as the Shepherds were too exhausted to do anything other than set up their tents or investigate the inside of the outpost and get as much rest as they could before the coming battle.
Lucina herself was just about to retire to her tent and snuggle up with Morgan before Robin wandered over and sat down next to her in the sand by her small fire.
"I hope you don't mind," Robin said as she sat down. "I want to get in some last minute planning, but my tent is between Sully and Vaikes, and they're both snorers."
"I- I don't mind," Lucina said carefully. "I was just preparing for bed myself, actually."
"Thank you, Marth," Robin replied. "I wanted to ask, can we count on your support while we rescue Emmeryn tomorrow?"
Lucina nodded, mouth set in a thin line. "Of course. Would you mind sharing the plan with me? I'd like to know where Mo and I can best make use of our talents."
Robin shuffled a bit closer to Lucina, and she tried not to panic at being so close to her mother. It took all of her willpower to stop herself from leaning into Robin's side like she used to when she was small.
Opening her tactics primer to a marked page, Robin pointed to a diagram depicting the Shepherds formation.
"Chrom and I came up with this plan together with the Khans in the outpost earlier. The Shepherds will be hiding just outside the city walls here. We're going to make a big show of trying to rescue Emmeryn, but in truth, we're just a distraction. Khan Basilios men have infiltrated the castle keep, and will have freed Phila and the captured Pegasus Knights by morning. During our distraction, Khans Basilio and Flavia themselves will find a position from which they can take out the executioner. That will be the signal for the freed Pegasus Knights to rush in, retrieve Emmeryn, and spirit her back across the desert while we fight our way out and hold back as many Plegians as we can from following them as we retreat. Finally, Khan Basilio has arranged a caravan disguised as an entertainers troupe to pick us up past the mirelands and smuggle us out of the country."
"I'm impressed, Lady Robin. The plan is well thought out. Your prowess lives up to your reputation."
Robin chuckled at that. "I wasn't aware I had a reputation. And please, no need to call me 'Lady'. I have no titles. I'm just some wanderer with a knack for thinking that Chrom picked up."
"Robin," Lucina corrected, even as she felt odd calling her mother by her given name. "I assure you that you are more than just a wanderer. You are capable of greatness."
This time, Robin blushed at the praise, but Lucina truly meant every word. In her time, Robin was legendary for how her tactics had defended Ylisse and Ferox from Plegia, Valm, and later the Risen, before she went missing in action. It was thanks in large part to her that Ylisse had stayed a mostly safe place to live despite the troubled times they had lived in.
"That reminds me," Robin said as she regained her composure. "Do you have any knowledge of the future to share that could help our odds?"
"My apologies, but no," Lucina replied. "I wish I did, however, after we stopped Lady Emmeryn's assassination in Ylisstol, the future was changed. I have not seen the outcome of this series of events."
Robin sighed. "I figured as much. Too bad, but no matter. Marth, will you and Mo try and cause some chaos on the other side of the city tomorrow morning? Sowing confusion amongst the enemy will make them easier to fight."
"Of course," Lucina agreed. "We'll do what we can. My sister excels at chaos, so we should have no issue doing as you suggest."
Robin raised an eyebrow. "Your sister? Do you mean Mo? I was wondering what your relationship was."
Ignoring whatever it was that Robin may have been implying, Lucina nodded. She had slipped up again, but it was minor, so she forgave herself for it and moved on. Still, keeping her secrets was proving to be a challenge, between Aunt Emmeryn, Aunt Lissa, and now her mother. Emmeryn had the knowledge to figure it out on her own, but at the rate things were happening, it would not be long before the rest of her family discovered the truth either. Perhaps it would be best if Lucina and Morgan went back to a more removed role following this battle.
Robin's smile returned, and she stood, dusting the sand off her coat. "Thank you for allowing me to share your fire for a while, Marth. I had best get to bed now, before Chrom makes me again. I feel better now, having talked over the plan with you. You should get some rest as well."
Lucina nodded. "I will. Goodnight Robin."
"Goodnight, Little Light," Robin replied, and took a few steps before she realized what she said.
"I'm sorry…" she said confusedly. "I… don't know where that came from…"
"It's fine," Lucina choked out.
The pet name had caught her off guard. Her mother had always called her that in the future, so she hadn't heard the nickname in several years. The only thing missing was the accompanying kiss on the forehead, and that was nearly enough to cause Lucina to start crying. She knew that if that were to happen, she would be unable to stop herself from throwing herself into her mothers arms and explaining every horrible experience they'd been through since she left that horrible day about fifteen years from now.
Lucina turned away from Robin as she quickly stood, kicking sand over the fire, before walking briskly to the entrance of her tent, repeating a mantra of 'don't cry, don't cry,' over and over to herself in her thoughts.
As methodically and quietly as she could, Lucina unbuckled Falchion from her waist and laid it down beside the large bedroll she and Morgan shared before crawling into it. Morgan made a noise in her sleep, but instantly snuggled into the source of heat Lucina provided to ward off the brisk desert night.
Finally, as Lucina pulled Morgan in close, she let a tear slide down her face, as she shut her eyes and allowed sleep to claim her.
Lucina woke up with the sun, feeling it's rays coming over the horizon and through the walls of the tent.
She woke Morgan, and together, they packed up their meager supplies, and with Frederick and Robin's permission, left them with the Shepherds supply convoy that was soon departing to meet up with the convoy responsible for smuggling them out of the country. Around her, Lucina could see the Shepherds triple checking their gear with a grim sense of determination. The battle ahead would be difficult, but seeing how prepared and determined the Shepherds were, Lucina was beginning to gain confidence in their mission.
Perhaps it was the little girl inside of her, but Lucina realized that she still held a not insignificant amount of hero worship for the Shepherds in her heart. The legendary militia group had never lost a battle before their final one in the future, and even with such a loss where half of their company had not returned home, Lucina still had trouble envisioning the possibility of them losing today. Logically, she knew she had to take the possibility into account, since she was here to help protect them, however, the part of her that still believed her parents invincible refused to go unheard.
After depositing her belongings, Lucina left the camp and made for where Morgan was waiting for her. Together, the pair crossed the remaining stretch of desert and using a levitation spell Morgan had learned from their mother long ago, were able to scale the walls and descend into the city.
"I've got lots of ideas," Morgan whispered as they crouched behind a small building. "If mother wants us to spread a little chaos, I know exactly what kind of stuff we should be doing."
Morgan shot Lucina a grin. "How well do you remember mother's tactics lessons?"
Lucina did her best to not show how much she was struggling to remember. The twins had always taken to tactics better than Lucina had, though she knew she was capable enough on her own.
"We don't have time for games Morgan, if you have a plan, please just tell me."
Morgan looked apologetic, and Lucina felt guilty for a moment when she realized that Morgan was just trying to hide her stress and fear, but she forced the feelings down.
"I was thinking we could let the wyverns out of the stables to start," Morgan explained. "I'd like to dig some pitfalls, but there's no time, so we'll just have to resort to regular tactics. After that, we could try setting fire to the weapon storage facilities or barracks. As much as I'd like to do more, they would begin to grow suspicious. Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and-"
"Three times is a pattern, I remember," Lucina interrupted. "Very well. Let's go find the wyverns stables."
Together, they snuck through the shadowed city. The low light from the combination of the still rising sun and the shadow of the monstrous skull made moving unnoticed easy. Before long, they reached the large building where the Plegians kept their wyverns stabled. Lucina moved to draw her sword to cut the padlock, but Morgan stopped her.
"Look," she whispered. "It's already unlocked. Besides, Cynthia showed me a trick her dad taught her. Your way would've been too noisy."
Lucina rolled her eyes, and placing a hand on the door, she carefully pushed it open. The first thing she saw was a young stable boy. They locked eyes, and for a moment nobody moved.
The boy said something in Plegian, probably "who are you?," but before Lucina could say or do anything, a green blur shot past her head and smacked the boy in the face, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes.
"I got him!" Morgan chirped.
Lucina resisted the urge to sigh.
"Really Morgan? Your tome?"
"Mage's trade secret. In a pinch, a thick tome is just as effective a weapon as a club. Besides, I had to take him down, or he could've told somebody we were here."
"I suppose you're right," she conceded. "Let us release the wyverns and move on."
Working together, Lucina and Morgan opened a hatch in the stable roof using a chain pulley system they discovered, and with the wyverns as their audience, carefully opened each door with an animal behind it, and each time, a wyvern crawled out and leapt through the opening in the ceiling. As Lucina released the final wyvern, Morgan dragged the unconscious Plegian boy into one of the now empty corales and locked him inside. It was likely someone had already noticed the wyverns' escape, but leaving the boy was still necessary so he couldn't get help quickly.
A small, dark part of Lucina thought it would be pragmatic to kill the boy, but she hated the idea even if it was tactically sound. After seeing so much death in the future, Lucina found the idea of killing people to be abhorrent, and she hated that it was necessary for her to kill if she wanted to save the future.
They left the stables quickly, for fear of being discovered. The sun had risen higher into the sky by now, and the city had long since woken up and begun the day. Hiding their faces under cloaks, Lucina and Morgan maneuvered through the crowds. There were lots of civilians in the streets, and the number was only continuing to grow. It was to be expected on the day of a major event hosted by the ruler of the country, but it was making it difficult for Lucina and Morgan to get closer to the castle, where most of the Plegian military facilities were likely to be.
Eventually, they managed to get close to the castle and discover the location of the storage facility. Morgan swiftly cast a spell using a fire tome she'd borrowed from the Shepherds, and they left as fast as they could stealthily manage. The crowds were growing in the plaza, and before long, King Gangrel would begin with Emmeryn's execution, and the Shepherds would attack.
Outside the city walls, the wind was blowing desert sand high into the air, obscuring the landscape beyond the city. Lucina was thankful for it, since it meant the Shepherds would be able to sneak up to the city totally unnoticed, but she also worried for their well-being. She had once read that sandstorms could be very dangerous if they got powerful enough.
Lucina pushed her way through the crowd, leading Morgan to the front. Shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun, she looked up to the castle built into the foreboding skull. She scowled when she saw the mad king on the balcony, but ignored him and continued looking.
Morgan gasped. "Lu, look at the horn!"
Lucina looked up to the skull's horn and saw what Morgan meant. At the tip of the horn, stood Emmeryn, as well as the executioner just behind her.
"Good people!" Gangrel shouted from the balcony, his voice enhanced by magic. "Warriors of Plegia! Welcome! Welcome one and all! Your anticipation electrifies the air!"
It was time. "Mother and father had better start the rescue mission before it's too late," Morgan whispered.
"We ALL remember the crimes of Ylisse!" Gangrel ranted. "Would you have their witch-queen answer for them? Here? Today? NOW? YEEESSSSSS!"
"Witch?!" Morgan exclaimed, and Lucina shushed her. She was outraged at the insult as well, but knew that to be discovered now would mean their death.
"Finally, we will have JUSTICE!" The mad king continued as the sandstorm reached a new intensity, "EXECUTIONER! If you would be so kind…"
"Flavia!" A voice said from the open end of the courtyard.
The sandstorm dissipated with a loud whoosh, and standing there was the entire company of Shepherds. Immediately, Lucina understood what had happened. Working together, Robin, Miriel and Ricken had used their magic to whip up the winds and create a cover of sand so they could approach uncontested. It was brilliant.
"I've got him!" Flavia shouted. "Leave him to me!"
It was a perfect throw. Flavia's hand axe flew through the air high above the gathered crowd, who could only stare in shock as the weapon bit into the unprotected chest of the executioner, toppling him from the top of the skull, just before he could swing his own axe.
"EVERYONE: NOW!" Robin shouted, and the Shepherds charged. The Plegian soldiers present retaliated, but it was clear the surprise attack had left them disoriented. Meanwhile the civilians scrambled back into the depths of the city in a stampede. Lucina was glad she had dragged Morgan to the front of the crowd, or else they likely would've been stuck in the mass of people.
"Men:'' Lucina could hear the voice of Gangrel over the commotion, "Kill him. Kill his sister. Kill his friends and his troops and anyone else you find! KILL THEM AAAAAAALL!"
Lucina couldn't see him on the balcony anymore, so she assumed his witch-tactician, Aversa, had helped him escape.
"Come Morgan. It's time to fight."
Together, the sisters dove into the fray of clashing warriors. As the Shepherds crashed into the front of the soldiers formation, Lucina slashed a soldier across the back, killing him in one stroke. The surrounding foot soldiers and mages noticed, and turned to face the duo, but Morgan had already fired an Elwind into their ranks, scattering them and forcing them apart.
"Flank!" A soldier cried. "We've been flanked!" But Lucina silenced him with a quick maneuver of Falchion, and then she pivoted and extended the move into a wide slash that forced the mage behind her to jump back, where Morgan was waiting with a spell. The mage crumpled after being struck by the blades of air, but another soldier took his place.
"Marth!" Morgan called, switching to their cover names, "We need to regroup with the Shepherds or we'll be overwhelmed!"
"I'll clear a path!" Lucina answered. "Follow me!"
Lucina stabbed the nearest enemy, and shoved forward as hard as she could, pushing them into the path of another approaching soldier. Making sure Morgan was behind her, she darted through the opening she created, catching the blade of a barbarians axe on Falchion. Morgan sent him flying with an Elwind spell, where he crashed into one of his cohorts. Morgan leapt in front of Lucina and fired a point blank spell into the next soldier, allowing Lucina to take another step forward through the chaos and cut down another Plegian.
This was hardly Lucina's first time killing, but the battle sickened her nonetheless. With the assassins in Ylisstol, things had been made slightly easier by the masks worn by the intruders, and the fact that she was protecting herself and her loved ones. Here, in the chaotic mess of the Plegian courtyard, she could see the face of every soldier she cut down. She had no reason to hurt them, aside from the fact that their king had ordered them to stand between her and her family. The fact that they were in her way meant she had no choice but to fight, but her heart still hurt at the loss of life.
Lucina raised Falchion again and prepared to strike the next soldier, however, she realized that she had been caught off guard. There wasn't enough time for her to defend herself from the lance of the barbarian bearing down on her. She did her best to position herself in a way that would lessen the damage, and braced for the strike, but it never came. A lance sprouted from the man's chest, silencing his war cry as his expression changed to one of surprise, and he crumpled to the ground, revealing Stahl astride his war horse, as he pulled his weapon out of the warrior's back.
"Hey, Marth," he said. "Glad you're here, we need all the help we can get. Form up with us. It's not safe for a pair of warriors surrounded by enemies, even as skilled as the two of you are."
"Thanks, Sir Stahl," Morgan replied as Lucina caught her breath from the close call.
The girls inserted themselves into the Shepherds formation seamlessly, so much so that it was noticed by the others.
"Well I'll be!" Donnel exclaimed, one hand pressing his pot to his head as he swung his sword with the other. "The pair of ye's must be real skilled, ta fit right in wit our group like that! Almost like ye knew how we do things!"
It was Lucina's experience that kept her from allowing her surprise at the accuracy of Donnels joke to give her pause. "We had a good teacher," she replied instead.
The battle raged around the Shepherds as the Plegian soldiers, dark mages and wyvern riders practically broke themselves against the blades, shields and spells of the Shepherds. At some point, a warrior with flowing long hair and pristine white robes was absorbed into their ranks after an embarrassing exchange with Chrom, and then, minutes later, one of the Plegian dark mages seemingly just gave up and turned her spells on her allies. Chrom invited her to join their number as well, and the Shepherds gained two new members mid battle.
Lucina was glad to see that even though the timeline had changed, Uncle Libra and Aunt Tharja had still managed to find their way to the group.
The loss of one of their best mages, and their apparent inability to defeat even one Shepherd devastated the morale of the Plegians, and before long, even their general had fallen before the might of Ylisse's most powerful army.
"Robin! Their wyvern riders have fallen! The skies are clear!" Chrom shouted. "Give the signal!"
Immediately, Robin shot a bolt of lightning from her tome into the air, and from within the city, a squad of Pegasus Knights led by captain Phila soared into the courtyard mere moments later.
Phila exchanged words with Emmeryn that Lucina couldn't hear from the ground, before she moved in to hoist the Exalt onto her Pegasus.
A flash of bright colours caught Lucina's attention, and she gasped as Gangrel reemerged from hiding.
"What? Pegasus knights?" The mad king complained. "How did they… That damned Ylissean tactician does NOT play fair!"
Lucina couldn't be sure from where she was standing but she thought she saw Robin smirk and flash a rude gesture at Gangrel, and Lucina coughed to hide her amusement. This was it! The Shepherds were about to pull off another legendary victory against the odds, just like in the countless stories she had heard growing up.
A dark laughter attracted Lucina's attention again, and she noticed Aversa standing behind Gangrel.
"Yes, well, neither do I," she told her king, before pulling an object from the saddlebags of her mysterious dark Pegasus.
A foreboding light flashed, blinding the Shepherds, and when they could see again, a host of archers had appeared underneath the Pegasus knights flying overhead.
"…Risen?!" Robin exclaimed in fear. "Oh gods, no! Chrom, there are Risen everywhere!"
"Damn!" Chrom swore, "Not now!"
"Bwa ha ha!" Gangrel cackled maniacally. "Oh, did an army of living corpses just APPEAR out of the blue?!" He said, not sounding surprised in the slightest. "Truly, the heavens smile upon mighty King Gangrel this day!"
The madman continued to laugh evilly, and the Risen archers unleashed their volley of arrows into the Pegasus Knights, and they all fell out of the sky, hitting the ground with sickening thuds. Cordelia and Sumia tried to spur their mounts into the air to help, but a quick order from Robin stopped them. She had likely saved their lives.
Lucina watched in horror as Emmeryn screamed the name of her loyal knight and friend from atop the horn of Grima, while Gangrel cackled away all the while.
"No, no, no…" Lucina could hear Robin murmur, and was shocked to see her mother's eyes filled with tears threatening to spill at any moment. In an instant, the situation had completely turned against them, and Lucina felt the familiar dread she had felt in the future almost every day settle in her chest.
Chrom grit his teeth, and muttered, "we've lost," in utter disbelief.
"I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes," Gangrel taunted. "Now… grovel before me. Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!"
Chrom's face was hard with anger, and he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "I'd give up my life before I'd beg for it from you," he snarled.
But Gangrel just laughed him off. "Oh, now THAT is a good line. A fitting epitaph for your tombstone, perhaps? But it's not just your life in the balance. The Exalt still stands upon the block. And I have a dozen bows trained on her. All it would take is one word from me…"
Lucina understood now, for the first time, exactly why Gangrel had been called the Mad King. He sounded genuinely interested in discussing what should be written on her fathers tomb, but then his tone had flipped completely from jovial to serious out of nowhere. She did her level best to keep her temper under control. Morgan took a step behind her, and when Lucina glanced at her, she could see the fear in her sister's face, despite the mask she still wore.
"Emm!" Chrom shouted desperately. "Hold on, I'm-"
"ARCHERS!" Gangrel shouted. "If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let fly your arrows!"
"I… I'll kill you!" Chrom growled.
Never before had Lucina seen her father so angry, so unable to control his emotions. It rattled her to see this side of her precious father, though she understood what he was feeling. In some of her darkest thoughts in the future, she had sworn vengeance on the Fell Dragon in a similar fashion.
"Go ahead!" Gangrel sneered. "I welcome it. Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise! …And what of the rest of you? Eh? Who wants the honour of killing the Exalt? …No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!"
Lucina looked around at the Shepherds, and though she could see the fury and despair on their faces, none of them moved. None of them were willing to become the reason for Emmeryn's death. Gangrel had trapped them all in the most awful situation possible.
"Damn you!" Chrom cursed with rage so powerful that his entire body shook.
"Now, now, my boy," Gangrel said, almost sympathetically. "No one needs to die today. Not you. Not the Exalt. Not your friends. Just lay down your sword, and give me the Fire Emblem."
Lucina understood at once what Gangrel's plan was. With the most powerful relic of Ylisse and the conduit for Naga's power out of their hands, the Halidom would be helpless before all the evil that sought its destruction. Lucina could not allow that to happen.
While her father grappled with the decision, Lucina weighed her own options. Briefly, she considered ripping the Emblem from Chrom's arm and fleeing back to Ylisstol, but she quickly discarded the option as it would mean certain death for Emmeryn and possibly all the Shepherds. She considered Morgan's magic, and the idea of using it to attempt to fly up and rescue Emmeryn, but she knew that Morgan would be shot out of the sky long before she could levitate that high. Doubtless the other mages in the Shepherds had come to the same conclusion. She even considered appealing to Gangrel's humanity with her knowledge of the future, but she doubted Aversa would allow it to happen, and she had no way of knowing if Gangrel even could be reasoned with.
"L- I mean, Marth, what do we do?" Morgan asked desperately.
Lucina wanted to answer very badly, but she could not see a solution to the problem that would save both Emmeryn and the Emblem.
Nearby, Robin and Chrom were whispering to each other heatedly, likely having their own similar debate to Lucina's internal struggle. Lucina knew Chrom would never abandon Emmeryn, and Lucina was beginning to fear that Chrom would slide the Fire Emblem off his arm and give it to the mad king when Robin, despite her own look of confliction, shouted:
"Don't give up Chrom! There has to be a way…"
"If there is, I can't see it!" Chrom shot back. "Ah, gods!"
Gangrel's impatience began to show on his face. "I will count to three!" He said with a scowl as if he were disciplining an unruly child. "Throw down your weapons, or your Exalt becomes the world's largest quiver. One! Two! Thr-"
"Wait Gangrel, hold!" Chrom interrupted, face downcast. "…You win. Everyone, lay down yo-"
"No, wait!" Emmeryn's magnified voice floated down from above, clearly using magic to make herself heard from so high up.
"SILENCE!" Gangrel demanded, but Emmeryn ignored him.
"King Gangrel, is there no hope you will listen to reason?" Emmeryn asked gently.
"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?!" Gangrel replied, augmenting the sound of his own voice. "I think not. No, all I want to hear now is the THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Take one, long, last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people… then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is, unless someone were to give me the Emblem… NOW!"
"ALL RIGHT!" Chrom shouted in fear. "All right…. Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. MAYBE someday we'll face a crisis where MAYBE the Emblem would've helped… But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their Exalt, and we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together."
Lucina was about to do something very rash, knowing she could not allow Gangrel to take the only weapon they had against Grima, when Emmeryn's voice reached her ears again. Her magic must have carried Chrom's speech up to her as well, because her words were in direct reply to him.
"Chrom… Thank you. I know now what I must do…"
Chrom tried to ask what she meant, but Emmeryn spoke up, loud enough that her voice must have carried deep into the city.
"Plegians!" She called. "I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must… as I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"
Lucina looked up at her aunt in confusion, not understanding, but apparently her father did, because he broke ranks and began to run forward, shouting for her to stop. Even Gangrel was too flabbergasted to command the archers to shoot.
It was all Lucina could do to stare in horror, as Emmeryn gazed sadly down at them, before tipping forward, and falling off the precipice of the Fell Dragons horn. At that moment, Lucina understood, and tears built in the corner of her eyes.
"No reaction…" Emmeryn thought to herself. "Was I wrong then?"
A bird cawed above her, as she gazed down on her siblings and their friends one last time.
"Chrom… this is some torch I'm passing you," she thought.
She looked directly at her nieces in the crowd of Shepherds, and prayed to Naga they would forgive her for breaking her promise to survive.
"So be it," Emmeryn said to herself, and stepped up to the tip of the horn.
"Chrom… Lissa… Lucina, Morgan… and all my people…" she thought, closing her eyes as she leaned forward. "Know… that I loved you."
Morgan heard someone scream.
Maybe it was her.
Father was running as fast as he could, but Morgan knew he wouldn't make it in time. Around her, Lucina and the Shepherds stood frozen in shock, and Aunt Lissa covered her eyes as she screamed.
Morgan whipped out her Elwind tome and pointed a hand at the ground, preparing to launch herself into the air, when the breath was knocked from her lungs and she hit the sandy ground beneath her.
Lucina had tackled her, but Morgan could not comprehend why.
"Let me go!" Morgan demanded. "I can catch her! Let me save her!"
Lucina didn't respond, and pulled Morgan into her chest, holding her there tightly.
"They'll shoot you! I-" Lucina stammered. "I won't lose you as well!"
Morgan realized that Lucina was crying, which shocked her enough that she stopped struggling.
A terrible, sickening sound echoed across the courtyard. It was the most ugly noise Morgan had ever heard, and she tasted bile. Aunty Emmeryn had hit the ground.
"DAMN YOU, GANGREL!" Chrom roared, spurring Lucina back into action.
She got up and pulled Morgan to her feet as the shoots of the other Shepherds rang through the Plegian courtyard, Gangrel howling with laughter all the while.
"Well now!" He shouted in glee. "How disgustingly noble. And so lovely a fall! Here I thought death to be an ugly thing. I've never seen one fall so gracefully, in fact. And I've seen many fall. So ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most exalted!"
The king continued to yammer on about his horrible victory, while Lucina pulled Morgan towards the main group of Shepherds.
"Gangrel! You die today!" Chrom yelled as he got up and took a step towards the mad king, but Basilio and his men appeared from nowhere and held him back.
"I secured an escape route!" He bellowed. "We have to flee!"
The fight left Chrom quickly. "B-but… her body… I have to…"
"You have to RUN! Now do it!" Basilio interrupted. "Robin! Don't let him do anything stupid! Ferox! Shepherds! Move out!"
Robin took Chrom's hand and pulled him towards the Shepherds while Frederick scooped Lissa up and deposited her on his saddle in front of him, and together, the failed rescue team fled for their lives, while Lucina despaired at the knowledge that the chain of events leading to Grima's revival had begun once more.
Morgan allowed Lucina to pull her along as they ran through the Plegian Midmire alongside the Shepherds.
It had started raining not long ago. A rarity in Plegia due to most of the country being covered in desert. If not for the circumstances, Morgan would be marveling at the sight. As it were, it was all she could do to keep up with Lucina.
Morgan shook her head. She was supposed to be a tactician. They had lost, but that didn't excuse her not being aware of their surroundings, and it wasn't fair to force Lucina to go protect her right now. She was no stranger to hardship and loss, and she had to pull her weight.
Morgan examined their surroundings as best she could through the heavy downpour. The mirelands terrain was infamous for the enormous bones dotting the landscape, and Morgan could see why. They could only belong to one creature. The Fell Dragon. Morgan couldn't help but wonder how it was that the skull had come to be so far away from the rest of the bones. Had the Grimleal moved it somehow?
"Hurry!" Khan Basilio yelled from the front of the group. "There should be carriages waiting just through the ravine!"
The ravine Basilio was talking about was made up of the enormous bones, but it wasn't the time to point that out. It was difficult to see from the back of the group, but Morgan tried to watch her father anyway. He looked torn between feeling anger and sorrow, and Morgan realized it was likely both, and more, and his face just showed whichever emotion was strongest at a given time.
"Quickly!" Basilio continued. "We're almost- huh? Damn!"
Ahead of the group, shapes became visible through the rain, and Morgan cursed as she realized a regiment of Plegian soldiers had intercepted them.
"Ylisseans!" a large man with ornate barbarian's regalia bellowed. "I offer you mercy! Surrender to me now and live!"
"Surrender?" Basilio responded incredulously. "Sorry, I'm not familiar with the word."
"Emmeryn would not have wished for this to come to bloodshed," the man said in a grave voice.
"Don't speak her name!" Chrom snapped. Morgan could see he had finally settled on an emotion, and that emotion was fury.
"Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom," he said.. "But the meaning of your sister's final sacrifice was not lost on me. I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same. I am General Mustafa of Plegia, and I vow to protect you as best I can if you lay down your weapons."
Morgan couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had sympathizers amongst the Plegians? Aunty Emmeryn had said something to her and Lucina back in Ylisstol. What had it been? "If I am to die, I promise you, I will ensure that it will not start the same chain of events." Those words had confused Morgan at the time, but now, she thought she understood. Emmeryn's promise had not necessarily meant that she would survive. She had only meant that even if she should die, she would help them to change the future, and she had succeeded. Plegian sympathizers meant that the war would not be popular with the citizens, and even tyrants could be forced to bend to the whims of their people. Emmeryn had sacrificed herself to save her siblings and her people, and in doing so, she had taught the Plegians the meaning of peace, when they had only desired vengeance for what the previous Exalt had done.
And if the Plegians did not want to fight anymore, then the war that had devastated the future would not happen. With her sacrifice, Emmeryn had not only protected her people, she had also saved the future. All that remained was to escape, and live to fight again so Gangrel could finally be defeated and peace could be won.
The battle began in earnest, and already Morgan could see just how correct her conclusion had been. The soldiers were reluctant to fight. She could see it in their eyes, and many of them even voiced it to their commander. Meanwhile, the Shepherds leapt into action despite their fatigue. Morgan was amazed at their ferocity. The Shepherds had already fought so hard to save Emmeryn, only to lose. The physical exertion combined with the emotional toll the day had taken on them should have been enough to render even the most experienced of warriors fatigued and struggling, and yet Morgan watched nearly each and every Shepherd become a veritable force of nature as they tore through their enemies like paper.
And yet none showed their fury more openly than Chrom. Morgan watched as her father cut down three Plegians in one swordstroke without mercy. His behaviour was so different from the loving father she had known, that Morgan found herself frightened. She knew her father was a man of instinct and heart, but this was beyond any level of impulsiveness she had ever seen.
It dawned on Morgan that perhaps the one who needed Emmeryn's final words the most, was Chrom, if only he would pause to heed them.
Meanwhile, Robin was trying desperately to direct the Shepherds and remain in control of the situation. Morgan could tell Robin was furious too, but also that she was working hard to suppress her rage and remain calm enough to be the tactician the Shepherds needed.
Unfortunately, Robin was so busy dealing with her own duel that she couldn't focus on directing the Shepherds as she needed to. Usually Robin could fight and dole out tactics simultaneously without issue, but between the rain, the Shepherd's righteous anger, and the two Plegian Barbarians she was locked in combat with, it was clear to Morgan that she was struggling, and had already been wounded.
"Marth, we need to protect Robin if we want everyone to make it," Morgan stated.
Lucina nodded, and together, they leapt towards their future mother, weapons at the ready. Drawing upon the power stored in her tome, Morgan shouted "Elwind!" and shot a blast of bladed wind at the man whose axe was locked with Robin's sword, while Lucina caught the axe head aimed at Robin's unguarded flank with Falchion, before knocking it aside and burying the sword in the Barbarians abdomen.
"We are yours to command, Lady Robin!" Lucina shouted over the fighting.
"No… titles…" Robin said in between breaths. "We… talked about this…"
Morgan was confused and clearly missing some context, but she ignored it. "Robin," she pleaded, "let us guard you so you can focus on leading the Shepherds."
Robin regarded her for a moment, and nodded. "Thank you Mo. you as well Marth," she replied, before turning her attention to the motley band of warriors she was responsible for.
"Shepherds!" She rallied with a magically enhanced voice as Morgan and Lucina focused on the warriors closing in on Robin. "Rally around Chrom! Frederick, watch his back! Everyone else, form up! Let's show these bastards how big a mistake they made!"
The Shepherds cried out in unison, and now that they were organized, they began to make quick work of the Plegian forces in the bony canyon.
"Stahl, Cordelia, Gregor! Go after those thieves, and watch each other's backs!" Robin called. "Miriel, Ricken, Lon'qu! We've got wyvern riders incoming, use wind magic and your Wyrmslayer to guard our flank! Virion, be their backline and shoot down any that get past them!"
With Morgan and Lucina acting as Robin's guards, the tactician was able to dole out orders more effectively than ever, though Morgan noticed that Robin's wounds were having an effect on her. She would need to see a healer soon.
The battle was going well, due to the Shepherds' ferocity honed by their grief, but Morgan could tell they'd need to end it soon. There were still many Plegians left, and the Shepherds were tired. Before long, their injuries and exhaustion would catch up to them. They were barely keeping up with Chrom and Frederick as it were, the latter of which was only keeping up with Chrom thanks to his well trained horse.
"Robin!" Morgan shouted. "We need to end this, before someone gets hurt! Lord Chrom is overextending himself, and we can't keep up!"
"Don't worry," Robin replied. "we're prepared for situations like this. Lissa, Maribelle! Rescue Chrom and Frederick before they get too far away! Then we'll make a final push for their general! The Plegians' morale is low! If we defeat him, they'll stop fighting!"
Lissa and Maribelle's staves flashed with brilliant light, and Chrom and Frederick appeared within the Shepherds' formation, and just in time, Chrom was wounded, and breathing heavily. Frederick seemed to be faring better, likely thanks to his heavier armour, but he and his steed were clearly exhausted.
Chrom attempted to charge back into the fray, but Robin grabbed his cloak, stopping him.
"Have you gone mad?!" She scolded him. "You're going to get yourself killed Chrom! I- We can't lose you!"
A myriad of emotions flashed across Chrom's face, before it settled on shame.
"You're right," he said. "I'm sorry. Let's finish this together."
Robin nodded. "Together," she agreed.
They inserted themselves at the front of the Shepherds' lines, and Morgan and Lucina followed just behind them. The Shepherds gave a fierce battle cry, and charged towards the fort at the edge of the ravine.
They were greeted by the man who had spoken earlier, who charged at Chrom and Robin with his axe drawn, followed by his reluctant yet loyal soldiers.
Morgan watched Chrom intercept the axe with Falchion, and the two men struggled to overpower each other.
"I wish our meeting could be under more pleasant circumstances, Prince Chrom," the general said.
Morgan couldn't catch her fathers reply due to being busy with her own fight. But she was able to monitor the ensuing battle out of the corner of her eye.
She could tell the Plegian man was tough, and was holding his own even against Chrom and Robin at the same time, but Morgan knew there wasn't a soul alive today, except for maybe Mr. Priam, who could overcome her parents when they worked together.
Even as she defeated her own enemy, she watched as Robin caught General Mustafa's axe in her sword, allowing Chrom to chop the weapon's handle in half with Falchion. Mustafa staggered back at the loss of his weapon, but it was too late. Robin ballasted him with a bolt of lightning from her tome, before Chrom closed the distance and drove Falchion through the man's rib cage.
Just like that, the battle was over. The air rushed from Mustafa's lungs in a quiet whoosh as he fell to his knees, and his soldiers immediately stopped fighting.
"Well done, Ylisseans," Mustafa said with difficulty. "Hrrggh! Please...spare my men…"
The general's body collapsed to the ground, and his soldiers all laid their weapons on the ground.
Morgan watched her father wearily, worried that he might do something rash, before Khan Basilio spoke up.
"No time to waste!" He shouted. "Let's go!"
He took off, and the Shepherds and Feroxi soldiers followed him. True to his words, a convoy was waiting at the end of the ravine, and a woman with pink hair in a dancer's ensemble that Morgan recognized as her aunt Olivia was nervously waiting outside the wagons.
"Khan Basilio!" She called as soon as she noticed them.
"Olivia!" Basilio greeted. "I'm sorry we kept you waiting."
Olivia sniffled and attempted to squeeze the rain from her hair. "When I didn't hear from you, I thought... I assumed the worst. I'm glad you're safe!"
Basilio ruffled her hair, and turned to introduce her to his allies. "Chrom? Robin? Meet Olivia. She'll be smuggling us out of here."
"Only if you hurry!" She interrupted. "Doubtless more of the Mad King's men are on their way."
Basilio's smile faded. "Right. Pile in, you lot! And bid farewell to this Plegian hellhole."
The Shepherds and Feroxi warriors immediately moved to board the various wagons, but they barely got a few steps before both Chrom and Robin collapsed.
The Shepherds froze all at once, and for a moment, nobody moved, until Lissa broke from the crowd and ran to her brother's side, Frederick following close behind.
Morgan felt herself shake in terror. Fearing the worst, she braced herself for Aunt Lissas cries.
"They're just unconscious!" Lissa said, relieved.
"You heard the lass!" Basilio shouted. "No time to gawk! Keep moving everyone! Marth, Mo, go help Lissa and Frederick get them into a carriage! MOVE!"
Spurred into action by the large man's orders, Morgan and Lucina rushed to help lift the unconscious Robin into a carriage, while Frederick hoisted Chrom by himself. Together they carried their unconscious leaders into the nearest carriage, where Lissa was waiting with her staff.
Morgan was incredibly anxious over the condition of her parents, but she knew from experience in the future that keeping busy would help her not to dwell on her fear and sadness, and she knew that Lucina was aware of it as well. As soon as Chrom and Robin were properly situated within the carriage, Morgan and Lucina turned
without exchanging words to go help the Shepherds get loaded up, before their aunt's voice interrupted them.
"Marth? Mo?" She called. "I'd like to speak with you, if you don't mind."
Morgan glanced at Lucina, surprised, and she could tell Lucina shared her confusion.
"Milady?" Frederick asked, startling Morgan. She had nearly forgotten he was still there.
"It's okay Freddy. I need to talk to them about something important. Would you go and help the others prepare?"
From the look on Fredericks face, it was obvious to Morgan that he wanted to do anything but leave the two remaining royal siblings alone with them.
"You have my word that no harm shall come to them," Lucina promised. "Mo and I will safeguard your charges with our lives if need be."
If Frederick was surprised by Lucina's proclamation, he didn't show it, but the sincerity in her voice must have been enough to persuade him, because he nodded at them and left to do as Lissa had asked.
Turning back the other way, Morgan followed Lucina back to the carriage. Inside, Lissa was concentrating hard on healing the two injured warriors as the soothing blue light of her magic washed over them. Morgan watched as the expressions on her parents' faces gradually became more peaceful, and she was relieved to see that they would be fine, thanks to Lissa.
Soon enough, the glow stopped, and Lissa leaned back, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"They're going to be fine," she said. "They're exhausted, and they lost a fair bit of blood from their injuries, so it will take some rest for them to recover, but they're not in any danger. Now then. I've got some questions I want to ask the pair of you."
For what must've been the thousandth time in her life, Morgan found herself impressed by and grateful for Aunt Lissa's strength of will. In the future, Aunt Lissa had become something of a second mother to Morgan and her siblings after her parents never came home. Lissa had been the last surviving Shepherd in the future, and her strength and support had been a rock of stability in the terrifying world they had escaped. Despite her own grief, Lissa was even now unknowingly still providing that role, and Morgan loved her for it.
Lissa's gaze flitted between them, as if searching them for an answer to whatever questions she had. Finally, she looked away from them and rubbed at her eyes. Morgan realized that her Aunt Lissa probably didn't have the same emotional fortitude as she did in the awful future, and what she had seen so far was the basis of the person she could one day become.
"Alright," Lissa said, wiping her face on her sleeve. "I'm just going to say it. You guys haven't just seen the future. You're actually from the future, aren't you?"
"How did you know?" Lucina asked, her surprise evident in her voice.
Lissa laughed humourlessly. "It's kind of a long story, but it was only a suspicion until just now. You confirmed it for me."
Lucina blushed, and Morgan resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That was twice Lucina had outed them now. Honestly, she had expected to be the one putting their identity at risk, but she was doing a better job of keeping the secret than her sister. Instead, Morgan just slipped the mask Lucina still insisted she wear off her face.
"I started putting it together after… after Emm gave me a book to read one day. It was kinda boring, just going over a bunch of stuffy old rituals from the time of the first Exalt, but she said that it was important that either Chrom or I read it. Chrom was too busy, so I agreed to do it. The only thing that stood out was the part about how Naga had a failsafe in case a threat ever arose that couldn't be dealt with normally."
Lissa took a deep breath, and continued.
"After reading that, I started noticing little things that were odd. Obviously there was your knowledge of the future, but also your interest in protecting us, and your strange investment in my brother and Robin's relationship. The final straw was when I noticed the brand of the Exalt in your eye, Marth. For all my fathers flaws, he never would've cheated on mother, or so I'm told, and I know we don't have any cousins on the exalted side of the family. Then I remembered how I saw you literally fall from a big hole in the sky, and It sort of all just clicked together."
I… am impressed, Aunt Lissa," Lucina said, before wincing. "You, uh… don't mind if I call you that, do you?"
Lissa smiled tiredly, in an expression very similar to the one she usually wore in the future when she was attempting to soothe the children living in the castle who were depending on her. "I guess that means you're not my kids, as if the hair wasn't a dead give away. No, I don't mind. It's a little weird, but I actually like it.
Morgan smiled back at her. "Would you like us to tell you our story?" She asked, and Lissa immediately said yes.
Morgan told Lissa everything they had told Emmeryn in Ylisstol two months ago, including their names and parentage, with Lucina helping to fill in the gaps just as she did before and taking over when it became difficult for Morgan to continue. By the end of the story, Lissa was crying, and had both girls wrapped in a tight embrace.
"It- it's not fair!" Lissa cried. "You tried so- hic- hard, and went through all of that, and Emm still didn't make it! It's not fair!"
As if all at once, the emotions of the day caught up with her, and Morgan realized how unfair it truly was.
She returned the embrace and sobbed into her aunt's shoulder, allowing her emotions to run freely.
"I- I am-" Lucina said, breath hitching. "I am sorry we could not save your sister, Aunt Lissa."
Lissa didn't say anything. Instead, she just cried harder. At some point during the embrace, Morgan felt the carriage they were in start moving. They were finally leaving Plegia.
Eventually, they managed to collect themselves, and Lissa let go of them. "So, what are you going to do now?" Lissa asked while wiping her eyes. "Will you keep fighting with the Shepherds?"
Morgan looked to Lucina for guidance, though she already had a feeling about what Lucina was going to say.
"We have spent too much time with the Shepherds," Lucina said. "We never meant for our identity to be discovered, especially before our own births in this timeline. I can no longer predict how this war will progress, so in order to tip the balance in our favour, I have decided to go and search for our allies who came to the past with us. We were separated, but they are all skilled warriors and survivors. They could be the edge the Shepherds need."
Morgan nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. Perhaps we'll find something useful while we search, though with any luck, this war won't be as catastrophic as the one we know."
Lissa regarded them carefully, as if she didn't approve of the idea of them leaving. At the same time, she also looked curious. If Morgan had to guess, she would assume she wanted to ask about her own future child, who they had mentioned in only the scarcest of detail during their explanation. Eventually, Lissa's expression settled on concern and acceptance.
"Alright. But I want you both to know that you'll be accepted by Chrom and Robin," she said. "I know you don't technically exist in this timeline or whatever, but your brands are proof enough of your lineage. If you want it, you will have a home with the Shepherds."
Morgan smiled. It was a nice sentiment, but she was aware that once the version of her from this timeline was born, her place in this timeline would begin to lessen. If by some miracle she got the chance to spend time with her parents, she would take it, but she also knew she would eventually have to give it up, and she knew Lucina felt the same.
"Thank you, Aunt Lissa," Lucina said, sounding a little sad. "That means a lot."
The three of them settled into a fairly companionable silence as the carriage drove through the Plegian terrain, the sound of the rain beating down on the canvas roof above them.
Morgan yawned, and leaned into Lucina's side. She felt Lucina's arm wrap around her shoulders in response.
"You two must be tired," Lissa remarked. "It's alright if you want to sleep. The ride back to Ferox will take a while."
Morgan nodded. It was getting harder to keep her eyes open. However, there was one more thing she wanted to say before she let herself fall asleep.
"Aunt Lissa?" She asked.
"Yes, Morgan?"
"I just wanted to tell you thank you. In the future, you were the last surviving Shepherd. You took care of us for as long as you could. I never got to thank you for doing everything you did back where we came from, so I'd like to do it now."
Lissa was quiet for a moment before she said, "I haven't had the same experiences as the Lissa you knew, but I think that if we're anything alike, I would've done the same. You're welcome Morgan. You're a very brave girl, and I'm proud to be able to call you family. Sort of. You know what I mean."
Morgan smiled. "Yeah," she said, before interrupting herself with a yawn. "You are pretty great…"
Morgan rested her head on Lucina's shoulder and closed her eyes, and before long, she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Lucina gazed at her sister fondly as she dozed off, and when she was sure Morgan was asleep, she turned back to Lissa, who was still sitting on the other side of the carriage, alternating between checking on Chrom or Robin and watching her and Morgan.
"She looks up to you a lot," Lucina said when Lissa met her eyes. "She loves mother and father dearly, as do I, but you also hold a special place in her heart. Before things really started to go wrong in the future, you and Morgan used to get up to a lot of mischief together."
Lissa smiled at her. "I'm honoured," she said. "It's good to hear that someone kept the pranking spirit alive. It's our job as the youngest you know."
Lissa's smile vanished at the end of her sentence, likely due to inadvertently reminding herself about Emmeryn, and Lucina sobered as well.
"I'm… going to try and get some rest as well," Lissa said after a moment. "You should rest as well. It's been an awfully long day."
Lissa got up and positioned herself so she could lay down in between Chrom and Robin, who were still unconscious on the floor of the carriage. It was dark, so it was hard to tell, but Lucina thought she saw Lissa's shoulders shake, and perhaps she could hear quiet sobs under the heavy rainfall pounding on the roof. She pretended not to see or hear anything. In the future, when one of her friends reached a breaking point and cried for everything they had lost, they often wished to be left alone for a time, so Lucina applied the same logic to this situation.
Eventually, the sound of crying faded away, and was replaced by barely audible breathing. Lucina tried to close her eyes as well, but whenever she did, all she could see was Emmeryn's face, making eye contact with her as she tipped over the precipice and began her fatal fall.
Giving up on sleep, Lucina scooted to the edge of the bench, easing Morgan down so that she was laying with her head in Lucina's lap. Once she was in a comfortable position, Lucina went over the events of the day in her mind.
What went wrong? Everything had gone so perfectly, right up until Gangrel and Aversa reappeared after the Shepherds routed the Plegian soldiers stationed in the square.
Based on the fact that she had summoned Risen, Lucina assumed Aversa must be a member of the Grimleal, which in turn led her to believe that the Grimleal were doing their best to influence Gangrel and his decisions.
Lucina briefly wondered if the Grimleal were aware of her and Morgan's tampering with the timeline, but she discarded the idea just as quickly. That would require someone to tell them that they had traveled through time, and all of her friends would rather die than give up that information. It was possible the early arrival of the Risen in this timeline might have made them suspicious, but it was also equally likely that they simply took it as a sign of the one they worshiped stirring from his slumber.
"I wonder how they even managed to revive Grima in the first place…" Lucina thought to herself. It would require a great deal of magic to awaken the monster. Absently, Lucina scratched an itch on her right shoulder while she contemplated how the Fell Dragon had returned to the world. Lucina wasn't an expert on magic. Her mother had taught her how to cast spells and the basic mechanics behind the art, but she had never been as adept as her siblings or some of her friends, so she wasn't an expert on such things.
"Perhaps the Grimleal stole the Fire Emblem from father after they killed the Shepherds, and used its power to revive Grima…," she thought. "Still though, I feel as if there must be more to the puzzle…"
Lucina shook her head. There was no use thinking about such things now. She tried to think about what she might've done differently to prevent Emmeryn's death, but her mind kept returning to the face Emmeryn made as she fell.
Despite the distance between them, Lucina had met her Aunt Emmeryn's eye, and she had seen how afraid she had been, before she resumed her serene expression the rest of the way down.
Choking on a sob, Lucina put her head in her hands, and cursed herself for being unable to do anything. At some point, she fell into a half sleeping state, too fitful to truly rest, but too tired to remain fully awake.
Frederick rode up to the back of the carriage once in order to check on his charges, waking Lucina, and she assured him they were resting and safe. After that, she didn't wake up again for the rest of the night.
It wasn't until early the next morning when Chrom groaned loud enough that Lucina returned to full lucidity. She was surprised at first, but quickly rationalized that Chrom's strong constitution would allow him a speedier recovery than Robin.
"What happened?" He asked as he sat up, looking around in confusion.
"Please, lower your voice," Lucina asked. "Our companions are sleeping."
Chrom's head snapped in her direction. "Marth!" He said, surprised. "What are y- EMM!"
Lucina watched sadly as a dozen emotions danced across his face as he remembered the events of the last day.
Eventually, he turned back towards Lucina. "What happened?" he asked. "The last thing I remember is defeating that Plegian General."
"Khan Basilio's people arrived shortly after that to rescue us," she replied. "However, as we prepared to depart, you and Robin both passed out from a combination of your wounds and exhaustion."
"Robin? Is she okay?" Chrom asked, immediately worried.
Lucina nodded. "She rests just next to you there. Mo and I helped get you into this carriage where Lady Lissa healed you. We're almost back to Regna Ferox now. Likely just a day more of travel."
"Oh… good."
Lucina frowned. She could sense her fathers relief, but she could also see just how anguished he was in his expression alone.
She cleared her throat. "Sir?"
Chrom looked up at her. "Yes Marth?"
"I'm sorry we couldn't prevent this. I take full responsibility. I grew complacent after we saved her in Ylisstol and failed to predict more attempts. Mo and I plan to seek our allies out and search for a way to make sure this war ends soon. We won't allow the events that are supposed to follow the Exalt's death repeat themselves."
Chrom looked at her sadly, but Lucina thought she could see a small spark of resolve in his gaze.
"You are blameless, Marth. You fought as hard as you could to do… whatever it is you're trying to do. The support you've provided has been invaluable. The fault is mine, as it should be. I don't know what future you seek to avert, but if this war needs to end quickly for that to happen, then my cause is twofold. I will protect Ylisse, and her future."
It was difficult to look regal and noble while sitting on the floor of a carriage, but Chrom managed it rather well. His speech had been short and quiet, but Lucina found her own resolve strengthened by it as well.
"Thank you," Lucina said after a moment. "I do not believe the fault to be yours either. When I spoke with the Exalt in Ylisse, she too promised that Ylisse and herself would be committed to securing the future. I did not understand what she meant at the time, but she promised she would not allow her fate to lead to the same events I seek to avert. I believe her actions in Plegia were twofold."
Chrom regarded her carefully, as if he did not know how to feel about that piece of information. Lucina shifted uncomfortably under his studious gaze. What he said next caught her off guard.
"Have you slept at all since we left the Plegian capital behind? You look exhausted."
"Umm," she said lamely. "I- I have… dozed? I have found sleep to be elusive. I can't stop thinking about what I might've done differently, or worrying about the future."
Chrom laughed humourlessly. "Robin often has the same problem. I'll tell you what I always tell her. You must have faith not only in yourself, but in your allies and those you care about. With bonds strong enough, you can accomplish anything. Go ahead and get some rest. If it makes you feel any better, I'll watch over you."
Lucina nodded, feeling like a little girl again. Her father had unknowingly provided her with exactly the comfort she needed. Doing her best to keep Chrom's words in mind, she closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. Eventually, with some difficulty, Lucina finally drifted off to sleep.
It was a very difficult decision on whether or not I wanted to keep Emmeryn alive. I went back and forth on if I should save her or let her fall ever since I started planning this story, debating whether her sacrifice and the development it brings to the plot and characters was worth giving up for the chance to continue exploring her character, as well as various methods of keeping her alive in the first place. Ultimately, I decided to avoid saving her because of the amount of canon divergence it would create, and because even if I brought Emmeryn back as Vegetable!Emmeryn, like in the extra maps in-game, it would defeat the purpose of continuing to explore her character because you know, she's a vegetable. It was a tough decision and one I'm sad that I couldn't resolve differently, but ultimately I think it's the right decision, because too much canon divergence is part of what killed my last attempt at a serious fanfiction.
Moving on, having Lissa learn the truth was an idea I got from one of the comments mistakenly thinking Lissa learned the truth in the last chapter. I decided that it would be an interesting development for the story and for Lissa's character as she matures both from the loss of Emmeryn and the weight of her niece's secret. That being said, nobody else will learn until the canon reveal. As for the nickname from Robin, it's canon that she gets glimpses of the future as a result of Grimas attempt to fuse early, although mostly it only shows her nightmares about killing Chrom, hence the Premonition tutorial. I took advantage of that to have her "remember" something from her doppelgängers memories of the future.
I had a lot of ideas for this chapter right from the beginning of planning this story and seeing them finally come to fruition is super satisfying. I'm not super happy with the traveling part of the chapter at the very beginning, but it is what it is, the rest makes up for the weak beginning imo.
One more question, am I making Lucina cry too much? Like, is she acting ooc? Or do you think it's acceptable given her circumstances and the fact that we're seeing it from her (and Morgan's) POV, meaning she can't hide it from us like she can everyone else. This was a very Lucina centric chapter, and I was worried that I was making her act too introspective and worrying, because I know Lucina is willing to do whatever it takes to save the future and her father. I felt it was right that this should be from her perspective, seeing as most of the previous encounter with Emmeryn was from Morgans. I wanted to make sure I showed both girls attachment to their aunt. (Also making her overthink so much feels like something she'd definitely get from Robin). I'd love some feedback on all this stuff.
I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. As always, feel free to drop suggestions and constructive criticism on how I can improve. Fanfiction is my practice ground before I try and write something original one day, so I need all the help I can get. Thanks for reading! (No outtakes from the outrealms this time, it's a serious chapter and it's already the length of my two longest chapters combined. Also, this chapter is not edited to my usual standard because I wanted to get it out faster, so I apologize if you notice more mistakes than usual.)