(A/N: This is a bonus, so you don't have to read this chapter if you don't want to. I decided to write a bit more about their journey and more about Lucina's injuries. There is some overlap between chapters, however—the beginning of this is kind of during the Connections chapter and the next half is after.)

The Mini Shepherds gathered in Ylisstol before leaving with Malin. Lucina was in the training area, making sure her earlier wounds wouldn't hinder her; if it were up to her solely, she wouldn't let anyone know. It felt like a weakness, in a sense—and she knew that a lot of the others would act differently, if they knew. Kjelle and Cynthia already asked her to find armor, even if she didn't wear it regularly.

She was training as she usually was, only interrupted when the boys of the Mini Shepherds (save Morgan, who was likely with Robin doing tactics) came in. "Fair cousin of similarly noble lineage!" Owain said to announce his arrival. Patiently, she lowered her sword and looked at him. "We have come to join you in training, so that we may better ourselves in the field of battle."

"It's good to see you're in high spirits," Lucina noted. "You may join, if you would like."

The boys nodded and went to get their weapons of choice; Owain got a sword as he usually did, while Laurent got a weak tome and Brady took out an axe to practice with. It did only take a few moments of silent training, however, before Laurent paused—and it wasn't that long after that he specifically looked at Lucina.

"I hadn't noticed earlier," Laurent said simply, "But you aren't moving as much as usual. Is something the matter, or is it just tiredness?"

Lucina paused for a moment, then looked away and sighed. "It's nothing you need to be worried about," she said firmly. She tried to continue, attempting to fix what Laurent saw, but she winced when she moved too quickly.

Owain and Brady had taken notice as well, and all three frowned. "Sure you're okay, Luce?" Brady asked, not quite sounding worried but close to it. "This next mission can probably wai—"

"I'm fine," Lucina maintained sharply. Seeing that it wasn't enough of an answer for them, she sighed. "Please, don't tell Morgan or Robin. I know how they will treat it and I want to avoid that worry."

"So what happened that you don't want them to know?" Owain said, still frowning.

Lucina sighed—most of her family and friends were stubborn, and in this instance she wished they weren't. They would keep on asking if she didn't actually say, so she admitted it even though she didn't want to. "...I was injured while training in Ferox. It's all right now—and before anyone asks, Chrom is aware. Can we leave it like that, please? I would prefer it if this stays between us."

They didn't agree, but they didn't give much approval either—they all knew how she acted in situations like this, although none have quite been as worrying as wounds. Lucina hoped that the scars would fade before her brother or mother heard of it; she knew that whatever reaction came from them, it wouldn't be pleasant for any of them.

The next day everyone came, so the day after that they left Ylisstol to travel. Lucina allowed the mercenaries to lead, since only they knew of their true destination—that led to the rare occasion of her being behind most of the group, if only so she would know if someone was watching her (they would have to look back, and they couldn't stare when they would need to focus on walking ahead of them). Morgan opted to walk with her, entertaining conversation with Owain as well.

At some point, Owain spoke up. "Hey, Luce, do you have anything to help if we have to fight? With your arm—"

"Owain," Lucina said firmly. "Don't mention it, please. I know what I'm doing."

Owain muttered a sheepish apology, but it was enough to catch Morgan's attention. "Did something happen?" He asked, only sounding curious at first.

Lucina opted not to respond, at first; she had a hope—however slim—that he might not ask after it too much if she didn't seem willing to answer. She never could quite tell, however, when Morgan would choose to ask after something or let it go—although unfortunately for her, he did decide it was something to be concerned about.

"Lucina..?" Morgan asked again, a bit more worried now. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm all right, Morgan," she replied as reassuringly as she could.

He just frowned. "Okay, I know that was something like a lie. You should know by now that turning away and saying it's fine isn't exactly reassuring."

"You can't ignore it this once?" Lucina tried. "I don't want to concern you."

"I'm already worried," Morgan pointed out. At this point, Owain had opted to step away—he went a few paces quicker so he was with the main group, leaving them to discuss it on their own.

Lucina sighed. "…I'll apologize, then. It's nothing much, truly—just an injury I got in Ferox."

"When were you hurt in Ferox?" Morgan asked. He seemed to be trying to stay calm, but she could tell that he was getting a bit more worried and anxious. When he knew something was wrong, he preferred to be told—he seemed to believe that the less willing the person was to explain it, the more harmful it was. That wasn't necessarily a lie, but Lucina didn't think her scars to be so important that she would keep it from him at this point.

"I was training," Lucina explained quietly, "And my opponent drew blood. I would consider that to be it."

Now it was Morgan's turn to sigh, albeit not quite impatiently but more…concerned. "…All right, so how badly were you hurt?"

"Father…didn't exactly seem pleased."

"Lucina." It wasn't exactly a frustrated sigh this time, but it was close. He looked at her with a little frown. "I need to know these things—you need to tell me when you get hurt. I know you don't want to, but otherwise I can't plan out the safest strategies." He grew a bit quieter and more determined. "We can't lose you, Lucina; we need you—as a team, as a friend, and as a family—and if something happens, that's not just your fault. If you get hurt, that blame falls on me, too."

Lucina chuckled grimly. "Of course, even my younger brother is telling me that I shouldn't be harmed. You're too young for that, you know."

"I guess that's what happens when your mother teaches you tactics in practical settings," Morgan answered a bit nonchalantly. Returning to a serious little frown, he said, "But really, please don't do that again. It wouldn't be so bad, but you don't want to tell anyone. Mother and Father know, right?"

"Yes," Lucina replied.

Morgan nodded. "All right; that's good, at least," he said. "Thanks for telling me. It's just good to know."

Lucina offered him a much more reassuring smile than before, and their conversation ended then. She only ever hid things to protect others and keep them focused—Morgan especially. It was difficult on occasions, but in all honesty she could never say that she regretted it. It was, after all, how she showed her care towards people in some cases—the less she told, the more she believed the words would only hinder that person. It felt true enough in most situations.