On the last week of March, the Mini Shepherds set out on another mission. It wasn't any surprise that both Morgan and Laurent opted to stay at Ylisstol to rest and continue behind-the-scenes work—but it did leave them with two less members. Nonetheless, it was an easy mission; all they had to do was go down to the Outrealm Gate themselves. Some of them brought letters from their parents or trinkets that their parents wanted to give to the future children. Lucina herself had been tasked with a book of Robin's that she wanted to send to Malin; it wasn't the same as the one used as an anchor-of-sorts, connecting the two times, but rather a book on tactics that she said was one of the first she went over with Malin after he joined the army.

Lucina led Owain, Kjelle, Cynthia, and Brady south. They were never quiet—even on a good day—and when they were almost to their destination there wasn't an exception. Cynthia and Owain were weaving fantasies to make up for Morgan's absence; Lucina and Kjelle had a hard time keeping them under control without Laurent to back them up. Brady supported whichever duo was losing at the time. Among the fantasies, Owain had said, "Imagine! Seven young soldiers meeting their seven warrior counterparts!"

"Heroes meet heroes, the encounter for the ages!" Cynthia agreed enthusiastically.

"What happens if ya can't get there?" Brady asked, almost seeming curious. "My ma won't let me go, that's for sure."

"We can convince them," Cynthia said. "I mean, we all want to meet them—Luce and Morgan want to see them again. I'm sure they'd like to meet us, too!"

"Marth never seemed very interested in bringing unrelated people into her time," Lucina admitted. "I would hear some of their conversations…she didn't seem to want Malin to come with her. I don't think she would take kindly if I, for example, were to come—whether or not my parents allowed it."

"Marth's stubborn," Kjelle pointed out. "That much is obvious. She might not have to come back here, but she's seeing someone from your family—your mother hasn't seen her since before the war ended, for gods' sake!"

"Should they meet, my mother has a few…choice words," Lucina said honestly. "She doesn't understand some of Marth's actions; none of us can really decipher them. It's not our place to question her, from what I understand…but my parents won't let Morgan spend this much time on this and not personally visit."

"Who would?" Owain asked, completely rhetorical. "This might be the best things that happen in our lives! A connection to another time—another world, really. All it took were a few months of research, a special gate, a book, and willing volunteers."

Kjelle continued on by debating if it actually took more than what Owain listed, but Lucina slowly began to think rather than listen. She supported the project—it was what everyone wanted, after all, and if Morgan wouldn't do it then someone else would surely do it instead—but she still wondered…perhaps they're misjudging their boundaries? Morgan made a promise right after hearing that Malin, someone he trusted and admired for the most part, was actually himself from a different time. He made connections and filled in the holes quickly, growing frustrated within moments—but not long after, he told Malin that he had to come back.

That promise prompted Morgan to search, albeit slowly at first, for a way to make his promise come true. Broken promises, much like the idea of a fate or destiny out of one's control, was frowned upon in their family—although Malin, Marth, and likely even Robin and Chrom had their fair share of promises that they couldn't keep for some reason or another. Lucina wondered if Morgan would be so dedicated if he didn't know of his relation to Malin, or Malin's relation to Robin. Marth and Malin's time was one where Grima lived, one more dangerous than their own—Lucina knew that Morgan hadn't completely considered that yet. Grima was never defeated until he made the fortunate mistake of following Marth back to this time, where he died by Robin's hand. There could be a reason why Marth didn't seem interested in coming back; why Malin never expected to come back whenever he spoke of the possibility.

Such thoughts distracted Lucina for much of their trip. She wanted to see Marth—there were so much stories to be told, so much that could be said—but she didn't want it to be at the cost of anyone's safety. There were times when Lucina wondered if she were the only one thinking about such things—what everyone would say if she gave voice to her concerns. She knew that her opinions would be welcomed, but whether or not they were accepted was a different matter.

By the time they got there it was the fourth of April, although they only went to the port where one could board a ship bound for the Outrealm Gate's island. Lucina gave the book and her friends' letters to the people who knew how to send them, but found herself penning her own letter that night. It was simple; a few sentences in one of the books she had read about the thirteen warriors who seemed to have come from nowhere. The book focused on the whereabouts of each one; unsurprisingly, Malin was the only one who had anything found, although it was only for about five years. She wrote the first few sentences, and sent it off dated for the fifth.

The Mini Shepherds didn't delay on coming back; Owain quickly began to start teasing about what would happen if Lucina weren't back by the fifteen as Chrom had wanted. Lucina would have rested for longer if Morgan were with them, but she knew her brother could get anxious quickly if anyone in his family left the castle for very long. For his sake, then, Lucina asked the Mini Shepherds to leave only two days after they arrived. They made it back just before the deadline, and Lucina was offered early birthday pleasures such as sleeping in or staying up late. She set aside the thoughts that surrounded her during the mission—at least until her birthday passed, she decided.