To be honest, Morgan wasn't quite sure why he paused. He had seen Chrom and Robin more recently than Lucina had, even if one didn't count him coming to the castle as Malin. Maybe it was just…them being there, but regardless it came with the feeling that he was missing something. He didn't understand why he felt that way, but Morgan nonetheless gestured for his group to stay near the gates, and as he came closer he saw that Robin did the same for her and Chrom's guards.
When he got to them, he smiled—although it was a bit weak and sheepish. "I…guess you're not too happy about pretty much everything I did before I left, huh?"
"We could've stopped you if we wanted," Robin said. "It didn't take us too long to figure out who you were; I had Morgan describe your 'friend.'"
"I wondered why you guys said yes to us having Falchion," Morgan admitted. "Lucina liked to believe she was well-hidden, but a lot of army veterans recognized her even with a mask on." He turned back towards his group and gestured for them to come over, while Robin and Chrom's guards came back on their own. "There'll be more time to talk once we get going. Lucina wants you guys out of here as soon as possible; aside from the Risen, we also don't know if there's anyone who would think you're the Chrom and Robin from this time and could cause trouble."
There were no protests, and altogether the group had almost twenty people; Chrom, Robin, their seven guards, Morgan, and the his nine-person group. Despite the fact that Morgan hadn't talked to them as himself for little over a decade, Robin and Chrom talked with him as if almost no time has passed.
"Are the littles doing well?" Morgan asked at some point.
"All thirteen that I know the status of," Chrom replied. "The Mini Shepherds helped us get here—Morgan and Laurent especially."
"The smart ones," Morgan mused. "I knew he was determined, but I didn't think he'd get it done so fast. You guys aren't a decade older than you look, right?"
"Don't joke about age," Robin said, feigning some annoyance. "But Morgan did get it figured out quickly; it's been about seven months since you and Lucina left."
"Granted, he had over two dozen helpers," Chrom pointed out. "He still worked hard, though."
"And he's still going on missions with the Mini Shepherds?" Morgan said. When Robin nodded, he let out a quiet whistle. "Wow. I dunno, Mom, you might have a bit of competition for the world's sharpest tack."
"Well, Morgan learned from the best one I know," Chrom remarked proudly. He cast a smile in Morgan's direction and added, "That goes for you, too—even if your decisions aren't always the best."
Morgan smiled in return as they moved on to talk about something else. It's been a long while since he last participated in such a conversation—general, technically useless banter that somehow made everyone more cheerful because the speakers were cheerful. He could tell that Robin and Chrom were happy to be here, regardless of the dangers. Morgan knew that Lucina was happy too, even if she didn't show it; she had wanted to talk with them again, and she was given that opportunity.
All things considered, it didn't take them too long to reach the southern shore. Apparently Robin and Chrom brought a boat with them—which was a good idea, because they seemed to need the 'Outrealm Gate,' as Robin had explained it to him, in order to come here or go back. They could decide where and when they could appear, but they had to start at that island first. Saying that there were still no ships, it made sense that they would bring their own.
Once the shore was in sight, Morgan said to his group, "All right, everyone that came with me will stay here. We'll return to Ylisstol when I come back—Lucina doesn't want anyone following me but our guests. Got it?"
Everyone nodded, and Robin and Chrom's guards separated from the rest of the group. They had to take two trips on the boat, which took a bit longer than Morgan liked; nonetheless, they were all on the island soon enough. Robin, Chrom, and their guards started making sure they had everything and were deciding on the best time and place for them to come to. Once they had it decided, Robin looked at Morgan. "Do you have permission to come back with us?"
"Yeah; Lucina doesn't want to be the reason why a promise couldn't be fulfilled," Morgan said. "Couldn't take anyone else because she doesn't want anyone to know where you came from and how you got here—she's only willing to allow letters come and go. Hopefully I can convince her to let me come a few more times."
"Morgan wouldn't mind having someone else to talk to," Robin noted. "And you did agree to come back from your mission—even if Lucina won't be joining us."
"Maybe one day, when the world doesn't need her to spend all of her waking hours on maintaining it," Morgan replied. He gestured towards those around him, and said, "One of you guys can go first; tell me what to do and I'll follow."
With that, they left one by one. As he watched them, he was thinking on other things. In truth, Lucina had done more than just give him permission to go back—she gave him the option of staying there. Morgan didn't accept, denying the offer as he has been for the past decade, but even so…he felt a little conflicted about telling them this. On one hand, Robin or lil' Morgan might want to know; on the other, Robin at least might not like him coming and going if he had the option to stay. He couldn't leave Lucina now when she definitely needed his help—even if a part of him found the thought of staying appealing. He could make up for lost time, spend days with the littles…but he also knew that he shouldn't. By the time his turn to leave came, he had come to a decision: he'll go, make the most of his time, then come back. His old parents and the littles didn't need to even know the offer existed. And although it felt like a kind of betrayal, he stuck with it.
