Morgan and Lilith - Something Fishy

"Alrighty... Almost there."

The young tactician-in-training had found herself as a hiker-in-training, having conquered more slopes than what her legs had use for. And, if her calculations were right, it was only a few more sequences of leg instability and suffering before her destination was in sight.

According to her map, the 'fortress' Kana and Lucina were looking for had to be over these next few hills. And soon, she would be too.

The map had to be right. Robin himself had sketched it out, and everyone knew Robin's maps were accurate to the smallest detail.

Thankfully, her father didn't disappoint when Morgan saw the dark contrast of stone against treeline over the top of the next crest. The thousand pine trees of the Valmese forest did little to hide the steepness of their slope, as Morgan found out the hard way when she finally reached the top of her destination. At last, Morgan could scout out the area, looking for ways to sneak inside. But first, a quick breather. She needed to make sure her legs weren't in liquid state.

And also avoid hundreds of Valmese and Nohrian soldiers.

"How am I supposed to get past this? How did Lucina and Kana get past... unless they got captured! Oh no..."

Keeping nearly flat to the ground, Morgan crawled to a better vantage point underneath some shrubbery at the top of the hill. Perhaps she could divulge some information from a passing officer or soldier. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for such an event to present itself. A tall, lanky magician with a half-mask walked around the troop formation, looking as if he were to give a speech or command, if he hadn't already.

Just the sight of him put Morgan at edge. The way he leaned forward as he walked reminded her of a vulture, looking for scraps to claw at. While she couldn't tell his facial features, she could almost feel the uneasiness permeating from him like the stench of a corpse. His mask covered some of his face, but his visible eye and nose were dull and lifeless like a Risen.

"That must be Iago," Morgan assumed, going off of Commander Leo's depiction of the Nohrian strategist. "Still, I can't be too careful. He is a skilled magician and cunning tactician. I have to play safe for now." Quieting herself when Iago walked away from his troops, she assumed he had just given a speech and she was too late.

"Maybe I can catch something off another officer... that's what people do after Father gives a speech. What's it called? Repetitive reinforcement? They could be repeating or speculating on their Commander's orders. Right!"

Keeping her eyes on another Nohrian, seemingly one of the rank and file soldiers of some wyvern troop, she began to listen in. Given that she was a few hundred feet away and on higher ground, it took some magical amplifying to effectively hear their words clearly.

"I can't believe it. The entire scouting party was obliterated, along with Winter Squadron. None of the wyvern riders survived. And there were twenty of them." This guy is a leader of some sorts. Winter Squadron... Wyverns... was he talking about yesterday night?

"And when was this, yesterday?"

"Aye." Ah, he was.

"How did it happen?"

"How could I know? There were no survivors. It had to be a slaughter. There's no other explanation." Yes. Takumi wiped them out so quickly... And then he almost killed me! What was with that? And his eyes... they were red.

"Do you think the Shepherds are sending out a party to find their commanders?" She's looking at you. And she's gonna find her dad!

"Of course they would be. But remember, the Shepherds of Ylisse are just a small band of soldiers in the larger Ylissean league. But without the Shepherds to spearhead their invasion into Valm, they can't do much aside from hold their ground. As long as we hold their commanders in our midst, they can't make a move against us. It's a stalemate until Valm and Nohr crush them with might and numbers." Alright. They're alive. Mom and Dad are alive.

"But remember, the Shepherds held off a joint-attack a couple days ago, right after we kidnapped their commanders. What do you make of that?"

"There must be some secondary leader among their ranks. Whether or not he is on the same caliber of the white-haired devil, that is to be seen."

"I doubt there is anyone on that man's level. He singlehandedly united Hoshido and Ylisse, while kidnapping all of the Nohrian princes and princesses! Even the dragon princess was ensnared by that devil's wiles." What? That's not how it went... But do they know that?

"Speaking of... have we found Prince Xander yet?"

"No, unfortunately. Survivors from the attack a couple days ago did not find a single of the missing Nohrians among the Shepherd's ranks. If they were among the Shepherds, they must have been imprisoned somewhere more discreet."

"So you don't believe the rumors yet?"

"Of what?"

"That some of the Nohrians deserted the crown after the Stalemate of the Hoshidan Plains?"

"That's nonsense. They had to be captured. Hoshido and Ylisse thinks they can hold our four princes and princesses against us? Not to mention a good amount of elite soldiers? They got another thing coming. Nohrian strength will seize the day. We'll find our kidnapped brothers, or avenge them where they've fallen."

"I do hope you're right. It chills me to think that the four surviving children of King Garon are somewhere out there, held against their will. May they soon escape and join us in this glorious conquest of this new land."

"Prince Xander and the others are strong and valiant. They will not falter, and neither shall we."

"Aye. I believe that. And as long as we do our jobs here and make sure the white-haired devil does not escape his confines, everything will turn out the way it was meant to." Oh, that means Father is here! You're here! Oh, this is going to be a pinch, getting you out!

"Speaking of which, tell Commander Zola that the Tactician tried to break out of his cuffs earlier today. Broke the steel clean through, but he didn't even try to escape his cell. Funny thing, ain't it?"

"Alright. I'll make sure he hears it. See you around."

"Aye..." Okay Dad! If you can break through steel cuffs, then I can break you outta this joint!


Morgan had to stay very still multiple times during the route, but somehow blended in behind a sentry and got into the citadel. Locking the door behind her, she began the long hunt for her Father. He was somewhere in this facility, all how-many miles of passages there could be within. He could be behind any door, and doors weren't something the Valmese fortress was lacking in. Not once did she hear of Lucina and Kana though, and that got her worried.

Were they captured? Killed? No... they would've mentioned that. Hopefully, they just haven't found the place yet. Yeah... that was it.

"Here we go..."

She only had the weapons she was carrying from the patrol with Cynthia, so she wasn't equipped for combat in a tight hallway. Her sword would have to do, unless using a tome didn't have the risk of attracting nearly every patrol within a hundred feet.

Picking the lock into the next hallway, she kept to the shadows, extinguishing every torch she came across to further hide her silhouette. There were no windows at all, so Morgan felt like she was tiptoeing through a cave. But instead of bats or lizards, she was up against two armies.

Which led to the question: What did Nohr think of this? Clearly they were misinformed, to think that Robin had kidnapped their army at the Hoshidan Planes, and united Ylisse and Hoshido in an attempt to stop Valm and Nohr. She had to report this back to Commander Leo and Takumi, if they didn't know this already.

But first, her father.

"So far, so good," she whispered to herself, pleased at not having run into any trouble. To be honest, the chatter and footsteps across every hallway made Morgan very nervous. Not only was she surrounded at every angle, but she had no way out if she was caught. But as long as the trouble stayed behind their doors and not in Morgan's vicinity, she was fine.

Tiptoing through yet another hallway, she came across an T-shaped fork. Either she went left, or she went right.

Using a neat spell Nyx had taught her (she stole the notes) she channeled a quiet pulse of energy that allowed her to see the life essences of anything within a few feet - even through walls. A multitude of red pulses materialized past the left door, while the one on the right had single pulse. Judging that the left had to be some sort of meeting or barracks, Morgan picked the right lock and disappeared through the door before anyone could-

"What is this? An intruder, this far in?"

"Oh... shi-" Morgan turned to be face-to-face with... Iago himself. Even greasier up close, the torches did little to hide the ominous stature of the Nohrian tactician as he turned fully to face her. Almost instantly, the man had blasted the door shut, locking Morgan in with no way out but through. Steeling herself, Morgan ignited the Levin sword in her left hand while lightning and fire crackled on her right. Iago scrutinized her face before putting together the fact that her white hair and black cloak looked all too similar.

"You look familiar. Ah, so... you must be the devil's spawn," Iago sneered, drawing his own tome and regarding the tactician just a few feet away. "I remember seeing you sleeping next to that half-dragon the day I took your parents!"

"And you're gonna give 'em back!" Morgan retorted, blasting Iago point blank with her Thoron. The impact seared his cloak and knocked the sorcerer back a few feet, leaving him grunting in pain from the impact.

"Such power... to think that these abilities are what the devil and that damn princess have handed down to you..."

Morgan, emboldened by her first strike, reared back for a second.

"Have another taste!" she challenged, this time lining her Thoron with Ignis, a technique that she inherited from her father himself. Not only was her magical ability being utilized to produce the lightning bolt, but this time her physical strength fueled the blue flames that wreathed it. It struck the Nohrian with the strength of a ton of bricks and the heat of a thunderstorm itself.

But Iago would have none of that. He absorbed the bolt into himself as if he were absorbing its power.

"Amazing," he whispered, and Morgan could definitely hear the pain in his voice. So it had hurt him... he just didn't care. He outstretched his hand and fired the spell right back, catching Morgan off guard and slamming her into the wall behind her. Paralyzed and burning, Morgan was too in shock to even yelp as she already felt the world around her going black. She felt a huge numbness and burning around her ribcage, which definitely meant more than few ribs had just been broken. Her lungs felt as if they were on fire, and gazing down, she frowned at the new hole her father's cloak had just obtained.

Father.

I can't let him down! I'm the only one who can get him!

"C-can't... stop now!" she whimpered, forcing herself to her feet even as Iago calmly stepped onto her back and forced Morgan back down.

"Luckily for both of us, I will not kill you. I already have your father, but he is of no use to me in his current condition. But you? If that was your power I had just witnessed a few seconds ago, you will make an excellent asset to our cause."

"N-no..." Morgan struggled, stabbing her sword into the ground in an attempts to prop herself up. It was to be to no avail, as Iago kicked it away and pressed harder into her back, forcing out a pained squeak.

"Do not worry, child. In time, you will realize my superiority over your father and that pathetic creature of a mother you have. Stay quiet, still your mind, and I will show you war."

"Y-you'll never beat Dad... or Mom!" Morgan let out in a last ditch attempt to break loose. The remark was ignored and the struggle was pacified when she felt another of her ribs give under the pressure of the Nohrian boot on her back. This time, her screams crept to the surface and she let out an undignified howl of pain and fear. Iago continued his monologue, while at the same time binding Morgan's feet and hands so that she couldn't get away.

"The thing is, I already have. While the rest of Nohr thinks that the traitor Corrin is the victim, only I know her true goals! She wishes to overthrow her father and take over the Nohrian crown, while killing off Garon's children!. It will not come to pass. She will pay for siding with Hoshido, and she will watch as the world she has built crumble to dust. Ylisse will fall, and all her neighbors. And if you think those events will not play out like I have assumed, you underestimate me."

"We... w-we'll never lose to you."

"Tell me, child. When a man with red eyes is pointing his bow into your brain against his will, do you really think that you're in control?" Morgan froze. Was Iago responsible for what Takumi was inflicted with? Those red eyes, that burst of anger after he slayed Winter Squadron...

"Ah, that recognition in your eyes tells it all, child. I know you're a smart one, and you've seen my work. But it's a shame really, that no one else is even suspicious of the young Hoshidan's true affliction. But the greatest weapon in my arsenal is patience. I'll let the Shepherds think their agendas accomplished. I'll let them parade through this forested country as if they had won every battle through their own wiles. They will grow complacent, confident. Unaware."

Iago chuckled, before closing his tome and kneeling onto Morgan's back.

"And then-"

"Lady Corrin!"

Morgan looked upwards to see a weird... fish... thing fly into Iago's gut, knocking him off her back for the split second that she needed to roll over. Igniting the binds around her wrists with lightning, she fought through the pain of multiple broken ribs and rose to her feet, hobbling past the sorcerer towards the recently opened door.

"Wait... You're not Corrin! But you smell... just like her!" Morgan looked at the fish-thing strangely before it shook its head, closing its eyes and... praying?

With that, Morgan felt water consume her as the world faded to black.


"Hey, you awake yet?"

Morgan came to in a normal bed, which appeared to be in a room of sorts. Groaning, Morgan gingerly patted her torso and winced at the amount of sheer wrapping that encompassed her ribcage.

"Y-yes..."

"That's good to hear. I'm just checking on you, so if you need anything, just call for me and I'll come running!" The young girl opened her eyes to see the same fish-thing from earlier, floating above her head and smiling as fish did: Creepily.

"A-and... who do I call for?" The fish frowned slightly and widened her eyes, realizing how rude and assuming she must have sounded.

"Ah, sorry. My name is Lilith. I'm... a friend of Corrin, who I'm assuming you know."

Not deciding to reveal herself just yet, Morgan just nodded.

"She's a good friend of mine as well."

"Ah, that explains the scent you carry. It reminds me so much of her. But yet, it's different! So very different." Morgan raised her eyebrows but decided against asking how a fish could tell how she differed from her mother's scent. Looking around, she settled for another question.

"Where are we?" Lilith smiled and opened up one of the curtains, revealing a vast field and high walls in the distance. Wherever we are, it's definitely secure.

"Don't judge her for the egocentric name, but this place is called Fort Corrin." If Morgan did not have seven broken ribs plaguing her core, she would have burst out into laughter. Instead, she smiled and giggled as lightly as she could before shaking her head.

"Leave it to Mom to name a fort after herself."

"Mom?!" Morgan winced at her mistake, and the fish looked just as surprised at her. If fish had eyebrows, which Morgan had no choice but to assume Lilith had, they were raised in severe question.

"Oh. Whoops."

"Yes... whoops indeed. Though, that does explain your scent. And you weren't lying if you were indeed saying that Corrin is a good friend!"

"Guilty as charged," Morgan attempted weakly.

"So, assuming you were just making up a story to preserve yourself, let's start over. I'm Lilith, one of your Mother's servants back in Nohr. How I found you is a long story, but it involves me sensing that Corrin was in trouble. Granted, she's been in trouble for a year now, but I just finally pinpointed her location. Or... thought I did, which is how I found you. But you were in trouble, so I had to save you!"

"Thanks for that," Morgan replied graciously, smiling in gratitude. "But aren't you going to ask how Corrin has a daughter who's only a few years younger than her?"

"You're from the future," Lilith answered offhandedly. Morgan pretended that she didn't just get it right off the bat, and played coy.

"W-wait, you know that, but you didn't know I was Corrin's kid?"

"Truth is, I learned a lot about you just by bringing you here. The fact that you responded to the Dragon Veins here gave me some indication that you were at least of the same lineage as some of the royals. That, along with all the stories I've been hearing of the Shepherds in the short time Nohr has been here... and I put a bunch of stuff together."

"How much stuff together?"

"Well, aren't you the curious tactician," Lilith smiled, before opening up Morgan's bag with her... fins.

"Hey! Don't touch my-"

"Dragonstone? Not many people can use these, you know. In fact, I can only name one. And once you tell me your name, I'll be proud to name two."

"It's... Morgan."

Lilith repeated the name, slowly, thoughtfully, but not rudely. "It's a nice name," she decided.

"Thanks?"

"And this is a nice dragonstone," Lilith continued, before it glimmered in her hand. Slowly, fins changed into arms. Scales changed to skin and clothes. Her fish-like appearance morphed into one of a young girl, still wearing a white bonnet over her blue hair that descended into a red-tipped ponytail. "I'll be keeping this from now on."

"Y-you're..."

"A dragon. Haha, yes, I am. Corrin saved me as a young girl. We were both just young girls, then... The fact that you have this in your possession only means one of two things: Either you are a dragon yourself, or you were holding on to it for someone who was. Turns out, it's both."

"But... you just used Mom's dragonstone! That makes you a dragon!"

"That I am, Morgan. But tell me, have you ever required a dragonstone for your own needs?"

"No..." Lilith brightened up and picked up a walking stick from Morgan's bedside and helped the white-haired girl to her feet.

"Come then. You get to be the first dragon to walk in Fort Corrin ever since its owner disappeared."

"But what about my Mom? Or my Dad?" Lilith placed a hand on Morgan's shoulder reassuringly.

"Time flows differently here. Don't you worry! Plus, you have a few broken ribs, not to mention some other things we need to talk about."

"If you say so," Morgan replied, still not entirely trusting Lilith. But, as fate would have it, she had no choice. "Oh, and by the way, Corrin has a son too. Kana. Just... wanted to let you know in case you wanted to add to your list of people who can use dragonstones."

If anything, Lilith's growing smile was reassuring.


"Of all the places Mom would live in, Princess Corrin picks a tree."

It had been three days since Morgan had been in Fort Corrin. Over time, she had grown accustomed to the odd occurrences in the vast field. Like the fact that outside the walls lay an infinite number of pocket realms, just as zany as this one.

And somewhere out there lay her world, frozen in time in comparison to the rapid flickering of Fort Corrin. Still, Lilith assured her that this place would be the Shepherd's future camp, once they found Corrin and Robin. At least they wouldn't have to march everywhere, not to mention clean tents and rebuild all the stables and rooms and everything...

Lilith had taken a particular interest in Corrin's dragonstone. Apprently, she wasn't supposed to be able to switch back to her human form, which must have been why she was so intent on keeping it 'for safe-keeping' until Corrin returned. Not that Morgan cared, anyway. She couldn't use it. Yet.

She never really got to practice using dragon veins. Thankfully, Fort Corrin was chock-full of them. As a first order of business, Morgan, on her first successful attempt, had created a spring, not only to ease her healing ribcage but also as practice with her powers she was not attuned with. She couldn't do anything about her room being twenty feet off the ground, with nothing but a DAMN LADDER preventing her from resting in her bed. More often than not, she needed Lilith's help to carry her back to the 'treehouse,' which was technically Corrin's room when she fell in the Bottomless Chasm a year before.

Unfortunately, Lilith knew nothing about Iago or Takumi's current condition. What did intrigue her was the fact that her first suggestion was 'that pendant that the singer wore' was a very possible remedy. Assuming that meant Azura, Morgan decided that she needed to learn more about Corrin's friend when she got back.

Lilith as a person was also a very strange... creature. On one of Morgan's earlier attempts at creating a spring, she had accidentally turned a plot of grass into a field of potatoes and Hoshidan Daikon. Sure, it came handy since Lilith was absolutely worthless when it came to cooking, but it didn't explain why Morgan caught the dragon eating nearly all of the plants right out of the field.

So maybe Lilith liked to eat. But that didn't explain her existence.

According to Lilith, she was Corrin's friend back in the Northern Fortress. But before that? It was hard getting anything regarding her story pre-Corrin. Settling for that, she instead decided to learn more about her mother through Lilith's accounts. Laughing at the stories of young Corrin escaping out of the fortress with Silas atop a steed Lilith had prepared, Morgan imagined herself in Corrin's shoes (or lack thereof) and enjoyed her time, almost forgetting of the real world that she was bound to go back to.


So when Morgan had woken up on her fourth day in Fort Corrin, Lilith came to her with a sad expression.

"I hope your ribs are feeling better, because I don't think Corrin's getting out of there without your help." Morgan brightened up, and Lilith produced a map of Nohr from her pocket.

"They'll be fine! A couple soaks in the springs plus the weird energies of this place... I'm good as new! What are we looking at?" Lilith nodded and approving Morgan's condition, pointed at the middle of the map.

"Turns out, Corrin's being kept captive in her old home of the Northern Fortress. It isn't too far from Valm, considering the fact that where it landed was directly east of Valm's coast. So not as far as you'd think, but it's still another country. You'll need the Nohrian's help to reach your Mother, but that's another problem." Morgan nodded in understanding of the problem.

"Xander and the others are presumed to be prisoners, not allies of our cause," Morgan sighed.

"Not only that, but Corrin's being heavily guarded. You can't just sneak in there like your brother and that other girl when they got your father."

"They what? When did this happen?"

"I didn't realize it at first... I passed by them when I was saving you. They just found... what's his name... Robin? Yes, they found him, just walking along, minding his own business. And when I warped us out of Iago's room, they were already gone!"

"That can't be right," Morgan wondered. "When I was trying to break into the same fortress, I overheard some guards say that Robin had shattered his bonds, but that he had made no attempt to escape. How did Luci and Kana find him just 'walking around?'"

"Well, you can figure that out once you get back," Lilith sighed sadly.

"Is this farewell?" Morgan asked, not too eager on seeing her newfound friend for the last time.

"Until you find your mother, I'm afraid it is. But once you do, we can finally house all the Shepherds here! So hurry!"

With that, Morgan's vision was encompassed by water and she felt the magic of the world throw her back to her rightful place.

Morgan reminded herself that being transported wasn't very fun on the ribs.


The first thing she saw was his hood.

"Father?" she asked, slowly walking up to Robin with a nervous smile on her face. It took her a while to find the camp, and longer still to find her father. When she was dropped off by Lilith, Morgan found herself where she met Kiragi a few nights before. In reality, those events had happened merely yesterday night, which made her equally surprised to see Robin walking about, fresh from his liberation by Kana and Lucina's hands.

"Morgan!" he replied, twice as eagerly. Morgan's hesitation turned into a grin as she felt him wrapping his familiar arms around her happily as she reappeared in the Shepherd camp. Apparently, Lucina and Kana found him exactly when she broke into the fortress, just as Lilith said. And yet, when she returned not a second after, no one had even noticed she was gone except for Takumi and Sumia, along with their two kids.

"Where have you been?"

"I know it's not the smartest thing to do, but trust me. Don't reveal me or what happened between us until we get Corrin back. If you really must talk to someone, talk to that singer. Azura."

"What do you mean, 'Where have I been?'" she responded, still feeling something off. "You got yourself kidnapped!"

"Nonsense," Robin replied haughtily, puffing his chest. "I was merely getting some golden intel from behind enemy lines! You won't believe all the stuff I've learned! I even got to live Corrin's life even before we came in and rescued her!"

"Hm," Morgan thought quietly, buying her father's story. Still, if she had not talked with Lilith, she would be eating this out of his hand. Something was definitely off with how his escape coincided so confusingly with her own capture. If Iago had truly captured Robin, he would know that he was capable of escaping. If Robin had truly escaped, then how did he run into Lucina and Kana?

This didn't make sense.


"I did knock on Robin's door," Lucina admitted, holding her arm as if it were broken. "I peeked inside, but the man that Leo identified as Iago shot me down as soon as I entered with a blinding spell. But the last thing I saw... it was Robin. He wore his hood up. Robin never does that. Not this timeline's. But he was standing in front of Iago just as I showed my head."

"Are you saying that this was another Robin?"

"I am positive. No one else owns that Plegian cloak. Well, aside from Morgan."


"The hood..." Morgan realized, turning back to her father who waited patiently with eager eyes. Eyes that were shaded by his hood.

"Morgan, are you alright?" Realizing how weird she was acting, Morgan nodded and made off towards her room.

Dad never wore his hood.

And then everything clicked together. This wasn't Robin. No... Even if all the mannerisms, the voice, the personalities were the same.

Something was very off on this Robin. And the hood he wore just... disassociated himself from the Robin she had cherished as a father.

Because the other Robin she knew... The one she had so brutally recognized in Old Ylisse...

Grima.


AN: Alrighty! Here we are, at the start of the Battle of the Tacticians arc.

First things first: Taku/Sumi didn't quite get the response I wanted. Aside from the Pharah reference, no one really reviewed on that. I generally don't like commanding my readers to review, but just this once, can people tell me how I can improve those certain chapter styles? I'm trying to lean away from such heavy dialogue and am trying to balance it with more narrative and description, but I'll need your help.

For clarity's sake, yes, I am disappointed that no one really responded to the Clumsy Pineapple Dream pairing that makes a TOTALLY CANON KIRAGI/CYNTHIA BROPAIR.

Also, reviews arouse me.

Secondly! Battle of the Tacticians may be in full swing, but other characters need some love too! So expect pairs like Kana/Lucina, Caeldori/Cordelia, Gaius/Saizo, and Rhajat/Robin to make their debut! And if you're not happy with that, LIGHT ME THE F*CK UP with some dank suggestions and I'll get to work on those! I have been relatively on top of meeting my reviewer's requests, so please be daring and hopeful that I will fulfill your prophecies. Plus, I'm still trying to get the characters in character, and the more chances I get to write that aren't solely inspired by my own story arcs, the deeper into the beyond we shall go!

Also. 150k views worldwide since this story's humble beginnings with Lon'qu and Peri.

Finally!

On Ao3, I discovered the glorious option to insert PNG files.

Which means I might just illustrate this whole work.

Imagine that! Nothing too intricate, just black and white stills of scenes such as Lon'qu getting suffocated by Camilla's STR growths, or Hanna and Yanna haggling Morgan for some Fer-Oxi clean! Or even Corrin and Robin sharing a moment on Krismas! Or Niles and Henry breaking Pheros with arrows and spells...

I mean, if I could draw, that is.