A young woman entered a mostly empty restaurant. She walked up to the bar and brushed her short, messy, blue hair out of her eyes to get a look at the menu.
"Heya! Can I get a... A bear meat sandwich?"
The bartender just stared at her incredulously.
"...That robe. Someone just came in wearing the exact same thing. Funny thing is, he was actually looking for someone wearing the same robe as him..."
The girl's eyes lit up at the mention and a wide grin crossed her face. Could it be...?
"OH MY GODS WHERE IS HE!?"
"Woah woah woah! Calm down! He's over there in the... Um... Ma'am?"
By the time he finished his sentence, the girl had already rushed off.
Near the back of the restaurant sat Robin and Lissa, enjoying a quick lunch before they continued their search for Morgan. She couldn't be far, Flavia's spies said she was certainly staying in this city...
"Lissa, come on! It's just bear meat! Try it sometime, I promise it's -GAHH!"
Suddenly, a blur shot out from the side and knocked Robin onto the floor. Lissa instinctively grabbed her tome, preparing a fire spell... Until she realized just what the blur was.
Although Chrom had tasked Lissa with protecting Robin, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of one of the most powerful mages in the world tackled to the ground in an instant by his own daughter.
"OH FATHER I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"
He could barely breathe, but Robin responded by simply bringing his daughter closer. He slowly pulled himself off of the floor, with Morgan still clinging to his side, and she eventually loosened her grip enough to allow air to flow freely into her father's lungs.
"Morgan, I missed you too. So, so, much. And I'm so sorry I had to leave, but-"
Morgan shook her head and stared at the ground. "No... Don't be sorry. You told me... You told me a tactician should never put their own life above the lives of their troops. You saved so many people. You made the right decision... No matter how hard it was for mother and I... You... Oh, Father!"
She fell into her father's arms again, sobbing uncontrollably.
"She really is like her mother, eh?" said Lissa. "You remember when Lucina finally told Chrom who she was?"
Robin just nodded at Lissa, clearly trying to give his full attention to the still crying Morgan. Eventually, though, the younger tactician calmed down.
"How... How long ago did you get back?" asked Morgan, wiping her eyes.
"About a week." replied Robin. "Your grandfather found me in a field just outside of Ylisstol, and the next day, I came here to see you. Chrom sent your aunt Lissa with me to make sure I didn't do something stupid and get myself killed before I got here."
"Hi Morgan!" the Ylissean princess chimed in, smiling cheerfully.
"It's weird... I honestly don't remember any time passing between when I killed Grima and when I woke up." Robin admitted. "You'll have to catch me up on everything that's happened since I've been gone!"
Morgan smiled. "Oh! Father, let me see your hand! Your right hand! Is it gone!?"
Robin removed his glove to show his daughter that Grima's mark had finally vanished. "Before we fought Grima, I did some research on it. I believe it was the side effect of some long dead branch of magic Grima had been using to try and influence the members of his bloodline. What about yours?"
Morgan removed her own gloves -a fingerless, regal style she'd stolen from her mother- to show, as usual, the mark of Naga on the back of her left hand. Her right hand, however, had lost the mark of Grima it had displayed for most of her life.
"It faded shortly after that last battle. I'd figured it was something like that, though none of the books in the royal library had anything on it..."
"It's mostly conjecture, on my part. I haven't killed enough gods yet to know the exact origins and purposes of glowing magical birthmarks." deadpanned Robin. "Sit down, I wanna hear everything that's happened!"
"Well, um... After you 'died' me and mom were really broken up over it. She left to try and find you. I wanted to go with her, but she wouldn't let me."
As she said it, Morgan's normal cheery disposition began cracking to show just a hint of sadness and anger.
"She said it was dangerous... She didn't want me to get hurt... I left on my own, to search for you somewhere else..."
The younger girl quickly cast her eyes downward. Suddenly, she felt a hand clasp her shoulder, and looked up to see Robin's sympathetic face.
"...Morgan, she was only doing what she thought was right. I'm sure it was a difficult decision for her." said Robin. "And I know my words can't make up for it, but I'm certain she misses you just as much as you miss her."
Morgan frowned and, for just a second, tears formed in her eyes, before she forced herself to blink them back.
"I... I needed her..."
"Morgan..." said Robin, beginning to cry himself, his heart breaking over his own part in this.
She looked at her father and gave a halfhearted smile. "...I'm sorry, dad... This should be a happy occasion! For both of us! I mean, now that you're back, we can go look for mom!" said the young tactician, her normal optimism returning. "I know you both did the right thing by you, and that's all I can ask for. ...I'll be honest, it hurt for me. Like, a lot. A lot a lot. But, I've had a whole year to think it over. I can't stay mad at you two. Not when this whole situation is Grima's fault."
The older man gave a slight grin. "So, it's a plan, then? We leave to go find your mother?"
Morgan smiled back at him, earnestly this time. "Yeah. Just me and you travelling the world! It'll be a whole adventure!"
Robin chuckled in response. "Yeah, I'd like that."
He then turned his attention to the blonde across from him.
"Alright, look, Lissa. I know Chrom wants us to-"
"You were never planning on coming back to the castle to wait for her, were you?" interrupted Lissa, cocking an eyebrow at the mage.
"I... Not for a second." he declared. "I know Chrom won't approve, but... Gods, she's out there all alone looking for me... Morgan and I need to find her. Personally."
Lissa giggled. "It's kinda romantic, isn't it?"
"...Well, at least we've got your approval. ...And I had a whole speech prepared..."
"I kinda figured you'd be leaving. You've always gotta be the hero, eh?"
"Haven't changed a bit." he agreed.
"Well, at least, allow me to give you these before you go. Gifts from the royal family!" she said triumphantly, reaching into a bag she'd brought with her and handing him a heavy tome. An old, rare, piece by the looks of it. "It's from Chrom and Sumia. For you and Morgan. You'll need something to read on your journey!"
"'New and Amazing Works of Magic by...Lute the Great?' Lissa, this is very sweet of you, but I can't accept-"
"Oh, just shut up and take the gifts, will ya?" responded Lissa, a clear hint of annoyance in her voice. "Besides, you two are the only ones in the Ylissean royal family who might be able to pull off a spell or two from it."
"I... If you insist..."
Robin began flipping through the tome with unbridled fascination. Morgan, too was entranced by it.
"Yes, well..." continued Lissa, quickly losing her audience's attention. "There's some very advanced stuff in there. Stuff only a few people have been able to replicate. Sumia figured that with you being one of the best out there, maybe you could use it!"
Robin's mind wandered for a moment. While he was indeed a very powerful mage, he'd wondered how much of that simply came from Grima and how much from his own abilities. With Grima gone, he wondered if it would even be possible to reenact some of his more famous feats. Still, magic never just disappears, even when its source is killed... It's merely dispersed to new hosts...
"And Chrom told me to give you this letter if you decided to leave."
Robin took the small envelope and opened it, fearing what it might say. "...'Dear Robin. You're an idiot. With love, Chrom.' Well, that was nice of him."
"You know him. Blunt as they come."
Robin's only response was an exasperated sigh.
"And finally, saving the best for last... I got you this!" the princess said cheerily, handing him a small box. "Be careful! It's fragile! Also don't open it until you get on the road!"
"...Right..." said Robin, his voice dripping with suspicion about just what Lissa had put in the box.
"Anyway, I um... I think that's it! Be careful out there, you two!"
"Of course we will. Thank you so much, Lissa!"
The trio stood up and said their goodbyes, and then Morgan and Robin were off.
They bought some supplies in town. Being the royal tactician, Robin could more than afford it, and they soon had a small wagon with two horses to take them on the road.
"...You know, Morgan, we still could head back to Ylisstol and let Chrom's knights find Lucina. I don't wanna drag you across the world if you don't wanna come."
"Come on, now! Have you ever known me to back down from an adventure?"
"Heh. Fair point. Alright, then. First stop, Castle Ferox!" announced Robin with pride. The two headed out on the road. A year apart had done nothing to weaken the bonds that held their family together.
Chapter 3. Morgan! Wooo!
Some of you might be wondering why Morgan didn't bother disguising herself, while Lucina did in the previous chapter, when, theoretically, with them both being Shepherds, they'd be just as famous as the other. Well, my thinking was that it's in Lucina's personality to be far more worried, and honestly a bit paranoid, while Morgan is pretty carefree. Besides that, Lucina's alone in a more dangerous area of Valm, while Morgan's in a safer part of the world.
To rhoades: Well, she left to find Robin! In the game, after he disappeared in the battle with Grima, Naga had only said that he might pop up again, and a few of the Shepherds talk about wanting to find him. I basically took that idea and ran with it, and lo and behold, this fic!
...Unless you're implying that our dear princess had some ulterior motive for leaving, in which case, you'll have to wait and see!
I'm also thinking this will be like 20-ish chapters long. I've got rough drafts up to Chapter 8, but I'm kinda playing it by ear. *Shrugs*
To Owen : Heh, I was wondering if anyone would think that. That's the reason I had her wear a black wig, anyways... :P