Similar and Different A

-A-

Morgan found what she deduced to be Lucina's tent, it was unassuming and had a view of Chrom's tent, she gathered reports of her skulking away in the area, and the fact that she could watch over her father and mother from here made sense...though it also happened to be in the middle of her father's tent also, as well as her own, which seemed strange.

Maybe that was because she had three tents who housed very special people to her, though why Morgan was important was as mysterious to her as her amnesia, she didn't draw up the army's plans, so it was either something else entirely and she was way off, or she was right and Lucina thought highly of her. "No, you idiot, not that highly!" she chided herself.

She heard something as she approached the tent, it sounded like someone was crying.

"H-hey, Lucina, you alright in there?" Morgan asked, waiting for a reply, but upon hearing none, she let herself in, "Lucina, I-"

Lucina looked up from her bed and held her blanket above her face, her dark blue eyes peeking over her blanket, "Lucina, I...I didn't mean to intrude. Is there anything I can get you?"

Lucina shook her head and stared at nothing in particular, "Well...if you want someone to listen, I'm right here, and if I can help, I will."

"Morgan...I don't know what I'm doing anymore!" she cried, trying to muffle herself with her pillow, "One day I had a clear idea of what I was doing, now it's gone! The longer I stay here, the longer it seems this world is condemned to the fate of our own former home, I confess, I've finally lost my way!"

"Lucina, I think you're trying too hard, you need to find something to occupy yourself with...you're always so stressed out, it can't be good for you." Lucina lazily raised her eyelids enough to see Morgan before looking away from the smiling girl, "I know, pretty easy for someone with no life to speak of, but I find it's best to take what we have, and run with it!"

"It's not that simple...I confess, I—I don't trust your father, I feel so horrible for saying so, but I think he's going to become Grima." Lucina broke into a heavy sob again and crushed the pillow against her, "Here you are trying to comfort me, and I say that!"

"Which is why you're crying?" Morgan wondered, sitting next to Lucina, "It's alright if it's hard to trust him, it's not like you can help it, and it's alright...to express...your fears, to give them...give them a name. You're crying because your ashamed of yourself for that, huh? I respect that you have fears."

"Not quite...I can't help but hate myself, because if your father was in the same place mine was the other day...I try to believe that I wouldn't—I try so hard," Lucina looked like she was suffering from some wound or something, and the thought crossed Morgan's mind that Lucina had an injury, but for the lack of blood she had to dismiss the supposition, "but the longer this goes on, the harder it is—I would have...acted like I didn't notice."

The silence in the tent was deafening, Morgan wasn't sure she understood, and Lucina was uncertain if she was clear. Lucina glared with wild eyes, tears trailing down her red face as she shouted, "I would have acted like I did notice and he would have died!"

"What?! Lucina, that...you?" Morgan's comforting smile was gone and she was on her feet, a disapproving frown on her face, "But I thought...I don't believe this."

"Me neither, I wish I never had those thoughts!" Lucina cried, "I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry for what, that I should make sure my father never gets in a situation where it's even slightly possible that he might need you? Lucina, my father's going to trust everyone to do their best, that everyone would try to have everyone's backs! But you'd just let him die?! I had thought so highly of you, this is just...unbelievable!" Morgan turned away from Lucina and stormed away.

"Who does she think she is?! It's one thing if she doesn't notice...but if she were to pretend...Lucy...way to kill my mood." she sat on a nearby stone and thought about the one she admired, having torn through time to save this world, to suffer so much loss and defeat, and then risk experiencing it anew, "I guess it's hard for me to think about, but...Dad, you wouldn't become Grima...would you, though? Lucina doesn't know what she's-"

Morgan bowed her head and stared at her hands, "She know exactly what she's talking about...what have I done? Lucina...what did you go through to get so far? To change time—a noble effort—a hard path, two years in a strange world trying to plan your next attack...I have no idea what I'm talking about...the shock of our time, it's scarred everyone worse than I know, easy for me to say you're wrong, isn't it? Self-righteous brat."

She started off solemnly to find Lucina's tent. She gingerly pulled aside the flap and peered inside. The young lord was lying on her pillow, folded over like a slice of bread, and unaware or indifferent to the presence of a visitor.

"Lucina." she whispered, her eyes welling up as she considered the pain she could have and likely did cause. Morgan wished that that lord would look at her and see that she felt so horrible, instead she found herself at a loss for words as the brokenhearted hero lay silent and ambivalent.

"Morgan...I...I don't know what to say," Lucina muttered into the pillow and sheets, tired and defeated, "this time isn't the same one...I should just forget that your father existed in another time, or just...I don't know, this isn't my time...I'm pointless anyway, selfish of me to try to...take charge like I do...I'm waiting, the end is close...is there no way to hurry that moment where I can do anything, or am I going to make a horrible mistake?"

"You've seen crazy things, Lucina," Morgan said, falling on her knees next to Lucina, close enough to draw her attention, or, hopefully, to make her presence known, since Lucina wouldn't look at her, though she couldn't blame her, "and I guess if I saw them too—especially my father...bringing Grima back, it'd been rough...but that? That it would have been the last straw, you know? It's been horrible and I can't believe it now, seeing him, it must have been so traumatic for you, seeing all that death, and me knowing who was the cause of it, maybe that's why my memory cleared itself...it was too painful to think about, I only remember the good things about him...I tend to go over the top, so maybe I overdid overpowering his bad reality with his good one, and forgot everything else."

"You don't need to apologize to me, or explain yourself, I didn't show up to let someone die...I came here to keep someone alive." Lucina groaned dismally, "How much longer until the time to act?"

"Don't dismiss yourself...I have to say, I'm not impressed with your line of thought," Morgan said, resting a cautious hand on Lucina's shoulder, "but after what you've gone through, I can't say that I would be any better than you, who knows what I'd be like if I had memories? I just...you couldn't do that, could you? Look the other way, I mean."

"I don't know...I think about it, but I just can't...I always liked to think that when the time came, I'd do the right thing...now I'm not even sure...what is the right thing? To leave that terrifying decision where it is, glaring me in the face, or make myself the most horrible person...or is that what leaving it there would do, to not do what I know will save people? It's easy to let the course of destiny remain unchanged...making it run in your favor is hard, and for two years I did my best, but to what end?" Lucina sobbed loudly, despite her best efforts, "I can't survive if they die again, it'd be too much!"

"Lucina...you didn't ask for this to be thrown on you...you made the best of what you had-"

"I could do better, if I just shut up and think, I could do far better! It's not too late, I'm just...too stupid to see what it is I have to do!"

"That isn't true, you're just desperate to save the future."

"We all are, here I am acting like I'm the only one dreading what happens next!" Lucina clenched her jaw and swallowed, "There has to be a better way than just letting Robin die...maybe taking him out myself would be best...I don't know, and I'm scared to think about it."

"Lucina, I don't want to see you go that way, please...try to understand."

"I do understand...we both just got our families back, but...that said, I'm not sure I trust you either."

"Well, that's fair...after what you've been stuck remembering, the least I can do is understand you...even though it hurts." Lucina raised her eyebrow and Morgan gave her a sad laugh, "Well, if I wasn't suspicious enough to warrant your intent scrutiny, then I am now!"

"It's fine...please, just...g-" she almost told Morgan to go away, but when she thought about it, there were better ways to send someone away, "goodnight, Morgan."

"Uh, alright, goodnight, Lucina." Morgan waved and went back outside.

"It's not like I mean to," Lucina whispered sorrowfully, "it's just...something that happened...how I wish I could trust, and you most of all...but you were right, I am going to keep an eye on you...not how you suspected, though. What's going on in my life, what life do I have, to live so tortured? What am I doing...I wish this wasn't so painful."

A/N: Well, I think you understand the "ailment of the heart" line now; Lucy's in love! It's complicated, too, though...painfully so.