Similar and Different X
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Lucina finally couldn't handle it anymore, Robin needed to go.
"Lucina, wait." Robin said, glancing at her blade before looking back at her.
"If my father is right, then we can change our fates." Lucina said winced as she imagined what Morgan would say about this, but she felt she was truly and soundly beaten, Validar won...unless she did this, "If this dark future is to be averted, sacrifices must be made. I am sorry, Robin! This is harder for me than you'll ever know."
"Lucina, you don't have to-"
"Don't make it harder! Don't resist, and your death will be swift and painless. If you hold any love for Chrom, then let this be done." she took a step forward and whispered, "Morgan...I'm so sorry."
Robin stared at her, then replied, "I have made my decision, Lucina, I think—what, my name's n-not...Morgan?"
"I...I can't!" Lucina partially ignored him and sheathed her blade then fell to her knees, "This is messed up, even if I could kill that future at this root...I'd never be able to look Morgan in the eye again!"
"Well, if you threw me off a cliff back rather than bloody Falchion you could tell Morgan and—wait, you didn't mention-"
"I can't, with or without Falchion, I can't just kill you and then walk away, I can't!" Lucina held her hands against her face, "Even knowing you kill Chrom...even knowing-"
"If you would stay your blade for fear of...a certain person's backlash-"
"No, if that was all that was holding me back, I'd have struck by now to protect them...if it was all for...someone, then it'd be for those I love...I can't, because...I don't believe this is the right way!"
"You don't know that that was me, it could have been that in your time, that friend of mine...Morgan-"
"No...no...she couldn't...no!"
"She's your friend, too?" Robin inquired.
"And you think you're not...you're practically family!" Lucina shouted.
"I suppose we are, you're father being my best friend...gods but you're a crazy niece!"
"Could you ever forgive this?"
"Lucina, I'm not quite dead enough to begrudge you." Robin smiled, crossing his arms, "But now I see...that's why you seemed injured in that battle the other day, you were reluctant to rescue me and nearly died doing so. All to kill me now?"
"It seemed like the end, I felt like I had to do something to stop my worst experience from returning!"
"I can't imagine...I commend you on not killing me, though."
"I still can't believe I was about to do that."
"Are you done now, Lucina?" Chrom asked, walking up from behind Robin to stand at her elbow.
"Father, I can explain!"
"No need, I heard every word...you're not the only one who can eavesdrop."
"Something all three of us seem to have in common." Morgan said, walking up from behind Robin's other side, earning incredulous looks from the trio, "What? I had to have gotten it from somewhere, it makes sense that you picked it up from Chrom, Father, it's simply a matter of when you taught me."
"Morgan!" Lucina exclaimed, "I-I don't know what I was thinking...it just-"
"I thought we had an agreement, we would find a way together, I trusted you!" Morgan yelled. Lucina bowed her head, Chrom and Robin exchanged a glance, both wondering why Lucina's lip was trembling, and why she looked so terrified.
"Why didn't you stop me sooner?" Lucina sobbed.
"Because...I saw how you was holding that blade, that's the way you hold it before raising it into a fighting stance, I was waiting for the transitional angling of your wrist before—I'll explain later! Right now I just want to say...you're scared, I get it, but you were supposed to at least talk to me first!" Morgan stomped the ground again, and Lucina backed away.
"I-I know, but you saw how Validar controlled him-"
"I know I was there, but out of all the things we spoke of-"
"I was scared for you!" Lucina shrieked.
"Huh?" Robin stepped back, his suspicion finally confirmed, after all this time.
"What?!" Chrom shouted, more in the dark than ever.
"H-how do you mean, me? I can fight, too, and Robin and Grima wouldn't have even been the same person, he'd have been sacrificed, Lucina, to a-"
"You think I don't know that?!" Lucina yelled, "You...I don't ever want you to see that, he's your father!"
"Oh, what, spare me the maybe pain by giving me the guaranteed anguish?"
"Yes! Or I was, but...that maybe caught me."
"Is it always the maybe that gets you?"
"But...he's your father." Lucina whispered, falling to her knees, "The thought of such a horrible memory falling on you...it's terrifying."
"And your my love, with whom I've made many fond memories." Morgan replied, kneeling and pulling Lucina up so she leaned on her, and stroked her back comfortingly, "It would hurt so much to know you killed my father...I'm glad you didn't, I was scared I'd have to stop you myself."
"I knew I'd regret coming up here." Lucina murmured.
"We all had our scare for the day, I think." Morgan said, looking up at the two friends, "We're all alive, we made it once, we can survive again, we just need to stick together.
"So, you two are together?" Chrom asked, trying to wrap his head around everything that was happening.
"I—yes?" Lucina swallowed as she waited for Morgan to say something.
"Well, I'm mildly concerned that my daughter hasn't gotten around to telling me yet," Chrom said, "but there's really no need to worry so much."
"I...I know...Morgan, I know that it was stupid to even consider this...I understand if-"
"No chance, Lucy, you're mine!" Morgan exclaimed, patting Lucina on the back.
"I—oh, thank you, Morgan!"
"Ah," Robin sighed, "so that's why you kept bringing up Morgan just now!"
"Hey." Chrom elbowed Robin and gestured at the girls.
"U-uh, right, just...that had me wondering." Robin explained.
"Uh-huh." Chrom said, not too impressed, "Anyway, I guess your uncertain confirmation was directed at Morgan."
"Ha, she got her possessive mannerism from her mother!" Robin beamed.
"Ahem!" Chrom raised his eyebrow and Robin nodded, "I think we should give them some silence, the Shepherds will certainly make a big to do out of this...there shall likely be cakes and pies...and right when I get serious about watching what I eat."
"Well, I'm not watching!" Robin laughed.
"Still, explains why they didn't tell anyone anything...one day I saw the two talking, and just the day before, Lucina had just been watching your daughter, like she was stalking a spy, then they're just laughing together...I guess that's about the time, huh?"
"I think I remember you mentioned that, it did seem like a sudden turn, for the better, I was always afraid our girls wouldn't hit it off as well as their old men."
"Ha! Are you kidding me? I'd say they hit it off better than we did!"
"And considering my daughter shares my suspicious circumstances, and that they apparently agreed to discuss things...I'd say Morgan knows about Grima using me in another world...Lucina and her, regardless of who first said it, must understand that Morgan could possibly be like me, thank goodness my father doesn't know...he probably doesn't even know I'm married. Anyways, the point is, they seem close, despite Lucina probably having considered everything that could surround Morgan's lost past."
"I agree, I was afraid her fear would be an impediment, but she seems to trust your kid even as much as I trust you!" Chrom laughed, "I'll order the Pegasus Knights and mounted archers patrol the hills."
"I was just thinking the same thing."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I remember how you and Her Highness stay out quite a while, even now, and I fear Lucina may be a lot like you!" Robin chuckled.
"Oh, well, if anyone can find a way to buy time talking, it's you, Morgan may surpass your expertise within a year, surely she's a master of conversation by now!" Chrom said, somewhat competitively, "Plus her own special blend of not revealing her thoughts, or so said you, the other day, and don't try to deny it, Frederick will vouch for me!"
"Frederick will vouch anyways." Robin said, annoyed that Chrom used the "Frederick" card, "So, our daughters, huh? A charming secret romantic who wishes to act on blissful impulses more than she lets on and the third most unpredictable genius I know I know."
"Gods help us all?"
"And I can only wonder what gave you that idea."
"Like father, like daughter."
"I guess we should go, now, huh?" Lucina whispered, interrupting Morgan's lesson on constellations.
"Nah, they probably have the hill secured, we're well within shouting distance of our friends around the hill." Morgan said, absentmindedly running her knuckle along Lucina's jaw.
"You know, if I didn't know that we were completely safe here...I might drag you back to camp with me after recalling the others, but we really don't get a lot of time to ourselves here."
"Hmm, true, but we'll have plenty of time after this is all over."
"Y-yeah."
"I know, it's hard to think that far ahead for you after all this stressful waiting around, but you need to let yourself trust us."
"I just want to lose myself in the moment." Lucina wrapped her arms around Morgan and rested her head on Morgan's shoulder, "You're so beautiful."
"I have to say, Lucina, you're right up there with me on that count." Morgan turned to Lucina and poked her face, giggling as Lucina swatted at her hand, "You know, you're a bigger than me."
"And that's relevant how?"
"I should make you my human pillow...I mean, it's like a giant holding onto a sapling during a storm."
"You're a sapling?"
"What? No, I mean size wise, tell me that's comfortable. Height is in your blood, Validar just looks tall because of his beard and hair."
"Oh...so it'd be more comfortable the other way around? I could do that."
"Yeah, see-" Morgan cried out in surprise as Lucina rolled them over once, Morgan landing on Lucina's other side.
"That better?" Lucina inquired.
"Y-yeah, that's good." Morgan whispered, slightly red, "Um, warm evening, huh?"
"I didn't notice." Lucina said, playing with Morgan's hair, "Comfy?"
"Huh...that's a question I never thought I'd hear from you."
"There's a lot I never thought I'd say." Lucina replied, helping Morgan hold a higher angle until their lips touched, pressing gently before lowering Morgan, "There's also a handful of things I never thought I'd feel or do. Ah, speaking of which, earlier today I...wasn't thinking, not clearly."
"Lucina...I know that you...you couldn't do that, and I know you felt like you had to, in the end you did the right thing by not acting, I think you also made a lasting impression on Father, he won't forget the despair you obviously felt, and neither will I." Morgan swept blue hair across Lucina's forehead and kissed her cheek, "I love you."
"I love you too."
"What...what do you think...it'll be like?"
"W-when it's over? Surely...there will be a happy conclusion, if we continue to give this our best effort."
"Yes, after...after we win."
"I don't know about everyone else, but I plan on living out the rest of my days with the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on." Lucina laughed when a blushing Morgan leaned up and playfully bumped her shoulder with her open palm, "Ha, ha, hey, careful, you."
"I know what I'm going to do...but you have to guess." Morgan said, eyeing her intently as she leaned on her arm, trying to match Lucina's height.
"Hmm, does it involve me?" Lucina asked, and Morgan nodded, "You're going to stay with me, right? I approve of that plan, quite ingenious."
"Well, it was my idea." Morgan said, darting up to offer her lips before Lucina found the words to argue with, then pushed her onto her back and smiled, gazing into her eyes, "So, I guess I should ask your parent's blessing."
"I-uh, yeah?" Lucina said, slightly uncomfortable, "I guess...do you have an idea of what you'll say?"
"Sure, I'll grab a drink, sit down with them, look them both in the eye...taking turns, of course, and then say, 'Sir, madam, you are the luckiest parents to have a daughter like Lucina, and I would like your parental permission to become the happiest woman in the world.'"
"Wow...that's so...elegant." Lucina was sure her parents would be surprised to hear the words from Morgan, considering her informal she was, "Did you rehearse? It must have been tough to write that up."
"Uh, actually, I just came up with it." Morgan said, laying on her back next to Lucina.
"Lucina, hey, come on." Morgan tugged at Lucina's hand as they ran through the halls together, but Lucina had been slowing down, and now they stopped outside a room where a baby could be heard.
"In a minute." Lucina said, pulling Morgan along with her as their hands slowly fell away from the other, and Lucina opened the doors.
"This is the room?" Morgan followed Lucina inside, and skipped up alongside her as she smiled down at the blue haired baby, "Aw, look at her hair, wow...now look what you did, I want to go mess up your time traveling counterpart's hair now!"
"It's strange...looking at myself, I'm you parents' age but I'm still their daughter too. I don't belong in this era, yet I've made a place here...it's been a couple of weeks now, you'll never mistrust your father's best friend...everyone made it out." Lucina sniffled as she reported to the child, "I want you to know how...happy I am now, it hasn't been easy, to know their was a baby here, who couldn't relive my past...and now you won't! To be honest...I was jealous of you, I knew my parents would be thinking of you, but now I think of you as...the twin I never had...I can only entertain that notion for the moment, though, I'm leaving tonight. I wonder if you'll have any siblings...who you'll fall in love with, what kind of person you'll become, that's in your future, though...not mine...and so it's here we part ways, if you remember me when you grow up...think nothing of it, I've done what I wished to do, the rest is up to you. Yours will be a happy life."
"Hey, lovebirds, what's the hold up?" Lucina turned around to find Anna looking back into the halls, "Hurry, my cart's scheduled to leave now! I can't very well sneak you out if you're still here, can I?"
"My love." Lucina smiled and took Morgan's hand, "Let's go."
"Tiki, Naga," Lucina bowed as she addressed the dragons, "thank you for your aid in humanity's struggle against Grima."
"You're very welcome." Tiki replied, "You came this far just to express your gratitude? I admit, I thought everyone would be celebrating."
"Well, we left," Morgan explained, "we don't really know where we're going now, but Lucina wanted to come by here."
"It makes sense...in your own time, you were the one who performed the Awakening, correct?" Tiki turned to Lucina, but felt her eyelids growing heavy.
"Yes, I'm so happy that it's finally all over...it wasn't always easy, but it was worth it."
"Well, she's asleep now." Morgan said waving her hand in front of the manakete's face.
Together they traveled the world, Morgan really didn't mind not getting back her memories as, she and Lucina were too busy making new ones to worry. No one knew if they journeyed to distant lands, or went back to their own time, but the certainty was that there was never a boring moment.
A/Ns: I just had to explore this...and then it exploded. I'm sure you understand. Anyways, I think this reached it's conclusion.