DISCLAIMER: FIRE EMBLEM AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO NINTENDO.

From Zero

Chrom had his head rested on a palm, as he sat on the stairway of the Mila Tree.

After leaving the company of the others, he, Sumia and Cynthia walked a distance up the flight of stairs for some time to themselves. Their family discussion had yet to begin, the three simply sitting together in silence.

Chrom looked up into the starry sky. Although with a vacant expression, just below the surface lay a mind in turmoil. 'My daughter, ...has a daughter.' he thought to himself, finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact. It was a bittersweet feeling. Was this not what he wanted for Lucina? A chance to have grown up normally and lead a happy, peaceful life? Although Lucina had yet to actually accomplish any of these things in this timeline, with the arrival of Morgan, Chrom came to realize that his 'little girl', was not so little after all.

He felt an emptiness inside him. The fault was his own. He had deeply immersed himself in the role as a father, disregarding her age in attempt to make up for the precious years she's lost. And as he pranced around in his delusion, spoiling her like the princess she was to him, reality came knocking. Hard. But could anyone say what he had done was wrong? Was there any wrong with a father loving his daughter? Sure, Sumia had just given birth to the Lucina of this timeline, but time travel be damned, he was not about to go denying his relationship with the older Lucina. That night she had revealed herself to him, when the elusive and frightfully skilled 'Marth' had turned out to be his future daughter, who then after wept uncontrollably in his arms, he had made a vow. He swore to take on the sins and failures of his future self and do everything he could to give back Lucina what she had lost. But right now, he had been awoken to the fact that no matter how much time he had spent with her, he would never be able to return what mattered most.

He could never be the father that watched this Lucina grow up.

How many birthdays had she spent alone, without her parents? How many times had she been restless at night, without her mother to tuck her in? How many times had she been practicing the Ylissean Sword Style without her father around to guide her?

He had left her with nothing more than a sword to do battle and the burden of an entire kingdom on her shoulders.

Seeing his daughter hold Morgan in her arms had made the knowledge of his absence in her life all the more painful. He had missed it.

"Chrom?" Sumia asked, trying to finally start up the conversation.

"Yes, dear?" he responded, turning away from his gaze at the darkness both out and within.

"We should be happy about this." she stated with a soft smile.

"...I am. I am happy about it. I just... panicked is all. It's selfish of me, is it not? Worrying about myself when this is no doubt one of the joyous things to happen to our daughter. I... I just feel bad about her not having her parents watch after her up until now."

Sumia snaked her arms around him. "You're not selfish. You're doing everything you can for her, Chrom. Lucina knows that. The way she looks at you, she couldn't possibly bear any ill will."

Chrom took Sumia's hand and rubbed it against his cheek. "...I hope so. And it's not just me. You should see the way she smiles when she's with you. She loves you just as much."

"I know..." she whispered. She wiped away the small traces of tears and let out a giggle. "But who would've thought our little girl would be a mother? Well I would've... but who would've thought it to happen so soon?"

Another emotion began to surface within Chrom"...Wait a second. If Lucina has a child..."

Sumia felt Chrom straighten up. "Oh no. Dear, please don't d-"

"Who is the father!?" Chrom nearly yelled.

Sumia let out a sigh. 'It seems she'll always be his little girl.'

"I'm going to find that dastard and have him hanged! And I can do that!"

Cynthia let out a laugh, "Aww dad, you're overreacting. Lucy's already twenty."

In a flash, Chrom had sped over to Cynthia and pulled her in tight. "Cynthia, darling? You won't being getting married and having kids anytime soon, right? At least until you're 35."

"W-what? That's no fair! You and mom had Lucina when you were twenty-four!" Cynthia cried in protest.

Chrom flushed. "Tha-that's different. We have a country to run and we needed an heir to ease the concerns of our people."

"That's not what you told me." Sumia said with a devilish grin,

"Sumia!" Chrom yelled in embarrassment.

"Mom! Gross!" Cynthia cringed.

The family shared a laugh, one most appreciated given the previous atmosphere.

"But I really do wonder who Lucy could've married in Morgan's time." Cynthia pondered.

"Yes... as do I." Chrom said through clamped teeth. "Cynthia? Is there anyone among you and your sister's friends that would... pursue such a relationship with her?"

Sumia's ears perked. She remained silent and listened in.

"Well..." Cynthia began. "There's a lot of guys that thought Lucy was beautiful, even among other groups of survivors. But among our friends, there's Inigo."

"Inigo?" Chrom asked, trying to remain calm. "Who's child is that?"

"Aunt Olivia and Uncle Henry." she replied.

Sumia wanted to squeal. Finding out her friend Olivia had indeed married and had a child with her beloved Henry was too cute. 'Too bad about their kid though. Sorry Inigo, but not on my watch...'

"He tries to hit on Lucina all the time, but he's like that with every girl." Cynthia explained.

"Olivia and Henry's boy, huh? Who would've thought Olivia of all people would mother a womanizer. Who else?" Chrom asked, making a mental list of possible suspects.

"There's also Gerome."

"Gerome? You mean the one you came here with?"

"Yep. He always would always follow Lucina around. He was like our second in command, too."

"And who are his parents?" Chrom asked.

"Aunt Cherche and Uncle Frederick."

Chrom was taken back. "Frederick? You mean he's Frederick's son? Well... I guess that would explain why he would be constantly around her, but still..."

'Sorry Frederick, looks your family won't be marrying into ours in this lifetime...' Sumia schemed to herself.

"Dad, I still think you're overreacting. Sure, all the guys in our group admire Lucy, but so do all the girls as well. She's... the one who's kept us going all these years."

Chrom stroked Cynthia's cheek. "I know, I'm proud of her. She's grown into a fine young woman... But, I'm still her father. And whoever wants to make a move on my daughter has got to get through me and Robin, first."

"Huh? What's Robin got to do with this?" Cynthia asked curiously.

"Robin is a true friend, who's equally concerned for Lucina. I made him promise to help me scare off any mongrel that gets too comfortable. Well, he said he'd just talk things through but... that's where I come in!

Cynthia could only roll her eyes. "Perhaps instead of looking out from the watchtower, you should see who you're stationed with, first..." she mumbled.

"Huh? What was that, Cynthia?" he asked.

"Nothing, dad." she sighed.

Chrom frowned, reaching up to rub her head. "All right, enough about your sister. This is family discussion time, right? I want to hear all about what my other princess has been up to." he finished with a grin.

Cynthia beamed at him. "Alright! Stay seated, because there's whole bunch I gotta tell you! ...Oh, and dad? Mom? One last thing before we move on... Both me and Lucina love you two. Not once have we ever blamed you for what happened... So... So don't be sad, okay?" she finished quietly.

"...Thank you, darling" Chrom whispered, fighting back tears.

The other Shepherds had settled back at the fortress for the night.

Robin was alone in the tent he had set up. Although there was plenty of space in the fortress's barracks, he wanted some time to himself.

He was busy transferring over new magic he got from the Sages into a new Tome. His loss of Forsetti and Mjolnir would greatly decrease his ability in battle, not that Robin wasn't already capable in a fight. The Sages from Bora's village were kind enough to lend him a few spells to suit his needs. From them, he had received Arcfire and Elwind. Although a much weaker variant, he would still be able to replicate Forsetti's movement augmentation to a degree with Elwind. Bolganone's uselessness in the last battle had made him aware that he needed a more powerful fire spell that didn't rely on the environment. He also decided to later finally get around to asking Henry and Tharja to teach him of the dark arts. He may have lost a lot of firepower, but he sought to make up for it with variety and quick thinking.

He inscribed the various texts and symbols, flying through pages.

When he finally finished, he set his new Tomes aside and laid on his bedroll. Robin figured he could always return their tomes the next day.

As he closed his eyes, the peace he long sought for vanished as the various events of that day replayed in his head.

The Shepherds had returned to finally claim the Mila Tree from the Valmese. Their initial charge was interrupted by the arrival of two more future children. One had been Lucina's sister, Cynthia. A cheerful, bubbly girl, not unlike her mother Sumia. She seemed friendly and likable enough, but her brief, sly remarks such as the one from earlier made him a bit wary.

The other, Gerome, was less than welcoming towards him. He was the first time traveler, nay, the second to openly emote hostile intentions towards him. He would have counted Severa, but from what he's heard, it's more of an issue of personality than a vendetta of some sort.

During their visit to him earlier, Gerome spared no effort in pummeling him with the knowledge that he was not a Shepherd in their time. In truth, Robin felt sick to his stomach after being so abruptly confronted. However, Robin had a feeling that similarly to Lucina, something had happened in that future to have done this to the young man. He knew that Gerome was merely a victim. Robin could see it. Within that rugged facade, Gerome cared deeply for his friends. And to some extent, he seemed to pay special attention to Lucina.

Robin had yet to confirm who Gerome's parents were, but upon hearing about him in the past, he had deduced Frederick to be a plausible father. Coupled with Gerome's wyvern and almost servant like mannerisms, he felt that Cherche was a safe bet for his mother. It made sense, considering the increasing amount of time the two spent with one another ever since she had joined them. He was bothered by what Gerome's stance on the situation could mean for his relationship with his parents in this time. Gerome was a Shepherd. And as one, Robin felt compelled to help the man reach out to the others, despite the obvious refusals that would surely come.

Another event of interest was their unprecedented alliance with the Valmese. By no means was Robin about to 'get soft', as Basilio said, but fighting side by side with the Valmese General had awakened long suppressed thoughts. That regardless of them being the enemy, the Valmese were people as well. Cervantes, much like himself, seemed to care a great deal about his own men's lives.

The General had made note of the annihilation of the Valmese Armada at sea. Cervantes had no doubt sensed the weakness that he had let out upon being reminded of the massacre, yet for some odd reason, he did not choose to capitalize on the his state and further drive him into despair. Instead he had strengthened his resolve by telling him that what he did was right. At first, he had thought the sympathetic gesture was merely some ploy to lure the Ylisseans into complacency, but Robin had realized that couldn't be farther from the truth. From what he gathered from how Cervantes carried himself, the General was a man who respected his enemies. He took pride in his Empire, wanting the best for it. In turn, his words came off as if anyone were to challenge them, he wanted only the best to be his adversary. It was a frightening sense of patriotism indeed.

Robin knew not what the Valmese fought for, or why they so enthusiastically sought to expand their domain across the globe. But there was one thing he felt he could confirm. The Valmese had no sinister agenda. Despite Walhart's title as Conqueror, Cervantes, who seemed to be rather close to the Emperor, had given him the feeling that it was not simply power or world conquest that drove them. They had a motive, one which still eluded him. Unfortunately, this was war.

Even considering the insight, Robin knew that the Valmese were prideful. Cervantes, the enemy turned ally, and soon to be enemy, was the embodiment of a true warrior. Ruthless, yet respectful. He knew the only way to repay the General was to hold true to his word and thank him with the clash of steel on the battlefield. It would be a fight in the purest form, no bitter feelings, just two men seeking out whose ideals would carry them through.

But, Robin felt that he was getting sidetracked from his duty as a Tactician, when he came to admit that what had been on his mind the most today was not the war. Right now, the largest issue that was currently occupying his thoughts was Lucina, and the events surrounding her. She was a mother. Her amnesiac daughter Morgan, was almost the spitting image of her. 'How will this change this change things? I might not be able to talk to her as much as I used to.' he thought guiltily.

As ashamed as he was to admit, Robin felt that over the course of a month, he had grown somewhat dependent on the blue haired time traveler. Lucina had mentioned how much he had done for her in that small amount of time, but Robin knew that she had returned the favor two fold. He quickly felt his gut sink inwards at realizing how narcissistic he must have seemed right now. Lucina had just experienced would could very well be a life changing event, yet here he was worrying about where he would stand after the dust had settled.

He brushed the selfish thought away immediately. 'No, this won't change a thing. Lucina... she's my friend. Even if she's busy with her child, I should be there for her. It's my turn to be there for her... Maybe I should even talk with Morgan tomorrow. ' He smiled at the thought of getting acquainted with his friend's child. 'It seems that I'm always the guy for those kinds of jobs'.

He sat up to remove his boots and coat, setting them on the chair by the desk.

He hadn't had the chance to get some proper rest since the battle, with Lucina and her friends barging in on him and all.

As he turned to his side, he thought of Morgan. He did mental calculations with members of her lineage in order to deduce her possible personality. He feared Morgan would have inherited Lucina's mischievousness, the thought alone sending shivers down his spine even while under a blanket. 'Although I don't know who the father is...' He felt a strange emotion come over him. 'But whoever he is, he better be good enough for her... ... ... Gods, I'm starting to sound like Chrom...'

He let out a groan and decided that was enough reflection for the night. He shut his eyes and mentally recited the passages from different Tomes until he slowly drifted off into sleep.

Lucina and Morgan walked down the steps of the large stairway.

Morgan had gotten over her state of confusion and insecurity, happily walking beside Lucina.

"So where are we going, mother?"

"You, are going to bed." Lucina stated.

"To sleep!? What do you think I've been doing the past few days in that cell?" Morgan whined.

Lucina let out a giggle. 'This truly is a conversation a mother and daughter would be having.' she thought, proud of the good start she made. "That may be so, but you'll need to get up early and have breakfast with all of us. After all, I still need to properly introduce you."

"But I can just stay up all night and I'll be good to go in the morning."

"Morgan..." she said sternly.

"Fiiine." Morgan pouted.

Lucina dropped her look of disapproval. "How about I read you a book before you go to bed?"

"A story? Alright! What are you going to read me?"

"A book that my mother used to read to me. It's my favorite. It's about a knight that ventures off to sa-"

"Save a princess from the evil wizard." Morgan finished.

Lucina looked at her, stunned. "You know it?"

"Of course I do. It's my favorite story as well! You always used to read it to me when I was younger." Morgan said cheerfully.

"I did..." Lucina trailed off, her lips curled upwards. "Well then, I hope you don't mind hearing it again."

"Of course not!"

Lucina spotted her parents and sister sitting on the steps. "What are you all doing?"

The three spun around in surprise.

"Ah, Lucina! You scared me, dear." Sumia breathed. "...Are you two okay?" she asked, leaning her head to peek at Morgan.

"Yes, Morgan feels much better now." Lucina turned towards Morgan, who was standing behind her. "Morgan? This is my family. Your aunt Cynthia, grandmother Sumia, and grandfather Chrom."

Sumia nearly died of joy. 'Me? A grandmother!?' Truth be told, the thought wouldn't leave her be since Morgan arrived. But to finally hear it, set the woman off.

Chrom tried his best to put on a smile, but ended up looking forced and awkward.

Cynthia had already ran over to Morgan and grabbed her hands. "Hello, Morgan! Aww, look at you, you're soooooo cute!" Cynthia squealed, reaching up to pinch Morgan's cheek.

Morgan cheeks quickly went beat red. "H-herro aurnt Cyrn-thia." Morgan soon found her other cheek being pinched, shifting her gaze to find Sumia with wide eyes. "Gr-grandmudder?" she sputtered.

"You're simply precious!" Sumia cried with glee.

Before the two women could assault the poor girl any further, two strong arms gently grabbed hold of their hands and removed them from Morgan.

Morgan came face to face with Chrom. "...Thank you, grandfather."

Chrom knelt down and looked Morgan in the eyes.

Morgan couldn't break the intense stare between her and Chrom, fidgeting a bit.

And suddenly, Chrom raised his hands to pinch both of Morgan's cheeks. "They're right. Adorable indeed." he said with a friendly grin. He let the poor girl be, getting up to hug her properly. "Welcome to the family, Morgan."

Lucina was again moved to tears, seeing how welcoming her family had been. She felt an arm tug her in.

"Get in here, you." Chrom smiled.

The now five member family shared a warm hug before calling it a night and heading off to bed.

The other future children, who decided to sleep within a large tent to themselves, were discussing the pressing matter at hand.

"So are we aunts and uncles as well?" Kjelle asked.

"Of course we are." Severa spoke proudly. "And as Morgan's aunts, we need to get her a new outfit quick. Hopefully she hadn't fully inherited Lucina's fashion sense..." she shuddered.

"I can't wait to tell her all about the tales of her uncle's heroic journey to prevent the apocalypse.." Owain grinned.

"...I don't believe this." Gerome groaned, sitting on the bedroll he had received.

"Come on, Gerome. Didn't you hear what Robin said? This is a good thing." Owain said from his corner of the tent.

"Why should we trust this Robin anyway? Like I said, to my knowledge, he's no Shepherd."

"What's got your small clothes tied in a knot?" Severa muttered from behind the book she was reading.

"Gerome, I know how loyal you are to Lucina, and I know you're just looking out for her, but believe us. We can trust Robin." Kjelle stated, polishing her shoulder plate.

"Yeah, Gerome. Besides, he technically became a Shepherd before all us. " Owain said with a grin. He was abruptly hit by a pillow in the face.

"...So I'm the bad guy here? Is that what you're saying? 'Gerome just can't let his guard down', is that it? May I remind you all that we're in the middle of a war! Go ahead, say what you want. But if it means keeping her and all of you safe, I'd suspect anyone of anything!" Gerome seethed.

The three remained silent out his outburst.

Owain slowly stood.

Severa grabbed his arm. "Owain! Stop, just leave him alone!" she whispered.

"He's our friend. That's why we need to tell him like it is." he responded.

Severa was stunned. She'd never seen Owain like this.

Owain slowly walked over to Gerome, slamming the pillow back at him. "Gerome, I don't know what the hell you've been doing the last few years, but things have changed. You still won't interact with this world? Have you been hiding out in a cave all this time? This may sound odd coming from me, but you need to wake up, friend. What's going on here is bigger than just us. It's not only our lives on the line. I know you said once that the future couldn't be changed, but surely you see things differently after today! After with what happened to Lucina! How can you deny it?!" Owain cried in frustration.

"It's not my place to say. It's true, I thought this world and ours were beyond saving. Even after everything that's happened, even if I may have changed my mind, it won't change the fact that we are mere outsiders among the people of this time. We don't... belong here."

"...Then why are you even here?" Owain asked bitterly.

"Owain!" Severa yelled at his harsh remark.

"If you don't care about the people here, nor do you think this future can be saved, why are you fighting?" Owain pressed on.

"...I fight for my lord."

"Don't give me that shit, Gerome! Have you ever even taken into account what Lucina truly wants, instead of blindly 'serving' her? ...She'd hate to see you like this."

"..."

Kjelle walked over, glaring down at him. "Gerome, you're our friend. Not only Lucina, but we hate seeing you like this. Times have changed. I truly hope you come to your senses, because as you are now... you don't deserve her." she spat, before going back to her end of the tent.

Gerome scoffed angrily, laying down and turning his back to them.

Owain pinched the bridge of his nose. Had he and Kjelle gone to far? They merely wanted their friend to stand beside them, not behind. He felt a hand tug on his sleeve.

"Let's... Let's just get some rest." Severa spoke softly, urging him to get back to his own bedroll.

The future children remained silent for the remainder of the night, the air filled with tension.

Morgan and Lucina had woken up early the next morning as planned.

The night before, after a bit of struggling, Lucina was finally able to tuck Morgan into bed, reading her the story as promised. It wasn't too long after that when the young girl had dozed off into peaceful slumber.

The two now stepped into the mess hall set up specifically for the Shepherds and other leaders, the troops having their own.

Several of the Shepherds were already up, chowing down on their hot meals.

Lucina brought Morgan over towards an unoccupied table. "Wait here for a bit. I'll go grab us some breakfast." Lucina said, seeing that Libra was not around.

"Okay, mother." Morgan said sleepily, rubbing her eyes while taking a seat.

Morgan let out a yawn and plopped onto the table. She spied a book in the seat next to her. Carefully picking it up, she flipped through the pages to find various writings and symbols within. She recognized this kind of book from somewhere before, but...

"Ah, what a surprise. Look who's here." A voice called from behind her.

She spun around to find a young man in a large coat holding a tray of food.

"I see you've found my Tome." the man said.

Morgan frantically fumbled around with the Tome in her hands, before holding it out to him. "...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been looking through it." she apologized.

The man let out a laugh, taking the Tome and setting it on the table. "It's fine, no need to be so tense, Morgan. I'm a friend of your mother."

"You... are?" she asked.

The man grinned. "Yeah. Let me tell you something. Among us, the Shepherds, we're all friends. So don't be so stiff, okay?" he said, noticing the girl's rigid posture.

Morgan nodded, softly smiling back.

The man extended his hand out to her. "My name is Robin. Nice to meet you, Morgan."

Morgan accepted the friendly gesture, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Robin."

"So how are you? I'm sure you've already been introduced to Chrom and the rest, right?"

"I'm fine, still a bit sleepy though. Yeah, I met them last night. I don't exactly remember them, but... I'm glad to know they're my family." Morgan said with a heartwarming smile.

Robin couldn't help but smile back. "You should be. They're all wonderful people." he said, taking a seat across from her. "You know, I also have amnesia."

"You too!?" Morgan said in surprise.

"Yep. I don't remember anything from before two and a half years ago." he explained.

"They never came back? Is it... scary?" she asked softly.

Robin cocked his head. "You mean my memories? No, they haven't. I'll admit, it is a bit scary at times, not knowing anything. But you'll be fine, Morgan, I'm sure of it. Like I said, we're all friends here, and we're here if you ever need anything." he said, cutting into his eggs.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Thanks. You know, you're real nice, Robin. No wonder your friends with mother." she said cheerfully.

Robin chuckled. "I guess."

"And I like your coat, too." Morgan said, looking to keep up the friendly atmosphere through the use of compliments.

"This old thing? Well, I suppose it is nice. Thank you. And I see you take after your mother quite a bit." he said, pointing to her outfit with his fork.

Morgan straightened out the tiara on her head. "Yeah, mother passed it on to me for my birthday."

"You can remember that?"

"Well, I can only remember things about mother. Everything else is a bit washy still." she said, knocking a hand against her head.

"Don't strain yourself. Take it from me, the migraines you'll get from overworking your mind like that are killer."

"I won't. Besides, it might be kind of fun meeting everyone again. That's assuming I've already met them before."

"I'm sure you have. Chrom raised Lucina around the Shepherds like they were her family. I wouldn't be surprised if Lucina did the same."

"Morgan, be careful. That man is dangerous." Lucina said, setting down two trays of food.

"W-what?" Morgan yelped, leaning back. She narrowed her eyes at Robin. "You... you were lying to me?"

Robin shot a smirk at Lucina "Is that anyway to be introducing me to your daughter?"

"I wasn't lying, was I?" she said smugly. "So, Morgan. I believe you've just met Robin?"

"Yeah... Wait, is he dangerous or not?" she asked in confusion.

Lucina giggled. "I was joking, darling. Robin's harmless."

"And now you're making it sound like I'm a wimp." Robin sighed.

"Morgan, Robin is the other child I've been taking care of." she said, stifling a laugh.

"Whaa?" Morgan was only further stumped.

"No, Morgan. I've been the one taking care of your mother. Why, just the other day, a remarkably large wasp had come around an-"

"Now your just making things up!" Lucina shouted.

"And you weren't? Besides, you are afrai-"

"I-I am not! I'm simply wary of the much lar-"

"That's the same thing."

The two were interrupted by a Morgan's fit of laughter. "Hehehe, you two are friends."

Robin and Lucina smiled at one another, deciding to set aside their childish squabble.

"Alright, enough of that. We're supposed to be the adult's here aren't we?" Robin asked, getting back to his food.

"That's right. Very mature of you, Robin." Lucina agreed, handing Morgan her food.

"I've got to say, you're handling this pretty well."

"You think so?"

"Mhm. I always figured you would be the type to make a wonderful mother." Robin said, taking a sip from coffee.

"...Thank you."

"So, Robin, when did you meet mother?" Morgan asked, already done with her food.

"Wow, you work fast." Robin exclaimed, eyeing the clean plate in front of her. "And to answer your question, only a month ago."

"Only a month?" Morgan asked in surprise.

"Yeah, you should've seen it. Your mother used to hate me, you know." he said, a smile forming on his lips.

"She did?" Morgan asked, looking to Lucina.

"I said I was sorry about that..." Lucina mumbled, poking at her food.

Robin laughed. "Oh, believe it. We got into a fight the very next day after she joined us."

"You fought? What did you do?" Morgan asked.

"I hadn't done anything. Your grandfather made us spar."

"So who won?"

"Your mother did. That was one hell of a slap..." Robin trailed off.

"You deserved that!" Lucina yelled.

Robin raised a hand in defense. "Despite that, you're lucky to have her as your mother, Morgan. She's someone you'd want to have next to you in and out of battle."

Lucina pouted, secretly reveling in the compliments.

"You really think highly of mother, don't you Robin?" Morgan asked.

"Of course, I honestly don't know what I would've done without her."

By this time, Lucina's face had grown hot.

"Mother? You look kind of red." Morgan said, putting the back of her hand to her forehead.

"I'm fine dear, I must have drank too much coffee at once."

Morgan's eyes shot to her full cup. "...Right."

"Anyways, have you got any plans today?" Lucina asked Robin.

"I did want to do some training later. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you could help me take Morgan around to meet everyone."

"I guess I can help with that, but wouldn't it be easier to just introduce her to everyone when they get here?"

"She has amnesia, remember? That worked with me and my friends because we already knew the Shepherds."

Robin tapped his head. "Ah, that's right. Well I'd be happy to help, that is if Morgan doesn't mind me intruding on time with her mother."

Morgan shook her head. "No at all! You're my first friend here, Robin, so I don't mind."

'Her first friend. What a coincidence,' Lucina thought, as she stared at Robin. It seemed the man was eternally bound to her father's family, not that she minded. "Then it's settled. I appreciate the help."

"Don't mention it."

The flaps of the tent fluttered open, revealing Chrom and Sumia. They immediately spotted the three and headed over.

"Good morning." Sumia chirped, kissing both Morgan and Lucina on the cheek.

"Good morning, mother."

"Morning, grandmother."

"How about dad?" Chrom asked, leaning in to peck them both on the tops of their heads.

"Do I get a kiss too?" Robin asked with a smirk.

Chrom rolled his eyes, taking a seat. "So I've see you've met Morgan."

"I have. Cute kid."

"Very." Chrom agreed. "Morgan? Robin here is our army's Tactician."

Morgan paused for a moment. "Tactician... Tactician... You mean the one who draws out the plans?" she asked.

"Precisely. Smart guy, but watch out, he's dangerous." Chrom said with a smile.

Morgan giggled. "That's what mother said!" Robin groaned in the background.

"Now, now. Quit picking on poor Robin." Sumia scolded them, setting down her and Chrom's food.

"Ooh! Ooh! Who's picking on Robin?" Cynthia asked as she entered the tent.

"There you are. Good morning, sis."

"Good morning, dear."

"Why do you sound excited that they're picking on me?"

"Good morning, darling."

"...Don't ignore me"

"Good morning, everyone!" Cynthia said cheerfully, taking a seat beside Robin. "So... what did he do this time?" she asked, nudging him with her elbows.

"Wha? Why are you acting like you kn- You just got here yesterday!" Robin cried.

The rest of the family could only laugh at their disgruntled friend.

"I hate you people. Even YOU, Morgan." He moaned.

Morgan merely stuck her tongue at him, before giggling.

"Come now, Robin. We're just joking." Chrom said, reaching across and lightly punching Robin on the shoulder. "I think I speak for all of us when I say you mean a great deal to this family."

"...I am pretty amazing, aren't I?" Robin said nonchalantly.

"He's back." Lucina muttered.

"Joke's aside, Robin, I mean it. You've done more for this family than you could imagine." Chrom said with a smile.

Robin relented on his wise cracking, offering a sincere smile. "And in return, you've given me one." he spoke, glancing towards the other Shepherds around the room.

"I hear you."

A/N: Taking a break from the war, the next couple of chapters will revolve around the few days they stay at the Mila Tree before moving on.

From Zero, meaning Morgan will have to connect with the Shepherds from scratch.

Til next time!