vii.
"Mother?" Morgan stood for a moment outside his parents' tent. In one hand he held a bowl of Stahl's stew, and in the other a small, tied kerchief filled with Morgan's secret sweets he kept hidden from Gaius. "Can I come in?"
No one answered. Morgan waited for another minute, softly calling for his mother. When still no response came, he quietly went inside.
The tent was only slightly bigger than the standard. A large bedroll lay in the middle, and maps hung from the walls. Robin's desk sat in one corner; a detailed layout of Plegia was unrolled on it. No one was there.
Morgan placed the food carefully on an empty part of the desk. He stood still, lost as to what to do.
A ruffling noise caught his attention, and he turned to see his father walking through the tent flap. Chrom's expression was more tired than Morgan had ever seen before. The Fire Emblem was conspicuously absent from his arm.
The Exalt stopped short when he saw his son. "Morgan?"
Morgan tried to smile, but nothing came to his lips. Instead, his eyebrows furrowed. "Do you...know where Mother is?"
"I was just looking for her," Chrom admitted. A smile came to his face, but it was a bit helpless and sad. Still, Morgan appreciated the gesture. "Let's go look together."
Morgan came to his father's side, and together they left the tent. Chrom put a hand on Morgan's shoulder, and though the young tactician's concerns didn't abate, the contact comforted him more than he could say.
"If I know your mother," Chrom said, his voice a quiet rumble, "something like this would've taken her out of camp where no one would find her. Well, no one except us."
Together, the two left the encampment. A few Shepherds glanced their way, but no one stopped them. They headed out into the hills surrounding the camp, in the opposite direction of the river. They began climbing one of the hills, but Chrom stopped short and held Morgan back.
The boy turned to his father, but froze.
"...I have no choice, Mother." Lucina's hard voice wafted from over the hill, on the breeze. "I must kill you."
Morgan's insides turned to ice. He whipped around, intending to rush up the hill, but his father grabbed him again and covered his mouth.
"Shh, shh," Chrom whispered, but his voice was rough and stern. "Just listen for a minute. I won't let anything happen."
Robin said something, but Morgan couldn't hear. He struggled in vain against his father, then forced himself to stop, trying to listen.
"In my future, you..." Lucina was saying. "You kill Father."
Chrom tensed.
"That's insane, Lucina!" Robin protested. "Why would I kill Chrom?"
"I wasn't sure of it myself. I knew he had been killed by his closest friend. I doubted it could be so that it was you, but...today's events make it clear. You are at Validar's mercy. I suspect it's he who forces you to take Father's life, and very soon..."
Morgan tried to shake his head. Tears were forming in his eyes. "Why," he tried to say to his father, but he couldn't speak around Chrom's hand.
"I told you, Morgan, I won't let anything happen," Chrom hissed. "Even if something does."
"If Father is right, then we can change our fates," Lucina continued. "If this dark future is to be averted, sacrifices must be made." Her voice had been harsh, but suddenly it broke. "I - I am sorry, Mother! I know this is matricide, I...know..."
"Lucina," Robin said, "you don't have to -"
"Don't make it harder!" Lucina pleaded, nearly shouting. "It...will be swift and painless. I-if you hold any love for Father, then let this be done..."
There was a pause, and finally Robin said, warmly, "My life is yours. It always has been."
Morgan let out a muffled cry, but he could still hear Lucina's choking sob.
"D-don't say that, Mother! Please don't! That only...makes it harder..."
He could hear the smile in his mother's voice. "I would give my life for Chrom. And for you, and for Morgan."
"Mother, please...," Lucina begged.
"I know you'll be quick about it," Robin said. "I love you, Lucina. I'm ready, so do what you must."
"I-I..."
"Damn it," Chrom hissed, letting go of Morgan. At once they both rushed up the rise, hurrying to get over the top.
"Damn me!" Lucina screamed in frustration, and Morgan finally saw his sister. The princess had fallen to her knees, and Falchion had dropped to the ground. Her tears reflected the setting sun. Her face was twisted in anguish. "I can't do it! I love you too much, Mother!"
Robin's expression seemed to be etched in sadness.
"I'm so sorry, Mother!" Lucina cried, bawling. "I'm so sorry! P-please forgive me!"
"My poor girl, there's nothing to forgive," Robin murmured, moving to sit next to her daughter.
"Mother!" Morgan launched himself toward the two women, collapsing to the ground beside them. He threw his arms around Robin and buried his face in her shoulder. She immediately returned the embrace and allowed her son to cry.
"M-Morgan?" Lucina stuttered, taken aback. Her voice was thick with tears. Morgan didn't move. He only tightened his grip around their mother.
"Are you done, Lucina?" Chrom asked sternly, coming up to them.
"F-Father!" Lucina looked up at the man and her eyes were red. "I-I can explain!"
"No need," Chrom said. "We heard every word."
"Then - then why didn't you t-try to stop me?"
"Because I knew you wouldn't do it."
Slowly, Morgan pulled away from his mother so he could turn his head and look at his father and sister. Chrom knelt and put his hand on Lucina's head.
"I know your heart is in the right place," he said slowly, like he was trying to keep a scolding tone out of his voice. "But I trust your mother. You cannot shake my faith in her. We've held fast through good times and ill. We swore to be two halves of a greater whole. You underestimate the strength of those ties, the bonds we share. I believe in them more than some foretold 'destiny.'"
Tears steadily dripped from Lucina's eyes. "That...is easier to say when you haven't seen it yourself."
Morgan hesitated. "Sister...?"
Lucina flinched and turned to her brother. "Y-yes?"
The young tactician sniffed, but forced his voice to be as strong as he could manage. "Aren't our ties stronger here now than they were in the future? I-I know I don't remember it all, but..."
"Morgan's right," Chrom agreed. "You said so yourself, Lucina. In this flow of time we are bound tighter than ever, you and I, and your mother and brother. I see all of you as not just my family, but my friends. We can change things. We already have, and we will again."
The princess was silent for a moment. Then she wiped away some of the wetness on her cheeks. "...All right, Father." She turned to Robin, looking scared, like a small child expecting punishment. "Mother, please, I hope someday y-you find it in your heart to forgive me..."
"Oh, Lucina," Robin murmured, reaching out and cupping Lucina's cheek. "There's nothing for me to forgive you for. Like I said, I would die for any of you."
More tears leaked from Lucina's eyes. "I pray... That is, I trust you all will prove me wrong. That the future will crack and fall apart before our family bond ever does."
Morgan finally pulled completely away from his mother. He gently grabbed Lucina's shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. She gasped, and her voice wavered.
"M-Morgan...?"
"I-it's okay, Luci," he said, no longer able to speak in anything above a whisper. "Everything will be all right this time around."
"But don't you - ?" Lucina started to sob again. "Don't you hate me? For t-trying to...?"
"I'm sad, and I'm hurt," Morgan admitted. He took a breath, and it felt like he was being crushed. "But I understand...and I forgive you. I could never hate you."
"M-Morgan..." Lucina returned the embrace and held onto her brother like he was her last link to life.
()()()
Morgan sits beside the campfire. He wants nothing more than to inhale his stew and retreat to his tent, but the meal is too hot. He resorts to blowing on his spoonfuls and hoping that the others will ignore him just as he is ignoring them.
But of course, that isn't the case.
"Hey, Masky," Vaike says, leaning forward where he sits on the other side of the fire.
Morgan looks up. "Yes?"
"Sully here's gotta be lyin' to ol' Teach," the axeman says. "You're not from the future."
"Jeez, Vaike, Chrom told you this too," Sully grumbles. "This's getting old."
What she says makes it seem like she doesn't think much of it all, but still, her eyes turn to Morgan. In fact, most if not all of the Shepherds eating dinner have turned their attention to him.
Morgan shifts. "Well, Vaike? Do you doubt Chrom and Sully?"
"It's not that I doubt them! I doubt this wacko story!" Vaike shakes his spoon at Morgan. "Ol' Teach needs proof."
"Vaike," Chrom says a bit tiredly, but at the same time he's smiling at the antics of his old friend. "I have his Falchion right here."
Vaike shrugged. "Could be a fake! He's a mage too, ya know! You never know!"
"...So, what?" Stahl asks. "You want him to tell us our fortunes?"
Morgan's stomach twists and he isn't sure whether he wants to eat anymore. Still, he forces more stew into his mouth to avoid speaking.
"Fortunes?" Sumia lights up like stars. Virion does, too.
"We can't prove if fortunes are real, though," Vaike argues.
"Yet Falchion is real," Robin points out, but that just sets Vaike back on his "fake" tangent. Some of the Shepherds are laughing; all seem to be enjoying the banter, but Morgan keeps quiet. When he finally forces down the last of Stahl's stew, he looks up.
A fact pops into Morgan's head, and at once his nervousness abates in favor of an old, half-familiar playfulness. "You want information, then," he says, and Vaike turns to him. "Not something you do in the future, but something you know now. Something only you know."
"Yeah, yeah!" The blond man pounds his fists against his knees in excitement. "That's perfect!"
"You sure?"
Vaike nods enthusiastically. "Prove yourself to ol' Teach!"
Morgan tries to suppress his grin. "On trips, you usually try to spy on the women when they're bathing."
Vaike drops his spoon, and suddenly finds himself surrounded by not only the majority of the female Shepherds, but also by Chrom and Frederick. Morgan can't help the chuckles that escape his mouth as Vaike gets bombarded. As casually as he can, Morgan stands and puts his bowl and spoon in the cleaning bucket and leaves. From his tent he can still hear the arguments going on, but the volume is diminishing. He let's out another laugh as he descends to his bedroll.
()()()
The next day brings another long march, but this time no Risen whatsoever cross their path. Chrom congratulates everyone on how well they're making time - in two days, three at most, they'll be at the border. Morgan wishes they all had horses.
After the Vaike incident, the Shepherds are starting to warm up toward Morgan - except Vaike, that is, especially since he's been exempted from training for a few days as punishment. In any case, Morgan appreciates the attempts at conversation from the Shepherds, but at the same time he's too nervous to speak on a large amount of topics for fear of bringing something up that hasn't happened yet. So, he mostly stays quiet unless spoken to.
That afternoon, Morgan's in the middle of setting up his tent when the sound of footsteps distracts him. He looks up to see his father standing above him.
"Did you forget about our spar?" Chrom asks. He's holding out the second-world Falchion. "We only have so much time left before nightfall."
Morgan blinks in astonishment, realizing that he did, in fact, forget somehow. He stands and accepts Falchion, then follows his father to the edge of camp. Kellam, Sully, and Sumia are already training; Kellam's stripped himself of his armor to practice throwing javelins toward the woods, and he looks like a completely different person. Sully is giving Sumia pointers on fighting with lances, but both women keep glancing toward Kellam like they're unsure about who he is.
Chrom leads Morgan toward an unused area and draws his Falchion to hold it in a two-handed grip. Morgan follows suit, feeling an excited tension well up inside him. He thinks he sees the smallest of smiles on his father's face, but then suddenly Chrom is attacking.
Chrom moves to strike downward, and Morgan darts forward. He ducks and moves to hit from behind, but the prince has already executed a forward roll to get away. Morgan pursues, but Chrom turns back toward him and blocks the attack, easily knocking the second-world Falchion aside; Morgan barely holds on to it. Chrom presses forward, forcing Morgan to act defensively. His hands feel numb from the force of his father's attacks. If Chrom is one thing, he's powerful.
"Is this all you've got?" Chrom taunts, and though he's sweating and panting already there's a grin on his lips.
Morgan grits his teeth. When Chrom tries to land another blow, he deflects it with all his might. Chrom falls toward one side and Morgan brings Falchion up toward his father's neck, but the prince uses his momentum to duck into another roll. Morgan turns to follow, slicing at Chrom's leg, but already Chrom is back on his feet and out of range. Morgan hisses a curse and darts into put his father on the defensive this time.
The mock battle wages on for several more minutes. Neither is able to take advantage of the other for long enough to execute a finishing move. Morgan has the upper hand in actual combat experience, but Chrom is the true swordsman, not to mention he's superior in both strength and weight.
Finally, the two step back. Morgan's throat feels painfully dry and he can't quite sense his fingers. His chest is heaving for breath, but so is his father's.
Chrom lowers his sword a little. "How about a draw for now?"
The offer surprises Morgan. "A draw?" When Chrom nods, he considers it, then sheaths Falchion.
"I'll take a draw," he says, finding himself laughing. "I've never won against you anyway, F -"
He stops.
Chrom's eyebrows knit together, and Morgan thinks his heart jumps into his throat. He looks away.
"F-for we've sparred like this in the second world," Morgan says, cursing himself, but before either of them can continue, Frederick comes rushing onto the scene.
"Milord!" He hurries over to Chrom. "This was most unwise!"
Morgan sighs and holds out his sheathed Falchion. Honestly, he's surprised Frederick didn't find them sooner. "Better take this from me before I decide to assassinate Chrom right in front of you, huh?"
Frederick scowls and snatches the weapon away. Morgan adjusts his hood and turns from them, back toward camp.
His eyes catch the sight of his mother watching from afar.
I've never really liked Vaike that much. He's okay and fun to laugh at, but yeah. In other news, I'm preoccupying myself with Sacred Stones. It's really fantastic so far!