~ Chapter 9 ~

Yuelle

Just before dawn, on the morning they had planned to leave Sol Hearth, Morgan strode into Marian's house. Severa and Owain were both already awake, and were seated at the dining table with their daughter sitting between them. Though the little girl had been well cared for in her parent's absence, she was clearly glad to have them back.

"Good morning," Morgan sang, skipping over and squeezing herself between Severa and Ophelia. "Hello, Ophelia!" she added brightly.

Ophelia giggled softly and reached one tiny hand upwards, which Morgan softly wrapped her own hand around.

"Are we leaving soon, Morgan?" Severa asked.

"About that…" Morgan began tentatively. "I thought of something last night. The Sun Guard doesn't seem to pay much attention to civilians, right?"

"I suppose," Severa said, unsure of what her sister was getting at.

"But they've been watching Hel, and since he showed up in Sol Hearth alone except for the three for us, they must have taken note of us, too," Morgan reasoned.

"Probably," Severa admitted. "Why?"

"I think it'll be safer for you and Owain to wait here until I reach Leo's Rest," Morgan suggested. She tensed up as she spoke, as if anticipating an argument. "We'll be traveling by day, anyways, so there won't be any danger. If I go with Hel and the others alone, the Sun Guard is less likely to notice that Hel's leaving beside the same people he entered Sol Hearth beside."

"Separating our forces is most unwise," Owain disagreed, shaking his head. "We should remain together whenever possible."

"But there won't be any fighting, and even if there is, you two wouldn't have your weapons with you," Morgan argued. "We're traveling beside a caravan, remember? I can keep a spell tome with me and pretend it's a regular book, but there's no way you can keep your sword with you, Owain."

"And me keeping my glaive and bow with me is totally out of the question," Severa added thoughtfully.

"Exactly," Morgan said, trying not to sound too relieved.

"I can use magic, too," Owain interrupted.

"But not as well as Morgan can, and we're not supposed to use magic at all if we can avoid it," Severa said. "Morgan's right, Owain. We won't be of much help to the caravan, but if we go, it's more likely that we'll all be caught."

Morgan and Owain exchanged startled looks. "Umm… are you feeling alright, dear?" Owain asked worriedly.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Severa asked defensively.

"I… uh… right," Morgan said, recovering rather poorly from her surprise. "So, why don't you two just stay here with Ophelia today? I'll return tonight once we reach Leo's Rest, and tomorrow we can all set out from there together."

"Promise me you'll be careful," Severa insisted.

"I promise," Morgan said, her head bobbing cheerfully. "See you two later! You too, Ophelia!" As if she were afraid Severa would change her mind, Morgan scrambled for the door and disappeared from sight.

"Severa, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Owain asked, as soon as Morgan was gone.

Severa nodded slowly, though her gaze remained firmly fixed upon the cabin's door. Even Ophelia seemed to notice that something was wrong, for she began tugging gently at her mother's sleeve.

"I guess we have the day off, then," Owain said bracingly. "It's been a while since we've had an entire day to ourselves, hasn't it? We haven't seen much of Water's Edge yet, either. Why don't we take Ophelia down to the beach later?"

"Sure," Severa agreed. "But before that, I need your help with something."

"Me?" Owain asked, surprised.

"Yes, you," Severa said, pouting slightly. "Why? Don't you want to help?"

Owain shook his head quickly. "Of course I do. What might I do for you, dearest?" he offered soothingly.

"Do you remember the spell you placed on me a couple of years ago, just after we were reunited?" Severa asked. "The same spell I later tried to place on you?"

Remembering the incident as clearly as if it were yesterday, Owain smiled wistfully. That one spell had changed his life more than he had expected, or even thought possible. "Of course. How could I forget such an enchanting rite?"

"Good," Severa said, a sly smile crossing her lips. "In that case, do you think you could show me how to cast it properly?"

Upon returning to the streets of Sol Hearth, Morgan made her way across the city towards the Golden Dagger. Though the Solcryst had only just begun casting its light outward, the tavern was already quite crowded, and the small tactician spent nearly five minutes weaving between the other patrons before finally spotting her friends.

"Good morning," Morgan said, dropping into the seat beside Helios, across from Bayn, Trance, and Ferus.

"Morning, lass," Bayn greeted gruffly.

"Where's Severa and Owain?" Helios asked.

"They'll catch up to us in Leo's Rest," Morgan said. "We thought it would be easier to slip out of Sol Hearth unnoticed if it didn't look like you were leaving alongside the same three people you came here with, Hel."

"How are they going to catch up to us?" Trance asked curiously. "Our caravan is the only one leaving for Sol Hearth this week."

"You'll see," Morgan said evasively. "So, when are we leaving?"

"Your caravan is schedule to depart in an hour," Bayn said. "I have your papers here. I just need the name you'll be traveling under."

"Let's keep using Cynthia," Morgan decided. "That way, if anyone checks it against the records you made when I first arrived, they'll think it's someone different leaving."

"And if the Sun Guard checks it against the rest of our records, they'll find out there was never a Cynthia in the city to begin with," Ferus pointed out dryly.

"Oh. Think they'll check?" Morgan asked.

"Not likely, and our records of civilians are far from complete, anyways," Bayn said. He spread a piece of parchment across the table and scrawled down a few notes, then furled it back up and handed it to Morgan. "Cynthia it is. Give this to the border guard on your way out of the city. Oh, and keep your weapons out of sight."

"Yep," Morgan said, shifting slightly in her chair to show the others that she was no longer carrying her sword.

"Don't worry. We'll keep you safe while we're on the road," Trance promised.

Helios flashed Morgan a conspiratorial smile, for he recognized the book Morgan had brought with her, and knew that if they were to run into serious trouble, the seemingly defenseless girl wouldn't need much protecting.

"Umm… are we expecting any trouble?" Morgan asked, frowning.

"We'll probably have to deal with a few Nightmares on the way," Ferus said nonchalantly. "Wraiths, I mean."

"We can keep calling them Nightmares," Morgan said. "But I thought we were planning to reach Leo's Rest long before dark."

"We are, but the Nightmares are still out there during the day," Helios explained. "They're much weaker, and very easy to spot, but we'll still likely run into a few."

"We'll be fine. Don't worry!" Trance said reassuringly.

"It's not the Nightmares I'm worried about," Morgan said, laughing uneasily. "Hey, if my sister asks about our trip later, tell her we didn't run into any trouble, okay? I don't think she would have agreed to this plan if she knew we were expecting to run into any Nightmares…"

"I was just beginning to think that nothing could scare you, too," Helios remarked lightly.

The first stage of their plan went off without a hitch. Though neither Trance nor Ferus came even close to matching Helios's skill in battle, they easily held their own against the weakened Nightmares that dared to approach the caravan. The Solcryst was still shining brightly as the long procession of carts rolled into Leo's Rest late that afternoon.

Once they reached the inn, Morgan retreated alone to her room, and from there, back to Water's Edge. After hearing about Severa and Owain's equally uneventful day, and – at Marian's insistence – a shared meal, she retired to her cabin for the night.

A few hours later, her cabin door softly creaked open. Severa quietly removed her boots, then gently padded her way across the wooden floor to stand by her sleeping sister's side. She took a deep breath, then held up a handful of smoldering, scented herbs.

A strange clicking noise broke the silence. Severa gasped and spun around in surprise, nearly dropping the herbs Owain had given her.

The jeweled butterfly resting atop of Morgan's desk clicked her wings together again.

"Oh, it's just you," Severa said, relaxing when she saw Ellie.

Ellie quivered momentarily, then floated up, flying over to Severa. She began circling Severa eerily, as if threatening to wake Morgan.

"Hey, wait! Don't wake her!" Severa protested softly, glancing down to make sure her sister remained soundly asleep.

Though Ellie neither slowed nor changed her course, Severa somehow found herself with a distinct impression that the little jeweled butterfly was still suspicious of her.

Severa held up the herbs innocently. "It's just a simple spell to create pleasant dreams," she explained, trying her best to sound sincere. In truth, she had no idea what dreams she was about to inspire; Owain had adjusted the spell to compel Morgan to dream of her friends. Severa could only hope that such dreams would convince Morgan to open up a bit more about her life back in Ylisse.

Ellie lingered by Severa's side for a moment longer, then turned and glided back towards the desk.

Severa breathed out a long sigh of relief. She then held out the herbs once more and began whispering the words Owain had taught her, flinching when some of the ashes drifted downward, scattering upon Morgan's blanket.

"Sweet dreams," Severa whispered, and this time, she truly meant it. She considered wiping away the ashes, but decided it wasn't worth the risk and turned to leave instead. "Thanks, Ellie," she added offhandedly, glancing at Morgan's desk.

Then Severa froze. Lying beside Ellie was what looked like a normal, handheld mirror.

Severa stood perfectly still, lost in her thoughts, as she remembered the first time she had seen – and used – that particular magical device.

"Have you been in touch with Dad this whole time?" Severa whispered wonderingly, as she moved closer to the desk to examine the mirror.

Then Severa remembered Morgan's flippant remark about talking to herself, and the truth hit her. Back when she and Owain left Ylisse, the older Morgan had just begun spending more of her time away from Ylisstol. Their father must have given one of the mirrors from his remaining set to her soon after.

The younger Morgan hadn't left her entire family behind, after all.

Severa stiffened when she heard blankets rustling behind her, but thankfully, Morgan was only rolling over in her sleep. Deciding it best not to press her luck, Severa left the mirror alone and snuck back out of the cabin. As she made her way back to Marian's home and the room she shared with Owain and Ophelia, her thoughts continued to spin…

Though the clear skies above shone with a beautiful, cerulean luster, the menacingly formidable architecture carried the same, powerful atmosphere as it had a few months ago beneath a dark veil of unyielding storm clouds. The thick walls of roughly cut stone looked as cold as they were sturdy, and the torches weren't nearly bright enough to outshine the castle's grim decorations. The luxurious carpets were pleasantly soft, but shone a bloody, scarlet hue under the dim lighting.

And yet, no matter how cold and heartless the castle appeared, Severa knew she would miss it. As she made her way down one of the eerily wide hallways, she smiled wistfully, remembering all the warm memories she had shared with the castle's residents. It was almost enough for her to reconsider her course.

That thought stole the smile from Severa's face, and she pressed on determinedly, knowing that the time had come. A few minutes later, she reached the part of the castle where the royal retainers were quartered, and found the man she had been searching for.

"Hello, Laslow," Severa greeted.

The grey-haired man sitting upon the bed looked up at the sound of his name. He smiled, though it wasn't his usual playful and flirting look. Instead, it was a bittersweet smile, and Severa knew then that her old friend already understood why she was there.

"Hello, Selena," the grey-haired man greeted calmly.

Severa turned and closed the door behind her, before seating herself beside her old friend. "It's time, Laslow… I mean… Inigo," she said. "The war's over. We've done everything we set out to do."

"Have you decided where you're headed?" Inigo asked, and his choice of pronoun did not escape Severa's notice.

"I've talked about it with Owain, but we wanted to hear your thoughts, too," Severa said carefully.

"I've been thinking, it doesn't really matter where we belong, does it?" Inigo said. "Even if there were any rules about this sort of thing, we must have broken them all into millions of pieces by now. In the end, it's a choice between a world of memories and a world of family and friends. It seems like an easy choice to make."

"That's what we thought, too," Severa agreed. "They are our families, after all, even if they're… not."

Inigo fell silent.

Severa stared for some time, swallowing uncomfortably as she understood. "You're not coming with us," she said in a pleading manner, as if begging for her friend to correct her.

"I can't," Inigo said, bowing his head.

"We promised," Severa reminded, and she felt her eyes grow moist with unshed tears. "When we came here, we promised we'd make it through together, and that we'd all go home together, no matter where that home is."

"But I am home, Severa," Inigo said quietly. "I can't leave her. This is my place now. My friends are here. My family is here. I can't leave them for the sake of memories, be they memories of what I had or dreams of what could have been."

"You can take her with us," Severa insisted, though her voice faltered, for she knew it wasn't true.

"Please don't cry, Severa," Inigo said soothingly. "Not for me. I'm happy here, and even though I'll dearly miss you and Owain both, I can't leave any more than you two can stay."

"You idiot," Severa mumbled, tears streaming down her face. "You're just making this harder. Why can't you just say something stupid like you always do?" she complained.

Inigo chuckled. "Sorry, but it feels weird now that we're both married," he apologized.

"Are you sure about this?" Severa asked in a small voice.

"Surer than I've ever been about anything," Inigo said.

"But once we leave…" Severa began.

"I'll be stuck here for good. I know," Inigo assured her. "I've thought this through, Severa. I made my decision even before the war ended, and I've been waiting for this moment ever since. Dreading it, really, but I could tell you and Owain weren't content in staying here."

Severa fell silent. If she had to be honest with herself, she had known the truth, too. She had told herself she was had come to fetch her friend, but deep down, she had known from the beginning that she had actually come to say goodbye. Now her throat felt too dry for her to say anything at all.

"Good bye, Severa. I won't forget you. Never that," Inigo promised. "I wish you and Owain both a safe journey home. Tell him to drop by and say goodbye, too, alright?"

Severa opened her mouth to respond, but again, no words came forth.

Severa suddenly sat upright, stirred from her sleep by Ophelia's soft crying. For once, she did not mind being awoken so suddenly. Shivering, for her nightclothes were drenched in cold sweat, she pulled herself out of Owain's arms and stepped quietly to Ophelia's side.

Ophelia, upon feeling her mother's gentle, reassuring touch, promptly fell asleep once more.

Severa glanced at her bed, but she could not bring herself to lie back down. She was too busy being angry at how, after spending an entire morning preparing her spell, she had apparently accidentally cast it upon herself instead of Morgan. "Neither Morgan could have screwed up this badly," she mumbled disappointedly. "Nor could Mom or Dad. Just me." She heaved a deep sigh.

Deciding that she wasn't about to find any further rest, Severa changed into more suitable clothing, then slipped outside for a walk. She wandered through the sleeping village of Water's Edge for a time, before finally seating herself on a simple wooden bench that faced west and offered a clear view of the night's beautiful crescent moon.

And to her surprise, she was almost immediately joined by her younger sister. "Are you alright?" Morgan asked, sounding concerned.

"Morgan? What are you doing awake?" Severa asked.

Morgan reached one hand into her robe's collar, and produced a strange talisman hanging from a delicate silver chain. "Ellie woke me. She said you were trying to place some sort of charm on me, but this talisman I'm wearing reflects charms and curses."

Severa stared at her younger sister in disbelief. Then her face went red with both embarrassment and anger. "So that's why she didn't try to stop me," she fumed.

"Sorry. I should've warned you," Morgan giggled. "So, what kind of charm was it? Ellie said you said something about giving me good dreams, but you're out here instead of sleeping, so that doesn't seem right."

"Aren't you angry?" Severa asked, taken aback by Morgan's lighthearted reaction.

"You wouldn't be asking that if you knew how many charms I've placed on the other Severa," Morgan said with a mischievous smile.

"What? Why were you casting spells on your sister!?" Severa demanded.

"Mostly because I was bored," Morgan admitted. "And because she pretty much never noticed me otherwise."

"Never noticed you?" Severa frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" Morgan asked, tilting her head curiously. "Severa and Lucina are basically inseparable. Anyone would think they were real sisters. Severa barely talked to me at all, except when I accidentally messed up her stuff. She yelled at me for like an hour when she found me building a castle out of her books. I always thought you and the older Lucina had been the same way."

Severa frowned. "Lucy and I were close, but not that close," she protested. "And I never ignored Morgan. She was pretty much all I…" Her voice trailed off as she thought back to her own childhood.

"Maybe that's the difference," Morgan shrugged. "You and Morgan only had each other. Maybe that's all that was keeping you together."

"That's not all," Severa tried to protest. "She's my sister! And so are you!"

Morgan shrugged again. "That never seemed to matter much to Severa," she said distantly, looking off towards the moon. "I wonder if she's realized I've left yet."

"Don't say that," Severa said, shaking her head. "She must have noticed. She couldn't have just forgotten about you!"

"Why not? She never cared about me when I was there," Morgan said, and the way she didn't seem to care at all hurt Severa more than she had thought was possible.

"Is… is that why you left?" Severa asked hesitantly.

Morgan glanced at her in surprise.

"That's what my spell was for," Severa admitted. "I wanted you to dream of everyone you left behind. I thought… if I could make you think about them, you'd be more willing to tell me why you ran away."

"I didn't run away," Morgan said sulkily. "There were things I had to do, so I went to do them, figuring that no one…"

"That no one would miss you?" Severa accused. "Do you really believe that, Morgan?"

"That no one needed me there," Morgan corrected.

Severa flinched. "H-how could you say that?" she whispered.

"Because it's true," Morgan insisted stubbornly. "There's nothing for me in Ylisstol, and hasn't been ever since…" Her voice died suddenly, and she seemed to catch herself only just in time.

"Since what?" Severa prompted.

"It's a long story," Morgan said, shaking her head.

"Tell me," Severa insisted.

"Why? You'll only get angry with me, too," Morgan said, looking away.

"I won't be angry," Severa promised. "Please, Morgan. Just tell me."

Morgan heaved a deep sigh, and suddenly, she seemed so tiny. For once, she looked like the thirteen-year-old girl she was, rather than the ever-confident, carefree world traveler. "Promise," she pleaded in a small voice. "Promise you won't be angry…"

"I promise," Severa nodded.

Morgan stared at her older sister for nearly a full minute, as if trying to decide whether she could believe Severa's words. Then, finally, she nodded. "About a year before I left Ylisstol, a wealthy merchant family had a small mansion built for them just down the street from Dad's library. They had only one child, a daughter named Yuelle. Yuelle was Severa's age, about a year older than me. We met when her father came by the library to introduce himself to Dad. Yuelle liked to read, too, so we became fast friends.

"At first, Yuelle and I just played together in the library. Yuelle's father came by a lot to talk to Dad. One day, Uncle Chrom was visiting, so Severa and Lucina were there, too. After Yuelle's father met Uncle Chrom, he invited all of us to go over to his house to play. Me, Severa, Lucina, even Cynthia and Owain. We began visiting Yuelle and her family at their mansion almost every week. Still, Severa and Lucina would play their own games, with Cynthia trying to squeeze herself into them. Sometimes Owain would tag along with them, sometimes he'd find a quiet spot to play by himself. Either way, Yuelle and I were usually on our own," Morgan said.

Severa felt a twinge of guilt then, for despite her earlier claims, she and the older Lucina had indeed been very close, and she couldn't help but wonder if she had ever made the other Morgan feel ignored or unwanted.

"Yuelle's mother was very nice, but also sort of timid," Morgan went on. "I liked her, but it always felt like she was afraid of something, like a stray dog who's been yelled at too many times. She'd make all sorts of treats for us when we visited. Yuelle and I would help her out whenever we could, and even when we made mistakes, she would never get mad at us." Then Morgan's expression darkened. "Yuelle's father was… weird. He was nice to us, too, but he was very formal and polite, and he often seemed stiff. Still, he doted on us a lot, especially Lucina and Cynthia, and whenever he saw Owain reading or playing alone, he'd urge Yuelle and I to play with him."

"He doesn't sound too bad," Severa commented, not quite understanding where Morgan's story was going.

"He wasn't," Morgan conceded. "He could be a little awkward, but I didn't mind that. No, what bothered me was, Yuelle always seemed scared of her father. Yuelle would barely talk when her father was near; her father would kiss her goodbye before leaving, and she would only nod and try to smile. She refused to talk to me about her father, too."

"That is weird," Severa admitted.

"I asked Dad about it," Morgan said. "He told me that Yuelle's father was a busy man, and that not all fathers were close to their daughters. After that, I didn't really think too much about it… until one day, Yuelle's father offered to take us all shopping. Yuelle and I didn't really want to go, but Lucina did, so that was that. We spent most of the day browsing the market, and Yuelle's father bought Severa, Lucina, Cynthia, and Owain pretty much anything they wanted."

"That's pretty generous of him. What about you and Yuelle?"

"I didn't really want anything," Morgan shrugged. "Neither did Yuelle at first. Then we met an old silversmith, and he had this one trinket that Yuelle really liked. We spent nearly twenty minutes looking at it before I finally convinced Yuelle to ask her father for it. Her father said no, though. He insisted that it would be a waste of money. We went home not long after."

"Waste of money?" Severa frowned. "Was it that expensive?"

"Not really," Morgan said. "It was only a hundred gold. He had already spent more than fifty times that buying clothes, jewelry, and perfumes for Lucina and Severa. I knew better than to argue, though. Instead, I asked Dad if I could work for him in his workshop for a while. He agreed, so I spent the next week helping him organize his equipment and everything else, then went back to the silversmith myself. Then I went to give it to Yuelle and…" Morgan paused, swallowing uncomfortably.

"And?" Severa prompted impatiently.

"Yuelle was gone," Morgan said simply.

Severa's jaw dropped.

"The older Lucina and her Shepherds were already there. Robbers broke into the mansion during the night, they said. Yuelle must have woken up, and the robbers killed her while making their escape. Clubbed her to death with their bare hands," Morgan explained.

"Right in the middle of Ylisstol?" Severa exclaimed in disbelief.

Morgan nodded stiffly. "Uncle Chrom offered to hold Yuelle's funeral in Castle Ylisse. It was terrible, and the worst part of it was seeing Yuelle's father."

"He didn't care," Severa guessed disdainfully.

"Oh, he cared," Morgan said coldly. "He looked like a complete mess. He couldn't stop crying, couldn't finish his sentences, and showed more emotion that day than any of us had ever seen from him before. It was sickening."

"Sickening?"

"Because it was all an act," Morgan said, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. "Everyone else believed him, but I didn't. I told Dad, but he insisted I was just imagining things, and no one else would listen to me either. Finally, I went to Henry for help."

"Whoa, wait. Henry? The Plegian dark mage?" Severa interrupted.

"Yeah," Morgan said. "He's always liked me, even though we didn't see each other too often since he lives so far away. He was visiting Ylisstol to deliver some of the Grimleal artifacts he had found to Dad. I went to Henry and told him everything, and he agreed to help. He taught me that when people suffer violent and premature deaths, their spirits often linger behind for a time. We went and searched for Yuelle's spirit. We found her, and Henry helped me bind Yuelle to the trinket I had bought for her, the little silver butterfly that she spent so long staring at that day at the market."

"A silver butterfly," Severa whispered. "So, Ellie…"

"Is my nickname for her, yes," Morgan said. Her eyes began to glisten for a moment, but she closed them tightly, as if she was determined to finish her story without crying. "Ellie couldn't talk anymore, but after a little practice, she figured out how to write. Then she told us the truth. There were no robbers that night."

"No robbers," Severa echoed feebly.

"It was her father," Morgan said, trembling. "Ellie's father had made his fortune while helping Plegia rebuild. He wanted to use his wealth to become a noble, which is why he moved his family to Ylisstol. That's why he always doted on Lucina and Cynthia, and why he kept pushing Ellie to make friends with Owain. Uncle Chrom and Dad weren't paying him much attention, though, so he'd get frustrated, then drink a lot. He'd beat Ellie's mom. Then he'd blame Ellie for none of us his plans working, and beat her, too. He went too far that night, and when he realized what had happened, he hired people to break into his home and move some of his goods to a hidden stash across the city."

"That's… that's awful," Severa whispered.

"Henry and I brought Ellie and her story to the Shepherds," Morgan went on shakily. "Then Ellie led us to her father's stash, and when we brought everything to Uncle Chrom and Dad, they arrested Ellie's father and locked him away. Then… Dad said we had to destroy Ellie."

"He said what!?" Severa exclaimed disbelievingly.

"He said it was wrong for us to keep Ellie with us, and that we had to let her rest," Morgan said bitterly. "Ellie didn't want to go, but Dad said it didn't matter what Ellie wanted. He said it wasn't right for us to keep using dark magic. He insisted it wasn't safe, even though Henry and I had already taken care of the wraith we had accidentally spawned. I knew Dad wouldn't listen to me, but I couldn't let him hurt Ellie, either. I set Ellie free, and then Dad grew… distant. Whenever I tried to talk to him, he seemed uncomfortable. He never tried to talk to me anymore, and everything he said seemed automatic and… and empty. When I tried to apologize, he'd just change the subject."

"Oh, Morgan…" Severa whispered, her own eyes filling with tears now, too.

"Morgan had moved to Azure Pyre years ago. Dad was angry with me. Mom seemed lost, and didn't know what to say. Severa had already forgotten all about Yuelle," Morgan went on, her voice faltering. She took a deep, ragged breath, and then another. "So I decided to leave," she said, regaining her composure. "I had no reason to stay, anyways. I went and found Ellie. We broke into Dad's workshop for some supplies, and I left him a note to apologize and to promise I'd pay him back one day. Then we left."

For a moment, Severa said nothing, and could only sit perfectly still, feeling overwhelmed. Then she suddenly leaned forward, pulling her youngest sister into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry, Morgan," she whispered tearfully.

"Whoa! Sis!" Morgan protested. "What's gotten into you?"

Severa began laughing and crying at once, for she could remember the other Morgan saying almost exactly the same words to her once. "I'm a terrible sister," she mumbled.

"Umm… how so?" Morgan asked, puzzled.

"I should have been there for you," Severa lamented. "Just before I left, I saw how happy everyone was. I was too wrapped up in how lost I was feeling, and I thought everything would be just fine if I were to leave for a while."

"It's okay," Morgan said with a shrug. "There wasn't much you could've done, anyways."

Severa gingerly pulled herself back to arm's length, and made an exasperated face. "Sure there was," she insisted. "Someone should have been there for you. Someone needed to be there to yell at Dad when he was being an idiot."

"Dad was just being careful," Morgan said, instinctively leaping to her father's defense.

"No, he was being ridiculous," Severa growled. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Morgan? Dad wasn't mad at you. He was afraid."

"Afraid?" Morgan asked blankly. "Afraid of what?"

"Once he realized he was wrong, he was afraid of making things even worse," Severa tried to explain. "He didn't listen to you when you tried to warn him that something wasn't right about Yuelle's father. That cost you your best friend, and since he still wasn't listening, you had to go to Henry for help. Even after that, he still didn't start listening to you until you stopped listening to him."

"And that made him mad," Morgan reasoned unhappily.

Severa shook her head insistently. "No, Morgan. That showed him how wrong he was. He's not that stupid. He knows how much he means to you, and you disobeying him showed him his mistake… but he wasn't sure what to do. At that moment, you needed him, and he let you down. He just wasn't sure what to say after that."

Morgan hesitated. "Are… are you sure?" she asked timidly.

"Yes, I'm sure," Severa said patiently. "Let's go and talk with him, Morgan. You'll see that I'm right."

Morgan's gaze turned to the north, and she stared wistfully in the direction of Ylisstol. But after a few minutes, just when Severa dared to hope that she had gotten through to her younger sister, Morgan shook her head. "We can't," Morgan said. "We promised to help Hel and Bayn and the others, remember?"

"This will only take a few minutes," Severa protested.

"But Sis, if you're wrong, and if he really is still…"

"He's not mad at you," Severa insisted.

"If you're right, it'll be even harder for me to leave again," Morgan said listlessly. "You didn't need to put a spell on me, Sis. I dream of it every night… of going back to Ylisstol, of hearing Mom and Dad forgive me for running away, and… and of finally being home. If I do go back now, and all of that happens, or doesn't… either way, I don't know if I… if I can keep going."

Severa mulled that thought over for a few moments, wondering what she should say. Then she realized there was only one answer she could live with. "Okay," she agreed. "We'll finish our work in Monolith first, then. After that, we'll go home together."

"Home," Morgan echoed wistfully, and this time, when Severa moved to hug her again, she simply closed her eyes, relaxing and allowing her sister to hold her tight.

"Yes. Home," Severa promised.