Chapter 13: Fevered Illusions II

Rating: T

I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening and the story line or characters

**This chapter in particular is a continuation of Chapter 9- Fevered Illusions.

I highly recommend that readers of this chapter review that one first!

Thank you for your patience!

"I AM..GRIMA..I AM...DESPAIR.."

Morgan, Frederick, Robin, and the rest of the Shepherds watched wearily as Grima staggered and dissipated right before their eyes. The giant dragon behind her let out a shrill pained cry and vanished. All tension leaving their bodies as Lord Chrom silently cut her down.

Later, after Frederick and Morgan comforted Robin for not eradicating Grima herself, Morgan silently gazed up at the dusky sky in deep thought. Now with nothing standing in his way, there was only one task left to do.

He needed to find his missing twin sister.

Frederick, Robin, and Morgan did not waste any time the next morning.

The newly appointed Exalts, King Chrom and Queen Sumia had granted Frederick and Robin on a much needed leave for the next couple months to find their missing family member.

His mother, actually waking up early like his father for once, had packed everything ready in advance for their trip to find his twin. All of their food, clothing, and weapons were all conveniently packed to go onto their mounted war horses. All maps of different countries, currency, and even passports were all packed and ready to go as well. Morgan couldn't help but nod in approval at the amount of stuff that his mother had packed- it seems his mother's tactician and preparation skills bled into other aspects of life as well.

His father was just as ready as Robin was: Always thinking ahead, the knight was granted permission from Shepherds who held a high status in other countries to pass through their lands without trouble. Everyone from Prince Virion of Valm, the east and west Khans Basilio and Flavia from Ferox, Princess Say'ri from Chon'sin, and even the new rulers of Plegia: King Libra and Queen Tharja.

Everyone was flabbergasted at how the last two people became leaders, but with Libra's priestly wisdom and Tharja's dark magic, they utilized their powers to start a new religious following in Plegia. Their influence after the war soon spread across the country, healing the scars and trauma of war. Finally, after one thousand years of absolute rule from the Grima worshipping cult, the country was finally free. The Plegian people had all come together to unanimously agree that the power couple should be the next new rulers of the country. Ylisstol could not have been more relieved to have Plegia as an ally once again.

With the war at an end and peace finally spreading throughout the continent, the family of three knew that the search could take months, but they hoped it would not take years to find their missing family member.

Two months into the search, the family of three found themselves deep into Regna Ferox. Frederick and Robin had decided to search there first- after all, it was the nearest ally to Ylisstol. Currently the trio were sitting at their makeshift dining table in the family tent, which was overflowing with Feroxi maps, notes, and deep thoughts. Morgan's parents were hard at work,reviewing notes and trying to find evidence of his sister's whereabouts.

Morgan could not help but feel frustrated at first: He didn't have a single dream of his sister since the search started. In fact, the last time he had spoken to his sister was when he had a fever all those months ago. The last words his sister said to him were:

"..-Come find me at the...fi-..where…-began.."

He had even gazed at his mother's mark of Grima on her hand for a long time- it had, unfortunately, not gone away due to the fact that Chrom had killed Grima, not Robin. With bated breath, the boy had awaited for something, anything to jog his memory. Morgan had expected sharp pain to resonate deep within his skull, but nothing had happened. With a tired sigh, the boy stood up from the dining table and retired for the night. Perhaps some sleep will help him remember something important.

If that did not work, he could always start banging his head against tomes to recollect his memory in the morning.

It wasn't until the fifth month when they were somewhere off in Valm when he finally dreamt about her. However, it wasn't just any type of dream: Morgan had realized that it was a MEMORY of her.

"Morgan, whatever you do, don't TELL mother that I'm sneaking out at night to help the villagers escape."

"But I-"

"Morgan, I'm TIRED. I'm tired of the murders of countless innocents! I regret it everyday that we didn't go into hiding with Lucina and the others! We SHOULD have gone with them! This is hell, and I can't take it anymore! Tonight, I'm going to help them escape out from Plegia"

"But. what would mother do if she found out sis?…"

"Mother's not here..I'll be very honest with you bro, I don't think that's mother anymore.."

Morgan had felt many conflicting emotions at first. He was happy that he at least remembered something from his past, but also was feeling a bit melancholy because this one was not a pleasant memory. This dream, however, had also given him and his parents hope, because these past five months searching were leading nowhere. He had also felt frustration because in the dream, he couldn't talk freely or move his body. It was as if his dream version of him was a completely different person. Like as if he was watching another version of himself from a different timeline, and the current him was just a ghost observing the scene.

In addition, the environment in his dream was frustratingly blurry- him and his twin could have been anywhere: at home, in nature, or in the training grounds. But nothing stuck to him about the environment that made Morgan pinpoint the exact location of where the memory took place. There was only one word that had given the family hope: Plegia.

After trudging through the arid and desolate Border Wastes, Morgan remembered why he didn't miss Plegia at all. The scorched heat made one feel that all water had left the body at once, and one could only wonder how Tharja and Henry could withstand this heat in their all black sorcerer outfits.

It had been nine months since the start of their journey, and Morgan began to dream more about his sister. Most of the memories that came to him in the night were either sad or painful- memories of death. Memories of betrayal, painful feelings, and deceit that led those who were close to him into terrible deaths.

She was the only one that protected him from all the horrors, especially when all his friends either went missing or died. She had always volunteered to do the "dirty work" of Grima, which ranged from outright massacres of villages to unspeakable torture sessions of countless innocents. Their "mother", or the monster Grima of that timeline would make his sister the lead tactician of those unspeakably evil deeds. Despite all the horrors that had haunted him, Morgan's respect for his sister grew.

In one memory, he found her crying in their shared bedroom that really made his heart hurt. When his past self had asked if he could do anything to make her feel better, she just gave a tearful smile and told him that if he believed in her she could handle anything…

His older twin had protected him through it all. It was unfair that the portal that helped in his escape took him first. She was left behind only to be captured by a monster..

The painful memories of death and torture made Morgan startle awake late at night, screaming into the darkness. Waking to heavy droplets of tears cascading down his face and a heavy burdened heart, he didn't care in the slightest if his meltdowns would wake his parents.

It made the boy wail even more when he realized that he couldn't even remember his older twin's name.

Those nights he heard his parents running to him to comfort him until sleep finally took all three of them.

Maybe it was a good thing that he couldn't remember anything at all.

However, some of his memories that came to him in a dream seemed to be of a simpler time. When the aura around his younger self felt lighter and happier. His family and friends of that past timeline were still alive, all playfully bantering and bonding with each other. There were no threats of violence and killings, and everything seemed to be at peace. Even his ever stoic father, Frederick, seemed to smile more despite being alot older with grayer hairs streaked out from the sides of his head. His beloved twin sister looked so beautiful when she smiled and laughed at whatever shenanigans they got into. It was these memories that have given him and his family hope to find her.

"Morgan, did you know that the Outrealm Gates lead to a different universe? It makes you wonder what's really out there! Apparently the first thing out of the gate you see is a flat field that is the start of a new adventure- regardless of whatever world you come from! This book states that it's a space where one can fall into a deep sleep if you stay in it too long! Weird huh?"

"Ugh, not this again sis, if there is really another world, that means there might be another us! Maybe they aren't as cool as us you know?! Oh, do you think father would still be a knight or trained steward in another world?"

"Ha! The day that father's a steward is the day mother becomes a maid!"

"SHHH! Mother's coming-"

Startling awake and rubbing his eyes, he excitedly got up to tell his parents about the Outrealm Gate.

Morgan only desperately hoped that it was not too late to save his sister and her wonderful smile.

After sixteen months of dreaming, crying, vexations, and searching, the trio FINALLY found her.

It was actually simple really, his twin sister had tried to tell him her location months before. Being the bookworm that she was, she had read the subject to him once during happier times! Morgan could only scoff at his own stupidity. What his sister really meant to say was:

"Come find me at the field where it all began…"

Oh, what wonders did the field in front of the Outrealm Gates hold! Yes, his sister could have been more specific, but the Outrealm Gates LITERALLY had a field that was nicknamed "The field of beginnings" that was in front of the stupid thing! It was called so simply because the field would basically be the starting location of any adventurers from an outside world. It was also the first thing that anyone coming from the gate would walk into.

This flat, mysterious field also happened to be the SAME one he awakened to when the portal that sucked him into a different timeline spat him out.

Everything that she had read to him long ago was true- Staying in the field too long will put a person into a deep slumber. Right in the middle of the field, his sister was comfortably sleeping. As the three family members strolled towards her, they silently took in her appearance:From head to toe, she looked worn out-

His older twin had seen better days. Her tactician coat was ripped in so many places the family wondered how it even clung to her form. Her clothes were so worn that the poorly sewn areas stood out like her many wounds. Morgan's heart clenched sorrowfully as he observed her face: Her delicate face and hands were littered with scars. The poor girl's scars looked like they even traveled up into her arms and disappeared under her sleeves and away from their view. It was apparent of how tired his twin really looked due to the bags that rested under her eyes. Dried blood had caked most of her wounds and one side of her right eye looked swollen shut- no doubt she had fought with her bare hands when her magic ran out and her Levine sword was broken.

Despite all of her wounds and hidden pain, she was in the most peaceful sleep anyone has ever seen. Morgan felt almost guilty as he reached out to wake her up.

As his sister's eyes began to flutter tiredly open, a single word- a NAME popped into his head. In the meantime, his sister's eyes slowly opened and took in her surroundings in a quiet stupor.

To Frederick, Robin, and Morgan's relief, his sister's tear filled eyes widened in recognition as her smile slowly grew on her face.

"I thought you had given up on me months ago. Seems like a lot of time and resources were wasted on me.."

Stifling back a sob, Morgan simply knelt by his sister and swept her into his arms. His parents quickly followed his example. All four family members surrounding each other in a quiet but much needed hug.

"Well, big sis, there are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know!"

"..Hush Morgan, I was so comfortable here.."

As the reunited family of four hugged tightly, Morgan excitedly called to his sister.

"Welcome back! I've missed you so much...Linfan."

After sixteen months, his older twin sister was finally home.

Notes of inspiration:

-In the non- English European versions of the game, both Morgans are named Linfan.

-This is the biggest chapter I've wrote for this story- seven pages long!

-In the game, Tharja and Libra's love story is QUITE interesting. Tharja learns of the darkness inside Libra's heart and actually tells him to EMBRACE IT, not get rid of it.

-Some of you asked if I will be writing a crossover with Fire emblem: Fates. I will not unfortunately- I never played Fates.

-I will be going back to work next week, but I will write as soon as I can! Thank you and stay healthy and safe!