Chapter 34 - Consequences of Choice
Morgan's shoulders heaved as she pressed a hand and forehead against the stone wall, trying to catch her breath. With her free hand she pounded on the side of the building in frustration, not knowing if she wanted to scream, cry, or laugh hysterically.
Why?
Why is this happening to me?
This was all some sort of cruel joke. Why now? Why did she appear now after everything that–after what he did?
A confused clamor of thoughts tore through her mind. Anger, frustration, disbelief, doubt, and regret, all vying for mastery. I… why did… why did she… Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit!
In her mind, she saw against the expression of shock and hurt worn by the girl who appeared so alike Morgan's mother and the man she lo– once cared about. The expression worn by her own daughter from some other time. The expression caused by her words and actions.
Morgan felt like a jerk. A real big stupid jerk. Why did I say that?! Dammit, why did I…
She stopped herself, knowing damn well why she said what she did.
It's not fair! Just because she, – she exists, I don't need to forgive anything! So what if that me was still with that jerk?! So what if that me still cared about him?! So what if that Inigo died?! Why should I care? Dammit, why did I care? I shouldn't care. This is his fault! He left me! He made me feel this way! He made me feel–
Morgan let a choked sob fall from her throat. She couldn't even finish the thought, it was bringing emotions so raw and intense she couldn't bear them.
I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do anything wrong.
"Morgan!" a familiar voice screamed, echoing through the deserted street at the town's edge.
Morgan lifted her head, turning in the direction of the sound.
Severa stomped towards her, a look of complete fury on the swordswoman's face. It was a look that could curdle milk and spontaneously ignite tinder into flame.
Despite herself, Morgan found herself taking a step back under that withering gaze. "What do you want?! I-I…" Morgan stammered, unsure what to ask or think. Her mind raced, searching for some foothold. Then, like a spark catching on a pile of tinder, anger flared up within her, born as the sentiment carried in Severa's gaze. It was clear she was about to pass judgement on her, something Morgan refused to stand. "What do you want?" she spat, regaining her footing. "I said I wanted to be left-"
Before Morgan had so much a chance to finish her sentence a fist entered her vision, Severa crossing the distance so quickly she hadn't even registered it. A flash of bursting color filled her vision as a sharp pain stabbed into her jaw. The next thing Morgan knew she was leaning against a nearby wall, favoring an aching and throbbing jaw. She tasted blood, and flashes of light still danced about her vision.
"W-What was that for?!" She demanded, still in a state of shock. She reached up, palming her face, feeling where her lip was already beginning to puff up and swell.
"Don't play dumb with me. You know full well what this is about," Severa countered. "I don't know what your problem is, but what you're going to do right now is go back there and apologize to your daughter and to Inigo for acting like a horrible spoiled rotten brat."
"Excuse me?" Morgan asked, anger boiling over in an instant.
Who was she to call me that? She had no right to judge me! Morgan fumed, stomping a foot as she sputtered, unable to even form words. "That's not– I'm not– this is none of your business and– I'm spoiled!? This coming from miss 'I think I'm queen of the universe?' And I'm the spoiled-"
Severa lunged forward, seizing Morgan by the collar of her shirt and hoisting her up to her feet.
"Grow up. Grow the hell up," Severa snapped, laughing joylessly. "I may be a spoiled bitch, but at least I can also recognize one when I see one."
"That's not– Shut up!" Morgan demanded. She tried to shove Severa off of her, only for the redhead's grip to remain fast. "This isn't fair. I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't ask for her to show up! And it's Inigo's fault! I didn't do anything!"
At once Morgan recognized her mistake, that last excuse causing Severa's eyes to narrow with growing fury. She pushed Morgan back, pressing her shoulders into the wall. "Listen here, missy. Your parents may be okay with you acting like this, but I'm not. You aren't the victim. You never were the victim. You may think it, but the world doesn't revolve around you. And so help me-"
"Severa, wait…" Owain voiced as he entered the scene. However, the moment that Morgan looked at the dark mage's face, she knew something was wrong. There was no concern etched on his face. No over the top attitude. No exaggerated expressions. Instead, his words were calm, and his face seemed almost apathetic. Even though Morgan was looking at him, Owain would not even spare her a glance.
"Stay out of this!" Severa hissed. Despite the harshness of her reply, Owain merely nodded, before turning away, once more not even looking Morgan's way. It was as if he didn't want anything to do with this. Or rather with her. Like she wasn't even worth his time.
Once Owain had left, Severa turned back to Morgan. "Now, where were we?" she asked.
"I… I don't…" Morgan stammered, trying to process Owain's reaction. It stung, far more than it ought to have. And from the sting, she drew fresh anger. "Why do you even care?" she asked, trying to yank Severa's hands from her shirt. "This has nothing to do with you! This is none of your buis-"
"Yeah! This shouldn't be my problem to deal with!" Severa interrupted again, her grip tightening as she pulled Morgan in closer to meet her glare from mere inches away. "Your mother and father should be the ones dealing with this. You know, acting like parents. But since they're so content on letting you get away with acting horrible, someone has to put you in your place, so it might as well be me!"
"But-"
"No! I'm going to talk and you're going to listen. Got it?" With a shove to one side, Severa released Morgan, who staggered back, nearly toppling over as she struggled to keep her balance. Severa waited, arms crossed as Morgan braced herself. Only when Morgan had straightened herself did she continue.
"First off, let's talk about Inigo," Severa told her. "You're angry for him lying to you, but know damn well he wouldn't have without a reason."
"What? He abandoned me! It's all his fault that he-" Morgan started to argue, only for Severa to cut her off, speaking even louder.
"Spent the past near three years worrying about you and how you probably hated him. Sure, he'd pretend to be all smiles and laughs, but we could tell how much it ate at him. Everyday. Non-stop!" Severa snapped, jabbing a finger into Morgan's face.
"That's not…" Morgan started to argue, shaking her head profusely. No, that wasn't right. He left. He shouldn't have left. This was his fault. "Why should I forgive him? He left and that's that! So there!"
"Newsflash, Morgan. He didn't want to leave! Out of all of us, he wanted to leave the least! Gods, you really are too self-centered to see that, aren't you?" Severa laughed, shaking her head. "But you know what? He only left because he thought about what was right. He only stayed because he thought what he was doing was right."
"You mean like invading Hoshido and murdering a whole lot of people?" Morgan spat, taking her turn to laugh bitterly. "If that was 'doing the right thing', then woah boy, great job!"
"Shut up," Severa told her incredulously, shaking her head in utter disbelief. "Just shut up. You and I know that's just a convenient excuse to justify acting like a self-righteous bitch."
"That's not… you're… That's besides the point! That doesn't excuse what he did!" Morgan shouted, clenching her hands into fists.
"Yeah, we made mistakes. Yeah, we did some bad things. But guess what? So did you, Morgan!"
"You-" Morgan started to scream, launching herself at Severa, swinging a first at her face.
The next thing she knew Morgan found herself face down in the pavement, Severa's boot pressing against her shoulder and one of her arms twisted behind her back.
Severa wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her free arm, leaving a few splotches of blood from the glancing blow Morgan had dealt before being wrestled to the ground. "Everyone forgave you, Morgan. You tried to do better, just like we and everyone from Nohr are," Severa said, leaning in close. "But it isn't about that, is it? It never was about that. That's why, even now, you're only blaming Inigo. Not me. Not Owain. Just him. Because your twisted little messed up brain won't let you forgive him so you found yourself an excuse not to!"
"No… it's not… it's his fault. I did nothing wrong. It's his fault!" Morgan sobbed into the ground, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything wrong."
"Oh yeah, 'It's Inigo's fault. I didn't do anything at all, because I'm little miss perfect princess,' right?" Severa mimicked Morgan's voice mockingly. "Yeah, nothing's ever your fault, right? That what your daddy tell you? Or mommy? They just hug you and assure you that you're never at fault, right?"
Slowly she felt the pressure on her shoulder lessen as Severa removed her boot. A instant after her arm was released, letting Morgan collapse into the dirt to whimper and sob, her anger all but evaporated.
"Figure out what the hell is wrong inside that broken little head of yours," Severa told her. "Because whatever the problem is, it's not Inigo. It's you."
"I didn't... I didn't mean to…"
"Tell that to your daughter, who just wanted to spend time with both her parents together. But of course, it's 'always about you', right?" Severa said, sparing only a fleeting glance over her shoulder. When Morgan lifted her head to meet it, she found only pity in Severa's gaze. Somehow that hurt more than anger would have.
"I just hope for her sake, when you do fix what your problem is, it will include something to make it up to her."
With that final statement, Severa walked away, leaving Morgan to wallow in self pity.
Slowly Morgan dragged herself off the ground, crawling towards the nearest building. She hiccuped, the sound almost a sob as she pressed her back against the wall. Her shoulders began to tremble as she curled up there, her tears returning.
It's not my fault, it's not my fault. She repeated it again and again. It's Inigo's fault for leaving. He left, he hurt me. It's his fault. Again, and again, and again, she chanted it, despite her tears of self loathing, despite the voice of doubt whispering from deep within.
She had to believe that. Even if the whole world conspired against her. Even if the existence of her own future daughter told her she was wrong.
She had to believe that it was Inigo's fault.
It's not my fault.
She didn't know what to do anymore.
It's not my fault, it's not my fault.
Now if only she could believe that.
. . . . .
"So let me just make sure I understand this correctly," Robin said, breaking the pregnant silence that had fallen over the room as Soleil had finished her story. "Just like in our world, Owain, Severa, and your father traveled to a version of this world. But for whatever reason, that Corrin sided with Hoshido."
"That would be about the gist of it, so yeah pretty much." Soleil told him, shrugging. "Well, the fact my mother went with them, which I guess didn't happen in this world, huh?" Her smile faded somewhat at the mention of her mother and she looked away.
Still, her spirits had improved significantly through the course of telling her story. It had seemed to keep her mind off of it, at least so long as the conversation didn't include the topic of her mother or that of her parents' relationship.
"Yes, that I think I got my head wrapped around, at least. Somehow me being around for those two extra years led to Morgan insisting on going with. That I can accept. It's how the other version of this world diverged so drastically that I can't wrap my head around." Robin sighed deeply, shaking his head.
"Robin. A thought occurred to me just now. Recall that for us, the war with Valm occurred earlier than it was supposed to in my future, while in Morgan's world it did not. As far as we know, that difference happened by pure chance, and prior to Morgan's arrival. Could it not be a similar situation in this case?"
Robin frowned, considering this for a moment. That was a very good point, come to think of it. They did still have no idea how his world and Morgan's diverged as they did."I suppose you're right. Still…" he dragged a hand over his face. "Gods, I hate time travel."
Still… it was a rather uncomfortable concept for him to accept, that mere chance could play such a keen role in deciding one's destiny.
Then again, is it really chance if by one's own choice that things played out differently? Robin's gaze fell on Corrin then. Ever since Soleil had spoken of that alternate world, Corrin had grown deathly silent, his eyes fixed on the floor. Even now he stared blankly, as if trying to process what he had been told.
"And I was killed near the end of the war then?" Inigo asked.
"Yep. By him," Soleil said, pointing with her chin towards Corrin. "I think. Maybe. Really, it could have been someone else under his command I guess. But still, it was his fault directly or otherwise."
Corrin stirred suddenly, alarm filling his features. "I… I didn't… I…"
"Woah, woah, that really came out way worse than I meant it to," Soleil told his quicking, lifting both her hands as if telling him to calm down. "I'll admit, as soon as I heard who you were, it was really hard, like, really, really, really, hard not to try to kill you. But, I mean, hey everything worked out in this timeline, so no hard feelings, you know?" She grinned a bit at this. "I'd have to be a huge jerk to blame you for something another version of you did. I mean, some versions of Grandfather pretty much destroyed the world, and you don't see any of us getting angry at him for that."
"Excuse me. You did what?" Leo asked, his gaze turning to Robin with a look of surprise breaking through his normally collected issage.
"In my defense, those me's were possessed by a really evil dragon, and this is entirely besides the point!" Robin snapped, aiming the last part at Soleil. At least she was taking the whole Corrin thing surprisingly well. Her timing for giving specific details, however, could perhaps use some work.
"Perhaps then, we can get back to the topic at hand," Lucina offered, putting a hand on Robin's, silenting urging him to relax. Robin let out a pent up breath, sighing as he settled back down in his chair. "Soleil, if you may, can you tell us of any other differences in your timeline compared to our own?"
"If you mean my version of this world, I don't know much else. I mean, I was born there and all, but I was like, two years old when Mother returned home. So I don't exactly have much in the way of memories of what happened. More just what little Mother would tell me growing up," Soleil explained.
"Anyone else?" Corrin said abruptly, his tone suddenly urgent.
"Huh? What do you mean? Not sure I follow here…" Soleil said, arching an eyebrow.
"Did I kill anyone else? Besides your father," Corrin asked. Robin noticed then that Corrin's knuckles had gone white, his fingers visibly digging into the armrests of his chair. Even as he watched the wood begin to peel back, Corrin's nails growing almost talon-like as his grip continued to tighten.
"I-I told you, I don't really know," Soleil said, visibly alarmed.
"Corrin, please calm yourself. You don't need to-" Xander started to say, rising a bit from his chair.
"Tell me! Please, I need to…" Corrin urged her, the words catching in his throat.
"My father died protecting Lord Xander. I don't know, but if you killed him, then you probably also-" Soleil started to say.
Crack. One of the armrests snapped under Corrin's grip. He staggered upright, splinters of wood falling from his grasp. His face had grown as pale as his knuckles, his eyes wide with shock. "I… You mean I… What about the others? Please, did I kill anyone else?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know," Soleil told him. She slumped slightly, looking as if in that moment she wanted to disappear from the room. Not that Robin could blame her, were he in her shoes. Being interrogated about events she knew little about yet held such painful significance to her as well certainly couldn't be a welcome experience.
"Corrin, are you…?" Robin started to ask.
"I… I don't…" Corrin staggered back, his eyes darting around the room. His gaze seized on Xander last, and a look of shame fell over Corrin's face. "I'm sorry, I don't…"
Without warning Corrin spun around, bolting from the tent.
"Corrin, wait!" Xander warned, standing. But it was too late; he was already gone.
"Well, at this point I think it's safe to say you lack any form of tact," Leo noted, turning to Soleil judgmentally.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen," Soleil said, hanging her head in shame.
Inigo reached out, gripping her hand. "It's okay. None of us blame you," he told her, shooting Leo a very hard glare as he did so, earning a scoff and a look of disapproval back from the Nohrian prince.
Lucina moved to Soleil's side, likewise coming to comfort her granddaughter, putting a hand on her arm and murmuring some words of reassurance that Robin could not fully make out.
Meanwhile Xander just stood there, a look of uncertainty breaking through the Nohrian prince's normally impassive expression. Then he regained his composure, making up his mind, "I'd better go talk to him," he announced, moving towards the tent's flap.
"Are you sure, perhaps one of us should…?" Robin started to offer, only to trail off as Xander shook his head.
"No. I need to do this," he told him. "Please, continue. In my absence Leo can fill me in on what I missed. Right now… right now I need to speak with my brother."
With that, Xander departed as well, reducing their number to the five of them.
"I'm sorry," Soleil repeated, shaking her head.
"We don't have to keep going, if you don't feel up to it," Robin told her, not wanting to push her to talk about more of the unpleasant memories. At least not until she was in a less volatile state. "I'm sure it can wait."
"Excuse me, not all of us are okay with that. Things have already gone off track far enough, thank you," Leo interjected, growing visibly frustrated with the scene unfolding. He stood from his head, his brow furrowed into an intense glare.
Robin opened his mouth, about to muster a defense of his granddaughter, only for her to shake her head sharply.
"No, I…" She lifted her head, trying a smile. "I'll be fine. Just, didn't expect to cause so much trouble, you know?"
"We know," Inigo assured her, smiling back.
"Good, I would hate it if people thought I was getting all mopey or anything. I'm really not the type," Soleil said, smiling a bit more now. "Anyhow, what do you want to know next? I think I covered what little I was told about this world."
This seemed to placate Leo, who returned to his chair, crossing his arms as he waited for Soleil to continue.
"If I may ask, what was your reason for coming back in time? That is still a matter you haven't told us" Lucina asked.
"To meet Father again and save him, duh!" Soleil said. "Why else would I?"
"Really? I appreciate the sentiment, for obvious reasons, but that certainly seems like a selfish reason, Soleil," Inigo said. "Was that really your only reason? This was all for my sake?"
"Yes, of course, that's…" She started to reply, only stopping herself. "Actually, not exactly. Really I… wait, forget I said anything. The first thing! That's the only reason."
Robin blinked. Okay, that certainly wasn't suspicious at all, he noted, the voice of his thoughts dripping sarcasm. "Soleil…" he warned.
"What? I'm serious! That's the only reason I went back in the past! Totally the only thing. Nothing else. Zilch! Nada!" she said, leaping out of her seat as she proclaimed the last part.
Everyone exchanged dubious looks before all eyes turned on Soleil. At once, she seemed to deflate, her defiance vanishing in that instant. "Yeah… you aren't buying it, are you?"
"Not in the slightest," Robin confirmed. "I don't know how, but you may even be worse at lying than I am," he added.
"Look, in my defense, this is actually me being really responsible for once. Since I already screwed up this whole time travel thing, I realized I already said too much. If I tell you about your futures, I may actually create a paradox or something!" she explained. "So you can't blame me here! If anything I'm the smart one, so there!
"I… I don't even know where to begin on this," Robin said. "Help, please?" he asked, turning to Lucina.
"I believe what Robin is trying to say is that your universe and ours are separate from one another. Given how they have already diverged, it's unlikely things will play out in our world as they have for your own," Lucina explained to her.
"That's putting it mildly," Leo interjected. "While I am not as intimately familiar with the mechanics of time travel, I can assure you that there is a zero percent probability any of your actions here will have any impact on your own timeline. You are fretting over nothing."
"But… Grandfather warned me not to mess with time," Soleil said, stubbornly clinging to her argument even in the face of such a blunt rebuttal.
"And you already have, so it's a moot point," Robin countered. "Also, I can't believe I am saying this, but ignore what I said. What future me said. Other future me, not future me-me. You know what I mean," Robin ended lamely. You know, maybe that whole calling them "Universe A" and "B" idea from last time we dealt with this sort of mess wasn't the worst idea. Though I guess Soleil's would be "Universe C'" Or would it be 'D'? How many universes are we even up to at this point?
"And you're sure about that?" Soleil asked.
"Yes," Robin answered, a bit of exasperation slipping into his voice. He pinched the bridge of his nose, wincing. "Sorry. Yes, I am sure."
"Alright. Well, in that case…" Soleil rubbed her chin. "How much do you know about Invisible Soldiers?"
"More than most, less than we should," Robin answered, glancing to the others to see looks of surprise similar to his own.
"Oh, well good, so pretty much the same as me then," Soleil said, a laugh falling from her lips. "To be fair, I didn't know anything about them at first. They just started invading our world, but then I overheard you and Mother talking about them and how they came from this world." She motioned around her.
"So they invaded your world, just like they did ours then," Lucina said, frowning at this news. "Yes, for us it happened so much earlier. But what change might have caused this? Or rather, which."
"It could be due to Corrin's choice," Leo interjected. All eyes fell on him, waiting for an explanation.
"Your world was invaded while your friends were still here in this work. The most likely explanation is that our enemy attempted to prevent further interference from your world and struck first," Leo continued, motioning to both Robin, himself, and Lucina. Then he turned to Soleil next, "Yet according to your account, the surviving members of their part departed after the war. So then, once it was clear they were no longer an immediate concern, so too did conquering your world become secondary to our enemy's aims."
"That would certainly explain a lot. But if that's so, then what must have become of that other version of your world for Soleil's timeline to again be deemed important to our foe?" Robin asked.
Silence followed, a heavy weight seeming to descend upon the tent.
"So… I take it that's when you hatched a plan to travel back in time and prevent those events from unfolding," Inigo offered, breaking the silence as he turned to his daughter. "Though why you came alone, I can't fathom. I'd think Mor- your mother, wouldn't have agreed. Nor would the rest of your family."
That was an excellent point, come to think of it, Robin noted, perking up at this question. He hadn't considered it much between everything else they'd heard. But something certainly seemed off about that part of the story.
"Yeah, so about that…" Soleil started the say, rubbing the back of her neck as she flashed a very nervous grin.
Oh, here we go..
"...They weren't exactly in on the plan," Soleil finished giving a nervous laugh before immediately continuing once she got the look from the others. "Look, in my defense, things really weren't going so well. But then I remembered that Mother still had the orb Father was given, the one he never got to use. So I figured, hey, why not steal it and go fix things myself? Not just fix things, but maybe keep Father alive, too! So I grabbed the orb, borrowed," she paused, forming air quotes around the word 'borrowed', "Thögn, and came here!"
"You what?" both Robin and Inigo exclaimed in unison.
"It made sense at the time! Like, a really whole lot of sense!" Soleil shot back, crossing her arms indignantly. "What I still don't understand was how it went so wrong and I ended up here instead of where I was supposed to!"
"That's... " Robin paused, something occuring to him. "Oh gods, you actually broke time."
"What?" the whole tent asked in unison, alarm flashing across everyone's faces.
"You mean I actually did? I was joking before. Kinda! -Ish!" Soleil added.
"No… not you… Look, when your world was invaded, there were big rifts right? Just like in ours?" Robin asked.
Soleil nodded.
"Whenever you travel through time, you are ripping a hole into reality itself. That's why only beings of immense power can do it. And why it's taboo to travel between worlds. Not because of the act itself, but because of what it takes to make the trip in the first place," Robin explained.
"So when you travel through time…" Soleil said, trailing off. Her eyes widened as she seemed to grasp what Robin was saying.
"You weaken the barriers between worlds itself. And someone's been doing a whole lot of it. While our world and its many timelines broke this taboo first, we merely opened the floodgates. If this enemy has been invading multiple timelines-"
"Then those barriers have been destabilized far more than expected," Leo finished for him.
"Yes," Robin nodded. "To the point that it's no surprise Soleil ended up here."
"So it was an accident then," Soleil smiled weakly, lowering her gaze a little. "So, what now?"
"Well…" Robin gazed at his granddaughter, picking out how best to answer. "I fear getting you home would prove equally as difficult. With time, perhaps, but right now we can't afford a detour. That means, until this whole thing is over, I'm afraid you're stuck with us."
"Really?" Soleil said, leaping to her feet. "I mean, I was going to insist on helping no matter what you said, but you really mean that?"
"You are already here, are you not? It would be cruel of us to deprive you of this chance to spend time with your father," Lucina noted.
"Yes! Thank you both so much," she said, thanking them both with rapid bows of her head. "And you won't regret it either! Even if it's not the right timeline, I'll still do whatever it takes to help save this world, too!" Soleil said, nodding enthusiastically. "Heck, I betcha I can even figure out some way to save my world, too. If we win here, then I go back home and make sure we do the same thing. It's a win-win."
"That's certainly a positive way of looking at it," Inigo said, smiling a bit now too.
"Yep. I figure I might as well make the best of it. Besides, this is exactly the sort of thing I wanted to do in the first place. It didn't go exactly as planned, sure, but it's close enough," she said, leaning back and putting her hands behind the back of her head and grinned. "Oh man, this is going to be great! You know, there's so much I've always wanted to do now that I finally have a chance to get to know you."
Then she faltered slightly, sitting back up straight. "Well, not everything, I guess…" she trailed off, her smile facing.
"You're worried about what your mother said, aren't you?" Lucina asked, placing a hand on her granddaughter's arm.
"I mean, kinda… It's more just… I just wish Mother was part of this, too. She's always been so sad, as long as I can remember…" she answered. After a moment's pause, Soleil turned to her father, adding. "I just wish she was happy when you were still alive." She shook her head sadly.
Robin stepped forward now too, putting a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder. "I'm sure Morgan will come around eventually. I'd imagine this is all just a lot for her to process is all," Robin tried to assure her. "She just needs time."
"We'll speak with her tomorrow, I promise you that. I pray that at the least we can get her and your father on speaking terms for the present," Lucina added.
"Really? Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma! You're the best!" she said, giving them each a hug in turn. "You're right! I just need to think positive! I betcha everything will work out. Yeah! I know it will!"
"In the meantime, why not get started on all that catching up I owe you?" Inigo asked. "While I wish it could be in better circumstances, I'd love the change to get to know my adorable daughter better."
"You're right!" Soleil exclaimed, practically leaping across the tent and latching onto his arm. "We have so much lost time to make up for! Oh, I know! I can give you tips on how to get girls to agree to have tea with you. Mother always said you were really bad at it." She laughed, dragging him with her as she made for the tent's flap. "Is it really true that she used to follow you around to watch you get rejected?"
"That's not… that's not exactly the way I'd tell it," Inigo argued, growing visibly flustered at this accusation. "And what do you mean bad at it? Have you had any more success?"
"Oh yeah, loads. All the time too. One time I even had tea with five girls at once!"
"Whaaa?! That many? I…" Inigo fell silent, looking like his entire world had come suddenly crashing down upon the realization his daughter had defeated him at his own game.
"Yep. Which is why you need my tips, all right? Don't worry, you're looking at the master!" Soleil told him proudly, pulling back the tent flap even as she tugged her father along behind her. "So come on, time's a wastin'!"
"She's certainly got energy to spare," Lucina noted, watching as Soleil dragged Inigo off with her, the tent flap vanishing behind them "One moment she's sad, only to in the very next be grinning and practically bouncing about the place."
"Yes, just like Morgan. She is certainly her daughter," Robin agreed. He sighed, letting his shoulders slump with the release of pent up breath. "You really think we can get through to Morgan so easily?"
Lucina shook her head. "I never claimed it would be easy. But now, I think, Morgan has to see reason in the end. While she may not be ready for parenthood, neither were we when Morgan herself first entered our lives. In many ways, it was her that brought out the best in us both. I believe Soleil can do the same for her."
"I hope so too," Robin said, trying his best to give a hopeful smile. "I hope so. I can't imagine how hard it must be to regain a parent only for the other to want nothing to do with you."
Yeah. He could only imagine what Soleil was feeling behind the brave smile she put on.
Perhaps right now that sort of optimism in the face of doubt what something that they could all use right now.
. . . . .
Corrin didn't look back as he fled the tent. He didn't look back as voices called after him.
Their judging expressions followed him even as he ran, knowing full well what they must think of him now.
He really did just hurt everyone he cared about. Every choice he'd made had been a lie. He'd never been choosing between right and wrong. He'd only been deciding which of his loved ones got hurt.
Corrin slowed, staggering a couple of steps before falling to his hands and knees. Tears began to stream down his face, splashing against the dirt.
Stop crying. Stop crying, dammit! He told himself. Stop acting like a sniveling child and stop crying! Why was he even doing this? Why should he feel so guilty for what some other him did? He didn't do those things! He didn't kill Xander, or Inigo, or anyone else from Nohr.
Yet he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but feel that revelation as keenly as a punch to the gut. For now he knew no matter what he'd done, he'd hurt someone he'd cared about. It was that feeling of utter hopelessness that fell on him now, threatening to crush him under its weight.
"Here," a voice said, an offered hand suddenly entering his vision.
Corrin looked up, shocked to find Xander standing over him. Yet rather than loom over him at his full height, the future Nohrian king stooped down to fully extend his hand to Corrin, his expression one of concern.
"I…" Corrin shook his head, staggering to his feet without taking his brother's hand. Xander remained there for a moment more, if only for the briefest of moments, seeming disappointed. Then he straightened to his full height, folding his hands behind his back.
"What are you… why did you leave, too? Isn't that more important?" Corrin asked, motioning back to the tent.
"I trust Leo and Robin to relay anything else they learned after the fact. And even then, it's of far less importance to another role I've been neglecting for far too long," Xander told him.
"And that is?" Corrin asked. Blinking and rubbing his eyes, Corrin turned and staggered over to a ring of benches that had been arrayed around a fire pit. Coals smoldered at its center among the ashes, casting a faint red color over the landscape, the flames having been left to die as most of the army had retired to their tents for the night.
"That of an older brother," Xander told him. Stepping over the bench, Xander sat down alongside him, moving his hands to his lap as he did so. His motions were stiff even as he visibly tried to relax, as if something that for most would have come naturally was a skill he was sorely out of practice in.
"Are you okay?" Xander asked at length, looking at Corrin with even more concern.
"I…" Corrin started to lie, stopping himself as he realized it would get him nowhere. "No, I'm really not. But I guess you already knew that."
"I did. But I wanted you to tell me that yourself," Xander said, taking a seat besides him. "I understand it must be difficult to reconcile what that version of you did."
"Yeah… you could say that," Corrin chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. "At least now I know I really am cursed. No matter what I do, no matter what choice I make, I only make people suffer."
"Self pity won't change anything, Corrin. You know that," Xander said. He frowned, lifting a hand slightly only to stiffen and drop it again awkwardly.
"Of course I do… I just…" Corrin trailed off, cradling his head in his hands. "Why did you even come here? Why did you follow me?"
"Because I was worried about you. Is that really so strange?" Xander asked, his frown deepening.
"No, just… I would have thought you'd want nothing to do with me. Because you…" Corrin kept his gaze on the ground, not daring to look his brother in the eyes. "I thought you'd probably hate me now."
"Hate me? Why would I hate you?" Xander asked. From his tone it was clear Xander knew exactly what Corrin was referring to. He just wanted him to say it.
"Because I…" Corrin shook his head, unable to finish. He voice cracked, his throat raw. "Because I killed you in that world. You must think I can't be trusted, knowing what I may have done."
"I fail to see how that version of you's actions has any bearing on-" Xander started to reply.
Corrin laughed, cutting him off, the sound almost hysterical. "But that's the thing. It could have been me. Because until now, I've wished that were me!" Corrin stood, feeling tears begin to stream down his face as he continued to laugh, the sound becoming more akin to sobs with each repetition. "Everyday I've wished I could go back. Wished I could make a different choice. It's funny, I convinced myself everything would have been better if I'd sided with Hoshido instead. That somehow everything would have turned out better."
"Corrin."
"I'm selfish. I'm so goddamn selfish. I wanted it so badly, only to now know what that wish would have cost. You dead. Laslow– Inigo, dead. And how many more? Elise? Leo? Camilia? All our other friends? How many of them also died? And… I wished that could have happened. Gods, I prayed and wished for that."
"Corrin." A hand roughly seized his shoulder, shaking him from his spiral of self pity. "Stop," Xander warned him. "It's no sin to wish that things had happened differently. I know that, better than anyone."
"But…" Corrin started to argue.
"Corrin, had you sided with Hoshido… I believe I wouldn't have blamed you. At first, maybe. But not in the end," Xander told him.
Corrin was shocked by this statement, unsure how to even process. It didn't make any sense. That version of him had betrayed the people who raised him, who treated him like family. They should have hated him. "But I killed you. That me killed you," Corrin argued, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Because I suspect I would have given you no choice. My duty to Nohr would have demanded I fight you, even if I came to understand that your actions were just." Xander sighed, sounding uncharacteristically weary. "Though I suppose I can't say any of this for certain. I have the benefit of knowing what I know now. But I know you, Corrin, and I know you would have done everything in your power to avoid killing me or anyone else. Not until there was no alternative."
Corrin said nothing. He kicked at the dirt, digging his heel in to leave a shallow groove. What could he really say?
"Corrin, I know you blame yourself for the deaths of Prince Ryoma, Prince Takumi, and everyone else who died in Hoshido. And it's okay to blame yourself for it. But, it is not your blame alone to shoulder. If there is anyone who deserves the most blame, he stands before you."
Corrin looked up, confused by his brother's words. "You? I don't understand. How…"
"You aren't the only one with mistakes to atone for," Xander explained, smiling sadly. "If truth be told, there hasn't been a day where I haven't wondered how things might have gone had I only listened from the start. The loss of lives and suffering that may yet have been averted if not for my blindness."
"Xander, you don't–" Corrin started to say, only to be silenced by a stern look and a shake of his brother's head.
"You, Elise, Leo, Camilia… all of you saw what our father had become while I did not," Xander paused, shaking his head again, this time the gesture aimed at himself. "No, to say I didn't see it would mean continuing the lie I told myself. I saw all the same warnings. It was my sense of duty and loyalty that prevented me from accepting what was before my very eyes."
Xander inclined his head slightly, his expression growing pensive as he added, "Or perhaps it was my own foolishness and blind love for the father I loved and admired for so long that made me convince myself that things would have gotten better eventually. That the father I knew and loved would come back and everyone else could see him again."
Corrin said nothing. What could he say? For the stern and proud Xander to admit his faults so openly… he could only imagine the struggle it had taken. And the guilt that must have driven him to feel that it was his responsibility to make amends as well.
To argue now would only mean to undermine the effort his brother was now making.
"It is this failing and others I must find atonement for. Both as a leader and as a brother, I did not support you as I should have until now. I felt like the weight of a nation rested on my shoulders, only to never realize I'd left you to carry the weight of the entire world alone. I'm sorry."
Corrin again remained silent. He tried to speak, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out.
He truly was selfish. He didn't know.
He didn't know just how much what had happened weighed on his brother. How much they must have weighed on all of them.
"Corrin, I know you must feel as if no choice you make matters, knowing now how worlds exist for every choice you've ever made. But that doesn't make them any less important. Our friends who came from outside our world know this all too well, yet for knowing this truth they all continue forwards." Xander stood, turning and placing a hand on Corrin's shoulder. "Do not dwell on what might have been and focus on the here and now. All of us can only look forward and make the decisions we feel are right. Only this time I give you my oath as your brother that you won't need to face those choices alone."
Just as Xander turned to leave as no answer was forthcoming, Corrin straightened, clearing his throat.
"I…" his voice cracked. "Thank you. What you said… means a lot."
Xander stopped, turning back to him. "It's no trouble at all. This is my first step to making amends for my own failings. But if you ever need it, I will always find time for you, Corrin. We are family after all."
And with that, Corrin was left again to his own thoughts. Perhaps this time, however, feeling the once crushing weight feel less heavy on his shoulders.
Author's Note: Well, that went as well as expected, both in terms of Morgan's little encounter with Severa as well as Soleil filling in her backstory to everyone. Hopefully my explanation behind Soleil wasn't too out there or hard to follow. In short her version of the Awakening trio (with the addition of Morgan) ended up in Birthright, which I figured would be a fun way to explore that timeline indirectly despite the story being primarily post Conquest. Unfortunately, Soleil was very little at the time and thus lacks most details, compounded by the fact the Morgan, Owain, and Severa of her world seldom if ever talked about what happened, at least not with her.
Anyhow, onto responding to guest reviews from the previous chapter
"Dracofighter - Glad to know you are still enjoying things. I've been really trying to focus on characterization here, particularly of Morgan, Inigo, and Soleil, as it's their little family drama that serves the entire basis for the B-plot of the story's Act II."
"bottomtextboi69 - Currently I have no plans to have Gierskogul in the story, but for a very good reason, a it tied into my theory/headcanon regarding the various versions of Lucina in Heroes. See, based on a couple lines mentioning how Grima was defeated but that she is seeking a way to kill Grima for good, it is implied Legendary Lucina is from a timeline where Chrom sealed Grima. Since Soleil was already planned to be from such a universe, this fits perfectly with what her Lucina would be doing, as in that ending if married to Robin, Lucina says they will find another way to kill Grima for good.
Meanwhile however, Brave Lucina has a line mentioning how coming to Heroes has given her a chance to see her father again after he died, which makes no sense unless she didn't time travel and is thus Future Past Lucina. Thus it would be that version of Lucina who has Gierskogul.
I have no plans on Robin having a altered version of Thoron, but with him getting his new refine in Heroes that is just that I may do something like that in the future. "
I will be doing two Character spotlights this chapter, which I figure would be a good time to flesh out more of the characters who had minor roles thus far,
Anyhow, that's all for now. As always I'd love to hear what you guys thought of this one, your comments, theories, and feedback always makes my days. Plus constructive criticism is always welcome, as it's the only way I will improve as a writer. Until the next one, take care, and have a wonderful day!
Character Spotlight: Azama
Class: Great Master
Secondary Classes: Apothecary, Sky Knight (A* Subaki)
Skills: Renewal, Amaterasu, Countermagic, Warding Blow, Miracle
Personal Skill: Divine Retribution - If Azama has no weapon equipped and is attacked, the enemy will receive half their damage dealt.
Equipment: Swordcatcher, Purification Rod, Wane Festal, Silence, Hexing Rod
Status: Alive
Character Spotlight: Subaki
Class: Sky Knight, Samurai,
Secondary Classes: Samurai, Monk(A* Azama)
Skills: Duelist's Blow, Darting Blow, Warding Blow, Strength Seal, Air Superiority
Personal Skill: Perfectionist- If Subaki's HP is full, he gains +15 to Hit and Avoid.
Equipment: Subaki's Pike, Dual Naginata
Status: Alive