Title: Child of Time - Part 2
Description: Lucina had never expected to find love after traveling to the past. Even now, her relationship with Robin still managed to be full of surprises. It just so happens today brought the biggest surprise of all.
Notes: Part 2 of my retelling of Morgan's recruitment chapter. Mild hints to Future Disowned.
Lucina smiled, relieved to see Robin in the ruins just ahead. After she and the others had heard the fighting further into the ruins she'd feared a group of Risen had managed to slip through their net and ambush the lone tactician. Thankfully it seemed that whether she managed to arrive in time or not proved to be an non-issue, the Risen having already been dealt with. Even so, a part of her was still furious that he'd insisted on going off alone. She'd never could have forgiven herself if he'd died because she wasn't there to help him.
Breaking away from the others, Lucina jogged over to where the tactician stood. It was only as she approached that picked out a second figure standing next to him.
It must be the girl we saw earlier. Good, it looks as though Robin managed to reach her before the Risen could.
"Lucina," Robin called out to her, waving to her as she crossed the remaining distance. Grinning, he stepped forward to meet her, placing a hand on her arm affectionately.
"Are you alright? I heard the fighting and I thought you might have…" Lucina trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.
"I'm fine, Lucina. I can handle myself. Besides, I did have a little help," he said, drawing her attention to girl who ducked behind Robin at the sudden attention. She gripped the back of his coat, wadding the fabric between her fingers. Only after a moment did she slowly peek her head out, staring back at Lucina with wide eyes.
"Robin who is…" Lucina started to say. She stopped, frowning as she looked between the tactician and the girl. She was young, perhaps around Cynthia's age, with dark blue hair and big childlike eyes. However, what struck her was the girl's garments, identical in every way to those Robin wore. Even her coat was a perfect replica, if not as old or worn as the tactician's own. Where did she…
Robin must have caught the confusion on her face, as he stepped forward then, "Lucina, I'd like you to meet Morgan. Apparently…" he paused, waving a hand in girl's, Morgan's, direction before continuing, "... she's my daughter..."
"What?" Lucina explained, her eyes widening. "B-But, you didn't have a daughter in my time. Nor do I recall meeting her before, let alone her accompanying me when I traveled to this time…" Even as she spoke, Lucina could not deny the resemblance. So similar in appearance was Morgan that it seemed as if an artist had taken Robin's features and reshaped them into something both more childlike and feminine than his own.
Lucina shook her head, continuing. "Nor were you ever close with anyone in my time. How, then, is this even…" Lucina froze, only then noting that the shade of the girl's unkempt mop of hair was the very same shade of blue as her own. Her eyes too were the same, crystalline azure pools that seemed to sparkle with their own light.
But most telling of all, Robin had a smile on his face.
"No…. you don't mean… How is this… You mean to say she's..." Lucina breathed, her heart rate quickening. A thousand confused thoughts tore through her, moving with such haste that she couldn't so much as latch onto one before another battered it aside. How could this girl be her's? Did she fail? Did she come back the correct a future as bleak as her own? What if-
Gentle hands wrapped around her own, Robin prompting her to look into his eyes. At once the maelstrom of her thoughts seemed to break, replaced by a soothing calm like the gentle breeze following a storm. It was always like this with Robin, when he was close to her it felt as though everything would be alright.
"I'm sure of it. I don't know how she came here, but I know she is," Robin said, sounding as breathless as she. "She doesn't remember much, just a handful of memories about me. But…. you should have seen her out there, Lucina. The way she wielded a sword, it was just like you. She can use Aether! I almost thought the Risen she used it against looked afraid when-"
"Father, what's going on? I don't…" Morgan interrupted. She looked between the two of them, a perplexed look, so very 'Robin-like' in its appearance, plastered on her face.
Letting go of her hands, Robin turned, kneeling down at Morgan's side. "Morgan, may I see your right hand for a moment?" He asked.
Morgan opened her mouth as if to argue, only to shut it again and nod slowly. The girl extended her arm to her father, the sleeve of her too-big coat covering all but the tips of her fingers. Gently Robin took her hand, pulling back the sleeve to reveal the skin underneath
Lucina gasped.
On the back of Morgan's hand was the Brand of the Exalt.
Morgan looked from the mark to each of them in turn, her expression quizzical. "What is it? What does it mean?" Her gaze flicked between the two of them expectantly.
"Its the called Brand of the Exalt," Robin answered, his hand still gripping Morgan's "It means…"
"It means you are of the Exalted bloodline, the royal house of Ylisse," Lucina finished for him. Kneeling down, she gently wrapped her fingers around Morgan's hand. Slowly she moved it up to her face, just under her left eye. "Look closely."
For a long moment Morgan stared blankly at Lucina's face, seeming unsure what she was looking for. Then her eyes widened, her mouth falling half open as she stared on in wonder. "Y-You have the same mark… and that means… Mother!"
In an instant Morgan's arms were around her, squeezing her in a hug so tight that Lucina's breath was forced from her lungs. For a single, startled moment she didn't know how to react. The girl was practically a stranger, someone she barely knew. Yet… something deep inside her, perhaps instinct, told her to embrace the girl.
Her daughter.
Right then she wasn't quite sure what to think. She certainly hadn't expected to become a mother, at least not any time in the near future. Even after entering her relationship with Robin the possibility of children hadn't ever been considered. Not when saving the world took precedence. Nor did she know the first thing of being a parent. All she knew was that right now she just wanted to hold the girl tight and keep her safe.
"Mother," Morgan murmured, nuzzling closer against Lucina. "… when I woke up I couldn't remember you and… and..." Lucina realised tears were glistening in Morgan's eyes, a small sound somewhere between a hiccup and a sob falling from her lips.
"Why are you crying? D-Did I do something wrong?" Lucina asked, concern welling in her throat.
"Huh" Morgan blinked, unwrapped one arm from Lucina to touch her face. "I don't… I don't know why I'm… I just…" She frowned, her expression once again growing perplexed. "I just feel like… l really wanted this. To see you. I was so scared when I couldn't remember you, Mother, I was afraid you'd left me." She sniffed, wiping her eyes.
Slowly she let go of Lucina, her expression brightening as she laughed. "But I guess you're here now, mother, so I have nothing to worry about. I'm sure I'll remember you in no time too, I just need to try hard enough!"
She seems to have Robin's knack for positivity, I'll give her that. Lucina nodded, letting Morgan know she agreed with her assessment. Besides that she was not sure what to do, being a mother wasn't something she'd experienced before and still seemed to an completely foreign concept. Gods… I'm a mother...
"So, Morgan, you ready to go meet the others?" Robin asked, extending a hand to each of them, helping the two to their feet.
"You betcha! Come on, what are we waiting for!" Morgan beamed, turning around without even waiting for them before making a beeline for where the other Shepherds were gather some distance away.
"Well, she's certainly not lacking energy," Robin said, his expression almost bewildered as he stared after her daughter.
"Perhaps we should go after her… b-before she says something to cause a stir with t-the others," Lucina stuttered, her brain still struggling to catch up with everything that had been thrown at her.
"Yeah, that's a really good idea," Robin said. Exchanging worried looks, the two bolted after Morgan as fast as they could. In their haste they nearly smashed head first into Chrom and Sumia, who'd broken away from the others to meet them. Skidding to a halt, they moved in front of Morgan, gasping and choking for breath.
"What's gotten into you two? Did something happen?" Chrom asked, arching an eyebrow at the wheezing couple.
Lucina opened her mouth to answer, only for Morgan to brush past before she had a chance.
"Hi!" Morgan chimed. The girl grinned from ear to ear, waving to Lucina's parents in greeting.
"Lucina, who's this?" Her mother asked, glancing to her before returning her gaze to Morgan. "And why does she have a coat just like Robin's?"
"Well, you see..." Lucina bit her lip, struggling to find the right words. Gods, why was it this so hard? "Mother, Father, this is Morgan... she's… well she's…"
"Your father and mother?" Morgan questioned, glancing between Lucina's parents for a moment before a grin erupted across her face. "Grandpa! Grandma!" Lunging forward, the girl wrapped her arms around the two shocked royals. For a moment neither of them moved, their expression bewildered as they processed what had just happened.
"I… what…?" Her father stammered. It took another moment before Lucina saw the gears begin to turn, his eyes seeming to linger on Morgan's hair and coat. Then realization dawned on his face. "Robin. Explain. Now…"
"Heh, well you see… she'd kinda…" Bullets of sweat rolled down Robin's face, his expression terrified as he stared back at Lucina's father. Gulping audibly, he tugged on the collar of his shirt, struggling to form an answer. "...our daughter…" He finally managed, those final words escaping in a terrified squeak, cringing away from the Exalt.
Despite the situation, Lucina could help but smile, seeing the tactician dissolve into a panicked mess somehow seeming rather endearing. For all his apparent confidence on the battlefield, it was this side of him when he got flustered that she found rather adorable.
There was another moment of stunned silence, her parents once again taking a moment to process what had been said. For her part, her mother's expression slowly lit up, a smile tugging at her lips. For her father's part, well...
"Robin…" Her father's eyes narrowed, staring down the tactician with barely contained fury. Wriggling free of Morgan's grip, his hand inched toward Falchion hilt. "Is my daughter pregnant?"
"What!? No!" Lucina shouted in unison with Robin, eyes wide. "I mean I don't… that is to say… we haven't exactly… yet…" She trailed off lamely, she and Robin exchanging an embarrassed look. The tactician's face was red and she was sure her's was not much different.
Her father nodded slowly, seeming to accept this answer. However, his hand remained dangerously close to Falchion's hilt. He may have accepted her and Robin's relationship, but discovering he was a grandfather at his age must not be as easy an idea to swallow. "Explain… now."
"W-We don't even know how she got here, she just showed up from what we can tell," Robin stammered. "Morgan lost most of her memories so we don't really…"
As situations go, things probably couldn't have gotten much more awkward. Blissfully Lucina's mother stepped in to diffusing the situation before things could get anymore out-of-hand. "Chrom, honestly, give the two of them a break. I'm sure they didn't mean to make us grandparents this soon," Sumia said. She grinned, clasping her hands together and hopping up and down excitedly. "I just realised, I get to be a grandmother without needing to wait until I'm all old and wrinkly. How great is this!"
Lucina could only stare, her face burning yet again as her mother continued to bounce… and was that a squee? She couldn't possibly be… nope, mother is definity squeeing. She covered her face with her hands. So much for making things less embarrassing.
"Its feeling old now that I'm worried about," Chrom groaned, shaking his head. "And here I thought my life had reached its peak weirdness when my best friend began dating my future daughter."
"Wait… Grandfather is Father's best friend? That is really weird. I can totally see why he'd be upset, father," Morgan interjected, grinning.
"Not helping, Morgan!" Robin exclaimed, quickly pulling the girl away before she could do any more harm. "ChromI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorrypleasedon'tkillme." Robin continued to babble, he words becoming more incoherent with the passing second, keeping Morgan between himself and the Exalt as he retreated.
"Oh no you don't, get back here!" Chrom shouted, starting after the fleeing tactician.
"Mother..." Lucina said, staring blankly after Robin and her father. "Perhaps we should return to camp before either of them get hurt."
"At least before Robin tries to use Morgan as a human shield." Her mother sighed. "And here I just wanted to get to know my granddaughter without your father freaking out. I'm married to a child."
"Robin does not seem to be acting much better, I'm afraid," Lucina nodded, watching as Robin attempted to lose her father amongst a collapsed section of the ruins. She pressed her hands against her forehead, struggling to make sense of everything that had happened that day.
How had coming to the past become so complicated?
. . . . .
Lucina looked on as Morgan shoveled food down her throat with almost reckless abandon, already into her third bowl of stew.
It seemed an almost endless appetite was a trait the girl shared with her father, whom had already started on his fourth helping with the same fervor Morgan had displayed. Between the two of them it was a miracle that there was anything left for the others to eat.
Lucina felt her smile fade, dismay taking hold of her as she watched the two go. Morgan and Robin seemed to have hit things off immediately, having spent the entire meal so far discussing tactics between mouthfuls. Other than a brief conversation with Morgan on their way back to camp, she hard hardly exchanged so much as a handful words with the girl.
Not that it had been any fault of Morgan's. No, her future daughter had attempted to speak to her several times. It was her that found herself held back, hesitance gripping hold of her each time she looked upon the girl. What if she messed things up and upset her? What if she got in the way of Morgan's already building relationship with her father?
Gods, I'm hopeless. I can't even face my own daughter without freezing up. Lucina cast her gaze downward. I don't know a thing about being a parent. What am I supposed to do now?
"Lucina?"
The question caught her by surprise. Tilting her head up she saw that Robin's gaze was upon her now, looking on her with evident concern, having apparently noticed her discomfort.
Lucina opened her mouth, preparing some excuse for her behavior and tell him he need not worry about her. Then she sighed. No, something was the matter, and avoiding it wouldn't help matters. It was better if Robin understood than just letting her worry fester. "Robin, may I speak with you for a moment?" Lucina asked, keeping her gaze down.
For a long time Robin said nothing, his eyes fixed on her as if trying to get a fix on what was the matter. Then, slowly he nodded, stacking his mostly empty bowl on top of those he'd already cleaned out and rising to his feet.
Standing as well, Lucina turned to go, only to notice Morgan's gaze on her and Robin now. She looked… worried, as if she'd done something wrong to cause both her parents to suddenly wish to leave. Coming to a complete stop, Lucina stood motionless, unsure what to say or do to put the girl's concern at ease, to tell her that nothing was the matter. Gods, how was a parent supposed to act in this situation?
Thankfully, Robin spoke up then, answering for her. "We'll be back in a minute, kiddo. Why not go talk to your grandparents until we get back?"
"Oh, okay. That sound like a great idea, Father!" Morgan beamed, her expression changing so quickly that Lucina could scarcely register it. Hopping up off of her log, Morgan scurried over to to where Lucina's parents sat at the other side of the large bonfire.
Watching after the girl for another moment, Lucina slowly turned away, she and Robin moving several paces away from the gathering so they could speak out of earshot.
"Is something the matter? You barely spoke the entire meal," Robin asked, worry flickering in his warm brown eyes as he looked at her.
"Yes, I just…" Lucina averted her gaze, unsure how to best put her thoughts into words. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself against the cold bite of the winter air. "I don't know the first thing about being a mother, Robin. What if I screw up? What if I hurt Morgan because I can't-"
"Lucina," Robin said, gripping her shoulders gently, forcing her to look at him. A knowing smile tugged at the corners of the tactician's lips, his eyes glinting with laughter. "That's all this is about? Gods, and I thought I was the only one panicking over this."
"You… what? But… you looked so calm and… well, natural with all of this," Lucina sputtered, eyes widening.
"I wouldn't be a very good tactician if I couldn't conceal my worries in the face of uncertainty," Robin replied, a nervous laugh falling from his throat. "Honestly, I don't have the faintest idea how this whole parenting thing works. I've just been winging it and hoping I didn't mess up too badly. But I doubt your parents were any more prepared when you showed up, or any of the others for that matter, so I figured that if they could figure it out so could I." His smile faltered then, his expression becoming somber. "I was worried you'd started to have doubts about... well, us. That with Morgan showing up you'd realised this was all a big mistake and-"
"No! Gods, no, I don't want that," Lucina shouted, cutting him off before he could finish. "I wasn't thinking that at all, Robin. If anything you should be the one having second thoughts right now. Morgan can remember you, but can't recall anything about myself. I must of been the worst mother in the world, for her to forget everything about me…"
"Lucina… don't say that. I know you, and I know you must have been a wonderful mother in Morgan's timeline," Robin assured her, reaching out to gently stroke her hair as he continued. "For one thing the fact that she fights just like you means that future you must had to have spent a lot of time teaching her swordplay. And even then, I've already seen you acting like a mother should. When Morgan broke down and embraced you, you held her right back and comforted her just like a mother should. You're going to be a wonderful mother Lucina, I know you will be…"
Lucina opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, words failing her as she stared back at Robin, her version blurring a bit. "Robin… with Morgan here now… what does that mean for us and the future? What if we failed? What if things didn't…"
"And if they did, then we can make sure they don't happen here," Robin assured her. "It doesn't matter how many times things have repeated before now, whether its once or a hundred, I made a promise that I'd see your future is a happy one, didn't I? I'd be a worthless tactician if I couldn't follow through on my word." Robin smiled. "I can't say I know what this will mean for the two of us, but I do know we'll figure it out together. Just like we'll figure out this whole parenting thing. It can't be too hard, right?"
"I suppose you are right. After all this work to save the world, raising a child should be simple." Lucina laughed. She smiled back at him, a weight seeming to lift from her. "Thank you, Robin. I feel relieved to know I am not alone in this."
"Don't mention it." Robin chuckled. Turning back to the bonfire, he extended a hand to her. "Shall we get back to unraveling the mysteries of parenthood?"
"Let's." Taking his hand, the two of them returned to the campfire gathering. As they approached, Lucina caught a sight of movement as Morgan hurried over to meet them upon noticing her parent's return.
"How was your chat with your Grandparents, kiddo?" Robin asked Morgan.
"It was great. Though Grandpa-Chrom said not to call him that, because it made him feel really really old. Grandma-Sumia seemed to like it though!" Morgan beamed. "She said the next time we pass a village that she would take us shopping, Mother! I kinda need clothes, since this is all I got." She tugged at her tunic and coat to highlight her point. Morgan seemed to freeze then, acting as one who'd just realised they'd said something they shouldn't have. "I mean, that is, as long as you want to. Its okay if you don't, I'd understand…" Morgan cast her gaze downward away from Lucina, rubbing her arm nervously.
Guilt filled Lucina. She'd been so worried about messing up that she hadn't even considered how avoiding contact with Morgan would seem as good as rejecting the girl. Here she was, so afraid of being a terrible mother that she'd ended up acting like one without meaning to.
"Morgan, I'd love that more than anything," Lucina assured the girl, a gentle smile on her lips.
Slowly Morgan looked up, staring at Lucina with big, wide eyes. "Really?"
"Yes, really," Lucina answered. "Morgan, I'd like to apologies to you. I'm still getting use to the idea of being a parent, and I was so afraid of messing up that I had begun to avoid you. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Awww, Mom," Morgan threw her arms around Lucina's waist, hugging her. "I'm sorry too, I guess I didn't really consider how weird this must be for you too, huh?"
"Even, so it doesn't excuse my behavior," Lucina said, returning the hug. "Perhaps we should start over. Whatever you want to talk about, I'll listen, deal?"
"Deal!" Morgan laughed, letting go of Lucina's waist only to grab hold of her arm, pulling her towards the bonfire. "Come on mother, what are you waiting for. We have a whole lot of stuff to talk about, time's wasting!"
The next few hours passed quickly, time being lost as the three of them talked amongst themselves. Morgan proved to be an endless fountain of questions, much of them aimed at Lucina herself. The girl wanting to know everything she could to fill in the holes of her memories regarding her parents. She hung on every little detail, from stories about their past, to the little things like their favorite foods. In particular Morgan seemed enthralled by stories of Lucina's adventures after traveling to the past and meeting Robin.
It was only as the bonfire began to die down that it became apparent just how much time had passed. Morgan yawned as she shifted in Lucina's lap, her eyelids drooping on the edge of sleep.
"I think someone needs to get to bed," Robin noted smiling at the girl wrapped in Lucina's arms.
"I'm alright, Father, I want to keep talking and… stuff…" Morgan yawned again, her speech slurred with the onset of sleep.
"Lucina, why don't you take Morgan back to your tent tonight." Robin asked, standing up from the log. "I still need to meet with your father and discuss our plans for tomorrow,"
Nodding, Lucina stood, picking up Morgan as she did so. "Come on, you heard your father, it's time for bed."
This time Morgan didn't argue, nodding drowsily as she wrapped her arms around Lucina's shoulders to help keep from slipping. Making her way through camp, Lucina walked in silence, her pace slow with her daughter's added weight. In was only after several minutes had passed that Morgan spoke up again.
"Mother… do you think we could… practice… practice swordplay tomorrow? … Grandmother said you'd love to…"
"Of course I would. We'll do that first thing tomorrow," Lucina promised. Reaching her tent, Lucina pulled back the flap and stepped inside. Setting Morgan down on the simple cot that had been placed inside, she helped Morgan out of her coat, draping the garment over the back of her chair. By the time she turned back Morgan had already curled up onto the bed, her eyes with a peaceful expression on her face.
"Sweet dream, Morgan," Lucina whispered, tucking the covers up over the girl's shoulders. Morgan shifted slightly, but made no other sign of having heard her, already fast asleep.
Turning away, Lucina set about preparing herself for rest. Removing her her cloak and boots, she stripped down to her tunic and pants, folding the removed outer layers of her garments before setting them aside.
Kneeling, she dug under her cot for the extra blankets she kept there, before taking up residence in the chair at Morgan's bedside.
"You… to me long ago..."
Lucina started at the sudden voice. A second passed before she realised it had been Morgan who'd spoke. Gazing down to find her eyes still closed, her chest rising and falling in a slow, rhythmic cadence
She must be dreaming, Lucina thought, gently brushing a stray hair from Morgan's face. I wonder what you're dreaming about. I wonder if you see your forgotten future… if so I hope those memories aren't as painful as mine.
With this very though Morgan seemed to stir slightly, shifting under the covers." ...don't understand... is it..." Morgan's brown knitted as she continued to mutter, her once peaceful expression troubled by whatever haunted her dreams. "...I can't… can't keep… ... almost forgotten... …Mother…" Her lip trembled, twisting into a grimace.
"Shh, shh, its okay," Lucina whispered, placing a hand on Morgan's forehead. The girl tensed at her touch, then relaxed. Stroking her hair, Lucina watched as Morgan's expression became serene once more.
"I'm here now, and as long as I am I won't let anything hurt you," Lucina promised, her daughter.
Her daughter.
Author's Note: So, here ends my take on Morgan's recruitment mission. I am curious to see if you picked up my nods to Future Disowned in this chapter.
Also, come on guys: 98 favorites but only 52 reviews? I know you guys can do better than that. Seriously, you have no idea how much your feedback helps me improve as a writer and motivate me to keep writing.