A Happy Future: A Fire Emblem Awakening Story

“Yours will be a happy future.”

In the royal nursery of Ylisse Palace, Lucina peered into the bassinet where her infant self slept. Her final words had not been above a whisper, but she was still wary. Even though the nursery was a familiar place from her distant memories, Lucina felt like an intruder.

She had to leave. Now.

Turning away from the bassinet, Lucina walked silently away from the infant who shared her name and would have a childhood beyond her dreams. Once out of the nursery, she calmed her nerves with a steadying breath. The hallway was empty. Lucina's father and mother—no, her infant self's father and mother—could not be heard from their nearby bedchamber. They were most likely asleep at this hour.

This was her moment. No turning back.

Lucina retrieved her few belongings from the room that had been given to her. Sadly, she had to leave the dress that she had purchased at the market on the bed. There was no room for it in her bag. Suddenly, a knock on the door caused her heart to race, but her panic subsided when she saw Morgan peek inside.

“Ready?” he whispered, grinning as he usually did.

“Yes.”

Slinging her bag over her shoulder and adjusting her cloak to cover Falcion, which was now attached to her shoulder belt while a rapier was hooked to the belt around her waist, Lucina followed him out of the room, closing the door behind her. Then they made their way out of the palace, careful to avoid the guards. If they were fortunate, she and Morgan would be out of Ylisstol before anyone noticed their absence.

“Did you leave a note like you said you would?” Lucina asked.

“Yep. The war room was empty, so I left it on the table, near Chrom's seat. No should find it until morning.”

“With luck.”

“I'm sorry if this messes up your plan. I just didn't want to leave without them knowing we're okay, you know?”

“No, it's fine. I simply hope that they will respect our wishes. Mother and Father...” She felt a twinge of guilt referring to them in such a familiar way now. “...accepted me into their family, even though they already had a baby. They didn't think it was strange. Why was that...?”

Lucina stopped, but Morgan urged her to continue moving, taking her hand in his.

“Come on, now. We'll have time to mull this all over once we're out of here. Less guards.”

“Right,” she agreed with a slight nod of her head.

Lucina and Morgan snuck through the hole in the palace wall behind the maple grove. She wondered if it would ever be repaired, or if it would be left as a secret passage to be used by the royal family. In all honesty, as much as she had found it useful, it would be best to seal it up for good. It would be horrible if another would-be-assassin used it to their advantage.

Once they were outside the palace grounds, Lucina and Morgan put up their hoods and made a run for it, dashing through the dimly lit streets until they arrived at the city gates. The guards gave them little trouble—Morgan convinced them that he and Lucina were simple travelers on their way to a nearby village—and sent them on their way.

However, regret quickly overwhelmed Lucina as they made their way down the dirt road and away from Ylisstol. She had convinced herself, again and again, that leaving was the best course of action. The other Shepherds of her time had all made similar plans. It would be cowardly to change her mind and stay.

“What's wrong?”

Lucina looked up from the ground, meeting Morgan's concerned gaze. “Me, clearly,” she said, shaking her head. “Where is my conviction? I was able to travel to the past and help in bringing about the defeat of greatest threat this world has ever witnessed, but now I'm acting like a homesick child!”

“You're not alone,” said Morgan reassuringly. “I'm sure that all of our friends who've already left Ylisstol feel the same way. I know I do.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“I've dreamed of a peaceful life for as long as I can remember, but now I don't know what to do with myself...”

“Don't be sad, Lucina.” Morgan cupped her face in his hands. “You're free now. You can go anywhere you want and not have to worry about saving the world. And I'll be there by your side all the way. I promise.”

“Thank you, Morgan,” whispered Lucina. She lifted her hand to touch his face in return. “I love you. And no matter what the future holds, I'm going to cherish every moment.”

“That's the spirit!” Morgan rubbed his nose against hers, evoking a rare giggle. “I love you, too. Now, let's go make some happy memories together.”