"You didn't tell me you brought a secret weapon, Lucina!"

"That's mama Lucina to you, Emmeryn!"

~ Super Mario World, 1991

"Your Grace?"

Perched on the balcony, the sun behind her lit her form, and she glowed in the sunlight as her dress fluttered in the wind. The Exalt tore her gaze from the view of the city below to the guard standing at the door to her room. Her brows furrowed as her eyes adjusted to the low light inside.

Seeing this, the man frowned. "My apologies," he said with a bow. "Was I interrupting anything?"

"Not at all, Frederick." A small smile lifted the edges of her lips. "What is it?"

"Your family has returned from Southtown," he replied.

"I see. Are they in the castle yet?"

"They're waiting for you in the main hall."

"Oh." The Exalt glanced away. "Could you tell them I'll meet them in a minute? I need a moment to prepare myself."

"I see." Frederick's eyes briefly flicked to her dress: a soft blue nightgown. "Hardly proper to be running through the halls in your nightclothes."

"I just woke up. It's going to take a second for the rest of me to catch up with the fact." As if to emphasize her point, she let out a yawn, stretching her arms over her head.

"Another long night of grueling negotiations with Plegia?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Well, I'll be off then. Don't be too long, though, or they'll come up to drag you out themselves."

The Exalt waved Frederick away, and he chuckled as he turned to leave. The door clicked shut behind him, and she wiped her eyes, the last traces of sleep finally vanishing.

Standing a little straighter, she took a moment to look around at her room. Long, thin curtains adorned her bed frame, and wardrobes stuffed with lavish clothes glistened in the dim candlelight burning in the glass lanterns hanging off the walls. Sighing, she fell back into the green bedsheets decorated with golden threads, savoring the embrace of the fluffy pillows sitting at the head one last time. These noble folk didn't know how lucky they were to have such cushy lives. She certainly hadn't when she was young, but after all she had been through, she cherished the moments where she could just lie down in a soft bed.

As much as she would have liked to catch another minute of sleep, her family was waiting in the main hall. She had to get dressed for the day.

Rolling off her bed, the Exalt stumbled over to one of her wardrobes. She threw off her nightgown, carelessly tossing it over her bed as she threw on her uniform.

The Exalt made for the door, patting herself down as she moved to make sure all the buckles were tightly strapped together. A glint of metal caught her eye as she passed by her desk, a mountain of paperwork still piled on top. She paused and turned to her desk, and her gaze fell on the sword leaning against the side, its steel blade flashing sharply.

A frown crossed her face, and she reached for the sword, only to stop the second her fingertips brushed the hilt. After a moment's hesitation, she shook her head, and her hand drew back.

Nothing's going to happen today, she reassured herself as she opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

People noticed her as she passed by them, clearing out of her path as she strolled by intricately designed gold and green banners. That wasn't to say she didn't turn heads before, it was just that the amount of respect and awe people treated her with was on a completely different level.

As she moved down the stairs leading into the main hall, she heard voices from around the corner. Taking a deep breath, the Exalt let a smile spread itself over her lips before she finally stepped out into the main hall and into view.

Gathered at the center of the room, she found Frederick, a patient smile on his face as he stood in front of her family: Lissa, Chrom, and Emmeryn, along with a strange white-haired man standing awkwardly behind them.

Lissa was the first to notice her. She gave a delighted gasp, and the Exalt barely had enough time to brace herself before Lissa crashed into her, arms tightly wrapped around her torso. She ruffled Lissa's hair with one hand, and the girl started gushing about their trip. As she nodded along, listening to every word of Lissa's story, she lifted her head to see Chrom and Emmeryn, grinning as they made their way over to them, Frederick in tow.

Sweeping her gaze over each and every one of them, the Exalt's smile only grew wider.

The Exalt, and a mother of three, Lucina thought. I still can't believe I've come this far.

Twelve years ago...

Lucina opened her eyes to the searing light of the sun. Groaning, she pushed herself off the grass, running a hand through her long blue hair as she blinked the spots out of her eyes. She looked out to the horizon, over at the grassy plains and rolling hills, at the mountains looming in the distance and the city standing before her, bustling with life as people ran about the streets.

People, she thought. Everyone was dead. I really did come back.

Lucina let out a relieved chuckle. She was half tempted to fall back into the grass, to just relax for a moment after all the strife she had been forced to endure. Gods knew she deserved it, and with the world still in one piece, she had time.

Though how much time depended on how far she had come back. Her brows drew down, and she scanned her surroundings for anything she might be familiar with.

Her eyes were instantly drawn to the brand of the Exalt, proudly displayed on the banners hung over the city. She lifted her gaze a bit higher, and to her surprise, she found a castle standing over the city, the afternoon sun casting the capital in a majestic figure in the bright blue sky.

I'm home. I've forgotten how beautiful it looked without Risen crawling over the streets.

Lucina shook her head clear of those sentimental thoughts. She had a duty to do. Although Ylisstol was hardly the setting for many important events leading to the end, aside from the Exalt's assassination, since she was already there, she might as well make sure everything was alright. She had no idea where she had landed, and she wanted to make sure the timeline was in good shape. The first thing she needed to do would be to find the Exalt, be it Emmeryn or Chrom.

A low rumble came from her stomach. Lucina's brows drew down, and she glared at her treacherous body.

She'd have to find the Exalt after she found something to eat.

Huffing to herself, Lucina made her way through the grassy outskirts and into the city. The streets were filled to the brim with people milling about, and she found herself struggling to keep steady against the tide of people wandering around. Most people might have been annoyed.

This was an odd sort of novelty to her. That's not to say she enjoyed it, it was just that all the noise had a calming effect on her. Silence meant that a Risen ambush was just around the corner.

Eventually, she managed to navigate far enough into the crowd to reach a fruit stand. Her exchange with the shopkeeper was brief, and after handing him a fistful of gold coins she'd brought with her from the future, he gave her a shiny red apple to quell her hunger.

Retreating to the side of the street, Lucina let her eyes roam over the bright red fruit as she leaned against a wall. Finding it satisfactory, she brought it up to her mouth, opening it and preparing to sink her teeth into its flesh.

"Stop it! I don't know what you're talking about!"

A cry halted the apple inches from her teeth, and her head snapped in the direction of the voice. Once again stepping out into the street, her eyes narrowed, and her hand fell to the hilt of the sword strapped to her hip.

She struggled for a second to see over the crowd before they finally parted around the center of the cobblestone street. As she stepped past the crowd, she found a small group of children dressed in rags, jeering loudly. She moved closer, and that's when she finally saw what they were all gathered around: a large boy kicking a smaller blonde girl in a pink dress.

"I'm sure you don't know anything, brat!" the boy said with a snarl. "Your father didn't have to go to war, did he?"

He kicked her again, and the girl let out another pained gasp.

Lucina's hand left her sword, but her lips pulled down in a scowl. She cleared her throat, and all eyes immediately went to her.

"Leave the girl alone," she said, stepping forward. The children paled, and in an instant they vanished into the crowd, leaving her alone with the whimpering child on the floor.

Lucina's eyes softened. Seeing the girl curled up in the middle of the road broke her heart and reminded her of all the children she had seen orphaned by Risen attacks. Quietly, she knelt down beside the girl.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

The girl only replied with a wordless nod.

Lucina glanced around in an attempt to find the girl's parents. When it looked like no one was coming for her, Lucina moved to help the girl up.

The girl stiffened the moment she felt her touch, only to relax when she realized that she wasn't going to hurt her. Lucina pulled the girl into a sitting position with a grunt, and as she dusted off her clothes, she noticed the girl staring at the apple in her other hand. The girl lifted her gaze to meet hers, and Lucina, guessing what she had in mind, handed her the fruit.

"Thank you, miss," the girl muttered as she took the apple in her small hands.

Lucina just smiled at her return. The girl didn't hesitate to take a bite, and Lucina watched for a bit as she noisily chewed on the fruit, taking in the girl's appearance. The pink dress she wore seemed decent enough, although both it and the girl's hair was matted with dirt. The girl's face was scuffed as well, something she'd received from the fight, no doubt.

"What's your name, miss?"

The girl's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Lucina blinked once, then blinked again. She turned to look at the child, and her gaze was met with the girl's eyes.

For a second, she debated on telling the girl her name. She briefly entertained the thought of telling the girl her name was Marth, but she decided that, since she couldn't remember ever seeing a girl this young, she probably wasn't important, so it wouldn't hurt to tell her real name.

"Lucina," she said.

"Lucina?" The girl giggled. "That's a pretty name. I like it."

A few more moments passed, the only noise between them the sound of chewing. Lucina regarded the girl for a bit longer, trying to recall if she had met anyone like this girl in the future.

"Do you need me to bring you to your parents?" she asked at last.

At this, the girl stopped chewing. She stared off into the distance, before she replied, "They... left."

"Oh." Lucina felt a little saddened by that. She was all too familiar with children being abandoned by their parents as well; it was something Severa often talked about, and it couldn't have been any easier for the girl in front of her.

"Well, who's taking care of you now?"

"My sister."

"Then do you need me to bring you to your sister?"

The girl swallowed, before she replied, "I was gonna find her myself, but you can help."

"I see," Lucina said, nodding slowly. "So, what do you need me to do?"

"Help me look for them."

"Alright." Lucina made to stand up, but a small tug from the corner of her skirt stopped her. She looked down to see the blonde girl clutching the fabric.

"Help me look for them from here," the girl amended.

Lucina frowned, confused. "What?"

"My sister says that when you're lost, you stay where you are."

"I don't think she meant that for somewhere as big as the city."

The girl paused, putting a finger to her chin, before she said, "If my sister meant that, she would have told me."

"Maybe she thought you would understand it by yourself."

"Understand what?"

"That you're not supposed to stay in one place if you're lost in the city."

"But she never told me what to do if I'm lost in the city, so I'm going to stay here."

Lucina frowned, frustrated now. There were no young children in the future, the threat of the Fell Dragon being a bigger issue there. She hadn't known arguing with one could be so repetitive, though.

"Why don't we try to find where you live, first?" she said. "Do you think you can remember that? I can help you get there."

"Yeah."

"Where is it, then?"

The girl pointed over Lucina's head. She turned to follow the girl's finger, and her eyes widened when she saw where the girl was pointing to: Castle Ylisse.

Blonde hair. Pale blue eyes. She hadn't realized it at first since the girl's eyes had been light enough to be mistaken for grey, but slowly Lucina began to connect the dots.

The girl chose that moment to shout out, "Oh, there's my sister!" She jumped to her feet, and she started waving her hands wildly and yelled, "Hey Em! Over here!"

Lucina whirled around, eyes only growing wider by the second. Stepping out of the crowd, she caught sight of a slightly older girl with blonde hair, long green robes draping off from her, and the brand of the Exalt shining brightly on her forehead. She looked very young, like she had only just started growing out, barely the majestic woman she would turn out to be. It was then that it dawned on Lucina that she had been sent back a lot earlier than she had expected to go.

"Lissa!" Emmeryn cried out, and she rushed forward to wrap the girl next to Lucina in her arms. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick!"

"Sorry Em," the girl said, her voice muffled in her sister's robes. "I wasn't gonna stay away forever. I got lost, but then this nice lady helped me."

"Really?" Emmeryn turned to Lucina before she could disappear. "And who are you?"

"Marth," Lucina blurted out.

Lissa gave her a confused look at that. "You said your name was Lucina."

"I-That was a mistake."

"Which is it, then?" Emmeryn asked.

"You may call me Marth."

"Lucina sounds prettier," Lissa said, sounding disappointed. "Were you pretending your name was Lucina because it sounded prettier?"

Lucina blinked. "What?"

"That's okay if you do. I do it sometimes too."

"Well, whatever your name may be," Emmeryn said, sounding a bit conflicted about that, "the royal family of Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude."

"It's really no trouble at all," Lucina replied, and she unconsciously took a step back. "I just found her wandering the street."

"She saved me from some mean children!" Lissa chipped in, digging Lucina a deeper grave.

"Is that so?" Emmeryn's eyes strayed to Lucina's side. It took her a moment to realize that she was looking at her sword. "I see you know how to use a sword," she said. "How would you like to serve the house of Ylisse?"

"I-I don't think I have the time."

"I insist. At the very least, come with us back to the castle so I can pay you for your efforts. The House of Ylisse never lets a good deed go unrewarded, isn't that right Chrom?"

Emmeryn turned to look over her shoulder, and Lucina's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't noticed before, but while she had been busy talking to Emmeryn, another familiar figure had approached them: her father, Chrom. That same mop of blue hair still adorned his head, the brand displayed on his shoulder, and although he was a lot shorter and less muscular, she could still recognize those same blue eyes that adorned her face. The uncaring expression, though, was new.

"If she has other things to do, you shouldn't bother her," he said, surprising her with his cold response. The Chrom she knew would never act like this.

"Chrom!" Emmeryn said in a scolding tone. She looked back at Lucina. "I'm sorry about my brother. I'd really appreciate it if you could accept my gratitude, and I'm sure Lissa would too."

A feeling of dread pooled in her stomach. Had she already butchered the timeline? If she had, who knew what sort of disaster this change could cause.

A tug on her skirt brought her attention to the floor, and once again, Lissa had her hands wrapped around the hem of her coat.

"Please come with us, miss," she said, gazing up at her with pleading eyes. "You said you'd help me get home."

"Alright," she said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I'll go with you."

Inside, however, she wondered, Just what have I gotten myself into?

Just a plot bunny that sprung up while I was trying to get in the holiday spirit. I'd like to think this works as a one-shot, but I do plan on doing more with this. It might take a while, though, depending on if I can find a better way to manage my time so I can juggle between three works. Otherwise, wait for me to finish Over the River before you expect more.