Jon

Everything looked the same to him just as it had the very first time he rode through the gates of Castle Black with Benjen by his side – from Jon's perspective, that was years ago. He turned his head to the right and stared at the icy Wall while repressing a shudder when he remembered hearing from Bran that a section of the Wall fell to the ground taking Eastwatch with it. That day, he had just returned to Winterfell with Daenerys Targaryen and her army at their backs; and she was just as horrified after hearing that news. She was even more horrified to learn that Viserion was raised by the Night King as part of the army of the dead.

While staring at the Wall, from the corner of his eyes, Jon could make out riding past the great black gates. As he did so, memories flooded his mind of the battle at Winterfell. It was a battle they lost the moment the dead broke though the main gates.

In his memories, he could hear a distant voice, his own voice in fact, yelling out, "retreat! Retreat!" There was the roar of dragons in the sky as he remembered fighting against several wights with Jamie Lannister and Brianne, as well as Tormund and a few others nearby. They were fighting for survival and to allow as many of their soldiers to retreat towards Moat Cailin where it was hoped that the soldiers accompanying Sansa and thousands of others could be protected by the moors that surrounded the ancient fortress.

"Move it!" Jon had yelled out just before Drogon, the dragon being ridden by Daenerys, was hit by an ice spear. It was like hell all around them with the screams of people dying as they were cut down; their screams and the heat of fires burning all around them, along with the screams of the dead as they rushed though the Keep killing indiscriminately. Nothing, however could keep away Drogon's roars of pain as he crashed through one of the castle walls and crashed onto the snow and blood covered ground. "Dany!" Jon yelled out as he killed two more Wights before he turned toward the wall that Drogon crashed through. It was overrun with the dead running through the opening and over drogon's dead body… and he swore he had seen Daenerys screaming out in pain and rage as she was killed.

"Retreat!" came the order again before what remained of the army of the living evacuated Winterfell. All Jon could think about was mourning his Aunt and meeting Sansa again at Moat Caillin. He hoped that the moors would slow down the dead, he hoped that the South would answer their pleas for help. If they did not, then they would take the recently discovered underground tunnels from Moat Cailin to White Harbour. If the South betrayed them again, and if they were going to lose… then the remaining Northern folk would leave Westeros and let the dead take the South.

"Jon."

Benjen's voice pulled Jon out of his memories as he turned his head towards his Uncle. He could sense that Benjen didn't believe him about being from he future, at least not fully. After all, if the roles were reversed, Jon would have doubts as well.

"Uncle," Jon replied nodding his head before his eyes looked around at the people gathered around them. He looked over his shoulder at the great gate closing shut before he looked back up at the stairs where the Lord Commander and Maester Aemon were standing.

"Ah, Lord Commander Mormont," Tyrion called out from his horse before he was helped down to the ground. There were spots where the ground was muddy, some areas were more solid, and there were sparse coverings of snow all over the main courtyard and raining area. Jon glanced at Tyrion and then looked away as he began to get off the horse.

'Tyrion's not the person I once knew,' Jon thought to himself as he clapped his gloved hands together so that the snow on the surface would just fall off, 'this one is still too loyal to his family. He hasn't experienced the same life as the Tyrion I knew… he wasn't betrayed, nearly killed, killed his father, and travelled to Essos to meet Daenerys… that Tyrion is gone. This Tyrion cannot be trusted with what I have to say, at least not yet.'

Jon made a mental note to send a message to Sansa; he needed to let her know he was alive and to get her advice. After the horses were then taken away, Jon walked towards Benjen while he scanned the people around him. He could feel eyes on him… glaring eyes… and so Jon turned his head towards Alliser Thorne. The man was glaring daggers at him just as he did in the first timeline. Jon neared Benjen before he caught sight of Bowen Marsh and a few others who had stabbed him after he allowed the Wildings safe passage through the wall. Jon could still feel the scars on his body even though this body didn't have any of those scars.

"Jon," Benjen said in order to get his attention.

"Uncle," Jon whispered while leaning in, "we need to speak with the Lord Commander and Maester Aemon."

"If what you said is true…" Jon was about to say that it was when Benjen signalled at him to wait, "then…" Benjen shook his head while rubbing his forehead before looking right back at him, "then we need to be careful about when you speak to the Lod Commander." Benjen glanced at Tyrion who was already at the top of the stairs and shaking the hand of the Lord Commander. Jon turned just as Jeor Mormont waved Benjen over, "we have to go through the niceties. Once the Imp has said what he wants to say, I will suggest to the Lod Commander that we should speak in private."

Jon nodded his head.

"I assume you do not want the Lannisters to know about what you have to say?"

"Aye," Jon confirmed nodding his head.

"The Imp and his men should be here for a few days…"

"They were here for three days, Uncle," Jon said, "you are suggesting we speak then?"

"Benjen!" the Lord Commander yelled out.

Benjen waved at the Lord Commander while saying, "I'm on my way, Lord Commander." He then turned back towards Jon, "best not lay about, my boy. Even if you don't intend to stay, you should at least pretend to until the Lannisters are gone."

Jon nodded his head before whispering, "you will arrange it with the Lord Commander?"

"Aye," Benjen replied, "after the Imp has had his fill of the Lord Commander's stash of ale." Jon chuckled before Benjen patted his shoulder and then rushed off towards the stairs. In the meantime, Jon turned and looked around the training area once again before looking back at his Uncle.

Jon knew there was nothing else that he could do. After all, right now he held no power in Castle Black. So he had to wait for Benjen to finish talking to Tyrion and the Lord Commander. As he watched his Uncle walk up the stairs, a chill went up and down his spine… and it wasn't from the cold. From the corner of his eyes, Jon saw a figure dark in a dark cloak move just as… before Jon could turn his head towards the figure… a gruff voice called out.

"Boy."

Locking his jaw at the voice of the man who had hated him ever since he arrived at Castle Black, Jon turned his head towards Thorne who was striding towards him. Jon glanced at Benjen turning his head at him while walking towards the Lord Commander's chambers. Jon then shifted his eyes towards Thorne sneering at him.

"You a new recruit," he said. Jon bristled at the tone Thorne had used; it was a statement instead of a question, and it raised his hackles. Jon wished he had Longclaw by his side so had he could cut down the traitor speaking to him, but he knew otherwise. Thorne hadn't stabbed his in the belly yet… but Jon stayed cautious.

In his first life, Jon simply said "yes" with some excitement in his voice. But that was before he knew what was in store for him at the Watch. A part of him wanted to remain at the Wall, but he knew he could not. He knew what was out there in the frozen North… it was the True North and the Land of Forever Winter; Jon was aware that he needed the freedom to work with Sansa, Robb, and Ned to prevent the Long Night. He needed the freedom to leave Castle Black when the time came to leave, 'and that would be when we have the two rangers who died.' Jon still remembered one of the dead rangers, the very same one who left with Benjen on a ranging, coming to life as a Wight and nearly killing the Lord Commander.

'If they can be held in cages, I can work with Robb and travel to the Northern Lords,' Jon thought, 'show them that the dead are rising and will attack us.'

"Boy." Thorne gruffly said once again, "something wrong with your head." Jon knew the tone the ranger took with him was a mocking one. There was no concern there, "or are you just hard of hearing."

"I just came with my Uncle to see the Wall, Ser," Jon said with as much courtesy as he could muster, "and to join the Nights Watch." Jon recalled Sansa once telling him to be smarter than Robb and Ned… that honour had gotten them killed. And Jon took that to heart – in the future, he did what he had to do to bring Daenerys and her army to the North. And yes, there was some love there between Aunt and Nephew. But the war came first, and they needed to survive the Long Night. As Jon stared at Thorne, he thought, 'but I will not say the vows, not this time. This time I will be the shield that guards the realm of men through other means.'

"Name."

"Jon Snow," he replied, "bastard son…" Immediately Jon remembered Tyrion's words to use his bastard status as armour so that he would not be hurt, "of Lord Eddard Stark."

Thorne huffed before looking him up and down and then nodding at the gates, "why are you standing here like a fool, bastard." Thorne grunted before turning away, "get to the Master at Arms and take your sword. Show the recruits what a bastard trained in a Lord's castle can do." Jon locked his jaw as the man walked away while yelling out orders towards the new recruits that Benjen had brought into the castle.

'I hate him,' Jon thought to himself. He looked away from Thorne until his eyes caught sight of Grenn and Pip. It was then Jon recalled the times spent with those two when they were training in the very courtyard where he was standing. Jon looked away from them before turning his head towards Thorne once again as he got into the face of one of the new recruits and yelled at him. Jon looked away once again before making his way towards the armoury.

'Sam, your younger version should be here any day now, I will protect him as much as I can… I'll ask Maester Aemon to take his as his steward just as you were,' Jon thought as he walked towards the sounds of metal clanging against metal, 'Lyarra, I will see you soon Daughter. And Sansa… my Sansa.'

Jon thought about his wife and smiled. He would see her again and when he claimed the throne in this timeline, he wanted her by his side. No matter what, he wanted his Sansa and Lyarra by his side. He wanted peace with his Aunt, he wanted the realm to be at peace after the coming battle with the Night King.

Ned

It was hard to believe Arya at first, but Ned mentally told himself that there was no way that his youngest daughter could have known some of the things she spoke of at the bank of the Trident an hour ago. From the blue winter rose to the tower in Dorne, even though Arya herself still didn't know the meaning behind those words, the strange future version of Sansa who whispered those words into Arya's ears knew what they meant. And that was all that mattered to Ned, 'Sansa would find out the truth, as would Jon. Did Robb discover it too, did Catelyn?'

And as he walked out of the rookery at Castle Darry after having sent a raven with the message from future Sansa, he passed an opening in the wall that looked down at the yard below. It was here that Ned stopped when he caught a glimpse of Sansa arm in arm with Joffrey walking back into the castle.

'They have returned from their walk,' Ned thought to himself before catching sight of a dark blur from the left side of his vision. Turning his head, Ned saw the raven flying away into the bright sky with a scroll on one of its legs. The raven turned North and flew as fast as it was possible towards Winterfell, 'Cat and… and this future Sansa, if she exists…' Ned shook his head as he continued on down the hall, 'once again, if she did not exist, then how could Arya know these things?'

Ned stopped at another opening before reaching the stairs and looked back down towards Sansa who was holding onto Lady's leash while looking at the ground with a blush on her cheeks. Even from where he stood, Ned could make out the redness on the cheeks of his daughter while the Prince was swinging his left arm animatedly and speaking something that was inaudible.

Ned wanted Sansa to be happy, but there was something in his gut that told him Joffrey was not the right boy for her. He wanted her to have an arranged marriage with someone from the North, but her heart was set on the Prince of the Seven Kingdoms. Sansa seemed to be happy around Joffrey and that was all that mattered to him, 'still, Arya said that Sansa did not marry Joffrey. And Sansa sounded happy about not having married him. So, who did she marry? Was it someone from the North? And why would she not marry the Prince?'

Turning his head away from his daughter and the Prince, Ned continued to walk with his hands behind his back.

'Promise me, Ned. Promise me.' Ned's thoughts returned to the sight of his sister lying on blood-soaked sheets, the birthing chamber stinking of iron and sweat; all mixed together with the scent of blue winter roses. He still remembered rushing in and kneeling next to the bed… all the while having missed seeing the woman standing to his right - he missed the bundle she was carrying; instead his eyes were on fixed on his weakened sweat covered sister. Her dress was bloodied and panting breaths forced out of her lips. However, there was a small smile on her lips upon seeing her brother once again.

Lyanna reached out for Ned, whispering out in pain. Her voice sounded as if Ned was in a sick dream; it was so far-away and etched in pain. However, once Ned took her hand in his, and after she asked if she was in a dream… everything crashed back down to Earth around Ned. Struggling to calm himself, Ned assured her that she was not in a dream, that he was indeed with her by her side. Lyanna then had tears travelling down her cheeks while sobbing out that she was sorry, that Rhaegar had come to warn her about the Mad King discovering she was the Knight of the Laughing Tree.

"Do not speak," Ned gently said as he looked over at the bloodied dress that she was wearing. It was then he noticed the olive-skinned woman staring at him with a look of fear on her face. "Where's a Maester? Call for a Maester! Get some water!"

"Lord Stark," Ned shook his head when he found himself at the bottom of the stairs in the tower of the Maester at Castle Darry, near the training area, facing Jory who was staring back at him with a look of concern, "are you feeling alright, my Lord?"

"Jory?" Ned whispered at the man, the nephew of Winterfell's Master-at-Arms. Ned looked back over his shoulders and saw the stairs cut from stone that led up to the rookery, 'I did not realize I had been walking down the stairs.'

"Lord Stark?"

"I am fine, Jory," Ned said shaking his head after looking back at Jory as the image of Lyanna covered in blood remained burned into his mind. Ned placed a hand on the man's shoulder before asking him if there was anything, he wanted to talk to him about, "has the King called for me?"

"No, my Lord," Jory said, "it is Lady Sansa who wishes to speak with you."

"Lead on, Jory," Ned said, "take me to her." Jory nodded his head and then turned around to lead them towards Sansa. The two of them walked side-by-side as Ned's mind returned to that hot and dry day in Dorne. The day he learnt the truth from Lyanna as she struggled to speak. She spoke of how Rhaegar had sought to protect her from his father and his madness. Rhaegar had taken her to Dorne, and the months long journey was enough for them to fall for each other. She struggled to speak as she whispered that she knew she had been a hypocrite in falling for a married man, but Rhaegar had fallen for her as well. She was his love just as he was hers… he was also a way to leave Robert behind her.

Ned listened in stunned silence as Lyanna said that they married at one of the only remaining godswood in the South near Summerhall during their months of slow and careful journey from Riverrun to Dorne. She said that Rhaegar admitted admiring her since the Tourney at Harrenhal, and that Princess Elia had approved of a second wife since she could not give Rhaegar any more children. Lyanna said that she was surprised, but happy that she had met someone she loved… truly loved. She used the last of her strength to beg him to protect the child… her child… Aemon Targeryen. Her last words were etched forever in his mind, 'promise me, Ned. Promise me.' When he said that he would take the child as his own bastard and raise him alongside his trueborn son, there was a smile on Lyanna's lips before she breathed her last. And that is how he was found by Howland Reed, the Lord of Greywater Watch; his hand holding onto his dead sister's hand tightly.

'And now, Jon is at the Wall,' Ned thought to himself. It was Jon's idea to go to the Wall; Ned had known how the boy felt being in Winterfell underneath the cold eyes of the Lady of Winterfell, Catelyn Stark. 'Cat doesn't like Jon, she cannot stand his sight…' Ned now wondered what it would have been like if he had indeed told Cat the truth after a couple of years when he trusted her. 'But her dislike of him was his shield, if Cat acted different towards him all of a sudden, then there would be many questions asked.'

There was a part of him that was disgusted with himself for allowing Jon to be sent to the Wall; a den of thieves, murderers, and rapers. He deserved so much more than a life at the wall, but Robert was the King. Ned's honour demanded that he serve Robert and not lead a rebellion against him. And there was another reason, another reason why Ned felt as if he had failed Lyanna. It was the reason why he agreed to Jon going to the Wall. Ned couldn't hide the truth from Jon for long… there would come a day when he would have to know the truth. Ned raised Jon to be as honourable as him, and so Ned knew that his nephew would remain faithful to the Nights Watch oaths even after being told the truth.

And that reason was, Ned would have helped Jon regain the Throne. If Jon had asked after learning the truth, and before saying his vows, Ned would have raised his banners for his Nephew. He would have found a way to gather allies somehow… but any rebellion would have brought about even more bloodshed so soon after Robert's Rebellion. It could even break the North. Although he hated himself for thinking about it, it was better if Jon was in the Nights Watch.

'What would the future version of Sansa say about this… about Jon going to the Nights Watch?' Ned wondered to himself. He pushed that thought aside, he mentally told himself that he would deal with it when the time came; for now, he had to ensure that he discovered who killed Jon Arynn and he had to watch the Lannisters who seemed to be plotting against the King – at least according to the letter sent by Lysa Arynn.

Ned passed several common folk who were in awe watching Castle Darry's Master-at-arms overseeing the training of twelve boys on their stances with tourney swords. In the meantime, Ned continued to think, 'there was no way Jon could come South with me. There is the chance that the few people at court who knew Rhaegar could recognize some of his features in Jon. By the gods, perhaps even Ser Barristan could have recognized Jon… he was Rhaegar's close friend, second to only Ser Arthur.'

Ned turned to the left after walking past the main gate. The area was bustling with people; both common folk and many Knights, and Ned walked past them all with Jory by his side.

'And Jon… in the future what happened to Jon,' Ned thought, 'and Sansa… who did Sansa marry? She has a daughter… I have a granddaughter who has come with her.' There was a feeling of pride at the thought that his daughter had her own daughter… and then there was a feeling of dread. Deep dread at the thought of the Wall falling, 'the North fell. Winterfell fell. The Long Night arrived in the future and… and Sansa, her daughter, and another man then returned to the past. The returned to now.'

And there was another thing; he hadn't spoken to the younger Sansa yet. While he swore not to reveal to Sansa about the future version of herself, Ned still wanted to know what she had dreamt about. But he couldn't think of a way to bring it up. As he continued on the way past the horses and the Royal carriages by the side of the pathway towards the castle itself, Ned thought back to Jon once again.

'Did you marry, Jon?' Ned thought to himself, 'how did you feel about knowing I lied to you? That I kept you away from your birthright? Will you forgive me? Or will you hate me?' Ned breathed in as he recalled carrying a crying Jon in his arms just after he promised Lyanna to protect him.

"His name… his name…" Ned recalled Lyanna whispering; he could feel her hand already cooling slightly.

"Lyanna, rest," Ned said as he looked into the tearful eyes of his sister.

"Aemon… Targaryen," Lyanna whispered, "his name… Ned… his… name…" Ned remembered tears flowing down his cheeks while the baby cried. The last thing he heard from his sister's lips was, "brother." And she said that with her last breath before closing her eyes for the final time.

Ned remembered sobbing over Lyanna's body; the rebellion was over. The war was won by the forces led by Robert Baratheon. But yet, Ned felt as if he had lost everything.

'And now there could be another war coming,' Ned thought to himself before glancing at Sansa in the distance as Joffrey walked away with the Hound by his side. Sansa was standing close to their own carriage with Arya seated above some of the luggage with Nymeria next to her. 'And this one could very well be a war against the dead… all of Westeros against the dead. Now the question is what would the rest of Westeros believe?'

It would be many moments later that Ned found himself in the hallway outside Sansa's chambers. Upon knocking on the door, he then smiled at Sansa after the latter opened the door and then stepped aside.

"Sansa," Ned smiled as he walked in. Once he was inside, Sansa closed the door before she walked towards the bed in silence. It was then he noticed that Sansa had an odd look on her face… a look of confusion. "Sansa, are you alright?"

"Father," Sansa said sitting on the edge of her bed before she looked up at him with worry before she spoke rapidly, "you must promise not to tell the King or Queen or the Prince what I am about to tell you. I do not want them to think me mad and.. and I do not want the Prince setting me aside… I love him. Father, I love him and if he set me aside I… I do not know what I would do." Sansa was on the verse of hysteria. Ned rushed forward, gently grabbed her hands in his and sat down next to her. Sansa shifted her body to face him while continuing to say, "please Father, please."

"What is it that has you worried?" Ned said as he gently squeezed her hands.

"Promise me father," she begged.

"I promise," Ned said.

Sansa then took in a deep breath before saying, "this morning, I found myself in Arya's chambers without even realizing it." She then shook her head before saying, "I didn't even remember walking to her room."

"Sansa," Ned gently said, "this is natural. Sleepwalking happens in time of great stress, in fact, I heard from your mother that she discovered Robb walking into her rooms when I was away helping Robert put down the Iron Born."

"No father," Sansa shook her head, "that is not all. I did not tell Jeyne of this… dream… or whatever it was that I had. I could not… I…"

"What did you dream?" Ned asked while he narrowed his eyes in curiosity.

"I was in Winterfell… in the godswood," Sansa said while Ned tilted his head while furrowing his eyebrows in surprise, "mother was there; as was Theon, Ser Rodrik, and Maester Luwin… they looked as if the were worried about me."

'This is something unusual,' Ned thought to himself before gently asking Sansa to continue, 'this happened during the time the future version of Sansa occupied her younger self?'

"There was a girl… a girl with silver hair…" Ned tried not to look at Sansa in surprise. He listened as Sansa described the girl having silver hair, blue eyes, with the sharp features of a Stark. Sansa said that she looked very beautiful, "she was almost unnatural in her beauty."

Ned wanted to gasp. But he held back and just said in a gentle tone, "it was just a dream."

"The girl called me mother," Sansa continued on, "she looked worried. Then mother called for me, as did Robb. I still can feel his hand on my shoulders but…"

"But?" What else did his young daughter dream about. Ned wondered how this was possible, 'how could Sansa experience what happened in Winterfell. It is almost as if their bodies were switched for a few moments."

"I felt as if I was… I was…" Sansa gulped before looking away from Ned, "I felt as if there were things on my skin."

'What?' Ned thought with worry as he asked, "what do you mean?"

"In my dream, I told mother and Robb that I felt strange… I cannot explain it father," Sansa said as Ned's worry grew, "I felt as if I was wearing a dress that did not fit me. And there were parts of the dress that was pressed against my body." Sansa shook her head before saying, "that's the best way I could explain it." Sansa then looked away from Ned before saying, "that girl… the one calling me 'Mother' in my dream… she was worried."

'I do not think it was a dream,' Ned thought to himself as he listened.

"And there was another… a fat man in black leather like…" Sansa rubbed her chin before looking back at Ned and saying he looked like one of the Night Watch's recruits who would stop by Winterfell after recruiting people for the Wall, "he said he was supposed to have reached Eastwatch-by-the sea, and that he was not certain where he was."

"I see," Ned spoke while thinking if a man of the Nights Watch arrived with the Future Sansa and his granddaughter. He wondered about the man's identity before he sighed and then gently said, "it was only a dream, Sansa."

"And then an hour ago… after I walked past you and Arya at the Trident with the Prince," Sansa said, "I felt… I felt sad. I could not explain this feeling but… but I felt said. I could not tell the Prince in case he thought me mad and… and I…" Sansa was trembling as she looked away once again, "I am afraid the Prince and the Queen will think I am not worthy."

Ned reassured Sansa that she was worthy of the Prince, despite his feelings that the Prince was not worthy of Sansa. As he continued reassuring Sansa, Ned was very aware he needed to know the truth from the older version of Sansa. All he could do now was wait.

TBC.