Hi all! I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while so I decided to write it down!

I'm pulling a bit from Radiant Dawn so if you haven't played it, you're missing out!

Disclaimer: I own zip

The way she used magic – he had never seen it before. Its power arced brightly just millimeters away from her hand before sending visible shockwaves through its target. She spun and it spun also, encompassing her and protecting her in an impenetrable cocoon. She jumped in the air with her arm extended, a fireball nearly the size of her body erupting just outside her outstretched fingers. He had never seen such uninhibited control before, such intimacy with magic. She carried no tome or staff – she alone was the creator of raw power and it was absolutely mesmerizing to watch.

She would give Soren a run for his money. Hell, she would give Titania a run for her money. She might even give him a good run…but he really wasn't sure about that one. After all, he was a legendary swordsman – there was no one that could shake him. She came pretty damn close though.

He continued to watch as she battled a man wearing a red mask and wearing a tight blue body suit. Ike thought he looked ridiculous, but hey, if the guy was a good fighter then he could wear a tutu for all it mattered. And the man was indeed good – he was fast and powerful, his kicks quick and precise. She wasn't fazed in the slightest, dancing around him as if he were an amateur instead of a renowned brawler. She continually spun just outside his reach, hair and dress swirling in a tight circle before flaring behind her as she lunged back towards him to deliver strikes of her own, hands blurred by the magic they summoned. She didn't remain unscathed however – she received a few swift and unerring blows, but recovered quickly and gracefully, her countenance never giving away what pain she must have endured.

Finally, the man in blue was sent flying off the battlefield after running head-on into an exploding ball of fire. She stood in the middle of the stage as she watched him disappear, chest heaving from exertion and adrenaline. Her arms were calm and still at her sides, but her chin was tilted slightly upwards – a sign of confidence and poise, and victory. He had to admit she looked almost…regal, if the gold headdress and embroidery were any indicators.

"Impressive, isn't she?"

Ike turned to his left, spotting a green-clad man with unusually long and pointy ears. Yet another guy wearing funny clothing. Was there going to be anyone normal around this place?

"You must be new. I'm Link."

"Ike."

Link tilted his head in the direction of the now-receding platform.

"That's Zelda. Err…Princess Zelda to be proper, but she tells everyone to forego formalities here. We're both from a place called Hyrule."

"Princess? Huh."

"What, no powerful women where you come from?"

"On the contrary, there are three queens where I come from that can all handle themselves in a fight."

He spoke slowly, almost carefully, his voice deep and thoughtful. Link whistled, eyebrows raised at the impressive response from the blue-haired guy beside him.

"Three…? That has to be intimidating."

"It's not so bad."

He recalled Sanaki, Micaiah, and Elincia. They were all fierce fighters (Sanaki was feisty, too) and they all commanded respect from their subjects, but they were never particularly…intimidating. Were they?

"Alright, I'll take your word for it. Come. I'll show you around."

Ike nodded and stood up to follow Link from the stadium. He was shown around the Brawl mansion and introduced to every person he passed. He wouldn't be able to remember all of their names, but later he would specifically recall Marth, a guy who actually wore something normal.

They encountered the one named Zelda on their way to the dining hall. She was walking with who Link called Captain Falcon, smiling easily at whatever conversation they were sharing.

"Ah! Zelda, Cap'n. Great match, both of you."

"I wish. It's a good thing they heal bruises here too, cuz I woulda been black and blue for weeks with the hits this powerhouse landed! Whew! My gut's still churning from that last one."

Captain Falcon bellowed in laughter, one hand at his stomach and the other clutching Zelda's shoulder in companionship.

"You've gotten better, Zel! I'm making a note not to go so easy on a girl next time!"

The corners of her eyes lifted ever so slightly as her irises shined with hidden mirth.

"Whatever you say, Captain."

Grinning and shaking his head at the display, Link beckoned Ike over.

"Here, guys. Meet Ike – he's a newcomer this year. Ike, Captain Falcon and Ze…Princess Zelda."

She shook her head playfully at him while Captain Falcon stepped forward and offered his hand. His handshake was firm and bone-crushingly strong.

"Hey, man. You're gonna love it here."

Zelda stepped forward as well, but instead of taking her hand, Ike lowered his torso in a small bow. He never felt the need to do so back in Tellius, especially not with Elincia, but Zelda didn't know his –sometimes…unpolished… – mercenary ways, so he decided to play it safe.

A gloved hand was placed under his chin, gently nudging his head upwards.

"Please, that won't be necessary. I'm just another fighter here. Just call me Zelda."

She took the time to note his deep blue eyes, so different from Link's bright, ocean-blue ones, but oddly enchanting nonetheless. His eyebrows were thick and straight, arching slightly downward at the outer edge, lending him an erotic appeal she would later deem completely unnecessary. His jawline was ruggedly well-defined. His hair was wild and electrically blue. "He's an attractive man," she mused.

"I appreciate the gesture, though."

Ike stood slowly after making a few observations of his own. Well, it was really only one observation since he, being a man and all, wasn't great with detail – Zelda had one of the prettiest faces he'd ever seen. Lovely body, as well, but he was slightly embarrassed to admit that it registered so quickly in his mind.

When he finally straightened to his towering height, Zelda carefully hid her surprise at his stature. Anyone could see that beneath the light armor he wore, he was impossibly thick with muscle – more so than the captain beside her. He looked like he could beat Donkey Kong in an arm wrestling match with minimal effort. His cape only served to make him appear more impressive, not that he needed the help. Scratch what she said earlier. He was an extremely attractive man. She couldn't wait to see him on the battlefield.

Dinner at the mansion reminded Ike of meals around camp back when he was fighting the war. There were people every which way, stumbling, laughing, and being obnoxiously loud. He sighed, suddenly very much missing the solitary quietude his little abode lent him, despite the excitement he felt from the tournament he had agreed to enter.

"Too rowdy for you, Ike?"

He found himself looking once again at the heart-shaped face of the Hylian princess.

"Just a bit."

Her pink lips turned up in the most graceful curve as gentle chimes of laughter floated from her mouth. Eyes sparkling, she raised a daintily gloved hand to her mouth in feigned embarrassment for her outburst.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…that's such an understatement!"

She laughed some more and Ike couldn't help the slight upturn of his own lips. Her smile and laughter were infectious.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself, Ike. I'm curious as to what you did to land yourself a spot here…in all of this."

She playfully gestured to the chaotic hall. He shrugged, looking down at his empty plate, leaning slightly forward against his arms on the table.

"Not much to tell. I trained myself in the art of the sword and became the best in the land. Guess word got out."

"Ike."

Zelda placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, making him turn slowly to look right into her eyes. She peered intently at him, almost searching for something in the depths of his eyes. He wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest though, he himself lost in the intensity of her aqua orbs.

"You're a man of few words, but it's not a surprise that your eyes say a lot. You've fought many battles, haven't you? You have the look of a man who's seen much beyond his years."

He shrugged again.

"I've been caught in a couple of wars. And yes, I have seen more than I would have liked to."

"And as the best swordsman, I'm sure you were quite indispensable in these wars, were you not? Am I looking at a hero here?"

He appreciated her sincerity and respect, but he really didn't like the word 'hero.' He never asked for it – he never wanted it. He stepped into the shoes of an extraordinary man and was thrown into two chaotic wars in which the fate of Tellius hung in the balance. Crimea was always asking for his help, no, taking it was more like it. Of course, he didn't regret any of it, what with the saving of the goddess Yune and the revenge he took on his father's killer, but still…there was so much unnecessary bloodshed that he'd played a part in.

Looking at Zelda, he shrugged – it really was starting to become a habit.

"You could say that."

"You're so modest. Link's the same. He's known as the Hero of Time back in Hyrule. He saved the land from the clutches of evil and restored peace and balance to the realm. And he waves it off every time I even start to think about thanking him again."

"Better that than gloating, right?"

She smiled beautifully at him – the sight made his stomach did a strange flip he'd only experienced in the presence of Elincia.

"Alright, I concede there – you have an excellent point."

Her laughter faded away and she tilted her head slightly and smiled once more.

"I must say, you're an intriguing man, Ike – I'm eager to learn more about you. If you'll excuse me for today though, I have somewhere I need to be. I hope you'll find yourself comfortable here soon. Come find me if you ever need anything."

She rose to leave and he found himself following her with his eyes until she walked out the door. Charming creature, that she was.

She made her way out of the training room, tired yet satisfied with her session. She had trained like no other since the end of the last tournament, where she felt her skills weren't quite up to par. She put herself on a strict 2-hour daily training regimen. No water, no breaks, no interruptions. Just her and a sparring partner for 120 minutes straight, whether that be a person, a sandbag, or an imaginary opponent. On each day of the weekend, she would spend at least an hour on her marksmanship – she couldn't very well let her skills with a bow rust now, could she?

As she turned the corner, she ran straight into what felt like a brick wall. A strong arm caught her around the middle to prevent her from falling.

"Oh! Oh my, I'm so sorry I wasn't loo… … … oh… … oh… my… … … … oh…"

Her face was a mere centimeters from a certain blue-haired swordsman. His face was slightly flushed, his eyes bright and alive with what, she couldn't tell. His hair was a bit mussed but by the goddess his lips were so…inviting.

As she stared mindlessly at them in wonder, she was suddenly conscious that there was no space between their bodies. It was an indescribable feeling to have her entire front pressed tightly up against pure muscle. Her breasts ached with a foreign longing, her lower gut suddenly churning with a strange, molten fire. Her hands were against his chest and she barely resisted the subconscious urge to let them travel over his chiseled form. And he smelled so enticing – the faintest hint of cinnamon was hidden somewhere in the midst of his natural, slightly musky, scent.

"Is there something on my face, Princess?"

She snapped out of her reverie, quickly darting her gaze to his eyes while trying to ignore the terrible burning sensation of embarrassment.

"No! No, no, not at all! You're just so…um…so… … blue! It's not a natural color where I come from."

"Blue, hm? I don't recall my lips being blue, Princess."

Uh-oh, she was caught there. She started to fidget, but he kept her immobile in his vice-like hold.

"Well, that's…um…well…"

She silently cursed her flustering manner. She was a poised and proper woman and there was surely a way for her to get out of this with her dignity intact! But she was overwhelmed by this, this…man in front of her and him calling her 'Princess' in a low and teasing voice definitely did not help matters.

Suddenly, his body was reverberating from deep laughter. The vibrations were transferred to her body, coiling and winding themselves around her, taunting her in the most merciless manner. She was alight with an animalistic fire she'd never before experienced, her body begging and pleading to never lose contact with his.

"You're quite intriguing yourself, Princess. Who's not saying much, now?"

He laughed again, a deep, slow chuckle that sent electrifying waves through her thoroughly incensed figure. Goddess, she was melting in an onslaught of new sensations.

"S-S-Stop. Please. Stop…stop calling me Princess! I don't like it!"

If her hands weren't preoccupied with his sturdy chest, they would have flown to her mouth. What she just said sounded like a twelve-year-old outburst and she was absolutely mortified. Speaking of mortification, she found herself paralyzed when the object of her undivided attention just moments ago started getting closer to her. His lips grazed her flaming cheek, bestowing a soft and alluring kiss on the soft, creamy skin.

"But your blush is so enchanting when I say it…Princess."

With one last deep chuckle, he released her and walked past in the direction of his sleeping quarters.

It was a miracle she remained standing – her whole body felt like liquefied jelly. She didn't know how long she stayed there, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess in her mind of the scene that had just unfolded. She had gotten dangerously close, and dare she say intimate, with a man she had just met that very day! Not only that, he did something really, really strange to her body. Why was it so…so hot and…and restless?

She eventually stumbled her way to her room, buckling onto her bed without bothering to take of her shoes or dress. She fell asleep and woke up the next morning horribly sore from sleeping in an uncomfortable position while fully clothed in her Hylian garb. Nonetheless, a blush and a smile characterized her countenance, thanks to a very lovely dream about a pair of warm soft lips, strong muscular arms, and a sweet, slightly spicy, masculine scent.

She couldn't wait to see Ike again.

That's it for chapter 1! Review review review please! Fuel for me to keep writing!