The great Mega Man X: slayer of Mavericks, hero of Light, the only one able to stand up to and defeat Sigma eight times over…

Had just been bested by a five-year-old.

The little blue-haired girl managed to sweep him while his back was momentarily turned, flooring him. Zero taught her well, it seemed. After all, self-defense was important, even during these times of peace. There could easily be a few Mavericks missed by the Mother Elf, along with some remnants of Repliforce who were none too happy with General's downfall, holding a grudge even after all these years.

Hell, even the occasional run-of-the-mill bully or child abductor needed to watch out, because 5-year-old Leviathan "Levi" Light had won the sparring match and was a force to be reckoned with!

"Daddy, I won! I won!~ Are you prouda me?" Levi chirped, huge sapphire blue eyes positively brimming with happiness.

"Yeah honey…" X got up, rubbing the new sore spot on his back. "I am."

"Yaaaaaaayyy!" She started bouncing up and down, giggling. X couldn't help but give a fatherly chuckle at his little daughter's joy.

The relatively sweet moment, however, was interrupted by annoyed children's shouting echoing from down the hallway.

"DAAAAAD!"

X inwardly groaned. He knew exactly what this was about, but put on a caring facade. Forcing a smile, he spoke.

"Yes son? What's the matter?'

"Harpy poked me!" a voice whined from within the hallway's depths.

"Oh come on bro! You're a combat model reploid and you're complaining about a little poke?" Another (smug) voice replied.

"You used your plasma blade, moron! (DX)"

"Okay, 1. It's a sonic blade and 2. SO? What're you gonna do? Smash me like the hulking brute you are? (;D)"

"...Great idea! (:D)"

"! (8)"

And then a cacophony of sounds erupted from the hallway. A CRACK! here, a SHWOOM! there, followed by the occasional THWAP! or BWANG!...

X got up and decided that he'd try to nip this one in the bud, futile as it may be. As he was about to march over there and give those kids a piece of his mind, something stopped him. Physically. By clinging to his leg.

"Daddy…?"

X looked down only for his green eyes to meet Levi's blue. Her eyes were watery and her bottom lip was quivering. Cue a heart-meltingly cute whimper.

"*sniff* Pwease make big bwother Harpy and Feffy stop fighting, Daddy. It's not nice! 'Cause we're family and we're all supposed ta love each other…" Here Levi sniffled again. "...and they're fighting an' hurting each other and calling each other meany things and...a-and-" The poor, sweet little girl was dangerously close to bursting into tears.

X patted his daughter on the head soothingly. "It's all right Levi. Please don't cry. You're too pretty to cry. I'm sure that your brothers will stop fighting very soon."

"H-How Daddy?...(;.;)" Levi looked confused.

"Take a listen in the hallway now." X glanced to the hall, where the noises had suddenly stopped in favor of a new voice sternly reproaching the two other children.

Then, out of the shadows of the unlit hallway, a boy appeared dragging two younger boys along behind him. He had dark purple hair that stuck up in the back. A pair of folded bangs framed his face; the entire hairstyle made him vaguely resemble Sasuke. He wore an old red scarf around his neck, and had dark eyes that exuded seriousness and maturity beyond his years. This was 12-year-old Phantom Light.

In Phantom's right hand, held captive by the collar of his shirt, was a boy with seafoam green hair. A large angular bang obscured one eye, and the ends of his hair stuck up to the sides, giving a somewhat winglike impression. His expression, while arrogant and childish (much like his personality), hid a child prodigy that had skipped two grades prior. He was Harpuia Light, age 10.

In Phantom's left arm a large boy with tanned skin and an athletic body for his age was being restrained. His crimson red hair was short, but stuck out in spikes in all directions. His burning red eyes reflected his boisterous personality and temper. His name was Fefnir Light, ten years old just like his fraternal twin.

Phantom spoke up. "Father, I've stopped my brothers' quarreling, if that pleases you"

"Parents' pet." Harpuia huffed.

"Thank you son." X said, ruffling his eldest son's dark hair. "Heh, you're almost more of a father to these kids than I am!" It was indeed true that Phantom often watched over his siblings when X and his wife were gone, which was often due to the ongoing postwar rebuilding efforts courtesy of the former Maverick Hunters.

Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door.

"Come in, it's unlocked!" X called.

"Sup X?" someone responded from the doorway.

"Oh Zero!" X said, pleased to see his friend. "I was wondering when you'd get here…"

"I got held up with something. Namely, Axl." Zero came up the stairs, impossibly long blonde hair swaying and jerking behind him.

"Oh… What did he do this time? Did he pull the one prank with the candy bar and the-"

"YOU SAID THAT WE'D NEVER SPEAK OF THAT AGAIN." Zero irritably interrupted.

"S-sorry...(-.-;;)"

"You'd better be…(;()"

Suddenly (again), a tiny blue blur sped into the room and pounced upon Zero with a surprise hug ambush.

"Uncle Z! Uncle Z!~" Levi trilled joyfully, still clinging around Zero's neck.

"Hey there Levi! Nice to see ya!" Zero responded with a huge grin. "Say, ready to train again today? This time I brought a surprise!"

Levi gasped and her eyes went wide. She loved surprises! Unless it was the type of "surprise" that Harpy would hook up to a tripwire in Fefnir's doorway that ended with Mommy and Daddy getting angry and a yucky smell lingering behind.

But still, surprises!

The high pitched squee was just about enough to confirm Levi's response to Zero's proposition. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet again, little hands clasped together and her face alight with curiosity and innocent joy. She ran after to the training room, giggling madly with glee.

X sighed, both out of relief and exasperation. Oh, how things had changed for the better with the ending of the Maverick Wars. The Mother Elf. The peace. Meeting his girlfriend and subsequently marrying her. And especially his four beautiful children coming into the world. The mature Phantom, the schemer Harpuia, the athletic Fefnir, and the ever so sweet and innocent Levi.

Ah yes, life was great. It was as if fate had finally decided to reward our intrepid blue hero for his tireless fighting for the greater good.

X stifled a yawn. He did feel rather drowsy. Perhaps a nap would be in order. He made his way to the sofa, eyelids prematurely threatening to flutter shut. As he drifted off, X dreamt of a distant memory from years ago…

How this all came to be.