It's been years since Lucina saw her name spelled out on a piece of paper.

Although her father still calls her by her real name, ever since he recommended her joining the Royal Battalion, he stopped writing notes addressed to "Lucina". Nevertheless after he became sick he wrote less and less. But because of that, for the longest time Lucina thought that her father wanted a son instead of a daughter. After consulting with Robin and avoiding the puberty talk with her father, she understood it was for her protection. But her alias always felt like an ill-fitting mask.

A mask that, if she ever took it off, it would melt her face.

Without thinking, Lucina touched the nape of her neck, her fingertips making uneasy but brisk brushes. The bandages were intact. But the trauma on her head throbbed as she stared at the small blue note. No matter how much she read it over, the words did not change.

"New Arrival of a Baby Boy!

Happy Parents, Lucina and Robin"

Someone knows her real name. Even if it actually wasn't the prince, somebody knows and wants her to know that fact. And not only that, they know she's a girl disguising as a man.

The Guerrillas came into mind but Lucina quickly shook away that thought. They might know she's a girl but don't know her real name. Even if they know where she lives, it was practically impossible to eavesdrop into people's rooms because of the perpetual noise outside the apartment room. And the blue note and handwriting are very similar from the one at the riot. The Guerrillas are aware of the existence of the piece of paper but haven't gotten a close look at it.

"They're watching." Robin whispered.

Noise. Fluorescent light. Lucina looked up to remember she was at the orphanage. A boy with several missing teeth grinned when she met eyes with him. The caregivers still stared at her curiously and Lucina could only assume they wanted answers as well.

Captain Falcon frowned. "I know you guys said you weren't here to adopt… but I never thought you'd give up your kid. Well, I'm sure you have your reasons."

"So, Lucina? Is that your real name? Are you actually the mother? Or did you find a baby? Or…" Roy kept asking, scratching his neck as if the questions were physically uncomfortable.

Lucina felt the blood drain from her face, and for the moment, the throbbing in her head stopped. Countless unrequited feelings chewed into her mind. Putting the mystery of the culprit actually being the prince aside, to think that he would personally seek her and force the responsibility of a newborn baby onto her, and have these strangers stare at her and accuse her as if she was a negligent mother was beyond uncomfortable.

The thought of being considered as a mother alone was unbearable.

Robin looped his arm around Lucina's and stood a step behind her. The closeness of her best friend was soothing but his stance was a bit odd. Feminine, to put in obtuse terms. He gave a quick but knowing look to Lucina before he proceeded to talk in a more "feminine" fashion.

"Don't you think we'd remember if I gave birth or not? Also, this note misspelled Lucius's name so I don't know why you'd accuse us of abandoning a baby."

"Wh-What are you doing?" Lucina sputtered, but Robin ignored her and placed his head on her shoulder lovingly.

Captain Falcon's shoulders scrunched up. "Oh. Were you… expecting? Are you two married, first of all? Is this getting too personal?"

"You said this was an emergency." Robin pressed. "Lucius had the morning off to rest before work. As you can see, he's not fully recovered from his wounds yet from trying to save one of your orphans from the riot."

Roy's eyes scanned from Lucina to Robin, stifling a laughter but covered his mouth. "Wait, so Robin is the girl in this relationship?"

Lucina felt her face catch on fire and turned to Robin for help. She saw him bite his lips before he spoke again, still going on with the act.

"That's none of your business. I thought Captain Falcon said you don't care any sexual orientation." He sighed.

Captain Falcon spoke up proudly, "Yeah, no matter what the relationship is, you two are together, and that's all we need to know. Right, Roy?"

Roy shrugged. "I guess. ...Sorry, I didn't mean to make you guys uncomfortable."

"Thank you." Robin smiled, taking his head off of Lucina's shoulder. "Someone must have pulled a prank on us but at least they could have spelled Lucius's name right. I'll look around places that can take care of newborns."

"Oh, thanks. That helps." Captain Falcon wiped an imaginary sweat from his forehead.

No words would form in Lucina's head as Robin tugged on her arm lightly for them to leave. The baby still cried in Captain Falcon's arms and by now, a couple of curious orphans gathered around him to get a glimpse of the smaller human.


Robin's tug on her arm became more forceful as they sped to the corner of the street. Their surrounding were as quiet and empty as they first arrived. The caregivers didn't seem to want to stop them or follow them as they left, but Robin didn't speak another word until the two of them were out of the factory district.

"Okay, recap." Robin clapped his hands together. His cheeks were flushed with excitement but his expression appeared concerned.

"Thanks." Lucina managed.

"No problem, and I'm so sorry. I don't know why my escape plan of posing as a gay couple seemed like a logical idea but they took it. Also I can't believe Roy would say that I'm the 'girl in the relationship', like that's so rude. That's like asking two chopsticks which one is the fork."

Lucina found herself smiling from Robin's rambling, giving her scope to think more calmly on the situation.

The two of them sat near a set of metal stairs. First signs of thunder shook the cables hanging from the ceiling, making the orange lights flutter. The cafeteria was around the corner and the noise has died down since they left, but they stayed since the stairs were more comfortable.

"Do you have the note?" She asked.

"I do. And look what else I found." Robin opened his coat, revealing the note from the crib and a strange moldy mass.

At first, Lucina pulled away in disgust but mustered the courage to look closer at the stuff. The blue-green mold masked the identity of it but upon seeing the yellow spots, Lucina met eyes with Robin.

"It's old but it's one of those poisoned rolls." Robin confirmed. "I found it underneath the blankets. So with this plus the blue note, wherever that baby came from, I think he has a direct connection with Prince Marth."

"Or whoever has been wanting to get in contact with us." Lucina added.

"That… is also true. We don't actually know if it's the prince yet. But you did say the owner of this nice paper and handwriting is no ordinary person."

Lucina pursed her lips for a moment to take in the situation.

"He knows my real name."

A bitter silence lingered, surrounding the two of them like a stranger listening in on their conversation. Being born and raised in the Citadel, a walled city of perpetual motion where in every corner there will be five strangers, nothing was truly anonymous. If one digs far enough, you can learn almost anything about a person. But living everyday life on scraps, no one was interested in another person usually other than their possessions that they could take.

But supposedly Prince Marth is living above everybody else, and for whatever reason is interested in messing with someone just trying to survive.

"I thought he was a myth." Lucina muttered.

Robin shifted his weight. "You don't seem as, um, upset. This is a weird way to phrase it, but I thought this note would have had a bigger impact on you."

Lucina looked down into her hands. Her wrist that she cut when she escaped from the Guerrillas has predominantly healed, save the pink line that was sensitive when she rubbed it.

Looking deep into herself, the prince knowing her name was disturbing but that wasn't the main point. First it was the riot, then the poisoned boy being healed, the kidnapping, and then the newborn baby. In each case, Lucina was somewhat held responsible when she didn't have a hand in any of them.

The incessant pursuit; the prince's borderline obsession with Lucina was what felt so odd. Because despite having unlimited resources, notoriety as an extremist leader, as well as unanimous respect as a hero, why did he want her?

"Sorry." Robin laughed. "I'm shoving this situation in your face like I don't have anything to do with this."

"No, I was just thinking."

"That's alright. If anything, I'd be careful of Roy for now."

Lucina knitted her eyebrows. "Why is that?"

"He saw me grabbing the roll but he looked away from me. I don't know, it was a weird moment but I think he looked away on purpose."

When Lucina kept quiet on his observation, Robin shook his head and extended his arm for her to stand up.

"Let's go back to the shop and get you patched up before work. I'll keep the note for now."


As they headed back to the potion shop, a week's absence of rain started to pour from the cracks in the ceiling. Spouts of water struck against the grimy floor. There was nothing to do to shield themselves from the gray water, but Lucina held her sword against her body and Robin hid his bag in his coat.

Many of the residents took refuge in the more covered areas but the ones that needed to traverse the streets muttered to themselves and walked slightly faster, as did Lucina and Robin. It was a rather quick trip from the orphanage to the shop again.

In the street in front of the shop, Lucario and another man were squatting around a funnel to catch and filter the rain water. Lucario noticed first and nodded to the two approaching them. The other man shared a resemblance with Mario but had a rather friendlier face.

"Long time no see, Luigi." Robin greeted.

"Hi Robin!" Luigi piped up and shook Lucina's hand. "Hello Lucius, I'm Mario's brother, Luigi. So nice to finally meet you."

"You know me?" Lucina asked, blinking from the immediate generosity.

"Oh yes! Mario talks so fondly of you these days since he finally met another friendly face that isn't Robin and Lucario, haha!"

Robin chuckled, "He thinks I have a friendly face? He does love me."

"You give him too much credit, bro!" Mario swung the door open to the shop. The bells placed on the frame jingled raucously. "You're late. And don't say because we don't have customers. Your regular is here already."

"Oops."

Robin stepped into the shop, apologizing to the customer inside. He looked back at Lucina and gestured her to come in but she was hesitant to go inside.

The regular customer was a young boy. He had a shy disposition about him when he found Robin with his laced fingers and restless legs, but his curled yellow-blonde hair spoke otherwise. The ducktail and hair color was a rare style and Lucina could have sworn she'd seen him before.

"Lucas is a good friend of Robin. Ah, Mario would say he's a 'regular' but it's so rare that we get nice customers that actually want to talk to us." Luigi explained.

"Lucas." Lucina said. That name also sounded familiar.

"Yes. He says his friends play roughhouse and get hurt all the time so he's the 'nurse' of the group. I've never been outside the Outer Rim so I guess they don't have a shop like this in the Midst."

As soon as Luigi said 'Midst', Lucas looked up and met eyes with Lucina, horror filling his big pupils. Unfortunately, upon seeing the boy's terrified expression, Lucina remembered where she had met him. She could feel her wrist ache and her head throb; the boy was there when she had escaped from the Guerrillas' hideout. He had an armful of bandages and bottles when he tended to her while she was knocked out.

Lucina stepped into the shop. "Lucas?"

The boy was speechless, frozen in place like stone. He had already bought a couple of bandage rolls so he clutched onto him. Robin came back with a couple bottles of antibiotics and rubbing alcohol and handed them to Lucas but the boy was still stunned.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Robin asked. He even kneeled to Lucas but no words came out his gaping mouth.

Lucina followed her friend's example and squatted in front of the boy. "Thank you for tending to me."

"Please," Lucas finally let out a sound.

A twinge of pain plagued Lucina's heart seeing tears build up in the boy's eyes. Robin stared back and forth from his friend to his regular customer, as if he was doing his best to understand the situation but observation alone was fruitless. There were no other feelings resembling fear in Lucina anymore but guilt as she had to look away from Lucas and met eyes with a confused Robin.

"Don't hurt me." The boy sobbed.

Robin frowned, a dash of red coloring the corner of his eyes like he was going to cry also. He rubbed Lucas's back in soft, small circles. "Nobody here is going to hurt you, buddy. Lucius a nice guy."

Lucina leaned over, whispering into Robin's ear, "He's a member of the Guerrillas."

"What?" He exclaimed, but in a whisper for Lucas's sake.

The boy had his head down, sobbing into the new bandages. One fell to the floor, rolling away from him but he was planted in his spot. Lucina felt Robin's incredulous stare pierce into her, and as much as she didn't want this unassuming boy to be a member of a group that assaulted and kidnapped her, she wanted to be certain.

"You tended to my wounds, right? You were the only nice one in your group and I want to thank you if you are the one."

Lucas peered through the bandages. His line of sight was somewhere around Lucina's chin but he nodded in approval. Robin's hand stopped for a moment in surprise, but he resumed patting his back. He shared worried looks with Lucina, so she carefully picked her words.

"Thank you, Lucas." Lucina said. "I will never hurt you, as long as your friends don't hurt me and my friends."

Nothing occupied the quiet shop except for Lucas's sniffles and hiccups. Mario had stepped out to tend to Luigi and Lucario's water collecting and their playful banter felt inviting. Even the pouring dirty water outside the shop was more comforting to listen to than Lucas's sobs.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Lucas finally spoke through his cracked voice.

"We… Bowser Jr. thought that Prince Marth started the riot and he had his allies to look over it. We saw you two there during the riot and then when you picked up the note so we thought you two were the prince's allies. The Family is super strong but Bowser Jr. said if we work together, we could take one person down. But I didn't, I didn't want to…" Lucas trailed off.

Lucina nodded. "Thank you. But I thought your leader admired the Family. Why did he want to kidnap one of us? Wouldn't that have angered the prince if we were indeed his allies?"

"We have a list of the Family members and you two weren't in the book so… we thought Prince Marth was recruiting new people and Bowser Jr. wanted to know if that was true or not."

Robin joined in. "You have a list of old Family members?"

Lucas clasped his mouth with one hand, bandage rolls tumbling out of his arms and bouncing off the floor. Robin instinctively caught a couple of them from rolling away but he kept his surprised eyes fixed onto his customer.

"Oh, gee, sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you, but is that true?"

The boy froze again. Now he stepped away from Robin as well.

"I'm assuming that was supposed to be a secret." Lucina whispered.

He shook his head but his frantic state made it obvious that the book was supposed to be a contained secret. Robin looked back and forth from Lucina and Lucas, words lost from his mouth. Somehow, Lucina found the moment to cover her smile when she noticed this was a complete role reversal from what just happened at the orphanage. Now it was Lucina's turn to take the best out of this situation.

"You didn't do anything wrong. As I said, I have no intentions of hurting you or keeping you from coming here. You're a customer here."

Lucas nodded briskly.

"But your friends did hurt me, physically and emotionally. I hope you understand that I don't agree with how they handled Robin and I."

Lucas mumbled through his hand, "I understand."

"And I hope you understand that if you or your friends try to hurt me or my loved ones again, I will fight back."

"I understand." Lucas replied with a clearer voice. There was a different resolve in his big eyes now, so he wiped his tears away and finally looked at Lucina.

Something about Lucas's eyes made it hard to concentrate on them. His pupils were dark but it reminded Lucina of the sky through her window, and also the flowers that bloom from the sunlight. He wore a striped shirt and denim shorts like Ness but their personalities were polar opposites. It made Lucina wonder why Lucas would be associated with the Guerrillas.

"I'll talk to Bowser Jr. and the others." Lucas spoke again, clearing his throat when his voice squeaked from crying. "If, um, Robin and you want to know more about the Family, maybe we can work together?"

Lucas's offer struck Lucina off guard. Her immediate response was no, and then she remembered what she said to Bowser Jr. as she escaped from their hideout.

I wish I could help you, she recalled.

"I appreciate your offer. But talk to your teammates first."

Lucas left with a bag full of supplies, waving back at Lucina and Robin, and the other employees of the potion shop as they collected enough clean water to bring back in. As they watched the blonde boy disappear into the dark, pouring street, Lucina anticipated Robin's excited response.

"This just keeps getting more and more interesting."

"What do you think?" Lucina asked, vaguely on purpose.

"Cooperating with the Guerrillas? I think that's a decision you make, since they kidnapped you. I just had a kid with a windsock hat threaten me to talk into a transceiver."

Behind them, Luigi was arguing with Mario on how to ration the clean water they just collected. Lucario was unfazed and was already carrying the next funnel to place outside.

Lucina lowered her voice. "Do you trust Lucas?"

"I do. He's been my customer for about a year now." Robin explained. "I actually let him stay over at my room once when he said he had a fight between his friends and he didn't want to go back to them. I've never seen him so upset before so I let him stay for a couple days."

"Well, I don't blame him. His leader is overbearing and another of his teammates is heartless." Lucina grumbled.

Robin smiled supportively. "He comes to the shop once a week, so I guess we'll have to wait until he comes back."

"I guess so."


Remembering to go to work was perhaps, for Lucina, the most draining part of the long morning. Robin apologized for not being able to change her bandages in time but Lucina thanked him. Her wounds were well tended and healing nicely so what she actually worried about was how to cover her hair after her head fully recovered.

There was a supply shop on the way to the watering station, but knowing today's rain, many people would be in that area to get some bottles of new clean water. Plus the owner there had lost vision after a terrible accident with an exposed cable so the shop might be closed.

Robin did tell her of a new shop that opened recently by the name of "The Gates of Hell" that sells supplies, but to her, the name sounded like a delinquent group she heard about during her trainee days in the Royal Battalion.

Surprisingly, the afternoon passed by in a blink. Again, there was no threat to the Royals today as it has been for the past fifteen years so Lucina spent her time in the practice arena. She sliced the torso of the dummy and noticed she was famished. There was a small cafeteria for guards and usually Lucina ignored the place to avoid contact with her companions, but the inviting smell from down the hall was especially attractive tonight. Patting her newly deposited pockets, she felt adventurous. Plus, after that long morning, she deserved a plateful of something.

There weren't many that were interested in teasing her as Lucina stepped in the room. It was almost the end of her shift, so at this time, there were some stragglers loitering around with dirty plates stacked on their tables. However her commander was there flipping through pages of a book as he sat and ate, and once he saw Lucina, his whole face brightened to meet her.

"I thought you didn't like cafeterias." Ganondorf chuckled.

"I, um, was hungry, sir." Lucina stuttered, feeling her cheeks burn. A couple of the guards threw looks at Lucina but minded their business.

"Well, we all need to eat at least three times a day."

Lucina feigned a laugh as she bought a sandwich with cheese melting from the side. It didn't cost as much as she expected and the first bite she took was scrumptious so Lucina made a mental note to visit here more often. The cheese and wheat were manmade, but after weeks of drinking chicken broth, biting down on something was very satisfying.

At first, Lucina wanted to step outside to eat in the balcony, but seeing the expectant look on her commander's face and the empty seat in front of him, Lucina reluctantly sat down. Granted it was much better than a roomful of passive-aggressive companions and seniors, eating in front of her commander was just a bit embarrassing.

"Training is good, but eating is a very important factor in building a strong body." Ganondorf nodded.

In the center of the undivided attention, Lucina forgot to chew. She swallowed her bite and asked, "What do you eat, sir?"

"Let's see, I eat just about everything. I actually need to hold back because I don't have the metabolism I used to. My companions say I gained weight since…" Ganondorf trailed off.

"Commander?"

"Never mind." He shook his head. "But I have gained weight so do you want to train a bit more afterwards? I'll teach you how to counter an opponent's moves."

There was a genuine smile on Lucina's face as she heard the offer.

"Yes, thank you sir."

Training one-on-one with her commander was a somewhat enjoyable occasion. Lucina considered swordplay as a hobby more than an obligation, but she never undermined the art of fighting with a sword. As much as it was a hobby and a profession, it was what kept her going in her trainee days.

During the long curriculum, Lucina did have a chance to choose between a weapon and a firearm. A firearm was considerably more popular than an old fashioned sword because of its ease of use, and distance from the enemy. But because of how expensive bullets are, as long as one remains a trainee or low level guard, you only get to practice with plastic pellets.

Lucina practiced with the plastic pellets as a back-up plan, but when it became time to be promoted to a guard, she didn't hesitate to choose the sword as her profession. And although weapons were less popular, her commander is a sword guard and three of the elite Four Wings commanders are said to be sword guards so Lucina had a hint of pride to hold her Falchion.

So, since the other guards practice in the range, the arena was usually an empty room when Lucina isn't using it. And when Ganondorf helps her train, it was usually a one-on-one session.

"To counter is a defensive stance." Ganondorf started. "When your opponent has the upper hand or is faster than you, at times it is safer to make them take the first move. Rather than trying to match their speed, you end up fatigued and they get the last blow. Use their skills to your advantage."

Ganondorf unsheathed his slender white blade. The decorated sword seemed unfitting to the commander's demeanor and appearance, but once Lucina saw him wield it, she knew it was his sword. She appreciated the contrast between him and the sword, as she wielded a blade that was too big for her frame.

"You can dodge or catch the blade before you counter. Both are used in different situations, but in general, dodging is easier than thinking of how to catch the incoming blade." He continued.

Lucina tried a couple of stances on countering, and despite her commander's lecture, she found parrying to be easier than dodging. A part of it was that the blades hitting and sliding against each other gave her a sense of direction on how she should move.

After a couple rounds, her commander proposed to continue training tomorrow. It was already a couple minutes after her shift so Lucina thanked her commander for the training and left the station quickly. As usual, Robin was waiting for her outside the steel doors. He tilted his head with an amused look on his face and before Lucina could ask if she had something stuck between her teeth from the previous sandwich, he said for once she looked happy after her shift. True, she was content, but something about how he phrased "for once" made her stop to think of why she felt that way.


On her day off a couple days later, Lucina found her injuries healed to the point where the bandages weren't needed anymore. The circlet that has been neglected on the dresser claimed its rightful place on her head again; a simple decorated piece given to her from the Royal Battalion as part of the outfit. It was more of a metal headband but it kept the long hair behind her ears so it does a job more than a decoration.

The supply shop near the watering station was abandoned. The cleaners weren't there yet so a couple men were still rummaging the floors for leftover supplies. Lucina turned her heels. Her curiosity wasn't enough to investigate why three men would be hunting through a toiletry supply shop, and what happened to the friendly owner. She might not be friendly anymore since she lost her vision from an accident, but Lucina remembered she appreciated the importance of being clean.

Electric static whispered from her belt. Robin and Lucina decided to try using the transceivers to communicate to each other, and has been proved useful.

Since the event with the newborn baby, Robin had been looking around hospitals to see if they'll accept newborns; and secretly investigating to see which ones had babies kidnapped to find links back to the prince. There was little progress, but also since then, the Society of Smiles was silent.

"Are you there yet?" Robin asked through the speaker.

Lucina leaned against the wall and pressed the "Talk" button as she brought the device to her mouth. "It's abandoned. Recently, I think. The cleaners aren't here yet."

"Bummer. Well, let's try and find that new supply shop together then. My shift is over soon so I'll let you know."

"Thanks."

Robin cut the transmission first. The transceiver provided immense amounts of relief knowing she could talk to Robin at any time but there was a certain uneasiness that she couldn't wipe away. Although Robin and his co-workers found a different channel for the two of them to communicate on, the thought that the caregivers at the Society of Smiles could listen to their conversation was disconcerting. Lucina feels that Robin doesn't trust the caregivers also, since even when she's in the apartment room, he still refers to her as "Lucius" over the transmissions.

The first couple of times they tried the transceivers was from her apartment room to the potion shop. Lucario was the one who found the channel for them to talk through so he did the honors of saying the first word: "um".

Lucina smiled, remembering how Lucario mumbled and laughter followed behind him, most likely from Mario and Robin.

"You have a lovely voice."

The settling rain masked the woman sitting on the floor. Even from the dim orange lights, Lucina could see that she was malnourished and was painted in a ghoulish shade of white. Pale skin wasn't uncommon but the fact that she would only wear an oversized cotton shirt in the rain was impractical. Also letting her long, wet hair down to one side was as if she was screaming into the streets that she was a woman.

Minutes passed in silence but the woman still stared at Lucina directly in her eyes. She was young but distressed, to say the least. Her hands were knitted together and hugging her knees. Judging her small, bony legs, she needed help to stand up. But her gaze was so intense, Lucina had resorted to revealing the hilt of the Falchion to let the woman on the floor know that she was armed.

The woman didn't blink, or even let her eyes waver from Lucina's.

"Have a good time with me."

When she lifted her cheeks, Lucina knew why the woman didn't flinch. As another minute passed, the woman became adventurous and stretched out her arm. Lucina stepped back, and let the blade slide against the sheath to let the woman hear the weapon instead. She immediately recoiled her arm and fumbled with the door knob that was behind her. With not much headway into opening the door, Lucina sheathed the Falchion again in an attempt to calm her down.

"Thank you for selling me the hair pins." Lucina said, turning away from the street.

The fumbling with the fingernails clicking against the door knob stopped, but Lucina didn't have the courage to look back at the former supply shop owner.


When Robin's shift ended, Lucina suggested that they go back to the apartment room for a while. As the two retreated into the kitchen, Chrom was still sound asleep from his medication starting to work again.

Thunderclouds still rolled by through the window above. Five plates were placed throughout the apartment room to catch the dripping rain, and while some were getting close to full, Lucina couldn't muster the motivation to funnel it into usable water. Robin and her spent a couple minutes in peace, sitting across from each other in the small table.

"You could use paper clips for your hair." Robin suggested.

Lucina managed to smile. A couple years ago when she lost a hair pin the night before she applied for the Royal Battalion, Robin gave her a couple of paper clips as a substitute. But no matter how hard she tried to twist and pin in the stray strand, it kept falling down, and somehow that was hilarious to the two of them.

"Made you laugh."

"Thanks."

With a smile on her face now, she let the thought of the supply shop owner aside. It was a rather abstract thought on gender, and while no talk was too uncomfortable or awkward with Robin, his gender is male. There was a possibility that he wouldn't understand what it feels to have no other options than to sell your own body. Although he did defend her at the orphanage when the note implied that Lucina was the mother of the unknown baby. The ultimate purpose was to take the load off for both of them but he reiterated that Lucina was "Lucius" to them.

"Any progress with finding the prince?" Lucina asked.

Robin shook his head. "Not much. I've looked through most clinics and hospitals in the Outer Rim now. I've been told by several of them that nobody will willingly steal a newborn."

"Well, it didn't come from thin air."

"Yes, so," he continued, "That baby might be from below like the Midst or the Core, kind of depending on how far Prince Marth is willing to travel from there to the orphanage."

Lucas came into mind. He hasn't come back to pick up more supplies yet, but it has been a week since he came by and told them he'd like to cooperate to find the Family. Lucina had been thinking about the pros and cons of working with the kids. While both parties had their own key collateral: Lucina and Robin with their notes from the fabled prince and the Guerrillas with their supposed intellect and list of old Family members, the rough first impression was an obstacle.

"It's too late today, but maybe tomorrow I'll go to the Midst and look around some hospitals there. I bet the people there have more information about the prince too since the Midst is—"

"What if the Guerrillas see you?" Lucina interrupted.

Robin blinked. "I'm sure Lucas will explain that I'm no harm to them. We might collaborate so it's no use trying to kidnap me. And besides, you told the leader that you handed the notes to the Royal Battalion, right? If anything we should be the ones doing the negotiating."

"We… we're a team." She muttered. Admittedly, the word was just a touch embarrassing.

But it seemed to open Robin's eyes. "Oh grief, there goes my subjective thinking again. We're a team! Okay, let's go on your next day off. We can be each other's bodyguards then."

Lucina nodded. She had a feeling Lucas can be trusted, but in case he wasn't able to convince his friends, at least she'll be there to let the Guerrillas know that what she told Lucas was not to be taken lightly.


More days passed with little progress. Lucas hadn't come in nearly two weeks, making Robin concerned. But they weren't about to storm into their hideout looking for the boy just yet.

As with the hair pins, Mario volunteered to be a guide to "The Gates of Hell", but refused to enter the shop as it gave him the "heebie-jeebies" the last time he passed by it. Robin teased him for being a "scaredy-cat" and Mario bet him a day's shift that he'll be as terrified of the place as he was. So today, Lucina used her metal circlet and strands of bandages to keep her hair short but inconspicuous enough so it doesn't appear as injured as she had before.

Her commander no longer worried about her injuries and in these past couple of days, he pressed her hard on practicing on counters.

"A little late that time." Ganondorf remarked. "Your feet are fumbling to catch up to your upper body movement. Observant adversaries will swipe your feet and then take the kill."

"Yes, sir." Lucina breathed.

But the Falchion weighed down, scraping against the floor. Lucina felt her cheeks burn and lifted the sword tip. Her commander sighed.

"Take a break."

Her arm trembled as she sheathed the Falchion. As soon as she sat in the benches, Ganondorf sheathed his decorated white sword and turned away to talk into his transceiver. His usual supportive and beaming self seemed detached today as he was invested in the conversation with the other person on the line. He looked back at Lucina once, nodded with a put-on smile and walked out of the arena. Ringing silence and the fluorescent light showering down on her exposed her heavy breathing and pink fingertips.

The arena was usually quiet, but today, the hallways were quiet as well. There was still a couple hours left in her shift and the silence made time drag on. Especially with how she was performing today, all Lucina could think about was how she wanted to sink into her bed.

There were days like this back in her trainee days. Although her father trained her well, she noticed how easy he was going with her with duration and letting her rest when she started to get tired. He was more invested with the art, whereas Ganondorf trained her in actual combat.

Lucina shook her head. Of course her father would be easier on her. Back in those days, it was a hobby to do in the off hours. Now that she's a guard, she gets paid to protect the Royals. While she has never seen the Royals, it was her profession to hone her skills in case of an assault. It just doesn't seem likely since there hasn't been an attack on them in fifteen years. The Family has been quiet after their leader was injured, likely killed.

Until there was a riot at the bakery.

The glass door opened again.

A young man with blue armor stepped into the arena and found Lucina with a smile. She stared at the man absently, not really registering anything but staring at his cape and ribbons as he walked up to her. There was a sword with a golden hilt tied behind him at his waist that was a bit hidden from his deep blue-purple cape.

He stepped up, a little too close for comfort. A shadow cast around Lucina so she instinctively shifted in her seat to give more space. The man stepped back, bowing apologetically but then shifted in the same direction so he stood in front of her again. He still smiled, still saying nothing, as if he waited for Lucina to initiate the conversation.

"Can I help you?" Lucina questioned, putting some force in her tone.

The man took a deep breath and answered. "Hello, Lucina. Do you remember me?"

She blinked. Hundreds of thoughts and memories raced through her head as she felt the man observing her reaction carefully. Lucina noticed she was pressing herself against the wall but she strained her eyes onto the swordsman who knows her. She finally noticed the one distinct detail about him: the red hair. A very uncommon color that she has definitely seen before.

It took a couple moments to recall the caregiver. The friendly but age-appropriate frankness he displayed at the Society of Smiles was nothing like the swordsman in armor and cape before her. He looked proud, regal, almost like a commander of a Royal Battalion station. He could be, but then it didn't make sense why he would work at an orphanage.

"Roy."

He nodded. "You didn't give birth to the baby after all. Neither did Robin, but I'm assuming he's a guy."

"How did you get in here." Lucina interjected as she shot up.

Roy tilted his head. "Was that a question, or an order?"

The arena was like a foreign place. The surrounding walls closed in on Lucina as she could not see how this exchange would end. A caregiver from an orphanage is in a suit of armor with a sword strapped to his belt. The Royal Battalion stations are protected with steel doors that automatically lock when they close again. Despite the quietness tonight, there were eyes and ears that should have recognized a swordsman with red hair that was walking up to the arena. Somehow, Roy caught her alone.

"How did you get in here." She asked again.

"If I tell you, will you help me?"

Something about Roy's tone made him sound like he was trying to reach out to Lucina. But if he was, he didn't need the weapon or the armor nor did he need to show up at her station. There was a reason he needed to show up here armed.

"I believe you." Roy continued. "You weren't the one who helped the boy and you're not the mother of the baby, and you're confused. I want to know the answers too."

Lucina shook her head. It took all her willpower to not grab the hilt of her sword.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"But I am right. I saw Robin take that note from the crib." He urged. "You two are trying to find Marth because Marth is trying to talk to you. Or else you wouldn't have taken the note. And you wouldn't have asked about the boy whom Marth saved."

Lucina noticed how Roy talked about the prince as if he was a close friend. And how informed he was of her and Robin's investigation, but with more certainty that it is the prince's actions.

"Answer my question." Lucina demanded, her palm brushing against the sheath.

Roy stepped back, pursing his lips. "You think the Royal Battalion and the Royals have state-of-the-art protection but there are holes. Especially since they let some of us be guards and commanders of said army.

"You've never even seen the Royals before. Why do you protect them? Does the paycheck keep you happy or the fact that you can swing a sword around? Because the Family isn't going to attack today, since we've been quiet for the past fifteen years?"

One detail stuck out to Lucina and she wished she hadn't caught it.

"What do you mean by 'we'?"

There was only a hint of surprise in Roy's expression before he smiled again. "Good, you're attentive. Maybe that's why Marth likes you."

The looming presence of death paced through her mind. Roy was, or is still, a member of the Family, the extremist group who wants to destroy the Citadel. Her profession is to protect the Royals from his group, and he already made it inside a station. Her recommended response is to unsheathe her sword and try to kill him but she was frozen over.

Despite Lucina's lack of response, Roy continued. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm asking for your help. Marth has been living as a hermit since he's been injured fifteen years ago. We tried looking all over the Citadel for any sign of him. And a couple weeks ago, he made a public appearance at a bakery in the Outer Rim and started a riot. He left a note there but you picked it up. Since then, you have a connection with Marth and I have no idea why."

Lucina's throat stuck together. How she wanted nothing more than to be in the apartment room and listen to her father sleep, or be at the potion shop with Robin and his co-workers and listen to them talk and laugh, or running to her commander for help, or even looking for Lucas and seeking refuge. Anywhere but here.

"I shouldn't help you." She managed.

"Join us. Robin as well. We can find Marth together."

"I can't."

"There must be a reason why you're pursuing Marth and why he's trying to reach out to you. I just want answers."

"I can't help."

"Then your family must know him. Your father or your mother."

Lucina felt an intangible string cut off from her. Once Roy mentioned her father, it was something she couldn't afford to gamble with.

"You will not talk to him."

In one habituated stroke, the blade strapped behind Roy unsheathed; the double-edged blade glimmering under the fluorescent lights. Lucina clutched her Falchion now, but it didn't provide much relief as she hoped.

"You do have a father." Roy reiterated. "That does bring back some memories. Have you talked about your investigation with him?"

"You will not talk to him." Lucina also repeated.

"Lucina." Roy lowered his voice. "Please don't make me kill you."

Lucina noticed, having a person in close proximity that has the intention and capability of killing her was the most terrifying experience she has faced. Even being disarmed and strapped to a pole, she was able to worry about Robin and her father facing danger. In the back of her mind she did undermine the Guerrillas' capability of killing her.

But after knowing Roy was a member of the Family and seeing his sword, all Lucina could think of was how that double-edged blade could slice her in half and take away everything she held onto for all the years she's been alive. A single swipe of that metal and everything will be over.

In this moment of him sparing her, she forced the 'no's in her head to be logical explanations: why didn't she want this, what action leads to the worst and best possible solution. If she let Roy go, he'll confront her father and Robin. If she dies, he'll still confront them, but she died trying to prevent that. If she lives, she has another chance. If she can stop Roy or even kill him, they're safe in the immediate future.

"You," Lucina took a shuddering breath from her stomach, "Talk to my father after you cross over my dead body."

Roy chewed on his lips. Since he announced his threat, he hasn't taken his eyes off of Lucina and she as well.

"I understand you're a guard and you need to protect your loved ones. But this is not worth risking your life."

"I didn't wanted to be involved in this."

"You were in this since you were born!" Roy stomped his foot and roared, his last word echoing through the empty hall and resonating in Lucina's very being.

Her adversary looked down at his sword. Thick strands of red hair obscured his eyes, but he was biting his lips again. The birdlike golden hilt shone brilliantly from the dim lighting in the station. Even from a distance, Lucina could tell the sword was well tended by its wielder, but who knows how many it has killed and tainted its blade in the years its been in Roy's hands.

"Lucina, I just want to find my friend. I'm not going to hurt you, Robin, or your father, I swear on my soul."

Then why did you show your blade to me, Lucina thought.

She thought of Lucas and compared him to Roy. Lucas could have skills fit for a vigilante group but from what Lucina had noticed, he's a young boy with a kind heart. The swordsman before her most likely has killed many guards and threatened to destroy the infrastructure of the Citadel. And most of all, he pleads to be innocent but also applying his skills by infiltrating a Royal Battalion station undetected and showing the intention to kill her if he doesn't get his way.

What might happen if she let him into the apartment room?

"Leave me alone." Lucina said, before any more thoughts passed through her head.

The wounded look in Roy's eyes tensed into a callous glare. He twisted his wrist slightly to hold the sword into a reverse grip, the blade now extending up against his arm. At first, Lucina thought he was going to sheathe his sword, but Roy took a step forward.

"Very well." Roy responded, smiling, but his tone was void of any empathy.

An outburst of yellow light engulfed Lucina's vision, making her stumble back. Her cloak hissed and before she knew what had happened, Lucina ripped off the cloth and threw it to the floor. Black smoke sizzled from the glowing spots. Her shoulder felt tender from the sudden heat but she reacted in time that she wasn't burnt. The hairs on the nape of her neck stood up and she almost lost her grip on her sword.

A strand of flame danced off Roy's blade. Like Robin's Levin Sword, Roy's was no ordinary blade. Lucina understood how the blade can remain so clean after years of cutting down people; the blade burns before it cuts.

"Then perish with this hellhole."

Lucina drew the Falchion out of its sheath and sliced the air from above as Roy cut from underneath again. Sparks flew, but Lucina gained the upper hand from the downward motion as Roy's blade recoiled back. She clenched her teeth from the metal hitting against each other. Roy perhaps suffered the most of the impact as his blade dragged against the floor for a second as he squeezed his elbow with his open hand.

While she relaxed her jaw to catch a breath, Lucina noticed the tense pain crawling up her arms. Whether it was her muscles reacting to the impact or the fear of having to face Roy, the Falchion felt heavy in her arms and the sword tip rattled against the tiled floor. Irritated by her own display, Lucina struck the tip to the ground.

She noticed her adversary was watching her intently, tilting his head with a smile as he seemed to enjoy seeing Lucina struggle. As Roy stepped closer, Lucina stepped to the side so she didn't hit against the wall. While the sword was in pristine condition, the lights revealed the scuffs and damages in Roy's armor over the years. The frayed ends of his cape wavered as he took more adventurous steps.

It was only then when Lucina began to wonder, how old Roy actually was.

A streak of red swept her feet. Lucina doubled over, gasping at the sight of her blood and building smoke as the flames were clenching her toes together. Before she could swat at her burning foot, an assertive hand shoved her shoulder first against the glass wall. The dull pain of hitting against the solid surface was nothing compared to the stinging exposed wound her left foot was suffering. And perhaps even more than the wound, her commander's warning stabbed into her soul: "Observant adversaries will swipe your feet and then take the kill."

Panicked, Lucina clawed at Roy's arm holding her against the wall. She felt the skin break and blood trail down her palm but it only seemed to make the cold look in his eyes even more taciturn, much less make him let go of her.

The blades locked together in a tangled mess. No measure of pulling or pushing seemed to free her sword, and Lucina had a second to see that Roy had locked the hilts towards him; the only way to free the Falchion was either Lucina lets go of it or Roy twists and pulls back. She wasn't about to let go of her weapon so easily, but the heat radiating from Roy's blade enveloped her arm from the elbow up, consuming the surrounding air into blistering smoke. Lucina coughed, trying to take in small breaths but Roy seemed unfazed.

"You better get your foot treated quick." Roy said. "Your toes are burnt so they'll stick together and that won't help with your sword training."

Lucina noticed her entire left leg was shuddering, spitting blood onto the tiled floor. The smoke had dissipated so she could see her shoe and the wound was spread open like a red rose. Usually she paid little attention to her own body but the deep cut sorely reminded her she had five toes on her feet, whereby now a couple of them might be detached from her.

"You can't walk anymore. Face it, you're not going to stop me." He pressed.

He was sparing her again, after exercising his power over her. Would this fight had been in her advantage had she known Roy would use a fire-infused sword? Or if he used a regular blade? Or if he hadn't made the reason personal? She could think her reasons for failing but they were just excuses that Lucina couldn't win against him with sheer sword skills.

There was a heart-dropping snap from the glass wall behind them. When Lucina saw Roy's pupils dilate across his blue irises, there was a strangely satisfying feeling that spread across her chest. The flames from the sword were too much for the glass wall to handle. After all, they weren't meant to withstand fire. She saw the shadow of the deep fissure snake up the glass wall.

In the last moment to spare, Lucina grasped Roy's collar and shoved him back, their blades unlocking from the change in momentum. The two slipped in Lucina's blood and crashed onto the tiled floor as the glass wall crumbled down with earsplitting screeches.

Glass spread across the floor, reflecting the fluorescent light in serrated patterns. Sharper pieces dug into her skin through the clothes, igniting her entire body, but especially the knees and palms on fire-like pain as with her exposed left foot. She wanted to scream but her adversary below her beat her to it as he arched his back and let out a grating cry. Lucina was pressing Roy down into the glass covered ground.

He shoved her off, unable to hold in painful whines as he gripped his sword off the pile of glass shards. Lucina stood her ground, her breath seething through her teeth as she glared. Her adversary's next move was sloppy from the agony the glass caused him. The momentum of his swing carried the Falchion across, down to an area where the armor didn't protect him.

Roy made a watery gasp.

Lucina's eyes struck open as well when the sword penetrated through her adversary's back. Past his arm, she could see the tip of the Falchion shudder, and she noticed it was her hands that were shaking and digging around the lethal wound. Blood pooled down onto the glittering floor.

"…No, not yet."

The other sword clattered to the ground. As if the weapon was corresponding to its wielder's life, the fire burned out as well.

"I can't, Marth promised," Roy wheezed, then keeled over.

With a wet, brittle sound he slipped off and collapsed onto the floor. Lucina too was pulled by the momentum as the sword tip was still lodged inside. The pull almost made her fall over again but she stood her ground, her foot stepping right next to Roy's head. Needles caressed her tense shoulders. Stomach acid built up until it reached the roof of her mouth. She half expected her adversary to act dead since he looked so rested but the cavernous hole she made in his stomach confirmed he wouldn't move again. When she went to tug on her Falchion, the stomach lifted up, then settled gently again. Magenta-colored blood brimmed from the wound.

At last, she couldn't hold back anymore and liberally vomited on the floor. More, more thick liquid struck against the glass and tile. Pain stung, soaked, and smothered her from all directions. Everything hurt in a different way. Everything was red. Everything changed. Nothing was worth this outcome.

Minutes had past since the glass wall shattered to the floor. The other guards could be at another station today, but Lucina's commander should have heard the commotion. Still, no one came to the arena. Silence filled the station.


When Lucina noticed she could focus on something in her vision again, Robin was there, hands outstretched to her but shaking as if he was too afraid to touch her. The steel door closed behind her and to the left were the stairs that lead her home. She had her burnt cloak and blood-caked Falchion in her arms. Blood, whether hers or her adversary's, covered the blue uniform. Her vision oscillated from a blur of orange to Robin's terrified expression.

"What…" He trailed off.

"It's not worth it." Lucina nearly screamed, then clasping her mouth shut when she heard her sudden outburst.

Robin flinched, but he kept his eyes scanning her face. He shrugged off his coat and covered it on Lucina's shoulders. The shade and warmth was so comforting, Lucina's balance tipped, collapsing into Robin's arms and she began to bawl like a baby. Another layer of relief covered her as her friend no longer hesitated to embrace her back, despite being wet from the copious amounts of unknown blood.

"Shh, shh. Try to keep quiet." He hushed. "Let's go back to the shop and get you cleaned up, okay? Explain everything to me later."

Explain. A cold wave of fear soaked her feet. Lucina left the station and her shift wasn't over. Even more so, she fended off a Family member but didn't stop to check if he was actually dead. She left the arena in that chaos without reporting to her commander. But the steel door was locked. There was no way back in. And anyway, even if the door was wide open she couldn't gather herself to go back.

The walk home was quiet like the station. Lucina only noticed the ankle-deep rain as they pulled into the street to the potion shop. Murky water lapped against the doors and walls, splashing back up their knees. A trail of blood washed away from her uniform.

Most people would have the common sense to not be out in the rain for extended periods of time, so the loiterers that were outside now had their heads hung low and walked briskly back home. Thus the anonymity and cold water numbing her cuts and burns acted as a sedative. The shop itself was closed for the night but the faint, sweet smell it always emanates brought her back to the realm of reality again. Even the dull stench of the rain on top of that gave her a sense of relief.

"A couple more steps. You can do it." Robin encouraged her.

For a moment, thunder illuminated the area through the cracks in the ceiling. Several funnels were still placed outside to filter the rainwater but a tall figure struck out in the relatively quiet street. The being standing in front of the potion shop confirmed Lucina's other suspicion, though she prayed she didn't have to encounter him so soon.

"No." She cried, her voice coming out louder than she wanted it to again.

The forlorn figure noticed the two of them approaching the shop and started to trot lightly in their direction. Robin only appeared slightly confused, so Lucina stepped up and pointed the Falchion to the figure approaching them. The sword tip shuddered in fear and fatigue but it was enough to make the figure stop in his tracks.

"Lucius, what… Captain Falcon? What are you doing here?" Robin sputtered.

Captain Falcon gasped at Lucina's shaken self. He appeared genuinely concerned as Robin had when she left the station. But after tonight of what his co-worker did to Lucina, the once appreciated compassion the man had for them now seemed like a façade. Lucina supported the Falchion with both hands.

"Are-are you two hurt?" He faltered.

"Leave me alone!" Lucina screamed, but her cries were masked by the thunder that struck, revealing her bloodied self and blade for a second.

The hands that were held up to indicate no harm dropped slightly. Captain Falcon seemed to finally notice that no attempt at worrying for Lucina's injuries would alleviate her now, as he frowned.

"Roy… went to talk to you." He explained. "I told him he didn't need to get his sword but, I guess he was right. He never really was good negotiator when it came to finding Marth."

When Captain Falcon took a risking step forward, Lucina felt the hairs on her head perk up, but some were not from fear. Robin had one arm around Lucina's shoulders, and another holding his Levin Sword out to Captain Falcon. The saw-like blade hissed with electrical energy.

"Stay back." Robin warned.

Captain Falcon stopped again. His eyes were round from the elusive weapon. It was a dangerous bet considering their surrounding area was covered in muddy water, an excellent conductor, but Lucina was grateful that Robin understood.

"Robin,"

"You hurt my friend. That should be more than enough of a reason that I'm not going to trust you. Now stay back."

After a full minute, their adversary finally stepped back in defeat. He didn't say a single word as he turned his back and disappeared into the darkness and rain. Lucina and Robin stood under the rain for another passing moment until a woman stepped out to grab her full funnel. She scurried back in like a rat and locked the door behind her.

"I'm putting your sword away, okay?" Robin explained.

Lucina didn't notice how hard she was clutching onto the grip. The last of Roy's blood on the blade washed away from the rain but she knew that moment of him leaning on her and falling onto the floor dead would haunt her as long as she held onto her sword.


Author's Note: As I proofread this I noticed there were so many Smash characters with names that start with "Lu" (Lucina, Lucas, Luigi, Lucario) ...I didn't do it on purpose, I swear. The last scene with Captain Falcon, Lucina, and Robin is on purpose and is a reference to their announcement movie though! Not much of a fight but I thought Lucina would be too tired so it came out this way. As always, Thanks for reading this far and I'm open for questions but I promise won't give any spoilers. I'll see you in the next chapter!