Shulk POV

I briefly considered following Robin after she stormed off but in my heart I knew that some time alone was what she needed. Time alone away from the malice of the other Robin and the rumours he'd started. Besides…I had other business to attend to.

I knew that some of the Smasher's possessed abilities that allowed them to spy on others by means of magic or science. Off the top of my head only Palutena and Ganondorf could see anything of relevance but I was sure Lucario and Rosalina had similar abilities. Abilities that I knew how to evade.

This was the reason I was currently hurrying up flight after flight of stairs to the upper levels of the mansion. There was only one place I knew of that I'd be safe to voice my thoughts; the communications terminals. I'd figured out that most of the Smashers had ones back in their home dimension they liked to converse with and talk about the tournament, and the sheer power required to send the signals through the dimensions could mask ones presence from spying eyes. I doubled my efforts to reach the mansions attic, only to bump into Sonic who was on his way down.

"Hey there, Shulk!" He waved. "Fancy a lap around the courtyard?"

"Not today my blue haired friend. There's someone I've got to talk to," I explained.

"No probs. Bet'cha just scared I'll beat you without your Monado speed activated." I opened my mouth to reply but he'd already dashed off, no doubt to find someone else to race. I shook my head then continued upwards. As it turned out I was closer than I thought and I soon found myself in the highest room of the mansion. It was a lot darker than the other rooms and the only light came from the rows of computer screens that were on. Only 2 of them were occupied.

The android Megaman was closest to the door and chatting animatedly to a bearded man in a white coat on the monitor. On the far side of the room I could make out Pokémon trainer Red, and his friend Serena, in deep discussion with a girl wearing a green bandana. Knowing they were busy I quietly took my seat on the opposite side of the room, and began to type.

"Spacio-temporo co-ordinates 225-3079 Delta 8.2." I muttered as my fingers danced across the keyboard. The screen flared. The monotonous voice of the computer spoke.

"Calling the Bionis resident Dunban. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Received." A wave of relief washed over me as listening to another second of that computer would have been painful. An image of a man with flowing brown hair faded into view.

"Dunban I need your help."

"Wouldn't be the first time, Shulk!" He grinned. "Did you need some help with your final smash?"

"No-no…it…it concerns a girl." His eyes widened.

"Whoa, Shulk, it's only been a few weeks and you're already cheating on Fiora? Shame on you." My face reddened. The nerve!

"What? No not like that! You know I would never ever cheat on Fiora! Never!"

"Calm down you know I was joking." I rolled my eyes. "So what's the problem?"

"Well…this tournament is stranger than I thought. It appears that…" I paused. I strained my ears but heard nothing. I could've sworn I heard someone cough. "It appears that two versions of the same person are here, Dunban. One male, one female, both named Robin." He nodded, quiet and receptive. "The male one has been circulating rumours that she's…."

"Shulk, I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"That she's a lesbian." The word felt alien in my mouth, like it was forbidden. Sure people could marry people of the same gender within our colonies but it wasn't common.

"Well…that's not really a problem," he said quizzically. "What's the issue here?"

"Well you know what I said about them being the same person?" He raised his eyebrows.

"You said it less than a minute ago. I remember."

"In their respective world's everything is the same apart from their genders are swapped. But only their genders. Everyone else's genders remain the same." I could see the gears turning in Dunban's brain. He's always been gifted like that. "The male is married to a woman called Lucina. Since the two Robins are technically the same person it would make sense that…"

"…That the female Robin is also attracted to Lucina."

"Well a Lucina," I quickly added. The male Robin brought his Lucina with him to the tournament but the female Robin's version remains back in her home world."

"I still don't see how any of this is a problem," Dunban said, running the fingers on his good hand through his hair. "Or how this is any of our business," he added.

"It's a problem because from what I know of Robin's world is that it's forbidden for people of the same sex to be in a relationship. The male Robin unwittingly scared the female with the rumours as she believes people will look down on her for liking another girl. Plus the male has effectively, unknowingly I might add, taunted her that she can't be with her own Lucina back home because of the laws of their world. Dunban, she's a total mess now. This has been going on for weeks before I arrived here and the stress has been building up for a while.

"Let me guess. Today that stress broke her and she took her anger out on you?"

"Perceptive as ever, Dunban."

"Hm…I try."

"It doesn't really help that she's in denial about the whole thing, either."

"Well in that case the first step is to make her realise what she wants. You can't help if you don't know what angle to play."

"Well that's all well and good but what do I do?" I asked.

"About what?"

"Robin. The female one!" I said, exasperated.

"Do you want to help her?"

"I do want to help her but her world is so different from the Bionis. No one bats an eyelid if you're gay back home and I can't imagine how I can go about comforting someone in a situation like this when their own world is dead against everything I stand for. I don't want to give her false hope that everything will be fine when the very ideals of her country say otherwise. What can I do here?"

"…I think you asked the wrong person, Shulk. Honestly Fiora's more of the relationship guru than I'll ever be. Her opinion is better than mine."

"Don't say that! Your opinion's important too." He shrugged at this.

"Are the other Smasher's hostile towards her?"

"No not at all. Only the other Robin's been harsh on her but I'm beginning to think he regrets it. All of the others are welcoming and nice."

"Then convince her of that. Show her that she's not alone. Try to befriend her and learn as much as you can about her feelings towards…those matters. Help her do the right thing."

"But what is the right thing?"

"Like I said…you should've called Fiora if you want an intelligent answer.

"Well I suppose it couldn't hurt…what do you think, Fiora?"

"What? Shulk I'm not sure what you…" Dunban started but I held up a hand.

"I know you're all listening in so you might as well own up." I gave a hard glare to a shadow I'd noticed moving earlier. "Come on. I know you guys are there."

"I think he's onto us!"

"Really, Reyn? What makes you so sure?"

"No reason." There was an almighty shuffling just outside of the field of view of Dunban's monitor which cumulated in Fiora, Reyn and Riki moving sheepishly into shot.

"How did Shulk know we were listening?" Riki asked, waving his staff accusingly.

"You weren't exactly quiet. Plus I could see your reflections in the glass panel behind you. Also Reyn I heard that cough earlier."

"Whoops!" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Makes us look like a bunch of jokers."

"Damn right it does! What're you all doing here?!" I asked, intrigued.

"We like listening to what you've been up to at the mansion, Shulk." Fiora explained. "You received a call from Dunban so we all panicked and hid so we could listen.

"So wait…you heard when I said I would never cheat on you?"

"Right she did, Shulk!" Reyn gave Fiora a nudge. "She went red as a tomato she did."

"Reyn!" Dunban said. "Have some decency."

"Sorry."

"Well since you're all here I don't suppose you could offer any advice on this situation I have?"

"Riki thinks Shulk should tell Robin's people they're wrong. Show them who's boss!"

"What?! I should just stroll up to the people of her world and tell them all the laws and beliefs they've upheld for the past few thousand years are wrong?"

"Riki knows it may be headfirst but how else can they accept Robin's love for someone?"

"Hm…Fiora anything to add?"

"Just talk with her. Make her feel safe. She'll open up to you and tell you about the problems in her world. Feel what she feels. Take her pain and turn it into hope. Hope for a better world."

"Wow…that…that was beautiful, Fiora." She blushed slightly. "You can always make me see reason. Thank you."

"Oh it was nothing."

"Hey aren't you going to ask about my ideas?" Reyn interjected.

"Do you have any ideas?"

"No but you could've at least asked." We shared a laugh before I noticed my monitor blinking. I'd almost used up my 10 minutes of terminal time.

"Well thanks you guys. You've all been very helpful. I'll keep you posted." They all nodded in affirmation. "And…if you want to listen don't hide outside of the screen. Everyone's opinions matters. Even Reyn's."

"Hey!" After this the screen promptly deactivated. I couldn't really blame them for having a 10 minutes time limit but it could run out at the most inconvenient moments. Still…sending and receiving messages from other dimensions did consume a lot of power. I stood up, shaking some feeling back into my legs. I surveyed the area and found the Pokémon trainers and Megaman had left and now only me and Luigi were in here. The green hatted plumber was online with a princess with short brown hair and a flowery dress.

Paying this no mind I left the room. I felt greatly inspired after hearing my friend's words but couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. I'd told them a lot of what had transpired at the mansion, nearly everything in fact. Key word being nearly. I'd failed to mention that Master hand had informed me that Robin was my new roommate. I don't know why I hadn't said but it was a minor detail that wouldn't impede my quest to help Robin. Quite the opposite. Sharing a room with her meant I could have access to the side of Robin that she didn't show in battles.

I took a different route back down the stairs, hoping that I wouldn't run into the self-proclaimed 'blue blur'. As it happens I didn't, only to run into someone else.

"Hi Rosalina."

"Shulk I must speak with you." She said, coming to a stop.

"By all means."

"It concerns Robin." My eyes narrowed.

"How much do you know?"

"Everything. Don't worry her ideals are safe with us," she said in response to my questioning look. "I won't tell if you don't."

"…Fine by me. What do you want to talk about?"

"I've spoken with her and I know she regrets what she said back in the arena."

"Well that's good to know."

"I only ask that in your rematch you don't go easy on her just because of her situation."

"Huh?"

"Going easy on her would make her think you think of her as below you and her psyche is strained enough as it is. We're all equals here at the mansion so I ask that you treat her as such."

"You didn't need to tell me that. I would, and will, treat her as my equal for as long as I know her."

"Good. I had to be sure, though. No offence given."

"And none taken." I assured. She seemed to visibly relax after this.

"She doesn't know you're her roommate yet. Master hand's a bit behind in the paper work department."

"Oh."

"She does know where the room is, though, so I suggest you get there first to welcome her. She's on her way there now."

"But the room's down 7 flights of stairs!"

"Then I suggest you start moving," she said, tapping her wrist where a watch would go. "Robin has a head start on you."

"Hm…Monado speed!" I was engulfed in the blue aura of speed. "Thank you, Rosalina."

"Any time, Shulk." And with that I zoomed off down the stairs, taking them 3 at a time. Quite by chance I happened to run by Sonic, who was less than amused.

"Hey I thought you said we weren't racing today!" I ignored him and continued on my quest.

"Don't worry, Robin. I'm going to do everything in my power to help you. No matter the cost."

A/N: This chapter takes place during and just after Robin and Rosalina's chat in the library. I got the feeling Sonic and Shulk would be friendly rivals due to similarities in speed. I know the pokemon trainers aren't technically smashers but in this story anyone who has a trophy in the game is allowed to stay at the mansion and play in untelevised matches in the courtyard (this includes assist trophies as well).

Bonus points to you for recognising everyone who was on screen talking to the other smashers!

Anyway we finally gain some understanding of what Robin (F) has to go through. Remember in fire emblem awakening it's impossible to marry someone of the same gender so I incorperated that element into this story as well. I wanted some contrast between Shulk's home and Robins and I imagine that everyone on the Bionis is totally cool if you marry someone of the same gender (hell everyone there is pretty cool anyway!)

Also hooray to anyone who guessed Robin and Shulk would be roommates.

Quite a lot of things happened in this chapter so I'd love it if you reviewed and let me know how it went.

Until the next time, see you guys!