"So, basically, you want me to train you."

Ike raised a curious eyebrow as Lucas nodded, the young psychic shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"Question is, kid: Why me?"

"Because you're the strongest." Lucas replied earnestly.

Ike allowed his ego to smirk for a moment, before replying. "Alright. So..... what do you want me to train you for?"

"Well........ I wondered.... If I was ever without my powers, I couldn't fight well." The psychic said softly. "I wanna learn how to fight with my hand and legs, like Mario of someone."

"Kid, I use a sword. Why go to me for hand-to-hand stuff."

"Well, everyone else who uses a sword isn't as physically strong as you." Lucas replied. "Besides, you told me and Ness there was time when you only fought with your hands."

Ike considered it for a moment, before nodding.

"Alright. I'll train you. First-"

Ike, with amazing speed, flung his sword at a massive tree, with no branches on it. The sword impaled itself at the top.

"-Fetch my sword."


Lucas had eventually completed the task, by using his youthful agility to scamper up the tree before his cowardice or gravity could take advantage of pause.

"Well done." Ike approved, as the panting psychic handed him back the sword (How did he carry the thing?! It weighed a ton!) "But let's improve your physical strength. You're fast and agile, but you don't have much power behind that speed. Let's change that."

With that, he tossed the sword to Lucas' feet.

"Alright, kiddo. Carry that sword up the hill and back."


Lucas was practically stumbling when he got back, hefting the weighty sword around his shoulders, before finally collapsing at Ike's feet.

"Ha.......ha....... sword...... heavy."

"Yes, it is. Now, go swim upriver. The part where the waterfall begins. Go against the current."


Have you ever heard of rigorous training? The kind that would crush weaker souls? The kind that had you begging for every second of peace?

Well, Ike was not as aloof as one might think.

Ike was a warrior, a general, a soldier.

And he trained like one.

By the end of the day, Lucas was practically nothing. After swinging up that damned river, Ike had him climb every tree in a mile radius, push a boulder up a hill (Well, it wasn't a big boulder, but still!) run round the Mansion 50 times and then fight an unwary Meta-Ridley with his bare hands (Lucas tied up the dragon in his tail, despite the cyborg's protest he was now a good guy) with only 5 minutes breaks in between.

Basically, Ike was forcing Lucas to do every damn thing to build some damn muscles.

Lucas was impressed that he was actually alive after all this.

Damn Ike.............


A whole week had passed since Ike accepted Lucas as a trainee. Since then, Lucas had developed greater and greater physical strength and endurance, the ability to wake quickly at three o-clock in the morning and a better sense of confidence

He was now capable of lifting the heaviest of Brawl items, could push a boulder twenty times his size up a steep hill, could arm-wrestle with Bowser (He loses, but he tries), could climb the tallest of trees and could lift Ike's sword with relative ease. Only his youth got in the way of greater strength, but as he got older, his training would most certainly pay off.

"Well done, kid." Ike said fondly, as Lucas completed his 200th push up. Only the child's psychic energy could allow him to progress as efficiently in this physical training as any other. "You're a fast learner. You know, you shouldn't hide yourself because of your past. You'd make a great Greil Mercenary."

That was best compliment Ike could every give, considering his rather cold nature.

And for the first time in a long while, Lucas felt proud of who he was.

Author's Notes: Not much here, just Lucas doing some physical stuff under the guidance of Ike, in the attempt to make him a better fighter. Ike's right, kiddo. Your past shouldn't dull your future. :)

All celebrate chapter 50! Halfway to 100! Thanks for all your support, you reviewers! Methinks I shall reward you guys, and take some requests for future chapters :P