Bonjour à vous tous, mes beaux lecteurs.
Je suis de retour pour vous apporter un autre chapitre merveilleux de cette charmante petite histoire.
Je dois dire que j'ai beaucoup plus confiance dans ce chapitre que dans mon dernier. J'espère que cela signifie que ça va aller un peu mieux que le dernier, du moins à mes yeux.
Je ne vais pas perdre votre temps à bavarder ici, alors commençons ce chapitre, allons-nous?
Super Smash Bros. © Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai
*Smash Mansion living room*
*about 5:30 PM*
Shulk was currently lying on a sofa in the living room, watching television. He had a day off from tournament fights and was trying to amuse himself on his free time. However, the show he was watching didn't seem all that exciting to him, but unfortunately, he couldn't find the remote. So, he was stuck watching this show. Shulk decided to distract himself by getting lost in his own thoughts.
He thought back to the events that had occurred a month ago, when Lucina had saved him from almost certain death from poisoning. He was still very grateful to her for what she did. Ever since that incident, he found his thoughts drifting over toward her more and more. Shulk couldn't figure out why that was.
Perhaps it was because he didn't know a lot of people who would go to the lengths Lucina did for him. There were some, like Fiora, perhaps. But Shulk had never been put into that kind of life threatening situation and had Fiora save him. Plus, Shulk felt that the two women were very different. Lucina was more straightforward, and a bit more goal-oriented. Shulk admired her endless determination. He also liked her strong will and serious nature. Sure, she could be a bit too serious at times, but that sort of added to her charm. Plus, Shulk found those rare instances where she did loosen up a bit to be amusing, such as when she lit up when he told her about Family Day. He enjoyed making others happy, and seeing a smile on Lucina's face brought him a lot of joy. Shulk thought Lucina looked really cute with a smile. Almost as cute as the way her long blue hair fell perfectly around her shoulders.
'Wait, where did that come from?' Shulk thought to himself.
He had a lot of thoughts about Lucina before, but 'cute' never entered his mind until now. So why was he suddenly thinking of Lucina as 'cute'?
Well, she kind of was, Shulk had to admit. Her rare smile and blue hair were just the tip of the iceberg. She was slender and tall. She also and quite an air of grace and elegance to her. And she was one of the strongest women Shulk knew. He found strength to be one of the most attractive qualities a person could have.
Shulk was finding he had all sorts of feelings for Lucina that he never knew he had before. But what was he to do with them?
"I've seen that look in a man's eye before. Thinking about a special lady, are you Shulk?"
Shulk was instantly pulled from his thoughts and looked up to who was speaking. It was Roy, one of a handful of Smashers that had entered this tournament a little later then most others. According to some of the others, Roy had competed in the second Smash tournament, but was sent home when the third one started. Why Master Hand decided to bring him back when the fourth tournament was already well underway was anyone's guess.
"C'mon, tell me, Shulk. Which of the ladies here are you thinking about?" Roy asked.
"N-no one. None of them. No offense, but none of your business, Roy." Shulk replied.
"No need to sound so defensive. I was just curious."
"Well, if you must know, yes, there is a girl that I fancy. I've been thinking about her a lot recently. But I'm not sure what to do with these feelings I have for her."
"If you want my advice, I would say to act on these feelings. Get to know her a little better, and let these feelings grow."
"What, you mean like, ask her on a date?"
"If that is how you prefer to look at it, then yes, Shulk."
Shulk contemplated Roy's words. Perhaps he should learn more about Lucina. See if these feelings grow into something more. Perhaps learn if she feels the same way about him as her does about her. Shulk decided to go for it.
"Alright, I'll give it a try. Thanks, Roy." Shulk said before walking off.
"Not at all, Shulk. Now, where is the television remote?" Roy asked himself.
Once dinner rolled around, Shulk mused over how to best ask out Lucina. Shulk considered writing a note and slipping it under her door, but then decided against it. He wanted to be direct. Shulk thought about maybe just saying 'Wanna go out on a date?' next time he saw her. No, that was a little too direct, Shulk decided. What to do, what to do?
"Greetings, Shulk." A voice called.
"Oh. 'ello Lucina. Robin. What's up?"
"What do you mean? The ceiling is what is 'up' if that's what you are asking." Lucina said.
"I don't believe that's what he meant, Lucina." Robin stated.
"No, it isn't. Where I'm from, it's another way of saying 'How are you?'." Shulk explained.
"Ah. I see. In that case, I am well this evening." Lucina answered.
"That's good. And you, Robin?" Shulk asked.
"I'm fine, thank you for asking. Lucina and I were just discussing the town beyond the Smash Mansion. Have you been there Shulk?" Robin asked.
"Can't say that I have. I see the lights from that town each night, though. If I had a bit more free time on my hands, I'd check it out."
"As would I, Shulk. All I know for sure is that it is called 'Smashville'. At least, that's what Master Hand said. I wonder what it is like there. What do you suppose it is like, Lucina?"
"I am uncertain. I wonder if it will be anything like Ylisstol, with all of its shops and restaurants. I would enjoy going over there some day."
"What's Ylisstol?" Shulk asked.
"It is the capital city of Ylisse, the land where we both hail from." Lucina explained.
"Yes, it is quite a marvelous place. It almost completely surrounds Ylisse's castle in the same way Smashville surrounds the mansion." Robin added.
"Very interesting." Shulk said.
"Indeed. Well, if you will excuse me, I believe I need to heat up my food a bit. I'm still very fascinated by those microwave machines and how they work." Robin said.
As Robin got up and walked toward the microwaves, Shulk had an idea. If Smashville truly was anything like Ylisstol as Lucina had described it, then it would be a great place to take her on a date to. He decided to go for it.
"Say, Lucina." Shulk started.
"Yes, Shulk?" She responded.
"Are you free on Saturday after 6PM?"
"I have no plans at that time. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was kinda wondering if you wanted to go with me to see Smashville. Maybe take a walk around town, see the sights, things like that."
"Hmm. Well, it would be a nice experience, I suppose. And it would be pleasant going with one of my most trusted friends. Yes. I would greatly enjoy accompanying you to Smashville, Shulk." Lucina said.
"Awesome! This'll be great, I can already tell. Well, I suppose I'll talk to ya then." Shulk said.
By now, Shulk had finished his food. With nothing else to do, he got up and headed toward his bedroom for some sleep. By then, Robin returned with some freshly heated food. He then took a seat next to Lucina.
"Did I miss anything interesting?" Robin asked.
"Not particularly. Shulk merely invited me to visit Smashville with him on Saturday night. Would you care to accompany us?" Lucina replied.
"I'm afraid I can't. I have a match against King Dedede that night at 7:00. Besides, I wouldn't want to spoil your date with Shulk."
"D-date?! Robin, I'm not certain if this could be considered a 'date'. More of just a friendly outing, if anything else."
"Call it what you like. All I know is that you spend an awful lot of time around Shulk, and it seems like perhaps he wants to go another step. If it were me, I would accept his offer. He seems like a charming young man."
Lucina considered Robin's words carefully. Ever since she and Inigo broke up, she had been secretly hoping to find love again someday. She decided to weigh her options on the matter. On one hand, perhaps now was not the time to go looking for love. Lucina felt as though she should focus more on improving her performance in the tournament rather than pursuing a relationship. She didn't want to be distracted by another experience like the one Inigo gave her. One where she feels strongly for the boy at first, only for it to come crashing down.
On the other hand, Shulk was not Inigo. She had known the Monado wielder for over a year now. She knew he was a kind and intelligent person. He was, as Robin described him, a charming young man. He was also one of the most honest people Lucina knew. She felt like he would never go behind her back the way Inigo did. Shulk was the kind to take it slow and think about the situation before acting. Plus, they did have a great deal in common, as Shulk had once pointed out. She was curious to see if they had more in common than either of them was aware.
'Perhaps Robin is right. Perhaps this is a date. Maybe I should get to know Shulk better, see if this leads somewhere.' Lucina thought.
The rest of the week came and went uneventfully until finally, it was Saturday night. Neither Shulk nor Lucina were sure what they wanted to wear. Ultimately, they both decided to wear their normal clothes for this little outing, hoping the other wouldn't mind. Though, they both decided to leave their weapons behind, as they didn't think they would be needed. Once 6 o'clock rolled around, Shulk stepped out of his room and went across the hall and knocked on the door. Lucina stepped out and looked at Shulk.
"You look nice, Lucina." Shulk said, despite the fact that she looked no different than she normally did.
"Thank you, Shulk." Lucina replied with the tiniest of blushes at the compliment.
"Anyway, let's get going, yeah?" Shulk said.
"Indeed." Lucina said as they made their way out of the Smash Mansion.
After walking a couple miles down the path that led from the Smash Mansion to Smashville, the pair finally made it. Smashville was a fairly large town, with several buildings and streets of various sizes. It was also crawling with Miis. This is where all the Miis lived and worked outside of the Smash Bros. Tournament. The Smash Mansion itself could only house so many people, so Master Hand gave them this land to do with as they pleased.
"I must say, it's much more grand than it looks from a distance." Shulk commented.
"I quite agree, Shulk. It looks like there is much to explore. Let us look around." Lucina replied.
Shulk and Lucina immediately walked into the town and explored all there was to explore. Their first stop was a park near the center of town.
"What a lovely little place this is. When I was young, I would have given nearly anything to see this much green in one place." Lucina stated.
"It is pretty nice, I'll admit. It reminds me of a place I liked going to back home called Outlook Park. It was the one place I always felt I could go to if I wanted to clear my head." Shulk replied.
"Oh? What was your home like, Shulk?" Lucina asked.
"Pardon?"
"I said: What is your home like? I'm curious as to what the land you grew up in was like. What did you say it was called? Bionis?"
"Yeah, that's right. And to answer your question, well, where do I even begin?"
Shulk took a few moments to collect his thoughts, trying to figure out where to start describing Bionis.
"I suppose I'll start with my home town. It's called Colony 9. It's a quiet little town, but it's still really nice. It's got just about everything a guy could want to live a simple life. Now, as for Colony 6…"
Shulk spent the next several minutes describing his home to Lucina, who listened intently. She was quite amazed by the way Shulk described everything. She hoped that one day, she might get to explore Bionis for herself beyond just the Gaur Plain stage.
"So, that's about it for the Nopon village. Now, let me tell you about where the High Entia live."
Before Shulk could continue, however, he was interrupted by a low rumbling sound coming from next to him. He looked at Lucina with a skeptical look on his face.
"What was that?" He asked.
"I-it was nothing." Lucina said with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.
Before Shulk could comment, he heard another rumble come from Lucina, specifically her stomach.
"Sounds like somebody's hungry." Shulk said.
"I was hoping you wouldn't notice. I find such things rather embarrassing." Lucina admitted.
"What, having people hear your stomach rumble? Don't worry about it. It happens to all of us. Truth be told, I'm starting to feel the same way, myself. Let's see if we can find a place to eat 'round here." Shulk said.
With that, they got up from the park bench they were sitting on and walked around town looking for a restaurant. After about 10 minutes, they found one that looked fairly nice. The pair walked inside and waited to be seated. Once they were, a Mii came up to take their order.
"Good evening, you two. I trust that you are having a pleasant evening. I must admit, it's rather rare that we see Smashers like you here." The Mii waiter said.
"Well, we decided to try something different for a change." Shulk replied.
"I see. Well, I hope you enjoy. Do you know what you'd like to eat?" The waiter asked.
With that, Shulk and Lucina placed their orders, and the Mii that was waiting them took their order to the kitchen to be cooked. While they waited, Shulk decided to strike up a conversation.
"So, Lucina, I'd like to know, what are you like?"
"Pardon?" She asked.
"I said I'd like to know what you're like. I want to learn more about you." Shulk responded.
"Well, I'm not certain what I have left to teach you. I told you nearly everything when I told you my story right after we met."
"Yes, I recall that story. But what I'm asking is to learn more about you. Not your life story, you. Things like, I dunno, what are your hobbies? What are some of your dreams? What's your favourite colour? Things like that."
Lucina wondered where to begin answering these questions. No one had ever really asked her such questions before. She had rarely even considered such things before. But, Shulk was waiting for an answer, and she didn't want to leave him waiting.
"Well, I've always had a fondness for the color red." She said at last.
"Really? I always kinda pegged you as someone who liked blue." Shulk responded while gesturing to her outfit.
"I can see how you would come to that conclusion, Shulk. However, you were incorrect. Now, I would like to know what color you consider your favorite."
Shulk and Lucina spent the next several minutes learning several new details about each other. Everything from hobbies to fears to personal interests, and everything in between. By the time their food arrived and they started eating it, they were just discussing their dreams for the future.
"Well, for the longest time, my only real dreams were to save my world from the evils of Grima and see my family again. And now that both of those have been accomplished, I'm not entirely certain what I would consider my dream to be. If I were forced to answer, I would say that I wish to see my world's newfound peace to continue for as long as possible. And I wish to do whatever it takes to maintain that peace. I want my younger self to grow up in happier and safer times than I did." Lucina said.
"Well, personally, I think you're more than perfectly suited to help do just that." Shulk responded.
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course! You're one of the strongest people I know. And your determination is near endless. I find both qualities to be very admirable. I have no doubt you could do anything you set your mind to, Lucina. Be it keeping peace in your land or anything else."
Shulk's words couldn't help but make Lucina smile. To be praised in such a fashion brought her joy. Her smile only grew when she looked at Shulk and saw a similar smile on him. He was so sincere and honest, and Lucina loved that about him. She then decided to turn the question on him. She was curious as to what Shulk would dream about.
"Thank you, Shulk. Your words mean a great deal to me. If you don't mind me asking, what is it you dream of? I'm curious." Lucina asked.
"Well, my dreams are a bit more complex than yours. After my home was attacked, all I wanted was to destroy all Mechon, everywhere. But once I learned that some of them had people in them, I decided I wanted to find out the truth behind it all. Why were Bionis and Mechonis fighting? Why stick people inside those machines? I wanted answers. And after I got them, my dreams changed again. Like you, I dreamt of bringing peace to my world, to all worlds, by defeating the evil being who set all this in motion and was trying to wipe everything out. Now that that's out of the way, I'd say my dreams of the future have changed again. After I gave up godhood and reformed my universe so that life could form on many different worlds, I've wanted nothing more than to meet some of the people of these new worlds. That, in part, is why I decided to come compete in Smash Bros. When I found out that this tournament was bringing together people from different universes entirely, I couldn't say no." Shulk explained.
"I see. That is a most interesting dream you have Shulk. However, I am certain that you will one day achieve your goals. You're one of the smartest people I know, and if anyone could accomplish such a thing, it would be you."
Shulk was unable to hide his smile from Lucina after hearing her compliment. He even had a tiny blush on his face.
"Thanks, Lucina. I appreciate the compliment. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met. I like that about you."
"Thank you, Shulk. You're very kind as well. And I must also thank you for taking me out on this wonderous evening."
"Not at all. Though, who said the night was over? It's only 8:00. The mansion curfew isn't until 11. We still have some time to kill. Let me just take care of the bill first. I'm glad that they accept Smash Coins here."
"What is the total, Shulk?"
"It's gonna cost us 100 Smash Coins."
"Well, let me see if I have 50 I can lend."
"No. Don't worry about it, Lucina. I got it."
"Are you certain?"
"Yeah. I have more than enough anyway. I've really only ever used my Smash Coins for food, anyway. I haven't really bought anything else or competed in parts of the tournament that require Smash Coins like Classic Mode, yet. So again, don't worry, I'll pay for this."
"Well then, thank you Shulk, for being such a gentleman and taking care of this. Now, if you really wish to do something else before we return to the mansion, we should get moving. What would you like to do?"
"Not sure. Let's look around and see if we can find something. If not, well then perhaps another time."
With that, they walked out of the restaurant and began looking around town for one last thing to together before heading back to the Smash Mansion. They spent the next half hour looking around for something interesting. But unfortunately, neither one of them was able to find anything interesting. Shulk was just about ready to head back to the mansion.
"I don't think there's anything left for us to do, Lucina. Let's just head back to the mansion, alright? … Lucina? Lucina, where are you?" Shulk asked.
The Monado wielder turned around and saw the blue haired princess looking up at a building marked 'Movie Theater'.
"I didn't know this town had a theatre. Shulk, do you believe we have time to see a show? It's been too long since I've seen a proper theatre show. I always rather enjoyed seeing actors perform on stage, delighting the live audience before them." Lucina said.
"I don't think this is that kind of theatre, Lucina. But, if that's what you want, then sure. Let's go."
The pair then approached the theater and went up to a Mii who was working the ticket booth.
"Hey. Any good films playing right now?" Shulk asked.
"Well, we have two tickets left for a big drama movie that starts in about 10 minutes." The Mii replied.
"What do you say, Lucina? Wanna see a drama?" Shulk asked.
"I would. That has always been one of my favorite genres when it comes to shows. I would very much enjoy this." Lucina answered.
Shulk then nodded, and started pulling some of his Smash Coins out of his pocket. However, Lucina stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
"No. I shall pay for this, Shulk. You already paid for our food back at the restaurant, so this is the least I can do." Lucina stated.
"You sure, Lucina?" Shulk asked.
"Yes, I am." Lucina said as she handed the ticket Mii the required amount of Smash Coins.
"Enjoy the show, you two." The Mii said as he handed them their tickets.
The pair of Smashers then walked into the theater and looked around. There were several Miis working at concession stands while another one was collecting tickets and leading other Miis to their seats.
"Hey, Lucina, want some snacks or a drink before we go in?" Shulk asked.
"No, thank you. I'm still rather full after the meal we just had." She responded.
"Suit yourself. I might get myself a drink and a bar of candy before we go in. I'll be right back." He replied.
Once Shulk had his refreshments, he and Lucina were led into their theater. Lucina was quite confused as to why there was no stage up front, only a large white screen. Before she had a chance to ask about it, the lights dimmed and the movie began.
Once the movie ended, Shulk and Lucina walked out of the movie theater, both with happy expressions on their faces.
"That was incredible, Shulk!" Lucina exclaimed.
"Sure was, Lucina. I have to admit, I've always kinda been a fan of dramas myself. You made a good call, deciding to come here." Shulk responded.
"Thank you. I'll admit, it was not what I expected. I thought it would be like the theatre shows back in Ylisse. However, it turned out to be much grander than any show I ever saw back home."
"I'm glad you liked it. And I think we made good time, too. It's only… Uh-oh." Shulk said as he looked at the time.
"What is it, Shulk?"
"That movie took a lot longer than I thought. We have less than half an hour before the Smash Mansion locks its doors!"
"What?!"
"We gotta run, now!"
With that, Shulk and Lucina immediately ran out of town toward the Smash Mansion. Luckily, the movie theater wasn't far from the edge of town. Shortly thereafter, Shulk and Lucina made it to the walking trail that connected the mansion grounds to Smashville. The two young warriors ran down the path as fast as their legs could carry them. Shulk found himself wishing he had brought the Monado with him so he could use his Speed Art to get him and Lucina down the trail faster. After several minutes, the entrance to the mansion finally came into view. The two ran as fast as they could until they finally made it to the front door. Luckily, it wasn't locked yet. The two went inside and stopped to catch their breath.
"We made it. Thank the gods, we made it." Lucina said in between breaths.
"Yeah. And with one minute to spare, too." Shulk said as he looked at a clock in the mansion's main hall, which read 10:59.
"Well, we should return to our rooms before we get in trouble. We probably aren't supposed to be up this late." Lucina stated once she finally caught her breath.
"You're right. Let's go before Master Hand comes around." Shulk said.
The two Smashers then walked up the main staircase and toward their bedrooms. Once they were both in front of their respective rooms, Shulk and Lucina turned to face each other.
"Well, despite the frantic run back to the mansion, I had a lot of fun with you tonight, Lucina." Shulk said.
"As did I, Shulk. Thank you for taking me out on such a wonderful evening. It was lovely." Lucina replied.
"It sure was. I hope next time will be just as good, if not better. There will be a 'next time', yeah?"
"Of course! If ever you have another free evening in the near future, let me know. If I am free as well, I would very much like to spend that evening with you again."
"I'm looking forward to it, Lucina. But until then, I think I'm gonna hit the hay. See ya later, Lucina."
"Good night, Shulk."
With that, the two Smashers entered their respective bedrooms to retire for the night, each one looking forward to the next time they would be able to go on another date with the other.
Et un autre chapitre est en panne. Hourra!
Tu veux savoir ce que je trouve étrange? Dans chaque histoire que j'ai posté sur ce site jusqu'à maintenant, le chapitre 8 a toujours été sur la première date du couple principal, et a toujours été nommé comme tel. Tout à fait la coïncidence, ne diriez-vous pas?
J'avais beaucoup plus de confiance dans l'écriture de ce chapitre que dans le dernier, et c'est pourquoi je l'ai eu beaucoup plus tôt que le dernier. Ça, et j'avais un peu plus de temps libre entre mes mains. Et je suis sur le point d'avoir encore plus de temps libre entre mes mains. Pour moi, le semestre scolaire se termine la semaine prochaine. Et quand cela arrivera, j'aurai enfin des jours où je n'aurai plus de travail ou d'obligations scolaires. Je vais enfin avoir des jours de repos à nouveau. Oh, comme j'ai raté ça.
Bien que, pour être juste, cela ne signifie pas que je n'aurai rien à faire du tout. Je devrai toujours être à mon travail la plupart des jours de la semaine. Sans oublier que j'ai maintenant un travail d'acteur vocal sur le côté. Cela limitera le temps que je passe à écrire. J'espère que ce n'est pas beaucoup, mais quand même. De plus, quand le nouveau semestre redémarre, cela va limiter mon temps encore plus. Dans cet esprit, je vais essayer d'avoir autant de chapitres écrits au cours de l'été que possible, mais seul le temps dira combien de chapitres.
Quoi qu'il en soit, comment avez-vous aimé ce chapitre? Beaucoup? Un peu? Pas du tout? Faites le moi savoir. Juste s'il vous plaît ne dites rien de blessant.
À venir: Shulk et Lucina vont tous les deux dire 'Joyeux anniversaire!' l'un à l'autre.
Ce chapitre sera publié le plus tôt possible. Alors jusque-là, au revoir!
(P.S: Je ne parle pas, je ne lis pas, je n'écris pas en français, j'ai juste utilisé un traducteur en ligne pour changer les notes de mon auteur en français parce que je voulais jouer avec vous, je pensais que ce serait drôle.)