Are you ready for another chapter, kids? I can't hear you. Well, ready or not, here comes another chapter.

I finally made it into a double-digit chapter number. Yay for me! To celebrate, I present to you a special chapter where we will take look in on the folks in Shulk and Lucina's home worlds, see how they're doing.

I'm just going to say this now so it isn't a surprise later. This will be one of those chapters with two separate arcs that will more than likely be fairly similar. I tried to avoid it as much as possible, but in the end, I couldn't think of another idea of how to make this chapter work. None that I liked, anyway. I'm sorry. However, I might give this chapter a complete overhaul if one of you gives me an idea on how to make this idea work without two separate but similar arcs. Perhaps one of you knows something I don't or has an idea I haven't considered yet.

Fortunately, though, this will be the last chapter that's like this for a very long time, if at all. All my upcoming chapters will focus on one idea throughout the entire thing.

With all that said and done, let the chapter commence!

Super Smash Bros. © Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai

*Smash Mansion*

*6:00 PM*

Shulk was walking down one of the many halls of the Smash Mansion, heading for the living room. He had just finished an exhausting 8 man Smash, and was looking to relax. Once he made it to the living room, he saw none other than Lucina sitting on the sofa looking at a piece of paper. He promptly sat down right next to her.

"Hey, Lucina. How are you?" Shulk asked.

"Hello, Shulk. I am good today. I was just reading over a letter from my parents. This is the first one I've gotten from them in several months. Since before we got together, actually." Lucina answered.

"Really? That's nice. Wait, since when could we get letters from home? I didn't know we could contact home." Shulk said.

"Nor did I until Falco told me it was possible. Since then, I have been periodically sending letters to my parents and receiving them. I assumed you knew as well. If I had known that you didn't, I would have told you sooner. I'm sorry, Shulk."

"Don't worry about it. At least I know now. So what? If I write a letter home, it'll automatically be sent to our home worlds?"

"Not exactly. Come with me." Lucina requested.

Lucina then rose from her seat and started walking off, Shulk following right behind her. The pair walked all the way to the top floor of the mansion, to a large room with several large slots along the walls. Underneath each slot was the name of a different person who lived in the Smash Mansion.

"This is the Mail Room. It is here that we can send and receive letters and gifts from our home worlds. All you must do is write your letter, put it in the slot with your name, and it will instantly be sent to your home world. And if you wish to receive letters from home, all you must do is have your friends write a letter to you and make sure that they draw the Smash Brothers Symbol somewhere on the envelope." Lucina explained.

Shulk nodded in understanding. He hoped that one of his friends was a good enough artist to draw the symbol on the envelope if they ever wrote him back. Then again, the symbol was just a circle with two lines crossing through it. How hard could that be to draw?

"Alright, thanks, Lucina. If you'll excuse me, I got a letter to write to my friends." Shulk stated.

"Indeed. And I must reply to this letter sent by my parents. Farewell, Shulk." Lucina replied.

With that, the dating couple walked out of the Mail Room and returned to their own bedrooms to write their letters.

Shulk sat at his desk and thought about what to put in his letter. There was so much he wanted to say, but so little paper to write it all on. After much thought, he finally started writing his letter. He addressed it to his best friend, Reyn.

Dear Reyn,

Bet you never thought you'd be hearing from me so soon, did you? Well, I just found out that I can send letters home whenever I want, which means we can talk more than just once a year. It would be kind of sad if I had to wait until the next Family Day to talk to you again, especially since that's about half a year away. In any case, I have loads to tell you and I want you to tell the others when you get the chance.

First off, I want to say that my progress in the tournament has been going great. I've made loads of money off my fights, and my skills with the Monado have gotten even better than I ever thought possible. I've even started taking part in other parts of the tournament that give even greater prizes. Remind me to tell you about Master Orders next time you come to the mansion. Long story short, when I eventually return home, I'll be one of, if not the, richest blokes on Bionis.

Outside of the fighting, life here continues to be grand. I've made tons of friends here since the tournament started. The stories these guys tell and the things they can do never ceases to amaze me. I love being around these guys and learning about them. But it doesn't stop there. Believe it or not, I actually found myself a girl here. Her name is Lucina, and she is one of the greatest women I've ever met. We've been dating for several months now. I can't wait for you to meet her when you come back to the mansion.

I'd love to tell you more about my life here, but unfortunately, I'm running out of paper, so I need to wrap this up. I look forward to seeing you, Dunban, and Riki again in a few months. Tell everyone I said hello. See you later.

Your friend,

Shulk

P.S: If you want to send a letter back to me, you can. All you have to do is write your letter, put it in an envelope, and somewhere on that envelope, draw the symbol that's on the seal of this envelope.

Satisfied with the letter he wrote, Shulk folded it up, put it in an envelope, and walked back to the Mail Room. He looked around the room for the slot with his name on it. Once he found it, he placed the letter inside the slot. Shulk then blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, the letter was gone. Shulk was surprised that it was gone so fast, but still, he was happy that his letter was sent. He then walked out of the Mail Room to get ready for dinner.

*the kingdom of Ylisse*

Lucina's father, Chrom was currently in his chambers, putting up a large and fragile vase that his wife had recently bought from an artisan in the nearby town of Ylisstol. He was trying to find a good place for it when suddenly his door slammed open.

"Chrom! Chrom, look what we…! Whoa!" His wife, Sumia said as she tripped and fell flat on her face.

"Sumia! Are you alright? Is it those boots of yours again?" Chrom asked.

"Don't worry, dear. I'm fine." She reassured as she rose to her feet and dusted herself off.

"That's good. But do be careful, please. This vase is very expensive and very fragile. I almost dropped it when you barged in. Now, what is it?"

"Well, we just got another letter from Lucina!"

"Really?! Already? We sent our last one just last night. The magic at this 'Smash Brothers' place never ceases to amaze me. Well, please, read it while I find a place to put this."

"Alright. Let's see what she's been doing."

Sumia then opened up the letter and began reading from it.

Dear father and mother,

I was very happy to receive your letter. While I do wish you had sent one sooner, I understand why you couldn't. Ruling over a nation must be tiring, as is watching over your daughter. Even so, I am glad that you found the time to write me.

Much has happened since you last wrote. My skills in combat have improved tremendously and continue to grow. Once I return to Ylisse, I will have to challenge you to another sparring session, father. I'm certain that this time, I will best you.

"Well, if she constantly has to fight against all of those people and creatures we saw last time we were there, I hold no doubt that she could best me." Chrom interjected, with pride for his daughter in his voice.

"Maybe. But still, there's a lot left to read on this letter." Sumia replied.

"Ah, yes. Please, keep reading." Chrom said.

I have also gained a great deal of friends since you last wrote. It feels good to once again talk freely with others and have a good time with them. I haven't felt like this since I was a child. How I've missed it.

"Well, I'm glad she's opening up a bit." Sumia said.

"Indeed. It's nice to hear that she's actually making friends. Hopefully they can teach her to loosen up a bit. Keep reading." Chrom said.

Speaking of which, there is one person in particular I wish to tell you about. His name is Shulk and we have…

"Oh my. Oh my!" Sumia shouted.

"What is it, Sumia?!" Chrom said.

"I was expecting her to make a few friends, but not… not… THIS!" Sumia shouted.

As Sumia shouted, Chrom nearly dropped his vase again. Luckily, he managed to get a hold of it before it fell from his grasp.

"Careful, Sumia. Again, this vase is worth a great deal and is easily breakable. Now what is it that's so surprising? It surely can't be that bad." Chrom stated.

"Well, listen to this." Sumia said as she continued to read the letter.

His name is Shulk and we have been dating for the past several months.

Chrom stared at Sumia in shock, at a complete loss for words. In his shock, he dropped the vase and it shattered to pieces.

"W-what did you say?" Chrom finally managed to choke out.

"Lucina said she's dating a boy named Shulk." Sumia said.

Chrom then stormed up to his wife and yanked the letter from her hands. He then read it over just to make sure Sumia wasn't pulling some sort of sick joke on him. After reading it over, he handed it back to Sumia.

"This is unacceptable! How do we know that this boy isn't just another philanderer like Inigo? How do we know he won't hurt her?" Chrom shouted.

"I suppose we don't." Sumia stated.

"Gods, why does our next visit day have to be so far away? I have to make sure this boy doesn't do anything to hurt Lucina. What if he's even worse than Inigo?"

"Let's see if Lucina's letter says anything else about him."

He is truly a remarkable person, and I cannot wait for you to meet him. He is very charming, vastly intelligent, and a fiercely loyal friend. He is also one of the strongest and fiercest fighters I've ever had the pleasure of coming across. I could spend a great deal of time describing him to you. However, I feel it is best for you to speak to him in person. I just know that you will come to love him as I have.

Outside of my triumphs in battle and my growing relationship with the other Smashers, particularly Shulk, I do not have much to report. I'm certain I will have much more to tell you once you come and visit the Smash Mansion again, however. I greatly look forward to that day. Please give my regards to everyone back home, and tell them that they are never far from my thoughts. I shall see you both, as well as Cynthia, in a few months.

Your faithful daughter,

Lucina

"I'm not convinced." Chrom flatly stated.

"That letter didn't really give too much detail about this boy, did it?" Sumia pondered.

"No, it didn't. And I like this even less because of that. Didn't Lucina say similar things about Inigo when they first got together?" Chrom fumed.

"Maybe. Honestly, it was such a long time ago, that I can't remember. Still, maybe we should try to stay open about this. Lucina's a smart girl. I don't think she'd do this if she felt that she would get hurt again."

"Perhaps you're right, Sumia. Lucina isn't the sort to make the same mistake twice. Still, I'm not sure."

"I suppose all we can do is wait until it's time to visit Lucina again and try and talk to her and this boy then."

"Yes, you're right. Still, I wish there was a way for us to learn more about this boy she's with. I still don't know if I like the idea of her being with another boy. Especially after what happened with her last time."

"Well, we could always just write another letter and ask her to describe this boy to us."

"That's not a bad idea Sumia."

Chrom and Sumia then walked over to a desk sitting in the corner of their chambers. Chrom sat down and pulled a piece of paper. He and Sumia then began writing out a response letter to their future daughter over at the Smash Mansion.

They spent a long time drafting their letter, trying to find the right things to say to Lucina. But once they were satisfied with what they wrote, they put their letter inside an envelope and drew the needed symbol on said envelope. And in the blink of an eye, their letter was gone, sent to their daughter who was dimensions away.

"I hope she responds soon." Sumia stated.

"She usually does. I just hope she's not making another bad choice with this new boy that she's dating." Chrom replied.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"Yeah. Anyway, what was I doing before you came in with that letter, Sumia? Oh yeah, I was trying to find a place for that nice vase I just bought. Where'd I leave that thing, anyway?"

"Um, Chrom?"

Sumia then pointed to the large pile of broken china scattered about on the floor. Chrom looked at the broken vase pieces, shocked over how he had been careless enough to drop it.

"*sigh* I'll go call Frederick and have him clean this up." Chrom said with a slightly agitated tone of voice as he left the room.

*Colony 9 of Bionis*

Shulk's best friend, Reyn, was just finishing an exhausting round of Defense Force drills just outside of town. He didn't know how his overly violent Colonel expected all his soldiers to keep up with his insane orders. He, along with most everyone else in Colony 9, thought he was more of a barking dog than a military leader. He wished his Colonel had been born somewhere else, and that the Defense Force was being led by someone competent.

At least he was done for the day. Right now, Reyn wanted nothing more than to crash on his bed and stay there for several days. But, once he got there, he saw a sealed envelope on his bed. This raised several questions in Reyn's head.

'What is this? How did it get here? Did someone break into my place and leave it here? Why didn't they just leave it in my mailbox?' Were some of the questions that entered his head.

Reyn slowly reached for the envelope and tore it open. He then reached for the piece of paper that was inside. He then unfolded the letter and started reading it. As soon as he started reading it, his eyes widened. He would recognize that handwriting anywhere. Reyn quickly read through the letter Shulk had sent him. As soon as he finished reading, Reyn quickly ran out of his loft and went to find his good friend Fiora and her older brother, Dunban, both of whom were also close friends of Shulk.

Reyn found them both behind their house. Fiora was trying to carry a heavy looking suitcase behind her and was struggling to pull the large bag.

"Fiora, are you certain you don't need my help?" Dunban asked his little sister.

"Don't worry about it, Dunban. I'm fine." She replied.

"You know, I still don't know why you bothered to pack so much stuff. We're only going to be staying at Colony 6 for 3 days." Dunban retorted.

"I like to be prepared." Fiora replied.

Just as Dunban shook his head and rolled his eyes, Reyn walked up to the siblings and made himself known.

"Oi! Listen up, you lot. I got something you might wanna see." Reyn said to his two companions.

Dunban and Fiora looked up at their friend, wondering what was so important that he interrupted them when they were just about to leave on a little trip.

"Reyn, whatever it is, can't it wait a few days? We're expected at Colony 6 by tonight, and I'd rather not be late." Dunban asked.

"Sorry. But still, I thought you two oughta see this." Reyn said.

"What is it, Reyn?" Fiora asked.

"It's a letter from Shulk." Reyn stated.

This caught Fiora and Dunban's attention. The two of them instantly dropped their luggage and walked up to Reyn. They were both anxious to hear from Shulk.

"Is it really? I didn't know he could send letters to us." Dunban said in surprise.

"Neither did I. And according to this letter, neither did Shulk until just before he started writing it." Reyn stated.

"What does it say, Reyn?" Fiora asked.

"Shulk says he's doing pretty darn good in his little tournament. He's got loads of money, and will probably walk away with more than any of us could imagine once everything's said and done with. He's also made loads of friends there, too." Reyn said as he looked through Shulk's letter.

"That is fantastic to hear, indeed." Dunban commented.

"Is there anything else?" Fiora asked Reyn.

"Well, there is one more thing." Reyn stated.

"Really? What is it?" Fiora inquired.

"Well… See, it's… It's, um… It's pretty surprising." Reyn stammered.

"What is it?" Dunban asked.

"Well… Shulk says he's found himself a new girlfriend there." Reyn finally answered.

This left Fiora and Dunban completely and utterly shocked. Of all the things Shulk could have possibly told them, this was the last thing either of them expected to hear. Especially Dunban. He always thought that Shulk and Fiora looked cute together, and was convinced that they would stay together forever. He was the most shocked when they announced that they were breaking up.

"Is… is that so? Well then… I… I must admit, that is fairly surprising." Dunban said, at a slight loss for words.

"I hear ya, Dunban. I never thought I'd hear that from Shulk. At least not for a good few years." Reyn commented.

"Well, personally, I'm really happy for Shulk. Good for him!" Fiora replied.

"Yeah, you're right, Fiora. I'm glad he found someone he likes. I hope they have a lot of good times together." Reyn stated.

"Too right, Reyn. I'm glad that one of us was able to go on and find new love." Fiora stated while glaring at her older brother.

"I just don't think any of those guys were right for you, Fiora." Dunban said as he raised his hands defensively.

"Dunban, you can't keep scaring off all my potential boyfriends just because they're not Shulk. What he and I had was a nice thing, but we're over. I've moved on. And from the sounds of that letter, Shulk has, too. Say, Reyn, does his letter mention what this new girl's name is?" Fiora asked.

"Sure does. Says here her name is Lucina. At least I think that's how it's pronounced." Reyn answered.

"That's a rather strange name. Though, it might be more common in the land where she comes from." Dunban commented.

"Well, I hope that Shulk and this Lucina girl find lots of happiness together. I wonder what she's like. Hey, Reyn, does Shulk's letter say anything else about her?" Fiora inquired.

"Nope. 'fraid not. Only that they're dating for a few months and he thinks she's a great woman." Reyn answered.

"Darn. Now I wish I could go to this 'Smash Mansion' with you two and Riki and see what she's like." Fiora slightly pouted.

"Worry not, Fiora. When we do return, we'll ask Shulk about what Lucina is like." Dunban promised.

"Thanks, Dunban." Fiora said to her brother.

"Not at all. Anyway, relationships aside, is there anything else interesting in Shulk's letter?" Dunban asked.

"Not really. Only that he can't wait to see us and he wants us to tell everyone he said 'hi'." Reyn answered.

"Well, that can easily be arranged. If we see any of our old friends in Colony 6, we'll be sure to pass on the message. Right, Dunban?" Fiora said.

"Right. Speaking of which, we should probably be leaving for there now. We've wasted enough time here." Dunban stated.

"Alright. Maybe when we come back, we can write our own letter back to Shulk, let him know how things are back home." Fiora suggested.

"That sounds like a grand idea, Fiora. That is, assuming we can find a way to get letters to wherever he is now." Dunban said.

"There is. Shulk's letter says we can. We just have to do one thing before we send it." Reyn stated.

"What might that be, Reyn?" Dunban asked.

"Say, Fiora. By any chance, would you happen to be a good artist?" Reyn asked.

It appears that I, along with a great deal of the Fire Emblem: Awakening fandom, have jumped on the 'overprotective father Chrom' bandwagon. Go figure. How will he react when he comes face to face with Shulk? That's for me to know and you to find out by continuing to read this story.

Overall, I feel like this chapter could have been a little better, but is still satisfactory as is. Again, I might give it a rewrite if someone gives me an idea on how to make it better. I welcome constructive criticism with open arms. It's a good way for me to improve as a writer. However, I do not welcome unnecessary rudeness or hate on me or my works. I ask that you keep those to yourselves, thank you very much.

Still, I hope you liked the chapter. If so, let me know. If not, please no negativity. I promise that next chapter we will return to the usual Smash Mansion shenanigans. Speaking of which…

Coming up next time: Shulk and Lucina are going to hit a little bump in their relationship. This is one chapter I cannot wait to have out, namely because I believe it will be one of my stronger ones.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have it out for quite a while. Mid to late June, at best. Real life can be hard sometimes. Oh well. As the old saying goes: Good things are worth waiting for.

Anyway, I'll get it out as soon as I can. I'll see you all then. Peace!