Greetings, one and all! Welcome back to another chapter of my fantastic story. I'm sure you're anxious to see what is going to happen. Well, I will not keep you in suspense. Let us read on.
Althea Sirius: Thank you very much for your many comments. It means a great deal to me. I'm glad that you have stuck with my story since the beginning, and I hope you will stick with it to the end. Also, to answer a few of your questions and comments:
Rest assured, I am aware of how Shulk's arts work. As I once said, these fights are the result of me recording fights I set up between CPUs and then writing down how they play out. And as one of my previous reviewers pointed out, the Shulk CPU tends to spam his Buster Art. Once he uses it, he tends to activate it again the second the cooldown ends. I figured this would get a bit annoying, so I made the choice of only including every other usage of the Buster Art in all of Shulk's future fights.
I must thank you for pointing out my error with Luigi's clothes. I don't know how that slipped past me. Don't worry, I have now fixed that little problem. Also, if you see any other mistakes like that in the future, please don't hesitate to point them out.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be incorporating Final Smashes into this story. I made the decision very early on to not include any items during my fights. And since the Smash Ball is an item, it, too, will not be used. The same goes for Assist Trophies. Sorry.
The author's notes in chapter 8 are in French. I'll give you a translation if you want one. Just say so in a review and I'll shoot you a PM.
At the present moment, I have no plans of including Inigo anywhere else in this story aside from maybe a passing mention or two. He's served his purpose in this story.
Once again, thanks for all your kind comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter and all upcoming ones.
Let's get it started in here!
Super Smash Bros. © Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai
*Smash Mansion hallway*
*3:00 PM*
Lucina was currently walking down the hallways of the mansion, heading toward the living room. She had just finished another battle and was looking for a little bit of rest. Once she made it to the living room, she saw her boyfriend sitting in a chair across from Ike, who was currently telling a thrilling story.
"So then, both Marth and Meta Knight tried to attack the Ancient Minister, but both of them failed. That's when I came in. I went in with my Great Aether and severed the bomb from the Ancient Minister's flying transport. The bomb was destroyed, and the Minister flew out of control." Ike said.
"Nice. What happened next?" Shulk asked.
"Well, after that, the three of us pursued the Ancient Minister across the desert. Eventually we found… Oh, hello, Lucina." Ike greeted.
Shulk then turned his attention toward Lucina, and smiled as his girlfriend approached him. Shulk stood up and embraced her in a hug, which she returned.
"Hey there, beautiful. How are you?" Shulk inquired.
"I am fine, thanks. Was I interrupting something?" Lucina asked.
"No, not really. Ike here was just telling me a thrilling story about an attack by these guys called the Subspace Army, and how he had to help stop them. When did this happen, again? You said right before the third tournament, right?" Shulk asked his friend.
"Yes. This was actually how I came to Master Hand's attention and how I got to compete in Smash Bros. at all." Ike replied.
"Fascinating." Lucina replied.
"Anyway, we haven't even gotten to the best part yet. Let's continue. Care to join us, Lucina?" Ike offered.
"I don't see why not. I would enjoy hearing a tale such as this." The blue haired warrior replied.
Lucina proceeded to sit down next to Shulk as Ike continued speaking.
"Now, where was I? Ah, yes. We ran across the desert until we came across this vicious machine known as Galleom." Ike continued.
"And as Tabuu exploded, we all made our escape, confident that all our worlds were safe." Ike concluded.
"Great story, man." Shulk said.
"Yes, that was quite thrilling." Lucina added.
"Well, I'm glad you liked it. You should talk so some of the others about it sometime. From what I heard, everyone else was going on their own adventures around the same time before we all met up." Ike stated.
"I believe I will at some point. I would very much like to hear the full details of this story one day. Anyway, I must be going now." Lucina said as she stood up.
"I'm right behind you." Shulk replied as he, too, stood.
"Shulk, wait. I actually wanted to ask you a few questions." Ike said.
"Oh. Alright then. Go on, Lucina, I'll catch up." Shulk said as he sat back down.
"Very well. I'll see you later, Shulk." Lucina said as she left.
"Now then, what was it you wanted to ask, Ike?" Shulk said once Lucina was gone.
"Well, it was about something I heard about you from Robin. Something about where you come from." Ike said.
Lucina walked through the halls of the Smash Mansion, looking for some way to occupy her time until her next fight. She had a good 2 hours until then, so she thought about what to do until then. As she walked, she ran a hand through her hair. She then stopped. Something was not right. She couldn't feel the hair ornament Shulk had gotten her for her birthday several months ago. She only ever took it off when she slept or when she was in battle, as she didn't want it to get damaged. She remembered grabbing it after her latest battle, but must not have put it back in. She figured she must have set it down on a table in the living room while she was talking to Ike and Shulk and then forgot about it. She quickly turned around and walked back toward the living room to grab it. When she got there, she saw that Ike and Shulk were still talking. However, before she actually walked in the room, she overheard a surprising part of Shulk and Ike's conversation.
"Is that really how you feel about her?" Ike asked.
"Yes. I mean, I like her, and she has a fair amount of talent but, she's not exactly the strongest or well-rounded fighter." Shulk replied.
"Ah, I see. Not a fan this little lady, eh?"
"In terms of fighting ability, no, not really. It's just really hard to look past, even after that time she saved my life."
Lucina was taken aback by this. Was Shulk talking about her? About that time she had saved him from poisoning? How could Shulk say such things about her? After everything they had been through?
"What is it about her that makes you say that, Shulk?" Ike pondered.
"Well, I feel like she doesn't know too much about the world, and because of that, she rushes into battle without thinking, and it usually doesn't end well for her. Plus, as I said, it doesn't help that she's not the best fighter. She could also be a real handful at times." Shulk responded.
"Ah. So not the brightest candle in the room, eh?"
"In many ways, no, she's not."
"Wow. How do you manage it all, Shulk?"
"I'll admit, I'm not sure. I am not sure."
This was enough for Lucina. She couldn't stand here and listen to Shulk say such hurtful things about her anymore. She silently stormed out of the room with tears forming in her eyes. She felt hurt and betrayed that Shulk had called her weak and a 'handful'. She felt like she had been lied to, that all those times Shulk had complimented her were just hollow flattery. She felt the same way she had felt when she and Inigo broke up. She then resolved to not act the same way she had then. She resolved to prove Shulk wrong. She would show him, show everyone, that she was strong. And she resolved to never forgive Shulk for what he had said. With that, she headed for the mansion's training area.
"So, remind me again, what is this girl's name, Shulk?" Ike asked.
"Her name is Melia. While she is one of my best friends, my criticisms still stand. Anyway, I hope I answered all your questions." Shulk answered.
"You did. Thank you for your time, Shulk. See you at dinner." Ike said before leaving the room.
Shulk then stood up himself and began walking out of the room. But before he did, he noticed something. Lucina had left the hair ornament he had given her for her birthday behind. He grabbed it and set off to find her and return it. As he walked, he thought about why he liked her so much.
As he had stated to her several times before, he thought she was an incredibly strong person and fighter, more so than him in some ways. Her also admired her strong will and her strong sense of justice. And over the months that he had been dating her, he had started to see more and more of her softer side, and he found it beautiful. She was also very smart and determined. She knew how the world worked and always thought ahead with her actions and had reason for whatever she did.
Shulk wandered the mansion for some time, but was unable to find her. He didn't even see her when dinner came around, which worried him. He kept looking for her until he decided to go to bed. He hoped that he would find her in the morning.
Right after Lucina heard Shulk's comments, she went straight for the Training Room and began practicing on a large and somehow indestructible sandbag with eyes. She slashed away at it for about 3 hours, trying to hone her sword skills. This was about twice as long as her usual training sessions, but she was that determined to make sure that she proved Shulk wrong. She even skipped dinner just to keep training. However, her extended training time also led to sore muscles. After one big swing of her sword, she dropped her Parallel Falchion as a result of her stiff and tired muscles. Unfortunately, rather than take this as a sign to stop and rest, she took it as a sign that her arms needed a bit more exercise. So she spent the next hour lifting weights of varying sizes. Only when her tiredness became too much to ignore did she stop and finally go to bed. Right before she fell asleep, she promised herself that tomorrow, she would train twice as hard. Shulk would know the grave mistake he had made in calling her weak.
The next morning, Lucina rose an hour earlier than usual to begin her new training session. After a quick breakfast at the mess hall, during which she made sure to avoid Shulk, she went back to the training area. She spent the next three hours there, continuously trying to perfect her fighting abilities. Only when she looked at a clock on the wall and realized she was about to be late for one of her scheduled fights did she stop and head for the Transporter Room. Her entire body was sore from the overbearing workout she had just put herself through, not to mention her lack of sleep, but she did her best to ignore it as she prepared to fight.
Shulk was unable to locate his girlfriend at breakfast. This worried him greatly as they always sat together during meals. He wondered where in the mansion she could possibly be. When he was unable to find her, he instead looked at the fighting schedule. Shulk knew that Lucina would never miss a fight. He saw that she was scheduled for a 3-minute fight against Roy and Rosalina on the Pilotwings Stage in just a few minutes. Shulk made his way to the Spectator Room in hopes of talking to her once the match was over.
Upon arriving on the Pilotwings Stage, Rosalina and Roy both looked ready for a good scrap. Lucina, however, was still exhausted and in pain from the overbearing workout she had just put herself through. Nevertheless, she prepared to fight as the announcer counted down.
3
2
1
GO!
Lucina started off on the top set of wings of the biplane the fight was taking place on, while both Rosalina and Roy started out on the bottom set of wings. Rosalina wasted no time hitting Lucina with a strike from below while both she and Roy jumped up to the top wings. Rosalina then hit Lucina again with her wand before Roy attacked the space princess with an upward attack with his powerful fire sword.
Lucina fell due to the attack that was landed on her, but she soon rose to her feet, only to fall again due to Roy landing two consecutive fire attacks on both her and Rosalina. Both women fell and landed on their backs. Rosalina rose quickly and headed for Roy. Lucina, on the other hand, could only lie on the ground and groan, writhing in pain as her already tired body was weakened by the attack. However, she eventually managed to put her hand around the hilt of her sword and swung it, hitting the feet of the other two combatants, knocking them back.
Lucina then slowly rose to her feet, only to be knocked across the plane by Roy, who himself was knocked back by an attack from Rosalina. The three of them got back together and danced around each other for a few seconds until Roy hit Lucina with another strong attack, nearly knocking her off the plane. However, she managed to stay on, but just barely. Rosalina and her Luma then landed a series of small blows on both Lucina and Roy, trying to knock them off the plane. She didn't succeed, but did manage to weaken Lucina even further.
Roy then attempted to land a blow on Lucina, but she beat him to the punch, landing a series of blows on him and almost knocking him off the plane. But the quick and sporadic movements only made Lucina's muscles hurt more. She almost dropped her sword and fell in pain, but somehow managed to overcome it. The red plane they were flying on suddenly flew away, and the combatants were dropped onto a yellow plane. Roy then swung his sword at Lucina, nearly throwing her off the plane. However, she managed to get back up, only for Rosalina to land a strong attack on her, sending the blue haired princess flying across the stage until she was KO'd.
As she returned to the stage, Lucina was less than pleased. How could she not see that attack coming, she thought. How could she let herself get knocked out by it, she thought. The answer to her questions was because of her weakened state due to overtaxing her body.
As Lucina returned to the fray, Roy landed a particularly damaging attack on Rosalina and almost knocked her off the stage. However, the celestial princess recovered and got back on the plane. Lucina stood still for a few seconds, her body too strained to move around that much. But, she did manage to dodge a fiery jump attack from Roy that hit Rosalina instead, KO'ing the mother of all Lumas. While they waited for her to respawn, Roy and Lucina got back to the match. Roy launched a series of attacks on her, but she managed to dodge each one, but couldn't muster the energy to counterattack. However, Roy eventually got a good sword swing on her, knocking her back. Lucina lied on the ground and groaned as she tried to get back up. Once she did, she slowly approached Roy and Rosalina. The trio danced around a bit until Lucina countered an attack by Roy, sending both him and Rosalina back. Roy approached Lucina and hit her with a sword stab before she could react. She nearly fell off the plane, but managed to keep her footing, albeit barely. Roy then did a similar thing to Rosalina, only this time he knocked his opponent off the plane. Rosalina tried to jump back on, but the angle of the plane prevented her from doing so, and thus, was KO'd.
As Lucina attempted to catch her breath after the last attack, Roy ran for her to land another one on her. The future princess tried to swing her own sword at him, but she completely missed and Roy hit her with an upward jump swing of his fiery sword. As Lucina fell to the ground, Rosalina came back and swung her magic wand at Roy, knocking him back. Once he got back on his feet, Roy and Lucina ran at each other, ready to attack again. However, both sword wielders were knocked upward by a magical backflip kick by Rosalina. Both fell to the ground, hard. At this point, the red plane from the beginning came back and the fighters were dropper onto that as the yellow plane flew away.
Roy ran for the two ladies again and attempted to knock them off the plane, but Rosalina sidestepped his attack and struck him with her wand, KO'ing the red-haired warrior. As for Lucina, she was struck in the leg by the attack. She fell to one knee, using her sword to keep balance and keep from falling down completely. Once she rose, she started walking with a limp. As Roy returned to the stage, the three warriors fought around each other for a few seconds, with each landing some minor blows on the other two. However, Roy eventually managed a good hit on Lucina, sending her across the length of the plane's wings. As she struggled to get up, Rosalina grabbed Roy and almost threw him off the plane. Lucina struggled to catch up to those two, but when she did, a combined attack from them hurled her into the air. She crashed back down on the ground, and nearly blacked out. Only sheer force of will got her to rise and keep fighting, though she could barely stand. As she attempted to approach Rosalina, the space princess just jumped up and sent a downwards kick to Lucina, sending her to the ground once again.
The three combatants made their way toward the edge of the plane and tried knocking each other off for a solid 15 seconds, and nearly succeeding several times. Rosalina then approached Lucina and hit her several times with her wand, before finally sending the blue haired warrior flying off the stage, resulting in a KO. By now, there was only 10 seconds left in the fight. However, that did not stop Lucina from fighting. She tried lunging at Rosalina, but her limp kept her from getting far. Instead, Roy jumped between the two women and swung his large sword at Rosalina. She was flung from the plane and got KO'd just as the fight announcer began counting down.
5
4
3
2
1
TIME!
Roy claimed first place as he had 3 KO's and only got KO'd once giving him a score of 1. Rosalina got 2nd place since she landed 3 KO's and got KO'd 3 times, leaving her with a score of 0. And since she was KO'd twice and never got a KO, Lucina came in last with a score of -2.
"The winner is: Roy!" Cried the announcer.
Lucina's body was near the point of exhaustion, but she didn't seem to acknowledge it. She only felt disappointment in herself for her terrible performance in the battle. She couldn't believe she had gotten last place and not a single KO. She stormed out of the Transporter Room to go back to the Training Room.
Shulk was beyond confused and shocked at what he had just seen. He had never seen Lucina fight like that. Like she was somehow hurt or weakened before the fight. He walked out of the Spectator Room and intercepted Lucina as she was walking out of the Transporter Room. Upon seeing Shulk, Lucina's face immediately angered.
"Lucina, what happened out there? I've never seen you fight like that. Are you alright?" Shulk asked.
"I'm fine, not that you would care." Lucina angrily responded.
"'Not that I would…' What do you mean?! Of course I care!"
"I bet you enjoyed that fight, didn't you? Thought that it proved you were right about me. Well, let me say this: You're not right about me! I want you to know that I am strong! I am not to be trifled with. And I shall never forgive you for what you said about me, Shulk!"
"W-what I said? What do you…?!"
"Get out of my way!"
With that, Lucina shoved Shulk out of her way and stormed out of the hallway to go back to the Training Room, leaving Shulk behind.
As soon as she reached the Training Room, Lucina made ready to put her already exhausted body through another strenuous workout. For the next several hours, she slashed at sandbags, ran around the room, lifted weights, and did everything else there was to do in that room. However, there were several times where she dropped her weapon or even collapsed entirely as her body finally started succumbing to its own weakness. However, every time she fell down, she somehow managed to pull herself back up. She repeated this process for several hours, even skipping dinner again, which only worsened her already terrible physical condition.
Shulk spent the next several hours trying to figure out why Lucina was suddenly angry at him and what she meant by 'What you said about me'. Yet, Shulk was still drawing a blank. He didn't recall ever saying anything negative about her. He never said or did anything that could possibly insult her. At least, he thought not. He decided to ask her about it over dinner. However, when dinnertime came and he didn't see her, Shulk decided to seek her out. He quickly finished his food and searched the mansion.
He checked all the possible places in and around the Smash Mansion he thought Lucina could possibly be. The library, the gardens, her room, even the Mail Room. Yet she was at none of these places. By now it was past 10:30, meaning that the mansion's curfew would begin soon. Shulk was just about ready to give up and go to bed when he heard sounds coming from the Training Room. He peeked inside and saw Lucina swinging her sword at a sandbag. Shulk mentally slapped himself. He should have known this is where his girlfriend would be. She often spent her free time trying to hone her skills for this tournament. Still, Shulk couldn't help but wonder why she was still training this late. She knew the consequences of breaking curfew.
Shulk slowly stepped inside the Training Room and looked at Lucina. He was shocked by what he saw. Lucina looked completely exhausted. She was breathing heavily and struggling to keep her eyes open. Her sword swings were slow and sloppy, and her posture was terrible. She looked as if she would fall over any second.
"Lucina?" Shulk called out.
The girl in question turned to look at Shulk. When she saw him, she tried to look angry at him, but her tired face betrayed her. She then slowly started walking toward him.
"S-Shulk. What… are you… do…ing…?" She stammered.
She then collapsed, her body finally reaching its breaking point. She fell flat on her face and did not get back up. Her sword also fell from her grasp and slid away from her.
"Lucina!" Shulk yelled as he ran toward her.
He crouched down beside his girlfriend's body and looked her over. He flipped her body over so she was now laying on her back. Shulk then put his ear to her chest and listened for a heartbeat. He heard it, but it was slow. He then put couple fingers on her neck to check her pulse, just to make sure. Sure enough, it matched her heartbeat, slow, but steady.
Shulk then grabbed her sword and placed it in her sheath. He then picked up Lucina's body bridal style and carried her out of the Training Room. He knew that Dr. Mario wouldn't be in the Medical Wing at this hour, so Shulk carried her to her bedroom. Once he got there, he knocked on the door using his foot, and after a solid minute, Lucina's roommate, Rosalina, answered the door. She was about to ask Shulk what he wanted at this hour, but once she saw the unconscious Lucina, her expression turned to that of worry.
"What happened to her?" Rosalina asked.
"I'm not sure. I just found her like this in the Training Room. She must have exhausted herself while training." Shulk replied.
"Well, you best bring her in." Rosalina said.
Rosalina then stepped to the side and allowed Shulk to enter. The Monado wielder carried Lucina to her bed as Rosalina pulled back the sheets. Shulk then gently placed Lucina in her bed as Rosalina placed the covers back on her.
"There. She should be fine by morning." Rosalina said.
"I hope so. In any case, I best head to bed myself." Shulk replied.
"Good evening, Shulk."
"You too, Rosalina."
With that, Shulk walked toward the door and started to head for his own bedroom. But before he did, he turned to Rosalina.
"Actually, can I ask you to do me a favour, Rosalina?" Shulk asked.
"You may. What is it, Shulk?" Rosalina responded.
Lucina awoke late in the morning and the first thing she felt was pain. Pain coursing through every bit of her body. As she weakly tried rising from her bed, she tried to figure out why she was feeling this way.
"Please, don't try to rise just yet."
Lucina turned her head toward the speaker and saw Rosalina sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, holding one of her Lumas.
"Good morning, Lucina. Although, the morning has nearly passed." Rosalina stated.
Lucina's eyes widened as she quickly turned her head toward an alarm clock that was on a small desk by her bedside. The clock read 11:15. Lucina quickly tried to get out of bed, but her weakened body prevented her from getting far.
"Again, I ask that you not do that. You overtaxed your body yesterday, and you need time to recover." Rosalina said.
"I cannot rest! I've wasted too much of the day as is! I must get going. I must… Wait, where is my sword? Where is Falchion?" Lucina wondered.
"You mean this?" Rosalina asked.
The space princess then gestured to a sword in its sheath leaning up against her chair. Lucina got out of bed to claim it, but Rosalina kept it out of her reach.
"Worry not, I shall return it to you. But first, there is someone who wishes to speak with you." Rosalina said.
"…Fine." Lucina grumbled.
With that, Rosalina left the room. Less than a minute later, the door opened again. However, it was not Rosalina who steeped into the room. It was Shulk. Lucina immediately rose to her feet and put an angry expression on her face.
"You! What are you doing here?" She angrily asked.
"I just wanna talk." Shulk responded.
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Nothing? Not about how you worked yourself to exhaustion yesterday? About how you missed several meals? About how you were angry with me for reasons I'm not sure of? Please, I think there's something wrong with you, and I want to help you. But I can't do that if you don't talk to me."
"There is nothing wrong with me! I am just fine! Despite what you think of me, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"'What I think of you?' Lucina, what are you talking about?"
"I overheard you speaking with Ike the other day. You said I was not a strong fighter, how I know little about the world around me and how I do not think before going into a fight." Lucina stated.
"Oh, that" Shulk replied.
"Well, you're wrong about me. I am strong, and I know how the world works. And I will train until I am strong enough to best everyone in the mansion. And nothing you say shall convince me to stop until then."
"Even if I were to say I wasn't talking about you?"
"Wait… you weren't?" Lucina asked, clearly confused.
"No, of course not. I was talking about someone from my homeland. I know that you're plenty strong, and have enough smarts to survive out in the world. Otherwise, you wouldn't have survived all those things you said you did when you told me your story. I never meant any of those things about you." Shulk explained.
"How do I know you're telling the truth, and not just saying this to force me to slow myself down?"
"Think back to what you heard that day. Did you ever hear me say your name while I was talking to Ike?"
"Well… no. I do not. I left right after you said you sometimes could not manage this girl."
"You should've stuck around. It was right after that I told Ike who I was talking about. It was a friend of mine back home named Melia."
"Gods, I feel like such a fool." Lucina said as she buried her face in her hands.
"Hey, it's alright, Lucina. You made a mistake. We all do. You just have to learn from it. Still, I want you to promise me something." Shulk stated, putting a hand on her shoulder and placing her butterfly hair ornament into her hands.
"What might that be, Shulk?"
"Promise me that you'll never put yourself through something like that again. It wasn't easy for me to watch you work yourself to exhaustion. You need your exercise, sure, but not at the expense of your health. Also promise me that if I or anyone else makes you feel like you're not strong enough, you'll just talk to me about it. You don't need to prove yourself to me. We can work things out together."
"You mean that, Shulk?"
"On my life."
"Very well, I promise. I apologize for making you worry, Shulk. And for needlessly holding anger against you." Lucina apologized.
"It's alright, Lucina. Hey, it's almost noon. Let's you 'n' me grab some lunch, yeah?" Shulk offered.
At the mere mention of food, Lucina's stomach began to growl, as it had been deprived of food for far too long.
"That sounds like quite a good idea, Shulk."
Shulk and Lucina then stood up and began walking toward the Mess Hall, hand in hand.
And another one gone, and another one gone, another chapter bites the dust.
The idea for this chapter came about because I wanted to explore something that I really hadn't explored in my other stories. It's not hard to figure out that no relationship is perfect. Misunderstandings will occur and there will be times where the couple gets into arguments and disagreements. It's a simple fact of life. Again, this was something i didn't really explore in my other stories, so I decided to give it a shot.
So, what were your thoughts on this chapter? Was it one of my best? Or just a mediocre one that probably seemed better in my head? Let me know in the comments. If you did like this chapter, consider dropping a follow or favorite if you haven't already. It goes a long way. If you didn't like this one, that's alright too, it just means I have room to improve. Just don't say anything needlessly rude about my story or me. Constructive criticism I will tolerate, hurtful comments, I will not.
On a slightly unrelated note, who here has seen the trailer for Super Smash Brothers: Ultimate? Most, if not all of you, I'm assuming. And who here is hyped as all hell for it? I know I am. I'm going to try and be one of the first to buy it once December 7th rolls around. While I was impressed with the trailer, I was left with several questions about the game.
Sakurai said we shouldn't expect too many new characters since they focused more on bringing everyone back. Does that mean there will be no newcomers aside from the ones they revealed to us already? And if there are newcomers, who will they be? (Please, Sakurai, give me Rex and/or Pyra. I think Xenoblade needs more representatives) Now that Snake is back, with his codecs be returning as well? Will it still be the Kid Icarus crew? Will it be someone else entirely doing the conversations? Will there be an adventure mode like there was in Brawl? (I hope so. I really enjoyed Subspace Emissary) And lastly, and I'm sure a few of you reading this have been wondering this as well, will this affect my story at all?
And the answer to that last question is yes, it will. Originally, I had a set idea of how I was going to end this story. As much as I love both Shulk and Lucina, I wasn't afraid to admit to myself that if some characters were going to be cut in Smash 5, those two would probably be among them. Mostly due to the fact that Lucina's a clone, (or 'echo', as they're now being called) and Shulk doesn't have much notoriety outside of Smash. And I was prepared to write my ending around that. However, once I found out I was wrong, I decided to change things up a bit. I won't be adding any extra chapters to this story, though. What I am going to do is, starting chapter after next, I'm going to begin putting in longer and more frequent time jumps, making it so the entire third part of this story takes place during the 'Ultimate' era of Smash. The chapters will start to go from taking place a few months apart, to several months, maybe even over a year apart. How will these chapters play out? Well, stay tuned to find out.
Up next: Some visitors will be returning to the Smash Mansion. I hope to have this chapter out before the end of July.
So, until such time as I have the next chapter published, farewell, my friends.