Good day to everyone. How are all of you? Good, I hope. Who's ready for another chapter?

This is one I've been planning out since nearly the beginning. And I'm so glad to finally have it out for all of you. I hope you enjoy it. I think you will. I'll not waste too much of your time by prattling on here, so let us get started.

Althea Sirius: I very much agree with you that perhaps Lucina should expand her friends list a bit. While I do want to keep the focus on her and Shulk, maybe It couldn't hurt to put in a bit more character interaction. I'll try to keep that in mind for future chapters. I actually almost put in a line from Shulk where he tells Lucina that she could, and should, interact with others if she feels like it, but I cut it at the last minute. Not sure why, in hindsight. But with that said, part of my inspiration for writing that chapter was because Lucina has been known to get jealous in certain situations, and I felt like that could be a fairly interesting concept to look at. As an example, I encourage you to look at the support conversation between Lucina and Female Robin, provided F!Robin is not Lucina's mother. I actually pulled a couple lines straight from that conversation.

Maybe one day I'll give the movies a chance. I think part of the reason I never looked at them was because they were a bit past my time. I was only a child when the first Shrek came out, and I remember watching it a lot on VHS around that time. That's my personal favorite out of DreamWorks. By the time HTTYD came along, I was starting to outgrow kids movies like that. But again, maybe one of these days, I'll take a look. Only time will tell.

Enjoy, everybody!

Super Smash Bros. © Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai

*Shulk and Lucina's bedroom*

*4:39 AM*

*Month one*

BLEEEGHH!

Shulk was awoken in the middle of the night to a strange sound coming from somewhere not far from him. As he slowly opened his tired eyes, he wondered what could be making such a noise. He listened around for a few seconds, wondering if he would hear the sound again. A few seconds of silence passed, so Shulk closed his eyes and began drifting back to sleep.

BLEEEGUH!

Shulk's eyes opened once again as he heard the weird noise again. With a groan, he sat up to try and find whatever it was that was making that noise. The first thing he noticed however, was a lack of warmth from next to him, like there usually was. Lucina was not in bed with him.

BLLLEEEEGUHH! *cough cough*

Shulk turned his head toward the source of the noise. It was coming from the bathroom that was connected to the large bedroom. The bathroom door was slightly creaked open, and there was light coming from the creak, telling Shulk that someone was in there. He slowly got out of bed and approached the bathroom. He slowly pushed the door open, and sure enough, his wife was in there. Lucina was currently hunched over the toilet, vomiting into it. After the last of the vomit left her mouth, she groaned in obvious discomfort for a few seconds before quickly puking into the toilet bowl once again. Shulk slowly approached her and gently grabbed her hair and started pulling back on it to prevent any vomit from getting stuck in it. This made Lucina turn around and see Shulk standing over her.

"S-Shulk?" She said weakly.

"Lucina? Are you alright?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, gods. Did I wake you?" She responded.

"Yeah."

"Oh, gods. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Again, are you ok?"

"Worry not, Shulk. I believe I will be fi… oh, gods!"

Lucina promptly emptied her stomach's contents into the toilet once again. Once she was done, she began moaning again in pain.

"Are you sure?" Shulk asked.

"Fear not, Shulk. I don't believe this is a serious issue. Most likely nothing more than a minor stomach virus. Perhaps I simply ate something bad during dinner last night." Lucina explained.

"Maybe. But, wait, that doesn't make sense. You and I had the same thing for dinner last night, and I feel fine."

Lucina attempted to respond, but before she could get one word out, she quickly turned back toward the toiled and barfed into it yet again. Once she was done, she slowly reached for the handle and flushed all the vomit down. With Shulk's assistance, she slowly got to her feet and began walking toward the sink. She turned the faucet on and cupped her hands under the water stream. She then drank the water that was in her hands to wash the acid taste of vomit out of her mouth. Once she swallowed the water, she turned off the sink and turned to face Shulk.

"There. I believe my vomiting spell has come to an end." She declared.

"I sure hope so. Anyway, let's head back to bed. You should get all the rest you should." Shulk said.

With her husband's arm around her shoulder, Lucina slowly walked toward the bed and slowly got into it with Shulk and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Lucina was still somewhat tired over what had transpired, but she tried to go about her day anyway. However, as she was getting dressed, she noticed something rather strange. As she was applying her chest bindings, she noticed that they wouldn't quite fit the way they usually did. It was almost as if her chest had grown. Eventually, she got her bindings to the way they usually were, but it felt much tighter than usual and left her breathing somewhat constricted.

After getting dressed, Shulk and Lucina headed down to the Mess Hall for breakfast. As Lucina stood in line to get her food, a strange feeling overcame her. For some reason, she didn't feel like eating any of the foods she normally ate. For some reason, right now, she really wanted a stack of pancakes. And she wanted them to be covered with melted cheese. She didn't know why she wanted this, but she felt like she was going to go insane unless she got that particular combination of food. With this in mind, she left the line she was currently in and went to another line, one that served pancakes. After that, she found some hot melted cheese on the condiments table and drowned her pancakes in it. She then sat down next to Shulk. The Monado wielder looked between his wife and her food in confusion.

"What exactly is that?" Shulk asked.

"It is a stack of pancakes with melted cheese. I know it is rather strange, but I feel an immense desire to have this combination. I must! I cannot help myself." Lucina explained.

With that, Lucina began eating her food, very quickly. Within five minutes, the entire large stack was gone, as was most of the cheese left on the plate. Once it was gone, Lucina declared that she needed more. Shulk attempted to stop her by grabbing her wrist.

"Lucy, I think that's enough for right now, don't you think? You don't want to overdo it." Shulk said.

What followed next was Lucina grabbing Shulk by the shirt and yelling at him with an extremely furious look on her face.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! DID YOU JUST SAY I WAS OVERWEIGHT?! IS THAT ALL I AM TO YOU?! A FAT LITTLE ANNOYANCE!? NO! YOU'RE THE ANNOYANCE, SHULK! YOU WILL NOT STOP ME FROM MY DESIRED FOOD, YOU PUNY, OBNOXIOUS LITTLE MAN! I'LL TEACH YOU TO GET IN MY WAY!" Lucina snapped.

"L-Lucina! W-what's gotten into you?!" Shulk stammered.

Lucina's face instantly lightened as she released Shulk. In the next moment, her eyes began to water immensely as if she were about to cry her eyes out. And that's just what she did. She threw her face into Shulk's shirt and began crying like there was no tomorrow.

"Oh, gods. What have I just done? Shulk, I-I'm so sorry I yelled at you. What have I done?! I'm a terrible wife! I don't deserve you! Please forgive me!" Lucina said as she sobbed into Shulk's shirt.

Lucina continued crying as Shulk attempted to comfort her. Though, he was still very confused as to what was going on. One minute, his wife is eating the weirdest combination of food, the next, she's yelling at him like she hates him, then she's bawling like a baby into his clothes. After a good minute, Lucina started to calm down.

"Are you ok? What was that?" Shulk asked.

"I don't know what came over me. That was utterly embarrassing. Worry not, though. I believe it has pas- oh no, not again!" Lucina said.

She then quickly ran over to the nearest trash can and began vomiting into it just as violently as she had the night before. Once she was done, she left the Mess Hall as quickly as she could, with Shulk following close behind. As soon as they were gone, all the other Smashers began gossiping about the strange event that they had just witnessed.

Later that day, Lucina made her way to the Transporter Room for a fight against Pikachu on a stage called Saffron City. Shulk followed behind and made his way to the Spectator Room. He was still somewhat worried over his wife's health, and wanted to be close in case something went wrong.

As soon as both combatants made it to the stage, the announcer began counting down to the fight.

3

2

1

GO!

Still somewhat weak over the previous night's events, and the events that transpired during breakfast, Lucina did not charge into battle with the vigor she usually did. Because of that, Pikachu landed the first hit, sending an electric ball toward his opponent and shocking her. He then jumped down and attempted to zap her again, but she managed to dodge. In response, he sent another electric ball at her, with managed to hit, but it only stunned her.

Pikachu then attempted to shock Lucina again, but she managed to counter and send the Pokémon flying back a short ways. She attempted to go after him, but was intercepted. Pikachu managed to headbutt her in the chest and then proceeded to shock her several times before she could land a decent hit. Ultimately, Lucina hit the ground and did not get up for several seconds. This left Pikachu somewhat confused. He had never seen Lucina fight like this, like she was in a weakened state. However, Lucina finally managed to get up and continue the fight.

She attempted to swing her sword at him, but Pikachu managed to evade it by jumping over her and zapping her from above. While she was stunned, he kicked her into a wall. She bounced off the wall and Pikachu kicked her upward. While she was in the air, he quickly brought Lucina down to the ground with a thunderbolt. Once she was in front of him, Pikachu landed an attack on her back, sending her clear across the stage. She managed to recover, but barely.

After that, the two combatants moved around each other for some time, with both landing minor hits on the other. The next big hit came when they both landed on a small platform near the left edge of the stage. Pikachu knocked Lucina upward, but when she landed, she swung her sword at him, managing to knock him back a ways. She then pointed her sword for a downward strike and managed to hit her opponent. After that, she grabbed Pikachu, kneed him twice, then threw him across the stage. But just then, Lucina felt herself suddenly weaken. She also felt like her stomach was going to explode.

'Oh gods, not again.' She thought to herself.

She attempted to push it down and focus on the fight. Pikachu sent a few more electric balls her way, then jumped over her and delivered a powerful blow from above. This was what finally caused Lucina to drop to the ground, drop her sword, and begin another vomiting fit. Pikachu quickly backed away to avoid getting any vomit on his fur. Once he was a safe distance away, he looked at Lucina in pity.

Back in the Spectator Room, Shulk was very alarmed. This was the third time in the span of a day that his wife had begun throwing up almost non-stop. He was practically relieved when Pikachu 'spoke' and decided to forfeit for Lucina's sake. As they were brought back to the Transporter Room, Shulk walked in there as well to get to his wife. As soon at they returned, Shulk helped Lucina to her feet.

"Shulk, I…" Lucina started.

"Enough. We're going to see Dr. Mario. I've had enough of seeing you like this. We need to see what's wrong." Shulk said.

Lucina decided not to say anything as they made their way to the Medical Wing of the mansion. Once they reached the Medical Wing, Dr. Mario was there to greet them.

"Hello. What seems-a to be-a the problem?" Dr. Mario asked.

"It's Lucina. I'm worried something's wrong with her. She had to be pulled out of a fight just now because she broke into a nasty vomiting fit. She also had them late last night and earlier today at breakfast." Shulk explained.

"Is-a this true, Lucina?" The doctor asked.

Lucina merely nodded.

"I-a see. How long has-a this been going on?" Dr. Mario asked.

"…For about the better part of a week. Though, mostly at night." Lucina answered after a moment's hesitation.

"What?! A week?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Shulk yelled.

"I did not wish to worry you. I dislike when you fret over me." Said Lucina.

"Well, now I'm more worried than ever! Any idea what's wrong?" Shulk asked Dr. Mario.

"Let's-a see, have-a you eaten anything you might-a be allergic to in-a the past week?" Dr. Mario inquired.

"No. My diet has been kept mostly normal in recent weeks." Lucina commented.

"Except for what you ate for breakfast. Who eats pancakes covered with hot cheese, anyway?" Shulk mused.

"I told you, I had a very strange craving for that, and I felt like I would not be satisfied until I had it. I don't know what came over me." Lucina defended herself.

"I hope that also explains why you unexpectedly snapped at me then started crying at me." Shulk retorted.

"Strange-a cravings and-a mood swings? I wonder…" Dr. Mario started.

"Hmm? Do you know what's wrong with my wife?" Shulk asked.

"I-a do have a theory. But-a just to make-a sure, Lucina, I need-a you to come-a with-a me to run a few tests. Shulk, please-a wait out here for a few minutes." Dr. Mario ordered.

Shulk nodded and took a seat near the entrance to the Medical Wing as Dr. Mario and Lucina stepped into one of the side rooms. After a half hour, they exited and approached Shulk.

"Okie dokie, I should-a have-a the results back-a by tomorrow. Until-a then, I recommend-a you not go to any of-a your matches, Lucina. If-a my suspicion is-a true, you're-a gonna want to take it easy for a while. I will-a send for you when I have-a the results." The doctor said.

Shulk and Lucina nodded in understanding as they left the Medical Wing. Neither would admit it, but they were both very worried about what they would hear when they came back.

The next day, a tenseness hovered over both of them as they anxiously waited to be summoned by Dr. Mario.

"You alright, love?" Shulk asked, even though he was just as nervous as she was.

"I'm not certain. I feel a sense of dread over what I will hear when Dr. Mario calls us back. What if it's something horrible? What if I'm somehow dying?" Lucina fretted.

"I doubt it's something that bad, love. But no matter what, know that I'll always be with you, Lucina." Shulk said as he held his wife close.

Lucina quickly returned Shulk's embrace and both closed their eyes in their protective hold. Because of this, they did not notice when a Mii by the name of Grant approached them.

"Excuse me?" Grant said to the couple.

"Yes, what is it?" Shulk said as he released the hold he had on his wife, but still held her hand.

"Dr. Mario would like to see the two of you." Grant said.

Both Shulk and Lucina felt their hearts drop as the moment they both dreaded had arrived. Nevertheless, they were ready to just get it over and done with.

"Alright. Let's go." Shulk said.

Once they made it to the Medical Wing, Dr. Mario called them into his office. Once they were seated, the Italian doctor began speaking.

"Hello, you two. I have-a the results of-a the tests I ran on Lucina yesterday."

"Well, let's not put this off any longer. Give it to us straight, what's happened?" Shulk asked.

"Very well. I have-a to admit. I never expected something like-a this to happen at-a the Smash Mansion." Dr. Mario stated.

"Please do not make me wait any longer, Dr. Mario. Please, just tell me what has happened." Lucina demanded.

"Alright. According to-a my tests, Lucina, you are-a pregnant."

At that last word, time seemed to stop for Shulk and Lucina. They both tried to process what they just heard, but were somehow unable to. Of all the possible things they thought Dr. Mario might say to them, this was the absolute last thing they expected to hear. All kinds of different emotions bounced around inside both of them. Shock, fear, happiness, confusion, and panic, to name a few. As they both slowly returned to their senses, Lucina spoke first.

"W-what?" She said quietly.

"Yes, you heard-a right. You are-a pregnant. According to-a my tests, you are about-a three weeks in." Dr. Mario repeated.

Lucina's breathing began to pick up as the reality of the situation began to hit her. Pregnant. She was pregnant. She was going to be a mother. She wasn't ready to be a mother! Would she even make a good mother? Would She and Shulk make good parents? Would they even have time to be parents when they were competing in the tournament?

"T-this is… quite something." Lucina managed to choke out.

"Yeah. I mean, it's wonderful, but it's also kinda shocking. I don't think I was ready to hear that." Shulk agreed.

"I'm not ready at all! I mean, me, a mother?! I don't think I'm good mother material! Will I truly be able to care for a child?! Will I…?!" Lucina snapped.

"Hey! Take it easy, Lucy. It's alright. You'll be alright. I told you before, I'll be there for you no matter what. And personally, I think you'll be a great mum." Shulk comforted.

"B-but will I be? Truly? I haven't very many inspirations to draw from. I don't know how to be a parent."

"Neither do I. No one said it would be easy. But I know we can do it. I promise, we can make this work."

Shulk's encouraging words left little doubt in Lucina's mind that he would make a great father. And if he had this much faith in her, maybe she would make a decent mother after all. Suddenly, her resolve strengthened. She now had a desire to give this child all the love and affection she could. To make sure her child had a much better childhood than she did. To be there for her child the same way her parents were there for her once she traveled back in time.

"Yes. You are right, Shulk. I believe we can do this. I am willing to try. We shall be the best parents we can be." Lucina said as she put a hand on her still flat stomach.

"There we go, love. I knew you could do it. And I know we can be great parents." Shulk said as he put his hand on top of Lucina's.

"Let us go. We have much to prepare for in the next few months."

With that, Shulk and Lucina left the room to begin the difficult journey on the way to parenthood.

The next day, the expecting parents found themselves outside Master Hand's personal study, having been summoned there by the floating hand to speak. Both of them were certain what Master Hand wanted to speak to them about. Still, they wondered why Master Hand asked to speak to them personally instead of seeking them out the way he normally did if he wanted to talk to one of the Smashers. The only time Master Hand ever summoned Smashers to his study was when he needed to have a serious discussion with them, or if they were in major trouble. As far as they were aware, neither of them had broken any of the major rules, so what was going on? These kinds of thoughts went through both their heads as Shulk opened the door to the study.

"Master Hand? Are you in?" Shulk asked.

"Ah, there you two are. Please, come in. Have a seat." Master Hand said.

Shulk and Lucina did just that. They entered the room and closed the door behind them. They then sat down in two chairs that were in front of Master Hand's desk.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I needed to talk to you. Well, it's because Dr. Mario gave me a startling report concerning the two of you yesterday. I already know what it is, but I still want to hear it from your mouths." Master Hand started.

"Very well. Yesterday, I was told that I was with child. Shulk and I are due to be parents." Lucina admitted.

"I see. Then I will not beat around the bush. It is because of that fact that I am making this decision. Please be aware that this was not an easy decision for me to make, but it is what must be done. It's simply not a good idea to have a pregnant woman participate in so many brutal fights." Master Hand continued.

"Where are you going with this?" Shulk asked warily.

"Lucina, you are being removed from the Smash Brothers tournament." Master Hand said.

"WHAT?!" Shulk and Lucina shouted simultaneously.

"Yes. By tomorrow, you are to have your things packed and ready to return to your home in Ylisse." Master Hand stated.

"But, what about me?" Shulk asked.

"What about you? You're not the one who's pregnant, so you'll be staying." Master Hand answered.

"B-but you can't do this! You can't just take my wife away from me! It's not fair!" Shulk yelled.

"Hardly anything in life is. As I said, we can't have a pregnant woman compete in the tournament. The amount of damage she takes in battle could cause injury in the baby. By sending her home, she and the baby will be safe." Master Hand responded.

"Why can't she just stay here and not fight? You've excused people from fights before, and for some long periods of time, too. Why can't you just do that again for her?" Shulk asked.

"It's true that I have excused some of my Smashers from fights before, and for periods of up to a month. But it simply wouldn't be fair to excuse Lucina for nine months straight while she does nothing until the day she gives birth." Master Hand answered.

"Will my removal be permanent? Can I not simply return to the mansion after I have given birth and continue to compete?" Lucina asked.

"No. Again, it wouldn't be fair to the other Smashers if I let you go home for nine months then let you come back as if nothing's changed." Master Hand responded.

"Please, don't do this. If you do, I might never see my wife again. And I'll never get to see my own kid at all! I can't let that happen." Shulk pleaded.

"There is no other way. This is how it must be. I'm sorry." Master Hand responded.

"Fine! If she's being kicked out, I quit! I'm leaving with her." Shulk declared.

"Nice try, but you're not allowed to just up and quit like that. If I allowed that, I doubt I'd have hosted more than one of these tournaments. There's simply no way that Lucina can stay if she can't compete in any of her matches." Master Hand replied.

Shulk continued to think of something, anything, he could say to make it so he would not have to be separated from his wife. How could he possibly make it so she could stay? There had to be something. Suddenly, an idea dawned on Shulk.

"I'll do it." He declared.

"What?" Master Hand asked.

"You said she couldn't stay if she couldn't compete in her matches. Well, I'm going to be taking all of her matches until after she's given birth and can fight on her own again. I've seen some of the Smashers cover for others before, so I'll just do it for the next nine months." Shulk said adamantly.

"Shulk, would you really do that for me?" Lucina asked.

"Yes. It's like I said yesterday, I'll be there for you no matter what. Master Hand makes it makes it sound like your fated to go home because of this. But what is it you like to say a lot during some of your fights?" Shulk asked.

"I challenge my fate!" Lucina answered.

"Too right. We both have in the past, and I know we will continue to." Shulk said.

"Most noble of you, Shulk. And I admit, in theory, that plan could work. But there is one gaping flaw. You alone probably couldn't handle taking on each of Lucina's fights, as well as your own, for that long a period of time. The effort would likely push you past the point of exhaustion. Also, what would you do if I were to schedule you and Lucina in a fight together?" Master Hand asked.

Shulk was now at a loss for words. He kept trying to think of something to make it so his wife could stay. However, his thoughts were interrupted by someone else opening the door to Master Hand's study. It was none other than Lucina's good friend, Robin.

"Pardon me, Master Hand. I was wondering if I could speak to you about… Oh, you seem busy right now. I'll come back in a minute." Robin said upon noticing Shulk and Lucina.

"Robin, wait! I need to talk to you." Shulk said, suddenly getting an idea.

"What is it, Shulk?" Robin asked.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." Shulk said to Lucina as he stood and led Robin outside the room.

After leaving Master Hand's study, Shulk proceeded to explain to Robin what was going on. Lucina's pregnancy, her expulsion from the tournament, and his attempt to let her stay. He then asked Robin if he would join him in covering Lucina's fights until after she gave birth.

"I see. This is all rather shocking, to say the least." Robin mused.

"Please, I'm begging you. I don't want Lucina to go. I don't want to lose my wife. Please tell me you'll help." Shulk begged.

Robin stood in thought for a few moments before turning to face Shulk again.

"Lucina's been one of my closest friends for many years now, and I once promised her that I would be there for her no matter what." Robin started.

"So does that mean...?" Shulk started.

"Yes. I will help you to make sure Lucina does not leave. However, even between the two of us, I doubt we would be able to cover all of Lucina's fights and out own. We would need at least one more. And even then, it might be a bit of a stretch." Robin concluded.

"One more, eh? Who could we get?" Shulk mused.

Just then, the two men looked down the hall and saw another Smasher by the name of Marth approach them. Lucina had mentioned numerous times that Marth was her direct ancestor. When they had first met, she was almost too stunned to speak, being in front of her ancestor and personal hero. Since then, however, the two of them had grown to respect each other greatly. Shulk and Robin both got the same idea.

"Hello there." Marth said as he passed them.

"Hold on a second, Marth." Robin called.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Marth asked.

Shulk and Robin proceeded to explain the situation they were in to Marth.

"I see. Well, congratulations, Shulk." Marth said.

"Thanks, Marth. But still, will you help us?" Shulk asked.

"I know too well the pain of being separated by someone close to me, often doubting if I would ever see them again. So to spare you that pain, and in defense of my descendant, I shall help you." Marth declared.

"Thank you, Marth. Now then, let's go see if Master Hand will accept this little plan." Shulk said.

The three men promptly walked back into Master Hand's study and stood before the giant floating hand.

"I take it the three of you wish to say something to me." Master Hand said.

"Yes. You said that I alone couldn't cover all of Lucina's fights for the next nine months. Well, I believe the three of us can cover her fights, as well as still make our own." Shulk said.

"And the two of you are willing to go along with this?" Master Hand asked.

"Yes. Because Lucina is our friend and we don't want to see her leave or split up a happy couple." Robin said.

"You must understand by now how far I'm willing to go for the sake of my wife and child." Shulk declared.

Master Hand remained silent for a few moments, as if deep in thought. Eventually, he gave off a sigh.

"Very well. I'm willing to give this a try. But just know that all of you are on extremely thin ice. If I see any signs of overwhelming exhaustion from any of you three, or if you miss any of Lucina's fights without good reason, she will be sent home. Am I understood?" Master Hand said sternly.

The three men nodded in understanding. Lucina instantly stood up and threw her arms around Shulk.

"Thank you, Shulk. Thank you, all of you. You have no idea how grateful I am to all of you for going to such lengths for me." Lucina stated.

"Of course, Lucina. I couldn't dream of being here without you." Shulk said as he returned Lucina's hug.

Robin and Marth looked on as the loving couple embraced. They felt as though nothing could ruin this tender moment.

"What's going on here?"

Everyone present turned their heads to see Chrom standing in the doorway of Master Hand's study.

"I was wondering where you were. Did you ask Master Hand about… Lucina, what are you doing here?" Chrom asked.

"Father, I…" Lucina started.

"Did you guys not tell him yet?" Marth asked.

"N-not exactly." Shulk stuttered, suddenly afraid of how Chrom would react to Lucina being pregnant.

"Tell me what?" Chrom asked sternly.

"Well… the thing is… you see…" Shulk stammered.

"Shulk has impregnated Lucina. She's going to have a baby in about nine months." Robin blurted out, tired of listening to Shulk stutter.

"YOU WHAT!?" Chrom screamed.

*Month two*

Lucina was in her bedroom, currently trying to set up a cradle that her mother had sent her. While Lucina was grateful for the gift, she found she was having an increasingly difficult time trying to assemble the thing. She found herself wishing Shulk was present. Building things was always a specialty of Shulk's. But alas, he was busy competing in another one of his extra fights. Lucina wished Shulk didn't fight so hard on her behalf, but at the same time, she knew it was either this, or she gets sent home and never sees him again.

Shortly thereafter, Shulk entered the room and took a seat on the bed. He looked somewhat tired.

"Man, I never thought I would have to go through two 8 man Smashes in one day." Shulk said.

"I must admit, that does sound like quite a challenge." Lucina said.

"So what have you been up to all day?" Shulk asked.

"Well, earlier today, I received a rather generous gift in the mail. My mother has sent a cradle for our baby. I have spent much time attempting to put it together. Though, I am having some difficulty trying to assemble it." Lucina answered.

"Here, let me have a go at it." Shulk said.

"Are you certain? You seem rather tired."

"Don't worry, love. I'll be fine. Does this thing have any instructions?"

"There are some provided by mother on her letter. Here." Lucina said as she passed a piece of paper to Shulk.

Shulk took the letter and walked over to the pieces of the cradle. He swiftly began assembling it. Lucina was happy at how well Shulk was handling the fact that he would be a parent soon. But she herself still had some doubts as to whether or not she would be a good mother. As he was just finishing up the crib, Shulk looked over and saw a look of uncertainty in his wife's face.

"Is something wrong, love?" Shulk asked.

"It's nothing Shulk. You needn't worry about it." Lucina responded.

"I don't think it's 'nothing', Lucina. You can tell me."

"…Very well. It's just, if I cannot so much as assemble a simple cradle, what hope have I of being a good mother?" Lucina confessed.

"Come now, we've been over this. You'll be great." Shulk reassured.

"You say that, but I still worry."

"Don't. I promise I'll be there the whole way."

"But I still wonder what I could do. You seem to be adept to most everything. Look, you've already finished the cradle. I have been trying to put it together for almost an hour, and you did it in a few minutes. What hope am I?"

"You're plenty hope, love. There are loads of things you can do that I can't. For example, you're great at making sure I take care of myself. And when I can't, you help take care of me. I'm not sure I'd know what to do if you got sick. I'm no doctor. And believe me, that will really come in handy when the kid comes." Shulk explained.

"You really mean that, Shulk?"

"Yeah, so don't go doubting yourself."

"Thank you, Shulk." Lucina said as she embraced Shulk.

*Month three*

Lucina was lying on her bed in clear discomfort. Pretty much everything was swollen and in pain. Her only saving grace was that instead of wearing her normal, constricting outfit, she was wearing a much looser and more comfortable set of clothes. Still, that did pretty much nothing to alleviate her pain. She mentally cursed Shulk for putting her in this position by getting her pregnant. Just then, Shulk himself walked into the room and looked at his agitated wife.

"'ello, love. How're you doing today?" Shulk asked.

"Not well. I am in constant pain from my swelling, and I am hungry as well." Lucina said irritably.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want me to get you something to eat?" Shulk offered.

"No. What I want is for you so help me alleviate my pain."

"How do I do that?"

"I don't know. Just do something. Anything!" Lucina shouted.

Shulk instantly went to work trying to make his wife feel better, but to no avail.

"It's not working." Lucina deadpanned.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to do." Shulk replied.

"Then you must figure it out. After all, it is because of you that I am in this position."

"Wait, what?"

"Yes, it is because of you that I am pregnant, and it is because I am pregnant that I am in this pain."

"C'mon, that's not entirely fair. I may have gotten you pregnant, but I didn't intentionally mean you pain. I would never. I'm just doing everything I can to make this whole thing peaceful and calm for you."

"That's another thing. How can you possibly stay so calm during all of this? We're going to have a child, Shulk! How are you not panicking about what is about to happen?!" Lucina yelled.

"…You think I'm not?" Shulk retorted.

"What?" Lucina said.

"Truth be told, I am scared. Almost as scared as I was when I fought Zanza. I am worried that I will somehow botch this whole thing up. But I got past that, and I can get past this. I know I can. And I know you can too. Because I know overly worrying and focusing on the negatives won't do any good. Believe me, I know. That's why I'm doing everything I can to make this go as well as possible." Shulk said.

"Shulk… I am sorry for needlessly being angry with you over something you have no control over. You are correct. I can and will overcome this, and I know you will always be there to help me." Lucina replied.

"That's better, love." Shulk said as he got close to his wife to comfort her.

*Month four*

"Shulk, would you please bring me a bowl of rice with chocolate sauce on top?" Lucina requested.

*Month five*

Shulk and Lucina were currently in the Mess Hall, enjoying their dinner. Lucina's plate was still larger than it usually was, but at least she was finally eating somewhat normally. Her stomach had expanded quite a bit as the baby inside her continued to grow.

"I'm impressed that you're able to eat that much in one sitting." Shulk said as he looked at Lucina's food tray.

"Do not patronize me. I must feed for two for the time being, you know this, Shulk." Lucina retorted.

"Wasn't trying to. I'm just saying."

"Still, I sincerely wish that I did not look this… fat, for lack of a better word."

"I don't think you're fat, love. Just pregnant. There's a difference."

"I appreciate your words, Shulk. Truly I do."

Just then, Chrom came and sat across from Lucina and Shulk. Lucina was rather pleased to be able to speak with her father once again, while Shulk was just glad that Chrom had finally calmed down and was not actively trying to hurt him like when the blue haired man found out his future daughter was pregnant.

"Hello there." Chrom greeted.

"'ello." Shulk replied.

"Good evening, father." Lucina said.

"I merely came by to see how my daughter and my daughter's daughter are doing." Chrom said.

"Father, we have been over this. We do not yet know whether my child will be a boy or a girl." Lucina said.

"Yeah, what makes you so certain that we're going to have a girl?" Shulk asked.

"I just have a gut feeling. Just like I did when Sumia was pregnant with my first child." Chrom answered.

"Really? Did you truly say that when mother was carrying me? If so, I must admit, I have no such feeling. I do not have any strong sense as to whether my child will be a boy or…" Lucina started.

As she was talking, Lucina felt something strange. Something coming from within her. Her silence suddenly began to worry Shulk and Chrom. Especially Shulk.

"Lucina, is something wrong?" Chrom said.

"What's happening?!" Shulk asked.

"I do not know. Suddenly I feel like… ugh! I think the baby just kicked me!" Lucina answered.

"Wait, really?" Shulk asked.

"Well then, I believe that is good news." Chrom said.

"How do you figure?" Shulk asked.

"I seem to recall Sumia telling me that a baby kicking before birth is a good sign that the baby is healthy." Chrom answered.

"Really? Then this is wonderful! I hope the baby does it again." Lucina replied.

As if on cue, Lucina suddenly felt another kick come from within her. She could not help but smile at this. Her smile only grew when Shulk gently placed a hand on her stomach, hoping to feel a kick himself. Sure enough, he felt one shortly afterwards.

"Well now, I'm glad our little baby is nice and healthy, love." Shulk stated.

"As am I, Shulk." Lucina replied as she leaned into her husband contently.

*Month six*

At the start of a new day, Shulk and Lucina awoke, ready to face whatever the day had planned for them. Shulk got out of bed and began preparing for the day easily enough, but Lucina was having issue.

"Lucina? You alright, love?" Shulk asked.

"I'm fine. But I seem unable to sit up. I am not sure why." Lucina responded.

"Could it be because you've got a little something down in your gut?" Shulk said teasingly.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"Come on, there's no shame in admitting the kid's giving you a hard time."

"It's quite alright. I'm sure I can manage."

Lucina then attempted to sit up once again, but was unable to. Ultimately, Shulk went over to her and helped her get into a sitting position. From there, Lucina was able to get on her feet and begin getting ready for the day.

"You have my gratitude, Shulk. Though I still believe I would have been fine on my own."

"Come on, now. What kind of gent would I be if I didn't help my own wife every now and then?" Shulk said.

"In any case, may I ask what you have planned for today?" Lucina asked.

"Outside of a couple of fights, not much. Why?"

"Well, I was hoping that, as the day drew to a close, you and I might… take a stroll through the gardens?"

"Alright, sounds good. Besides, a little exercise might do you good."

"Wonderful. Simply let me know when you are ready."

"I will, love."

With that, the loving couple finished preparing for the day then opened their door to embrace it.

*Month seven*

"Shulk! Where is my plate of ketchup dipped jelly doughnuts?!" Lucina yelled.

*Month eight*

It was Family Day once again. Most of the mansion's inhabitants were outside greeting their loved ones for the first time in a year. However, there were two Smashers who were not outside with the rest of the group. This was because they were still in their bedroom. Lucina's large stomach had made it next to impossible for her to even sit up without assistance, much less get on her own two feet. And since Shulk was currently still getting dressed, he couldn't help her at the moment.

"I can't believe we overslept. I don't think we've ever done that on Family Day before." Shulk commented.

"Indeed. I must say I am not fond of how I have been sleeping of late. Having this large an abdomen makes getting comfortable rather difficult." Lucina responded.

"Try having the kid kick you in the back all through the night." Shulk muttered.

"Well, given the time, it is likely that our loved ones have already arrived."

"Yeah. Too bad we weren't there to say 'ello to 'em."

"I apologize for slowing you down over these past few months, Shulk."

"Don't be, love. You're pregnant, and because of that, you have to come first. You'll always be first. I love you."

"I love you as well."

The couple then engaged in a passionate kiss. Once they separated, Shulk walked toward the door.

"Well, I'm going to find our lot of friends and family and bring them here." Shulk said.

"That sounds lovely. I shall wait here for your return."

"See you shortly, love."

With that, Shulk left the room. However, not even ten seconds after he was gone, Lucina felt her stomach rumble. She was hungry. And unfortunately, there was no food on hand for her to eat.

"Shulk! Wait! Are you still there? Shulk!... No. You know what? I shall get my own food. I do not need to wait for him. I am not an invalid. I don't believe Shulk will return before I have gotten myself food." Lucina resolved.

The pregnant woman then used one hand to grab her bedpost, and used the other to push down on the mattress. Slowly but surely, she managed to pull herself to her feet. She wobbled a bit due to her extra weight, but managed to keep her balance. After that, she slowly walked out of her room and toward the Mess Hall.

After carefully walking down a flight of stairs to the first floor, she approached the Mess Hall. However, just as she approached the door, she heard a voice call out to her.

"Lucina, is that you?"

Lucina turned to face whoever was speaking and saw none other than her mother, Sumia.

"Mother!" Lucina called.

The blue haired princess approached her mother as quickly as she could, which wasn't very fast, but still, and the two women hugged.

"It is so good to see you again! I have missed you. Where are the others?" Lucina asked.

"They're with Chrom right now. We were waiting to see if you might join us, but when you didn't, I decided to go and look for you. I was wondering where you were. You weren't outside to greet us like you normally were." Sumia stated.

"Yes, and I do apologize, mother. It's just that… ever since this happened to me, moving around has become quite difficult." Lucina said as she gestured to her baby bump.

Sumia then stared at her pregnant daughter's stomach in shock. After a few seconds, Sumia looked Lucina in the eye once again.

"So it is true." Sumia whispered.

"Yes. I would not lie to you, mother." Lucina responded.

"I know you wouldn't, dear. It's just… it's one thing to read about it in a letter, but it's another to actually see it in person. How far along are you?"

"I am in the eighth month. So I shall be giving birth soon."

Sumia then raised her hand and slowly brought it toward Lucina's pregnant stomach. However, before she could touch it, she hesitated.

"Er, may I, dear?" Sumia asked.

"Of course, mother." Lucina answered.

With that, Sumia gently put her hand on Lucina's bulging gut. Both women couldn't help but smile at the contact.

"Well, I believe your baby will be nice and healthy." Sumia stated.

"I certainly hope so, mother." Lucina replied.

"I know so. Don't forget, I've been in your place twice before. And you feel a lot like I did when I was that far along with my daughters. Speaking of which, do you believe you will have a boy or a girl?"

"I'm not certain. And personally, I do not care. Nor does Shulk. All we want is for our baby to be healthy and happy."

"Aww. That's such a sweet thing to say."

Sumia then moved her hand to different points of Lucina's stomach.

"However, if you wish for my opinion, and I may be wrong here, but I think you have a little boy in here." Sumia determined.

"Really? You think so? Father seems convinced that I will bear a daughter." Lucina said.

"Well, while I did just say you feel a lot like I did at eight months, I can feel some differences. But again, I could be wrong."

"I suppose we shall just have to wait and see."

"Indeed. Anyway, why don't we catch up with the others. Everyone's quite anxious to see you again. Especially Cynthia. You should have seen her when she first found out you were with child."

"I hold no doubt that she will be a marvelous aunt to my child. However, before we return to the others, do you think I might get some food? I have not eaten at all today."

"Of course, sweetheart. I'll go with you; I could use a cup of tea myself."

The two women then walked into the Mess Hall to get themselves some food.

Shulk was currently in the main hall of the Smash Mansion. He had looked in numerous places, but for some reason, he was unable to locate either his friends or Lucina's family. He was running out of places to look for them. He really wished he hadn't slept in.

"Where could they be?" Shulk muttered to himself.

"Oi! There you are, Shulk!"

Shulk instantly turned his head and saw his three friends Reyn, Dunban, and Riki standing near the front door of the mansion. The blonde swordsman instantly went up and greeted his friends.

"Guys! It's so good to see you again!"

"Too right, man! How ya been? You doing good? You haven't written in forever." Reyn said.

"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry I haven't written in a while, it's just…"

It was at this moment that Shulk made a shocking realization. While Lucina had previously written her friends and family at home, telling them that she was to be a parent, he had done no such thing. Since the day he and Lucina found out about the baby, Shulk had never once written to his friends. They did not know that he was going to be a father in just about a month. Well, it was now or never, Shulk reasoned.

"Is Shulk ok? Shulk seems sort of distracted." Riki asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. It's just that…well… There's something I need to tell you guys. Something shocking. Something I probably should have told you a long time ago." Shulk said.

"Is everything alright, Shulk? You're acting rather strange." Dunban stated.

"Yeah, everything's good, but this is rather… big news." Shulk responded.

"Well, come on. Out with it!" Reyn said.

"Alright, well… the thing is… umm…"

Shulk then leaned toward Reyn and whispered something in his ear.

"Wait, say again, man?" Reyn asked.

Shulk then whispered into Reyn's ear once again. Once Shulk was done speaking, Reyn's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and he took a step back in shock.

"NO! No! There's no way, man! There's no way!" Reyn shouted.

"What did he say, Reyn?" Dunban asked.

Reyn then leaned toward Dunban and whispered something in his ear. Dunban then turned to look at Shulk in surprise.

"Is this true, Shulk?!" Dunban asked.

Shulk merely nodded.

"What Shulk say? What Shulk say?! Dundun tell Riki what Shulk told Reyn told him!" Riki demanded.

Dunban then whispered into Riki's ear what he had heard. The little Nopon then shrieked in surprise.

"Shulk is going to be daddypon?!" Riki yelled.

"Yeah, I am." Shulk answered.

"I-I can't believe this! You, a dad?! Never thought I'd see the day." Reyn said.

"I admit, I wasn't really expecting it, either. But Lucina's been doing good with it so far." Shulk said.

"Well, that is good to hear. When is your child due, if I may ask?" Said Dunban.

"In about a month." Shulk answered.

"Really?! She's been pregnant this long and you never told us?!" Reyn exclaimed.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But to be fair, taking care of a pregnant woman ain't exactly easy." Shulk pointed out.

"Oh, I'm sure. Is there anything we can do?" Dunban asked.

"Well there is one thing you could do for me." Shulk stated.

"What do ya need man?" Reyn asked.

"When you lot get back to Bionis, could you lot send us a steady stream of baby supplies like diapers, clothes, food, and the like? Believe it or not, things like that aren't made all that much around here. Lucina's family is sending some as well, but I don't think it will be enough." Shulk answered.

"Heropon Riki is ready to help! Riki will give Shulk's littlepon lots and lots of toys! Littlepon will be spoiled!" Riki declared.

"Take it easy, furball. Kid's gonna need more than just toys to survive. We're on it, Shulk." Reyn stated.

"Yes, you can depend on us." Dunban added.

"Thanks. I knew I could count on you lot. Now then, I think I should be going back to Lucina, and I'm sure you guys would like to talk to her." Shulk said.

"Course we would! I wanna see my future niece or nephew!" Reyn exclaimed.

"Wait, what was that, Reyn?" Dunban said.

"What? Shulk 'n' I grew up together. We're best friends, practically brothers. I'm sure he'd let the kid call me Uncle. Right, Shulk?" Reyn asked.

"Sure. Why not?" Shulk said as he laughed at his childhood friend.

*Month nine*

Shulk was currently in the midst of a match against Richter Belmont on a stage called Palutena's Temple. However, it was not going well for the Monado wielder. What had started as a five stock match had turned into Shulk only having two stocks left, while Richter hadn't even lost one yet. The reason for this is because Shulk was not currently fighting with his usual strength. He had been told that his wife was due to give birth any day now, and he was overly worried for her to the point of getting distracted by his own thoughts in the middle of battle.

However, he was pulled from his thoughts when Richter's whip hit him smack in the face, sending him back toward the fountain on the left end of the stage. He quickly got up and activated his Speed Art. With it, he ran past Richter and onto the rope bridge. He then jumped off the bridge and onto one of the floating platforms underneath it. When Richter jumped after him, Shulk sent a punch, kick, and Monado swing toward the vampire hunter. This made Richter fall off the floating platform and fall onto another floating platform. Shulk jumped after him and attempted to land a hit, but missed, landing on one of the lowest platforms of the stage. This got Shulk lost in his thoughts again.

'What if I somehow miss something to do with the baby? What if I forget to feed him or her at some point?' Shulk thought.

Before he could think further, a sliding kick from Richter almost knocked him off the stage. Shulk managed to recover, but the Belmont was waiting for him. Several swings of Richter's mighty whip managed to knock Shulk around. While Shulk did manage to land a few decent hits with the Monado, a whip assisted uppercut from Richter sent Shulk back onto one of the floating platforms.

"Come on! I know you can do better than this. Give me a good fight, Shulk!" Richter yelled.

The Belmont then jumped after Shulk, but was knocked back by a swing of the Monado. Shulk swung the Monado again, but missed. Richter then jumped upward and struck Shulk through the platform the latter was standing on with his whip. After this, Shulk found himself near the cave like part of the stage. The blonde swordsman swung the Monado in a circle at his feet, managing to knock Richter back. He attempter to go after Richter, but was lost in his own thoughts again.

'Will I even be able to keep my kid safe in a madhouse like the Smash Mansion? What if he or she makes their way into…?'

Shulk was only pulled from his thoughts by seeing Richter throw a Cross at him. Shulk barely managed to dodge before going after Richter again. Once they were on the same platform, Richter attempted to throw a vial of Holy Water, only for Shulk to sidestep it. However, Shulk was then caught in a Cross and whip combo, sending him to the bottom of a waterfall on the right end of the stage.

"Can we please begin fighting seriously, Shulk? I am beginning to grow bored with this fight." Richter said.

In response to this, Shulk went after Richter and attempter to perform an Air Slash on him, but only landed the first hit. The blue clad hunter dodged the second hit and flung his whip in Shulk's direction, sending him to the ground. Another fling of the whip sent Shulk upward and onto the bridge. Richter jumped after him and attempted to land another hit on Shulk, but the Monado wielder dodged and ran for the right end of the bridge. Richter then jumped up and made his way to the opposite end of the bridge.

"Listen, I know you're worried about your wife, but fighting the way you currently are won't make time go any faster. A good fight is the only way you'll get done here." Richter stated.

"You're right. You're right! Let's get this going for real!" Shulk shouted.

With that, Shulk activated the Monado and ran across the bridge toward Richter with a mighty war cry. The blue clad vampire hunter braced himself for Shulk's attack. Shulk reared back him Monado for a swing and then…

"STOP!"

Shulk froze in his tracks as he and Richter wondered what was going on. They both recognized the voice as that of Master Hand, but what was he doing interrupting their fight?

"This match has been canceled. I am declaring a No Contest." Master Hand stated.

As they were brought back to the Transporter Room, Shulk and Richter were left even more confused. A No Contest was never declared unless one of the fighters decided to forfeit, or if there was some kind of emergency. Neither of them had forfeited, so what was going on?

As soon as they made it back to the Transporter Room, they were instantly greeted by Master Hand.

"What exactly is going on?" Richter asked.

Master Hand ignored him and turned to Shulk.

"Shulk, your presence is requested in the Medical Wing immediately." Master Hand said.

"The Medical Wing? But why would… Oh no!" Shulk exclaimed.

Without wasting another second, Shulk activated his Speed Art and ran out of the Transporter Room as quickly as he could and headed toward the Medical Wing. The Art eventually wore off, but by then, he was just outside the entrance to the Medical Wing. He entered and began looking around frantically.

"Lucina! Lucina, where are you?!" Shulk shouted.

Shulk then heard loud moaning coming from one of the side rooms in the Medical wing. Shulk quickly approached the room and threw the door open. Sure enough, he saw Lucina lying down on a medical bed with Dr. Mario standing over her. There were also two Miis standing nearby assisting Dr. Mario. Lucina was currently groaning in pain while clutching her stomach. Suddenly, she tensed up and her yelling got a bit louder.

"Lucina!" Shulk called.

"Shulk!" Lucina responded as she reached out for him.

Shulk then ran to be by his wife's side, but was stopped by the two Miis.

"What? What's going on here?! Let me go!" Shulk yelled.

"I'm-a sorry, Shulk, but I'm afraid I can't-a allow you in-a here right now." Dr. Mario said.

"What?! Why not?!" Shulk shouted.

"This is a bit of a delicate procedure. One that I've-a never done-a before. I cannot afford-a any distractions." Dr. Mario explained.

"That's a load of bollocks! I need to be by my wife's side for this!" Shulk yelled.

"I'm-a sorry, but-a no. Please-a remove him from-a the room." Dr. Mario told the Miis.

Despite Shulk's fanatical struggles and screaming, and Lucina's requests that her husband be allowed to stay, the Miis eventually managed to push Shulk out of the room. They then quickly shut the door and locked it. Shulk quickly approached the door and tried to open in, but found himself unable to. He then proceeded to knock and bang on the door, demanding to be let in.

"No, no, no! Let me in! Let me in, damn you! Let me in, you bloody wanker!" Shulk screamed.

After about five minutes of pounding on the door, Shulk finally gave up. He looked in the door's window and saw Dr. Mario looking back at him. Shulk only scowled at the doctor and held up his hand with his index and middle fingers pointed up and his palm facing inward. He pointed this gesture toward Dr. Mario. After that, he went back and took a seat in a chair near the entrance to the Medical Wing. As the time passed, Shulk found himself lost in his thoughts, most of them of a worrying or unpleasant nature.

'Will Lucina be alright? Will the baby be alright? What if something goes wrong? What if Lucina doesn't make it? What if the baby doesn't make it? I don't think I can live without my wife, raising a kid alone. And I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to the baby. What if I'm not a good enough father? What if the kid ends up hating me? What if I somehow screw this up? What if Lucina doesn't think I'm a good husband or father anymore? What if…? What if…? What if…?'

After what felt like an eternity, Shulk finally heard the door open and saw Dr. Mario step out. Shulk was instantly on his feet and ran toward the doctor.

"Well? Is everything alright?! Is Lucina ok? Is the baby ok? What happened?!" Shulk yelled.

Dr. Mario simply stepped to the side and gestured to the room.

"You may-a go in now." The doctor stated.

Shulk made his way to the room and slowly opened the door, with Dr. Mario following behind him. The two helper Miis were also still in the room. The first thing Shulk saw was his wife. She was covered in sweat and her face was slightly red, likely due to the ordeal she just went through. The look in her eyes told Shulk she was incredibly tired. However, at the same time, her eyes conveyed a sense of extreme happiness. She also had a small yet loving smile on her face as she looked down at a small bundle in her arms.

"Lucina?" Shulk called.

Lucina looked up and her smile widened.

"Shulk!" She exclaimed quietly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I am fine. I am rather exhausted, but I shall be alright."

"And the baby? Is the baby alright?"

"Yes. Our child is perfectly healthy. Come and see."

Shulk made his way to his wife's bedside. Once he made it, he finally got a good look at his newborn child. The baby had the tiniest tuft of Shulk's blonde hair. The eyes were closed, but after Lucina shifted a bit, the eyes opened, revealing them to be a deep blue, just like Lucina's. The infant cooed at Shulk as parent and child looked at each other for the first time.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Shulk asked.

"It's a boy, Shulk. Say hello to our son." Lucina answered.

As Shulk continued to look at his son, he couldn't help but smile. The child was just so beautiful to look at. As the baby cooed once again, Shulk almost felt like he was going to cry.

"He's perfect, love." Shulk said.

"Yes, he is. He looks so much like his father." Lucina pointed out.

"Yeah, but there's still a good portion of his mum in there." Shulk observed.

"Congratulations, guys. I-a know you two will-a be-a great-a parents." Dr. Mario said.

"Thanks. Oh, I really wish I had my camera on me." Shulk lamented.

"I can get it for you." One of the Miis said.

"Would you? That'd be grand. Here's my room key. It's on the dresser next to the left side of the bed." Shulk said as he handed the Mii his key card.

"I'm on it!" The Mii said before leaving the room.

"And could you go find my father? I'm certain he would like to see this." Lucina asked the other Mii.

"You got it." The Mii said before leaving.

"I'll-a leave-a you two alone for a few minutes." Dr. Mario said before exiting the room.

Once they were alone, both new parents looked at their son for a few seconds before Lucina gently held him toward Shulk.

"Here, take him." Lucina said.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to hold him yet." Shulk said.

"Do not worry. You will be fine. Just be careful."

After a moment's hesitation, Shulk gently took the child into his arms. The baby struggled ever so slightly as he was passed from his mother to his father, but he soon settled down and looked up at his father again before giving another coo. Shulk gave a smile as he brought his hand forward to gently stroke his son's face. The baby's little hands then popped out of the blanket he was wrapped in and tried to grab his father's hand. Eventually the baby managed to get his tiny little fingers around Shulk's much larger one. Shulk began laughing until he noticed something odd.

"What is that?" Shulk asked.

"What is what?" Lucina said.

"There, on the baby's palm." Shulk answered.

Shulk managed to hold his baby's hand open to discover a weird looking birthmark. It was rather odd looking, and Shulk couldn't help but stare at it, but Lucina looked at it with a small smile.

"I know what that is. That is the Brand of the Exalt." Lucina explained.

"Brand of the what now?" Shulk asked.

"Come now, Shulk. I know that I have explained this to you before. It is a birthmark carried by members of Ylissean royalty, meant to symbolize our pact with the goddess Naga. Nearly everyone in my family has it. I have it. See?" Lucina said in a slightly annoyed voice.

As she spoke, Lucina pointed to her left eye. On it, in place of an iris, was a symbol identical to the one that was now on the palm their son's right hand.

"Oh yeah. I remember you telling me about that. Well, it seems like he's lucky to have such a mark then."

Shulk smiled wide once again as he looked down on his little… Suddenly, an important question came to Shulk.

"What's his name?"

"He hasn't got one yet. I decided to wait for you before deciding on a name for him." Lucina responded.

"I see. Well, do you have any ideas?" Shulk asked.

"Unfortunately, I have none right now."

"Can you think of anyone from your past that you looked up to? Someone you admired and might want to name a child after?" Shulk asked.

"The only one I can think of is my father. Should we name him Chrom?"

"No. It'd be kind of weird if there were two people named Chrom living here."

"I could turn your earlier question on you. Is there anyone from your past you would like to honor?" Lucina asked.

"Well there are a few, but I'd rather not name him after someone who's still alive. Though, I suppose there's still…"

"Who?"

"Dickson. The guy who raised me."

"I remember you speaking of him. Did he not also betray you and attempt to kill you?"

"Yeah." Shulk frowned at the unpleasant memory. "Still, he was good to me for most of my life. And I do believe he cared for me at the very end."

"Be that as it may, I do not wish to name our child after a man who committed such acts of betrayal."

Shulk thought more on the issue. He was at a loss for ideas. He didn't know any respectable (though that term is debatable) dead aside from his foster father.

'Wait a minute…' Shulk thought.

"How about we name him Kirim?" Shulk offered.

"Kirim?" Lucina repeated.

"Yeah. That was my dad's name. My real dad. The one who went with with me, my mum, and a few others on an expedition to find the Monado, then died with all of them. His name was Kirim. At least, that's what it said in a file I found on the Monado Expedition when I was 13. I only wish I knew him a little more." Shulk explained.

Lucina contemplated this for a bit. Kirim. It sounded somewhat strange, but also unique. Lucina recalled how she had thought the same of Shulk's name back when she first heard it, all those years ago. And now she had grown to love it immensely. And she knew the same would happen with her son's name.

"I think it is a fine name. Kirim. Welcome to the world, dear Kirim." Lucina said to her son.

The baby then gave off a happy sounding coo as his parents looked upon him happily.

"I think he likes it." Shulk said.

Shulk then lifted his son toward his face and put a soft kiss on Kirim's forehead before passing him back to Lucina. At that moment, one of the Miis from before came back into the room, carrying a camera.

"I got the camera." The Mii said.

"Good. Now then, could you take a picture of the three of us?" Shulk asked.

"Of course. Everyone look this way." The Mii said.

Once everyone was facing the camera, the Mii pressed the capture button and took the picture. However, the bright light of the flash startled and scared Kirim. He immediately started crying, loudly. Lucina instantly tried calming the baby down as Shulk looked on.

"Well, I guess this is my life from now on."

It's always the chapters I'm most excited about that are either the longest or come out the quickest. In this case, both.

Well, now my happy couple has become a family. What do you think of that, people? What do you think of this chapter in general? If you liked it, you know what to do. The follow, favorite, and comments are just below. If you didn't, you know how I feel about unnecessary hate and how to properly vent your displeasure.

As I stated a very long time ago, I would be making Shulk use British accents, slang, and grammar since that's how they do it in his game of origin, Xenoblade Chronicles. But this time, I took it one step further and put in a common British symbol. For those who are unaware, the gesture I had Shulk give Dr. Mario, where he is holding up two fingers with the back of the hand facing outward, like a reverse 'peace' symbol, is basically the British equivalent to the middle finger. A quick way to say 'f*ck you' with just a hand gesture.

I'm sure you must be wondering where I came up with the name 'Kirim' for Shulk and Lucina's child. Well, I'll tell you.

Short answer: It's the name of one of the random common Blades in Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Long answer: The decision to have Shulk and Lucina have a child at some point down the line was one of the first I made in regard to planning out this story. I very quickly decided to make that child a boy since in the only other ShulkxLucina story I've read where they have a child, that child is a girl, and I wanted to do the opposite. At that point, I instantly decided that they would name that child after Shulk's father. With that said, the first thing I did was go online and see if Shulk's father was ever given a name. I looked at a few websites, I scoured several Xenoblade cutscenes, looked at anything that could prove useful, but found nothing. After that, I decided to just make up a name and claim this was the name of Shulk's father. My first attempt involved taking the name of Shulk's creator and director of Xenoblade Chronicles, Tetsuya Takahashi, cutting several letters out of his name, and scrambling the ones I had left, in the hope that I would come up with something that sounded like it came from the world of Xenoblade. I tried this several times, but never came up with a combination I liked. I then decided to try something easier. I looked at a list of names of random NPC's from Xenoblade Chronicles, hoping to find one I liked, and hoping no one would know where I got the name from. But again, I found nothing I liked. I eventually decided to give up and come back to the issue at a later time. It was around this time I got a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. After playing the game for a time and acquiring a fair number of Blades, I thought to myself, 'Hey, why not name Shulk and Lucina's kid after one of these guys?'. So that's what I did.

Anyway, in the next chapter, Shulk and Lucina will find out just how hard being a parent is. Especially when you have to do it on top of fighting in an inter-dimensional tournament.

I'll get that chapter out as soon as possible. So long everyone, see you next time.