Hey there. How's it going, internet peoples? Are you ready for another chapter? I'm assuming you are, because if not, what are you even doing here?
This is a chapter I'm quite happy to have out for all of you. I wasn't overall pleased with my last chapter, so hopefully, I'm making up for it with this chapter. I hope you like it. I think you will.
Half-beastdragonsoul2013: He does. It's on the palm of his right hand.
Althea Sirius: It's true that they are unpredictable, but I think Shulk and Lucina have found a way to manage it. I'm glad you liked the chapter.
14shiffna: I'm glad you guys liked my start, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Also, good job catching the reference. I think it's a good show too.
I'm glad you thought the proposal was ok. And you should be nicer to Ender. Still, it's nice to meet a fellow Disney fan.
HartemisFTW: I'll see your orky review, and I raise you a reply written in old, outdated, and overused memes to test your nerdiness.
Ya don't say? I thought the chapter was mediocre. I don't always write mediocre chapters, but when I do, I do it slowly. But I like this one much better. I'm glad I got it out quicker, but not too quick. One does not simply write good chapters quickly. I've seen others attempt it, but that's none of my business. *sips tea* If you think you can do that, please tell me more about how your rushed chapters are good. But if they legitimately are, then shut up and take my money! Or in this case, views. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter and the ones I write in the future. Why do I keep writing them? Because I'm really feeling it!
Please enjoy.
Super Smash Bros. © Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai
*Shulk and Lucina's bedroom*
*8:00 AM*
Lucina awoke from her slumber at the start of a new day. She was glad to have gotten at least a semi-peaceful night's rest. While Kirim still was not at where he was sleeping through the entire night, at least he wasn't waking up every other hour.
As she got out of bed, the first thing she noticed was that her husband was not in bed with her. She found this strange, as she was usually the first one up in the morning. As she looked around the room, she finally saw Shulk standing near the door holding their one-month old son, Kirim.
"Shulk?" She said.
"Oh. Good morning, love." Shulk greeted.
"Good morning to you. I admit, I am surprised that you are already awake."
"Well, I wanted to get an early jump on today's fun."
"Fun? Does today hold some significance?"
"Oh, that's right. You might not have it in your world. Well, where I'm from, today is a holiday called Father's Day. It's all about celebrating our dads and all they've done for us. I admit, I always hated it when I was young, mostly because I never really knew my dad. But now that I am one myself, maybe I can find new meaning." Shulk explained.
"A day celebrating our fathers? That is a great idea!" Lucina exclaimed.
"Glad you think so. So, I think I'll spend the day with Kirim here, and maybe you should find Chrom and hang out with him."
"What will you do first?"
"First I'm gonna do is get some food for myself and the little guy. Cheerio, love." Shulk said as he left the room.
After leaving the room, Shulk and Kirim made their way to the Mess Hall and got breakfast. As they ate, Shulk spoke to his son.
"So, you excited to spend the day with your old man?" Shulk asked.
"Ah..braba…gar!" Kirim cooed.
"I'll take that as a yes." Shulk laughed.
After they were finished eating, Shulk took Kirim to the nearby city of Smashville before taking a seat on one of the park benches. He gently set Kirim on the ground and watched him crawl around on the grass. At one point, Kirim, who had never been outside the Smash Mansion up until this point, grabbed some of the grass and looked at it, as if he was observing it. He had never seen it before, so he wondered what it was. He tried putting it in his mouth, but Shulk quickly stopped him.
"Whoa there! Let's not do that. Grass is not food." Shulk said.
As he was pulling Kirim up, he spotted a playground on the other side of the park. Some Mii children were currently playing on some of the playground's many pieces of equipment. It looked like fun, so Shulk decided to bring Kirim over there. The first thing he decided to try was the swing set.
"What's say we give you a go at the swings, eh?" Shulk said.
After placing Kirim in one of the baby swings and making sure he was secure, he began pushing his son. Kirim was at first unhappy with being in the swing and being pushed, but after a few seconds, he found he liked going fast and swinging around like this.
"Wheeeehhehe!" Kirim squealed.
"Oh, you like that, huh? Let's go a little higher then." Shulk said.
Shulk spent nearly two hours on the playground with his son. They tried nearly everything once, and Kirim had the time of his life. However at one point, Shulk took a look at the time and realized he had a fight coming up soon. After making his way back to the Smash Mansion with Kirim, he made his way toward the Transporter Room. His fight was going to be a team match against Pichu and Cloud Strife with Dark Pit as an ally. The fight would be a three-stock match and would take place on a stage called Windy Hill Zone.
Just as he was about to enter the Transporter Room, Shulk realized he couldn't bring Kirim with him. It was a very bad idea to bring an infant into a battle area. But where could Shulk leave him? As luck would have it, Peach came walking by and entered the Spectator Room.
"Hello, Shulk." Peach greeted.
"Peach, wait." Shulk called.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Peach asked.
"Yeah. Do you mind keeping an eye on Kirim while I'm fighting? Please?" Shulk asked.
"Oh, not at all."
"Thanks, Peach." Shulk said as he passed his son to the princess.
"Hello there, cutie. Are you ready to see your daddy fight? I'm sure you are." Peach said in baby speak.
She then entered the Spectator Room while Shulk entered the Transporter Room. He then stood on his transporter and was taken to the stage. Once he and the others arrived, the announcer counted down to the fight.
3
2
1
GO!
All four combatants ran toward each other to start the battle. The first blow was landed by Cloud, who jumped up and hit Shulk with his massive Buster Sword while the Monado wielder was also jumping up. Pichu tried to attack Dark Pit with an electric attack, but missed. The dark angel then twirled his dual edged sword at the Pokémon, hitting him multiple times. Dark Pit then grabbed Pichu and threw him to the ground before charging forward and striking him again.
Cloud jumped up and hit Shulk with his sword once again. Both blonde swordsman jumped up and tried to hit the other. Ultimately, Cloud's attack connected, as he hit Shulk with his Cross Slash attack. Shulk managed to land on his feet and followed up with a forward swing of the Monado. Pichu tried to hit Dark Pit with a head bash attack, but missed. After that, the yellow rat ran away with Dark Pit in pursuit.
All four ended up right in front of each other, at which point Cloud hit both of his opponents with a dual strike than knocked both of them behind the spikey haired swordsman. Dark Pit tried to strike back, but Cloud kept him at bay with a blade beam. Shulk attempted to land an attack, but was knocked back by Pichu. Dark Pit was then knocked back a considerable distance by Cloud. The combatants then danced around each other for a few seconds until Shulk managed to land a sword swing on Pichu. Less than a second later, Shulk fell victim to a sword swing from Cloud. Both he and Pichu were knocked back.
As Shulk fell to the ground, he was hit yet again by Cloud's sword. At the exact same time, Dark Pit was hit by an electric attack from Pichu. Shulk landed on the windmill and Dark Pit landed on the opposite end of the stage. Pichu then jumped up and hit the black winged angel with another attack. Cloud hit Shulk once again and almost KO'd him. But the Monado wielder activated his Jump Art and managed to make it back to the stage. While this was going on, Dark Pit finally managed to land an attack of his own on Pichu.
While Shulk was making his way back to the stage, Cloud attempted to charge his Limit Break attack. However, he didn't manage to charge it fully before Shulk caught up. Cloud attempted to jump over him, but Shulk intercepted by jabbing his Monado upward, hitting Cloud with both the initial hit and the Monado's energy beam. However, this attack was the final boost needed to charge Cloud's Limit Break. Simultaneously, Dark Pit was knocked upward by an attack from Pichu. He was almost KO'd, but managed to angle his fall away from the Pokémon. As he fell, he hit Pichu with a purple colored arrow from his magic bow.
Cloud hit Shulk with his sword which was raised above his head. As Shulk was falling, his Jump Art wore off, putting the Monado in its default mode. Cloud then hit Shulk with his Limit charged blade beam. But even this was not powerful enough to KO Shulk. Pichu had found himself on one of the platforms on the left end of the stage. With Dark Pit just below him, the fallen angel twirled his weapon at the electric rodent, sending him flying upwards quite a distance. Once Pichu landed, Dark Pit hit him with another weapon spin. Shulk activated his Speed Art as he made his way back to the stage. Cloud jumped off the stage and tried to knock Shulk away, but failed. Cloud then executed and Omnislash to get back on the stage.
Cloud threw another blade beam at Shulk, who attempted to jump over it, but failed. Dark Pit was then hit by and electric bash from Pichu. Cloud sent another blade beam at Shulk, but he managed to avoid this one. He then swung the Monado in an arc, hitting Cloud. As the Speed Art wore off, Shulk jumped up and over Dark Pit. The dark angel sent an arrow at his opponents, but missed. Both Cloud and Pichu ran after him, but Dark Pit swung his weapon right as they got close. Pichu was hit and knocked back, but Cloud sidestepped and went for Shulk. However, the spikey haired blonde was instantly hit by a swing of the Monado.
Shulk activated his Buster art as Cloud unsuccessfully tried to his opponent. Another weapon spin from Dark Pit sent Pichu about halfway across the stage. The angel then followed it up with an upward facing weapon twirl, sending the Pokémon airborne and ultimately landing on the windmill. Cloud finally managed to hit Shulk, sending him to the left end of the stage. Pichu jumped off the windmill and ran toward Dark Pit, only to be grabbed and slammed forward, almost knocking him off the stage. Shulk executed a Back Slash against Cloud, doing a fair amount of damage, but was then tossed backward by a double attack from Cloud's Buster Sword. Pichu had found his way to the edge of the stage, but before he could get back on, Shulk jumped up and swung the Monado at an angle beneath him, knocking Pichu downward while the latter was in midair. This attack knocked Pichu into the stage's invisible barrier, resulting in the first KO of the match.
In the Spectator Room, Kirim, who was sitting in Peach's lap, giggled happily as he watched his father claim the first KO.
"Oh? You like that? You like seeing your daddy fight? Well, he is a strong fighter. And I think you'll grow up to be just like him." Peach cooed.
Cloud attempted to hit both his opponents but missed. Shulk then swung the Monado in an arc above him and hit Cloud. Cloud was knocked upward, but Pichu, who had returned to the stage, came down and hit both Shulk and Dark Pit with a head attack. Both Cloud and Shulk landed on the ground in front of each other. Cloud sidestepped away from Shulk, only to walk right into one of Dark Pit's upward facing attacks, sending him skyward. Shulk jumped up and swung the Monado in a circle around him, hitting Pichu. Shulk then jumped up and attempted to hit Cloud, but Cloud, who's Limit Gauge was filled up again, hit Shulk with a powered up Cross Slash. This attack sent Shulk flying beyond the stage. He hit the stage's barrier and was KO'd.
As Shulk was being brought back to the stage, the other fighters danced around each other, trying to land a decent hit, but none succeeded. Once he was back, Shulk attempted to perform a Back Slash on Pichu, albeit unsuccessfully. Dark Pit then jumped up and hit the little Pokémon with his two short swords. Cloud attempted to throw two Blade Beams at Dark Pit, but failed both times. Shulk then activated his Speed Art and went after Cloud, only to be hit by a third Blade Beam. Cloud then turned his attention to Dark Pit. The swordsman attempted to perform a Cross Slash on the angel, but was hit by a backward swing of the Monado before the attack could be completed. Cloud was knocked backwards by the attack.
Both Shulk and Dark Pit ran after Cloud, with Pichu trailing behind. The angel and the future seer simultaneously hit Cloud with powerful attacks. Pichu then came in and landed a minor electric attack on Dark Pit, who responded by striking the Pokémon with three powerful sword swings. Cloud then attempted to land an attack on Dark Pit, but Shulk, who was right behind him, jabbed the Monado at Cloud's back. Once the energy beam came out, Cloud was launched forward and was KO'd. Pichu attempted to attack Dark Pit, but was held back by one of the angel's dark arrows. While Pichu was stunned by this attack, Shulk swooped in with a Back Slash. This attack KO'd Pichu for the second time total.
Once both of them made it back to the stage, both Cloud and Pichu went for the nearest opponent, Dark Pit. Both landed attacks on him. One was electric, the other was a Cross Slash. While Dark Pit was thrown back by the attack, Shulk jumped between his opponents and swung the Monado at Pichu. He then ran after Pichu and attempted to grab him, but missed due to Pichu jumping up. As the yellow rodent was jumping, he hit Dark Pit by smacking the dark angel with his head. Cloud then attempted to hit Dark Pit with a Blade Beam, but missed. Shulk activated his Buster Art once again and managed to corner Pichu. The little rat attempted to jump over Shulk, but was hit with an upward jab of the Monado. Once Pichu landed, both he and Cloud had their opponents surrounded. They peppered Shulk and Dark Pit with attacks, ultimately culminating in a double kick and sword swing attack from Cloud, knocking them both off the stage. Though they both managed to recover thanks to their wings and Air Slash, they were immediately hit by another attack from Cloud before they could set foot back on the stage. It was at this time that Shulk's Buster Art wore off.
Cloud attempted to charge up his Limit Breaks once again, but got interrupted by a swing from the Monado. While this was going on, Pichu executed a skull bash attack on Dark Pit, KO'ing the angel for the first time. The remaining fighters danced around each other for a few moments until Dark Pit retuned and hit Pichu with a spin of his weapon. Pichu responded by knocking Dark Pit upward while Cloud did the same to Shulk using his sword. Dark Pit tried to attack Cloud, but Pichu ran after him, grabbed him, and threw him upward. While Dark Pit was still in the air, Pichu jumped up and hit him with another attack. Pichu then hit Dark Pit again as soon as he landed. The four combatants then moved around each other for a few seconds, each landing minor attacks on their opponents. Cloud then charged up his Limit Breaks once again. He then knocked Dark Pit back with a powerful Beam blade. Cloud followed this up by knocking Shulk upward with a powerful sword strike. Once Shulk landed, he spotted Pichu making a run for Dark Pit. He intercepted this attack by jabbing the Monado upward and the Pokémon. The attack launched Pichu right into the invisible barrier, KO'ing him and removing him from the match. All that was left was to beat Cloud.
Shulk and Dark Pit ran for him, but Cloud managed to keep them at a distance for a time. But this only lasted so long as they eventually overwhelmed him. Fortunately for him, their repeated attacks gave his Limit Gauge the final boost it needed. Unfortunately for him, he never got to use it. Dark Pit managed to knock him quite a ways off the stage with another spin attack from his double edged blade. Cloud was about to jump back on, but the spring that rested on the edge of the stage began spinning, and Cloud hit it. When Cloud hit the spring, it was at such an angle that it knocked him downward, resulting in his second KO. Even more unfortunate, the moment before Cloud was KO'd, Pichu used the restock option, taking Cloud's second to last stock to return to the stage. Therefore, Cloud technically lost his last stock, leaving only Pichu against Shulk and Dark Pit.
Pichu landed a series of electric attacks on Dark Pit, damaging both the angel and himself. Shulk then came up and swung the Monado at Pichu, doing a fair amount of damage. He then swung the Monado at the Pokémon again, knocking him onto the windmill. Dark Pit then landed a series of attacks on Pichu, knocking him off the windmill. Before he could even hit the ground, Pichu was hit with another powerful attack, this one from Shulk. Pichu attempted to attack them both with electricity, but this only worked for a split second. Once the split second was over, Dark Pit rushed forward and struck Pichu. The angel then sent an arrow right at Pichu, hitting him in the face. After that, Pichu tried to avoid his opponents for as long as he could. But this did not last more than a few seconds, as Dark Pit managed to catch up to him and land a powerful attack with his weapon. Shulk then activated his Smash Art, hoping to use it to end the battle.
Pichu managed to throw his attacked back by using an electric backed downward attack to throw them back. He then grabbed Dark Pit and threw him upward. Pichu jumped after the angel and landed a powerful electric attack, KO'ing Dark Pit. Once he returned to the stage, Dark Pit nearly knocked Pichu off the stage with a powerful side attack. While Pichu was airborne, Shulk jumped after him and landed the final attack. He swung the Monado at Pichu, knocking him the rest of the way off stage, KO'ing the Pokémon and finally ending the match.
"GAME!" Cried the announcer.
"Shulk and Dark Pit win!"
As soon as Shulk left the Transporter Room, he was greeted by Peach and Kirim.
"Well done, Shulk. That was quite a match." Peach complimented.
"Thanks, Peach." Shulk replied with a smile.
Kirim then began squirming in Peach's grasp while reaching his hands out toward Shulk. It was clear what he wanted, so Peached passed the baby into his father's arms.
"Well, I have to go now. Be good for your daddy, Okay?" Peach said in baby speak.
Princess Peach then left to go about her own business. Shulk and Kirim also left the area so they could enjoy the rest of their Father's Day together.
At the end of the day, Shulk returned to his bedroom holding a very sleepy Kirim. He swiftly put his son in his crib to rest before getting ready for bed himself. He then slipped into bed where his wife was waiting for him.
"Did you have a pleasant Father's Day?" Lucina asked.
"I did. Best one I've ever had, matter of fact." Shulk said proudly.
"That is wonderful to hear. However, there is one thing I have been meaning to ask you."
"What's that, Lucy?"
"Is there a day on your world for celebrating mothers?"
"Oh. Of course there is. Can't celebrate dad without also celebrating mum."
"Really? When is it?"
"Unfortunately, it's not for some time. It was last month. 'bout two weeks before he was born, actually."
"What?! Why did you not tell me then?" Lucina demanded.
"Hey, c'mon, don't be like that. I seem to recall you once telling me you wouldn't consider yourself a mum until after the kid was born." Shulk answered.
Lucina opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She realized Shulk was right. She had said that at one point during her pregnancy. With no response available, she sighed in defeat.
"Gods, me and my big mouth." She said.
"Hey, don't worry love. It'll be here before you know it. And when it does come, he's all yours, all day."
"I look forward to it."
After a quick kiss goodnight, the couple turned out their lights and went to sleep.
Lucina was currently in her bedroom, holding her eleven-month-old son. Kirim was currently playing with a rattle in his mother's arms without a care in the world. Lucina was quite excited, as today was a special day. It was Family Day. That meant that both her and Shulk's friends and family would get to meet Kirim for the first time. Shulk was currently out getting everyone together. Lucina could barely wait to introduce her son to her family and Shulk's friends. Her wish came true right after, as Shulk entered the room with a large crowd entering behind him. This crowd consisted of Lucina's mother, Sumia, her sister, Cynthia, and her aunt, Lissa. Also in attendance were Shulk's three very good friends, Reyn, Dunban, and Riki. Lucina smiled warmly at the visitors while Kirim looked quizzically at these people he had never seen before.
"Hello, everyone. It is good to see all of you again. I have been looking forward to this for some time. If I may ask, where is father? I would think you would want to see him, mother." Lucina greeted.
"It's good to see you too, Lucina. Also, don't worry about Chrom. He and Frederick are watching over little Lucy and Cindy. I'll be able to spend time with him later on. Besides, I've also been looking forward to this for a long time." Sumia said.
"Yep! We all wanted to meet your son so badly. Oh! Is that him? He's so cute!" Lissa squealed.
"He certainly looks a lot like his father." Dunban stated.
"Yes, but he most definitely has his mother's eyes." Sumia pointed out.
"What did you say his name was again?" Cynthia asked.
"We named him Kirim, after my father." Shulk answered.
"Kirim. I like it!" Cynthia yelled.
"Should have named him Tora, or Tatazo. Those very popular Nopon names." Riki said.
"Well in case you ain't noticed, kid's not a Nopon. He's a normal baby. I think it's a great name, Shulk." Reyn said.
"Thanks, Reyn. You wanna hold him for a bit?" Shulk offered.
"Can I? Thanks, man."
Reyn sat down on the bed as Shulk gently took Kirim from Lucina's arms and placed him in Reyn's. Kirim, still holding his toy rattle, looked up at this new person who was holding him, not sure who he was or how to react. Reyn just smiled down on him.
"Hey, kid. You're a cute little bugger, ain't ya? I just want you to know that your ol' Uncle Reyn's always gonna be there for ya, just like I was for your old man. How's that sound?" Reyn said.
Kirim continued to stare at Reyn for a few seconds before turning to the rattle in his hand. The baby immediately hit Reyn in the face with the rattle as hard as he could.
"OW!" Reyn yelled.
This caused everyone in attendance to laugh at Reyn's expense. Even Kirim was giggling up a storm.
"Haha. I think he likes you, Reyn." Shulk laughed.
"Yeah, well, kid's got a funny way of showing it." Reyn grumbled.
Riki then jumped up on the bed and approached Reyn and Kirim.
"Riki want to see littlepon now! Let Riki see!" Riki shouted.
"Wait your turn, furball. I only just got him." Reyn replied.
As this conversation was going on, Kirim turned his attention toward Riki. The baby immediately dropped his rattle and started reaching his tiny little arms out toward the Nopon. This caused Riki to give off a smug smile.
"See? Littlepon want to see Riki. So let him see Riki!" The Nopon demanded.
As he was talking, Riki got closer to the baby. As soon as he was within arm's reach, Kirim grabbed him and squeezed him tight while giving off several happy coos. He then started playing with Riki's large upper arms.
"What is littlepon doing?" Riki asked.
"Kid probably thinks you're some kind of stuffed toy. Can't say I blame him." Reyn said with a smirk.
"R-Riki is not toy! Riki is mighty heropon!" Riki said as he struggled to get out of Kirim's grip.
Riki did eventually escape Kirim's grasp and landed on the floor right in front of Sumia. Kirim reached out and tried to grab Riki once again. Due to being unable to reach his 'toy', Kirim started to cry. Sumia then walked forward and gently took Kirim from Reyn and began rocking the baby.
"Aw. It's alright, little one. Let your grandmother make you feel all better." Sumia said.
Sumia then began humming a peaceful melody while continuing to rock him. Shortly afterwards, Kirim stopped crying and returned to a content state. He smiled up at his grandmother, who smiled back. It was at this moment that Cynthia started jumping up and down with excitement.
"My turn! My turn!" Cynthia yelled.
"Alright, Cynthia. But calm down, first. And be very careful." Sumia instructed.
Cynthia did as instructed and gently took her nephew up in her arms. As she looked down on Kirim, she gave one of the widest smiles she had ever given, and that's saying a lot.
"Hey there! Say hello to your super heroic Aunt Cynthia! You may not know it yet, but you and I will be the best of friends! I wonder how long it will take for me to convince your mom to let you ride a Pegasus with me." Cynthia said.
"Not until he's at least five years old. Even then, you better not take him very far off the ground." Lucina answered.
"Aw, you're no fun. Anyway, I know you and I will get along just fine." Cynthia said to Kirim.
As she spoke, Kirim reached his arms up toward his aunt. Cynthia took this as a sign that he wanted a hug, so she obliged. But as soon as she pulled him close, the baby grabbed one of her pigtails and started playing with it. This ultimately resulted in him pulling on the braid of hair.
"OW! Alright, that's enough! Let go of my hair now. Ouch! Let go, please!" Cynthia pleaded.
Shulk eventually came over and took Kirim from Cynthia, forcing the baby to release his aunt's hair.
"Sorry about that. He really is just a playful little tyke. He just doesn't know how to play nice just yet." Shulk apologized.
"It's alright. He'll get better at it, I'm sure." Cynthia said as she fixed her hair.
"In any case, we brought something for him." Dunban said.
With that, Dunban brought out a toy he was hiding behind his back. It was a small mechanical wind up toy shaped like a Mechon. The Bionis residents thought it was kind of odd to make a toy out of the mechanical creatures that had tried to kill them all years ago, but it was a popular seller in their homeland nowadays, so why not? Dunban placed it on the ground, spun the wind up key, and let it go. As it walked across the floor, Kirim stared at it in awe. Shulk gently placed him on the floor in front of the toy and let Kirim inspect it himself. He picked it up and watched as its legs kept moving. Once it stopped, Kirim was confused. Why wasn't it moving anymore? He tried shaking it to get it to move again. Shulk eventually stepped in and wound it up again and let it go, once again delighting Kirim.
"It's great. Thanks a lot, guys." Shulk said with a smile.
"Forget about it. It's the least we could do. We just wanted to see him get one of our toys for once." Reyn replied.
"Speaking of toys, we brought one too!" Lissa exclaimed.
Lissa then pulled out a toy of her own. It was a stuffed Pegasus. Lissa gently put it on the ground in front of Kirim, all while making horse noises to catch his attention. Kirim instantly grabbed the stuffed animal and began playing with it as well. Eventually, he grabbed the Mechon toy as well and began playing with both at once, though a bit roughly.
"It is a marvelous gift, Aunt Lissa. Thank you." Lucina said.
"You're welcome! I'm glad he likes it." Lissa answered.
The group watched Kirim play with his new toys for some time. After a while, they decided to walk around the Smash Mansion some while catching up. As they walked, they would often came across the other Smashers and their Family Day visitors. Eventually, they decided to seek out Chrom and Frederick. Lissa was currently holding Kirim, and would not stop fawning over how cute he was. Though, she made careful care to keep him away from her hair so as to avoid an incident similar to the one that occurred when Cynthia was holding Kirim.
"Who's the cutest little great nephew in the whole wide world? Or, I guess all the worlds. You are! Yes you are!" Lissa cooed.
"Mwhabaga!" Kirim replied.
"Ugh, I shouldn't call you my great nephew. I mean, I know you are, but thinking of myself as a great aunt, it makes me feel old. Oh well, you're still the cutest!" Lissa babbled.
"Where could father possibly be? I have not seen him all day. There are only so many places he could be." Lucina asked, completely ignoring Lissa's ramblings.
"Pardon me, Lucina, but are you looking for Chrom?"
The entire group turned around and looked at who it was that spoke that sentence. It was Frederick, Chrom's persona knight and retainer.
"There you are, Frederick. Yes, we are looking for Chrom. Do you know where he is?" Sumia asked.
"Milord is currently attending to his two young daughters right now, but he shall be back momentarily." Frederick answered.
"I see. Well, I guess we can wait here for him." Sumia responded.
"On a different note, is that Lucina's child you are now holding, milady Lissa?" Frederick asked.
"Yep! This is him! Say hello to Kirim!" Lissa introduced.
"Interesting name. Where did you come up with it?" Frederick inquired.
"It was my dad's name." Shulk answered.
"I see. Your father must have been an admirable man if you named your son after him."
"I like to think so, but I wouldn't know for sure. He died before I could really remember him."
"I see. My apologies if I brought up any unpleasant memories."
"No worries. Do you want to hold him for a bit?" Shulk offered as he took Kirim from Lissa.
"I will decline. Still, I will say he is quite a handsome child. You must be quite proud, Lucina." Frederick replied.
"I am, Frederick. I could not be happier the day he was born." Lucina answered.
"Indeed. In any case, I will now bring all of you to Chrom so that you may spend some time with him." Frederick stated.
Once they found Chrom and the younger versions of Lucina and Cynthia, they all sat together and spent the rest of Family Day hanging out, catching up, and getting to know Kirim a little more. Once it was time for the visitors to return home, everyone walked outside and said their final goodbyes for the year.
"Take care, man. See ya next year. Also, you need to give that kid of yours a haircut." Reyn said.
"Oh, shut up, Reyn." Shulk said with a laugh.
"Farewell, Shulk. I look forward to seeing you next year. I know both you and your son will both have grown much by then." Dunban said.
"So long, Dunban." Shulk replied.
"Bye bye, Shulk! Riki will miss you! Be sure to tell littlepon that Riki is not toy next time Riki come visit!" Riki stated.
"I'll do my best. So long." Shulk responded.
With that, the Bionis residents walked back through the portal to their home world, which closed behind them. Once it was closed, Shulk walked back toward the mansion to get ready for bed.
"Farewell, Lucina. I look forward to when we next meet. And congratulations on having a healthy son, once again. It was an honor to meet him." Frederick said.
"Thank you, Frederick. I shall miss you." Lucina said while holding Kirim.
"Bye, Lucina. Bye Kirim! I can't wait to see both of you again. I hope a year goes by quicker this time." Lissa stated.
"Worry not. We shall see each other soon enough. I look forward to it. So long, Aunt Lissa." Lucina replied.
"Bye, Lucy! I'll miss you! I'll miss you too, Kirim. Just you wait, next year, you'll get to spend even more time with your aunt!" Cynthia said while hugging her sister and nephew.
"I'm sure he will enjoy that, Cynthia. Farewell." Lucina said while returning her sister's hug.
"I'll miss you so much. Be good, Lucina. I hope to hear from you and Chrom soon." Sumia stated.
"You will, mother. I cannot wait to see you again. Say farewell to your grandmother, Kirim." Lucina said.
"Ba…ga…gwado!" Kirim cooed.
"I'll miss you too. Bye now." Sumia said as she gave her grandson a kiss on the forehead.
Sumia then walked into the portal back to Ylisse. Once the portal closed, Lucina sighed. She was sad that her yearly visit from her family was over once again. But, she could still look forward to next year. And until then, she still had a loving husband, a sweet son, her father, and many friends to keep her company. With these positive thoughts in mind, Lucina returned to the Smash Mansion and joined her husband in getting ready for bed.
"What could be keeping Lucina?" Robin asked.
"I don't know. She promised she would be here on time, but now she's five minutes late." Chrom answered.
"Do you think one of us should go see what's keeping her?"
"Perhaps. I'll take a look. I should be back in a few…"
"Wait! I'm here."
Chrom and Robin both turned and saw Lucina enter the room holding a well-dressed Kirim.
"I apologize for being late, but it took me some time to get Kirim into this suit. Now that I am here, shall we begin?" Lucina said.
"We shall." Chrom said.
The four individuals were gathered in Chrom's room for a special occasion. Back in their home world of Ylisse, it was an important holiday. It was known as The Founding Day. It was a celebration of the first defeat of the fell dragon Grima and the subsequent founding of the country of Ylisse by Chrom and Lucina's ancestor, the first Exalt of Ylisse. As the current Exalt, Chrom was usually expected to lead the celebration, but seeing as he was currently in the Smash Mansion rather than Ylisse, he would have to make do with celebrating with only his best friend, his future daughter, and his grandson (Even to this day, Chrom still shuddered when he so much as thought the word grandson).
"I shall now recite the opening prayer." Chrom stated.
With that, Chrom, Robin, and Lucina put their hands together and looked upward.
"We praise the gods above for giving us the strength to rise above evil and live another safe and prosperous year in Ylisse. Or in this case, be surrounded by the only people here from Ylisse." Chrom improvised.
Both Robin and Lucina looked at Chrom quizzically as he deviated from the usual prayer. Chrom quickly cleared his throat and got back on track.
"We praise the gods for the heroic event that took place many years ago. Long ago, our land was pillaged by a horrific demon, the fell dragon, Grima. Yet a lone hero stepped up and defeated the dragon, ushering in a new era of peace, and bringing about our wonderous country, Ylisse. It is in honor of the battle he fought many years ago today, and the country he trusted this family with, that we celebrate. Praise to the gods and the first Exalt." Chrom stated.
"Praise to the gods and the first Exalt." Robin and Lucina repeated.
After this, they moved on to the next part of the celebration, a great feast. Or in this case, them going to the Mess Hall and getting as much food as they wanted. As they ate, they all made idle conversation.
"Say Lucina, I meant to ask earlier, where's Shulk? I would think you would want your whole family with you." Robin asked.
"Shulk insisted on covering all my fights today so that I may celebrate with the two of you, as well as my son. I am proud to share with him my Ylissean lineage." Lucina answered.
"I see. Similarly, I managed to convince Pit to cover my fights for the day. He owed me a big favor after he put sneezing powder in my food as a prank the other day. Honestly, how does he not know the difference between my food and Dark Pit's food? We didn't even sit near each other that day! What about you, Robin? Who did you get to cover for you?" Chrom asked.
"No one. I simply told Master Hand that today was an important holiday in my world, and he gave me the day off." Robin answered.
Chrom and Lucina turned to each other as they wondered why they didn't think of that.
"In any case, I can at least be glad that I have all of you here today. And I'm sure Shulk will do well in his battles, knowing he's fighting for you, Lucina. Truth be told, I've always been more than intrigued by that sword of his, the Monado." Robin stated.
"Mo-nah-doe!" Kirim squealed.
Chrom and Robin both looked at Kirim as he spoke. Even at almost two years old, he was starting to turn into quite the chatterbox.
"He seems to have quite the fascination with his father's weapon as well. He attempts to say 'Monado' several times a day. Shulk likes to claim it is his favorite word." Lucina explained.
"Mo-nah-doe!" Kirim repeated, as if to emphasize Lucina's point.
Despite the fact that he repeated the word several times, Lucina couldn't help but smile. Not only was she happy he was finally learning to speak, but it appeared he had inherited Shulk's accent, and Lucina loved that.
After they were done eating, they returned to Chrom's room for the next part of the celebration. Normally, this consisted of a huge festival across Ylisse's capital, Ylisstol. But in the absence of a festival that big, the small group settled for telling old stories of their adventures together.
"I still remember when Lucina fell out of that portal in the sky, wearing that mask and calling herself 'Marth'." Chrom said.
"Yes, I recall that as well. It took all I had to not break down after seeing you again after all those years. How I had missed you, father." Lucina admitted.
"Hush now, Lucina. You're here now, and that's all that matters. Besides, today is supposed to be a day of celebration. So let's continue celebrating." Chrom said.
"I still remember when I first walked into Ylisstol. It was quite a lovely city. I also remember going into the castle and seeing the Exalt's banner for the first time." Robin recalled.
"That reminds me. I meant to put up the Ylissean flag up today in honor of The Founding Day. Oh well, better late than never, I guess." Chrom said.
With that, Chrom stood up and went over to a chest in the corner of the room. He then pulled out a neatly folded flag. He unfolded it, showing off a blue flag with the Exalt's brand in white on it. This was the same brand that was on Chrom's shoulder and Lucina's eye. Once Chrom hung it on the wall, Kirim stared at in in awe.
"Mumma, wha' dat?" Kirim asked while pointing to the flag.
"That is the symbol of Ylisse, Kirim. It is my home. It is very special to me." Lucina answered.
"E-leez?" Kirim tried to repeat.
"Not quite. Ylisse. Come on, you can say it."
"E… E… E-leez. E-Leez! E-leez, mumma. E-leez!" Kirim replied.
"I think he's found a new favorite word." Chrom said with a chuckle.
"E-leez!" Kirim repeated.
"Still not quite right, Kirim. It's pronounced…" Lucina started.
"Don't push him, Lucina. He'll get it right eventually. I think that's the best he can do at his age." Robin said.
"Very well. In any case, that is the symbol of my home. It is where I am from. It is also where your grandfather is from. And even you have some of it in you." Lucina said to her son.
As she spoke, she held Kirim's right hand in front of his face. In the palm of that hand was his Brand of the Exalt, which was the same as the symbol on the flag. Kirim looked back and forth between the symbol on the flag and the symbol on his hand, as his little brain started putting together that they were one and the same.
"Kiwim E-leez?" Kirim asked.
"Yes, my son. By this brand, you will always know that you carry the blood of Ylisse in you." Lucina answered.
"Mumma E-leez?" Kirim asked.
"Yes. Like you, I also have the blood of Ylisse in me. I even have the same brand you do, only mine is in my eye."
Lucina then held her son up to her face and let him clearly see the brand that was in her left eye. Once she set him back down, Kirim asked his mother one more question.
"Dada E-leez?"
"Well, not exactly. Your father hails from a distant land. His home is known as 'Bionis'." Lucina replied.
"Buh…Buh…Buh-won-iz?" Kirim tried to repeat.
"I suppose for now, that is close enough." Lucina conceded.
After that, it was traditional for all of Ylisse to watch a dramatization of the first Exalt's journey to defeat Grima and found Ylisse. However, the group settled for going into Smashville and, at Lucina's suggestion, checking out the movie theater for a similar dramatization. Once they got there, they saw posters for all the movies currently playing.
"Perhaps we should see this one. It's called 'The Color of Love'. Sounds like a romance." Robin suggested.
"Um, no. You know I don't care much for those kinds of shows. Besides, it's not very similar to what we're trying to celebrate. How about this one? The poster says 'The Death Dragon's Blood War'. It has a horrifying looking dragon on it. Maybe it will do." Chrom said.
"No. That looks overly terrifying. I will not expose my son to such horrid images. I do not need him suffering from nightmares. We will have to find something else." Lucina declared.
"Well, what do you suggest?" Robin asked.
Lucina looked through the movie posters, looking for something that would suit their needs, but also not be too scary for her son. She looked through the posters once, twice, and found nothing. What she did not notice, however, was her son's eyes that were fixated on a particular poster near the front door. This movie poster seemed to have captivated Kirim to the point he was speaking nonsense in his mother's arms, finally catching her attention.
"What is it, Kirim? Do you see something?" Lucina asked.
"Mumma! Big bur'!" Kirim said while gesturing to the poster in question.
Lucina, who assumed Kirim was trying to say 'big bird', followed her son's gestures to the movie poster. It was for a movie called 'Quest of the Dragon Killer'. She wondered how she had missed that poster earlier. On the poster was a hero holding a shield against a three headed dragon shooting lightning out of its mouths. The hero seemed to have quite a look of determination on him. The dragon, while somewhat intimidating, was nowhere near as scary looking as the one on the poster Chrom had pointed out. Lucina thought that maybe this would do.
"What of this one?" Lucina suggested.
With that, Chrom and Robin looked at the poster Lucina and Kirim had their eyes on. As soon as they saw it, they both got the same idea.
"I believe this is the one we are looking for." Robin stated.
"I agree. Let us go and see this show." Chrom agreed.
The group entered the movie theater and purchased four tickets for the movie. While Chrom and Robin stood in line, Lucina made her way toward the concessions stand.
"Does anyone wish for any refreshments? I myself am getting a beverage and some popcorn." Lucina said.
"None for me, thanks." Chrom answered.
"I'll take a drink of water and perhaps a chocolate." Robin requested.
Once they got their refreshments and settled into their seats, the movie began. It was quite an epic. Once the film was over, everyone left the theater in high spirits. Especially Chrom. In all the time he had been at Smash Bros., he had never once been to Smashville's movie theater, so he was especially intrigued by the movie's scale and visual effects. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Lucina was just glad the movie wasn't that violent, so she didn't have to worry about her son developing nightmares.
"That was quite amusing." Robin stated.
"I'll say. I only wish the shows back in Ylisse were such spectacles." Chrom replied.
"Indeed. However, now I believe it is time for the feast." Lucina commented.
It was usually at evening time that the final celebration of the day took place. It was a grand feast with all of Ylisse invited. Rich and poor, tall and small, famous and unknown, would come to Ylisstol and were invited and encouraged to talk to complete strangers and make friends with them, for they all had one thing in common. They were all citizens of Ylisse, here because of what the first Exalt did over a thousand years ago. The Exalt would sit at the head of the area and watch his subjects feast and have a good time.
However, the Exalt was not currently in Ylisse. He was in a town called Smashville with only his closest companions at Smash with him. So, once again, they would have to make something up and just hope that everyone in Ylisse was having a good time.
"You're right, Lucina. But what should we do? Perhaps just head back to the Smash Mansion and indulge there? It is almost dinner time." Chrom said.
"Actually, I would rather just spend a bit more time with all of you. Perhaps we could find a place to eat here in Smashville." Lucina suggested.
"Yes, but where?" Robin asked.
"Well, I've been here enough with Shulk to know that there is a buffet style restaurant not far from here." Lucina answered.
After a bit of walking, they finally made it to the restaurant. After getting enough food to fill all their stomachs, they began eating while conversing.
"Perhaps this hasn't been the most conventional Founding Day celebration. Who am I kidding, none of the ones in the past few years has. But, I am still glad to have spent it with you guys." Chrom stated.
"We feel the same way Chrom. Sometimes all you need to celebrate are the ones you care for, not an entire country." Robin added.
"Yes. I would not trade these experiences for anything. I love you all." Lucina said.
"Mumma! Wuv ooou!" Kirim added.
Lucina smiled and held her son in a tight hug at his statement before giving him a light kiss on his head.
"I love you too, my sweet son. May nothing ever tear us apart." Lucina replied.
After finishing their food, they walked back to the Smash Mansion and bade each other a good night. When Lucina entered her bedroom, Shulk was already asleep in bed. After putting Kirim in his own bed, Lucina slowly made her way next to her husband and drifted off to sleep, ready for whatever tomorrow might bring.
And there's another one gone. I'm getting closer to the end. In fact, it's almost upon us.
I'm much more satisfied with how this chapter turned out than the last one. This is one I've been wanting to write for some time. The only thing stopping me is the fact that I don't like writing my chapters out of order. Still, better late than never, amirite? In any case, tell me in the comments below what you thought of this chapter. Just refrain from outright anger if you didn't like it. There are more productive ways to vent your displeasure, including, but not limited to, constructive criticism.
This is usually the part where I give you some sort of hint as to what the next chapter will be about, but this time, I'm going to do things a little differently. This time, I'm going to be a bit vaguer as to what the next chapter will be about (though, I'm more than certain some of you will still figure it out anyway). The reason I do this is because we're almost at the end. The climax is finally upon us, and I only have a handful of chapters left. I'll also warn you now: Don't expect the next chapter to come out anytime soon, as it's going to be a long one. A very long one. I hope you enjoy it when it comes out. Until then, so long everyone.
In the next chapter:
Colors weave into a spire of flame
Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed
Bear this torch against the cold of the night
Search your soul and reawaken the undying light