Heaven's Beautiful Light

by Cosmic Sky

Thanks to the goddess in his head, Byleth had an idea of what deities could be like. Then there was Palutena. She was certainly one incredible goddess and woman, in his eyes. In her eyes, he proved to be more than just another warrior. Few were worthy of heaven's blessings, but Byleth had proved himself to be. Palutena didn't want another warrior, she wanted something...more.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to another first for me, my first Super Smash Bros. story. Let me just say it's a little surprising that there haven't been too many smut stories involving Palutena, probably one of the most gorgeous ladies in Nintendo's character library. For years, I've thought of doing a lemon with her and just when I got a bit of an idea of how to go about it, Byleth from Three Houses dropped as DLC. I realized I had something much better to work with, thus after a year and a half of setbacks and thinking on it, I'm finally posting this story.

Now, in accordance with the above, this story will be taking some liberal headcanon ideas regarding Three Houses' backstory and Kid Icarus. It's just one of the things that made me go with Byleth and Palutena over a handful of others. Having said that, I hope you all enjoy the story.

I do not own anything.

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Heaven's Beautiful Light

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Never in all her life had Palutena despised the color white so much. It was possible when this was over with, she might change her wardrobe, but then again what color suited purifying power of light?

Actually, there were a handful of colors that could be associated with the holy element. For example, green. She could attest to that. There were actually quite a few powerful deities who could wield the powers of light in a similar manner to her. For whatever reason, one deity in particular came to mind. Perhaps it had something to do with the splotches of green that kept on dotting her vision.

For what felt like days, perhaps even weeks or months, Palutena had seen and felt nothing but white. She'd grown sick of it and welcomed the splash of a different color. The bursts of green were becoming more persistent and taking on definite features; she could feel heat emitting from them. Heat, fire. Green flames. The white world around her was being burnt by green flames, which were unmistakably divine. Palutena could feel that holy power in the heat that caressed her entire body.

She enjoyed it.

The flames around her grew, burning white void around her and continuing to caress her. As they did, Palutena couldn't help but muse that there was something oddly familiar about them. She'd seen them before. Another deity? Such a creature was the only one who could produce flames like this. Realizing that, she searched her memory for a name and a face, but that's when she faced a problem. The white void that had been burning around her seemingly surged to life. All around her, the flames quivered and vanished as if they were being snuffed out. With a gasp, she realized that they were.

White and green were at war around her. Palutena knew she couldn't remain motionless, not with these two opposing forces battling it out around her. The prize was her, her very soul. Palutena felt her nose wrinkle in irritation. While this wasn't the first time she'd been fought over, something about the whiteness felt intrusive, so much so that she couldn't simply remain idle. As best she could she moved her body. It wouldn't respond, but that just made Palutena try harder; I trying to move and failing to do so, she realized something was wrong.

All around her, the flames grew, continuing to burn her body. Palutena felt pain, yet she also felt invigorated by it and a foreign force entering her. Instead of questioning them, she took them into her and attempted to use it all to move. She knew that she had to get her body to move. For whatever reason, she felt like she'd been idle for too long, or perhaps the right description was captive for too long. Something was trying to hold her back, and some one was calling out to her.

"Lady Palutena! Lady Palutena! Please, it's me!"

"-up! Wake up!"

"Are you just going to remain a puppet for the duration of this struggle?! Are you not the goddess of light and protector of all that is good!"

"Please, we beg of you, Lady Palutena, you must wake up!"

An emerald inferno was blazing around her. It burned yet strengthened her. Her feet touched solid ground, yet she couldn't see anything except the green sea of flames. Further examining them, she saw the flames lined with golden sparkles, further proof of their divine nature. Memories clawed at her head while something else attempted to force its way inside. The flames around her seemingly roared in response to this and burned even hotter. Whatever that unseen force was, it was being beaten back, almost quite literally. Feeling as if her head were splitting open, she looked upward. A new voice had called out to her, and with it came something unusual.

From the crack in the sky, blazing emerald light shined. A voice rung out, "There's people here who need you, so you need to wake up, for their sake."

Without any more thinking, simply knowing what she had to do, Palutena took flight. As the shining crack came into reach, she stretched her arm out. She wasn't expecting there to be a hand waiting for her, gripping her own and pulling her toward it; however, she readily accepted it. She, the goddess of light, flew into the light.

And upon awaking, the first thing she saw were green eyes. A rush of memories slammed into her like an avalanche. A time long ago, a foreigner that she'd come to call a friend, a fellow goddess.

"S-S-S-Sothis?" Palutena asked, feeling the name be the first thing to roll off of her lips. her vision was blurry and unfocused, but within seconds it began to clear. Seeing the face that the green eyes belonged to, she began to realize that she made a mistake.

Luckily for her, the mysterious man didn't seem to mind being mistaken for someone else. His passive form transformed into a light smile as he chuckled. "Hehehe, not quite, but you could say I'm her…proxy, her avatar if you will."

Palutena blinked. Avatar? Wait? Like Robin is to Grima? Her head began to ache as it became overloaded with thoughts. The same went for her body, which she suddenly realized was in a boatload of pain. Groaning, she temporarily felt the entirety of that pain wash over her like a tidal wave. She couldn't remember the last time that she hurt this badly. Whoever or whatever it was that caused it was going to be a targe of her ire as soon as she could move. Given the dual mental and physical pain, that might take away.

Or not.

Her eyes focused on the shining green and white light just above her chest. Recognizing it as belonging to a hand, she looked back upward again. Once she saw the mysterious man healing her while holding her in her arms, Palutena felt an immediate sense of safety and curiosity. It was unexplainable, but she wasn't in the mood to fight it. Temporarily shutting her eyes, she simply let herself be, feeling the pain being driven away light by light. After what she'd been through, it felt incredibly good and even relaxing. Upon opening her eyes again, she saw the stranger was still there. A gasping voice turned her attention to the side.

She smiled seeing the familiar face of her most devoted angel. "Pit," Palutena said.

"Y-Y-Yeah, t-t-that's me. You remember me! You're back to normal! You're free!" He shouted with tears streaming down his face. There were a number of people behind him, people whom she recognized, yet she felt too disoriented to call out to them. Pit wiped his tears away with his arm, yet they continued to flow. "B-B-Byleth, t-t-thanks. I seriously owe you one!"

"By…leth?" Palutena repeated. Turning back to the strange man, she realized that was his name.

He still wore that same light-hearted smile while continuing to heal her. "Byleth Eisner. I believe we have a…mutual divine acquaintance, Lady Palutena."

Yeah…we do, and now, I believe we have a mutual acquaintance. That one clear thought sounded in her head. Looking at the green-eyed and green-haired man named Byleth made focusing and recovery go so much smoother. Palutena didn't know why, but she would find out in due time. For now though…she was more than happy to remain in Byleth Eisner's healing embrace, and admire how serene his smile was.

As the glow began to dim and the smoke began to clear, Palutena could see two figures standing triumphant over their opposition. They were the two that she knew would emerge victorious.

---

Byleth and Ryu were huffing, but they were undoubtedly still on their feet. As for their opponents, well, Lucario had been knocked out of his Mega Evolution and was lying on his side, groaning in pain. Right alongside him was Mega Man, whose blue armor was dented and broken in several areas. The robotic fighter attempted to rise, but it was no use as he'd simply sustained too much damage, much like his humanoid canine battling partner. They were down for the count leaving Byleth and Ryu as the winners. Upon realizing that, both fighters turned to each other and smiled.

"Well, just as I expected. Still, those two make for a pretty good tag team."

She wasn't alone in her spectating. Palutena kept smiling as she turned to face Solid Snake, perhaps the greatest soldier she'd ever encountered. He may have been vastly outclassed in multiple ways by the myriad of fighters in the Smashverse, but that didn't stop him from being one of its most seasoned combatants. As well as one of its most respected.

"I'd say they're cut from mostly the same cloth." The goddess mused.

Snake raised an eyebrow. "Mostly?" Rather than elaborate, Palutena merely smiled at him. She wasn't going to bite, causing the legendary soldier to look back at the now finished battle. Being the good sports they were, Byleth and Ryu helped Lucario and Megaman up. There were obviously no hard feelings on either side. "Based on what he's told us, at one point, they might have been more alike. Byleth's found a place to belong to though. Ryu doesn't seem to be in a hurry to find one of those, not yet any way."

The goddess nodded.

"Interested in having him train your soldiers up in Sky Land?" Came the soldier's humorous voice.

Laughing, Palutena fixed him with a raised eyebrow. "Worried he may do a better job than you could?"

"No worries there. He's a far better teacher than me. I'm just a…doer you could say." It wasn't exactly a complete lie. Snake had proven time and time again he was better off on an active battlefield. Still, his combat knowledge could be passed down, and in some cases had been passed down to others. He wasn't always eager for that though, unlike Byleth. "Pit's talked about it. Saying that he could motivate some of your troops."

"What I wouldn't give for that." Palutena confessed. She wouldn't deeply disparage her army, but she full believed improvements could be made. Not every soldier had to be Pit, but it would certainly help if they could…put in a little more effort. Perhaps helping things would be the fact that while yes, her troops could be revived that was only so long as she was alive to revive them.

"Palutena," Snake called.

"Hmm?"

For perhaps the first time, she saw what was undoubtedly a cheeky grin on the soldier's face. It was a look that very, very few could claim to have seen on Solid Snake's face. Such an expression was far more likely to be seen on the goddess' face than anything. Such a switch put Palutena slightly on guard.

"You could have him teach, are you could have him, I don't know…command. He's also got the talent for that." The male brunette finally said.

If he was hoping for a shocked expression or fluster-laced denial, he was disappointed. Palutena smiled, an audacious grin that told a hundred things before she even said a word. "That would be something, wouldn't it?" No sooner had she said the words did her face change from humorous to serious. In seconds, her shining wings manifested as she shot forward, her staff appearing in her hand. She used it to project a giant dome-shaped barrier around the fighting ring. It held against the myriad of black and purple-colored energy beams that slammed into it. The fighting beneath her came to an immediate stop.

"Dark Samus," With her superhuman hearing, she heard Byleth's whisper as if he were right beside her. Looking down, she saw him staring up at her. In an instant, she knew he knew she'd heard him. Palutena nodded, confirming his suspicions. Byleth was nothing short of lightning-fast at adapting when it came to battle.

As she descended, she nodded at him. Looking to Ryu, Megaman, Lucario, and eventually Snake, it was affirmed that the friendly matches they were undertaking were over.

Snake removed his hand from his ear. "That was Fox. Apparently Dark Samus is at it again, this time with some help from Ganondorf, urgh, apparently King Dede. They're quite a bit of a ruckus and even Samus is having some trouble handling them. They're using Wily's Castle as a base of operations and could use some help storming it."

"Wily's Castle, huh? I do remember Link telling me something about how he's seen a lot of activity there." Ryu pondered. He looked to Byleth and nodded at him. Their next bout would have to wait, though they'd still be getting quite a workout in going up against opponents like Ganondorf and Dark Samus. And those were just the ones that they knew. "Palutena," he said turning to the goddess.

"Fox is already on the way with the Great Fox. He should be here in a minute or two." Snake said.

"Ahh, here I was looking forward to transporting all of you myself. Then again, riding in the Great Fox is still an elegant way to travel." The goddess mused.

"If possible though…could you focus on just carrying one person? Maybe even get them to the castle a little faster?" Byleth's near deadpan voice caught everyone by surprise, especially Palutena.

The goddess' surprise quickly turned into excitement. "Oh? So, Byleth, you want to fly with a goddess instead of on a futuristic spaceship capable of traveling the stars?"

"I've ridden on the Great Fox before. It's no doubt a fantastical ship worthy of its praise, and an…interesting battleground." Several caught the slight upward twitch of his lips. Like the rest of them, he'd fought atop the Star Fox crew's iconic spaceship, and he'd just barely avoided being blasted off several times; his divine sword certainly came in handy, as did his similarly divine bow. "It's just…this time I'd prefer to fly…goddess air."

Megaman, Lucario, and even Snake let out amused chuckles. Ryu looked at his would-be opponent with curious; he, snake, and likely Palutena herself sensed that there was something else afoot within the Ashen Demon's mind. Something more than what one might have thought at first glance. Looking to the light goddess, he saw the brightening of her smile. She was clearly enthusiastic about Byleth's proposal.

"Well done! Come on, I'll take you there myself, and don't worry, I can assure you it'll be a pleasant ride!" The long-haired woman proclaimed. Her excitement was practically rolling off of her. For the others, it was something to behold. "See you guys there, and make sure to bring you're a-game! Our soon-to-be opponents won't be brought down by anything less!" At the tap of her staff, Byleth was enveloped in a coating of light of similar shade to her wings. In one flap, they took off, leaving the soldier, machine, Pokémon, and wondering martial artist behind. Megaman shouted that they'd catch up to them, and that they better not hog all the action for themselves.

Palutena looked over and saw Byleth chuckling.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She humorously challenged.

"Admittedly, I would. Fighting Ganondorf and Dark Samus at the same time…now that would be quite exciting." The former mercenary confessed with a lackadaisical smile on his face.

Though he was clad in black in contrast to Ryu's white, he too had the heart of a challenge-seeking warrior. Teaching apparently hadn't dulled that. Palutena always quietly suspected that coming to the Smashverse and meeting so many fighters from different worlds had further ignited the warrior spirit within him.

"Hmm, well, when we get there, I'll be sure to tell Dede he was excluded. I'm sure him and his hammer will absolutely love to hear that!" The light goddess laughed. Her human companion gave her a side smirk, then turned his focus to what lay ahead of them. Clouds, lots and lots of clouds. With the occasional burst of purple. Both of them could sense the dark power coming from each shot. "They're not easy opponents, either of them. Then again, I suppose that's where the thrill comes from." He merely gave a quiet nod, seemingly having nothing more to add. "You're hoping battling them will help you further draw out Sothis, power, don't you? Especially Ganondorf. When Link and Zelda are absent, he seems to be your pick. I can understand that."

His blue eyes instantly swerved to her. The seemingly jovial mood he was in mere moments ago had seemingly vanished into the wind. While Byleth's gaze wasn't accusatory, it could be seen as unsettling to most. Luckily, Palutena had been around long enough to not be phased by it.

He quietly lowered his head, "I'm sorry about that. I…didn't mean to come off so-"

"Demon-like?" The goddess finished with a joking smile. He nodded. "Don't worry about it. I've meant many warriors like you, possessing a lust for battle and a hunger for strong opponents. Mercifully though, Sothis' power rests within one who has the moral temperament to not let those things consume them."

"I wasn't exactly the most moral person around before I came to the Monastery, but I…I tried. Maybe not always successfully, but I-"

"You were a decent man, Byleth, and you've remained one since Sothis awakened inside of you. Nay, I'd go as far as to say you've become a better man." He looked at her with curious eyes. True, Palutena didn't know his entire life story, but from the details he'd been willing to share with her, he'd changed since coming to Garreg Mach Monastery. Once stoic to the point one could accuse him of being soulless, he was actual a warm flame to be around. And in the face of evil, a raging wildfire that could burn hot. Their soon-to-be opponents would finding that out, again.

He smiled at her words, seemingly reassured by them. Palutena smiled back, feeling an urge to reach out and caress his cheek. So close, she could get a good look at his face. Byleth really was a handsome man, handsome and with a genuine good heart and spectacular fighting ability. To admirers, he would be quite a catch.

His good points increased as he closed his eyes and attempted to focus. Palutena felt the surge of divine energy within him. It emanated from his heart, a heart that wasn't quite human. Palutena had sensed it right before their battle with Galeem. After the battle, she confirmed that his heart was that of a Nabatean's, Sothis' to be exact. It was only natural that the divine power he drew could rival her own, a full-blown goddess. At least when Byleth drew upon it in full.

Her own light was supplemented by a new one, an emerald-colored light that carried a considerable amount of heat to it. She reshaped her mystical hold into a sphere that gave his power room to grow. Palutena watched him try to give the Aether shape-the shape of wings. When he failed at that, he went for something else, a circular sphere behind his back-a halo. The swordsman found a touch more success with that.

"She had both, and they were truly a sight to behold." The white-clad goddess remarked. He popped one eye open to glance at her. "Sothis could take on a myriad of forms, but her strongest ones, her draconic ones, possessed either wings, a halo, or both. Both of them were supposed used in her attacks, especially her halo."

"Sounds like something I'd like to try myself." The blue-haired man responded.

"You have some ideas?" She jabbed with a curious eyebrow raise.

His lone eyes stayed fixated on her. He was able to continue concentrating his energy while keeping up the discussion with her, truly a feat worthy of admiration. "I've…read some stories. I used to read a lot as a child. It was one of my favorite things to do besides weapon maintenance…and even after I was old enough to fight."

"Heroic epics?" Palutena inquired with a grin. Raising her staff, she shaped light energy around it into a whip, which she then swung about in a familiar manner. "Have at thee!" She shouted clearly imitating Simon…just as Byleth had, albeit without the booming shout. The latter closed his eyes to let out a humorous chuckle at her antics. Palutena was glad that he was showing more open sides of himself, though she was a little disappointed she wasn't able to get him to break his concentration. She'd have enjoyed watching him plummet through the clouds until she caught him. She'd yet to get one over on the Ashen Demon.

Who for a brief moment, gained a halo of divine light on his back. Palutena dropped her magic hold on him, and he floated by his own power. Byleth flew by his own power.

His hair changed from its dark navy-blue to luminescent green, just like the dragon goddess that Palutena had once known. When she saw his eyes, she saw silted pupils and scales dotted up his neck. Byleth didn't look at her, he only faced forward, the direction in which he zoomed toward. Clouds parted as he turned into a comet of fire and light streaking across the azure sky.

Grinning, Palutena flapped her wings once, and like that she was keeping pace with him. They were neck-and-neck, leaving light particles in their wake.

As they flew side by side, the two green-haired individuals looked to each other. Palutena smiled and Byleth smiled back at her.

The former stretched her hand out, grabbing hold of his hand just as the halo behind him fizzled out. Finally, Byleth's coolness broke. He realized that he was falling, or he would have been falling if it weren't for the goddess holding his hand.

He bowed his head with a sheepish blush on his face and his voice a whisper. "T-T-Thank you, Palutena. You knew that I wasn't going to be able to keep that up for long, didn't you?"

"You've no doubt grown adapt in manipulating Sothis' power, but you're a far, far cry from being able to manipulate her power as well as her. At best, I'd say you're drawing out a quarter of it, and that's being generous. Byleth, you're strong, but I'd say you still have miles to go before you can compare to her in power." The Goddess of Skyworld declared.

To her surprise, the Ashen Demon smiled at her. It was like a ray of light poking through a veil of darken clouds. "Thanks, Palutena."

Being a teacher, Byleth was likely no doubt used to criticism, albeit one would expect him to be the one to give it. Truly good teachers could take criticism and keep on going. True warriors could take criticism to heart and use it to improve. Byleth was most certainly one of those, and he was no doubt going to take her words to heart.

An opportunity came as they came upon the outlandish futuristic and egocentric castle of Dr. Wily. Byleth had been…at a loss for words when he first laid eyes on it.

"And this is the home of a…scholar?" He'd said with a raised eyebrow that belayed just how shocked he was.

"Eh, actually he's a doctor." Shulk corrected with a humorous laugh. "Eh, not the kind you go to for healing though. More like the wicked evil kind that you try to stir clear of. Kind of makes laying waste to his castle as a battleground feel even better!"

"Whatever you say. This place is…eh, I've fought in weirder places."

"Good, that means you won't have any reason to blame the terrain when you lose!" Dark Pit arrogantly called from above.

"Palutena," called the mercenary-turned instructor.

She looked down and saw that a barely visible force-field was surrounding the castle. It wouldn't be a problem for them to breach, but it was clear that it wasn't going to break without a little bit of force. Casting a glance at Byleth, she recognized his willingness to provide that.

"Launch me." He simply said.

There was little hesitation in her actions. She had the utmost confidence in him, and Byleth smiled at her for doing so. It was quickly replaced by his characteristic trademark frown. With her superhuman strength, she hurled him straight at the forcefield protected castle. In one hand was the Sword of the Creator, and in the other appeared another weapon, a lance.

The first time Palutena saw it, she knew it belonged to one of the more…rowdier of Sothis' children. Whoever they were, their power still coursed through their remains, and Byleth certainly knew how to call it forth in the heat of battle.

Sword in one hand and lance in the other, Byleth let out a fierce battle cry as he brought both down atop the barrier. Sparks flew and alarms blared across the building. The barrier shattered like broken glass within seconds allowing Byleth to continue his descent. Palutena zoomed in after him.

Their eyes locked with one another as they sped toward the castle.

The goddess smiled at him and the warrior smiled back.

It wasn't quite the fight that they were expecting when they woke up, but they would gladly have it. Together.

Minutes later when the Great Fox arrived, the battle was already under way, Byleth and Palutena fighting the King of Evil and the Phazon-infused Metroid. As the latter's uncorrupted copy would later attest, the two made for quite a fierce tag team.

---

For a world more or less meant for constant battle, there were places where peace and calmness reigned. One would say that such a thing was a necessity since not even the wide array of Smash Fighters could battle forever. Even those who were superhuman still needed a break for either physical or mental purposes, or just a place to relax for enjoyment.

Thus was born "Smash Mansion", a massive, near fortress-like complex for the fighters to rest and recuperate in. It had many, many rooms, so many that it was possible for a person to spend days exploring it from top to bottom. And that was explore, not "survive" as some of the rooms and mansion occupants weren't exactly what one would call "inviting". A warning had even been set up by Smash veterans for newcomers so they knew who to avoid. Those same veterans also could point out where one wanted to go for certain things.

Byleth had asked if the mansion had a nearby gym or some sort of training field. As it happened, there were, for several things besides fighting like sports.

In spite of trying to focus on his combat skills, Byleth couldn't help but feel his mind occasionally drift toward the sports field. Basketball, soccer (football), baseball, boxing, yoga, he could help but think about them. Byleth tried to push them from his mind to focus on his training, yet still felt that persistent draw.

As he knocked down the fifth practice dummy, he planted his sword into the ground and looked up to the sky in contemplation. Dawn had arrived, the once dark sky now various shades of purple and blue with pockets of orange that grew by the second. He could already see the top of the sun beginning to rise above the horizon.

Certain portions of the "Smash World" had some incredible sunrises, and that included the mansion at certain angles.

Watching the sun climb its way upward, Byleth felt a familiar voice telling him to give in. Eventually he did.

The basketball court held his attention, as did the basketball himself. He took a single shot, making it on the first try. A small buddle of pride grew within him. Running for the ball, he grabbed it, then made another shot; he lost track of how many more shots he took after that.

He kept on going until a green blur caught his ball midair.

"Happy to see you doing something besides swinging a sword early in the morning. I always kind of figured you for a basketball person, you've got the competitive spirit for it." Chimed a familiar voice.

Like him, she was still in her sleepwear…which consisted of a silvery-white nightgown that further emphasized her body. Byleth found himself looking her up and down, his mind racing with thoughts that had nothing to do with their scheduled battle. "Good…morning." He said after several moments of silence.

Giggling, she bounced the ball off the ground while working toward him. It was a struggle for him to not look at her hips, or her chest. Especially her chest, which was rather pronounced thanks to her gown. "Good morning to you too, Byleth." Instead of giving him the ball, she tucked it underneath her right arm and leaned toward him. He had a feeling that she knew he'd been…ogling her; his cheeks flushed red. "You know, I think this is a better use of your time than training-having fun."

"I do have fun when I'm training." Byleth immediately responded. "It's just I've…come to find joy in other things."

"Really~?" She asked cocking her head to the side. Apparently, the Goddess of Light was immune to bedhead, or she'd done her hair before coming out to see him. "What else do you find fun besides shooting hoops?"

"Reading, playing cards, cooking-"

She got in close, close enough that her green bangs were practically in his face. Amazingly, Byleth kept his composure…save for the crimson tint of his cheeks. Palutena found it was a good look for him. "You are a great cook, on par with Link. Like him, you can put away quite a lot to boot." She mused. "So, I think I know what I'll want from you when I win today's match."

"You want me to cook for you, alright, deal." He declared. Byleth was tempted to correct her when she said "when"; he'd learned that Palutena was nothing if not confident when it came to battle. To her credit, she had a pretty solid victory streak. There were only a few who could match her and even defeat her. The Umbra Witch, Bayonetta, was one such fighter. His fists tightened as he quietly resolved to add his name to that list as well.

Her left index finger delicately poked his chest and moved up it. Byleth was sure that she could feel his Crest Stone heart beating at a furious pace in spite of his continued stoic demeanor. If Palutena kept up her flirtations he had a feeling it was going to crack.

"Palutena, I can understand your arrogance, believe me…but don't count me out just yet. You know that I can put up one hell of a fight…even against a goddess." He finally said.

"That you can, but this is one goddess that you won't be defeating, trust me on that." She winked. "Still, I'm more than looking forward to seeing you try your hardest. I won't be expecting anything less from you, Byleth."

The boast ignited something inside of him.

WHOSH!

Palutena continued to smile as she looked between Byleth and the basketball that he was whizzing in his right hand.

"I got you that time." He said with a little smirk.

"I let you have that victory, consider it a goddess' mercy." Palutena.

"I'm not so sure about that, Lady Palutena." The blue-haired warrior was already dribbling down the court and making for the basket. Just as he made the jump, the ruler of Skyworld was there in front of him, grinning as she made a grab for the ball. He switched hands and made the basket with the opposite hand. "Was that another show of a goddess' mercy?" he called as she grabbed the ball off of the rebound.

"The last one you're going to get!" She shouted.

Where once it had been the sparring arena that hummed with activity, it was now the basketball court. An unlikely place for a mystic goddess and a medieval warrior to interact, but this was the Smashverse, a nexus of time and space. Opportunities abound…opportunities in a number of things besides just battle.

"Um, are they…into each other?" Roy asked with a nervous blush clouding his cheeks.

His companion, and future opponent, was just barely holding his laughter in. "Totally! Palutena's definitely coming hard onto Byleth, and he's so returning the sentiment! I mean, she tried with Link and Ike, but this is definitely something new, and special!" Ken said. He was at an impasse between shouting and giving them away and keeping quiet, trying to keep quiet. Make no mistake, he was fully devoted to his wife and family, but he could openly admit when a woman was attractive; plus, he could see when sparks were flying, and not just from battle. "Now, this is going to make their fight interesting."

"We shouldn't tell Pit about this, should we?" Roy asked his blond compatriot. It was sheer coincidence that they both woke up and decided go out and get some early morning training in. Hearing noise from the basketball court and investigating, this wasn't what they expected to find. Still, the Young Lion wasn't exactly opposed to what he was seeing. His fellow warrior was clearly enjoying himself not swinging a sword but passing a ball back and forth with a goddess from another world.

They looked so carefree and happy together.

"Eh, we'll let him find out on his own. Same thing with Viridi." Ken answered. "For now, I say we let them have their moment." Every cell in his body told him that more "moments" were going to come after this. Most likely after their match today. With this latest development, Ken genuinely wondered how it would go. He supposed it was something else to look forward to when the goddess of light clashed with the warrior with the soul of a goddess. Which one of them would come out the victor?

---

Either it was a funny coincidence or deliberately planned on someone's part. A goddess and a warrior blessed by a goddess squaring off in a cathedral-like stage, the Kalos Pokémon League. Both Byleth and Palutena had found it a fitting place to hold their first battle. For one of them, it was where they'd have their first victory over the other.

From the start, both had given their best. Byleth taking off and closing the distance with Palutena putting up her best defense, which the teacher had found ways to get around as the battle wore on. Even if he took some hits, he got up and kept on going, returning the favor in kind. Palutena liked that, it made her fondness for the former mercenary grow. Not quite unknown to her was that Byleth's fondness for her was growing as well. She could see it in how he smiled at her.

He didn't give her a wide bloodthirsty grin or some haughty smirk, but a rather kind and even attractive cool grin. She got an up close view of it whenever they clashed in melee combat. Palutena could have sworn that she heard the thunderous beat of Byleth's heart, as well as the frantic beating of her own. To have it racing like this, she knew that this was likely more than just a good opportunity to flex her power.

She took a lot of pride in her Reflect Barrier, even calling it an "absolute defense". Well, it wasn't, a fact that everyone was aware of, especially Pit seeing as how its failings led to him being captured by Galeem. Other fighters had found ways to break through it, likely through sheer force; Byleth had done exactly that. Palutena had to admit, that lance of his packed quite a punch; if she wasn't careful, it could knock her out. When he combined it with the power of his sword, he had enough raw power that she had to stay on the defensive. She still had speed over him, but Byleth had long since adapted to that.

His blue eyes tracked her as a comet of blue light streaking across the inside of the cathedral. If they were fighting in open air, she'd be at an even bigger advantage. That said, she still had enough room to maneuver, and had plenty of options to put Byleth on the defensive. All three of his auxiliary weapons were used, and Palutena once again took note of the power that they held.

She especially noticed the axe, Aymr. Its impressive power wasn't the only reason that she fervently avoided its blows. The goddess could sense that it was different from the rest. While it gave off a divine aura like the others, there was something else mixed with it. Something dark that made her skin crawl in the same way Bayonetta did.

Exhaustion gradually wore them down, albeit Byleth more so than her. He was still human while she had far more stamina to burn thanks to her divine status. As it happened, a Smash Ball appeared heralding the battle's end.

Palutena grabbed it and harnessed its power immediately. Byleth's eyes widened, then narrowed. He knew exactly what was coming next. Both his sword and lance were used to anchor himself to the ground as Palutena manifested her blackhole.

"An all-crushing abyss, a perfect end for a demon, wouldn't you say, Byleth!" The goddess of light shouted over the roar of her dark creation.

Gnashing his teeth, Byleth looked straight into the crushing singularity that was slowly but surely pulling him in. Palutena's words were only a half truth, while darkness would be a fitting end for him, so too would an end brought by light. A beam of sparkling heavenly light powerful enough to finish him off, and then some. But only if it hit him.

Wide-eyed, Byleth formulated a plan and decided to execute it. Ingrained instinct told him that this would be his life, yet a part of his rational mind struggled to remind him that this was a Smash Fight and death was impossible. Still, thinking this was a life-or-death fight helped him focus.

Palutena watched through the gravitational pull, her staff held out and charging up energy in preparation for the second half of her Final Smash. You fought well, Byleth, but like I said, you've still got a ways to go. Still, Sothis would be proud of you. Once her opponent came within range, she unleashed her accumulated energy. "Mega Laser!"

THOOM!

The light beam flew across the stage, but there wasn't anyone to bear the brought of its power. Its intended target was up in the air, his bow notched with a glowing red arrow. Palutena's eyes widened in horror.

"What the hell!" She shouted. She immediately ceased her attack and tried to raise a barrier, but Byleth got off two shots at her. Palutena could feel herself drawing closer and closer to defeat, something that she adamantly refused to entertain as a possibility. Now, it was looking very likely.

Byleth used his whip sword to close the distance between them. Heart pounding, Palutena put everything she had in fighting him off, staff to sword with neither of them holding back. In that extreme close range, Byleth had the edge, and he pressed it.

THUNK!

"Gah!" Palutena screamed, stumbling backward. Her nose hurt; it'd been ages since anyone had the gall to headbutt her! No one had ever gotten this close to her before in battle! As she opened her eyes and glared at Byleth, she found that he'd thrown his whip sword to the side. Palutena already knew what he was going for, but she wanted some revenge. A blast of fire knocked him backward, but it was already too late. He glowed with the same rainbow-colored aura that she had a second ago.

Like her, he didn't hesitate in initiating his Final Smash. In doing so, his body became alit with divine power which transformed his hair. Palutena felt a shiver run up her spine as his eyes glowed orange and his hair shifted from blue to light green, somewhat like her own. Behind him, an ethereal figure appeared.

Unknown to the spectators and even Byleth himself, the battle came to a brief halt, at least from Palutena's point of view. She stood atop the clouds yet under a roof of brilliant stars. Across from her floated a familiar face, or at least somewhat familiar.

"Woah, Byleth wasn't kidding, you really don't look like you." The Goddess of Light mused with a mocking smile.

"I'll have you know that I more or less resemble my old self! Just…shorter in stature!" The Goddess of Fόdlan shouted back. Her attempted arm cross came off as more adorable than threatening, especially since she was just barely half the height of the Skyworld ruler. "Anyways," Sothis said after regaining some of her composure. "Can I trust Byleth in your care while we're here?"

"In my care…" Palutena openly mused. "Hmm, he will have to do some groveling after that little stunt he pulled."

"Ahhh, has someone forgotten the rules of battle? A fight is about who's left standing at the end, not who's the prettiest in the end or how they got there. Maybe someone needs a little lesson in being reminded of that. A task that I'm sure Byleth will be more than happy to teach you after this."

Palutena threw back her head and laughed. Yep, this is still the same Sothis I knew from all those years ago! Her smart mouth goes great with her new form! "I haven't forgotten, nor do I plan on losing this match. Your avatar is powerful, but I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Do you know? Still so conniving for a goddess of light." The draconic deity chuckled. No sooner did she do so did she let out a yawn. Her consciousness was fading fast, something that Palutena took note of.

It further confirmed what she feared, that Sothis' spirit wasn't in the best condition, even with a suitable body to host it. "I'll look after him, I give you my word."

Sothis held her gaze for a moment longer. Her lips curved into a coy smile that had Palutena slightly on edge.

"Very well then, I'll be leaving him in your hands while we're here…your very capable hands, I'm sure." The Progenitor God chuckled.

All around them, the sea of clouds fell away, replaced by cracking walls and the roar of the wind. Her barrier was just barely holding against the empowered tip of the Sword of the Creator. She'd seen this move take down numerous foes, including Ganondorf, Dark Samus, Cloud, Mewtwo, and even blast through Joker's Persona to get at him. Its power was absolutely nothing to scoff at, and Palutena certainly didn't.

Raptured Heaven, quite a fitting name for a move that can make even gods sweat. Palutena confessed as she felt multiple drops of sweat beading down her brow. Her barrier was going to crack any second, but when it did she had to be ready.

BOOM!

Byleth let his divine sword remain extended for several seconds, sensing something amiss. His instincts told him he'd damaged Palutena, but he hadn't heard the gong announcing the end of the match sound. He was huffing, Sothis' divine power slowly leaving him for the moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of light shot out, then come right at him. Pulling his sword back, he struck at Palutena, knowing that she was one hit away from defeat, just like him.

THUNK!

The Sword of the Creator bounced off her reflective barrier, and in that moment, Palutena closed the distance between them for the final time. Her staff swung out, hitting him in the stomach. Energized light exploded on contact, knocking him back. This time, Byleth felt another gravitational-like force pulling him backward. He knew what it was, and accepted it.

Overhead, the gong sounded along with the announcement.

Byleth felt the exhaustion stinging every portion of his body, but the pain was greatest in his abdomen where Palutena's finishing blow had struck. Had he a little more strength left, it wouldn't have been a knockout blow, but it was and here he was, lying on the ground defeated.

Not your…worst defeat. You managed to back her into a corner. For that…you can be proud.

Chuckling, he tried to sit up, only to groan in pain when he did so. Thanks for a lot, and goodnight, Sothis. Her feminine chuckles were the last sound she made before going to sleep. Ever since coming to the Smashverse, Byleth had noticed she slept a lot more. At first, he guessed it was because of some interference from Galeem, whose presence she somehow recognized. Somehow, he sensed her within him and had sent fighters to eliminate him before he and his inner goddess could become threats. Needless to say, that plan hadn't exactly worked out. With the dreaded angelic being gone, Sothis was a little more chatty than normal, but still took extended naps. Those "Smash spheres" could always rouse her though, and form an immediate connection between her and Byleth.

He hated how it was mainly during combat and not doing leisure.

As he was finally able to sit up, he found another goddess looming over him. He gave her his trademark blank stare while she was seemingly trying to incinerate him into the ground.

Then she started laughing.

Byleth gave a light-hearted chuckle before allowing himself to fall back, only to be stopped by the green-haired goddess in front of him.

"Now, now, you remember our deal, don't you?" She teasingly asked. Apparently, she didn't mind the headbutt and bruised nose that came with it. Or she wasn't going to make him immediately pay for it.

"Deal? What deal? Sounds like there was more to this match than just some ego." Chimed a feminine voice. The reaction both divine individuals had to it was completely different.

Palutena scowled in annoyance while Byleth showed mere indifference. Unlike the light goddess, he had no issue with Bayonetta. She was probably the most provocative woman he'd ever met, more so than his fellow professor back home. Like her, Bayonetta was more than just a pretty face, she was a force of demonic power that was unlike anything he'd ever seen or fought. He respected her. Byleth was sure on some level Palutena did as well…but she also had a rather understandable animosity with her that the Umbra Witch playfully and at times eagerly recuperated.

"Nothing for you to become aware of, Bayonetta." Palutena said, clearly eager to end the conversation before it could get start taking off.

"Really? I believe I should be the judge of that. After all, I can't possibly leave a fellow demon to suffer at the hands-"

"Nothing to worry about, Bayonetta." He'd gotten to his feat on his own, pushing past the pain lingering across his body. "Since Palutena won she's…entitled to a certain reward."

"Really~?" The umbrakinetic witch further teased. He realized he probably should have chosen his wording better, but it was too late. Bayonetta's interests had been piqued, and it was clear she wasn't going to back down until she was satisfied. "Perhaps I should have a bout with you next, Byleth. After all, I'm very interested in what sort of reward Palutena's just won herself."

Off to the side, Byleth could see the green-haired woman looking about ready to unleash another Mega Laser. He had no desire to see it from up close or seeing Bayonetta's retaliation.

Caught between two powerful women, yep, this is definitely a nightmare just like everyone said it would be. The former mercenary humorously and grimly thought. What advice he'd gotten demanded he scramble as far away from this brewing confrontation as possible.

Byleth went with option number two.

In spite of his injured state, he stepped in front of Palutena in a clearly defensive manner. "I'm afraid this coming reward is…Palutena-exclusive. If you want to fight me and you manage to win, Bayonetta, I'll have a different one waiting for you. One I'm sure will be more to your liking."

His words seemingly further enticed her, yet Bayonetta's eyes flashed with recognition. She didn't give an immediate vocal response, only more of her trademark giggling.

"I'll keep that in mind, Byleth." The black-haired witch finally said. Her mischievous eyes moved between the swordsman and the heavenly ruler. The former kept a stoic demeanor while the latter continued to let her displeasure show.

"Ahem, okay, now you've had your little drama, can you clear the stage? There's other people waiting to use it, ya' know." Called an annoyed voice.

Bayonetta burst into more laughter while Palutena turned her full focus toward Byleth. The former mercenary in turned first looked to the spiky blond swordsman that he'd clashed with numerous times before. Cloud Strife was like him in some ways, standoffish and at times aloof, but remarkably skilled. Byleth had nursed a strong respect for him and vice versa. The same went for the enhanced warrior's opponent, Link of Hyrule. The shorter blond peeked over his would-be opponent's shoulder to look at him.

"You know, they've got a point. Come on, Byleth, let's get you all patched up while those two play with their little swords." Cloud grunted at her words. It was a joke that he was used to hearing quite often, especially from the Ruler of Skyworld. He kept his arms crossed and a near grumpy demeanor on his face as Palutena guided her defeated opponent pass them.

As they passed the next two fighters, Byleth took note of the wink and smile Link shot him.

Looking back to the Palutena, he caught her smiling at him as well. There was a flutter in his chest. "So…"

To his surprise, she leaned in close, close enough her hot breath was tickling his ear. "That headbutt is going to cost you a little extra, Byleth. I'll be expecting nothing but your culinary best."

Surprising himself, he turned to face her directly. Byleth felt his lips curling into a smile. "I promise you, you won't be disappointed."

---

Even though the Smash Manion was accommodating to all fighters, several had some more…private homes. Especially if certain stages included said homes. Palutena was one such fighter.

As the ruler of Skyworld, she claimed to have dominion over any part of it. She liked to claim that she allowed parts of it to be used for Smash battles. How true that statement was several had questioned. Personally, Byleth really didn't care. He doubted that Palutena would let any battle demolish her massive ornate mansion in the sky.

It was a beautiful place with a beautiful view, especially at night. Still, it couldn't compare to its occupants.

Byleth had done his best to keep his composure when Palutena appeared before him dressed in a silky white gown somewhat like the one she normally wore. It reminded him of the night gown that she'd played ball with him in early in the morning. That ball game had practically felt like a life time ago, yet it also still felt so fresh in his mind.

"So…you really are a man of your word." She asked in a sultry voice. Byleth had been spoken to before, but never before had he felt…aroused by it.

She'd grabbed him by the hand and all but dragged him in doors. He had a faint idea of what to expect, yet the mansion interior also had a certain…modern design to it. Modern as in Joker, Ken, and Terry's version of modern instead of his version. Given how eccentric and advanced Palutena's world was while still being magical in nature, Byleth couldn't say he was surprised. He was impressed though, something that Palutena knew and took pride in.

He felt a tinkling of pride in him as she watched him cook. It was clear that she was eager to test his cooking, but she was also getting off on watching him cook. She wasn't the first woman to do so, and Byleth frankly didn't mind her watching him. He actually felt rather happy in her watching him. Byleth found that Palutena's kitchen was stacked, incredibly stacked.

Just like her, as the youth would say. Especially your students. I wonder what they would think if they could see you now.

Byleth didn't know if Sothis was really awake or if she was half-talking in her sleep, still vaguely aware of what was happening. He'd love to ring an answer out of her, but he had more important things to do, and a goddess he didn't want to disappoint.

"Where'd you learn to cook?" She asked point blank.

"Garreg Mach Monastery, albeit I had some experienced beforehand. The former's where I guess I really developed as a cook." Byleth answered. "It's one of the many reasons I'm glad that I came to the Monastery."

"And the others?" She asked with a child-like curiosity.

There was a brief pause as he stopped and considered his answer. Palutena was going to get it out of him, even if it took all of dinner and dessert. Granted, it wasn't like he felt like he had anything to hide from her. She was a tease, but beneath it all he could see why Pit was so devoted to her.

"Making friends…real, genuine friends instead of just…comrades Learning new things while passing on what I know to others. That part surprised me because I could never in my wildest dreams picture myself teaching. Even more, while I'm teaching, I'm also learning from my students…and everyone else around me. Sometimes I feel like I should thank them but I…just don't know how."

"Thank you."

"Hm?"

As he spoke, he'd briefly gotten lost in sentimentality. While he did, Palutena walked to his side. He didn't mind her being so close to him, he actually enjoyed the physical intimacy.

"Saying thank you to them, letting them know how much you appreciate them. Come on, you can do it; I've seen you do it with practically everyone here. Including Bayonetta of all people." Palutena said the last part with vocal disdain.

It was enough to make the blue-haired swordsman chuckle. "She's not that bad."

"Don't get the wrong idea, you're the only kind of demon I think I can stand to be around. That said," her finger delicately poked at his cheek. "You're a lot more like a knight than anything."

He looked at her with his piercing cobalt-colored eyes. The old saying about eyes being windows to the soul came to mind. For Palutena though, she had various means of actually viewing the soul. She didn't use them with Byleth though, it was much more fun discovering what his was like by watching him. It'd proven to be the right decision, in spades.

"Do you…really think so?" He asked.

She couldn't help but squeal in delight. "Ahhh, so you have wanted to be a knight in shining armor! I knew it!"

Byleth looked away, futilely trying to regain his composure and put up some distance between them. "It's not like I was a kid who dreamed of it. From the start I knew there were differences between knights and mercs like me." Looking back, he saw that Palutena's excited and teasing expression hadn't changed. Sighing, he decided there was no more use in trying to deny it. "All that said, a part of me…wondered what it would be like. Knights in the stories I read fought for better things than money and mere survival. I never let myself be blinded to the reality that those things are perfectly valid to fight for. It's just…I've always wondered if I would ever fight for…more. If I could fight for more."

Her finger became an entire palm. "Byleth, you already have. When I could, I talked with Sothis and she told him how contrary to your reputation as the 'Ashen Demon', you've been nothing short of heroic in how you've acted. Fighting for the weak, protecting them, guiding the next generation, and striking down evil when you see it. I have no doubt when you encounter this Flame Emperor, you'll stop them and whatever wicked designs they have on Fόdlan." Her eyes took on a brighter shine as she stood directly in front of him, still framing his face with her right hand. "You've certainly done your part here. You've been praised by heroes from other words, and you rescued me." Her serene demeanor broke with a coy smile. "That accounts for something, right?"

He again chuckled, no, he laughed. "Alright, so maybe my dream has already come true. Multiple times. In fact."

"Exactly, so don't talk about it like it's this distant thing you can't grasp a hold of." Throwing caution to the wind, she slid her whole arm around his neck. The distance between them closed to nothing. Their bodies were pressed together giving both the chance to feel each other up. Byleth's joyful expression turned tense as his cheeks flared. Palutena giggled, "My, my, seems that one hell of a prime sausage is on the menu. I can't wait to devour it."

Byleth knew she wasn't talking about the food. Biting his lip, he tried to think of something to divert the conversation away from this topic, but it was for naught. He was fully aware of the…rising between his legs, and Palutena's…assets. Assets that he'd looked at more times than he could count. They were pressing against his chest, his apron-covered chest.

Images of the two of them wearing much less clothing flashed through his mind. With a hard blink he pushed them back, but only temporarily. Ultimately, what saved him was the smell of roasting meat, meat that was potentially on the verge of burning.

"Hey, you're not thinking about turning back time, are you? Trust me, if something burns, I can fix it." Purred the green-eyed and green-haired goddess.

Being a goddess, she seemed to be one of the handful exempt from his Divine Pulse. He found that both interesting and at times annoying. Byleth breathed out, deciding that since that was off the table, he could only push forward. Figuratively of course.

"Could you…release me so I could make sure you don't have to? I'd consider that ruining dinner for you, which I vowed not to do." For a few seconds, he saw her smile at him, then her lips were on his cheeks. They immediately turned red and remained so even as she pulled away. With a giggle, she turned her back to him, her vibrant green hair swaying behind her as she made her way back to the dinner table.

As he looked to the roasted boar, he tried to picture what the Blue Lions, his cubs, would think of him in this moment. Would they be encouraging him? Surely Sylvain would be, and probably wishing he were in the former mercenary's place. Then there was Lorenz, who'd be drilling it into his head on how to properly eat in front of a dignified woman like Palutena. Also Ferdinand…Byleth shook his head, feeling it hurting from trying to picture his students' faces and the advice they would give. When the boar finally finished roasted, he took it out, along with several other meats including the sausage rolls he'd been preparing.

A full course meal was what he'd gone with after seeing the impressive kitchen and cooking ingredients Palutena had at her disposal. Given her divine status, he knew that she'd have nothing but the best ingredients, and in abundance at that. Byleth just hoped he made the best use of them.

Upon seeing Palutena's face light up after the first bite of the seasoned roast, he realized that he had. Smiling, he watched her take several more bites.

"Byleth, I think I'm going to be having you drop by a little more often! Your cooking may be better than Link's!" She praised.

"Thank you, Palutena." He said feeling a familiar heat burning his cheeks. While she ate, she constantly beamed at him. "You've got an impressive kitchen."

"Nothing but the best for a goddess…and her personal cook." Palutena finished with a wink. Byleth's eyes widened, then his face broke into humorous laughter. It was such a contrast to how he seemed to be when they first met. "How would you feel about it, Byleth? I won't be so greedy as to keep you away from the others, but…"

"You…like having me around, Palutena?" He asked in a cool voice. His tone made him all the more appealing to her. She could see in his eyes that he knew where this was going. The best part was that he wasn't making any attempts to rebuff her.

That fueled Palutena's hope.

"Ever since you freed me from Galeem's control. By the way…today's battle makes us even." She shot him a wink. "Technically speaking, we fought before, and I was pretty sure even under mind control, I wasn't holding back."

"Still, I had some help."

"Yes, but I now fully remember you dealt the knockout blow, so I'll give you the victory that time. With my win today…we're all tied up."

Byleth didn't say a word, he just smiled at her. That smile spoke for him-he wanted to a third match to break the current tie they were in. And he would be expecting another match after that. Sure, he would be enjoying the fighting they would no doubt do, but Palutena could see what he would really be enjoying was her company, the same way he was enjoying it now. Also how she was enjoying his.

They continued to do that as they walked and laughed over dinner. Their plates gradually became depleted until they were finished with their main course. Dessert was next, and Byleth had chosen cake, wonderful and tasty strawberry shortcake. He didn't know exactly what flavor Palutena would like so he went with something basic but widely accepted. His shot in the dark hit the mark as Palutena yet again squealed in delight after the first bite.

Gradually, their meal drew to a close leading Byleth to rise up to collect the plates. Palutena laughed and snapped her fingers. In multiple flashes of light, the dinner table was cleared. Byleth couldn't help but blink in surprise.

"That's what a real goddess can do with her full power." She proudly boasted.

"Hehehe, I'm looking forward to seeing more displays of such power. I'm going to do my best to match it however I can." As he turned away, he saw Palutena's once joyful expression crumble into a frown. "Do you…want me to stay?" he quietly asked.

She took a deep breath, rising from her seat and walking toward him. Grabbing his hand, she guided him through the mansion toward a balcony that overlooked the surrounding lands. It was a sight to die for, a sea of clouds with occasional openings revealing the land below. Despite being hundreds of feet up, the stars still seemed so far out of reach, still, they shined so brightly. Byleth looked up at them with a smile at his lips. Stargazing had become another hobby of his, primarily thanks to another green-haired woman whose presence he'd came to value.

Looking to his right, he saw Palutena looking up at those same stars. Their glow was reflected in her eyes when she turned around to face him.

"Byleth, would you believe me if I told that you're…special?" She asked in a voice that was ringed with a bit of nervousness.

Almost immediately he identified the reason why. It's actually kind of comforting to know that I'm not the only one making this up as he goes along. "That would depend, Palutena. Why do you find me special?"

Giving a light laugh, she answered, "Because you're the type of man that I…rarely run into. That I get to know on a personal level. You're not just a strong warrior…you're a good man. A man that any woman would be like to have, and believe me, I'd know. I've seen quite a few relationships."

"But you never got to experience any decent ones yourself, have you." Byleth outright asked.

"Hehehe, true. Trust me though, I've met plenty of gods, and mortal heroes. You'd be surprised how much both can have in common."

"Hmm, not likely. When you break it down, gods and humans might not be all that different." He paused before speaking again, gauging her reactions. "Do you…think that yourself?" Byleth asked after seeing no immediate backlash.

Palutena nodded. "You may be right. For all the arrogance and destructiveness humanity is capable of, we gods may not be all that different. In particularly, when we go on rampages, we tend to rearrange entire landscapes and even planets."

"Some people could only wish they had that kind of power." Byleth said.

"Have you ever wished you had that kind of power, Byleth?" The light goddess inquired.

Looking into her twinkling eyes, he gave her an answer straight from his heart. "The only power I've ever yearned for is the power to push forward. Or at least, that's how it used to be. Now…the only power I want is the power to protect the people close to me. That includes all the friends I've made here…including you, Palutena. Even if I'm not as powerful as a god, I-" His eyes widened feeling her gentle hand on his cheek. Her eyes burned with an intensity that hadn't been there before. It amazed him into silence.

"Byleth," she began. "Is a comrade, a friend all you will ever see me as?"

He could practically hear her divine heart racing in excitement and anxiety at what his response would be.

The first part of it came when he raised his ungloved hand to rest atop of hers. Palutena's expression brightened as she guessed at what his response would be. "Would you be willing to see a mere mortal like me as ore than just a friend, Palutena?"

"Oh, Byleth, you're no mere mortal." The goddess jubilantly laughed. "In my eyes, you're a hero, a savior, and…a good man that I want to experience some of life's greatest pleasures with. I understand that you've yet to experience some of those pleasures because you've yet to meet the right woman, correct?"

His heart was beating at the speed of lightning as he gazed into her emerald-colored eyes. "You're right about that. I don't think I've met the right woman…but I'm…thinking I just might have."

Grinning, Palutena closed the distance between them. She took the first step with Byleth taking the next.

"Mmnnnhhh,"

Byleth could only take that as a good sign. Well, that along with the fact that Palutena had looped her arms around his neck to keep him close. She didn't seem to mind him holding her by the waist either. He was happy for that since he was enjoying kissing her, and holding her. His eyes slowly fluttered open to look at her face. Byleth felt himself yet again amazed by the goddess' beauty as they broke apart. He was aware of the thin bridge of saliva between them, a physical representation of the growing, erotic bond that they now shared. The former mercenary could feel himself gasping for breath like the kiss had just taken the air from his lungs.

Palutena had a similar look on her face, albeit her lips quickly curled into a smile. It was just like the one before the kiss, so Byleth knew what to expect. He quickly inhaled through his nose and leaned forward, meeting her mid-way. The goddess again moaned, her tongue shooting out and slapping against his. She moaned in seeming approval at the oral contact. Byleth moaned back, finding no small amount of bliss in it himself. He reached up and felt his way through her beautiful green hair. Palutena moaned even more, pushing her tongue against his thus forcing the two into his mouth.

Their bodies shifted with him leaning against the railing and her leaning against him. The possibility of falling was so far from either of their minds. Of course, if they did, they had ways of catching themselves. In that moment, the stary sky and clouds they once discussed sailing became a backdrop, nothing more. Their all focus was on each other.

The goddess was the first to break from the latest kiss, gasping just like Byleth had. Her cheeks were bright red and seemingly turning redder. She looked straight at the warrior, that same amorous smile on her face. "For someone so inexperienced, you're quite spectacular at kissing, Byleth." Placing a hand against his cheeks, she leaned in, seemingly for another kiss. Byleth readied himself for it, yet after several seconds he didn't feel her lips on his. Opening his eyes, he saw the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. It was intermixed with a white-hot desire that made his blood race. "I like kissing you, but I want to do so much more with you." To emphasize her words, she rubbed herself against him, feeling the protrusion between his legs.

Sucking in air, Byleth did his best to simmer down said protrusion. It wasn't working as he could instead feel it growing stronger. Shutting his eyes, he took a minute to take stock of his situation; it was one that he honestly never thought he'd find himself in. So, this is what an erection feels like. It's certainly being brought on by a beautiful woman, a goddess of all people. A woman who just said she wants to sleep with me. After that quick mental rundown, he opened his eyes and stared back at Palutena. In spite of how forward she was being, she'd yet to kiss him again; her expression could actually best be described as pleading. She wanted this, but she wanted him to want this as much as she did. Palutena wanted Byleth's conceit, otherwise this…wouldn't be what she truly wanted.

Her face morphed into an expression of shock as he began laughing. It was her first time seeing his carefree, smooth laughter up close. The goddess quickly smiled, both to save face and perhaps as an indicator that she liked hearing him laugh. She'd already confessed to finding something enticing and relaxing about his more positive expression. Well, Byleth gave her one big one.

His hands glided down her backside to her buttocks, suddenly grasping them causing the goddess to moan. In that moment, Byleth leaned forward, planting a passionate kiss on her lips. Palutena was at first surprised, but quickly melted into it. She raised her tongue, but fell to his. He pushed his way into her mouth, feeling his way around her mouth making the light goddess moan in ecstasy. Her moans were magnified as he began to grope her buttocks through her dress. Byleth felt her hands creeping up the back of his head to deepen the kiss. It went on for as long as either of them had breathable air.

"Haaah…" They moaned upon separating, both of them panting.

Byleth's squeeze made Palutena jump, feeling like a bolt of pure electricity was racing through her. It energized her as she looked straight into Byleth's blue eyes.

"I'm happy to hear that…because I want to do a hell of a lot more things than just kiss you, Palutena." Came his serene yet surprisingly husky voice. That too sent waves of electric ecstasy racing through her.

It set off a sensual storm inside of her that manifested via the ear-to-ear grin on her face. "Bedroom, I'm going to show you the pleasures of a true goddess, as well as truly thank you for all your service." No sooner after she finished speaking was she kissing him again. Byleth had no problem with it. He wrapped her up in his arms, just as Palutena liked it. She found such comfort and delight in his arms, and now in his lips which she greedily claimed for her own. The kiss ended up consuming the next several minutes, not that either of them minded that.

Breathless, they separated. Palutena used both her hands to gently caress his face. Their foreheads connected a minute later and stayed that way for a little while.

"I'm in your hands." The blue-haired swordsman whispered. His words earned him another kiss. It wasn't as long-lasting as their previous one, but it undoubtedly fed the already raging flames within them. Byleth seemed disappointed when it ended and Palutena held a finger to his lips, a clear indicator for him to stop. He obeyed and stared at her in lustful curiosity at what she had in mind.

That same finger moved down his lips to his chin then to his hand. Her eyes flashed bright with affection, then she was gripping his right hand. Spinning on her heel, she guided him away from the balcony beneath the stars. Byleth already knew what she was doing, where she was going. He actually felt his Crest Stone heart pulsating, beating, in excitement at what was about to happen. A part of him questioned if this was really happening.

People like him didn't exactly find themselves about to sleep with a goddess. Then again, he'd often been told that he was different from the rest, in numerous ways.

Palutena had decided he was different, good enough, to do this with. Byleth felt a surge of pride and deep affection for the green-haired woman. At the moment, he could only show that through the sudden squeezing of his hand against hers. He felt Palutena squeeze back, a clear sign that she wasn't so focused on getting him to the bedroom that she was blind to him. She even looked back at him with that affectionate smile that he'd come to enjoy. He felt himself smiling back. The goddess sweet laughter fluttered from her lips and Byleth felt a sudden urge to claim her lips again. For the sake of the moment, he held himself back.

She ended up being the one kissing him when they made it to the bedroom. Byleth took a quick minute to examine the bedroom, his focus of course ending on the massive queen-sized bed. He immediately knew he was going to be getting well acquainted with it for the remainder of the night. Starting with being thrown onto it with Palutena atop of him. His arms instantly moved up, wrapping around her hips again. She aggressively dominated the kiss, grinding herself atop of him as he settled into the bed beneath him. Byleth pushed back on the kiss as best he could. While he didn't know much about sex, he believed he could learn as he went along; that had worked out for him in the past before.

On top of that, maybe he just had sheer instinct.

Though Palutena had bee the one to throw him down, he quickly turned the tables on her, literally. She looked up at him in blinking confusion, seemingly realizing that she was now the one lying on the bed. The former mercenary loomed above her, breathing heavily as he looked down at her with hungry eyes. Finally, she responded to his actions. Sweet laughter mixed with a hand that rose up to caress his cheek again.

"Ahh, good to see I'm bringing out the inner dragon in you, Byleth." Palutena purred.

He chuckled. "Maybe you are, though are you sure that's a good thing?"

"Haha! Oh, trust me, I've seen my fair share of stirred up dragons…though a divine demon such as yourself, that's something new." She purred. At the end of her remarks, her hand had moved to the back of his head. He was fully ready for her to bring him down. Byleth opened his mouth and sot his tongue out, letting it slam against Palutena's. They both erotically moaned at the oral contact. The goddess' legs rose and wrapped around the combat teacher's waist, bringing him deeper into her embrace.

Palutena admittedly loved this position, even though she originally wanted to be in the lead. She would be, but in time. Palutena knew that Byleth was new to all of this, but so far, he was doing pretty well. He was satisfying her, and that in turn fed her desire to satisfy him. Oh, she was going to do that alright, in ways that would remain forever engrained into the warrior's mind and heart. With every shift of her legs, she felt a growing prodding at her waist.

The Goddess of Light was by no means a loose woman, even if she liked to tease. Still, that teasing could at times serve as a cover for some quiet, erotic desires that lingered within her. Feeling that prodding made those already raging desires become a fierce storm within her. They wanted out, and they wanted to be satisfied to the fullest extent imaginable. Palutena broke the kiss and simply hugged Byleth, feeling his body against hers. She felt his member through his pants and her dress. The goddess' mind quietly spun with vivid imagery of what he'd feel like without the clothes, what he'd think of her without clothes.

With those thoughts in mind, she rolled the two of them over so she was back on top. Byleth felt his breath catch in his throat as the Goddess of Light loomed over him. Control was back in her hands, and he wasn't sure on taking it back. The odd but enticing sense of euphoria that her dominance induced in him was stronger than ever. This time, he could identify what it was mixed with-erotic excitement. He knew what she was going to give him, and he was eager for it. That eagerness was overwhelmingly evident in the tent between his legs. Byleth could feel it, but he didn't look at it, he tried not to think about it. His focus was on Palutena's smiling, inviting face. Her green hair slowly descended around him as their lips met again.

Byleth's hands rested upon the goddess' hips while hers his shoulders. She sensually grinded herself against him, feeling his erection through his pants. He seemingly channeled his growing lust into the kiss, a feat that Palutena was more than happy for. It did make it hard for her to break the kiss.

"Let me see it, Byleth. Let me see all of you. Step into the light." She whispered to him, a maniac hunger dancing in her eyes. Palutena was vaguely aware of it; she was glad though that it hadn't taken complete control of her. Yes, she was intent on making this a night to remember, but she wanted to hold onto some dignity tonight.

Giving a silent nod, the combat teacher removed his hands from his hips and raised his arms up. Palutena moved her own to his sides and began to pull on his shirt. She could feel the nail-biting anticipation within her. It was actually a bomb whose countdown was reached when she finally removed it, exposing the Ashen Demon's chest. Palutena felt the resulting explosion turn her cheeks all shades of red.

Without a doubt, Byleth Eisner had the body of a warrior. Well-sculpted yet lean muscles laden with faded and even fresh scars. Palutena had seen many such bodies, but never from up close, and never had she sensed the unique heartbeat that he had. Her hand fell atop the center-left part of his chest.

Ironically, the continuous pulse of the Crest Stone soothed the storm of eroticism within her. If only for a little while.

"How does it feel now?" Came his whisper-like voice. Palutena found something incredibly arousing in how calm he was looking in spite of the mood. His erection sure as hell hadn't gone down, and here he was lying flat on his back with her atop of him.

Sucking in a quick breath to calm herself, she thought up what he felt was an appropriate response. "Strong and warm, just like you." Her words brought a true smile to his face. It was like a magnet that pulled Palutena's lips in. Their kiss was soft and warm. "Byleth, I don't usually like repeating myself, but this needs to be said. Whatever else happens, this heart within you, it's your heart, and it beats in a truly righteous man. You are worthy to host the power of the Progenitor God." His hand rose and fell atop her hand. Palutena felt the warmth that spread from the Crest Stone double. "Now then…let me get that heartbeat racing in a way that you've never felt before."

His resulting chuckle was warranting of another kiss, one that was definitely tinged with eroticism.

It ended differently then the others as Palutena shifted her lips to Byleth's cheeks when it ended. His eyes fluttered shut as he felt the familiar yet new and invigorating sensation on his cheeks. Unlike Palutena's previous cheek kisses, this one was markedly different. One became two, then three, and from there he more or less stopped counting. It was like an arrow shower that he was happy to let himself be pelted by. His hands moved from his sides to hers, his thumb gently rubbing against her sides. Palutena moaned against his cheek. In the midst of moving from his left cheek to his right, she pecked him on the lips.

"Good boy." She cooed.

Byleth's chuckles continued, even as his redden cheeks were assaulted by the goddess' lips. Every one fed the fire burning inside of him. So far, he was remaining relatively still, but he knew that wasn't going to last long. Palutena's hands hand moved from his shoulders to his chest, her nails gently clawing at his skin. If she stepped it up from there, he knew he was going to start giving some more…tantalizing reactions. When she pulled away and grinned at him, Byleth immediately knew those reactions were exactly what she was aiming for. And she was going to get them.

Another quick kiss followed, then her lips were on his neck. Byleth had never been kissed down there so it was a new experience for him. Her kisses continued moving around his neck, then down to his chest. Palutena's hands were subtly moving around his body, softly clawing at his skin in ways that had never been done before. Hell, she was touching him in ways that no one else had. He'd never dreamed of such things, at least not until he met Palutena.

Whenever she came into contact with one of his scars, she was quite gentle. Palutena may have been a goddess who took a supporting role, but she knew the pride of warriors well. She knew that Byleth took a small amount of pride in every scar he bore. They were a testament to the fact that he'd survived, and taken together they told the story of one who'd surmounted countless battlefields to be here. She was happy that he had, she couldn't even begin to imagine how his world would have gotten along without him, or how it was doing so without him.

Her lips touched the center-left of his chest. Palutena could feel the mystical pulse of his Crest Stone Heart; it was increasing by the second. She moved her lips all over his upper body while her hands continued to caress and claw at his body. "One day, I'll give you a massage. You've more than earned it, Byleth."

"Y-Y-You know…how to give those?" He whispered. His previous coolness was disintegrating.

Looking up at him with a wink, she whispered, "The very best in all of Skyland. Only a very, very few have earned the pleasures of my hands, and even fewer have known them as you're experiencing them." Digging her nails into his backside, she pushed him upward and kissed his abdomen. Byleth let out a quiet moan that dragged on and on. She'd never heard such a sound from it; Palutena felt immense pride in being the first one to hear it. That pride continued to burn as she slowly moved further down, eventually laying eyes on the tent in his pants. She'd invoked such reactions in men before.

Byleth Eisner was fortunate enough to have such lustful urges satisfied.

Quickly undoing his pants, she pushed them and his briefs down to reveal his cock. The Goddess of Lights' eyes widened at the near eight-inch rod that had rise thanks to her. She could feel her jaw drop as she stared at it in naked awe.

Having caught his breath, Byleth was able to look down and see her gaping expression. He felt his cheeks about to burn up. "P-P-Palutena," he called. When there was no response, he spoke a little louder. "Palutena, Palutena!" She looked straight up at him, lustful hunger written all over her face. "Um…you…like it?"

First, she grabbed his cock, causing him to jump, second she leaned forward and licked his tip. That made Byleth's back completely arch off the bed. Her lick had only lasted for a few seconds, but it sent a powerful bolt of lighting coursing through him. When he looked down at her, he practically begged the goddess to strike him again. Grinning, she did so, multiple times.

"Aaaahh~ T-This…feels…w-w-wooooaaahhh~!" Moaned the former mercenary. He was clearly enjoying his first blowjob. The best part was that it'd just begun.

Palutena alternated between pumping his member and licking him. Byleth had turned out to be slightly bigger than she was expecting, and he had just the right thickness. She considered it something of a shame that no woman had caught his attention beforehand, albeit she felt positively exuberant in being the first woman to do so. The upper portion of his member disappeared into her mouth, then half of it. Her tongue lips suckled his cock and her tongue was eagerly dragged about its base. Palutena felt the occasional upward thrust, feeling the hot friction of it. She wondered if she gave Byleth enough room, he'd be able to get into this. Looking up at him while still blowing him, she saw that Byleth was struggling to regain some shred of lucidity.

Dragging her tongue up, she gave him another wink. "Oh, you're so cute, Byleth. I don't think words can describe it." While she spoke, she used her fingers to pump him. Every few seconds, he looked about to speak, but the waves of pleasure she was hitting him with were too much. "That cute face of yours…completely at a loss for words. I never would have pictured such a thing the first time I meant you. All I could thank about was your charming smile."

"P-P-Palutena," He whimpered. "T-T-This…I-I've…I've never felt this way before. I-It…oooohhh…"

"It feels good, doesn't it?" She egged on. Her pumping of his member grew faster. Palutena felt the veins and growing hardness in her hand. She was sure if she kept on going, he'd cum, shooting his essence right into her face. Such a lewd and explicit thing to do to a goddess. Her heart jumped for joy at the prospect. Swerving her eyes back to his tip, she leaned down and pecked it with her pink lips. Byleth let out a sudden but fierce yelp. "You're liking this, aren't you, Byleth?"

"Y-Yes." He groaned.

"Yes, what, darling?" The goddess asked again. This time, her lips gave his tip a long and sensual kiss. Byleth's deep groan was loud in her ears. There was a pulse in his member, a potential prelude to his cumming, yet he managed to hold it back. Palutena looked back up at him, still pumping his member. "Yes, what…Byleth?"

"Yes, I'm…I'm…I'm enjoying this, I'm loving this, Palutena." It took him a couple of tries, but he finally got the words, out. They were exactly what Palutena wanted to hear.

Which was exactly why she took nearly the whole of his member back into her mouth. She sucked his cock with gusto, making Byleth squeeze his eyes shut. The pulse came back, faster and harder than ever.

Gripping the sheets, Byleth looked straight up at the white ceiling, then back down at the goddess between his legs. He only had one thought, Amazing. After that, he let go, opening his mouth and screaming seemingly louder than he ever had in his life. "Palutena~!"

The Ashen demon came, shooting his semen straight into the goddess' mouth. She felt immediate satisfaction, the likes of which she'd long since forgotten. The sweet white juices that rushed down her throat tasted amazing, infinitely better than any divine wine or ambrosia that she'd ever tasted. Palutena immediately wanted more of it, even as her throat was floated with the white substance. She could hear herself moaning in bliss as she gulfed it down. In addition to that, the goddess was keenly aware of a tingling between her legs.

As Byleth came, the Goddess of Light envisioned him making her do the same, and even what it would feel like to have his member inside of her. She acted on the lewd thoughts, further enveloping the warrior's erupting member. Her actions resulted in a second surge, further delighting her taste buds.

"Mmmmmmhh~!" Palutena moaned in adoration of her new favorite beverage.

By the time he regained some sense of composure, Byleth was pretty sure he could feel tears streaming down his face. He wasn't a man who often shed tears of joy, but there were those rare moments. Experiencing his first orgasm at the hand (tongue) of a beautiful woman was certainly one of those. Wiping some of those tears away, Byleth raised his hand and looked straight down. His jaw dropped at the curtain of emerald green nestled between his legs. His sharp ears heard the undeniably explicit sound of Palutena continuing to suck his cock. Just as he attempted to call out to her, another orgasm ripped through him. His hips involuntarily shot upward, thrusting his member deeper into her mouth.

The goddess openly enjoyed the third series of shots cum shots that blasted her mouth. He could definitely feel her vaginal lips tingling in hot anticipation. While they did so, her stomach was filled with the delicious masculine nectar of the Ashen Demon.

For what might have been the final time, Byleth squeezed his eyes shut and thrusted his hips forward. Finally, he was consciously participating, shooting one final concentrated burst of cum into the goddess' mouth. She again moaned in evident delight at his final move.

Palutena kept her lips fastened to his cock until almost all of his load had bee blasted into her. Twin streams of cum dribbled down her lips when she pulled from his tip. Byleth's heart skipped a beat as his cock tasted open air. It was a surreal feeling that left him feeling like he was floating in open water. A bright sun and warm winds soothed his body, the former growing even brighter as he saw Palutena's smile. She was smiling at him, swallowing the cum in her mouth.

"You taste absolutely great, Byleth." She said. The question had been building in his mind, and just like that it was answered.

He, of course, blushed bright red. "I-I-I'm…happy to hear that, Palutena." Byleth searched his vocabulary on what else to say, feeling he should have said something a little more grandiose. Palutena politely shot him down with her feminine giggles. "I…really enjoyed that, I enjoyed that a whole lot, Palutena."

Her tongue moved about in a circular motion, lapping up the cum that had ended up on her face. Byleth saw it and gelt his member actually twitch in eagerness. What strength he'd felt he'd expended was suddenly back in full force. He sat upright, eyes deadest on Palutena.

The goddess basked in the lustful stare that her swordsman lover was giving her. She rose to her feet, having cleaned off all of the cum on her face. All she did was stare and pant at the combat instructor. This was a quiet little intermission that both of them were quietly delighting in.

Palutena was the first to break it. "Byleth," she whispered while leaning toward him, actually crawling. She shuddered feeling his arms encircle her waist and bring her down for a kiss. They both threw themselves into it without hesitation. The two of them went at the kiss for seemingly hours. "You deserve to taste heaven's splendor." She gasped upon separation.

"Can I drink my fill?" Came his immediate response.

Aroused by the hunger look in his eyes, she humped him, feeling his naked and wet cock against her cloth-covered form. "Oh, by the gods, yes you may, my dear savior."

Byleth gave her a small grin. It wasn't wide and boastful, but subtle and enticing. In the next breath, he flipped them over, now looming above her as he had before. This time though, he was entirely naked, his exposed body radiating a sensually heat that called out to Palutena. It could easily burn her dress to cinders. Palutena happily waited for that to happen, feeling that each second it didn't was pure torture. Sweet relief came with the touch of Byleth's hands against her bare skin, first her shoulders, then her arms.

"J-J-Just tear it all off. I-I-I have many more!" The goddess yelled.

At first caught off-guard by her outburst, Byleth eventually chuckled. His amused laughter caused Palutena to blush. "I'm sure you do, and believe me, a part of me wants to." She looked ready to ask what was stopping him, but he stopped her with a kiss. It was quick but filled with passion. Palutena whined when he pulled away. "I want to do that, but I…want to be just a little more gentlemanly about this. Hehehe, as much as a guy like me can."

Palutena's eyes widened in surprise at first, then she too was laughing. "Oh, Byleth! You never cease to surprise me with how good you are!" She brought him into a quick kiss that ended with her cradling his cheek. "You know, I may one day get you to break. You do after all have an inner dragon in you."

"Yes, I do, and it's about to come out." His hands moved like lighting. One minute, he was within breathing distance of her, and the next he was kneeling up, her night gown folded up and dropped to the ground. "They're…" He trailed off, the crimson taint of his cheeks seemingly too much for him to continue speaking.

Giggling, Palutena pushed her bra-covered breasts upward. "Perfect? Heavenly?" he nodded, causing her to burst into laughter. "Of course they are! They belong to the sexiest goddess in Skyland!"

"And the Smashverse." Byleth impulsively said. The next thing he knew, Palutena's lips were on his, quite aggressively at that. He was more than happy to engage her in the new kiss. A few seconds after it began, his hands started moving up her back, fishing for the clasps of her bra. He'd heard that this could be one of the most frustrating parts of sex. Luck was with him though as he found the clasp and undid it. Seemingly sensing that, Palutena pulled away and laid back, letting him remove her white bra and see her massive breasts I full.

She again giggled at the sight of her naked chest. "I always like that you speak your mind, Byleth." Putting both hands behind her head, she puffed out her chest causing her boobs to bounce a little. "Well? Come on, don't be shy. You've earned this and I've longed for a man's touch."

His eyes told her he was going to provide that for her, in spades. Palutena shivered with anticipation for the entire few seconds that it took him to kiss her tits. Once she felt his warm lips on her right-side peak, she let out a hot moan. His lips struck her like a bolt of lightning from Zeus himself. She felt the invigorative lightning rushing through her. The goddess felt her back arching off the bed and remaining so thanks to Byleth's tongue and lips. The lighting bolt had continued to strike her, still sending its erotic jolts across her body. Palutena's legs curled then stretched out and her hands eagerly clawed at the bed sheets beside her.

"Oooohh! B-B-Byleth, p-please, m-more! By the gods, more~" Panted the green-haired woman when the blue-haired man suddenly pulled away from her tit. She felt like a vital piece of her was missing and desperately wanted it back. Locking eyes with Byleth, she saw the sliver of amusement in his eyes. His sassy nature wasn't far behind in their late-night coupling. Thankfully, nor was his attentiveness. "Yesssss~" Palutena cried feeling his mouth back on her tit. It was abided by his fingers twisting and squeezing her left-side nipple. Now mouth her mounds were receiving the attention that they deserved, and it felt great.

After seemingly several minutes of suckling her right-side tit, Byleth switched over to her left. It was already bright and red from his fingers working on it. The goddess let out another hot shout as his mouth made contact with it. In the absence of his mouth, Byleth raised his left hand and squeezed Plautena's now free right breast.

"Byleeeeth!" Palutena suddenly shouted. He'd hit the right nerve on her left nipple. She could feel her body going completely haywire and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. The swordsman hit that right nerve again while pinching her right tit. Palutena dug deeper into the bedsheets, squeezing her eyes and feeling new tears of ecstasy begin to accumulate in her eyes. "Aaaaahhh, yesssss…oooohhh, yessss." She purred.

"I can smell how wet you are, Palutena." He whispered having suddenly broke from her tit. His mouth was back on her right breast, his tongue moving across it and his teeth biting down. The goddess finally found the strength to open her eyes and keep them open, just long enough to look down at the blue mass of hair on her chest. Her hands reached out to feel his dark blue strands. Byleth let her feel them for several minutes before he tore his lips away from her chest.

Palutena's voice became nothing but quick pants and moans as the former mercenary moved his lips down her abdomen. The familiar sense of anticipation found her again. A shiver rocked her body when she felt Byleth's cool breath on her undies-covered pussy. She had half a mind to order him to get going immediately when his voice reached her ears.

"You're soaking wet, Palutena. I must say, this is the first time that I've seen such a horny goddess."

How in Zeus' name did het get his voice to sound that sexy?

Gathering the shatters shards of self-control, Palutena lifted her head up and looked down at him. "And are you going to leave such a goddess waiting, Byleth?" His voice was arousing, but so too was hers.

"No." Came his simple response, that fierce determination burning in his eyes. She brought her legs together so he could easily remove her white undies. Palutena had no doubt that Byleth was right, she probably was soaking wet. "Beautiful." She heard him say as she spread her legs out once free of her final article of clothing.

The tested professor stared in awe at the womanly silt before him. A well-trimmed patch of green hair sat above the leaking hole which silently beckoned to him. Byleth couldn't ignore it any longer, he dove straight int, burying his face in the goddess' pussy.

"Yessssss~ Ooooohhh yeeaaaaaahhh~ That's it, Byleth! Just like that, use that tongue of yours!" That was definitely some encouragement, and an indicator that his first strike had been a success.

He was intoxicated and addicted, Byleth realized that within the first five seconds of embracing Palutena's vaginal lips. The smell of them, their taste, the white-hot pulse that raced through the both of them as he ate her out, Byleth loved it all and wanted more of it. His tongue pushed deep into her womanly hole causing her to let out a fierce cry of bliss. Ignoring the twitching of his cock he pushed deeper, lapping up the pre-cum that had spilled from her folds while slathering them in his own saliva. He felt an energetic, near possessive urge to explore her inner walls in ways that had never been done before, and would never be replicated. The goddess cried out for more, and he was more than happy to give her more. He quickly lost count of the time and simply focused on Palutena.

She too had become detached from the flow of time, panting and shouting as her pussy was given amorous affection that it had been sorely needing. Self-pleasure could never hold a candle to real intimacy, and especially when the romantic partner was as skilled and devoted as Byleth. Palutena could have sworn she felt the silent yet fierce devotion he was capable of being channeled into his mouth. From the depths of his soul, he was giving it his all in making love to her.

"B-By…Byleth," Came her whispering voice. Unable to contain herself, she wrapped both of her legs around his head. He responded by pushing his tongue in deeper and gently holding her legs with his hands. "Oooooohhh!" Yelled the Goddess of Light. She could see dozens of stars coming into form when she popped her eyes open; it was never more than a few seconds, such was the bliss that Byleth was providing her with. It was so incredible that she'd practically forgotten that sex could feel this good.

Seconds turned to minutes, and those minutes seemingly turned into hours. Honestly, neither of them had any idea how long they went at it. Neither Byleth nor Palutena cared though. In their current state, the sun could have been rising above the horizon and neither of them would have noticed, or stopped.

The combat professor felt like his hand was being squeezed, yet instead of pain he found only pleasure from the sensation. Palutena's creamy legs were tightening around his head. While he'd been headlocks before, he'd never been in something quite like this. His comrades had told him that when he found himself in "that kind of headlock", he'd want it to last forever. As the ruler of Sky World continuously squeezed his head, moaning his name and shouting for him to continue, he truly understood what they meant. Byleth didn't want this to end, the squeeze of Palutena's thighs nor the tightening of her pussy around his tongue. Her howling cries perfectly aligned with his tongue, thoroughly excavating her pussy.

Byleth knew that she was going to cum soon from the way her body tense. The squeezes from her lower half were growing tighter and tighter, her voice louder and more untethered. With that realization came a smug and heartfelt sense of pride. He was about to make a woman cum, Byleth realized that there really was something to be proud in that act. Plus, it was so incredibly amazing to experience.

"Byleth~!"

A split second before she came, Byleth pulled back and opened his mouth. It was a purely instinctive move, but one that left him better prepared for the goddess' juices as they surged from her pussy. The divine title wave splashed right against his face and down his throat. He gulped it all down as the goddess continued to howl into the night.

Palutena had felt her orgasm coming. It was like a meteor heading straight for her, hitting her before she could do a thing about it, or rather she chose not to do anything about it. The force of the impact had her seeing stars and her body tingling in ways that she'd long forgotten. Pure bliss and relief enveloped her from head to toe, but especially between her legs. She felt her juices streaming out of her, and Byleth's mouth was right there to lick them all up. The gulping sound told her that she could have cum enough to fill the sea and he'd take all of her juices. Letting out a hearty laugh, she looked down, her heart leaping in her chest at the familiar blue mass of hair between her legs. Palutena relaxed her grip somewhat now that she'd came.

Nothing seemingly changed for Byleth, he kept on lamping up the juices from her overflowing pussy. It was an erotic sight that Palutena watched like a theater performance; she wouldn't mind an encore show.

The only sound in the room was the quiet hum of the wind and Byleth's tongue and her occasional moans. While he was licking up her cum, the former mercenary occasionally poked his tongue into her pussy. From time to time, he'd hit just the right spot and have Palutena releasing a quick but intense moan. Her eyes slid shut and her head rested against the pillows. With a shake of her hips, she gave him the indication to keep his actions goings. Like the devoted and caring man he was, Byleth did exactly that.

Her first orgasm had been mind-blowing and her second was no less so. Palutena's back arched and a new river of cum burst from her loins right into Byleth's tongue. The bottomless pit of his stomach received a second load of her divine essence. Palutena was more than happy to give it to him; she was confident that whenever they ended for good, he'd be left satisfied.

Numerous colored stars danced in her eyes as she turned her head to the side. It was still night out and the stars were still shining, perhaps a little brighter thanks to their new additions. Palutena took a breath, catching some of the cool nightly air. Intermixed with it was the hot and intoxicating smell of sweat and cum. She never thought that such an odor could be so delightful. Likewise, she never thought that the color blue could bring her such warmth.

Turning back to her right side, she saw Byleth lying beside her, equally naked and smiling.

"You tasted amazing, Palutena. Thanks to you, I know what Ambrosia really tastes like." He said with a smile that raised the temperature between them.

The goddess howled with laughter while bringing the swordsman in close for a hug. "I don't know how you maintain such honest when you're saying corny lines like that. Still, it is the true. Now you know what the true nectar of the gods taste like." She said after several minutes of intense kissing. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Byleth, because you're going to be getting more chances to savor it in this dimension. Speaking of which…it's time I showed you the final level of heaven."

Catching the glint in her eyes, he prepared himself for her next move. That turned out to be rolling him onto his backside while she sat above him. Her right hand went to his cock, slowly teasing it. It'd already been regaining some of its former hardness, the intense make out they just had practically supercharged it. Now, Palutena was making sure it was at its full density.

"Palutena," he whispered, feeling heart-pounding anticipation at what was about to happen.

She'd already raised her hips so that her pussy loomed above his member. Her bright green eyes connected with his blue eyes. "You've earned this sheathing, Byleth, easily a hundred times over." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hands moving to her hips as she brought herself down. "Aaaaahhh."

"Aaaaahhh!" He moaned alongside her. "S-S-So…so tight and…warm. P-P-Palutena…Palutena!" She was already bouncing on his member, her vaginal walls squeezing around it and sending hundreds of bolts of euphoria into him. Byleth was overwhelmed. His hands dug into the flesh of her sides and his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to cope with it all. Palutena didn't let up, even as she beckoned to him. Feeling her warm lips on his, he opened his eyes and found the goddess' face so close to his. Without another thought, he returned the kiss, his body followed through with a single upward thrust.

"Mmmmm~!" The goddess moaned. Her savior's lips on hers and his cock in her pussy, it was carnal euphoria the likes of which she'd been longing for. One thrust turned into two and then multiplied into dozens of others. Still holding his hand when they separated, she grinned at him. "You're such a natural at this, Byleth."

"Apparently so, you're so happy about it, aren't you?" He coyly asked back. Within minutes, he'd found a rhythm and was now thrusting into the goddess with gusto.

Her deepening grin showed how deeply she enjoyed it. "By the heavens, yes, I am!" She practically slammed her lips against his; Byleth didn't seem to mind though. Even while kissing him, she continued to rock her hips against his. Every second she felt his massive girth filling her up and setting her blaze. The heat was greater even than Dynos' forge. His cock was the hammer that was giving her pussy new form. "Byleeeethh! Yessss! Right there, oooohhh!

"Gaaaaaahhh!" Byleth didn't know if he really was a natural at sex, he was just doing what he felt what he had to, no, what he wanted to do. The woman atop of him was a person he wanted to cherish and love and he wanted to show her how much of that he meant. Her vaginal walls answered his actions with continuous massaging. His hands moved down her backside to her ass, the tips of her verdant hair tickled his fingers. He squeezed hard on them, using them as leverage to deliver a powerful upward thrust.

"OOOOHHH! MORE~! COME ON, BYLETH, KEEP GOING!"

"I WILL, PALUTENA~! I'LL KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU CUM!"

The rush was familiar yet alien to him. Byleth had only ever experienced this sort of excitement in battle, yet he felt something fundamentally different about this. It was hot and exciting and incredible. Completely caught up in the feeling, he seized Palutena's lips while continuing to hammer her pussy. Her walls squeezed around his member and his penis throbbed.

Suddenly, the goddess ended the kiss by pushing him back down onto his backside. She loomed over him with a determined yet loving look. Quickly catching her drift, Byleth fastened his hands to her hips to keep her steady as she rode him.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

"OOOOOHHH!"

"BYLEEETTTTHHH! YOU COCK FEELS FUCKING AMAZINGGG!"

"SO DOES YOUR PUSSY, PALTUENA! THIS IS…I…I CAN'T DESCRIBE IT!"

Her walls were trying their hardest to pulverize his cock, yet it wouldn't quit, he wouldn't quit. The throbbing continuing in quantity and intensity. Byleth recognized the feeling and gnashed his teeth. The roar of his Crest Stone heart mixed with his primal grunts, Palutena's screams, and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. He subconsciously increased the speed of his thrusts, feeling the bed beneath them rocking.

"BYLETH~!"

"CUM! PALUTENA, I-I CAN FEEL IT! I'M GOING TO-AAAAAAHH~!"

It was actually impressive how she raised and lowered herself against him so fast. Byleth felt himself on the verge of cumming, but at the least second he held tightly onto it. He looked straight up into the emerald eyes of the light goddess. Her seductive yet loving smile made his organic and stony hearts feel like they were on the verge of imploding. In the short vacuum that they suddenly found themselves in, the goddess whispered one thing to him.

Let it all out, my loving warrior. Take me, Byleth as I take you.

He raised her up, and then brought her straight down. His cock throbbed and her walls trembled before coming crashing down on him.

"PALUTEEEENAAAA!"

"BYLEEEETHHH!"

Humanity tinged with divinity finally connected with full-on divinity, mixing together into a harmonious union. The souls of the divine warrior and the goddess were drawn into it, meeting at the center where they held each other. Sweet serenity enveloped them just as much as they did each other. Both wore joyous smiles as the mixture continued, uninterrupted and seemingly everlasting.

The goddess fell forward, breathing hard into the crux of the professor's neck. His hands moved from her ass, which he'd left an imprint on, to her waist to hold her against him. Byleth's member continued to shoot thick ropes of cum into Palutena's pussy; she could feel the shock wave from each one, even though her body was near totally numb with ecstasy. Her walls were filled to the brim leaving her cum and Byleth's no choice but to push outward. At least that which wasn't swirling around in her womb.

Neither of them knew how long it'd been since their joint orgasm, but it was long enough for at least one of them to regain some energy.

"Oooohh~" Palutena moaned feeling the movement of Byleth's sword in her pussy. The movement got her whole body tingling all over again. Pushing herself up, she looked down at the former mercenary.

Lifting his head up, he pecked her on the lips. "I hope you didn't think I'd be worn down after just one go."

Palutena's grin nearly split her face. She made sure the next kiss lasted much longer, and involved plenty of tongue.

Things moved in a blur from there. Palutena remembered kissing Byleth more and more with him kissing her back. In the midst of that, she ended up lying on her side with him behind her. Her already red cheeks flushed even more as she felt her left leg being raised up. Byleth's member poked at her entrance, teasing its insertion. He didn't move into her, only chuckle in amusement as she panted in his arms.

Finally having enough, she whipped her head around and encircled her arm around his neck. The kiss was brief but fiery, leaving both of them with red lips. Byleth didn't leave her waiting any longer.

"AAAAAAHHH~! YESSSSS~!"

"OOOOOHHHHH~!"

He immediately got the hang of this new position, wasting no time in thrusting straight into her. Byleth used one hand to keep her leg held up while the other coiled around her waist. Her body was continuously pressed against his and Palutena loved it. The raw heat his body radiated, like a searing hot bonfire that burned just for her. Byleth stooked the flame by reaching up and grabbing one of her breasts with his right hand.

"OOOOOOOHHH!"

"THIS FEELS…SO…AMAZING!"

"THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO FEEL, BYLETH!"

With her arm still hooked around him, she brought him in for a kiss. It was longer and steamer than their last. Only an inch stood between them when they broke apart. Their gazes never did though; their bodies continued to rock with each other in perfect tandem. The pair's erotic dance continued. They made the bed shake, albeit not as intensely as before. If they wanted to though, they probably could have made it tremble like a water-filled vase before an earthquake.

Both of their bodies were rocked by the nonstop quakes. They were sturdy, yet Byleth and Palutena couldn't shake the feeling they were nearing the end. A minute later and they were.

"BYLETH!"

"PALUTENA!"

The Avatar of Sothis shot his load straight up into the Goddess of Light's pussy for the second time. Doing it once was an achievement, but twice was practically a miracle. Kissing him, Palutena considered it a miracle that she'd met such an incredible man. Likewise, Byleth believed miracle was the only way to describe how he'd ended up at this point in life. He was quite happy for it.

In the aftermath of their final orgasm, the two held one another, panting into each other's faces. Palutena eventually buried hers into the crux of Byleth's shoulder.

"Like I said," she whispered. "You're a hero and a good man, Byleth. One that suits all my tastes so...I took a chance."

"So did I in letting in this close. This is the first time I've ever…done anything like this." Palutena looked away and giggled at him. Her left hand rose and caressed his gentle face. "Palutena," he whispered.

"For the rest of our time here…will you be mine? Byleth, I know that we're literally from two different worlds, but I want to make what we have now work. I swear to you I'll give you my best."

His hand moved up her green hair to the back of her head. Palutena felt a fiery shiver racing through her. It was only by the thinnest margin that she managed to hold herself back from kissing him again. If she did, she knew she wouldn't stop until she was on top of him and utterly dominating him. She didn't think Byleth would have a problem with that though, but she wanted to hear his declaration.

"Then I swear, Palutena, I'll give you my best, as a warrior, as a comrade…and as a lover." His words were soft as the nightly wind, but they carried such a strong force behind them, like that of a storm. A kind and gentle storm that Palutena knew she could wrap herself up in. She closed her eyes and allowed him to pull her closer. Their lips met in their last kiss of the night, a sweet and loving embrace.

They'd have another in the morning, and many more as the Ashen Demon and the Goddess of Light began their united stay in the World of Smash.

Fin

---

Almost two-thousand words. I was aiming for the ballpark of around fifteen-thousand or so like I normally do, but I went over that since I felt like I needed the buildup. Byleth and Palutena literally came from two different worlds and as far as personalities go, they're polar opposites. Still, the former's used to dealing with extravagant personalities and flirts thanks to Garreg Mach's residents, teacher and student alike. I like to think Byleth not falling for Palutena's earlier charms would be something of a turn on for her and lead her to pursuing him even more…then her charms start working.

Palutena knowing Sothis is pure headcanon. Given the…over the top nature of Kid Icarus and the vague implications Sothis may have traveled to other worlds (Heroes) I decided to roll with the idea. Had I gone with Link instead of Byleth, I'd have written her knowing Din, Naryu, and Farore. Even less is known about those three in Zelda mythology so that's another blank check I can use. It's fun to me to imagine Palutena knowing gods from different mythologies, even across dimensions. While she doesn't know everything about Sothis, but she knows a lot, enough to tempt Byleth. On the flipside, she's not quite caught up on the current state of the Nabateans (*cough* endangered *cough*).

As a lover of fantasy and mythology, I had a lot of fun writing a short love story between a goddess and a warrior, one who's linked to the divine. Byleth's connection to Sothis was something I used to bring Palutena closer to Byleth until they could hold a relationship on their own. Speaking of Sothis, it was a little difficult thinking of ways to drop her in without making her too distracting. In potential sequel stories it would be fun to write interactions between her and Palutena. Pretty sure it'd be snark-to-snark combat with Byleth caught between them.

Let me know what your thoughts were on this story! It's been a long time coming and I'm glad I was finally able to post it! Crossing my fingers one day there'll be another Kid Icarus game, hopefully on the Switch.