Onward to Our Future

by Cosmic Sky

The future was often an uncertain and chaotic thing, even with the presence of powers beyond human understanding. Lucina had been born into a dark one, yet dreamed of a better one. Kiran did too, even if now it wasn't quite the one he always thought of. The futures they dreamed of weren't so different because they were one in the same. They'd walk toward it together.

Hey, everyone. Welcome to number three in my Heroes lemon series. The lucky girl this time will be another fan-favorite and franchise poster girl, or even console poster girl considering her appearances in Smash. That's right, Fire Emblem's blue-haired Falchion-wielding Trunks, Lucina! Oh, and Chrom's daughter. Sitting on that, I decided to bump Lucina up and have a theme of past, present, the future, and some romantic fluff leading to some intimate embraces. I'll come right out and say that this chapter is going to have some background couples, namely Chrom and his to-be-mentioned wife and thus Lucina's mother, and her uncle (Lissa's husband) and some mentions of the extended Ylisse Royal family and so forth. You get the idea. Now that you know all that and are interested, read on and I hope you enjoy!

I do not own anything.

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Onward to Our Futures

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"…Heheheh…"

Lucina's brow knotted. "Summoner, what is it that you find funny?"

"I just find it funny that for someone so scared by bugs, you can look awfully fascinated by them." Responded the black-haired youth. His words hit home as their effect was immediate. Lucina's face lit up with embarrassment. Kiran grinned. Spreading his fingers, he concentrated, collecting mana within him then picturing the final shape in his mind. It took a little bit of work, but his success materialized in front of his palm. The princess of Ylisse shrieked as mystical light particles shaped themselves into a palm-sized pincer beetle, its trademark pincers snapping. Kiran funneled a little more magic into the projection causing it to grow. Though Lucina's shriek wasn't as loud as before, it was audible none the less. "Wanna see me make it bigger? Like the size of a table?"

"Summoner!" She screeched again.

Cackling, he dispelled the light-borne projection, nearly doubling over as he did so. Kiran continued to laugh as he felt Lucina's incited glare attempting to bore into him. When he looked up, he couldn't help but laugh again. Her glare was undermined by the blush she had on her face; it only made him continue laughing, perhaps even a little harder than he had before.

"This isn't funny!" She shouted, sounding a lot more like an embarrassed teenager than the warrior princess he'd gotten to know her as. The former was exactly what she was.

As Kiran raised his head to look at her, he quietly basked in that new change. Lucina looked so much brighter and even happier despite her trembling. Maybe it was because for the first week he'd known her, she'd been…hardened, guarded. Not exactly approachable, but in the two weeks since then he'd seen past that guarded expression to the person beneath.

Kind, selfless, a bit socially awkward, and actually a little cute when she was being socially awkward. Oh, and even now when she was freaking out over a projection of a tiny insect.

Man, she'd definitely probably outright faint if I tried to get her to watch "District 9", the Prongs would freak her out too much. Wonder if "A Bug's Life" would help her out or scare her too. The idea of the girl in front of him freaking out over one of the most mundane but cute animated movies he'd ever seen was hilarious to him. He was already laughing, but the thought had him nearly doubling over. It affected his concentration as his light-based projection faltered.

That was Lucina's perfect chance to hit him, or simply walk away. Instead of doing either of those things she simply stared at him with a pouty face. Looking back up at it made Kiran further realize how cute the princess looked when she was…unguarded. In retrospect, that probably wasn't a good thing since they were on a mission heading into enemy territory.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Seriously, I am. It's just…well…"

"It is embarrassing I know. I am not proud of it." Lucina declared. It sounded like she was trying to salvage what was left of her dignity while she could. Kiran thought it was nice how she was trying to look dignified in front of him instead of berating him for scaring her. "It's just…I've…never liked bugs. I suppose it's a trait I inherited from my mother, who feels the same way, as does my brother. Only my father seems free of this accursed fear."

"Insectophobia." The black-haired gunman spoke. Lucina simply stared at him making him chuckle again. "Fear of bugs."

Lucina looked away with a sheepish sigh again. "I…feel foolish for not realizing that. Insectophobia, yes, that is an appropriate name."

"How's about entomophobia?" Her confused face gave way to a tiny smile. "Yeah, thought so. The first one's a lot easier to say and identify."

They started walking again, sunlight peaking at them through the thick canopy of trees above their heads. In doing so they provided quite a bit of shade to the pair as they made their way down the uncharted path. Secret routes deep into enemy territory typically went unmarked, at least not until the mission was over with, and hopefully successful. It was a funny thing for Kiran to think about, words like "enemy territory" and "mission" weren't the kind he ever thought he'd describe an undertaking. At least one that involved matters of life and death such as this one, and those that came before it…and would come after.

Kiran thought about the "after" of this mission, it'd hopefully be a return to headquarters where he could rest and tinker some more. And then another mission of equal or greater danger than this one, followed by another. Just as the greenery around them seemed to stretch onward into infinity, Kiran felt like his tenure as a warrior of the Order of Heroes would stretch on into eternity.

He remembered how once he panicked at that thought, fear rising up and sinking its fangs into him, spreading its poison. If it hadn't been for Sharena then he'd have likely broken there. She hadn't been there the next time though…and there hadn't been a reason to because he'd risen up above the fear himself. The long road that lay ahead of him didn't frighten him, not anymore.

"-ran?"

Blinking, he looked to the blue-haired girl who'd been his partner over the last day. The second he met Lucina's eyes, she looked away. "Lucina? What's up? Sorry, I was spacing out there for a second, but I'm here now."

"I know, just making sure of that, and that you're not playing around with anymore bugs." Came her response.

He knew that she was dodging the question, trying to hide what she'd been trying to ask him. Kiran briefly thought about badgering her to get it, but an opportunity presented itself to him. "Those were just projections, imagine me playing around with a real bug. There's plenty here." The former college student declared with a grin.

Lucina shivered, then whipped her head back to the front. "Kiran! We're on a mission! Please, try to stay focus!"

"Got it." He could think of several guys in his position who'd have attached a sarcastic "yes, princess" or "your highness" onto the end. Kiran never thought of that with Lucina, he'd learned that she was one of the royals who didn't enforce formality. She saw herself as his subordinate…and most importantly his comrade. That said, she acknowledged him as the strategist between the two of them. That was funny to think about considering that she was the one who spent her life fighting, fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic hellscape.

Every time he looked at her, he found that fact hard to grasp, but then little things came along and reminded him of her origins. That showed itself in moments like now.

Even though they were on their way to an Embla outpost teeming with enemy soldiers she was enjoying the journey. The outpost lay deep within a bright and life-filled forest, the latter of which they couldn't help but take notice of. Said life included dozens of insects, which terrified the blue-haired princess…yet they also fascinated her. Even when she froze and stared at some in terror, he saw no small amount of awe and fascination in her eyes. Then there were the plants. Even back when he first summoned her Kiran saw how she would stop and marvel at the grass, flowers, and trees around them. Once he learned of her origins, he could understand why.

Eight times out of ten, post-apocalyptic worlds were lacking on plant life. Sometimes that depended on precisely what sort of apocalypse in question had ravaged the world. He wasn't surprised to learn Grima, the Fell Dragon, had scoured the planet of life, animal, human, and certainly plant life. To her credit, the plant life of the world of Zenith could leave even him speechless, not that he was an expert on plants. Machines were his expertise.

We're pretty opposites, but here we are working together…again. And pretty well at that. This was their third mission together, just the two of the, for a time anyway. If they managed to take this outpost then they'd provide another foothold for Askr. The war effort was depending on them.

He felt himself stop, his legs temporarily shaking. It was momentary, but Kiran felt it. Seconds later he inhaled through his nose, taking in the numerous scents that the forest held in its air. It was invigorating and relaxing.

Upon opening his eyes, he found himself looking straight into Lucina's cobalt blue. He would have jumped if he wasn't so enticed by them. It wasn't just their shade, there was just…something else about them that caught his interest. Maybe it was the genuine concern she always showed for him when she looked at him like she was doing now.

He shook when he felt her hand reach out and take hold of his. Kiran regretted wearing gloves, though she was also wearing her own fingerless gloves herself. "You were…nervous."

Rather than reject her analysis or try to play it cool, he simply sighed. "Yeah, you hit the nail on the head. I am. I'm…not new to this, but in a way, I still sort of am. That feels stupid since I've been at this for going on two months by now. I've seen more death in those two months than I ever thought I would in a lifetime."

"More than you ever thought you would." Lucina gently corrected. His eyes briefly widened in surprise before closing, he nodded in agreement with her. Once again, the blue-haired princess was right. "I know it's difficult…and I know it's hard to think about facing more of it, but…it will end one day."

Out of sheer impulse he squeezed her hand. She wasn't put off by the sudden move; Lucina instead wrapping up his right hand in both of hers.

"This mission, dangerous as it may be, will bring us one step closer to doing that."

"I always imagined soldiers telling themselves and their commands that when I was learning about wars in history class. Never thought I'd be in that scenario myself." His eyes slid shut and remained so. Thanks to his ironically white hood, the sunlight couldn't reach him. Kiran could truly feel himself alone in the darkness. "Like I said, I've been at this for almost two months, but…sometimes it just freezes me up. Everything I've done, everything I'm doing, and the things I'm going to keep on doing in the future. It's not easy, but like you said, if it'll bring the war closer to being over…I've got to soldier on through it."

"Doing that isn't easy, trust me, I know. It isn't easy…but it's doable, especially when you have people beside you."

Kiran could have sworn he saw something flicker in her eyes. There was something she wanted to say, or even do, perhaps to drive her point home. Whatever it was, she refrained from it. Ultimately, her words of confidence were enough for him.

"Considering I'm drawing from a literal multiverse; I think I've got that last part covered. In spades." His smile induced one in her. Yet again, Kiran found himself…drawn to the princess' smile. For starters, she actually looked like a princess.

"By any chance…would that happen to include me?" She blatantly yet happily asked.

"Heh, that goes without saying. I'm…glad that I met you, Lucina, and I'm happy that I'm on this mission with you. You're a…you're a good partner, Lucina." The sense of sandpaper in his mouth…Kiran couldn't help but worry about it. He'd gotten used to putting a picture together from small pieces, no matter how small. In the back of his mind, he had a feeling he knew what this little piece was.

At least he could openly admit to himself that Lucina was a beautiful-looking girl, be it in calm moments like this or when she was swinging her sword. Once he made the opening shot, she was going to be doing a lot of that. As for him, well, he'd be covering her as he always did. He did have a promise to keep to her father after all.

---

"Damn, beautiful place. Really makes me hope we can make it through this without having to wreck the place. Either that or I wish I had a camera."

"Cam…era?"

Smiling from beneath his hood, the Summoner held his hands out to create another light projection. Thankfully, it wasn't a bug, or even a living creature. Instead, it was some…contraption that she'd never seen before. Despite the situation brewing before them she was utterly fascinated by it.

"This is a camera, the first one was invented in 1816 by a Frenchman named Joseph Nicé-"

"France is…the Euro…pean country with the…snails, correct?"

His projection faltered as he obviously struggled to hold in his laughter. "Yeah, that one. Anyways, what a camera does is it takes pictures, photographs. That way, you can memorialize what a special sight forever. Heh, or at least until the picture fades. Don't worry though, good pictures take a long time to do that."

"Almost like memories." Lucina found herself saying. Once more, she found herself enthralled with Kiran's talk of the future, of the so-called "modern" world that he came from. They had so many incredible inventions that boggled and fascinated the mind. "So, these…cameras can take pictures of what they see?"

"Yep, that's the general idea. Back when they were first invented, they couldn't use that much light, so it took hours for photos to develop. That means the picture fully manifests. Nowadays though, you can get a picture near immediately…provided you're using a digital camera, which are my favorite."

The affection in his voice was obvious. She'd noticed it was always there when he spoke of the technology of his modern era. Kiran had described himself as an aspiring technician, or was it mechanic? Frankly, Lucina wondered what the difference was. As far as she was concerned, he was an inventor with a scholarly side. She rather enjoyed listening to him talk; in turn, it tended to set her imagination ablaze.

"Kiran," she called. "Is there…limit to the…scenes that a camera can take?"

"Depends on the camera." He immediately responded. "There's dozens of different types of cameras, composed of different parts. You know, there's even cameras powerful enough to take pictures of images in space, that's how the solar system gets mapped out."

"Space…the dominion of the stars. You mean that cameras can capture images that far away, beyond the stars?" Lucina asked in bewilderment.

"Yep. Pretty spectacular, huh?" He affirmed with a proud grin. "Cameras are awesome inventions. Like I said, they…they're how you can memorialize so some worthwhile sights. Just like the one we're looking at now."

Together, they looked back over the cliffside to the forested valley beneath them. Once upon a time it may have been populated as evident by the numerous buildings, but those buildings were now overrun with greenery. Nature had long-since reclaimed it to create a beautiful sight. Trees sprouted from abandoned huts, once homes and flowers completely overran what had once been individual gardens. The previous home owners might have been quite happy to have such vibrate flowers growing all around them. Of course, it would have been hard to tell where one person's yard ended and another's began.

The people currently down in the valley though weren't interested in gardening though. At the very least they hadn't completely disturbed the flowers in their quest to take back the village, turning it into a military outpost. In doing so, some of the greenery had to be torn away, but from what Lucina and Kiran could see the process was ongoing. This outpost had only recently been reclaimed by the forces of Embla. Their mission was to ensure that process never reached completion.

There were others who could have taken on this mission, those more suited to stealth. Lucina didn't look it, but she fit that category herself. She was a very direct person, but she was absolutely no slouch in the arts of stealth. Fighting the Risen had sometimes required a more shadowy approach than a direct one; sometimes it wasn't just the arisen dead but the mad cultists who supported the monstrosity that had raised them.

Inigo sometimes spoke to her about how…easy it was to kill living humans after killing so many undead. Lucina had seen the fear and heard the self-disgust in her brother's voice. She immediately moved to comfort him, telling him he wasn't a monster for having such feelings. He certainly couldn't be blamed for feeling no guilt in cutting down the Grimeleal who fanatically supported the Fell Dragon; Grima cared nothing for them, yet he happily welcomed their support in annihilating humanity. Ultimately, deep down…Lucina hadn't felt much guilt in cutting them down either. Instead, a part of her had relished it. These bastards continuously supported the monster who'd turned the world into hell. Who'd killed countless people, who continued to do so in their patron's name.

Maybe those negative feelings had paid a part in helping her perfect her stealthy ways. The way of the assassin was a dark path, her Uncle Gaius had told her, her mother had done the same. She admitted to him that it'd gotten…easier after the death of her father. The dancer had told her of a certain sorrow and anger that gave her the strength to do things she potentially couldn't do before. At the same time, she would hold her close and tell her she held a deep love for her and her brother that allowed her to push beyond her limits as well.

Gradually, she realized that sort of thinking could be applied to Kiran. Like her mother, like so many others she knew, he hadn't been a fighter. He certainly hadn't been born one, he'd became one through circumstances. It wasn't a pretty sight, even in the best of cases.

Looking back at him, she saw him having transformed one of his Breidablik into a new form. He called it a sniper rifle, apparently the future's version of bows, namely in the field of long-range marksmanship. Lucina remembered peaking through the scope; she was amazed at how far she could see through it, even through walls.

"Every time I look through that lens…a part of me is pants-wetting terrified. I don't wanna do it, but I know I have to. I know that I can't mess up."

Lucina knew that feeling all too well. She struggled with it every day of her life, and so did Inigo. Sometimes it was hard to tell between the two of them who had it worse, then again, did it really matter? At the end of the day, they both carried that burden and struggled to move forward despite it. Kiran was trying to do the same.

"Kiran," called the blue-haired swordswoman.

Beckoned by her voice, he turned to her, his eyes wide and his ears clearly open.

Having already made up her mind, she walked forward and placed her hands atop his. Lucina saw the immediate change in his demeanor. Her touch relaxed him, invigorated him. She was happy for that, quite happy.

"War is…never pretty, even if it's against fellow humans. It can be just as brutal, and ending it can be…sometimes it can feel nothing short of impossible. Every war has an end though." What she really wanted to say was every nightmare had an end. That was the more apt description for her world. She had to keep on telling everyone, including herself, that someday the nightmare would end. More often than not she worried if she was lying to everyone and herself.

There wasn't a trance of that uncertainty as she looked into the Summoner's brown eyes. She was firm, she was confident in her words, and she was determined to see the end of this latest war with him.

"We're going to make it to that end." The princess affirmed. "Both of us."

"I…I…I know, Lucina."

Her right hand rose, touching his cheek, caressing it. Lucina felt sparks dancing their way down her arm. She ignored the slight quicken of her heart son she could speak as plainly as possible to him. "It's not going to be easy…fighting…killing, but we can do it. We can push on through it to end this war, hopefully with as few casualties as possible."

"Well…here's hoping after getting their asses licked by the blue blur and the unseen marksman, they'll call it quits. I brought some rope for making sure they don't go anywhere." He offered with a smile that didn't feel forced.

"The blue blur?" Lucina repeated with a genuine smile of her own.

"Hey, it suits you, doesn't it? You're fast, so fast that sometimes all I can see is your blue hair and clothes. Granted…"

"I'm not as fast as a certain hedgehog? If only I were, I'd give anything for Sonic's speed."

He chuckled, finding amusement in the fact that the character he knew of as a "gaming" mascot actually existed somewhere in the multiverse. She was quite astonished herself to discover the strange and incredibly odd beings that existed in worlds beyond her own. Their immediate concern though was this world they were currently on.

"Alright, let's get to work. Once we take this outpost, we'll be able to send the signal to the rest of the army." A part of her was…saddened to remove her hand from his face. Lucina shoved that sadness deep down into the depths of her mind. The two of them had a mission to do, an important one, and it was of course going to be life-threatening. They make it through they were going to need their utmost focus.

As they looked back over the outpost, Kiran called out to her. She saw nothing short of unflinching resolve in his caramel eyes. "I've got your back, Lucina."

Spoken like a true Sniper. "I know you do." She responded with a smile.

While she quietly made her way down, sneaking into the formerly deserted town, Kiran remained up top on the cliffside. She knew he was there, like a constant presence that she could take solace in. In a sense, he reminded her of Noire; she was undoubtedly their best archer, and contrary to her personality, devoted to keeping them all alive. That said, Lucina felt something…different in regards to Kiran. Maybe it had something to do with the difference in the weaponry he wielded. Maybe it was something else entirely.

Regardless of what it was, she trusted him, and second by second, minute by minute, that trust was validated.

---

She was anxious. It was a feeling that Lucina was quite familiar with, just as familiar as she was with feelings of dread and despair. When she felt anxious it was because she saw a glimmer of light amidst the darkness of those things. Stretching out her hand, she was optimistic yet worried if that light would indeed be real or if it would flicker out of existence.

This wasn't one of those times. Life and death weren't on the line. Her anxiousness was rooted in excitement, which was a rarity.

"And…we're finished!" Proclaimed the Summoner of Askr.

The red lighting of the room was necessary to develop the photos. Apparently, such a thing wasn't a necessary with "up to date" photography technology, but Kiran had scrapped together what he could. Even that was fairly impressive to her and the rest of the Order. Especially those who fancied the color red.

Lucina stared at the now developed photos, each one hung up on numerous strings stretching across the room. Before she knew it, she was reaching for one, a photo of a flowery hillside that had caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kiran smiling at her, nodding at her. Unclipping it from its hanger she held it in her hand and turned it over several times.

"Incredible, simply…incredible. It really is exactly as I saw it." She whispered. Even with the red tint of the room, the details were indeed a perfect match for that hilltop that had caught her attention. Her wish to have it memorialized had been granted, and she owed it all to Kiran.

He stood two feet from her with a proud and well-deserved smile on his face. "The beauty of photography, now an actual thing in the World of Zenith."

"Thanks to you." Lucina remarked.

"Thanks to us." Kiran corrected. "Out of everyone in the Order, you've pushed for photography the most."

"Do you…think that's a little strange?"

"Nope, in fact, it never surprised me how interested you were in photography." It looked like that was the end of his statement, but Lucina could tell that there was more he wanted to say. She looked at him and silently asked him to elaborate, she could take it. "A lot of people here have…seen some terrible things. In your case…you've seen nothing but that, coming from a post-apocalyptic world. You don't know what the world looks like when it's not hell, what it…that the world can be beautiful. Once I realized that, I…kind of figured you'd take to photography." He reached forward and took hold of a picture of a meadow. Lucina remembered it, she remembered how transfixed she was by it to the point her father had to politely intervene to get her to move along. "The world…any world can be a cool place, if not your own then…worlds beyond it."

"Yes…they can be, worlds that by one way or another I end up visiting." As he held it out to her, she took the photo and lost herself in the memories. She remembered everything: the sunshine on her face, the warmth of the wind, the scent of the floors that rode it. Even some of the little bees that were buzzing around…and the little spider she found crawling through the grass. "Seeing them gives me motivation to make my own world a better place. I want to make it akin to these pictures I now have, evidence that a beautiful world can exist." As he smiled, Lucina felt her heart ready to burst. "And I owe a great debt of thanks to someone who helped show me such beautiful worlds, and how to memorialize them for all time."

The longer she stared at him, the more Lucina realized she'd have liked it better if they could return to natural lighting. She wanted to see Kiran's true jet-black hair, his caramel-colored eyes that never failed to fill her with varying degrees of joy. She wanted to keep on looking at his adorning smile, and she wanted it kept on her.

Perhaps that was why she was annoyed with the knock to the door and who it was. "Woooah! Impressive! So this is what a 'photo development room' looks like. A while lot of red, but hey, it's not a bad color! Still, I'd say blue is a lot better, wouldn't you agree, Lucina?"

Amongst the ever-growing denizens of the Order of Heroes there were very, very few Lucina would say she hated. Such feelings were resolved for only a handful of people who could be counted on both hands. Actually, if she were to be technical, there was only one person, just with multiple forms. Everyone else ranged from varying degrees of disliking to annoyance at best. Under normal circumstances, Tailtiu didn't make that list. She was a likable person whom Lucina was glad to call an ally and a friend.

But as she all but waltzed into the room and began marveling at the pictures, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit annoyed with her. She just had to show up as she was having a moment with Kiran?

Something within her burned as she watched Kiran practically welcome her into the room and show her the rest of the photographs that they'd been developing. Some of which they'd taken together, just the two of them. As she watched them talk over a photo of a waterfall, the realization struck her like an axe from behind. With it came an echoing voice that she held near and dear.

"Well, to be honest, your father once told me it was a little tough at times. Everyone's always looking at me, some men not even trying to hide how much they desired me. Sometimes it felt suffocating, but every time I saw his face, all that went away. The performance would end…and I would go running into his arms, which would always be there waiting for me, the arms of the man I loved."

With a blush, she realized that she now had something else in common with her father. Maybe he was the one she should go to talk about this. Or…was there someone else who could help her? Someone just as skilled in the field of romantics? Maybe more? Her mind immediately jumped to Camilla, who more often than not was something of an expert. Her…possessive aside, or maybe some of that was what Lucina could have used?

"Oh, Lucinaaa, Kiran's got something to ask you." Came the thunder mage's sing-song voice. Like the skyborne power she wielded, her head rung and her vision blurred before refocusing on someone, on Kiran.

"How do you feel about…catching lightning with a camera?" He declared. She stared at him in slack-jawed surprise. "Heheh, since we're getting this photography thing off the ground, why not catch some incredible lightning bolts? I can whip up a camera strong enough to capture them in all their glory."

"Exactly! Lightning never been caught on camera, hehehe, or at least lightning in this world Tailtiu remarked with a grin. "If it's going to be a first, I think our genius inventor should have his favorite hero beside him, right, Lucina?"

Her intention was unmistakable, so it was naturally picked up by her and Kiran. The latter stumbled back so much he brushed up against a table, rattling it. Both of them broke into stuttering retorts that served to only make the thunder mage giggle even more. She'd planned this, Lucina was sure of it.

Tailtiu looked straight at her, her smile not teasing so much as encouraging. Lucina mulled over her words and realized they were in fact encouragement, encouragement for her.

"So, Lucina, you up for a hike up Mount Fulgur?" she repeated.

Before responding she looked to Kiran. Sensing her gaze he looked back at her, his eyes wide and his cheeks carrying a red tint. Slowly, he nodded, and she did the same.

In the back of her mind, she began hoping against hope that Tailtiu would get so caught up in her "practice" that she forgot about Kiran and she'd have him all to herself. She'd take him anyway, even on a mountain prone to thunderstorms the likes of which could seemingly shake the earth.

---

Once upon a time, Kiran was sure that what he was witnessing would have been a scene out of mythic legend. Lightning was something beyond the control of man, or at least it had been until electricity was discovered. That's all lightning was, electricity, only found in nature.

Shot after shot, he felt like he was struggling to remind himself of that. What he was seeing was magic.

Lightning bolts twisted and curved, converging and amplifying to levels unachievable by nature alone. It had been brought to heel and enhanced by Tailtiu's power-the holy blood within her. It was without doubt wonderous to behold, so much so that he almost forgot to keep on taking pictures. Sometimes Lucina had to remind him of the shot he was missing.

When she did so, she could see a glint in her eyes. Was she jealous of Tailtiu's showing off?

Or was it possibly something else?

Climbing Mount Fulgore hadn't been easy, but doable. Even with Tailtiu there to protect them, the mountain wasn't an easy climb. Years upon years of rain and fierce winds had worn away at the sides, yet they'd made the climb none the less. Now, as they sat close to the summit, they captured the magic lightning in action. As she'd said, they were the first to do so; that made Kiran more than a little proud of the specialized cameras he'd spent hours working on. Now, as the rain pounded them and thunder crashed around them, they were put to use.

Back home, there was no way such images would be taken as real without pushback. Lightning didn't twist and shape itself into definite shapes, especially people. It didn't part the blacken clouds that spawned it to give glimpses of a starry night sky. Amazingly, those moments were his favorites.

Putting his camera down, he looked to his left, finding Lucina's face illuminated by the flashes of lightning and the occasional burst of moonlight. As always, she stood resolute, stalwart as if the storm could do nothing to harm her, even if it wanted to.

Before he knew it, he'd turned his camera lens from the sky to her. The bright flesh being so close immediately caught her attention.

"S-S-Sorry. Sorry, I just…I…um…" His voice faded into the booming thunder and the roaring wind. Despite those things, he found himself mystified by her.

Here they were, hundreds of feet up, dead-center of a supernatural thunderstorm, wind and rain whipping at them through their coats. Despite that…he couldn't help but look at Lucina and be in awe of her.

She's survived an apocalyptic future, but she's still here…still standing so strong. He told himself.

"K-K-Kiran," The Ylissean girl whispered. "I…it's alright. I suppose that…I…could I get a picture of-"

"And now, we have arrived at the finale of the Tailtiu Thunder Show! The final arc, the Slaying of the Fell Dragon and the Liberation of Light!"

Had Tailtiu's voice always been that loud?

Her words turned the pair's attention back to the sky, where the sorceress was floating there amidst a backdrop of black clouds. Given her words and her bow, she seemed more like a theater director presenting a show to them. The wink sold it.

Turning back to them, she threw out her hands, cackling with arcs of electricity. The lightning bent to her command, shaping itself to her will.

The shape it took was familiar, a draconic monstrosity with wide-spanning wings and two tusks sticking out from the mouth. It roared causing the sky itself to shake.

Instinctively, Kiran reached over and grabbed Lucina's hand. Without hesitating, she squeezed his hand back. Together, they watched the effigy roar and fly across the skies, enjoying its dominance. It was then that another bolt of lightning struck at it, this one concentrated to look more like a beam. From the residual sparks a new form was created, a humanoid wielding a sword. Looking back at her, Kiran saw how Lucina's jaw dropped as she recognized herself. He smiled at her awe-struck expression. Looking back, he watched alongside her as a battle was waged between the human and the dragon.

It was a fierce battle with the dragon using its massive size to its advantage. Undaunted, the warrior woman continued to fight, slashing at it with her sword. Every blow was punctuated by deafening clamps of thunder. Those same clamps marked the beast's injuries, which began to pile up more and more. Eventually, a breaking point was reached.

Blacken clouds swirled around the dragon was it raised its head skyward, seemingly concentrating its energy. Such concentration was broken by a streak of lightning across it, dispelling the swirling dark clouds. In that moment, the girl stroke, decapitating the dragon in a single slash. The slash stretched across the sky, splitting the clouds themselves. As it grew, the clear, star-studded night sky became visible. At first it was only a little, then it grew and grew.

Facing the Summoner and the time traveler, the lightning girl sheathed her sword and bowed to them, just like an actor finishing a stellar performance.

And as befitting such a performance, Kiran and Lucina couldn't help but applaud it.

"Thank you, thank you, you're too kind!" Tailtiu shouted as she floated back into view. If the "thunder show" had taken a lot out of her, then she didn't look it. Kiran would have guessed she used the ambient od that also happened to be attuned to lightning for her magic. His constantly moving mind began to ponder the possibility that Taitliu may have planned this entire thing two days ago when she visited them in the development room.

"Tailtiu, that was…words cannot do you justice." Lucina declared as the lavender-haired girl floated toward them. "Seeing that…well, it brought back some memories, rather fond ones."

"I hoped so. One day, I'm going to love meeting your mother, here's hoping she can teach me some of those dance moves." The Thunder Noble giggled. "Wouldn't that be awesome, Kiran?"

And of course, she just had to turn to him, make him feel like he was standing within breathing distance of a lightning bolt. "I-I, um, y-y-yeah, t-t-totally. I-I mean, it'd be great if we could get the Ylisse Royal Family all together."

"Yeah…but we shouldn't forget the family we've built up here, with each other. The bonds we've forged with each other, bonds that have seen us through our darker days." The uncharacteristic remark caught the swordswoman and gunman's attention. With slightly wide eyes they stared at Tailtiu. All the thunder mage did was point out her tongue and giggle at them. "I'll see you two back at the castle! Don't stay out too long…unless you want to knab some more pictures!"

"Huh? W-W-Wait! Tailtiu, you can't possible-!"

The art of "teleportation via lightning" was a magical one. Just like the art of hurling lightning at your opponent and shaping it into a huge fist to megaton punch someone. Both of which Tailitu had picked up understandably fast and well. She certainly knew how to use lightning for fast travel, just as she did before Lucina could finish speaking to her. Kiran watched a streak of blue lightning travel across the now clear skies. At the speed she was traveling at, it was a certainty that she would beat them back to the castle.

Lucina sighed. "At the very least she could have helped us back down."

On that, he somewhat agreed with her. More often than not, going down was harder than going up when it came to climbing. Then again…

"Well…we've got an awesome view, huh?" he nonchalantly said, partially in a bid to distract himself from his thoughts. "Since Tailtiu took all the lightning with her, the sky's clear, and we've got one hell of a bird's eye view, right?"

Immediately, all signs of negativity faded from Lucina's face. The hood of her raincoat fell down allowing him to glimpse her long, navy-blue hair. It seemed to glow thanks to the moonlight above. "You are right about that, Kiran. To see such splendor in the land after so fierce a storm…it is breathtaking."

"That's…how it always is, but that doesn't make it any less incredible." Mount Fulgore overlooked quite a bit of forest. Perhaps it was natural that such a dense patch of greenery grew around a mountain that attracted constant thunderstorms. A near endless supply of rain and just enough sunlight turned the area around the stormy mountain into a little sea of vegetation. As they now saw, the sea sparkled after a storm.

"How it always is," he heard Lucina repeat. Turning to her, he saw a twinkle in her eyes. "Kiran, when you say that…do you mean…always?"

"…I do. Riding out the worst of it is rough, it's never easy, damn near impossible sometimes." His gaze drifted upward to the moon. Half hidden by shadow, but still bright enough to light up the sky alongside hundreds of stars. "It's worth it though, to stand on the other end."

In a brazen display, Lucina's head rested on his shoulder. Kiran jumped a little, but he quickly adapted to her physical presence. He quickly grew to like it.

"I always wondered what lay beyond Grima's darkness. It wasn't until I traveled to the past did, I see what that future could look like…but it was still just the past. What existed before his ruination of the world." The princess stated in a quiet voice. "My further travels showed me…what a future could look like, even if I had to struggle for it."

"Well, every future worthwhile is going to involve some struggling. Kind of part of the deal, that's how I look at it."

She gave a short laugh in response. "Agreed. It certainly wasn't easy constructing these cameras, but I'm glad you took the time to teach me…and develop my passion for photography. We've taken so many photos together over these several months, some of which I'm hoping I'll be able to take back with me when our service to the Order has ended."

He caught another twinkle in her eyes, one tinged with sorrow as she stared at him. Just as he grew to recognize it, she looked away, back out to the horizon.

"I'm not sure what my future holds for me after the Order. I mean, I'm hoping I'll be able to go back to my world and see all my friends and family…but I'm not going to be the same person they once they."

"Maybe not exactly, but at your core, you haven't changed, and that's for the best. The person you were at the start of this was likable and…"

Kiran raised an eyebrow at her. "And…what, Lucina? I was likable and what else? Am I not those things now?"

"Likable and…dependable. You were likeable and dependable before, but you're more so now." The blue-haired princess finally answered. "I'd add that your creativity has grown as well. You once told me you had little idea how to build a camera, yet you have created dozens, some of which will likely be taken back to other worlds."

"Yeah…just the sort of thing a guy needs to feel good about himself." Kiran chuckled, not even trying to hide the smug pride on his face. He may not have been an original inventor, but he could take pride in spreading his world's modern and commonplace inventions through the multiverse. "If there was one thing I might disagree with you on, it's me being dependable. I…don't know if I was that before."

"You were, Kiran. Make no mistake about that." Lucina looked resolute in that. In fairness to her, she was one of the first heroes he'd summoned, and she was one of the ones who'd stood fast beside him through everything that had came next. It'd been…reassuring to say the least. Her hand reached over and grasped his. "You were a good man when you came to Askr, and I would say that you have grown into a great one. One that…one that…"

Her cheeks were red and her gaze was suddenly everywhere but his eyes. Despite that, the hold she had on his hands remained strong.

"Lucina," he began.

"One that I wouldn't mind facing the future with. Just as I gave strength to you, you've done the same to me, partially by giving me a way to memorialize the present. I have something to know that a better world can exist, and is always worth fighting for."

Just like that time almost a year ago, he could tell that there was more she wanted to say.

Kiran internally debated if it was worth it forcing those unspoken words out of her. He decided now wasn't the time. "Come on." He said rising to his feet; since he was still holding her hand, she rose with him. "Ready to head back?"

At first, she was confused, but in seconds she caught his drift, nodding in eagerness.

Hand-in-hand, they took a step forward after Kiran shot a portal right before them. A joint leap later and they were dropping a few feet onto the ground.

"Guess we've got a nightly stroll back to the castle, huh?" The Summoner leisurely as he looked up to the portal he'd created. It closed creating a sparkle of lights that gently rode the wind, disappearing as if it were never there at all.

Then he felt a gentle touch on his cheek. Quickly, he looked back to Lucina, spotting the obvious red tint of her cheeks.

"Yes, we do." She affirmed. "Kiran…tomorrow, or the day after…there's…some place I would like to go take pictures with you at. Would you be-"

"Yeah." He immediately answered. Kiran hadn't even waited for her to finish, something he mentally kicked himself for. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. Hearing your answer…it…makes me feel happy." Her head once more found its place on his shoulder. "Being with you makes me happy, Kiran. Happy and…"

Again, he saw the look in her eyes, but no words came out. Once more, Kiran said nothing. There would come a time to, but that wasn't now. He wanted the enjoy this quiet moment with her.

---

It was something of a fluke that he sensed her presence and woke up to it. Kiran sat up, yawning as he did so, a routine he repeated every time he awoke from one of his little naps. Of course, some would say "little" was underselling it. According to his comrades, and his own alarms, he could outright sleep for hours on end. Several questioned how he could fall asleep at a desk, others had sympathized with him as they "discovered" how to do the same.

"Hey, Lucina, what's…up?" He asked as he focused in on her.

She gave him an apologetic smile. "I can come back another time. After all, you did just wakeup."

"That just means I'm full of energy because I've rested!" he jubilantly declared. "Besides, when it comes to you, I'm always in the mood for some photo shoots. Anything to fill up enough photo albums to make us a couple more bucks."

The princess let out a laugh, a laugh that once upon a time she would have been reluctant to let him hear. How times had changed since then.

Even though it was fairly warm out, he took his jacket. It was loaded with protection spells that could come in handy in case trouble found him. The first ones had been his first "shield", protecting him against some blows that would have been fatal if he hadn't been wearing it. Inevitably, he reached a point where he all but felt naked without it. Of course, when it was warm, he could just toss it over his shoulder, or tie it around his waist as he chose to do.

According to Lucina, he'd been working from breakfast to midday. Not too bad, he still had some daylight hours to kill, and it seemed Lucina had a use for it.

Some time later and he recognized the path they were on. He'd memorized almost all the roads leading to and out of the castle. All it took was a couple of steps and he'd have an idea of where he was going. In this case, it seemed they were on their way back to Mount Fulgore…at least until Lucina took them on a little detour.

He caught her looking back to him, recognizing the surprise on his face as their journey took them down an unfamiliar path. Not that he seemed to have a problem with that. Kiran's smile grew as they trudged closer and closer to their destination. He could feel it in his bones. Then, he smelt it in the air.

Everywhere he looked, the ground was still somewhat dap thanks to the thunderstorm the day before. That was a common with the forests and small hills surrounded Mount Fulgore, it also kept the vegetation almost constantly green and thriving. On a sunny day like today, the last ingredient for plant growth was there-sunlight, clear and in great abundance.

"I think…this scene should be added to our album, just…ours. One that we'll share between the two of us." Came the princess' voice as they reached the top of a small hilltop.

There were old ruined columns and stumps around them, remnants of a time long since gone by. Looking at them reminded him of that short heart-to-heart they'd shared almost a year ago, when he'd confined in her just how nervous he still was. Just like back then, the signs of human civilization had been overwritten by nature; in this case, a lake's worth of blooming flowers, all swaying in the midday breeze. Kiran stared at the gorgeous flower bed, completely mystified by it.

"Lucina…this…how did you…"

"The truth is, I've known about this place for a while. I discovered it some time ago. Fortunately, it's location has always remained a secret, staying only with me…and now I share it with you, Kiran." Spoke her gentle voice.

"W-W-With me?" The black-haired Summoner gasped. "W-W-Why? I-I-I mean t-t-this place seems like the type you'd want to share with you-"

"Because you're special to me." Still gripping his hand, she began pulling him along. The deeper they waded into the flowers the stronger the aroma became. Kiran felt like he could lose himself in the flower bed. Then again, he also felt like he could have lost himself in Lucina's smiling face.

"Y-You…really mean that? Special as in…" He trailed off, his blushing cheeks undoubtedly speaking for him.

His blush was reflected in Lucina's cheeks as she nodded. Her hand was still holding his. "Special as in…I've…fallen in love with you, Kiran. I was…hoping that of all the girls you've met in the Order, you might have…paid some attention to me." With every word, her cheeks grew redder. It was such a sharp contrast to her dark blue hair, but not an unsightly one in his eyes. "I-I know that in some ways I can't measure up to-"

"Measure up to who? And why do you feel like you have to do that? Lucina, you're…you're hands down the most incredible woman I've ever met! Hell, you're the strongest woman I've ever met!" He confessed. Kiran saw the wide-eyed, happy look in her eyes. "I mean…you've been through a hell of a lot more than anyone should have been."

"You know…I can say the same for you." Sensing an opportunity, she tugged him down. Hey sat atop the grass, his cloak folded up beside him with the same going for her cape. "You came from a peaceful life, the sort of life that I admit I've always been envious of. Such a life is one that…I have often dreamed of living after my duty to change time has been accomplished. Waking up everyday to see a bright sun and clear skies, not having to worry about advancing hordes eager to add my loved ones to their undead ranks, a heartless terror, and so many more things. A normal, peaceful life."

He could have been snarky and countered with all the problems that came with a normal life-making deadlines, keeping up with friends and family, and keeping up with relationships. Kiran stayed quiet about those things, especially since he saw the envy that Lucina had spoken of in her eyes. She truly did long for that normal life he once had, and so did he.

"I know about the…offer Loki made to you a while back." Her words caused his eyes to widen. Just as his jaw dropped, she continued to speak, giving him the details. "She told me about it herself, during a…demonstration she made using her magic."

"She was showing off." He grumbled. The mysterious sorceress seemed to love flexing her mystical abilities to others, and intermixing that with emotionally tormenting them for giggles.

"She made the same offering to me as she did you, offering to send me to a timeline where Grima didn't exist…and he offered to help me slay Grima myself." Her hold tightened. It told Kiran of how tempting the offering had been to her; he didn't blame her. "Do you know what I thought of when I rejected her? I thought of you, Kiran."

"M-Me?"

"When we were all summoned, we all took an oath of loyalty to you as our Summoner. To kill another summoned…entity, no matter how vile, would be a violation of that oath." Her eyes shimmered like cobalt gems. "Many times, I've asked myself what I would do to stop Grima; I went to some dark places in my mind. As you know, when a time came for me to act one one…I…found that I couldn't. That situation with Loki, I found myself thinking of you because if I took her proposal, I knew I would be breaking the trust you put in me. That's something that…terrifies me."

"Lucina," he began.

"Your trust is precious to me…and so is your life. In fact, after fighting through the temptation, I…I realized if I did take Loki up on her offer, she could use it as a chance to get at you. Kiran, no matter what, no matter the enemy, I will never allow any evil to touch you." She stopped, briefly inhaling as she no doubt gathered her courage for her next words. Kiran already had a feeling he knew what they were going to be. "All the things I listed in wanting a normal life…I…I want to experience them with…you. Or rather, even if you want another, I want you to be able to live that life with another person."

His heart couldn't stay calm after hearing that, especially that latter bit. He could feel a hundred words bumbling up within his mouth, all fighting to get out. "L-Lucina," was all he managed to get out.

"You showed me what a photograph was, and together we've created quite a few albums. I…I hope to one day fill up an album with pictures of a beautiful and happy future, one where…one I'd…like for the two of us to share." A short pause followed, no doubt because she wanted to give him some time to digest his words. "I mean…if that's a future you…wouldn't mind." Her voice was significantly quieter this time.

"Lucina," he called again.

"Every time we…took photographs together and talked of the future, I…ended up thinking of you. It happened more and more until that time on Mount Fulgore, I felt no fear coming down beside you. I knew no matter what, you wouldn't let me get hurt; at the same time, I felt the same about you."

"Well, you are physically stronger than me." He chirped, half hoping it'd help it'd get through to her.

"Thank you for that. I'm aware that some men have a tough time handling that." She responded, thus verifying his hopes. "That said, when it comes to inner strength…I…like to think of us as equals. I'd like us to remain equals, supporting each other through whatever may come our way. A-A-Again, t-that's if you would want a-"

"Lucina!" He didn't mean to shout, but he realized he was going to have to be a little more forceful to get his say in. Albeit he perhaps already did that by reaching forward and grabbing the back of Lucina's head. She blinked, realizing how close their faces now were. He'd stopped short of kissing her, but that had been rather hard on his part. "Lucina…I've…felt the same way about you. Taking pictures with you, fighting alongside you…when I'm doing those things a part of me can't help but think about the future. When I do…I do think about you being in it. You being…there beside me for it." He felt like there was a fire burning in each of his cheeks, they grew hotter as he decided to press on ahead. "Lucina, whenever we talk about the future, well…I can't help but wonder if you mean…I mean…"

"Wonder if that extends all the way to marriage and…potentially children?" She rather forwardly asked. Wide-eyed, Kiran nodded. Lucina was blushing just as much as she was. Regardless…she smiled at him. "Yes, Kiran, I have. Having thought of that…I do not regret one word that I have said to you. I wish to create a bright future beside you as your ally, your partner, and even your wife."

Kiran felt his heart thumping in his chest, his cheeks hurting from how much he was smiling. A sense of relief and incredible joy swept through him. It all showed on his face as Lucina's face mirrored his, no doubt because she was seeing her feelings recuperated. He knew it was scary giving your heart to someone, especially when it came to a potential lifelong commitment.

He was only twenty-years-old, he still had many years ahead of him, as did Lucina. Regardless, he knew just as much as her that whatever lay in that future, they wanted to face it together. That conscious realization led them to leaning in closer until their lips at last connected.

The kiss was simultaneous and conceited, yet part of it still felt like it'd came out of nowhere. That sentiment only lasted for a few seconds. Once it dawned on both of their heads that they were kissing, they gave one another their full focus. Their hands were caressing one another's faces while their lips did the same, wildly slapping against each other. Lucina found herself moving against him, only realizing she'd thrown herself against the Summoner when she felt his hand on her hip. It was almost enough to make her break the kiss, almost. She kept it going until she ran out of breath, just like Kiran.

Her cheeks exploded into red as she realized she was sitting atop of him. "K-K-Kiran, I-I-I-I'm sorry! I-I-I didn't mean t-t-to do that!" Just as she moved to get off him, she found her wrists bound by his hands. Lucina's breath caught in her throat. Her blue eyes looked straight down into his caramel-colored eyes. The defenses and excuses she'd been thinking up died in her throat leaving her to look down at the black-haired youth. Lucina found herself leaning down, slowly closing the distance between their lips. It finally vanished in a second, their second kiss had begun. Kiran removed his hold on her wrists and moved them to her back. Lucina shuddered feeling his hands brushing up against her blue hair. She felt a greater surge of electricity running through her from the gentle brush of his fingers.

Lucina's blue strands hung above his face when she pulled away. Heavy pants fell over the Summoner's face while he stared up at her and she stared down at him. A tiny voice in her head was telling her to look away, to look anywhere else instead of Kiran's face, but she couldn't. His face, his handsome face that had quietly charmed her was right in front of her, especially his lips. Before the princess knew it, she was leaning down again. This time though, it was the Summoner who took the initiative. She quietly gasped at the sudden embrace of his lips and the resulting dominance of his tongue, but Lucina quickly accepted it. She quickly grew to relish it. Her muffled voice rose in a throaty moan signaling her enjoyment of the kiss. Kiran's own voice was there alongside it.

His right hand rose and fell atop the left side of her head. Kiran could practically feel it from deep within him, this intense urge to make the woman he was kissing feel good. It'd been a while since he'd kissed anyone like this, it'd been a while since he felt this spark within him. While he kissed her, he remembered how it'd been dancing around him for the last couple of months always in Lucina's presence. In the last moments before they kissed that spark turned into a flame. He felt it raging inside of him as he continued to kiss her. The blaze was fanned by the gentle wind that blew across the hilltop.

Like a paper airplane, he rose with the wind, still holding the time-traveling girl in his arms. Kiran kept his hold on her when their mouths separated. She leaned forward, connecting their foreheads. Their heavy pants intermixed as they took a little break from their trio of kisses. Maybe they needed it since their hearts were beating at the speed of lightning. Kiran could feel his own furious rhythm and hear Lucina's. He was confident that his cheeks were just as red as hers; he could feel the heat himself. That heat grew by the minute, shortening this little break they were having.

Neither of them knew when the fourth kiss began, only that it involved them rolling across the flowers and grass. The Summoner found himself on top with the princess on the bottom. Kiran lifted himself up on his hands and elbows to look down at Lucina. In the midst of this little break a flicker of reason had temporarily returned to both of their eyes.

"L-Lu-Lucina," Kiran began feeling a mixture of dryness and extreme moisture in his mouth.

"T-Take me!"

"Huh?!"

She didn't blame him for looking so dumbstruck, and like a cherry, Lucina knew that her own face was redder than the ripest cherries. Sensual heat continuously circulated through her body; it caused certain…reactions in certain parts of her body. Lucina could feel a growing wetness between her legs, which she subconsciously rubbed together. She wasn't a fool, and she wasn't a prude, she knew perfectly well what was happening to her. Hell, she'd known how she'd felt for at least a week by know. As she stared up into Kiran's face as he loomed above her, Lucina became more certain than ever of what she felt, and what she wanted. Her hands rose and gripped his cheeks.

"Take me," she repeated. "K-K-Kiran, I…I love you, I love you and I…want you to have me as yours."

If his eyes got any wider there was a chance they'd pop out of his skull. Honestly, she didn't blame him. Lucina was confident that if news of this got back down to the Order many would have the same reaction. Especially her father, who'd alternate between shock and potential outrage. Interestingly, she focused entire on Kiran, on what she wanted from him in this moment. Also maybe what she wanted from him in the future. Though she was focused on his face she remained acutely aware of their surroundings. She wanted to do this again with him, go on a walk, a get together, a date. With him, she could just be a girl in love, and she wanted him to be a boy in love with her.

Lucina wanted to believe that's what he looked like as he stared down at her. She could see him absorbing her words, shock wrestling with a myriad of other emotions. Somehow, she kept her focus as she felt a certain…poking at her loins. On one hand, that was a good sign, on the other hand, it wasn't a surefire thing.

"I took precautions before we left." The time-traveler blurted out. Kiran's eyes widened as he quickly connected the dots on what that meant. Lucina wasn't deaf to how her words sounded or the implications that could be drawn from them. "I-I-I mean, j-j-just to be safe. Y-You can never know w-w-where or when the enemy might strike." She clearly didn't believe her own words, and she chastised herself for killing the mood by bringing in such a morbid image. Frustration built up within her so fast and with such intensity she felt like she was on the brink of tears.

Suddenly, a pair of gentle hands were there on her cheeks, helping to hold them back. Her blue eyes stared into the loving brown of the Summoner's. In that moment, Lucina recalled all those times such quick and loving glances were directed her way. Kiran might have hoped they went unnoticed, but they didn't. Likewise, she was sure that he'd caught all the little looks and stares she'd sent his way. Both of them had been tiptoeing around each other for almost a month; perhaps too long as her brother would have said. He'd have encouraged to make a move, albeit she wondered how Inigo would have reacted to her making this kind of move.

She was absolutely sure that Kiran was the man she wanted to give her maidenhood, and even her life to. That resolve was again affirmed as he continued to stare down at her. It was clear he was wrestling with his inner desire, having built up just like hers had.

"Lucina, are you sure you want this?" He asked in a steady voice that belayed the nervousness they were both no doubt feeling.

Impulse or instinct, whichever one it was, it took over and led her to wrapping her legs around his waist. Kiran's eyes temporarily widened as he was brought against her, his clothed erection now sandwiched between their waists. She connected their lips in a heartbeat and kept them that way. Her arms wrapped around his neck to hold him in place. From an outside view, the kiss was somewhat cramped at the top, but that didn't stop either of them. As the need for air rose, she relaxed her grip on him allowing him to rise up. Kiran's eyes were becoming increasingly clouded over with lust, again, just like Lucina's.

That kiss had gotten her even more riled up. Her heart thundered in her chest as she panted out the words that would cement the path forward. "I do, Kiran. You've been an ever-present light beside me since my arrival in Askr. I dare not to think of what would happen if you were not here…or what would happen if you were to die." It was her hands on his cheeks now. "I've seen so many people I've loved die, yet here in Askr I'm able to see them again and live with them. Even…even living alongside Grima is tolerable not just because of them, but because of you. Oh, Kiran, you're just as much of life source for me as the sun is to these wonderful flowers you've shown me. I…I feel like I need you sometimes." She paused, giving him some time to absorb her words, as well as contemplate his own response. "…If you don't feel the same way then I can under-mmmh!"

His kiss was intense, an answer onto itself. This time, his arms wrapped around her waist, pushing her upper body against him. Lucina gladly recuperated the kiss, eagerly pushing her tongue against his. The passion of their previous kiss had been renewed, and maybe even strengthened.

They were breathless when they separated.

"I do, Lucina. I've…you were, you are…God, I really don't know how to describe it." He said.

"I-I…I know you were once in a relationship before, but it ended badly. Kiran, I don't know what the future holds, but I've always held onto the belief that it can be bright and hopefully." Her words, he resolve, fueled the fast beating of her heart. Lucina was beginning to wonder if it would ever come down. At the rate it was going, it seemed about to burst and the remnants scatter to the wind like flower petals. Before it did though, Lucina wanted to affirm her feelings, and what she believed they could do. "Whatever lies in store for us in the future, I want you by my side. I want to be by your side, as your sword and your lover."

Kiran gave a modest laugh. "I'd rather have you as my lover, but given the world I'm in…yeah, having you as my sword doesn't sound so bad."

She laughed with him, her all-consuming blush remaining. "Kiran…after…after this war…would you be willing to…take me to your world? There's so many things I want to see, the world, the people that you love and cherish… I would like to see them with my own eyes."

"You will, Lucina, because you're going to be right beside me when I go back." The quiet question that 'd had, that had consumed him, had finally been answered. It was certainly answered in an unexpected way at an unexpected time, but he was grateful for it. Kiran hesitated, watching the sheer joy spread over Lucina's face before he kissed her again. She returned the kiss, and made her move while doing so.

When they broke, Lucina was back on top, a look of deep satisfaction on her face. Kiran had a similar look now that he could see the light shining on the road to the future. Perhaps that's what else was shining upon them instead of just sunlight. Laughing, she leaned down and connected their lips in another kiss. Kiran eagerly returned it, sitting up and once again wrapping his arms around her waist.

"So…you'll have me?" Lucina whispered briefly pulling away from him.

He shot her a coy smile. "Yep. I'll admit, it…kind of helps you said you came prepared."

"I picked that habit from someone very special to me, someone who I've let deeply into my heart." She returned. They both laughed before kissing each other again. When this kiss ended Lucina placed her hand against Kiran's chest and gently pushed him away. "Let me…go first. You brought me here to this wonderful place, let me give you a reward for that." There was a short pause as she internally debated what to say next. After sucking in air Lucina winked at him in the cutest way she could manage. "A princess' reward, doesn't that sound like something, Kiran?"

His cheeks flushed red at her words and actions, his body responded as well. Lucina would have been lying if she didn't admit that his erection was turning her on. A part of her wanted Kiran to see that, and that meant…exposing herself in a way that she'd never done for anyone else. There were times that Lucina doubted she ever would. Staring into his brown eyes wiped all those doubts away.

She leaned forward, giving him a gentle kiss-that was the bait and Kiran was hooked. With that done, she began to reel him in starting with his shirt. Her hands moved down and grasped at the bottom half of his shirt. In that moment Lucina was extremely glad that he'd left his hood behind in favor of simpler clothing. While Lucina couldn't quite say the same, she realized that maybe something could be gained from her usual attire being removed. The words of her mother and her blushing face came to mind while she removed Kiran's upper clothing. Lucina went wide-eyed at what laid underneath.

The first time she'd seen Kiran shirtless he wasn't exactly muscular, nor was he on the thin side. Frankly, he was average. In the almost year that he'd been the Summoner of the Order, he'd filled out nicely, and gained a couple of scars to boot. Lucina found herself aroused at the sight of him, her breathing becoming more erratic as she looked him up and down. His cheeks flushed red underneath her gaze. When he whispered her name, she was seemingly snapped out of her daze. The sword-wielding princess impulsively leaned forward and kissed him. Kiran, of course, kissed back, pressing his now naked body against her clothed chest. Lucina felt a shiver of pure ecstasy run up her spine. As great as it was, she knew it could be greater.

Her heart yearned for skin-to-skin contact.

In pushing him onto his backside she ended the kiss. Kiran hardly reacted as he knew exactly what she was going to do, what was running through her mind. The warrior princess' face was a circle of red as she planted her lips against his cheek and neck. Such erotic affections might have seemed out of place for a woman like Lucina, but did he remembered that her mother was a dancer. Not to mention Chrom's face would turn bright red whenever anyone teased him about him and his wife's relationship, especially how exactly their children came to be.

With every feathery kiss Kiran became more assured that Lucina had perhaps inherited more than just speed and grace from her mother. Underneath her kisses, his mind began to wonder to more amorous thoughts, like what she would look like dressed as an exotic dancer. His eyes flickered to his left where the princess currently was. Her kisses were small bolts of lightning that light up his whole body. His hands moved and caressed her navy-blue hair. He ended up holding the sides of her head as she turned her face to his. Their muffled moans were carried by the spring wind that rolled across the hilltop and forest. The symphony was quite suitable, setting the mood for them.

"Aaaahhh…" Groaned the former college student feeling the kisses begin to move down his chest. Only the feel of hot water had been this good to his naked chest. Lucina's gentle hands roomed his chest, her soft touch leaving him arching his back upward and gasping for breath. He couldn't help but stare up at the clouds and the midday sun. The latter seemed brighter every time he opened his eyes, sometimes in letting out a hot gasp.

By the time he looked down he saw that Lucina had already gotten to his waist and was undoing his belt. Kiran internally braced himself as for the first time in two years, he was about to exposed before a woman. Lucina briefly looked up at him, silently asking for his confirmation. He gave it with a single nod. Then, his pants and underwear were pulled off.

Lucina's jaw dropped. "B-B-Big…s-s-sword…b-big…sword." Her eyes were glued to the seven-inch, thick pole of meat that stood straight up to the sky, like a spear held by a soldier at attention. Never in her life did Lucina have such an urge to be ran through. Or be a sheath as her mother had been. The wetness between her legs grew as she continued to stare at the male organ.

"Y-Y-You…like it?" Came Kiran's whispering voice. Lucina looked straight at him, cheeks aflame. "L-Lucina, you don't have to-eeeehhh! Aaaahhh!"

She was pumping him before the words were even out of her mouth. "I-I'm to be your woman, o-of course I have, and most importantly, Kiran, I want to." Looking back down, she saw his tip staring at her. Inhaling through her nose, she brought her head down, enveloping the tip of his member in her mouth. Kiran let out an echoing shout while Lucina could only moan. For the first time in her life, she had a penis inside of her mouth; she had to admit it felt…good. It wasn't like eating, at least not normal food. Her tongue swayed across the tip while her hands pumped his cock. She could feel the nonstop twitches and vibrations it made as she serviced him.

Every second that it went on Lucina felt even more confident in herself, and better. Sucking Kiran's cock was fast becoming an enjoyable experience. The way his member shook in her hands and in her mouth…something about it excited her so much! She could smell sweet and something else, cum she was guessing; the latter was also building up inside of his member. Lucina could feel that. While she'd never seen cum before, or tasted it, she knew she was about to get a nice good filling of it in her mouth. The wetness in between her legs continued to grow.

In the back of her mind, she was picturing Kiran's cock inside of her, pounding away at her as she'd heard men liked to do. Lucina had to concentrate to keep that image in the back of her mind, for now she wanted to focus on what was in front of her, literally.

With every breath Kiran felt like he was going to explode. It'd been ages since he'd gotten a blowjob, and for a first timer, Lucina was knocking it out of the park. The lewd slurping noises she made as she sucked his cock had him digging his fingers into the ground. Dirt quickly accumulated beneath his fingernails and air was in both short supply and rapidly inhaled. Seconds were passing by too fast, yet he felt caught in an endless limbo. He'd truly forgotten how good it felt to have a girl, a beautiful girl at that, giving him sexual affection. He never thought that it'd be Lucina, but as he looked down at her beautiful blue curtain of hair he counted his blessings that it was her. Biting his lips, he suddenly thrusted his hips upward.

"Mmmm~!" Moaned the princess. She temporarily withdrew from his member to gaze lovingly at him. "Do that again, Kiran. Keep doing it while I…shine your sword." Her cheeks blazed red at the innuendo. All the Summoner did was laugh and playfully roll his hips. Lucina took that as her que to get back to work. "Mmmmm~!" She moaned again as she took the entire upper half of his member into her mouth. It was more than before, a clear show of her growing experience, and addiction, to his cock.

Kiran lifted his head up then let it fall back down. Instead of a sea of flowers he felt like he was floating on a sea of clouds. It had indeed been ages since he felt this way, long enough for him to forget how incredible it felt. His head would occasionally rise to see Lucina's blue mane between his legs. Such an erotic sight was one he never thought he'd see, and she probably never banked on it happening herself. They were both so happy to be wrong.

The Summoner's hips soon gained a rhythm to match Lucina's licks. Both teens moaned in ecstasy as the seconds turned to minutes, and those minutes seemingly turned into hours. Regardless, the sun never moved from its position, continuing to shine on them as they made love.

"L-Luci…na…Lu…cina…Aaaaahhhh~! S-So…great…a-a-amazing~" A familiar tug began to amass within him. Within seconds Kiran realized what it was. He quietly fought it back, hoping to keep the building orgasm at bay for as long as possible. "Lucina…Lucina~!" he found himself shouting again and again. He dug into the grass more intensely than ever. Veins appeared across his neck and body. "I-I'm going to…shit! I-I-I'm going to…cum!"

"Mmmmm~!"

"Lucina~!"

His attempt to hold the orgasm back reached its end. Kiran felt his back arched and his member seemingly touch the roof of Lucina's mouth, just as it did his penis burst. Her strangled gasp reached his ears, but Kiran was far too caught up in his own euphoria to care. He let it all out, all the cum that had built up within him. Lucina moaned as she took his load, all of it. Kiran groaned feeling her lips remain fastened to his cock as he erupted inside of her. During the orgasm he popped his eyes open and marveled at the continued sight of her blue mane between his legs. His hips involuntarily moved on their own, she moaned even louder. With the last remains of his strength he thrusted his hips forward, deepthroating the princess as he came in her mouth.

It went on for what felt like hours, but Kiran knew in reality it was probably only a couple of minutes. Probably. He felt the sensation of his orgasm ending a while ago, yet he didn't move his body, not even when he felt Lucina disengage from his member. For the first time in a couple of years he felt spent. A relaxing exhaustion swept over him as he gazed at the blue sky. He lazily counted the clouds as he steadily regained his energy. Little by little, he felt it coming back to him. Eventually he had enough strength ton sit upright.

The time traveling princess of Ylisse was kneeling in front of him, licking up the residual cum that had splattered across her face. Evidentially, she wasn't able to take it all into her mouth. While he'd been sky-gazing she'd been cleaning her face. Upon noticing his stare she stopped, only being about half-way finished.

Kiran felt his cheeks redden as he stared at her, silently awed by the erotic beauty Lucina now possessed.

Through her blushing cheeks the swordswoman managed to speak. "Y-Y-You, um, you…taste s-s-sweet, K-K-Kiran."

"Really?" he somewhat dumbfoundedly asked. She nodded. Given the cum still sticking to her face and their positions, his cock twitched. It was already beginning to regain its original hardness, a fact that Lucina was quite aware of. Hunger danced in her eyes as she looked down to his rising tower. Kiran felt like he was in a trance. He fought between calling out to her and simply going with whatever she did next.

Her next move caught him by surprise.

"L-L-L-Lucina?" He stammered while his cheeks reached a new level of redness. "W-W-W-What a-a-are you doing?!"

Her pause was only momentary. "Evening the playing field." It was amazing how she could give such a seemingly mundane response, yet still make it sound just a little arousing. True to her words, she continued to "even the playing field", all in clear view of the Summoner.

His jaw hung up as her clothes were discarded one by one, joining her Falchion on the side. Kiran gaped at the sight of the time-traveling girl clad in nothing but her blue bra and undies. It was a sight that he never dreamed he would see, and another one greeted his eyes-a topless Lucina.

"T-T-They're not as big as some other girls, but…I hope they're good enough, Kiran." She whispered with her trademark shyness.

The gunman's brown eyes swerved from her exposed chest to her face. In a heartbeat he knew what to do, and he acted. Silently, Kiran crawled forward, covering the short distance between them. Lucina looked straight into his eyes while opening her lips. Kiran's tongue slid into her mouth, meeting hers as his hands groped her breasts. Sweet moans rolled out of the blue-haired woman's mouth into his. Kiran groped her as he kissed her, silently letting her know that he found her breasts just as beautiful as the rest of her. The princess' gentle hands fell over his, gently squeezing them. Though he seemed in the position to push her down she held firm.

Instead, Kiran found himself pushed back. Lucina seemed to have grown bolder, which Kiran liked. As he lay on his backside he reached for the clips of her bra and began to remove them. The princess broke the kiss and sat up allowing for him to throw them aside. Kiran seized on that moment, using the next kiss to force her upward so he could grope her chest again. His left hand eventually slid from her chest to her bottom. Lucina again broke the kiss and let out an erotic moan as her right buttock was fondled. It was undoubtedly a first time for her; the pleasure she was experiencing was written all over her face. Smirking, Kiran returned to kissing her, and groping her body. The princess quickly devolved into a moaning, shivering mess atop of him. Granted, she wasn't on top of him for long.

When Kiran lifted himself up, he gave Lucina some time to realize they'd moved. Dozens of flowers laid beneath her while the Summoner of Askr hovered above her. She felt his girth poking at her loins, she saw the ravenous hunger in his eyes. It was a clear reflection of the erotic gluttony that had been present in her own eyes just a few moments ago. No, it was still there. She reached up and caressed Kiran's face, but only for a moment. The next thing she knew she was bringing his lips down atop of hers.

Somewhere in the growing corners of her mind she cursed the fact that she still had her undies on. She realized with quiet shock just how much she wanted Kiran's cock inside of her. As much as she wanted to tell him that though, she was really enjoying kissing him. She seemed to to be locked in one hell of a paradox.

Thankfully, Kiran knew how to solve it. After seemingly several minutes of kissing him, he ended it for good. Still, Lucina was left wanting, and she could tell so was he. Kissing her cheeks didn't quite have the same feel to them, but they were enjoyable none the less. Her sense of thought was almost entirely lost as he pelted her with the butterfly-like kisses. Lucina continuously blinked and stared at the clouds. Her body reacted independently of her rapidly frying mind. She had to admit, there was something rather enjoyable at the loss of control she was experiencing. It felt like she was flying, or perhaps more fittingly drifting on the wind. It was the master and guiding force, simply taking her wherever it pleased.

Suddenly, thunder boomed throughout her body causing her to cry out. Popping her eyes open she saw that Kiran had reached her chest. His teeth gingerly nibbled on her right-side breast, his tongue occasionally giving it fleshy licks. Another crack of thunder boomed, spreading through her body. She howled the name of her lover. The cry had Kiran grinning against her soft flesh. Lucina moaned feeling his lips suckle her nipple. Her lungs were temporarily deprived of air and her heartrate reached its zenith. Coming back from those things felt like a return trip from the sky. When she finally felt herself touch the ground she looked down and saw Kiran smiling at her. He sat up and stared at her, seemingly giving her some time to catch her breath.

Ironically, while trying to catch her breath she felt her heartbeat accelerating again. Kiran's naked body loomed over her, and she loved it. She felt herself whispering his name, much to his pleasure. Her heartrate spiked as he leaned down and pecked her on the lips. Sensing his intention to pull away after that, Lucina refused to let him leave her. Both of her hands shot up and gripped the side of his head. Kiran readily accepted her hold and bore down on her lips. They didn't separate until they ran out of air. Saliva connected their lips as they pulled apart, panting and staring into one another's eyes.

"I'm going to taste you now, Lucina." Spoke the Summoner. He didn't immediately move to follow through on his words, perhaps because he wanted them to fully sink into the princess.

They had. Her heart fluttered even more as she felt greater warmth accumulating between her legs. Finally, she thought to herself while rubbing her legs together. Lucina nodded, giving Kiran that final little push that he needed.

He moved fast, reaching her waist in the span of seconds. His hands grabbed at her undies and pulled them down. Lucina didn't look to where he tossed them, she just spread her legs open in a naked display for him.

"M-M-My flower is yours, K-K-Kiran." Her shyness bolstered her sex appeal. Still, it wasn't enough to keep her from flashing him an earnest smile. Kiran smiled back, then he dove right into her snatch. "Ooooh~" Cried the Ylissean princess. "K-K-Kiran, N-N-Naga's fang! I-I-I-Incredible! Y-Y-Your t-tongue feels in-in-incredible!" Within seconds the fleshy appendage was whipping at her inner walls. Each flick sent a bolt of erotic ecstasy through her. The continuous barrages came together into a sensual storm that had the time traveler thrashing about.

None of it was a bother to her brown-haired lover, who merely placed his hands on her hips to keep her waist steady. When Lucina had called her pussy a flower, she'd been right on the money. As he licked up her womanly entrance Kiran supposed he was the bee. This flower in particular belonged to him and him alone. With every he felt that affirmation strengthened. He pushed his tongue deep into her pussy, feeling her velvet walls squeeze it before it pulled it out. The Summoner caught the taste of pre-cum and tasted it himself during his licks. Lucina's body arched completely off the ground, yet he kept his hold on her. After a second, he pushed his tongue deep into her vagina. The loudest scream yet flew from the princess' mouth.

"Aaaaahhh~!"

"Mmmmmm~!"

Lucina's body had well and truly gone berserk. She couldn't stop spasming due to the nonstop pleasure. Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked down as best she could. Her body was still arched upward, but it was now beginning to come down. Thanks to Kiran. The second she saw his jet-black spikes she let impulsive desire guide her. Both of her legs wrapped around the gunman's head.

"M-M-More, Kiran," she whispered. "M-More…more!" Her voice grew louder with every second, a clear indicator of the euphoria building within her. It was unlike anything she'd ever known or felt before; she was immediately addicted to the feeling and wanted it to go on. Seconds dragged out into minutes, seemingly hours. "Kiraaaaan~"

"Mmmmmhhh!"

"OOOOHH~!"

His fingers, she knew he'd just injected his fingers into her vagina. Now it was two of them and his tongue thrashing about inside of her. Lucina knew it was building up within her, reaching a point where she wouldn't be able to contain it. She bit her lips in a vain attempt to hold the feeling back, but she knew it was ultimately in vain.

Kiran's tongue and fingers were working her over, and they had no intention of stopping until she broke. The waves, the jolts, of ecstasy were growing more powerful by the second. Her body was reacting with nonstop shaking and her mouth forever frozen in an endless scream. She was amazed at how open all of her sense felt, especially her sense of touch. This was the erotic stimulation that she'd heard about…and quietly longed for.

"K-Kiran! Kiran!" The blue-haired princess shouted. "I-I-I'm going to…b-b-by the gods…I'm…going to…"

"Mmmmmh~!"

"Cuuuuuummmm~!"

She did exactly that, screaming the word as she orgasmed. For the first time in her life, Lucina came, and she came hard. Through the initial explosion she felt her juices bursting out of her and dousing Kiran's face. Somehow, she still felt his tongue lapping up her love nectar. Lucina smiled, happy that it was finally out and that Kiran was still there. She felt him in-between her legs, his tongue still licking up her folds while his face was splattered with her juices. That euphoria was all that mattered to her, she didn't care for anything else, at least for the moment.

The princess kept her legs locked around the Summoner's head for the next several minutes. She didn't have any strength to resist him when he gently prided them apart. Kiran's bottom jaw and some of his nose was splattered in cum, most of which he was happily licking up.

"You taste like honey, Lucina." The brown-eyed teen called. Though he was huffing Lucina was willing to bet he still had some energy left. There was just something about the glint in his eyes.

Giggling, she rubbed her legs together. "I'm glad, Kiran. Hearing that…it makes me feel so happy. You taste pretty great too, but I wonder…what would it be like for our…essences to mix together." A glint flashed in his eyes and his member stuck out. She could see it after having sat up. Seized by a sudden thirst she spread her legs out again. "I-I-I can go for one more time, Kiran. P-Please, I want this."

He moved into position, scooping her up into her arms and holding his cock while positioning it at the front of her entrance.

"You said you have protection, right?" He whispered to her. At her nod, he asked his next question, "I'll go-"

A little bit of impatience made her pull him into the kiss. She was aggressive in her kiss, telling him to drop the words and take her like she originally asked him to.

He tore his lips away from her and stared at her. Kiran thrusted his hips forward simultaneous to kissing her again. Lucina's resulting moan of bliss and pain was muffled by his mouth. She wrapped her arms around him, digging her nails into his backside while she adjusted to his girth inside of her. Luckily, her prior orgasm made it easier to accept. There was still the pain from her deflowering though. Lucina winced, feeling a small tickle of shame as she'd endured worse physical pain than this. Fortunately, it was only momentary.

Panting, she withdrew her lips from Kiran's. "M-Move, move inside of me, Kiran." She whispered to him.

With an amorous grin, he started rocking his hips forward and back. Lucina felt an overwhelming sense of pleasure. The pain she'd felt fading was gone entirely, replaced by this new and wonderful sensation. Her legs rose to wrap around Kiran's waist as he forced her onto her backside. The flowers lay around them, a perfect ring to their first time together.

Once he Lucina on her backside Kiran could have sworn some primal instinct inside of him took over. Spurring them on was the grip of her limbs and the rocking of her hips. Though this was her first time Lucina seemed to know by instinct what to do. Kiran let those erotic impulses take over, guiding his every thrust. He may have been on his last reserves of energy, but he knew what those reserves were capable of; he was going to use them to send the royal girl beneath him straight to cloud nine. While he did so Lucina was doing the same, squeezing his cock with her vaginal walls. The euphoric pleasure had him grunting and groaning nonstop.

He was trying to raise Lucina up, yet he felt himself rising as well. Her vaginal walls were crushing his fast-moving member and Kiran was loving the sensation. It seemed every second her walls tightened on him, yet he kept his speed up, injecting hundreds of volts of pure bliss into the sword-wielding princess. She looked more beautiful now than she ever had before, red-faced, her navy-blue hair fanning out behind her, and her eyes utterly focused on him. Just as she was about to scream from his latest thrust Kiran crashed onto her lips. Lucina's muffled moan of bliss rolled through his mouth while his cock continued to shake her body. Her hold on him tightened along with her grip on his penis.

"K-K-Kiran…gods, Kiran…I'm going to cum again!" Lucina shouted with tears spilling down her eyes. "Oh gods, oh gods~!"

"Me…too!" He grunted while keeping his thrusts up. Kiran could feel his own orgasm mere seconds from erupting. Both he and Lucina had gone as far as they could, but their climax was at hand. A mutual climax at that. His first…and hers. Holding onto her, he brought the princess into one last kiss. It was short but tender, her responding with all the love she'd accumulated for him.

When he pulled back, she was smiling at him. He smiled back, then he let his load rip into the blue-haired girl.

"Lucina~!"

"Kiran~!"

The Summoner's seed shot straight into the princess' womb, just as her walls constricted and unleashed her feminine juices. Their mixing brought the couple untold levels of euphoria that they'd never experienced, but now that they had they would find it again. And again, and again. The gunman and swordswoman ended their respective shouts in a steaming kiss. It was how they rode out their orgasms, powerful enough to leave their bodies trembling in the wind.

The wind carried the sweet scent of the flowers around them; it mixed with the smell of sweat and sex that had enveloped the two of them.

Vision was blurry for them, but they could still make out the myriad of colorful flowers around them. Turning over, they stared up at the bright blue sky that had watched over them. It was a sky that they'd often turned to in their individual and joint moments of pondering.

Lucina curled up against the Summoner, the man whom she'd just given herself to. She stared at Kiran's sweaty but happy face. She found herself reaching up and caressing it, thus drawing his attention.

"That was…um, I…never dreamed of having sex in a field of flowers."

She couldn't help but whole heartedly laugh. "I…can't quite say I haven't. Learning that great fields of flowers once existed was incredible. From time to time, I did wonder what it would be like to…do what we just did." Her confession came with a blush, one that Kiran could say he was surprised at. "Oh, what my brother would give to have heard me say that."

"Um…would he…chop my head off learning about what we just did?" He nervously asked.

"Well…potentially, and so would my father. Granted, there's…no reason anyone has to know about this." She concluded in a whisper. Her hold on his naked body tightened.

Kiran returned her embrace. "About what you said earlier, about wanting this to between us…"

"This place is ours, ours to memorialize. In fact…"

"H-Huh, L-Lucina! H-Hey, wait a second!" Shameful as it was, the sight of her jumping up and running over to the pile of their clothes got him hard. On a side note, Kiran wasn't too surprised that Lucina still had quite a bit of energy left in her. He'd seen countless examples of her blatantly superhuman stamina and strength; she wasn't exactly the only one with that trait. Kiran had at times worked himself to the bone so he could come even close to competing with them. He briefly wondered if he was going to have to kick things up a notch in order to compete with Lucina.

That thought was strengthened as she turned around to face him, camera in hand…and utterly naked. His cheeks burned as lewd thoughts raced through his head.

"Um, Kiran…" she called in a silent voice while approaching him. He tried to focus on her face, he really did.

Likewise, he could see her trying to focus on his, but she was failing. Her eyes occasionally drifted to his now hardened member; it was clearly ready for another round of sex. Kiran could see a growing hunger in her eyes. She tried to hide it by looking away from him as she sat down. "L-Lucina…"

"Keeping this…field, what we just did…between the two of us." He watched her place the camera to the side and her fingers began to twiddle.

Kiran stopped them by reaching out and wrapping her in his arms. "Just between the two of us." He correctly deduced.

Giggling, the princess from a ruined future embracing him, once more passionately declaring that a bright future awaited the both of them. Side by side, they'd advance toward it, making it a reality. A bright future for themselves and whatever friends and allies they made.

---

Finally finished Lucina's lemon. I started writing this one during the spring and intended on finishing it then, but given that we're here in fall, that obviously didn't work out. That's one of the series' most iconic characters out of the way.

The topic of Lucina's One-Shot went through a few different changes, including being seasonal when I thought I could roll this story out in spring. Ultimately, I settled on photography since it felt like something Lucina would be fascinated with and could tie into her character well enough. It's mentioned in one of her supports that flowers have likely been completely wiped out along with almost every other form of life, so fields of flowers and such would likely be amongst her likes. To build on that, a camera would help her preserve the image of such things in a more literal sense. Upon deciding on that, I wrote out the rest of the story, especially the buildup.

Given Lucina's iconic status, I decided for her line of stories, her crossover adventures will be alluded to. Personally, it also gives me some more funny things to write about, like her talking about her time in the Smash Bros universe and how it compares to the Order of Heroes.

Let me know what you all thought of this one! The photography concept is going to be revisited in future sequels, and trust me, there's going to be one or two of those. Until next time, which will most likely be at the end of his month! Oh, and happy national fossil day!