Lucina and Corrin Head to Flavortown: Side Chapter

Lucina was nearing wit's end.

Granted, living with the Shepherds had given the princess an object lesson in patience. She had definitely been in tougher scraps and dealt with worse things. There was no 'end-of-the-world' crisis or anything, but still.

The dislocated shoulder was really starting to get to her.

It started with reading. Robin and Miriel had insisted that all the children read constantly, "Work out the brain," he said. Morgan and Laurent were already breaking the curve before this, and Severa and Owain read more than either of them would admit. And Lucina had found herself reading more than just the normal teaching curriculum very quickly. What nobody had said was that it was hard to flip pages with only one usable arm. Still, it was simple to just curl up on the couch and use her legs as a stand. It was more comfortable too.

Then came showering and dressing. That was when she felt it the most. Her shoulder hurt slightly less, but seemed to scream in protest as she tried to lift it. Lucina just grunted and fought through it. After all, it was just a minor injury. She had been stabbed, slashed at, and burned, amongst other things.

But what really did it was cooking. Specifically, baking. People always mentioned how much Lucina resembled her father, how much she acted like her father. But most people didn't mention how she thought like her mother. How she baked like her mother. Lucina was discovering how hard it was to bake with only one arm.

That's how Corrin had found her, sitting in a pile of flour, staring at the ground, where a ruined pie lay, scattered with filling running down the tile floor. Lucina was still fixated on the floor, even after Corrin had picked her up. Lucina began to laugh weakly.

"I guess that's why they say 'slippery as an eel'!" She managed to choke out, tears beginning to run down her face. It took a few seconds for Lucina to compose herself. She took a shaky breath, before turning to Corrin. "I'm sorry, you must think I'm a fool, crying over a pie …"

Corrin shook her head. "No, I've cried over less," she admitted, "But you know, you can ask for help, right?" Lucina bit her lip in hesitation, before replying.

"I'm used to doing stuff alone, I thought I could handle it," Lucina sniffed, "I guess even cooking is difficult with one arm."

"Yeah, I learned that myself."

He leaned against the doorway, his face slightly obscured by shadow. It would've looked pretty cool, if he wasn't dwarfed by the two swordswomen. Lucina stared at the intruder, as Corrin snorted involuntarily. Little Mac walked into the room, face flush with embarrassment.

"Were you … trying to look cool?" Corrin asked. Her grin grew as Little Mac sneered at her.

"Succeedin' is the word you're looking for," He corrected, silently walking into the room. He headed towards the fridge. "How about you two just take a seat. Having someone cook for you feels great when you're injured," Lucina opened her mouth to protest, but Little Mac turned towards her, "Trust me."

As the two sat at the table, Lucina could hear the sizzling of oil on the pan, as the diminuative boxer began chopping something up. "Where did you learn to cook?" She heard herself ask.

Little Mac shrugged, "I picked it up from my parents. They're Italian, you know," He paused, "Of course you don't, I keep forgetting." He continued, placing something in the pan. A pungent smell wafted through the room now. "My family was all about food. Keeps the family together after a long day if you cook." He started chopping again. "I might've been a fighter, but after this tournament, I think I'll start a restaurant or somethin'. Honor the folks."

"Why would you stop fighting?" Corrin asked, "I mean, you have crowds of dedicated fans at every fight!" Lucina hadn't seen the fight with Little Mac. Those 'painkillers' could really take a girl out of the game for a bit. She heard Little Mac sigh.

"Yeah, but look at where I am," He motioned around the room, "There are people from the future, people that use swords, and people that can literally use magic!" He paused again. "All I can do is punch hard. I'm honored to be here, and I honestly do think I have a chance to win this whole thing, but do you think I could go back after this?"

"I … suppose not." Corrin responded sheepishly.

"It wouldn't be a challenge!" He threw in something else into the pan, "I could never go back!"

"So is this the only tournament you'll participate in?" Lucina asked. Mac pretended to be focused on sauteeing whatever was in the pan. "Would you really be okay with only doing one tournament?"

The boxer started chopping again. "No," He finally admitted, "I wouldn't." He cracked two eggs into a bowl and scrambled them. "I would love to do this all the time. Fighting the best the universe has to offer?" He smiled, "But it all seems a bit finicky. I can't bet on getting invited again, so I'm planning ahead." Corrin and Lucina were silent, letting his words cover them like a veil. Lucina hadn't thought about the next tournament, or the thought of not getting invited back. In fact, it all just seemed like a nice distraction for the moment. One glance at Corrin showed that she felt the same way. The silence seemed to stifle the room, and the scent of onion and bacon became tangible. After a long breath in the conversation, Mac spoke up.

"Look, this may seem weird, but do you mind if I play music? I like having the chance to share the songs my world created."

Corrin grinned. "I love listening to new music!" She bounced a bit in her seat. Lucina smiled and nodded. Little Mac pressed some buttons on a small console on one of the counters, and a holographic screen popped up. The sound of a simple drum beat added to the atmosphere to the room. There was an intensity to the music, one that was overwhelming for Lucina initially. It was dark, heavy music.

"Is it meant to be so intimidating?" She asked, "It's very intense."

Little Mac looked at the princess. "Well, the song is about a bad relationship, and the band is known for angrier songs," He flushed suddenly, "If you don't like it, I can change it!" Lucina waved him off.

"Please, dont." She relaxed, leaning into her chair. "I would rather listen, no matter what it sounds like." And she let in all the smells and sounds.

'Crawling back to you … '

Corrin had laughed at something. Probably something Little Mac had said. She could hear water boiling.

'Go and run yourself a million miles … '

A new song. This one was much more soothing, the voice had a nasal quality to it. It became easy to lose herself into this one. Corrin and Mac were still talking, albight quieter than before.

'I tried to squeeze on your dreams … '

This one was loud, but light. Lucina opened her eyes. This one made no sense. The lyrics hinted towards a darker song, but the music was happy. She frowned. She sat upright. Little Mac was beginning to put his dish onto plates, and Corrin was looking at Lucina, bemused.

"This song doesn't make sense."

Little Mac turned towards the princess. "I thought you were asleep," He started, "What do you mean?"

"Why would the song sound happy if the singer is upset?"

Little Mac shrugged. "I dunno," He admitted, "A lot of people in my world do that. Masking or coming to terms with stuff, maybe? Besides," He continued, "It's not that simple. This song is about trying to be better for someone, despite ruining what they had."

"And? It's still sad."

"But kinda uplifting, don't you think? Might be too late, but at least he's trying." Little Mac put a plate in front of Lucina, "I mean, it's okay if you don't like it."

Lucina shook her head. "I like it a lot … I think," she responded, "But it would be disingenuous of me to not admit to being confused." She sniffed the plate. It was a pasta, covered in a white sauce with small bits of meat woven in. "What is this?"

"Pasta Carbonara," Mac answered, "It's … kinda traditional." He shrugged. "It's got bacon, eggs, cheese, pasta … all the good stuff."

Corrin had already started eating. "I don't care what it's made of, it's gooooood!" She almost howled. "Lucy! Try it!"

Lucina put a small bite in her mouth. She was almost attacked by the flavor initially. Basil, parmesean, eggs and cream. There was the saltiness of the bacon, countered by the egg and cream sauce. She took another bite. Then another. Soon she was scarfing it down. Little Mac laughed.

"And you didn't think I could run a restaurant."

'If you want me to go, then I'll go …'

Another angry song. It was fast, bombastic, and complex. But most of all, it was another melancholic song. Corrin said what was Lucina's mind.

"In our world, we sing about heroes and success in battle. About marraiges and happy times," She observed, "Is everything so … sad in your world?"

"Not really," Little Mac answered, "There's a lot of happy songs about relaxation and family and the like." The boxer bit his lip. "Honestly though, things changed. It became easier to sing about everything. Everything can be a story worthy of sharing, y'know?" He took the girl's plates. They both thanked him for the food, and began to head out. Lucina turned around.

"Can you send me some music?" She asked abruptly. Little Mac smiled.

"Sure, I can do that." And with that, he left the room. It was quiet again, save for the sounds of discinct humming coming from the Ylissean princess.

Hey everyone, thank you so much for your patience! I've been super busy the past two months, and July and August are keeping steady. But now things are in a schedule, so I can update more regularly again!

This mini-chapter is an idea I had that didn't really belong in any of the chapters I wrote. A lot of the next parts have nothing to do with Lucina, who's still in recovery, but the idea of Little Mac going full 'mom' for her and Corrin was too much to resist.

Again, a huge thanks to everyone for their support, and as always, I love hearing what I can improve or any questions you have!