A Star-Crossed Encounter, a super smash brothers fanfic

Disclaimer: Super Smash Bros. belong to Nintendo and third-party characters belong to their respective owners.

Commissioned anonymously.

A Star-Crossed Encounter

Corrin let out a heavy-hearted sigh as she was whisked away from her world. The young princess had been trapped in an emotional tug-o-war between her two families before she had been summoned here…wherever "here" was. The offer from this enigmatic being only known as Master Hand had arrived at both the most opportune time and at the worst, for while Corrin couldn't possibly choose one family over the other, she was afraid of what would happen in her absence despite Master Hand's reassurances.

Her worries were forgotten the moment she laid eyes on this strange, vast world before her; a gigantic field of land stretched out with a myriad of environments and flora – such as snowy mountains, deserts, dense forests and jungles, a clear beach and the enormous ocean –, with a large mansion clearly visible amidst it all. She was currently on a plateau overlooking the main valley where she could see a small town not far from the mansion. Soft blades of grass pressed against Corrin's feet and two mighty trees with iridescent leaves with curving boughs created a natural archway for the beaten path that led downwards.

And down there was her new home during her stay.

"What a curious place this is," someone commented and Corrin swiftly turned around to see a tall and rather gorgeous woman. Short, black hair was neatly styled and her far skin made it accentuated her ruby-red lips. She walked with a certain swagger with long legs and her outfit, Corrin surmised, was just the top of the mountain of the foreign clothing she would come to witness from here on.

The woman adjusted her glasses and flashed her a smile. "Seems like I'm not the only new arrival here. Or are you here to carry my luggage, girl?"

Corrin shot her an incredulous glare. "W-What? No! I'm also new here, thank you!"

The tall woman chuckled. "I was just teasing you. I don't need any help." She gave Corrin an onceover as she stepped around the princess. "You must be stronger than you look."

"I…I've held my own in battles," she replied. While not a seasoned veteran like her older brothers or even Gunter, Corrin was no slouch with her sword. She'd prove it right here and now if she had to, but the tall woman was definitely intimidating.

"That's cute." The woman winked at her. "I suppose I'll see what you can do first-hand once we get settled in. I'll see you later, girl."

Without waiting for a response the woman leapt out into the air and Corrin swore she saw large butterfly wings sprout from her back before the woman vanished from view down below.

She was astonished. Confused. And utterly baffled.

Just what was this world? What were the other fighters here like?

She couldn't wait to fight that woman – couldn't wait to meet the other fighters that had been summoned here, veterans or not.

"Hey." Another voice startled Corrin and she turned on her heel just as swiftly-

Her heart threatened to leap out of her ribcage right then and there at the sight of a young man with shockingly spiky, blond hair. A large sword was strapped to his back, indicating the strength he had to swing it around properly, and his eyes – beautiful blue and piercingly sharp – honed in on her between firmly and gently.

Her cheeks heated up and that warmth spread through her body quicker than a Ragnarok spell. "I, uh, I mean, uhm, h-hello."

He didn't respond at first; he eyed Corrin up and down, stone-faced. "I don't suppose you know any more than I do about this…place."

`What a charming voice…´

"I, ah, n-no! I only just arrived as well! My name is Corrin!" Nervously, she held out her hand. "Pleasant to meet you, Mr…?"

The swordsman peered at her proffered hand for a moment before taking it in a fairly firm, but brief handshake. "Cloud Strife."

`Cloud Strife…what a name.´ Corrin mused.

"So you don't know either," he added just as impassive before be began to head down the beaten path. "Thanks anyway."

"W-wait up! How about we go together? Maybe we can get to know each other a bit on the way?" Corrin blurted out and the man, Cloud, merely gave her a puzzled look. "You know, since we're both new here maybe we should stick together?"

Again the blond eyed her expressionlessly before he merely shrugged his shoulders and resumed his stride down. Corrin jogged up to him, giddy despite the swordsman's rather cold attitude.

She was just glad she wasn't alone in this new venture.

There had been more newcomers – as they were referred to – to this world than Corrin had thought; while most where human-looking there were some peculiar-looking…creatures in the bunch, one of which was literally just a dog with a duck on its back. Corrin had seen many strange things in her world, but animals participating in a fighting tournament? That was something else.

They had been given a tour by Master Hand and veteran fighters such as the enigmatic Samus Aran and the joyful and polite Mario. The mansion itself was far vaster on the inside than outside (which Corrin chalked up as part of this mysterious world) and it had a plethora of facilities and areas that was ever expanding to cater to each inhabitant, some of which reminded Corrin of her home a great deal!

For being a home away from home this world was surprisingly…nice. For lack of a better word. It would grow on her in due time Corrin wagered.

Once the tour was concluded the newcomers were allowed some free time for the rest of the day. Many chose to explore further, others such as Corrin decided on mingling. Specifically-

"So, Mr. Strife, do you want to check out the Duellers' Coliseum? It looks like that's where the swordsmen usually gather so maybe we could, you know, spar perhaps?" She asked, giddy and hopeful. It was the perfect excuse to get to know the man and test his skills.

He turned to look at her and Corrin was now convinced he was physically incapable of displaying emotions as he retained his stone-face.

Was he that unimpressed? Was he actually a veteran or did he just hide his emotions that well? It both intrigued Corrin further, but it rubbed her the wrong way.

"I'm not in the mood to waste my energy."

Corrin stifled a grimace. He certainly wasn't making it easy, but she wasn't about to let that stop her.

"A friendly spar isn't a waste, now is it?" Corrin amicably countered. "Regardless of whether or not we'll fight together or against each other it would serves us well to get to know each other's fighting styles. And we got the rest of the day to ourselves so we still have plenty of time to get settled in later. Right?"

Cloud looked away, seemingly considering her words. He shrugged his shoulders. "Fair enough."

Corrin practically beamed.

x.x.x

He just kept on impressing her.

Corrin had figured that there was more to Cloud in terms of strength when she had eyed his sword, but as the blond swung it around with such ease during their sparring, Corrin was in awe at how he made it seem like he was just swinging a stick around. The large blade didn't seem to cumber him one bit; he was as quick on his feet as he was fast with his swings!

But Corrin was nimbler than him. She practically danced around him and would've landed some serious blows if this had been a real match…and if Cloud's sword wasn't so damn huge. With its size and being fast and strong enough, Cloud had little trouble parrying.

Corrin's pulse spiked and she couldn't stop grinning as she dodged a downward strike that dug fairly deep into the stone coliseum floor, and vaulted away from him. "You're incredible, Mr. Strife! You make it look like that sword weights nothing!"

The blond shrugged his shoulders after letting his weapon rest against a column. "Fighting is all I've known."

"I see…And so you feel like you're trapped?" Corrin prodded, sword sheathed. "Like fighting is all you can do – all that you have to do? That's what is expected of you?"

She wasn't certain why she had suddenly asked that. It just came out.

Cloud seemed just as surprised. There was a certain look in his eyes just then for the briefest of fleeting moments as he crossed his arms and kept looking at her seemingly expectantly.

Then, to Corrin's surprise and elation, he nodded. "Something like that."

Hardly a surprise that was the case however.

"So what about you then? Your stance and style…" He eyed her up and down and Corrin felt a little warm around her cheeks. "It's odd. But you make it work. How?"

He wanted to know more about her? Corrin's heart fluttered. She tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ears nervously. "Oh, uhm, I was raised with minimal contact with people, locked in a fortress most of the time. One of the few people I met was an older knight named Gunter who was my combat instructor. If I didn't spar with him then it was with my older brother Xander."

Cloud furrowed his brow. "You were locked up?"

She nodded. "For fifteen years. I'm still experiencing the world outside even now. Even if this is a different one from mine," she joked, chuckling. When Cloud didn't share the mirth she straightened and cleared her throat. "It's a long story."

"…I suppose we have time." Resting against the stone pillar, Cloud seemingly relaxed a bit more. "Go on."

Perking up, Corrin smiled at him. "O-Oh, okay! S-so, uhm…"

She told Cloud about her time in the fortress; about her retainers, her step-siblings whom she had until not long ago thought were related to her by blood, and how she had been stuck between two countries that called her home. She recalled the events that had led up to the moment she had been summoned here including how she wasn't able to choose one family over another and her supposed siblings' reaction to such a proclamation before she had been spirited away.

Cloud didn't say much or displayed any emotions, but it was because of that sharp gaze that she knew he paid attention.

"So you can transform into…a dragon?" He arched a single brow at that, puzzled. "And you can keep those powers under control with a Dragonstone."

"Correct," she replied.

"Uhu. I see. Transformation…" Cloud trailed off for a moment. "Your mother is from…what did you call it, `Hoshido´? While the family that raised you are from…`Nohr´ you said? But if you were kidnapped then shouldn't you be siding with the country where your mother was from?"

She winced. "It's not that simple. I still grew up with my family in Nohr and…and…"

`It's complicated´ is what she wanted to say. But suddenly it felt like an excuse.

"Just saying." Cloud shrugged. "But you do you I guess. Your problems aren't mine. Once we return to our own worlds we won't see each other again."

Her heart suddenly squeezed beneath her chest.

"Hey that's not true! Don't you remember some of the fighters that weird hand told us? There are people…uh, creatures even who have been summoned here time and again for years! I'd say there's a good chance we will meet again." Corrin's voice faded to a whisper as she added; "I hope so at least."

Cloud averted his gaze for a brief moment, seemingly preoccupied from the looks of it, before he slowly nodded. "I guess it's possible."

"Right?!" She optimistically exclaimed. "So it makes sense if we, who are new here, get acquainted you know? We'll have to make friends here anyway so we might as well get started with each other."

His stare was unnerving. It was difficult to get a read on him when he barely displayed expressions and his silence didn't help.

Once again he shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. I suppose we might as well."

"Great! So, uh, d-do you want to go have some tea?" She asked nervously, fidgeting. "O-Or you would perhaps want to spar some more. That's cool! I can go another round! O-Or would you rather go elsewhere and…uh…do s-something else?"

Cloud stepped forward and effortlessly hoisted his sword up and against his shoulder. "Let's train some more."

She practically beamed as she poised to strike. "Okay!"

As time went on, Corrin managed to coax Cloud into spending more and more time with her.

Weeks turned into months. Every so often Corrin would approach him for mundane reasons such as sparring or training, which Cloud needed little convincing for, and bit by bit the princess felt she grew closer to him – like she could get a clearer and clearer glimpse of who Cloud was through the cracks in his erected walls.

And what she saw only intrigued her further. Corrin prodded, moderately, for nuggets of information and trivia that he was willing to share and as the days ticked by Cloud became more willing to talk.

"An `ex-1st Class SOLDIER´?" She gave him a puzzled look.

"Yes. It's an elite fighting force back where I'm from." Cloud rolled his shoulders with a satisfying ´pop´ before he stretched his arms skyward. "But it wasn't long until I turned to mercenary. The pay was better and I only had to focus at the task at hand, whatever it was. Kind of like I'm doing here."

`So he was a warrior back home…That would explain his weapon.´ Corrin noted. "But you're not getting paid here. So what drives you?"

He glanced over to the training grounds in the distance. "I'm killing time until I can return home. And if I grow stronger in the meantime…well, that's a bonus." Scratching his neck, Cloud added; "I need to go back. I was just about to arrive to my next job at the Midgar train-station when I was pulled over to here."

`A train-station? For training? Is that what it is? Sounds like a good idea!´ Corrin thought. Cloud kept using words that seemed – well, because they were – outlandish to her so it was a tad difficult to understand him at times. But that was also why she wanted to learn more about him!

"Oh. Right. You don't know what that is, huh?" He rubbed his chin. "I guess if you imagine a base where you could catch a ride via a transport that goes from place to place really quick you'd get the gist of it."

Corrin gasped. Vividly her mind created an image that likely wasn't what Cloud meant, but to her it seemed incredible! "It can't be faster than a Pegasus can it?"

He eyed her, incredulous. "…I wouldn't know. What's a `Pegasus´?"

The amount of time they spent together – be it off and on the battlefields that represented areas from other worlds – got longer by the week. Eventually Corrin managed to coax Cloud to socialize through other means beyond sparring. With a little help from Master Hand Corrin got hold of some pastries from her world that she had insisted that he tried.

On a balcony overlooking the grand, verdant hillsides which were one of the few areas untouched by monuments or structures, Corrin was treating him to some as she prodded him with questions. To her surprise Cloud had grown curious about her as well.

"The concept of `magic´ is so surreal to me. In my world we rely on technology and Materia, but apparently almost anyone in your world can just pick up a spellbook and.." He bit down on a cookie, chewing slowly with an uncertain look on his face. Perhaps he wasn't one for sweets, Corrin thought. "Throw fire and stuff like that?"

She giggled. "Something like that. It takes practice of course, but it's well within most people's grasp to learn about magic. Some just have a better aptitude for it than others."

"Huh. I see." Cloud picked up another pastry and bit into it. "This one is not so bad."

"It's delicious, right? I used to have these on hand whenever I invited my friends to my private quarters back home," she told him as she smiled from the memories. "It's important to relax once in a while."

"…I suppose. I've never really thought of it that way," Cloud admitted. "I prefer to keep things going until the mission is finished. I can sleep afterwards."

"But that's no good! You need to take proper care of yourself! Your body can only handle so much!"

He eyed her, unimpressed. "I know the limits of my own body, thank you." His expression then softened. "…But I'll keep it in mind. It's not like we're fighting every single moment here anyway."

Corrin sighed lightly under her breath, relieved. She had known first-hand what could happen if someone ran themselves tired because they neglected their own health, and Gunter – her old friend and retainer – had always prioritized his work before taking care of himself, to Corrin's dismay. To hear Cloud at least acknowledge the merit in her worry made her heart flutter ever so slightly.

It would be such a shame for such a strong, handsome body to go to waste-

She recoiled, her heart suddenly hammering frantically. Was it getting hot out here? The sun was high up in the sky, that had to be it!

"Are you alright? Your face is all red."

Corrin quickly shook her head at him. "No no no, it's fine! I'm just not used to the sun is all, ahahaha! It's always so dark in Nohr you see so I didn't really see the sun much the few times I was allowed outside, aha!"

"…I see," Cloud dryly replied. "Do you need some water? We could head inside if you want."

"No no, I'm fine, really-!"

"Look who is not taking care of yourself. If you're sensitive to the sunlight then you should stay in the shade." He got up and held out his gloved hand. "Let's go. You're not feeling dizzy are you?"

The heat around Corrin's face got worse.

"N-No…But I'll just hold on, j-just in case." She placed her hand in his as he gently clasped his fingers around hers, and Corrin's heart jumped in response; the touch sent little jolts through her arm, a tingling sensation that made her surprisingly giddy as she allowed herself to be escorted back inside.

"S-so about this Materia, what is that anyway?"

Cloud managed a ghost of a small, lopsided smile, however briefly, and Corrin swore her heart was about to burst through her chest. "Well-"

While Cloud wasn't the easiest person to strike up a conversation with, Corrin nonetheless enjoyed chatting with him and often tried to help him interact with the others. Not that he was the only one Corrin socialized with; in Zelda, Peach, Rosalina, and Lucina the young princess found kindred spirits of which to share their royal upbringing and their responsibilities (Lucina and Zelda especially who have unfortunately seen their fair shares of war and strife as well) and in Robin, through Lucina, she had found a friend who was more than happy to lend an ear. It had been an existential mess when Corrin found out about Palutena being a goddess walking amongst them and through Zelda Corrin had befriended Sheik and Link, the latter of which was somehow less talkative than Cloud!

Ironic that those two seemed to get along well; even when they didn't talk it was as if they understood each other.

"Kindred spirits," Zelda jested and sipped her tea. "Men of few words who love to spar. I think that's how such men bond, don't you?"

"Uhu…" Corrin just nodded, her gaze locked onto Cloud as he sparred with Link out on the field next to the gazebo garden.

"Smitten, are we?"

Corrin immediately turned to Zelda. "Huh?"

"I recognize that look," the Hylian explained, mildly self-satisfied as she eyed Corrin. "You've barely looked away from him since we arrived. Your tea is getting cold."

"…Oh." She averted her eyes from the Hylian, head hung low. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, although I'm certain that you haven't listened to a word I've said for the past fifteen minutes," Zelda then said, smiling. "You, my dear, must really be smitten by Mr. Strife."

"Th-that's not-"

"Hello, Zelda! And hi Corrin!" The unmistakeable cheery tone of Princess Peach piqued their attention as the pink-garbed, aforementioned princess unhurriedly stepped up to them. "Lovely day we're having, no? I don't mean to disturb-"

"Hello, Peach. You needn't worry, I was having a wonderful conversation with myself apparently," the Hylian princess replied with a playful smile at Corrin's apologetic expression. "What can we do you for on this indeed lovely day?"

"Well I was hoping that I could chat with you about tonight-"

Corrin glanced over at where Cloud and Link were, oblivious to everything around her, and she smiled.

`Am I really smitten with him? He's handsome, sure, and I wanted to get to know him better. It's just an admiration, right?´ She wondered. `I mean, he's *really* handsome. Not that I met many boys back home, but he's so…different. I bet he hugs nice.´

Her heart jumped with sudden elation.

`I wonder if he has kissed someone before…´

Corrin's chest tightened.

`Would I…be his first? If we did end up together…´

"…so Link and I are looking forward to see you again tonight, Peach. Have a good day now."

"Sweet! Ta-ta then!" The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom walked off with pep in her step as Corrin snapped back to attention.

"Wait, where is she going?" She queried.

Zelda chuckled. "She wished to speak to me in private, but I told her that there was no need. You were miles away again."

"I'm…" Corrin groaned and bowed her head. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's perfectly fine, Corrin. You must be really taken by him if you get lost in thoughts so easily." The Hylian smiled at her reassuringly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Eying her now cold cup of tea and then back at Cloud, Corrin let out a lengthy wistful sigh before she glanced back at Zelda.

"…I am very much smitten with Cloud."

She was met with a warm smile. "I see. Then here's some advice for you."

A few days later, Corrin and Cloud had met again for sparring as per their usual arrangement near Dueller's Coliseum. It had been fairly even between them by the time they called it quits for the day and prepared to head back to the mansion.

"Good work today," Cloud commended plainly and sheathed his broadsword.

Corrin smiled back at him, shyly. "Th-thanks. You too! It's been a, uhm, very valuable experience as a fellow swordsman! Oh, uh, you know, swordswoman! Because I'm a woman haha."

He eyed her, puzzled. "Riiight…Yeah. Likewise."

Awkwardly laughing, Corrin fidgeted in place and shifted her weight from one foot to another. She tucked some loose locks of hair behind her ear and worried her bottom lip as the butterflies in her stomach began to flutter like crazy. "Oh, uhm, Cloud! You got a little dirt on your cheek there."

"Hm? I do?" Frowning, Cloud moved his hand to wipe his face when Corrin quickly stopped him.

"N-No, let me!" Her heart was pounding. Wetting her thumb sufficiently, Corrin then rubbed it across the dirt smudge on the gasping blond's cheek whilst cupping the other so he would stay still.

Her heart vaulted beneath her breast. Cloud was warm against her skin and the contact sent little jolts through her nerves. She hadn't been this close to him before…perhaps she could get a little closer still. Corrin's gaze flicked over to his lips and her own face grew hotter.

"…I think it's gone now."

Corrin blinked and met Cloud's gaze, bewildered. "Wha-huh?"

"You've rubbed my cheeks for a few minutes now. I think the dirt is gone." His brow was furrowed and his cheeks were unmistakeably reddened. "…And you're getting too close."

"I…" Her heart jolted. When had she leaned in this close?! She could practically kiss him right now and the idea startled her, but she knew she had to pay it cool. "I just wanted to make sure it was gone since it was persistent."

"I…see." He looked away. "And the spit?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Ugh. Nothing."

"Good." Corrin smiled and stepped back from, and winked. "Now come on. I could go for some late lunch."

Cloud shrugged his shoulders, but the way he eyed Corrin for a moment was…Corrin couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was different from his usual inscrutable expression.

Turning around, Corrin breathed a sigh of relief. `I can't believe I did that. I haven't flirted with anyone before…´

Unbeknownst to the princess, the blond gently rubbed the spot on his cheek as his heart fluttered.

Their outings became a routine, much to Corrin's elation. While Cloud certainly wasn't a man of many words, he held up his end of a conversation just enough, and shared trivia about his home world; all of which Corrin, while she didn't understand everything, found interesting and exciting!

But it wasn't solely outside the matches where they socialized, as they frequently ended up together in Team Battles against other fighters…or sometimes against one another. That in of itself was something they both came to relish just as much, perhaps Cloud more so than Corrin.

Corrin vaulted backwards, dodging Cloud's wide arcing slash and put some distance between them. "I still can't believe how you can swing that around so quickly!"

"Hm." He rushed at her, holding his massive blade diagonally as he thrust forward lightning quick, and their swords clashed in a spark-emitting impact.

Corrin grunted and somersaulted backwards, but Cloud was in pursuit, slashing at her in rapid succession into a combo that got the better of her; the knockback sent her hurtling across the stage. Her whole body ached and her head was ringing, but there was no respite on the battlefield; Cloud was already dashing towards her again!

She jumped back up to her feet, her blood pumping swiftly and her excitement rising! Muscles tensed as her inner dragon surfaced and her arm rapidly transformed, replacing skin with scales and transforming her hand into something resembling a dragon's maw. Watery energy quickly built up before she shot it out at the swiftly advancing Cloud, stopping him in his tracks with a paralyzing effect before knocking him back.

Rushing after him through the splashing droplets Corrin spun mid-air and forward with her sword thrust at him, striking Cloud multiple times. Thankfully this world made sure no serious injuries or dismemberment could occur (for better or worse depending on who you asked), but that would certainly hurt.

Cloud tumbled across the ground and kicked up a trail of dust behind him. He quickly got back up and shielded himself from Corrin's incoming attacks before dodge-rolling away and just as quickly switched to offense!

Their blades clashed with a resounding, metallic clang that sent sparks flying upon impact, and they found themselves in a deadlock. The swords quivered and Corrin's and Cloud's arms trembled as they pushed in desperation to gain the upper hand.

"Evenly matched, huh?" Corrin breathed, muscles aching and she grunted as she pushed to no avail.

Cloud struggled to push back as well, and huffed. "Seems so."

Corrin smirked at him and Cloud offered a small smile back (such a handsome smile too!) as they both attempted to throw the other off-

FIVE!

"Huh?"

FOUR! THREE!

"The match is almost-?!" The two broke the stalemate by dashing backwards and creating distance that was equally quickly crossed.

TWO!

Cloud swung his broadsword overhead and downwards for his Cross Slash, ready to transition into a flurry of strikes-

ONE!

Corrin immediately assumed her dragon form to counter him-

GAME!

Forced into placating stances the pair looked at each other puzzlingly. Everything went quiet.

"…So, a draw?" Corrin asked.

Before Cloud could respond he – and Corrin – nearly fell to their knees as their bodies suddenly hurt all over, almost like they had taken a severe pounding from Master and Crazy Hands combined.

SUDDEN DEATH!

Realization struck them like a sucker-punch and they jumped into battle stances, startled and eager to claim the win as they threw themselves at each other right away!

x.x.x

"Great work, Cloud! That was a fantastic display!" Shulk commented as Cloud walked past, and the latter merely nodded and waved back. He rubbed his neck and rolled his shoulders with an audible pop in response to his relief.

Corrin playfully nudged his side with her elbow. "No good with complements are you?"

He shrugged. "I just don't know what to say. All I did was fight." He sighed. "And I lost."

"But it was close!" Corrin quickly reminded him. "And I was also lucky you know."

He scoffed at her and massaged his neck. "All I've realized now is that you're holding back when we spar."

"Huh? No I don't!"

"You rarely ever transform into a dragon when we do," Cloud said mildly sternly and crossed his arms. "You blasts water out of nowhere and turn your arm into a spear. You can lunge into the air with your wings and that counter of yours? Unreal."

Corrin laughed nervously. It wasn't that she had meant to `hold back´ on Cloud, she knew he was a strong and capable fighter! But what she didn't want to tell him was the embarrassing fact of what happened whenever she did transform in any way…

Whenever she did it, especially off the battlefields, it made her feel warm and `needy´; her primal instincts surged up and it was a distraction to say the least. And with Cloud so close and often being the only other person in the vicinity of their sparring the urges were even more tantalizing.

"So I want you to transform more often when we spar." She turned to him instantly, eyes wide, whilst he looked ahead. "That way I'll be better prepared for some of the other fighters around here. You've got range and a few surprises up your sleeves so I need to learn how to combat that."

"Oh." Her face flushed red. "R-Right. Okay, sure, I can do that…"

"Appreciated. I'm looking forward to your pointers next time," he said with a lopsided and small smile, and Corrin nearly doubled over as her heart skipped a beat.

"You're w-welcome!"

Their sparring sessions from then on became a test of Corrin's discipline as she, per Cloud's wishes, did transform more often. Despite that however, their training yielded fruits as they both improved and performed better in future matches.

And off the battle field, Cloud had warmed up to her significantly! While rare and far in-between the swordsman did seek out Corrin on occasion, and even rarer were the reasons that of simply wanting to talk (even if it was combat-related.) He accepted a cup of tea every now and then and was willing to share more tales of his world in exchanged for tales from her in return, which Corrin was more than delighted to do.

But when Cloud did talk, Corrin could hear in his voice how he opened up bit by bit and detect the slight inflection of joy in his tone when he explained things that she didn't understand. It made her heart flutter and she sat there, captivated, watching him until she no longer listened and merely admired his handsome face. She studied his contour as he turned and gestured while explaining and lost herself in his unusually-coloured- but beautiful eyes.

She wanted to reach out and touch him. The urge to caress Cloud's cheek was steadily growing stronger; Corrin wanted to feel his warmth against her hand, to see him lean into it and relax. How would he react if she did that now? Wouldn't it be nice if he caressed her hand in turn and smiled-

"Corrin? Are you listening?"

"Huh-wha-?" Corrin instantly jerked back and yelped. "S-Sorry! I got distracted for a moment, w-what were you saying?"

His brow furrowed as he shot her an unimpressed look and scoffed, arms folded. "Never mind. Not worth it."

"Aw, come on! Don't be like that!" Corrin pleaded. "Please continue."

"…Fine. I was talking about swords. I said that I've been curious about yours; it's…different."

"My sword?" Corrin eyed her blade, the Omega Yato, and smiled. "It's a weapon that chose me. The circumstances-"

A painful pang stabbed in her chest as fragments of memories flashed before her mind and Corrin flinched; flashed of her mother, screaming, chaos, rage, it all came flooding back like a torrent. Her eyes stung and she shook her head. "No, sorry. I rather not talk about the circumstances. "

"It's okay. Don't talk about it if you don't want to." Cloud scratched his neck, fidgeting. "I was just curious."

She giggled. "You can be a pretty nice guy underneath that soldier mentality, aren't you, Cloud?"

"Don't know about any of that. Being a `nice guy´ doesn't matter on the battlefield."

"Don't be like that. This isn't life or death you know."

"Hmph."

Corrin playfully rolled her eyes at him. `Cute.´

Her longing for Cloud got worse.

Thinking back on it, Corrin had at first been fine with them staying as friends, but the more they spent time together the more she realized that her heart yearned for more. And after her awkward attempt at flirting not too long ago the princess felt in her heart that she couldn't just be Cloud's friend if there was at least a sliver of a chance to court him. If he didn't reciprocate then that was just something Corrin was prepared to accept.

But with him being so closed off it was difficult to tell whether or not he did harbour feelings for her. Knowing not how to gauge it and her feelings growing stronger over time, and being unfamiliar with love and courtship, Corrin was about to reach a breaking point.

She had attempted flirting with him here and there over time, occasionally being confident and playful, but for the most part it had felt weird when spoken out loud; but it had felt good to let her feelings be known however subtle the method was.

They had finished a four-team-match, which was the type of battle that didn't occur too often, but unlike other matches it was optional to join so she and Cloud had opted to join in together. Their opponents had been Ike and Pit, Shulk and Falco, and Luigi and Captain Falcon which had resulted in a chaotic brawl. No items to help them, Time Limit set to five minutes, and the stage selected was…

Midgar.

Corrin had recognized that name. That's where Cloud was from and it wasn't too surprising. She vaguely remembered being told about these stages being created from fighter's memories and they were more akin to a "magical replica" of certain places rather than being real. Whether it was out sympathy for the fighters who were homesick or a cruel taunt was debatable.

Corrin looked over at Cloud and for the first time since she met him his emotions were clearly visible across his face as he gawked at the surroundings of the stage; shock, confusion, and something Corrin couldn't make out broke his usual deadpan face a he looked around right before the battle had begun. Corrin had been worried that this would've affected him…

…but instead, it made him an unstoppable beast! Cloud had never looked more fitting into his element than he had now as he dodged and retaliated in quick succession through the brawl.

It was pretty sexy of him, Corrin had thought. Invigorated, Corrin leapt right in, countering blows and semi-transforming sporadically to the best of her ability in the middle of the chaos while watching Cloud's back just as he, as she found out, watched hers!

The battle was hectic and intense, worthy of a better scribe to immortalize into fiction in greater detail. Their opponents were sent flying out of bounds or smashed down frequently, but not even Corrin and Cloud as a team had been able dodge every strike and punch or kick thrown at them. They had lost themselves in the frenzy, Corrin especially, and soon enough it was impossible to keep score.

What she had paid attention to, however, was their improved synergy. And every so often she had caught Cloud glancing at her, nodded in approval and understanding right before they pulled off another team-attack that caught their opponents off-guard, and it made the princess' heart swell with pride and elation!

Alas, Corrin had lunged at Ike, high-spirited and confident, and time had almost run out, only for him to have countered perfectly and struck back with twice the strength that sent her hurtling past the others – past Cloud – and right through the boundaries of the stage with a painful crash.

GAME!

When Corrin had come to, Cloud was right there with a rare look of unease on his face and helped her up on her feet. The other fighters were lined up as the results were just about to announced—

"I think we did good," she whispered to him, her face red as she clasped her hand in his.

Cloud let out a soft, brief chuckle – a sound that made Corrin feel as though her heart would jump clean out of her chest – and a tiny smile curved his lips. "I think we did better than good," he whispered back.

Forget about jumping out, her heart threatened to burst! Corrin held onto his hand even after she got up, and to her surprise Cloud didn't try to pull away.

He peered at their hands and his expression reverted to the usual unreadable look, but he let her hold onto him. As they stood there lined up and waiting Corrin kept shifting her gaze from their hands to his face with heart pounding faster.

They locked eyes. The he averted his gaze.

She offered a gentle squeeze.

RED TEAM WINS!

He squeezed back, albeit hesitantly. "We won, huh. Not too surprising."

Corrin fidgeted, her heart aching and butterflies fluttering; everything spun around and her face was uncomfortably hot. The other fighters clapped as did the audience, but all Corrin could think about was the man next to her and how much she had come to care for him.

"Corrin?" He queried.

She wasn't familiar with romance.

"Are you okay..?"

Nor was she experienced with how love worked outside of what she had read.

"Corrin?"

But one thing she knew for certain in her heart and soul was that Cloud was dear to her.

"Do you need a doc-"

So she stepped in close and leaned against him, overflowing with these fluttering feelings, and pressed her lips against his. A spark, a heart-skip, a shudder rippled through her from the chaste contact and sent her heart soaring!

He gasped into the kiss, his body stiff and unresponsive. Corrin kissed him still, poured all her feelings into it, and suddenly jolted when Cloud's arm slowly wrapped around her waist.

He pulled her closer and gradually reciprocated the kiss, awkward and clumsy as it was; he obviously hadn't kissed anyone before and that was fine, neither had she. Although clumsy the kiss was nonetheless affectionate as Cloud tried to mimic Corrin, and soon the clumsy, teeth-clicking kiss grew more passionate and breathless.

`Heavenly…´ Corrin thought to herself as she lost herself into Cloud's welcoming embrace. Time and place became irrelevant; what mattered was this moment right now with just the two of them and the increasing need for oxygen despite their persistent kissing.

Finally the pair pulled back, drawing long breaths of air. The way Cloud looked at her unfocused and heavy-lidded sent a shiver up Corrin's back; not even in battle did his eyes smoulder like that and her heart swelled a little with pride, but more so with joy that he seemingly reciprocated her feelings!

"So…" she began, shyly despite her excitement. "I take it you like me too."

"…I…" Cloud blinked and fumbled with his words, his face red like a ripe tomato. "Uhm…I mean…"

"Just be honest with her, sonny!" Captain Falcon suddenly hollered with no small degree of enthusiasm, alerting the pair of his presence and it just then dawned on them that not only had they been brought back to the mansion, they had a captive audience as well! "You kissed her back and everything!"

Corrin and Cloud exchanged glances, flustered and uncomfortable as more fighters gathered and murmured while peering over at them, snickering.

"…Let's go somewhere else," Cloud advised with a growing frown.

"Please."

x.x.x

"So," the swordsman began, but didn't elaborate. He rubbed his neck and avoided meeting Corrin's gaze whilst they walked through the empty corridors of the mansion. Knowing how he is with words, Corrin gave him time. He sighed. "I'm not experienced with this whole…" He gestured randomly with his free hand. "This."

"..A relationship?" She carefully suggested.

"Is…" He gave her an uncertain look. "Is that what this is?"

"Well…No. Not yet. There's courting involved. But with enough time-"

"You mean `dating´?"

"Right. That." Her cheeks were likely just as red as his by now, Corrin suspected. They hadn't let go of each other's hands and he gently squeezed hers, a gesture that made her poor heart skip beats. "I…would love to. I've come to care for you a lot and if I didn't act on these feelings then…I don't know what I would do besides regretting it later."

Cloud let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Did you…hate it? The kiss I mean."

He looked at her and she caught how his eyes went wide for just a moment, and the way his brow creased with anxiety. "N-No! That's not it! I just-" Shaking his head, Cloud scoffed. "Why me?"

Corrin blinked, taken aback. "What? Because not only do I find you handsome, but I feel that there's a connection between us. We-"

"We're not from the same world," Cloud retorted with a mild glare. "We'll have to part ways eventually. It's just a waste of-" He quickly inhaled and stopped himself as Corrin gasped. "Sorry…I just don't like it. I'm not used to have people that care for me like you do and…and knowing that you'll be gone soon…"

So that's what it was.

"Cloud." Corrin sighed and cupped his cheek so that he would look at her. As soon as he did she smiled at him warmly. "It's true that we come from different worlds. And we might not have that much time together. But like I told you, I would regret it forever if I didn't act on my feelings. I want to take a chance and at least be with you a little bit than never seeing you again and never tell you how I feel about you."

His expression greatly softened. "Corrin…"

"And besides," she continued. "We don't know for sure if we'll be separated forever. Many of the fighters here have been brought here a few times in the past! And with help we could potentially be allowed to visit each other!"

"…You really think so?"

"Definitely." She chuckled. "So…what do you say? Do you want to gamble?"

His body-language made his anxiety clear. Corrin knew that she couldn't force anything out of him, but she needed to know if he wanted to commit to try and make this happened. Cloud hadn't rejected her so if he did feel the same then hopefully he would give them a chance.

"Okay," he replied, short and plainly. "You see something in me that I don't. And I don't know how relationships works, but…But I care about you too. So…"

"Sooo?"

"I guess we're…dating?"

Corrin giggled, her heart beating faster. She leaned in closer and gently pressed herself against the blond. "So then. Would it be alright if I kissed you again?"

The corners of Cloud's lips tugged slightly up even as he tried to hide it. "…Yes."

The kiss would later be described by Corrin as breath-taking.

Today was the day. Corrin nervously fidgeted with her hair as she did stepped down the hallway. This would be the first date she would have with Cloud, just two days after their first kiss.

Having asked for help from her friends, Corrin was now considered "ready"; Peach and Zelda had graciously helped pick out a white-and-blue sundress for her and styled her hair into a cute little ponytail tied with a white ribbon. This wasn't what she considered her style, but she trusted her fellow princesses.

Cloud and she had agreed to meet up at the plaza in front of the mansion by lunch where they then would grab a bite to eat, and "then figure out what to next." While Corrin had found that idea silly she hadn't been able to come up with a better suggestion.

But it honestly wouldn't matter; they were courting! They were a couple! Corrin could barely believe this was happening even as she was exiting the mansion and headed down the path to the plaza. The breeze was fair and cooled her down in this heat.

The sky was largely cloudless and brilliantly blue. In the distance on her way down the princess could spot other fighters taking advantage of the fine weather; some were unsurprisingly heading towards the coastal region and a handful of others were enjoying picnics in the gazebo garden.

Now that was a good idea. Perhaps they could go on a picnic for their next courting? Or `dates´ as Cloud referred to them as. She made a mental note to suggest it to him later.

Reaching the fountain, Corrin scanned the area for her spiky-haired swordsman and found a few other fighters visiting shops and socializing as well, but it seemed that she had arrived first. Adjusting her dress, she took a seat by one of the stone benches and tried to calm her swiftly beating heart despite the anticipation.

`I hope I don't smell..This heat is really something.´ She brought her wrist up close to her nose. `No, it's fine. The perfume Princess Peach picked out for me is masking it if anything.´

"Hey." Startled, Corrin perked up at the source of the voice and her breath hitched in her throat before she could utter a response.

Cloud's had gone with a pair of jeans (interesting material Corrin had noted) that had been blackened slightly and a dark-blue t-shirt, and the casual look made Corrin's heart drum like crazy! It was a dapper look for him to say the least. "Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"

"Oh, n-no! I just arrived, it's only been a minute or two!" Corrin reassured and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You look good."

Cloud's cheeks reddened as he glanced away (cute!) and rubbed his neck. "R-Right. Thanks. You look good too." He peered back at her. "…That's a beautiful dress."

The corners of her lips curved as she giggled. "Thank you! I didn't know what to wear so I had to ask for help. I'm happy you like it! So, uhm…Shall we?"

"…Yeah. Let's do this then."

"A bit more enthusiasm wouldn't hurt you know."

The blond winced. "Sorry, I'm just-"

"I'm teasing, you, silly," Corrin interrupted and giggled. "I'm nervous too. And I've come like your stoicism."

"Oh." Cloud nodded, seemingly surprised, and managed a ghost of a smile. "That's good…?"

She rolled her eyes at him good-naturedly. "Come on, let's go. How about lunch?"

As they headed for a nearby café (recommended by Zelda and her friends) Corrin smoothly linked her arm with his and hugged it against herself, and her heart fluttered sweetly in response. Cloud seemed embarrassed if his reddened face was anything to go by, but he made no effort to pull away.

The date was but the first of many as Cloud gradually relaxed and grew accustomed to `courting´ Corrin, to the latter's ecstatic joy! The very next day they had a picnic as the princess' suggested, near a secluded forest glen where they spent hours talking about everything and nothing until the stars became visible.

For months they dated/courted (depending on whom you asked) whilst fighting together, against one another, or merely sparred. Lunches became dinners and breakfasts, picnics became romantic walks along the beach or stargazing in remote spots that allowed them the privacy their relationship deserved.

Corrin hadn't been this happy in her life so far! Years of being locked away in the tower back in Nohr, the limited social visits and not as much seeing any greenery had numbed her into thinking the world outside wasn't all that special. Hours poured into reading through whatever books she had been given over the years had piqued her interests time and again, but even that had dulled her expectations for life, adventure, and love.

And now she was in a wide, boundless world enjoying life and all that it had to offer with a man whom she cared for with all her heart and who returned her feelings with not words, but gestures that spoke volumes despite how small and simple they were. All was well. All was right.

And yet there was something missing – something that gnawed away at Corrin's mind that she couldn't pinpoint. Everything about her life was great, but something felt amiss.

Occasionally there was an intense heat that engulfed the princess' body and she began to feel antsy. At first she dismissed it as nothing, but it gradually started to happen more frequently when she was around Cloud who, bless his heart, insisted that she'd seek a Healer.

Corrin had of course waved off the concern and insisted that it was nothing serious. Even when these things seemed to happen when she was near the blond, the sensation faded somewhat when she kissed him, or petted him, or touched his face (an act Cloud couldn't help but question the purpose of every time.)

As dismissive as Corrin was about the subject it did still worry her to a small degree. Or rather she was curious about it! Her heartrate would spike when it happened too…and the urge to transform was a thing as well.

One day Corrin had opted to go for a walk when the breeze was fair. Cooling her head, Corrin traipsed aimlessly around the mansion grounds mulling things over, but came to no conclusion as to why these things happened or what they were. A heat spell had been dismissed as no-one else was suffering similar symptoms.

`I don't get it. It's usually not as intense when I'm by myself…but when it does I keep thinking of Cloud. Is it just separation anxiety?´ Corrin stifled a laugh. `Ridiculous! We see each other every day! It has to be something else. I'm troubled that the healers couldn't find anything physically wrong with me either…´

Corrin frowned. If she could at least find out what it was then she could deal with it, but not knowing anything rubbed her the wrong way.

Wandering around, the princess soon found herself in one of the mansion's outer gardens. The area was dense with statues, monuments, and shallow, manmade ponds for schools of fish, and as she took a proper look upon realizing just how far she had walked, it took her breath away. The trees had just begun to change colours.

"Oh wow…" She uttered to herself. "I should definitely bring Cloud here someday."

For a little while Corrin merely stood there, soaking in her surroundings and the serenity that lingered over the area. It was ideal for a picnic and the nearby hill was perfect for looking at the stars.

The serenity was broken by a distant noise and Corrin, alerted, spun to the direction of the source. She was greeted by silence and shrugged, thinking nothing more of what she thought was her imagination when she heard it again: a voice.

A woman's voice.

Was it…pain?

Corrin followed the sound with quick, light steps as the sound became clearer and a red flag went off in the back of her mind. A woman was in trouble and her blood boiled as she headed to a small stone building—

Corrin froze mid-step and nearly recoiled. Past a tree and a hedge, behind the stone building was the source of the noise, but it was everything but pain that she had heard.

Trapped between the wall and the green-garbed hero with her hair tousled and wild, and most of her clothes discarded onto the grass below, was the princess of Hyrule. Her voice came out in raspy, throaty moans while she fisted his hair and the male Hylian moved faster, thrusting his hips with such roughness that the princess bit down on her hand to stifle her voice.

They hadn't noticed Corrin. She stood there, not too far away, barely hidden by the hedge and the tree, and saw everything.

Her body grew as hot as though she was fire. Her heartrate went up and her knees were suddenly sapped of strength. This was wrong; Corrin knew she wasn't meant to see this, but she couldn't take her eyes away or even blink as she witnessed the supposed hidden debauchery that was meant for those two.

And then it clicked. Like a bolt of heat from the heavens Corrin realized what she had been feeling and upon doing so she nearly gave up on resisting the bestial urge. As she watched Zelda and Link rut like sex-starved animals, clawing and kissing and biting like their lives depended on it Corrin finally understood.

It was her own bestial side that had come to the surface. She vaguely remembered reading about it back in Nohr, alone in her tower, about some draconic urges, but it hadn't made any sense to her until now.

Her thighs quivered and she fell to her knees. Her sex throbbed and the fire in her body grew worse the longer she watched the Hylians go at it, moaning and gasping and—

With a surge of willpower Corrin forced herself back up on her feet and discreetly hurried away from the scene. Back at the mansion she tired her best to compose herself until she was back at her room and threw herself to bed to satiate the need for now with her fingers, now that she understood what had been plaguing her!

It made sense now. She had Cloud – a mate in draconic terms – whom she liked a lot. Her body was yearning for him.

The following weeks proved to be a test of will. Corrin could handle it better now that she knew, but what worried her more was the question of how she could take their relationship to that next physical level.

They had been courting for some time now, but Corrin was nothing but patient with Cloud; she couldn't risk forcing herself on him if he wasn't ready! While it wasn't lost on her that most men would jump on the opportunity, Cloud Strife was different.

And to her knowledge he wasn't experienced in the art of lovemaking either, same as her.

Just what was she supposed to do?

"So, how are things going with you and Mr Strife, Corrin?" The Hylian royal inquired before sipping her tea.

Corrin, startled, sputtered as her face combusted and slammed her teacup against the table, spilling the tea and garnering some looks from the other fighters. The two of them had gotten better acquainted as of late and made it a routine of going out for some tea every so often.

Today they had opted to meet up at the plaza where small vendors, a fountain, and places to sit were located. They were sheltered in the shade of a tree, fairly remote from the coming and going of the other fighters, but unfortunately Corrin had attracted a handful with her reaction just now.

"Th-th-that's such a sudden q-question don't you think?!"

Zelda arched an eyebrow, puzzled. "…I am merely curious."

"Oh." She fanned herself furiously. "Right. Yes, of course. I, uhm…" Corrin cleared her throat. "Things are going g-good. Great even! We've been out on a lot of dates already!" She gushed nervously.

Zelda chuckled. "Yes I'm aware. We've spotted you quite frequently during our own outings," she explained with barely veiled mirth to Corrin's embarrassment. "But are things going, shall we say, forward?"

It clicked in Corrin's head and she swiftly averted her gaze. "…No."

The Hylian smirked ever so thinly and sipped her tea. "I see."

"S-So what, are you and Link—" she began, playing dumb to the nature of the Hylians' activities.

"Do you want to take your relationship to the next step?" Corrin immediately clammed up and Zelda once again softly laughed. "My apologies. I know it's not my business, but if I'm being honest? I can tell that you want to; every time Link and I spot you two you've got a certain look on your face. And your body-language is…" She gestured with her hand. "Well, it is fairly telling."

Corrin blanched. "Oh gods, am I that obvious?!"

"You do cling to him rather often," Zelda added with a hint of amusement in her inflection. "Hugging his arm, snuggling up against him and rarely staying longer than arm's reach from him unless having to. I know I was the same with Link, but that was largely because he's not a man of words nor does he show his emotions all that often."

"Yeah…I got that impression too," Corrin admitted and chuckled. "But his kindness is evident in everything he does."

"That it is. Mr. Strife on the other hand seems to abhor the notion."

The two shared a laugh and sipped on their tea before Corrin forlornly sighed with a shrug of her shoulders. "He is…I know I've broken through to him. Otherwise we wouldn't be courting right now. But there's this weird…hunger you know? Like I'm torn between acting on this feeling and making a move, and a fear of pushing him into something he's not ready for." She shook her head. "He's not exactly the physical type of person. Meanwhile my body feels warmer whenever I'm around him and on occasion parts of my dragon-self just sprout out all willy-nilly."

The Hylian took a long sip, eyebrow neatly arched at the last notion. "You've been courting for a while now though," Zelda stated. The teacup was put aside as she rested her elbows against the table, chin in the palm of her hand. "I think he would not mind, but perhaps he is unsure of what to do? From what you've told me before you are the first woman he has officially tried to court to begin with, so perhaps you need to just push him a little."

"I suppose you're right…but how would I even do that?"

Zelda's expression quickly became devilish. "If you're interested then I know of a trick that I learned from an all-female tribe in the desert."

Corrin, equally intrigued and curious, leaned in over the table as the Hylian began to explain…

It was time to execute her plan. As per Princess Zelda's suggestions Corrin had stripped down to nothing but a black sports bra (what a handy article of clothing it was, this world was something else entirely!) and black panties that snugly hugged her derriere to the point that they had begun to slide between her buttocks. Perhaps she needed to get a new pair. Her hair had been donned up in a ponytail so to not get in the way.

A light blue yoga mat had been rolled out conveniently between their bed and bathroom so that it would be even more difficult to not notice the princess. Following the Wii Fit Trainer's instructions Corrin began to exercise as she patiently waited for Cloud to return with mounting excitement…which she had to keep in check, lest she'd be a semi-transformed, dripping wet mess by the time he came back and that would defeat the whole purpose of the plan.

Corrin wanted to entice Cloud to make the first move after all. As much as she wanted to jump him she understood his reluctance and anxiety; this would be her first time as well. But unlike the swordsman she had at least the idea of sexual intercourse down and she had definitely introduced herself to toys before, but Cloud was…emotionally withdrawn. It was only recently he was comfortable with physical affection so it was important to keep him comfortable.

All Corrin had to do was to keep a proper bait in front of him, lure him in, and ensure he was in control. If Cloud felt he was in charge of the situation he would theoretically be more at ease. And if anything it would at least give him a proper preview of what awaited him whenever he was ready.

Corrin loved him. As much as she was more than ready to get down and dirty with her favourite blond, she wanted their first time together to be consensual – something they both wanted. She would rather stab her own hand than force Cloud into something he wasn't ready for. She could always sate her burning need by herself if she needed to, it wouldn't be the first time.

The door-handle turned and she smirked. Showtime!

Cloud slowly pushed the door open carrying a pair of canned beverages and yawned as he entered the room before kicking it close behind him. "Hey, Corrin, I bought some-"

The cans crashed to the floor before he had even stopped in his tracks. It was the first time she had seen him this shocked and the way he was blushing more profusely than ever before was absolutely adorable.

"Oh hi, Cloud," Corrin greeted over her shoulder. "What was it you bought you said?"

"I…" She could hear him gulp before he cleared his throat. "I bought…uhm…s-sodas. I know you like lychee flavour so…" Poor guy was struggling, face beet red and eyes wide and fixated on her. "W-What are you doing?"

"Oh just some stretches before our battle later. Wii Fit Trainer gave me some tips on what exercises to do for about thirty minutes or so; it'll help with the bloodflow and preparing your body for the stress of combat later," Corrin casually and innocently explained without batting an eye, fully aware that's not what her boyfriend was referring to. Of course a SOLDIER would know about exercises.

"N-No…" he stuttered, trying to look away in vain. "I meant…what is that pose?"

Corrin chuckled. "The Downward Dog. Perfect for stretching hamstrings and strengthen my arms, back, and shoulders."

She stifled her growing smile.

"I s-see…But you're…"

"Oh, in my underwear? I figured it would be more convenient and I couldn't possibly go out to the gym like this," she added nonchalantly. She wiggled her butt at him while pretending to adjust her stance and fought the urge to giggle at the way he was struggling not to outright gawk at it. But gawk he did and it was silent appreciation which Corrin happily accepted.

Smirking, she took it up a notch. Slowly but surely she shifted positions by straightening her back and then sat back down with the flat of her back against the mat. With her heels directly underneath her knees and puffing out her chest, she unhurriedly lifted her hips and relaxed her glutes as per the Trainer's instructions, and aligned her body and lengthened her tailbone to the backs of her knees as she drew her pelvic bone to her bellybutton. Now that she was facing the blond, Corrin offered an innocent smile as she held the position, completely aware that she was giving him a full frontal show.

"C-Corrin…!" The poor blond wasn't even trying to look away anymore and looked about ready to pass out.

"Hmm? What is it, Cloud?"

As if she didn't know already.

"What are you…?" He gulped and pulled at his collar. Cute.

"Oh, this is the Bridge pose. It was recommended," she answered perfectly nonchalantly. "Say, why don't you help me stretch?"

Some hands-on approach would probably help coax the swordsman out of his shell a bit, Corrin mused.

His eyes somehow seemed wider. "Help you? I don't-"

"Just give me a good push for my next pose," Corrin explained as she slowly repositioned herself again; this time she sat on her knees and, as Cloud awkwardly walked over she couldn't help but note that she was at the same level as his-

…No, best not to think about that. This was for Cloud to get a taste (read: feel) for intimacy. Nonetheless Corrin smirked up at him, relishing in the way he kept blushing, before lying down until her back was nearly completely straight whilst still kneeling.

"So, uhm, what am I supposed to do?"

"Just apply some gentle pressure on my shoulderblades and work your way down, Cloud," she instructed. As soon as his strong, course hand touched her skin Corrin bit back a moan.

He carefully pushed and kneaded her skin, easing the tension and knots underneath, and Corrin shuddered. A draconic purr, something that rarely happened to her, rumbled in the back of her throat in response as she relaxed into his touch.

She heard him gasp, but he didn't stop massaging her. The purr had most likely startled him despite the fact that he had seen Corrin fully transform before; he wasn't used to the more subtle parts of her heritage or the rare partial transformations which he had yet to see. Understandably it's different from seeing someone fully transform in combat than casually semi-transform due to…other reasons.

At least Corrin kept herself in check for now. But the purring? There was no stopping that.

"You can add a little more pressure, Cloud. I can handle it," she cooed.

"R-Right." He kneaded with added pressure and prompted a sultry, short-lived moan past Corrin's lips.

`His hands know their way around more than just his sword…´

Pleased, Corrin hummed blissfully as Cloud worked his way down her back, careful to not press down directly on her spine or her sides. While his fingers worked their magic, his hands had stopped short right at her hips before working their back up to her shoulders.

A cheeky grin curled her lips.

"You know, Cloud, you should probably remove that armour of yours. It might get in the way."

His hands immediately ceased up. "…What?"

"Your armour is only going to get in the way if you intend on really getting into this," she nonchalantly explained with a shrug. "I can't have you really press down on my back if your armour is going to poke into me."

"Uh…I see. Okay." Cloud cleared his throat. "I mean yeah. Sure."

How cute.

Corrin waited eagerly while her man gradually removed piece by piece of armour and placed them meticulously aside, and her excitement was mounting. When he removed his top she slyly smiled

She purred as his strong hands returned to her back, kneading thoroughly, but now she could have the pleasure of feeling his toned frame if she just straightened like so-

"H-Hey, Corrin!"

"What?" Her gaze met his over her shoulder. "Don't mind me. I'm still doing yoga. Keep going, please."

Scoffing, Cloud did as told and massaged his girlfriend's back as best as he could. She was purring and humming so he had to be doing well he figured. He reached her hips and Corrin pushed up against his chest-

"C-Corrin?"

"Don't mind me," the princess casually repeated with her best poker-face.

"And you know, you can move a little lower," she suggested, grinning to herself. She could almost feel his hesitation; his fingers twitched as he slowly released his grip enough to gradually slide further southward—

A loud chime emitted throughout the room from the device Corrin still hadn't gotten used to – this `alarm clock´ certainly was alarming when it made that noise – but she knew what it meant. Unhurriedly getting up with a good stretch and shutting the ungodly sound off, Corrin stepped over to their closet. "Well, I guess it's time for our match. Time really flies huh?"

"Y-Yeah. But-" Cloud stammered.

Corrin flashed him a cheeky smile. "Let's continue after the match, okay? Oh, and perhaps stretch a little for a minute or two before you go. We wouldn't want you to pull a muscle!"

She stepped inside the walk-in closet and quietly giggled to herself. The look on her boyfriend's face had been priceless with the way he seemed ready to burst and his hands had been shaking. He had to have been just ready to pull a move, whatever it would've been.

As she dressed herself for the match Corrin mused about the possibilities. Cloud would've kept touching, certainly, but would that have been the full extent? Perhaps he would've been engrossed with her backside, rub up against her, or maybe Cloud would've flipped her over and pinned her to the floor before kissing her madly-

A shudder ran up her spine at the though and she smiled, giddy. Who knew what would happen after the match? If they won…she could always use the celebration as an excuse.

But first thing's first: change underwear and get ready.

She had never seen Cloud with such a steely, intense glare before now. Cloud was always focused when he was fighting, but this was different; there was something else burning in his eyes now and it was rather exhilarating to witness.

The match was about to begin. The stage was the Bridge of Eldin; Corrin was familiar with how it worked, she had fought on it enough times. While she could cross the gap whenever the middle part of the stone bridge was blown up, it was safer to stay on one side until it was reassembled later on. The thing was though that the match was for up to eight fighters, divided into four teams of two, so the bridge wouldn't blow up.

Additionally there were only a handful of items allowed, but no-one knew which ones and they didn't appear all that often this time around. Stamina Rules applied, meaning that unless you were knocked out of the stage's boundaries you fought until your percentage had been reduced to zero. You started with 300% this time and when that got to zero you were rendered unable to fight anymore; it was one of those weird rules of this world that you couldn't do anything about.

Corrin's heart was pounding frantically. As the countdown began she glanced over at her boyfriend who still kept his unblinking stare focused on the other fighters as they entered the stage in their own unique ways; Meta Knight and Robin as Blue Team; Ganondorf and Mewtwo as Red Team; and herself and Cloud as Green Team.

"Let's do our best," she encouraged, but Cloud didn't respond. He adjusted his stance as the countdown neared climax and Corrin, slightly dejected by this, did the same.

GO!

It became chaos in a fraction of a second.

Robin instructed Meta Knight through cryptic instructions and the short, spheric swordsman dived right into Ganondorf in a flurry of strikes with the tactician attacking with his ranged arsenal. Mewtwo quickly teleported away and before Corrin could even start warning her man the psychic creature struck him with energy and sent him hurtling—

"CLOUD!" Corrin leapt forward and slashed, but struck nothing but air as Mewtwo teleported. Growling, she instead opted to run to check on her teammate. "Are you okay?!"

He accepted her offered hand and quickly got up before dusting himself off. "It's nothing. Just focus on the battle."

She pouted at him. "But-"

"The sooner we win this the sooner we can continue where we left off."

"Eh?" Corrin's cheeks flushed, taken aback. "Do you-"

"Let's just win this," Cloud then told her as he dashed forward against the approaching King of Evil and kept him at bay with the rapid stroked of his sword.

Corrin gawked at him, hot around her cheeks as she processed what Cloud had blatantly said and the implications behind it.

The sharp flaps of wings alerted her and her inner dragon came out in full force in a swift metamorphosis as she slammed the ground, countering Meta Knight's attacks against him and launched hip skywards in a sudden, powerful move.

With him out of the way, Corrin rushed to Cloud's side giddy and battle-ready, and eager to finish this as fast as possible!

x.x.x

Ganondorf had been the firs to go; his power, while responsible for nearly taking out the rest of the teams, was matched only by his confidence that had been instrumental in his knockout. Robin, while a strategist of great renown, had been next to go after having dealt a heavy blow to Corrin through his Thoron spell. With both her and Cloud having been severely wounded against the elusive psychic Pokémon and the swift swordmaster the outcome had not looked good for them.

But through determination and luck they had managed to turn the tide, countering Meta Knight and anticipating Metwo's attacks (easier said than done), and finally sending one flying out of bounds and striking down the other with their own health just below double-digits.

GAME!

"We…won…?" Corrin breathed, her blood still quickly drumming in her ears. She glanced over at Cloud and met his stare; he was catching his breath as well and wiped his brow.

The mysterious technological creature that captured these matches hovered over to them as a musical arrangement began to play out.

GREEN TEAM-

Her breath hitched in her throat. "We-"

WINS!

"Won?! We won! Cloud, WE WON!" Despite the ache all over Corrin jumped in place with a loud cheer as onlookers applauded them. "WE WON, DARL—!"

Cloud suddenly pulled her close, a smoulder in his eyes that sent a shudder along Corrin's spine, and claimed her lips in a fiery kiss.

It was a kiss unlike any other; kissing Cloud had always been a chaste, brief display of affection aside from their very first one months ago, but he wasn't pulling away. He kissed her deeper, more passionately and slowly.

It was the longest and richest kiss he had ever given her so far. Corrin felt herself melt into it as she hugged him back and closed her eyes in the bliss that enveloped her at that moment.

Even as the victory fanfare faded and the pair was returned to the mansion proper, they still kissed intimately. They were in their own little world for now.

After what had felt like a lifetime the two parted and looked at each other with half-lidded eyes, unfocused. Corrin's heart was pounding against Cloud's chest and his against hers, and he brushed his thumb soothingly over the same spot her back.

"That was…wow. You were so…bold."

Cloud flashed a glimpse of a smile, his fair cheeks flushing red. "Mm…"

"I think this calls for a celebration," she told him. "It's a pretty big deal to come out as victors in a team battle like that."

"…What do you suggest?"

As much as Corrin desired to bring him back to their room the occasion was too special to just jump straight into bed. While she had successfully goaded Cloud sexually there was still the matter of being delicate about this; it would be their first time together and it wouldn't feel right to just jump right into sex despite the desire to.

"How about dinner? We certainly need to replenish our energy…"

x.x.x

Their dinner had been kept private that evening at one of this world's restaurants – a cozy, quiet place known as `House of Scarlet Leaves´ – where the two of them had had a lovely time. Having eaten their fill Corrin and Cloud had spent what felt like hours just chatting rather lively to the former's surprise; Cloud was opening up a bit more and he looked so…happy.

It was rare to see him express emotions around her even if it was subdued.

"You're an amazing person, Corrin."

Her heart fluttered as she nearly spat out what little she had just sipped. "Y-You too, Cloud…"

"No, I mean it. I never thought this…" He vaguely gestured non-specifically. "Was always the kind of life I wasn't meant for. I've always known one thing: to fight. I fought in my world and here I am fighting for amusement." His features softened as he locked eyes with Corrin. "And then you arrived as well. At first I thought you were annoying—"

"Hey!"

"But I'm glad that you didn't give up trying to talk to me." He scoffed. "I sound so awkward. I'm not used to doing this whole…sharing feelings thing."

"No." Corrin reached out for his hand and gently squeezed it. "No you don't. Thank you for sharing." She fidgeted for a moment as she looked at Cloud lovingly, her heartrate spiking. "Say, Cloud?"

"Mm?"

"Do you want to go back to our room…?" She nearly shuddered as she thought back on earlier, before their match, and the exhilarating heat came back full force. "…and celebrate further?"

His eyes lit up just like back then and his cheeks reddened with the shade of ripe tomatoes. "…Yeah."

From there it had been a silent anticipation the whole way back to their room. Exchanging glances and tightly holding hands along the way, the pair could feel their mutual anticipation and anxiousness; Corrin was certain that her heart would explode if this kept up and the urge to semi-transform was straining her whole body!

The closer they got to their room the quicker their pace got to the point that they nearly bumped into the Hylian couple and Sheik had the latter three not hastily stepped aside, offering only a hasty apology to the trio before reaching their chamber. If they had been able to pay even a smidge of attention perhaps they would've questioned the way Sheik seemed to be as close to Link and Zelda was.

Just as they crossed the threshold Corrin swore that her horns and tails had begun to sprout forth. She was aching in those particular areas of her body though they paled in comparison to the slick heat that ached for need between her loins.

"Corrin-" Cloud began, but whatever he wanted to say was cut short and forgotten as she claimed his lips in another hungry kiss and kicked the door shut behind her.

She wanted him – wanted him so much that nothing else mattered in this moment. He was flush against her body and while hesitant by comparison, he nonetheless melted into the embrace and kissed Corrin back with equal desire.

They stumbled towards the bed, fumbling with their clothes and armour and creating a trail of said articles across the room until they became aware of each other's state of undress.

Pausing, both of them eyed the other with a fire in their eyes; their pupils dilated and their breaths hitched in their throats.

Corrin gawked, slack-jawed and aroused, over the canvas of muscle and scars that made Cloud's body. He was slim enough, but not scrawny. He was a warrior from top to toe with the fruits of his labours defining his physique. And then she saw it: throbbing, erect, leaking at the tip. While Corrin had little to no experience with the male genitalia, she could tell Cloud was definitely not average in that area as his cock stood rigid at attention, impressive in both length and girth.

And she was the one making him like this.

Cloud eyed Corrin up and down with a desire that he had never felt before. She was lean and fit, a healthy combination of feminine curves and flexibility, and the strength and litheness of a warrior with few scars tarnishing her skin. Her breasts looked soft and malleable with their rosy-pink nipples pert, and slightly bigger than the palms of his hands. Corrin's hips jutted out just enough for the semi-hourglass form, and from what Cloud could see from here her derriere and thighs looked supple. Trickling down her inner thighs was her excitement, a glossy sheen that immediately stoked Cloud's fire.

They practically threw themselves at each other, lips locked and bodies burning from their cores and up. He could feel her heat against his balls as his cock was sandwiched between their bodies, pulsating like a heartbeat.

Her heart was drumming wildly. In her mind Corrin wanted to take a moment, to slow down and appreciate what was happening, but her body was as hot as a furnace and her urges took hold of the reins. With reason cast aside there was nothing stopping Corrin now.

And Cloud, as shy as he had seemed to be in the past, was growing bolder; he ran his eager hands over her body, gripping and exploring nooks and crannies, every dip and fold and muscle, in his lustful pursuit. His hesitation, whatever was left of it, was melted away by the fire of their passionate throes despite his occasional fumbling.

That fumbling was endearing to Corrin. While she didn't have any experience over him she was well-versed in the educational side of sex, so she took what she had read and went with it, alongside being guided by her urges – urges that grew more primal by each passing moment.

As soon as Cloud's legs hit the bed Corrin pushed him, forcing him down on the navy-blue covers. As he lay down semi-sprawled before her with an anticipated heated look in his eyes, Corrin trembled as heat surged between her thighs.

"C-Corrin," Cloud huskily uttered in a way that made Corrin's pussy throb. "You…horns…uh…"

His words didn't register. Corrin eyed his body from head to cock, salivating, and finally jumped onto the bed to straddle her man!

Cloud grunted and immediately reached for her hips possessively, his eyes flaring up as Corrin adjusted herself above his throbbing manhood. She smirked down back at him as her hips twitched involuntarily, desperate to properly align against his, and eventually Corrin grabbed hold of Cloud's cock to properly line it up.

It was so warm in her hand. It pulsated in response and sent a tingling sensation through Corrin's body, more so as Cloud subtly began to hump her hand.

Her heart hammered against her chest and her blood felt like it was boiling beneath her flesh as she properly aligned the engorged tip against her dripping pussy…

"Cloud…!"

And together with Cloud their hips joined in a slow penetration as he slipped his manhood inside wet heat; Corrin gasped as her core and body went taut and her draconic heritage fully sprouted from her body the more Cloud's girth stretched her out as it pushed in further and further.

"Cloooud…!"

Quivering, Corrin lowered her hips against Cloud's until there was a sudden, jarring pang of pain. She locked eyed with him and he nodded, slowly pulling whilst she pushed down on him through the pain until it intensified, rippled through Corrin's body…before it changed into pleasure – pleasure that seeped through her muscles and synapses and finally settled back in her core.

A sound left Corrin's throat involuntarily; it was rumbling like a purr, but far more beast-like.

"Ah, nngh, C-Corrin!"

Her body began to move on its own accord, the movements stoking the flames of pleasure.

"Oh Cloud!"

Corrin was all over Cloud, her hands – scaly and taut – exploring and ravaging at his chest whilst she rotated her hips with increasing speed and mounting ecstasy! She growled and moaned, pleasure overriding her mind as she finally at long last experienced what she had only read and fantasized about!

She- they were having sex. Cloud was inside of her and he reached deep, stretched her inner muscles just like Corrin had read about in the past, but the texts hadn't made the real thing any justice as she rocked her hips fervently. This was unlike anything Corrin had possibly imagined; the rush of heat and pleasure settled through her body seemed so otherworldly and intense that her mind couldn't stop processing how amazing this moment felt!

If Corrin had the presence of mind to do so she would've noticed the look on Cloud's face as he stared back up at her. He was in full awe and, while wrecked by ecstasy just as much as her, he couldn't take his eyes off Corrin's body as it writhed and bounced, or the draconic traits that usually only sprouted when she was in combat. The way she behaved near feral with lust was a stark contrast to her usual sweet demeanour…

He wouldn't realize it now, but seeing Corrin like this definitely did it for him.

The bed was rocking more and more violently with Corrin's hips as Cloud silently took it, relishing in the slick, soft warmth that squeezed his manhood and the toned skin and coiling muscles in the palms of his hands. Corrin's claw-like nails dug lightly into his skin and drew thin, crimson lines, but strangely the pain only heightened Cloud's own pleasure.

She rode him a while longer, burning time away with the fire of their desire and crying out with need. They both trembled, overtaken by the new sensations of physical and emotional satisfaction. Corrin eventually leaned forward whilst still rocking her hips and claimed Cloud's lips in a passionate, fiery kiss that caught him off his guard. Melting into the kiss, Cloud reciprocated wholeheartedly as his hands found purchase over the small of Corrin's back and the base of her draconic wings.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, touching each other possessively whilst Corrin had Cloud pinned as she rode him, but it wasn't long until the ex-SOLDIER was overcome with a new sensation from between his legs; a rising level of pleasure alongside the already overwhelming one, a pressure that quickly threatened to give-

"Corrin," he gasped throatily, muscles tensing and cock throbbing. "I think I-I'm-"

If she heard him then she clearly ignored him. Instead the she squeezed down and intensively rutted against him. She growled and trembled, squeezing tighter around him, and fully laid down against his chest.

Cloud hugged Corrin close, a heavy grunt escaping his lips as his mind went blank from the new feeling that surged from between his legs. A rush of pleasure, a surge of heightened heat erupted into silky soft warmth then just like that the ecstasy faded and his muscles relaxed.

They laid there like that for a spell, basking in the afterglow – another strange and new sensation – and focusing solely on their breathing. Corrin's mind reeled whilst she rested against her man's chest and felt the way his heartbeat slowed down.

`Was that an orgasm like what I read about?´ she wondered and cupped Cloud's cheek gingerly. `My whole body felt like it was on fire…and I could feel him inside of me when he…´

Corrin quivered. Even as their bodies cooled down she could feel Cloud's warmth inside of her. There was so much of him and he was still throbbing down there.

`So this was sex…´ A smile curved her lips. `It's like a weight has lifted from my shoulders…As if an itch has been scratched and I'm no longer antsy… I don't know why that is, but I'm just happy that we can have this moment with his heart is beating against mine and my body against his…´

For a moment longer they remained in silence, blissfully savouring the moment as if time had stopped. Cloud absentmindedly drew small circles on her back near the base of her wings, soothing Corrin as she came down from her high, but that's when it hit her.

Her semi-transformation had not reverted. She lightly flicked the tip of her tail and stretched her wings fully, gauging whether it was a slow recession, but it didn't appear to be the case. It was difficult to not notice the weight of the horns as well.

`Am I still…?´ Corrin began to ponder. The heat was still there; her desire, while sated for the moment, had not yet been quenched. `Perhaps my libido is unlike that of normal humans. But I shouldn't burden Cloud with—´

Corrin yelped, startled, as strong hands found sudden purchase again over her hips and she realized that Cloud may have been basking in the afterglow, his manhood had not softened. She distinctly remembered reading that it was meant to, but Cloud remained hard inside of her!

"Say," he uttered whilst caressing her body tenderly. "Do you want to keep going?"

Her heart throbbed right then as her eyes went wide. They had gone at it passionately just moments ago and he wanted more without having going soft in-between.

Was he also…?

The flames of Lust got stoked and fed, and she abruptly pulled him up with a breathy, whispery giggle and claimed his lips in a heartfelt kiss. She embraced him tightly whilst she resumed rocking her hips against his, pushing his cock deep inside her core.

Reciprocating her eagerness, Cloud tried to match her movements as he held on, feeling up her sweltering body. The frantic penetration, the heat, her scent, it all drove Cloud back into a lustful state that was slightly more familiar to him now. And he wanted more!

And evidently so did Corrin; she kissed him greedily and drew thin lines down his back in her throes, but it didn't stop there. Soon her lips trailed off from her man's and marked a path of bite-marks and bruises down Cloud's body that she revisited to lick soothing circles.

Cloud flinched at the pain of small fangs puncturing his skin, but the pain strangely mixed with the pleasure and his body – on its own volition – surrendered itself to the draconic woman's advances. It didn't take long before he too reached such lust that he wanted more of Corrin's body and began to reciprocate by kissing and licking her body near-zealously.

Between the creaking of the bed and their gasps and moans the room was filled with the cacophony of the couples' increasingly wet and swollen coitus! A rush of relief washed over Corrin as she quenched the fire in her core—

Suddenly, Cloud threw her onto the bed with more strength than he needed for his sword and before Corrin could question him why he was on top of her and began to move. From this position Corrin could feel just how deep Cloud could reach and reach he did, hitting sweet spots that sent ripples of euphoria through her body, making her gutturally moan in response!

Cloud's tenderness and shy reluctance had gone; glowing in his beautiful eyes was a dark, hungry desire, a ravenous wanton that made her heart drum and it rivalled her own. He watched her intensively as he thrusted with short, quick strokes, grunting and gasping as he fully sheathed his rigid manhood inside her pussy, but in their writhing throes of pleasure Corrin caught glimpse of how Cloud's gaze repeatedly strayed off from her own ever so slightly.

Her horns (and boy did they kept hitting the bed) and her tail especially got that brief attention and even amidst the coitus Corrin caught on; she flicked her tail and curled it around his arm, and Cloud suddenly thrusted harder.

`I see…!´

A rush of pleasure abruptly disrupted her thoughts and she bucked against him. Cloud slammed his hips against hers increasingly faster and she clenched down on him with each toe-curling spike of euphoria, and clung onto his arms to brace herself.

"CLOUD!" She roared, her orgasm jolting through her body! Cloud leaned down and stole a breathy, but quick kiss before he doubled down on his frantic, piston-like thrusting to Corrin's further ecstasy, and Corrin held onto him with draconic might. She clawed at his arms, his back, his sides, drawing thin crimson lines while writhing in pleasure to the bed-rocking pounding.

"Corrin…! Corrin…!" Cloud throatily uttered, his skin slapping against hers. Corrin felt his muscles tauten and his cock throbbing and swelling inside the more he went at it until he ceased whilst fully hilted inside of her, and ejaculated. Then he thrusted again, short and frantic, and froze up as he continued to ride out his orgasm.

His heartbeat pulsated through his body and Corrin could feel it thumping, and his warm seed seeping inside of her pussy in strong ropes. It was strangely endearing to witness the normally stoic warrior to be a sweaty, panting mess who kept twitching and ejaculating.

She carefully patted his strong back and soothed his wounds as he lay down on top of her, his head nuzzled against the hollow of her throat.

"That was…ah wonderful, Cloud…" she whispered. Cloud hummed and gently kissed her skin as she affectionately ran a hand through his hair, and then kissed a slow trail down…

"C-Cloud?" She asked, her pussy squeezing around his…still erect cock as lust reignited once more and she began to coax him for more by caressing his back and shoulders. "Ooh Cloud…More…" She let out a draconic purr that rumbled in her throat. "More."

She felt him shudder.

Then a sudden pain pricked her skin Cloud nipped and kissed a path down her body until he got up, a ravenous look in his eyes that rivalled Corrin's feral excitement, and her mouth watered from the sight.

Cloud repositioned himself and flipped Corrin to her side before hoisting her left leg over his shoulder, giving him the angle he desired to fully move and move he did by thrusting swiftly and roughly with frenzied, animalistic fervour that both surprised Corrin as well as excited her!

"OOH CLOUD!"

Ecstasy flowed through her body. Hugging her leg for leverage, Cloud began pounding frantically, overtaken by lust, and driving Corrin into new heights of sweet euphoria. The bed creaked and banged against the wall in time with Corrin's short yet constant gasps and moans, creating a new dissonance that was louder than before!

Corrin growled and arched as Cloud reached for her chest, kneading possessively whilst holding on as he railed her feral-like, as if he was a mere beast set on mating, and the thought mixed with the intense pleasure of feeling him stretch inner muscles and pound those sweet spots; she could vaguely make out the outline of his cock underneath her skin bulging out! His animalistic frenzy was equal to Corrin's, she noted, and as the mate of such a lustful being Corrin bucked against him in an attempt to coax out more pleasure for them both. She squeezed down on him and shuddered as he thrusted harder in response, the sweet friction between them sending them both over the edge of pleasure.

"Ah…hah…Corrin…!" His voice was throaty, like he was gasping for air. "You feel…amazing…!"

Corrin let out a lengthy purr that turned into a guttural, wordless moan and she pulled him in with her tail each time he thrusted into her.

The air around them became nothing but heat, a suffused bubble of sexual aroma as they rutted like beasts. Enjoying the flexibility of Corrin's shapely leg, Cloud caressed it thoroughly between grabbing handfuls of her equally shapely ass in his wanton haze, whilst Corrin coiled her tail around him. Pleasure crashed through her nerves, her tongue lolling and eyes half-lidded as she moaned a string of goading sounds that spurred Cloud on until they were both overwhelmed and lost in the euphoric, mind-numbing sensation of sex; a culmination of bottled up feelings, desires, and tension finally pouring out.

Their panting and moaning reached a crescendo and their heated, sweaty bodies yielded to the white-hot ecstasy that crashed over them like a strong wave against the rocks. A ripple of heat and toe-curling pleasure had them both shuddering and writhing, their muscles tensing up as they rode out their highs; Corrin tightened, squeezing Cloud's throbbing, spewing cock as she came around it, milking his copious spurts inside of her until, with a hoarse cry, they collapsed.

Exhaling, Corrin and Cloud relaxed into the damp bedsheets. Everything stopped spinning and the drumming heartbeats gradually calmed down. Their gazes met, now tranquil and affectionate, and for a while they simply laid there looking at one another in silence and sharing a satisfied smile.

"I'd say…" Corrin began and steadied her breathing. "That we're quite compatible."

Cloud softly chuckled. "Yeah. Definitely."

They kissed, soft, brief, and chaste.

When they pulled apart they locked eyes again, sharing a tender moment as Corrin caressed Cloud's cheek. His gaze strayed up to her horns; hers to their lower bodies. She still hadn't reverted back and Cloud showed no signs of going flaccid.

They looked at each other. Awe briefly flashed across their faces before they slyly smiled and the tenderness melted away, replaced with an insatiable desire…

By the time their lips locked they were bucking and thrusting at each other, and the noise of their coitus once more echoes over the room.

Sunlight filtered through the window and roused Corrin from her sleep. As soon as she shifted her body ached sweetly all over, and she let out a tired groan. Her back, especially lower back, and her head hurt particularly after last night, but to Corrin it was more than worth it.

She had had sex. With Cloud. And it had been better than imagined!

Corrin smiled and noticed the aforementioned man still sound asleep and cuddling against her bosom. She softly giggled and ran a hand through his spiky locks before kissing his forehead and letting her mind wander.

Corrin hugged him closer. Last night had been extraordinary; their relationship had been taken to a new level and it wasn't just a matter of compatibility, they were both blessed with above average libidos and had the bodies to withstand it. After everything had read about sexual intercourse in the past and experiencing random spikes of desired in recent years, it was a liberating sensation to have a willing partner who could keep up with her!

Gleefully, Corrin mused about this as she watched her man sleep so peacefully. Her heart skipped a beat as she did and she kissed his forehead again as she grew more affectionate.

She loved this man – loved what was beneath the cold exterior, his dry sense of humour, the subtle gestures in his actions that showed that he cared, all of it. All of him. He was kind and strong, dependable and brave, handsome and sexy and…

Corrin gulped. Last night's events came rushing back in her mind and that familiar heat began to smoulder. Cloud was still sleeping, but she could feel his manhood flush against her, pulsating.

Smirking to herself, Corrin easily slipped out of Cloud's embrace and lifted the covers above her head. It was time to try out another thing she had read…

Epilogue

"I must say, Corrin, you're absolutely glowing today."

Startled, the younger princess turned to the Hylian right before the teacup reached her lips. "R-Really? I am?"

"Mhm." Zelda sipped her tea, savouring it properly, and then smiled back at her. "You're positively radiant if I do say so myself. Did something good happen?"

Corrin went taut and straightened. Last night's events came back to her in a hot wave, as vividly as if she was right back in that scorching moment, taking all of Cloud and riding out equally burning ecstasy.

The heat settled primarily over her face as she averted her eyes, but Zelda kept staring her down as her smile twisted into a knowing smirk. "Oh my. I see. You two finally did it."

"I-I d-don't-" Corrin shook her head. She had come to know Zelda well enough to know she couldn't lie to her. "We did, yes."

"Hence your glow." Zelda took another sip, her gaze still trained on the younger princess. "I thought I heard something all the way down to our chamber…and over our own noisemaking no less."

"Your own…? Ah." Corrin tugged at the collar of her shirt, but her face remained burning hot as realization finally sunk in. "Oh. Right. So you and Link heard."

"And I'm sure others in that wing heard you too if your lovemaking reached even us." The Hylian chuckled. "Mind you it wasn't crystal clear. We didn't even realize it was you two, but it makes sense now. There aren't too many others here who are courting, much less physically active in the bedroom."

"O-Oh! I see! So…the others heard…us…" Corrin felt the colours of her face drain. "Oh no…"

Zelda softly laughed. "I don't know if they even were in their rooms at the time. Please do not worry." Her teacup was once again brought to her lips as the Hylian savoured the brew. "From what I heard however it sounded like an exciting time."

"…Yes," she told her.

"It's alright, dear Corrin. There's no shame in having an active sex-life. Especially in this world."

Corrin shot her a curious glance. "What do you mean?"

"In my world I'm constantly watched by others – guards, my council, and few close friends – whom expect me to take a husband. I am to be coronated and in time expected to produce an heir. But here?" The Hylian gestured around them; the secluded gardens near the foot of the hill the main mansion was stationed, full of ivy-clad gazebos, were in full bloom. "Here I can not only be with the man I love, but explore and indulge in avenues which would be impossible for me in my world."

"And by `avenues´ you mean-"

"Sexual freedom," Zelda stated plainly to Corrin's surprise. "Surely you must've seen Samus spending a lot of time with me and Link, no? Or Princess Peach for that matter."

The wheels in Corrin's head turned. Now that she mentioned it, the bounty hunter was usually seen in the Hylian couple's company more often than not even though Samus wasn't the most social of people. Corrin had always attributed it to them trio being close friends given that they were all veterans…

"Oh." She had to be as ripe red as a tomato by now. "I see. So you three have always been…?"

"For a good while now, yes. What started out as an inebriated accident turned into a relationship neither of us could imagine being without," Zelda explained with a fond smile.

Then it hit Corrin again. "Gods! So that time when Princess Peach wanted to talk to you—!"

"Exactly. Now you're catching on," Zelda mirthfully confirmed. "So you should fully take advantage of this world while you're here and not hold back on your desires, Corrin. The only obligation you have here is participating in matches."

Corrin managed a smile. While it had been embarrassing at first, talking to Zelda was beginning to invigorate her as she found a kindred spirit in not only a fellow princess, but someone with a similar relationship (albeit polygamous!) And the Hylian had an excellent point; she had to seize the moment while she was here in this world!

"You're right, Zelda. I can't worry too much about silly little things like that. Thank you." She fidgeted. Now that she had practically been invited to talk more openly about these topics, a certain and recent curiosity compelled her to ask, "S-So how far have you and Link…?"

"My dear Corrin, you should know by now that I am gifted with divine foresight. So I brought this," Zelda said as she reached into a satchel she had brought with her. From it she fished up a leather-bound tome and handed it to Corrin with a certain glint in her eyes.

"What's this…?" She eyed the tome in her hands. "…Zelda, I can't read these letters."

"Apologies," Zelda chuckled. "These are Gerudo, a tribe of women in my world who live far, far into the desert, remember? And this tome-"

Corrin gasped, having flipped through before the explanation, and her heart skipped a beat. Page after page had realistic depictions of a woman – tall, red-haired – and a man – short, often blond – and sometimes two women, clearly engaged in coitus of various positions. While the text was unreadable to her, the graphic depictions were enough.

"I-I-I s-see…! So, uhm, you and Link have, ah, gone through this, huh?"

The small, lopsided smirk that curved Zelda's mouth, was the most smug Corrin had ever seen her. "Link and I know each one by heart. You can return the book later."

"R-Riight…Thank you…"

"Oh and this is one of my favourites," the Hylian pointed out ever so casually while move the right amount of pages aside for a particular position that had Corrin's heart do a somersault. "It's called `Mating Press´. Some Gerudo prefer when their chosen man takes charge and do it like this."

The image seared into her brain and jumpstarted her libido as fiery heat shamelessly and immediately settled between her legs.

x.x.x

Cloud exited the bathroom, refreshed and relaxed. Today had been a busy one, with two of his matches taking longer than Cloud had anticipated due to Mr. Game & Watch' frustratingly wacky antics and Wario's stubbornness.

The cool air that greeted him was welcomed after the hot shower, especially against his bared upper body. Knowing that he had a day off tomorrow Cloud began to plan out a serene evening with a light dinner and going to bed early.

"Oooh Cloo~uud"

His every muscle went taut and his relaxed eyes went wide as he jerked back, startled by his lover lying in their shared bed, eyeing him. Cloud had yet to get used to actually sharing a room with someone, especially someone whom he was intimate with. "Damn it Corrin, how long have you been there?"

"Long enough." She eyed him up and down with a grin on her face. "I live here too you know."

"...Yeah. I know." While relaxing in her presence he was still shifting uncomfortably. "So, uh…How has your day been?"

"It was perfect," Corrin replied, her grin becoming slyer. "But it's about to become even better. Come here."

"Corrin are you ok-"

She was on him in a single leap, pinning him between herself and the wall. For a moment Cloud swore he was being regarded as a feast and she was a predator, ready to devour him, and a shiver ran down his spine.

And then he noticed the tail. Her eyes were beginning to glow and her horns protruding from her skull. Salivating, Corrin held up a book in front of him and practically pushed it against his face.

"We are going through every position in this book, Cloud," she huskily whispered, her draconic heritage affected her voice. "And I know which one to start with."

"H-Hey, uhm, Corrin…What has gotten into-"

His towel was ripped off of him in a split-second as his wife descended upon him, lavishing her swordsman with kisses and eager hands that pushed all the right buttons.

Before the night was over they had messed up their bed as they gradually went through the positions in the book.

FIN