One: Mark of a Warrior

POV: Lucina

'All roads lead to Battlefield.' A phrase so common one doesn't think of I never thought about where it came from. Was it based on a gloomy realization that war is inevitable? Maybe it was instead a call to glory through righteous combat? Or was it simply the name an ancient king decided to name the imperial capital?

While I couldn't say for the first two possibilities, Battlefield was what my ancestor, King Marth, decided to name the capital of Altea after unifying the continent. Though the empire was long gone, all roads (and railways, but that's not catchy) still ended in Battlefield if walked upon long enough. And smack dab in the center lies Final Destination, an ancient palace repurposed as a school, and just so happens to be where I'm headed.

What remained of King Marth's kingdom, Yllisse, was filled with grassy plains and the occasional flock guided by a shepherd. This quickly became apparent five minutes into the train ride, and I wasn't sure if I would last the five hour ride. Luckily for me, I wasn't going to Final Destination alone.

"Lucina." Bringing my attention back to reality was my friend Richter, one of two companions joining me. Just a bit taller than me and infinitely more energetic, Richter descended from Simon Belmont, the right hand man of King Marth. Ever since Simon, the Belmonts have been close to the royal family, with Richter even being adopted by my father, King Chrom, after his parents passed suddenly.

"You back in the land of the living?" he said, flashing a bright smile. "I'm sure you could join Robin in whatever world he's visiting now." With this, he glanced down to the shorter boy, ruffling Robin's white hair and interrupting his reading. Purple eyes highlighted by everpresent dark circles glaring up at Richter, Robin simply huffed in indignation. Robin was another orphan adopted by my father. He was more reserved and bookish than Richter, but if the three of us were left alone for too long, chaos was soon to follow, with Robin often masterminding the whole plot.

"Just hoping that if I don't pay attention to time, it'll go by super fast," I said, slumping on the cushioned seat. The train car we were in was nice, if not a little cramped. Luckily our luggage was in a whole other car, or else there would have been no room.

"Ain't that the truth," Richter said. Glancing over Robin's shoulder, he scanned the page briefly. "Hey, what'cha reading, Rob?"

"The Ocarina of Time," Robin said, still a little peeved. "It's based on the Hylian Sacred War. While there are many Link's and Princess Zelda's in Hyrule's history, this pair is one of the most widely celebrated."

Richter rolled his eyes, smiling. "School doesn't start for another week, Rob. What'cha studying for?" Despite the criticism, he continued to read over Robin's shoulder, frowning slightly when Robin turned the page.

"Can't I read something because it's fun? I doubt any of this happened as it's described, but it's an important story in Hyrule. Plus, I heard that the current Link and Zelda are attending Final Destination this year."

I raised my eyebrow at this. "Don't go trying to butter up the princess with your vast knowledge of Hylian culture now, Rob," I said playfully. He grew red at this, while Richter took the opportunity to flip the page back.

"Besides," I said, "Hyruleans think they're so special, with their Triforce and their legendary heroes. How useful were those when the Hero King steamrolled their armies?" Both boys groaned at this. Sure, I could have laid off bringing him up so much, but it wasn't my fault that King Marth, the freaking Hero King, was just so cool.

Our attention was brought to the doorway by a knock. "Hey there," said the knocker, a grinning girl just older than the three of us. Wearing a black shirt and bandana that wouldn't look out of place at a ramen shop, she gestured to a food cart. "The kitchen let me make ramen, and I made a ton. Would you guys like some?"

I blinked in surprise. I wasn't aware that we could have just made our own food, though I couldn't say I was compelled to. Royal life had its perks, and professional food just so happened to be one of them. That didn't mean I couldn't have enjoyed a hot bowl of ramen from time to time, and it smelled tantalizingly good.

"Sure!" beamed Richter. As he happily grabbed a bowl from her, Robin tilted his head in curiosity.

"Are you going to Final Destination?" he asked, grabbing a bowl as well.

"Ah! Yes!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry for my rudeness. My name is Min Min, a third year student."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Min Min," Robin said, smiling. "We will be first years. My name is Robin. This-" He gestured to Richter, whose face was stuffed with ramen, "is Richter. And she-" He gestured to me as I waved, "is Princess Lucina."

At that, the girl looked to the floor and bowed, beet red. "I'm so sorry, your Majesty! I didn't mean to intrude."

At this, I waved my hand nonchalantly. "Are you kidding? You brought us free food. Intrude all you like."

She seemed to calm down at that. "I hope it is to your liking, your Majesty," she said, handing me a bowl.

"Please. At Final Destination, we'll both be students. Please, call me Lucina."

She beamed at me. "Ok, Lucina!" With that, she nodded to all of us before heading to the next car. "Enjoy!" she said as the door shut.

Robin and I stared at the door as Richter placed his empty bowl to the side and inched his hand towards ours. I quickly hit his hand away, earning a blown raspberry in return. "I wonder if any of us will share a house with her," Robin said, moving his focus to his food.

"Well, we're sure to meet people of all aspects of life," I said. "Hopefully none of them get too stuck on me being a princess. We all have Marks, so really we aren't too different." The boys hummed in agreement, Richter absentmindedly scratching at his Mark.

The reason we were sent to Final Destination was not because it was some snobby royal prep school, though it could sometimes seem that way with the disproportionate amount of upperclassmen in attendance. Instead, Final Destination was set up as a school for those with Marks, birthmarks that signified power. No one knew how Marks came about. Some theorized that some unknown deity caused it. Others blamed the fracturing of Altea, and still others on the holy wars in Hyrule. It didn't really matter to me why I had superpowers, because at the end of the day I had freaking superpowers. Or at least, I would have superpowers.

Robin and I both had the Mark of the Emblem, allowing us to tap into one of five elements. Robin had figured out his element is darkness, but I still hadn't figured out what mine was. Richter, on the other hand, had the Mark of the Castle. He could imbue any object he touched with holy magic, a skill his ancestors used to slay monsters. No one knew if the Hero King had a Mark, but if he did, I hoped I had gotten whatever element he had.

My Mark revealed itself when I turned 16, just like most other Mark owners, but aside from a new thing to see in the mirror, I didn't feel different, and with a vague Mark like the Mark of the Emblem meant I could have died before I knew what powers I had. Luckily for me, people with Marks could not die from normal weapons or illness or whatever. Unless it was some magic attack or old age, I was basically invincible.

"Hopefully we don't have to deal with any snobs who forget that," Richter said, letting out a yawn as he leaned back. "Like one of the billion princesses from the Mushroom Kingdom." I snickered while Robin frowned. There were almost too many royals from the Mushroom Kingdom, and with the Mark of the Mushroom allowing them to grow to any size, I thought it was likely that their royal egos were oversized, too.

However, I was headed to Final Destination with an open mind. Even if the other princesses were elitist turds, I was aiming to be the hero, and every hero had some adversity on their path of righteousness. Plus, I needed some more friends. The path of the next Hero King did not need to be a lonely one.

—

I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep until Richter shook me awake with an ecstatic, "Luce! We're here!"

I blinked the tiredness away, sitting up and glancing out the window. Sure enough, the massive campus of Final Destination was almost shining in the evening sun. The colossal structure of the central Manor, the living quarters for everyone in attendance, dwarfed everything. The view was awe-inspiring.

As the three of us headed out of the train, we were directed to a bored looking man holding a '1st Years' sign. He was tall, bearded, and wore a black trenchcoat and bandana. He grumbled something under his breath as we headed over.

"Here kid," he said, handing the sign to Robin before lighting a cigarette. I pretended to gag at Richter, but Snake didn't seem to notice. As more first year students wandered over, I forgot about the cranky looking man and focused on the plethora of new faces. There was a tired looking boy in a red shirt next to a… talking shih tzu? Behind them floated a ghostly blue blob, its yellow eyes darting around sporadically. Richter got into a conversation with a monkey in a hat, and Robin was staring at a girl with similarly snow white hair.

"You know you can go talk to her," I said, elbowing him playfully. He didn't turn red as expected, instead looking surreal as he turned to me.

"She looks… familiar," he said. He sounded like he was in a daze, concentrating on nothing in particular. This took me by surprise, but before I could dwell on it, the smoker cleared his throat.

"My name is Snake," he said. "I'm a combat teacher here. I've been instructed to take you brats on a tour, but the train was late, so you get the pleasure of figuring out this place yourselves." Before the nervous chatter could drown him out, he continued.

"The House roster's have been finalized, and nobody's switching Houses," he said, with several new students groaning, myself included.

"Zelda, Roy, and Link will be in Smash House." I turned to look at my pre-destined nemesis to find a bubbly looking blonde shadowed by an older looking boy in a blue tunic. Next to them was an energetic looking red-head, Roy, a member of a rival house from Ylisse.

"Red and Diddy will be in Brawl House. Lucina, Robin, Villager, and Corrin will be in 4th House." I sent a dejected look towards Richter, who cursed silently under his breath. Looking at Robin, I saw him looking at that same white haired girl before realizing she was Corrin.

"Finally, Richter, Rex, Sora, Isabelle, and…" he stopped, squinting at the page. "You," he said, pointing at the blob, "will be in Ultimate House. You will all go to your respective Houses after Introduction by the House Leads." He drew in one last puff of the cigarette before dropping it and snuffing it with his boot. "Follow me."

We were led through alleys between old brick buildings. Conversation had picked up again, and I found myself gravitating towards Zelda and her posse. She and Roy seemed to be in a fast-paced conversation about horses while Link continued to follow protectively behind. As I approached, he turned his head to glare. Zelda, noticing the change, looked at me too, flashing a smile.

"Hello there! You're Lucina, yes?"

Roy glanced over at me, frowning for being interrupted. Ignoring him, I extended my hand. "Yeah," I said lamely. "It's nice to meet you, Zelda." She stared at my hand before giggling.

Noticing my confusion, she turned slightly red. "I'm sorry, Lucina," she said, still laughing, "in Hyrule we don't really shake hands." I drew back my hand, embarrassed, but Zelda confidently put her hand out. I gingerly took it and shook, knowing from that moment on that I couldn't bring myself to be her rival. She was just too nice.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Lucina," Zelda said, clasping her hands together. "I know that our kingdoms have some rocky history, but I do hope that doesn't stand between a potential friendship."

I sheepishly nodded, completely in awe of her. "I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation with Roy," I apologized. Roy, still looking displeased, gave a curt nod and said, "It's no problem, your Highness." He was a son of a duke in Ylisse, and from the few times we met, we didn't get along. I suspected now would be no different.

"I see you two know each other," Zelda said. Roy explained his father's position in my father's court, throwing a slight jab at the king and earning a glare from me. It was no secret that the House of Pharae, Roy's line, sought the crown from the House of Lowell, my line. I hoped our more equal status here wouldn't invite Roy to more openly insult my father.

"Well," Zelda said, "Roy and I were discussing our favorite riders. I do love equestrianism, and I know Ylisse has some impressive riders."

"The previous Equestrian champion at the Tournament Games, Sir Fredrick, is a personal friend of my father," I said. "I could get him to ride with us sometime." Zelda beamed at this, and Roy looked even more sour as I hijacked the conversation. As we chatted away, the group was stopped at the entrance to a massive stadium, the only building comparable to the Manor in size.

"Single-file to the front row," Snake instructed, ushering us in. The stadium seemed to grow once we entered, seemingly able to seat thousands. The orange sky was clearly visible, signaling that sunset was soon. In the sky were massive floating screens, which I assumed made watching whatever events hosted here easier to watch for people in the back. As I sat down, managing to snag a seat next to Richter and Robin, I noticed several figures in the center of the stadium. Looking over at Zelda, she seemed stiff, focused on the large man in the middle. He had a menacing presence with green skin and orange hair, wearing a black suit with a red flowing cape.

Suddenly the screens came to life, focusing on a green haired woman in a simple white dress. "Good evening everyone!" she said, seemingly projecting her voice with magic. The stadium shushed as she continued. "I am Lady Palutena, Goddess of Light and your Chaplain for the school year. I provide spiritual guidance, both for those who follow me and for those who don't." Everyone's jaw dropped at the realization that a literal deity would be our guidance counselor. It didn't help that she was flanked by an angel, who seemed to be bouncing at every word she said.

"I want to welcome you all to Final Destination, a school for Marked persons to explore your new abilities. Here, we hope to plant the seeds of leadership and wisdom in each and everyone of you. It will be difficult, which is why I'm here to help shine a light on your path." She snickered at her pun, before regaining composure. "You will all do great. Now, it is my great pleasure to introduce the dean of the school, Dean Dragmire!"

The screens refocused on the green skinned man, and I noticed Zelda began shifting uncomfortably. I needed to find out why that was.

"Welcome," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "As the Lady Palutena mentioned, I am Dean Ganondorf Dragmire. I was born in the Gerudo Desert, and came to this school when I was no older than many of you. Here, you will gain great power, both as warriors and as rulers." He gestured behind him. "This is some of the faculty. You will have a set of instructors proficient in a variety of talents, including combat, diplomacy, and Mark-specific techniques. You will meet sometime this week with the Lady Palutena to create a schedule." He took a step back as the staff began introducing themselves, seemingly staring specifically at Zelda. To be honest, even if Zelda didn't seem so uncomfortable, I would still have found him creepy. His sharp eyes seemed to pierce through the soul.

After the last teacher introduced himself (what kind of name was Mr. Game & Watch?), Dean Dragmire took center stage again. "Your House leaders will be waiting outside. Welcome to Final Destination. You are dismissed." The screens turned off as the faculty headed towards a glowing door, and Snake ushered us back out where we saw the Four House leaders.

I said a final goodbye to Zelda and gave Richter a big hug before heading over to where 4th House was gathered. It was led by a stern looking man wearing a martial arts gi, no shoes and with biceps bigger than my head. Accompanying him was a spectacled woman in all black with short hair, chewing gum and looking bored. Because Marks appeared when you were in your late teens, the House Leads seemed to be around twenty years old.

"I'm Ryu, and this is Bayonetta," the man said as Villager arrived last, seemingly unable to separate from his talking dog friend Isabelle. "Follow us."

A pop was heard as Bayonetta blew a bubble with her gum, almost acting as a signal to move out. I glanced at Robin, who was acting super awkward in the presence of Corrin, who was doing the same. Rolling my eyes, I glanced down at Villager, who was shifting uncomfortably as we all made our way to the Manor. Bayonetta, who was seemingly as annoyed with the silence as I was, turned to talk to me.

"So, you're that Ylissian Princess?" she asked, her accent hard to place.

"That's me," I said, feeling unusually awkward.

"We have another Princess in 4th House. Rosalina." Bayonetta blew another bubble. "From the Mushroom Kingdom. Stays to herself. Hopefully none of you will be so dull, but I'm not really feeling it in this group."

I nodded stiffly. "Well, it is the first day," I said, forcing a smile. "Maybe all we need is a little rest."

She chuckled at this. "I think you'll do just fine, but can't say I'm expecting that with everyone," she said, glancing at Villager.

"I'll do what I can to bridge the gap," I said, feeling strangely defensive of him.

"My, my." Bayonetta grinned, peering at me over her glasses. Her eyes swirled with purple energy. "Such bravado. You have hero in those veins, don't you?"

I stiffened at that. "What do you mean?"

Before she could elaborate, we made it to the entrance of the Manor. It looked absolutely gigantic from up close, and when we stepped inside it seemed to get larger. We were taken down one of four halls on the first floor, passing rooms upon rooms before ending up in a common area. There was a piano being played by a tall blonde girl in a blue dress, accompanied by a star creature sitting on a stool. On the couch sat a boy in a red jacket seemingly lost in a book, and across from him was a guy who looked like a cowboy petting a beagle.

"This is the commons," said Ryu. He gestured across the large room, bringing our attention to several means of entertainment, including a massive bookshelf that seemed to bring Robin out of his funk.

"There are rules you must follow," he started, but Bayonetta shushed him with a finger.

"If you do anything stupid, don't get caught," she said. "Your rooms are labeled. Some of you have a roommate, so don't forget to knock." She shooed us away as Ryu grumbled something about proper introductions.

I turned to talk to Robin, but he had wandered to the bookshelf. The boy reading earlier had struck a conversation with him, and as Robin seemed to get more relaxed, I decided not to ruin the moment. Noticing everyone else besides them had made their ways to their rooms, I decided to do the same. I found my door pretty quickly, noticing that my roommate had the initials 'WFT'. Snickering at the unfortunate initials, I knocked before entering.

The room was decently sized with two beds. My luggage had been delivered already, but I was too tired to unpack. My roommate was on the floor stretching, having pure white skin and gray eyes. She hummed as she stood up, wiping her hands on a towel from around her neck.

"It's nice to meet you," she smiled. "I'm Willow, a 3rd Year."

"Nice to meet you, too," I managed before holding back a yawn. "Sorry 'bout that. I'm Lucina. Though you probably figured that out from the new nametag on the door."

"There's a new nametag? I must have missed that," she said, returning to stretching. "Hope you don't mind, but I get up pretty early. I'll try not to disturb you."

"It's fine," I said, wandering over to the bed. Despite sleeping on the train, I was dead tired. I quickly found my clothes amongst the luggage and entered the bathroom. It was nice, and I took a quick shower before throwing on a simple nightgown. Reentering the main room, I found Willow finishing up.

"I'm all done in there," I let her know. She nodded, wiping sweat off her forehead and entering, locking the door behind her. Throwing my worn clothes in a hamper, I dimmed the main lights before lighting a candle. As I climbed into the large bed on my side of the room, I felt the exhaustion take over. Despite that, even as I drifted to sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on between Dean Ganondorf and Zelda. To fulfill my duty as the next Hero King, I decided I would do everything to find out.

Author's Note: I posted this story a year ago, so upon revisiting it, I made slight changes to chapter one. It was mostly grammar, and the only change of substance is that the concept of 'trophies' is no longer in the story.

If it isn't clear, Willow is Wii Fit Trainer.