Disclaimer: Super Smash Bros. and Fire Emblem and all their respective characters belong to Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto – GrimGrave does not own anything or make money out of writing fiction.

Sequel to By the Sword. If you haven't read it, I suggest you do that before continuing.

I know, it's a bit late with Lucina's / Robin's introduction, but better late than never!

Bunch of thanks to Supreme Distraction for Beta-reading this and helping me with the title! :3

By My Side

::::

Two months later, inside the Grand Hall of the Smash Mansion.

"…and so I present to you the new additions to our tournament: Robin and Lucina!"

A bright light shined from the ceiling, revealing a large podium in the middle of the room: a wide opal area filled with rows upon rows of seats, though barely a handful of them were occupied by the Smash veterans and assisting characters.

On the podium stood the newcomers: two young women. One was slightly shorter than the other and had pale hair that was tied into two long ponytails. The other was barely taller with long, cobalt hair, wielding a falchion.

The veterans cheered and applauded, but none so much as the Hero-King of legend, Marth, and the Hero of Hyrule, Link.

"They'll be both your allies and enemies, but outside of matches they are your equals – treat them with respect," Master Hand said in a deep voice. "Show them the ropes, and learn from them in return."

The newcomer-duo bowed respectfully towards their seniors, who were still cheering, as Master Hand continued his speech.

But that didn't matter much to the warrior princess – her mind was occupied by someone else and as she looked up – azure eyes meeting deep-blue ones – her heart skipped a little beat.

She smiled, pale cheeks now shaded a light scarlet as Link smiled back.

It wasn't a dream. They would be able to be together – to fight side by side – and the princess of Ylisse couldn't have been happier.

They stepped down from the podium, Master Hand's speech now over, free to mingle and spend their days as they wished until further announcements, and the pale-haired tactician made her way through the crowd.

"I'm sorry," she began, smiling apologetically. "I suppose it wasn't your time."

A tall man with short cobalt hair sighed with a frown on his face, his arms firmly crossed over his chest. "It appears that way."

"Don't lose heart, Chrom – you'll be by my side for the final attack," Robin said, trying her best to soothe her friend. "You still have a hand to play."

"I suppose," Chrom replied. His eyes shifted over to his daughter, Lucina, and he smiled. Once Link joined her though, his expression darkened.

Something Robin was quick to react to. "And don't even think about doing anything again. Your daughter is happy you know." The tactician let out a sigh with a look of pity in her amber eyes. "Aren't you the least bit happy for her?"

The Exalt gave his friend a stony look. "A father always worries about his daughter."

"Does he sneak around and get caught in a creatures' maws as well?" Robin shot back, smirking triumphantly as the man visibly shuddered. "Be nice now. Lucina wouldn't be too happy with you if something were to happen, you know…"

The bluette man sighed in defeat but didn't reply, merely offering a slight nod as he left, disappearing into the crowd of veterans and assistants while the pale-haired woman went to search for her friends, unaware that their conversation had been far from private.

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:::::

Later, outside in the backyard of the Smash Mansion, sand whirled as two combatants clashed together in a small, circular area akin to that of a gladiatorial arena, with rows of wooden seating that was currently empty.

Steel met steel in a flurry of strikes and sparks flew as both warriors danced the dance of battle, adrenalin was pumping through their veins, and a light sheen of sweat was glistening on their faces under the sunlight.

Equally vigilant, the combatants watched each other's every move.

Lucina's excellent footwork helped her evade her opponent's attacks and she dashed, drawing her sword-arm back for a clean thrust that hit the reflective surface of a shield, forcing the warrior-princess to focus solely on avoidance as Link retaliated.

The Master Sword cut through the air downwards, splitting the sandy ground as it struck. Sensing his opponent's presence behind him he slashed around him in a sharp spin to keep her at bay, letting loose a loud battle-cry as he did so.

Once he stopped, Link saw the princess of Ylisse graciously backflip and land safely a few feet away and he grinned, sweat beading down his face. "Had enough?"

She gave him a gentle smile though she was far from fairing any better. "Hardly."

They a shared laugh before the warriors clashed blades, neither budging an inch in the deadlock. Sharp azure met deep-blue, silently exchanging unspoken words of affection as their expressions softened.

Then they separated, back-flipping gracefully before dashing towards each other yet again with a series of slashes, their swords clattering loudly until both recoiled and—

´An opening!´

—they swung their swords horizontally, ceasing only when the sharp edges of their swords were barely an inch away from one another's jugulars.

Hearts raced wildly, beating madly inside their chests. It was dead silent with only the rapid pumping of the blood resonating in their ears.

"A draw," Lucina said in a dry voice, her lips pursed into a smile.

Link offered a slight smirk. "Looks like it," he replied. "Call it quits?"

"Agreed."

They sheathed their swords and wiped their brows, resting. The two warriors gave each other a knowing glance, both thinking the same thing: privacy.

"…Are we alone?" Link inquired, smiling sheepishly at the princess.

"I…" Lucina paused and looked around. "I believe so."

As she smiled and stepped up to him, Link wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting the other to caress her face. She hugged his waist, pulling him into a chaste kiss, unhurriedly deepening it as her lithe tongue slipped past his exploring his oral caverns. The young lovers poured everything into their kiss, expressing their feelings with no words.

"Link…" the warrior-princess whispered in-between kisses, fingers digging into the green tunic. "Link…"

"Lucina…"

Honestly, what was it with them and their hearts racing as soon as they were in the same vicinity? While they had decided to keep their relationship a secret, they took advantage of every moment they were alone to snog, forgetting about everything else: battles, people, duties—it didn't matter.

It was just about them.

The warriors were drunk on love at this point, losing themselves in pure bliss. So lost were they in their amorous stupor, they were oblivious to the one spectator who observed them from afar.

Across the training area stood Ike, a man known as the Radiant Hero and leader of the Greil mercenaries. The bluette had hidden around a corner, silently watching the two sword-wielders with curiosity.

"So that's what Robin meant, huh?" the mercenary pondered out loud. "…I'd better tell Lord Chrom and Marth about this…" There was a sharp ´beep´ and the swordsman, who flinched at the sound, pulling a small device that every fighter had from his pocket. A hologram shot up from the machine, displaying the following:

Stock-Battle – Free For All.

Number of participants: 4.

Time limit: None.

Items: None.

Stage: Battlefield.

Match begin: 2 minute(s).

"…It'll have to wait until after my match," he said as he turned and left.

Team Battle – 2v2

Number of participants: 4.

Time limit: 10 minutes.

Items: Yes.

Stage: Coliseum.

Those were the settings for this match that both Link and Lucina had been appointed to participate in, and it was with no small amount of joy that they accepted upon finding out that they would be on the same team – their colour was red and as such, they wore crimson garbs. The match had been going on for a while, all four combatants fighting vigorously to achieve as many knock-out points as they could.

The Hylian shouted his battle-cry, jumping forward with the Master Sword held skyward before swinging downwards as he landed, slashing an orb-shaped, masked creature, and knocking it away, across the stage. Though it appeared to be floored at first glance, the masked orb got back up, his cape becoming bat-like wings as he flew up into the air.

"Fight me," he taunted, pointing his short blade at Link before diving right at him, narrowly missing the evasive Hylian.

The flaxen-haired hero retaliated, the Blade of Evil's Bane glowing with magic before he released his spin-attack and yet again knocking the masked orb – Meta Knight – away, further this time. The masked swordsman was a lightweight, but he made up for it with quick strikes that could easily and swiftly build up damage on your health-gauge – making you easier to be knocked out of the stage.

Luckily he appeared to be down for the count, allowing Link to charge at him with a sword-thrust, effectively knocking the sphere-shaped knight out of the arena. It would give him a few seconds to spare to help his teammate –

Just then, a muscular man wearing attire for racing flew right past the Hylian, screaming in agony as he did, and smashed against the stony arena floor a few feet away.

-who was already up high in the air, her falchion slashing at the Smash Ball that had just appeared until she absorbed it, glowing with the magical flames covered her body as she landed behind Link.

The Hylian swordsman cast a knowing look over his shoulder, received a nod in return, and went straight to action: he dug up the clawshot from his hammerspace pouch, fired the claw and grabbed the muscular racer, before the chain retracted and pulled him towards Link. A well-aimed sword strike flung the racer over and behind Link-

Lucina, her target right before her, activated Final Smash – Critical Hit – and dashed forward with lightning speed, hitting Captain Falcon, as the force sent him flying outside the stage's boundaries.

-allowing the warrior-princess to achieve another point for their team.

The sword-wielders shared a smile as they walked up to each other, crossing their blades – a gesture with a meaning similar to how one would fist-bump someone else in an exchange of silent affection. Their hearts and minds seems to be as one as they worked together flawlessly in their first match together.

The Ylissean princess offered a small smile to her secret lover. "I've wanted to do that for a while."

Link chuckled. "It was a good display. Your skill with the blade is awe-inspiring."

"The same goes to you," she replied as her cheeks became rosy red. "How long till the match is over?"

"It shouldn't be much longer-"

Five! Four! a voice suddenly yelled.

"Well," Link added. "There's your answer."

Three! Two! One!

Winner: Red Team!

"Something appears to be troubling you these days, Lord Chrom," the Hero-King, Marth, stated. The Exalt looked at him across the glass-table: they were having a drink and had engaged in a lengthy discussion about battle-tactics, but the blue-haired Exalt had contributed little to the conversation, which had not gone unnoticed.

"What ails you?" Marth asked, not comfortable with the Ylissean's silence.

"…Something that I shouldn't be bothered with to begin with, Hero-King. According to some."

The Hero-King arched an eyebrow quizzically. "Care to expand on that subject, Lord Chrom?"

Chrom opened his mouth, hesitating whether or not tell him, when the mercenary stepped inside the room, his blade swung over his shoulders as he casually strolled over to the pair. "Oh, good. You're both here. I've been meaning to talk to you two." The duo shared a troubled glance – with Chrom looking more distraught than he did seconds ago – before they turned to the mercenary, who continued. "It's about Link and Lucina."

"What? What about them?" Marth asked, concern in his voice.

Ike hesitated at first, not wanting to possibly upset his friends and allies, but eventually he gave in. Better they heard it from him than found out for themselves, he rationalized. "I'll be blunt with you: I overheard Robin earlier when she was talking to you, Chrom," he said, nodding over at the Exalt. "And I saw Link with Lucina at the training yard-"

"They are swordsmen, like us. I don't see a problem with them sparring," Marth interrupted.

"It wouldn't be, and I personally don't see anything wrong with it either, but they did more than just spar – they were kissing."

The Exalt bolted upright at that point, his expression noticeably darker than before. His hands were balled up into fists, but he did little else to express himself.

Ike glanced over at him. "I understand your reaction. She's your daughter after all, right?" He turned to Marth. "What about you, Marth? She's your descendant as well."

The Hero-King didn't respond. He peered at the carpeted floor, remaining silent while his mind raced. Link and Lucina? The Hylian was a long-time friend since Marth had first joined this tournament, and the thought of him being together with someone who was practically family (though very distant, giving the circumstances – even Chrom was a very distant descendant) shocked him. How old was Lucina anyway? Old enough, surely… But the fact remained that his close friend was being intimate with someone of his own blood.

The bluette sighed and turned to the Exalt, asking, "Was it this that was bothering you, Sir Chrom?"

The dark blue-haired man nodded, clearly displeased. "Yes. But according to Robin I've no say in that matter."

Marth nodded back, but remained silent again, seemingly in thought. He then rose to his feet, asking, "Let's have a talk with the two of them, alright?"

:::::

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"Did you know?" a soft voice said gently. "I've always been a bit… reluctant to initiate close contact such as this. But with you…I don't know. I can't describe it – it's like it feels ´right.´"

The Hylian couldn't help but smile. He rested his hand over Lucina's, giving it a gentle squeeze. They were outside, taking another pause from sparring and instead sitting down on a bench, enjoying the summer sky.

"I think I can relate – I've never given much thought to this kind of a relationship," Link admitted. "But it is as you said: it feels right."

Fingers entwined with his. "I'm… glad." There was a pause. "…Listen, Link… There's something I've been, uhm… w-wanting to tell you…"

Azure met cobalt in a most tender look. "What is it?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks. "I…uh…"

"Lucina!"

The two lovers immediately withdrew their hands with a starlet gasp as they saw Chrom – and Marth? – heading their way, both of them scowling.

This wasn't good.

Wasting no time, Link got up, his heart racing with panic. "Sir Chrom, Marth, please. Let's be rational-"

"Silence," the Exalt interrupted. "That's my daughter you're being too friendly with."

"Chrom," Marth said, grabbing his shoulder. The two exchanged a look and, with a softer expression, the Exalt stepped back. "Let's deal with this like adults, yes?"

He turned to Link, arms crossed over his chest. "I have to admit, my friend… I was shocked when I heard about you two. And honestly? I'm puzzled. But let's get this clear: I'm not against you courting Lucina. But while she's my distant descendant, she's just like family while we're here. I'm sure you understand where I'm going with this?"

He did. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't given any thought at all about Chrom or Marth regarding his relationship with Lucina.

"Marth…" the Hylian began. "I don't know what to say. We weren't ready to announce it."

"I… see." The Hero-King ran a hand through his hair. "I know you, Link. I can trust you, and I know you would have your reasons to keep something like this quiet, but you still went behind my back, in a way. However, I will overlook it."

Blink. Well… that was unexpected. "What?"

"I will forgive you this time, because I know you'd only do it for her sake," he added, unsheathing his sword, pointing its tip at the flaxen-haired youth. "I will make a promise to you now though, and I hope you're paying attention. If you ever make Lucina unhappy, I will NOT forgive you – not then or ever – and I will strike you down. Are we clear?"

Link eyed the blade, and then looked back at Marth. He was serious – as he should be – and the Hylian wouldn't have it any other way.

He smiled at his friend. "As clear as day."

"Well then," Marth replied with a smile, sheathing his sword immediately. "You have my blessing." He turned to leave, but paused. "Although, you two should think letting your relationship be known. And isn't there someone else you should talk to?" The Hero-King then left, nodding at the Exalt on his way.

Chrom sighed. "So the Hero-King himself approved of this, huh…"

"Father…" Lucina said. "Why are you against this?"

"You're my daughter," came the flat reply. "It's normal for a parent to worry about their child's well-being."

The Ylissean princess' face went blank. "Father, I'm old enough to know what I'm doing. And this," she reached out, her hand clasping around Link's as she blushed. "Is what I want."

The Exalt's grimace was gone. "…Is it, really?"

She nodded. "I may be you daughter, father, but we both know I'm ahead of your time. Back home – your time – there's a baby girl waiting for you, with mother. You'll have many years to worry about me, to protect me from harm, and be there for me. Now is the time you support me and my decisions, and be there for me that way."

The blue-haired male released another sigh and scratched his neck. He didn't reply, remaining locked in deep thought as he crossed his arms. Then came the reply, "…I suppose you're right." Cobalt orbs darted over to Link. "…You better take care of her," he said with a hint of a smile before turning to leave, leaving the two lovers alone.

"That went smoother than I thought it would…" the Hylian said. "I must ask you, what was that about you "being ahead of his time"?"

"It's complicated," the Ylissean replied. "…Hey, Link? A-about earlier…"

"Ah… yes?"

"There's something I've… I've been m-meaning to tell you…" The cobalt-haired woman faced him. Her eyes were shining with affection, cheeks reddened as the Ylissean struggled to speak. "I…I w-wanted to t-tell you…"

"Lucina..?"

"…"

"What was that? I didn't hear you."

"I…" She took a deep breath. "…I love you. I don't know what the future holds... but know that I will cherish every moment I have with you – as I have since the moment I first met you." She hugged him, burying her face in his chest. "I love you…"

"Lucina…" Link breathed, lost in the moment. His heart nearly leaped out of his ribcage, beating fanatically as he returned the embrace and holding the warrior-princess tightly. "Goddesses above… I love you too."

"I'm glad…"

Cobalt met azure, lips pursing to meet in a deep kiss. The world as they knew it had frozen, rendering everything else irrelevant – for now, it was only about them.

And them alone.

FIN.

After some thought, I decided to end it on a more fluffy note instead. Hope you all liked it!