Fandom: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Couple: Solid Snake/Prince Marth Lowell Genre: Romance, Adventure

Warning: If you aren't a fan of yaoi and/or this couple, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS. YOU ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO DO SO. I DO NOT COMMAND YOUR EYES.

He had to do something, and quickly.

The Royal Grand Prix had barely met its end, yet he had already flown from the battlegrounds. He couldn't mesh with the screaming, rapturous crowds, nor could he mesh with his fellow combatants. He wasn't in the mood for celebration, even though he had just become the proud owner of the Grand Prix medallion.

He had to reach him, or else...well, he didn't want to consider the other outcomes. The other half of his heart was in danger. What was there to think about, other than rescuing that endangered half of his soul? There was no way in Hell he'd allow any horrible fate to befall his sun, moon and stars. He had to rush away from the Brawl audiences, the other Brawlers, and the hectic battlefields of legend.

Someone needed him. Badly, desperately, wildly.

Wolf O'Donnell had seen fit to bash his beloved, verbally beating him over the head with a bat. Fox's rival gave no quarter to the man named Snake, mocking him during their match. By a way unknown to all, the Star Wolf captain had discovered slices of Snake's past-and used those slices to attack his opponent's psyche. Marth could only watch as his kitten, the man he adored above all others, succumbed to his enemy's force. By no means did he wish to interrupt Snake's duel, but a part of the sovereign wished he had forfeited his claim on regal formalities. He shouldn't have allowed Fox's counter-part to pour such hatred onto the other man's head.

"You aren't a man! You aren't anything but a monster!"

"What do you think you're doing, parading around as a human?"

It was horrible, all so horrible.

Snake's pain was Marth's pain. The Lowell prince felt the soldier's emotions so clearly, he could practically taste the other's heartache. The pain within him had reached a feverish pitch, threatening to tear him to shreds. If the prince didn't take action soon, his moonlight's agony would gut him.

I'll reach you. I'll reach you and heal you, my darling.

The melee of the Royal Grand Prix eventually ground to a halt.

The afternoon's ebbing, creamy sunshine charted him towards missing moonshine. The victim of Wolf's cruelty had engraved steps into Princess Peach's garden; of that Marth was sure, having visited the mesmerizing empire with Snake on a frequent basis. The blue-haired swordsman led Snake into the beautiful realm of Heaven's flowers, in the hope of warming a battle-hardened soul.

The older Brawler definitely retreated into that same garden, fleeing from the Grand Prix's chaos.

Iridescent, golden leaves graced Marth's frazzled heart. Panting, the prince soon found himself several yards away from a familiar figure. Bless the Gods, he thought with a breathless smile, face brightened by an inner ray of joy. The man he so desperately wished to see was in Peach's garden, curled into a ball underneath cherry leaves. Delicate pink blossoms blanketed the green bundle, adding their unique sheen onto a fragile heart. Only when Marth approached did he look up, peering into the sovereign's gentle eyes.

Snake's deep, velvety voice blessed the calm air. Even though it was shaky, Altea's prince still believed it to be immeasurably beautiful. "They're blooming," the soldier said, voice blanketed in both shyness and heartache.

"The blossoms. They're in full bloom."

Smiling, the bluebird took a seat at Snake's side. He rested his head against the older Brawler's shoulder, comforting him with his warm presence. Neither of them spoke while the cherry petals fell, hearts peering into the light. A serene age passed before Marth took Snake's hand, then squeezed it as if it were a lifeline. "Did you win?" a blushing soldier asked, eyes cast downward. His question was met with a tender, mischievous grin.

"I most certainly did. They never knew what hit them. Perhaps I've taught your friend an invaluable lesson."

With a grunt, Snake bowed his head. A chuckling sovereign drew the soldier's head into his chest, stroking the back of it. They did not speak on Wolf's harsh words, nor did they verbally voice their rage.

They were simply together, holding one another underneath the cherry trees.

In the arms of blossoming, blue sunshine, Wolf's words did not matter-even if they were the reflection of a battered soldier's spirit. Snake temporarily abandoned his claim on darkness, content to merely breathe in Marth's arms. Reality would certainly come to torment him once again, but he would combat it-

Resting in the arms of his blue moon.