Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own the characters or Super Smash Brothers. They belong to Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto. GrimGrave does not make money for writing fiction.

A very belated tribute to Kamui/Corrin joining Super Smash Bros.!

Please read this under the premise that I'll be using the original Japanese names for certain characters.

Be warned that there might be a few spoilers regarding "Fire Emblem: if" in here. You have been warned; read at your own risk.

Lost in Thoughts, Lost in Love

Chapter 1 – First Sight

"Are you absolutely sure about this? It's not too late to turn back," someone called sternly called from behind, though the figure in the lead of the small band paid it no mind. She had heard it before and it hadn't been able to change her mind.

She strode to her destination behind a grassy knoll, each step further curving soft pink lips upwards. She – a warrior-woman of nobility – was eager. Her heart was beating faster and faster still as she caught sight of the spires that belonged to her journey's end; the Smash Mansion.

As the young woman ascended the hill and reached the top, she finally halted. Before her, a few yards away, stood the legendary Smash Mansion, home to a myriad of fighters from other worlds! And she was now one of them – amongst these legends and heroes, she was now standing with them.

Anticipation swelled within her chest, her hands were trembling and her body itching for action. She had heard preciously little of the fighters, but the small amount of knowledge told her everything she needed to know.

A weight on her shoulder abruptly ended her mulling and the young woman turned to see hazel eyes. The man wore red battle-armour and had long, spiky dark-brown hair. "Kamui, sister," he said. "Is this truly what you want?"

The girl – Kamui – smiled at her Hoshidan brother and tenderly squeezed his hand. "Yes, brother. This place, where otherworldly fighters gather, is where I want to be. I cannot explain it, but… I feel a calling, brother."

As she replied, the crimson-clad warrior removed his hand with a sigh. Her determination was visible in his sister's gaze; there was no point trying to persuade her.

"This is nonsense, Kamui!" another man argued. He was blonde and clad in an ebon suit of armour. "This fighting is irrelevant and pointless, what do you hope achieving with this? Come back to Nohr, sister! We need to conquer Hoshido for Nohr!"

The brunette's expression darkened. "Don't listen to him, Kamui. You know Hoshido is your true home."

"What was that –!"

"Enough!" Kamui shouted and the two men – along with the rest of the entourage – flinched at the sheer volume of her voice. "Big brother Ryouma, big brother Marx… I've told you already, this is not the place for quarrels. I've made my choice." She turned back to the building in the distance. "This is my fate."

With that settled and with a brighter smile than before, Kamui strode down the hillside.

x.x.x.x

Elsewhere…

"Hmm… This place look fitting enough for a woman of my calibre," a tall, short-haired woman with raven-black hair commented with a pleased glint in her stormy-grey eyes. She gave the Smash Mansion's main hall an once-over with a grin. "But what interests me more are the whereabouts of the pair of naughty boys and their mother."

There was no guessing needed to know who the woman – the Umbra Witch – was referring to; her entrance had been fitting (and yet so unfortunate) to her profession that Pit, Dark Pit, and the Goddess of Light herself, Lady Palutena, were now on the witch's list.

Aware of this, the bounty hunter, Samus, crossed her arms over her chest. Her scowl went unnoticed behind her green visor. "I won't relay that information, Miss Bayonetta. Fighting outside of training-grounds and stages are prohibited."

With the arrival of newcomers to the Super Smash Tournaments, the Original 8 – the first fighters and S-Class veterans – were tasked with welcoming and introducing recruits to the Super Smash Tournament; a task both exciting and dull, depending on the recruit.

With both the Hylian Hero of Legend, Link, and the princess-rescuer, Mario, the trio had just welcomed one of the newcomers, Bayonetta, and already did the task seem to be a challenge;

The Umbra Witch had little to no regard for rules and regulations.

"That's no good. I hear that the fighters are randomly picked," the brunette nonchalantly replied as she twirled her lollipop between her fingers. "It's my job to put their kind out of their misery, you know."

"There will be none of that," Samus was saying. "There will be no battling outside of matches. If you are that desperate, you can always file a request to Master Hand for a match with someone, provided that the other fighter agrees."

The witch smirked at the bounty hunter. "That's still not good enough. I'm afraid the angels and their goddess will straight out reject me, and we all know it's inappropriate to turn down a lady." She suckled on her sweet and winked at Samus. "Don't you agree?"

The bounty hunter was about to retort when the Prince of Altea jogged into the room, his gaze meeting Link's. "Ah, there you are, Link. Might I perchance borrow you for a while?"

The Hylian glanced over at Mario and Samus, silently asking for their approval, but the space-warrior already waved him off.

"We'll handle this one, Link," was all she said before she returned her attention to Bayonetta. With Mario's smile and nod, Link excused himself as he followed his fellow swordsman out of the main hall.

"Marth," the blonde began. "What can I assist you with?"

"The last newcomer is about to arrive," the bluette responded. "You were amongst the first ones that came to mind. I've asked The Radiant Hero and the young Lucina as well. I've been unable to find the Lord of Pherae, however, and the lady tactician is occupied with a match."

The Radiant Hero – Ike – and the Lord of Pherae – Roy – were swordfighters of considerable strength. Marth had asked them all before, including the enigmatic Meta Knight, when the fighter known as Cloud Strife had joined.

Link nodded. "So the newcomer is a swordsman?"

"Yes," the prince replied. "But I've heard rumours that he's far from a normal swordsman like us."

"What kind of rumours?" Link asked. Marth seemed to be locked in thought, and the Hylian didn't inquire further.

"I've heard that he has a hidden power within him," he finally told Link. "If there is any truth to this, I'm excited to find out what it is."

"You've got me curious as well," the blonde commented. Amongst all the fighters, it was the swordsmen who anticipated newcomers the most in hope that a fellow warrior of the blade would join. The swordsmen had a different drive than the others; fighting each other honed their skills and allowed them to learn from one another.

Link was no exception.

The two ventured out the courtyard at the front gates where a certain lord was waiting as he rested against one of the marble columns.

"Lord Roy," Marth began. The redheaded Lord of Pherae turned his head and greeted his friends with a curt-but-amiable nod. "Has the newcomer arrived?"

Roy smiled and gestured to the east. "I'm guessing it's one of them."

Sure enough, people – an entourage of twenty-four! – were marching towards them.

Link glanced over at the prince. "…Was it supposed to be this many?" the Hylian inquired.

"No, we were told that there would only be one more left." The bluette peered at the group. "Most of them wield swords, it seems…"

"We will find out soon enough," Roy commented.

x.x.x.x

The Smash Mansion was a good deal larger up-close: its towers looked like they pierced the heavens, with the building surrounded by a vast, shimmering lake, tall mountains, and a deep forest. The ash-blonde princess could only imagine what it would look like behind the mansion, but she would soon find out.

For the time being, she instead studied the three figures that seemed to await her in the courtyard, and suddenly her heart was rapidly beating. Her steps became shorter and slow-paced, and something settled in the pit of her stomach. Was she –?

"Nervous?" Ryouma asked and reassuringly patted her shoulder. "Do not worry. While I'm still unsure of this, I know you will do well."

"Big brother Ryouma…" Kamui smiled at him. "Thank you. I will do my best."

"You will not lose," Marx interrupted. "I've seen your conviction ever since you first held a sword. You should worry about enemies instead." He glanced unamused at the Hoshidian brunette. "In this world and ours."

"Still your tongue, Nohrian," Ryouma retorted. "Don't think I won't –!"

"Please refrain yourselves," another man – this one younger than Marx with the same shade of flaxen hair. "While I agree with my brother, we are on neutral ground here. It would be troublesome for our sister if we started fighting – our actions here could reflect on her."

The two older men begrudgingly kept silent and Kamui silently worded a ´Thank you´ to Leon, as his name was. When she returned her attention to the path before her the mansion was suddenly a lot closer and she could clearly see the three figures that awaited them.

Kamui gulped. This was it. She would soon be joining the myriad of warriors that inhabited this world – the fighters of legend!

Each step closer she took made her more anxious; the three figures' gazes seemed to scrutiny her, waiting for her to commit an error.

"Straighten your back," Marx whispered loud enough for her to hear. "Meet their eyes properly and introduce yourself."

She nodded and did as he told: her back was straight and her head held high as she strode towards the awaiting trio. It might have been nothing, but the three looked surprised to see her marching in the lead, but Kamui filed that away for later.

´First impression is key.´

"Greetings!" the ash-blonde began as she stood before them. "I am Kamui, princess of Nohr and Hoshido! I have answered the call of the Super Smash Brothers Tournament and I'm humbled by your invitation!" She bowed before them. "Please take care of me!"

It was quiet.

´Did… Did we always have to be so formal…?´ Roy pondered.

Marth scratched his neck. ´At least she has manners…´

´This is a bit surprising…´ Link thought, unsure – like his comrades – of what to do. And what was it with her entourage? Two of the men seemed to be of high rank – of nobility – and the others…retainers?

"Welcome, Kamui," Marth began. "We are honoured that you accepted the invitation, but you do not need to be quite so formal. At the end of the day, we are all equals here."

Kamui's otherwise milky-white cheeks were tinted vaguely with blush. "I…see. Still, as my seniors – at least I assume you are – I am in your care as a newcomer."

"We will do our absolute best," Marth replied. His gaze wandered over to the men and women behind her. "And who are you people?"

"I am Ryouma," one of the men said and stepped forward. "First Prince of Hoshido and Kamui's brother."

"It's an honour to meet you, prince Ryouma," Roy intervened, but the blonde man in black armour stepped forward as well.

"And I am Prince Marx of Nohr," he said. "Kamui's older brother."

´They are both her brothers? They look nothing alike…´ Link thought to himself. Now that he paid more attention, the group was evenly split in two; their armours and weaponry differed greatly. In fact, none of them even remotely looked similar to the swordswoman.

As if she had read his mind, the ash-blonde princess spoke up, "It's a long story, but they're still family to me. They insisted to tag along, I hope that's not inconvenient, sir…?" She silently gasped. "My apologies! I didn't even let you introduce yourselves!"

"Don't mind it," the redhead assured. "My name is Roy, Lord of Pherea."

"And I am Prince Marth of Altea. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

Kamui bowed before the two before shifting her attention to the blonde man. She studied him for a moment that felt like an eternity – studying him up-close and observing his face, his eyes, his whole appearance and garb. She was compelled to keep watching him.

"I'm Link," the flaxen-haired young man said with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

The princess returned the smile and extended her hand, the action seemingly puzzling the others around them. "It is nice to meet you too, Link."

The Hylian glanced down at her hand but locked it with his, and shook it firmly. He smiled at her still, but the look in her crimson eyes affected him in a way that he couldn't explain. They incited him to meet her gaze for a moment longer than he should as Marth gave a speech about rules or something. Link couldn't pay attention, try as he might, when a certain princess kept meeting his glances…

x.x.x.x

"Thank you for lending me your help, Miss Robin," Kamui was saying. "I fear I would easily lose my way in here."

"You may call me just ´Robin´," the Ylissean tactician replied. "And you're more than welcome. I found this place terribly easy to get lost in as well. You'll get used to it soon enough, though."

The ash-blonde princess smiled at the other woman. Apparently, she was a tactician of a whole army with a brilliant mind that seemed to have no equal. As a newcomer herself, the strategist – Robin, as her name was – had introduced herself as a go-to person if the veterans weren't available, due to her quick adaption to life here. She knew the ropes well and more often than not gave good advice.

"So," Robin continued. "You wanted to see the training grounds next, is that right?"

"Of course! I will most likely spend most of my time there, after all!" Kamui exclaimed. She went quiet for a moment. "…Say, Robin… You're very knowledgeable, aren't you?"

The white-haired woman chuckled softly. "I study as much as I can about everything of interest. How can I help?"

The princess hesitated. She averted her gaze when the tactician turned to look at her. "…What do you know about Link?"

The look in Robin's eyes told her everything. "I've studied all of the fighters since I joined. I can tell you about Link's fighting style, his tactics –"

"I didn't mean that," the princess interrupted, her stare cast to the floor. "I meant, as a person."

She immediately regretted asking as the master strategist lips curved neatly upward into a knowing smirk. "Oh, I see. I'd be happy to tell you, but…"

Kamui's brow furrowed. "But what?"

"You're not the only one who's interested in him."

"It's not like that…" the princess replied. "I'm just curious… Besides, if he's dear to you –"

"Oh no, no! I'm happily married!" Robin quickly stated. "I wasn't referring to myself, Lady Kamui!"

The ash-blonde scratched her neck. "Oh… Then, who –?"

She blinked. They had reached outside – the vast backyard of the mansion – during their little chat. The park was the first thing one would reach upon exiting the building and past the few yards of fountains and trees were the training grounds; an area that had everything a fighter needed to stay in shape or practice their skills both outside and inside.

But that wasn't what caught Kamui's attention; a certain green-garbed youth in the distance had her heart throbbing with elation.

"Excuse me for a while…" was all she said as she ran straight to the Hylian and left the tactician behind.

Robin merely watched her go. "…I suppose she'll find out," she thought out loud as she looked at the Princess of Hyrule sitting on a nearby bench, her book now forgotten on her lap as Kamui dashed across the park.

x.x.x.x

Link slashed horizontally at the practice-dummies and neatly cleaved them in two. He wiped sweat away from his brow; the sun was high up in the cloudless sky. He fanned himself, relishing in the coolness.

He looked up at the sky absentmindedly. His thoughts kept revolving around Kamui and it was making him restless. What was it about the young woman that garnered his attention so much? Link had hoped to quell this curiosity with training and, while it partially worked, he kept thinking back on those ruby eyes that looked at him so intensively.

He figured that the princess was cute and perhaps that was why, but all the women were good-looking! So why was just the ash-blonde having this effect on him?

"Taking a break from training, are we?" an all-too-familiar voice inquired and the Hylian spun around, eyes wide. Kamui stepped forth from the shade of the trees, her cascading hair glimmering in the sunlight. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to bother you."

"You're not a bother," Link was quick to lie; with Kamui nearby made him… different, for the lack of a better word. "Are you here to practice as well?"

She smiled at him. "I could use some training, but I was hoping that we could talk a little. If you don't mind, that is."

Somehow, the Hylian figured the warmth spreading across his cheeks wasn't from the weather alone. "I'd love to, Lady Kamui."

"Just ´Kamui´ is fine," the princess replied and averted her gaze from Link's. It could be the scorching heat, but her face was definitely red. "…To be honest, there is a lot I want to ask you… I don't know where to begin."

Link smiled at her. "Ask anything. I'll answer what I can."

The ash-blonde beamed. "Then, will you tell me about yourself? I would like to know where you come from and about your way of the sword! I've grown up with big brother Marx's sword-training, and learned a lot from big brother Ryouma, but your swordplay is different…"

The Hylian chuckled. "First off all, I'm from a land called Hyrule. It's…" He paused, contemplating. He hesitated. "As for my swordsmanship… I learned the basics from a friend in my village, but the one who finished my training was once a very important man…"

/ "You have at last mastered all of the hidden skills. Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. At last, I have eased those regrets. You who have marched through countless foes, each mightier than the last... You who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded... Surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the gods. ...Farewell!"

"Go and do not falter, my child!" /

Link remembered those final words as if it was only yesterday. He stared up at the sky, however briefly, and smiled. "He taught me so much more than the art of the sword."

The princess nodded slowly. "So, who was he?"

"He never introduced himself by name," Link replied. "But I learned who he was: a hero of the past."

"Very well," Kamui said and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I won't pry. But I would like to see further demonstration, if I may be so bold."

"I would be honoured to oblige," he answered. "What about yourself? You mentioned that you were taught by your brothers."

"Oh, only big brother Marx taught me. I mean, I learned a lot from big brother Ryouma too, but it is two vastly different kinds of sword-arts –"

"There you are, Link." The pair turned to see the bounty hunter and fellow S-Class Veteran, Samus, approach them. "I've been looking for you. Or rather, Zelda is."

Oh. "What does she want?"

The blonde space warrior shrugged. "I do not know, she only said it was urgent."

"I see…" He smiled apologetically at the ash-blonde. "I'm sorry, Kamui. I suppose we have to talk some more later."

Kamui nodded. "Very well… I'll see you later then, Link," she said, less chipper than before. Her smile, which she now had forced herself to maintain, fell as she watched the two of them leave. It couldn't be helped that he was needed elsewhere, but at the same time it hurt to see the young man walk away when this was their moment. They were having a conversation –

The warrior-princess blinked. Was she upset that someone else caught Link's attention?

Nonsense. Why would she be jealous over that Link was spending time with this ´Zelda´ instead of her?

…

Maybe she was a little jealous…

Link followed the bounty hunter away from the Training Grounds and into the park where Zelda sat – enjoying a good book, as always – when the blonde woman came to a halt. "I found him, Zelda. I'll be taking my leave."

"Thank you, Samus," the Hylian princess replied and close the book in her lap. She smiled up at Link the same way she always did. "I'm glad to see you, Link."

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Zelda," he said. "What do you need? Samus told me that it was urgent."

The brunette kept smiling. "Urgent? Oh, no, it wasn't urgent. We haven't spent much time together recently, so I wished to rectify that. Won't you join me for a walk?"

Link didn't know what to say. He was happy that Zelda had invited him, but surely this could have waited. His mind kept coming back to another princess…

"I would like that."

x.x.x.x

The ash-blonde princess let out a dreary sigh. Dejected, she had returned to the mansion, her brow furrowed and her feet practically dragged after every step.

Her chest hurt; what was this feeling? It was as if her heart was sinking.

"I'm sorry," someone said and the princess turned to the source of the voice. The tactician rubbed her neck, her gaze cast to the ground. "I was about to tell you, but you ran off before I could… I saw what happened." She paused. "The thing is that, Princess Zelda cares about Link."

Why did it hurt to hear that? She just wanted to befriend him.

"So… Link and Lady Zelda are already –"

"They are not an item," the Ylissean quickly added. "But it is no secret that she fancies him."

Kamui's heart began to flutter; hope budding within her chest. This ´Zelda´ liked Link, but Robin had said nothing about him liking her! "…And… what about Link…?"

The tactician allowed the corners of her lips to curve upwards. "As far as I know, Link hasn't shown much interest."

The princess clenched her hand tightly over her breast; she couldn't suppress the urge to smile. "I… see. Robin, could you tell me more about him? I am eager to learn!"

Robin softly laughed. "I don't mind. I will share what I know."

"Thank you!"

Kamui couldn't contain her joy! If Link didn't show any interest in this other princess, maybe she had a chance to befriend him! She wasn't sure just why she was so happy like this, but she filed that away for later pondering.

I hope you enjoyed it so far. Until next time!