Disclaimer: Super Smash Bros. belongs to Nintendo and any characters belong to their respective companies.
Though there were many problems that had occurred during Yuga's invasion in Hyrule, there wasn't much that had been catastrophic. True, many citizens had to take shelter due to the colored dark knights, but other than that there was nothing truly wrong. This didn't stop Princess Zelda from overseeing an expansion of Kakariko Village, as well as offering consolation to the families of the Sages when they had gone missing upon their return from Lorule.
She payed a visit to each Sage in particular after restoring Lorule's Triforce to thank them personally. Gulley and Irene's guardians were well flustered by a visit from the Princess. Seres' father blessed her excessively at the church. Queen Oren promised a unification between them and the Zora. Rosso, who had no family, and Osfala, who lived with the elder, instead went off to their own homes. The only one who Zelda did not need to visit was Impa, as she had known her her own full life.
Link had left Hyrule shortly after Yuga Ganon's imprisonment. He told Zelda that he wanted to hone his swordplay and gain more experience. When he began his journey, he barely had any. Zelda insisted that he train under the Captain of the guard, but even she knew that the Captain was a bit... iffy, to put it nicely.
As Link traveled, he regularly sent letters. He wrote of a place named Holodrum, where he saw a dancing troupe as he traveled. One dancer, a female with red hair, he wrote, looked at him oddly. Not alluring, but oddly, as if she knew him from somewhere. He also wrote of Labrynna, where he met a young woman with blue hair playing a harp in a milk bar who also gave him a look. He didn't know how to place it.
In one of these letters, he wrote about a kingdom known as Hytopia. Zelda knew somewhat of it and how its people were wildly obsessed with fashion. She was surprised to hear of a witch who had cursed its princess into nothing but drab and ill clothing. Even if she knew nothing about fashion, Zelda knew that as a princess, it was important to make appearances.
"It seems that he was chosen as its hero to free her from her curse," Zelda told Impa one morning while eating her breakfast.
"I do hope he succeeds," Impa said, pouring her charge some milk. "I was in Hytopia once, when I was young."
"Oh?" Zelda looked up in interest. "How is it?"
"It's like Osfala's personality became an entire country. Honey for your tea?"
Zelda brought the letter up to her mouth to hide her giggles. "Yes, please." She finished reading the letter and grabbed the last one that had been placed on the serving tray by her side by one of her servants. "Strange. There's no signature by the sender." The only thing the letter contained was her name written in a stylish font and the red wax seal had an image of a sphere with two lines on it.
Weighing it in her hands, there seemed to be some sort of large round token inside it.
"I do hope it's no mail by a suitor," Impa said bitterly, setting the tea by her milk and plate of Cucco eggs. "What does it say?"
Zelda ripped open the letter and took out the token and a letter. The token was about the size of her hand, more of a medallion. It was gold and had the Triforce on one side, and her name on the other. She set it down and opened the folded letter.
Dear Princess Zelda of Hyrule,
We are please to announce that you have been chosen to participate in our sixth annual Super Smash Brothers Tournament. We've tried to also contact your Hero of Hyrule, but have yet to receive a reply.
We would like to say that this is not a fight to the death; rather, it is merely a series of battles between participants for entertainment. Smashers—that is, the fighters—will also receive rewards and compensation for participating.
We hope that you join us in our Tournament this year. Not only will you be able to meet characters from other worlds, but we have other royalty in our existing roster. Prince Marth, Princess Rosalina, and King Bowser are just a few veteran Smashers to come back.
Whatever your decision, we wish to test your prowess. Please write a response on the enclosed extra paper and slip the medallion back inside. It will instantly be transported to our headquarters. Within seven days, we will send a veteran Smashers to duel with you. This duel will not be to the death or until one is maimed. It will rather be a friendly fisticuffs and test. We wish to see you at the Smash Mansion soon!
–Master H.
Zelda read the letter twice and then read it out loud to Impa.
"What does it mean by 'other worlds,' though? Does it mean other kingdoms?" Zelda asked, taking the second paper that been stuck to the first. It was blank.
"I believe it does, in fact, mean what it means," Impa said. "We Sheikah have plenty secrets, and one of them is that previous Heroes chosen by the goddess, as well as previous princesses of Hyrule, went to an entire universe entirely. For what, we don't know."
"An entire universe..." Zelda thoughtfully looked at the letter again. "I suppose it won't hurt to learn more, at least." She asked a servant who had come to pick up her dishes to send someone with a pen and a bottle of ink. Once she got what she needed, she wrote a reply.
To Whom it May Concern:
I'm afraid that I'm rather baffled by some of the contents of your letter. Is it at all possible you would send a representative who may also answer some questions I might have? I have no problem with you testing my prowess, and I may also find it beneficial to partake on behalf of my kingdom. I await your response.
–Princess Zelda of Hyrule
She folded the letter and put it and the medallion back in the envelope. The moment she closed it, it disappeared in a flash.
"Now what?" Impa asked.
Zelda only shrugged. "Now we wait."
She expected a letter back, but after three days, she gave up on the thought and waited for the other four. During this time, she wrote back to Link and asked him if he had received a letter from a "Master H." She had yet to receive a response from him.
After a week of waiting, a guard approached Zelda in her throne room around midday, shortly before she would eat lunch.
"Your Majesty," he said, "a Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom has arrived to see you."
Zelda frowned. "Mushroom Kingdom?"
"Indeed, Majesty. She offers this letter as proof of her name. Mind you, she does have some rather odd characters in her mix." The guard gave Impa a letter, who in turn gave it to her.
It was the same letter she had received and thereafter sent.
"Send her in, please," Zelda approved. "And do announce her as you would any other royal on diplomacy."
"At once, Your Majesty." The guard turned and left, telling something to the guards stationed at the entryway.
Seeing that letter was a mild surprise. She half-expected no one to show up and write off the letter as a prank. She only waited a few minutes as a few more guards stationed, some armed with the ceremonial trumpets used to announce those from other lands.
"Introducing her royal highness, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom alongside Yoshi of Yoshi's Island and Captain Olimar of Hocotate."
The trumpets blared as the doors opened. In came some of the strangest people she'd ever seen.
Zelda could only assume that the woman in pink with a folded pink parasol was Princess Peach, if her crown didn't give it away. She had long yellow hair, bright as the sun, and blue spherical earrings on her ears. Strangely enough, her ears were rounded instead of pointed. Behind her was a green creature with a large nose and a red shell. It also had a tail and white underbelly, and even odder, it was wearing shoes. The third to enter was the strangest of all. He was a short, diminutive man with a glass helmet invading his head. The helmet had some sort of antenna with a red light, and he wore a yellow, bulky suit with red gloves. He only had three hairs on his head and his eyes were small and beady. His ears, too, were rounded.
"Welcome to my kingdom," Zelda said, standing and bowing to the princess. "Am I correct I'm presuming that you've arrived on behalf of a Master H?"
"Indeed," Peach said, her voice high and regal. "I am Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. I've been on the roster of the Smash Tournament since its second year. Yoshi here has as well, and Captain Olimar on its fourth." She directed with her head to each one by her side.
Yoshi let out an unintelligible garble, almost as if it were saying its own name. Captain Olimar nodded and spoke in a deep voice. "Yes, that is correct, Princess."
Zelda nodded. "I see. Are you all hungry? I was just about to break for lunch soon and the three of you are more than welcome to join me."
Yoshi excitedly jumped up and down, fluttering its legs in midair.
"Oh, you. You're always hungry." Though she seemed to be scolding the creature, Peach was also lightly laughing. "That would be delightful, Your Majesty."
"Please, just call me Zelda, Your Highness."
"In that case, you may just call me Peach, Zelda."
Both women grinned as Impa led them from the throne room to the Princess's personal study. Not only did she go over the status of her kingdom here, but also decided to make it her dining room and give the servants an extra living quarter.
"Is there anything in particular you may wish?" Zelda asked as she took a seat at the head of her table.
"Any vegetables may do for me, Princess," Olimar said.
"Yoshi loves fruit, particularly various kinds of berries," Peach said. "As for myself, I've had traditional Hyrulean cuisine before, I don't really object to anything."
Zelda nodded to one of her servants, who nodded in return and left to bring their foods. "In the meantime, if I may ask, Captain Olimar? What is the need for your helmet?"
"Hm? Oh, this thing?" He tapped the glass with his hand. Being closer, Zelda saw something attached to the inside of the helmet, close to his mouth. A whistle, perhaps? "You see, Princess, your air is toxic to myself and my people. This suit not only gives me the air that I need, but also a defense against harsh weather and other natural hazards."
"Toxic? Is it safe for you to be out and about like this?"
"Don't worry your soul, Princess. I have endured more than a diplomatic visit. Why, my ship has crashed three times despite my excellent piloting and I've managed to survive all three digressions!"
"Olimar will be just fine, Zelda," Peach added. "Let me ask, is Link here as well?"
"Link?" Zelda looked at her in surprise. "You know of Link?"
"Not exactly. We have heard tales of him, though."
If Link truly had received a letter, then it would make sense for people of other worlds to have heard of him. After explaining that no, Link was in fact on a journey to learn experience, she turned to Yoshi. "And what of your friend here?"
Yoshi, who had been staring blissfully into the air, looked back at her. He was perfectly seated with his tail sticking out behind the chair.
"He is from a neighboring island offshore from my kingdom," Peach said. "There are plenty of his kind, but this Yoshi is special to my heart because he was the leader of a group of Yoshi who saved me when I was only an infant."
Zelda's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? That's incredible!"
Peach nodded. "Yes, indeed. Some of the other Smashers from or around my kingdom have known him since they were infants as well, when all of the babies in the kingdom were kidnapped. It was his group of Yoshi that saved us all and returned us home."
"That's... very impressive, indeed." If this reptile had been in charge of a small resistance to save kidnapped infants, she could understand why they wanted him in a Tournament of fighters. "Wait... Did you speak of multiple 'Yoshi'? But I that was his name."
"It's his name and his species name as well," Peach said. "For all of them, in fact."
Zelda tried to picture it, seeing dozens of the same creature in front of her and picturing them by name, and wound up confused. "But... that's makes no sense. It is both his name and his species?"
Peach nodded. "Yes, I admit it is rather unorthodox. It is so—how did Pit put it again?—meta."
As the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda only found this more and more illogical. "I don't know what that means."
"The Yoshi are not the only species that way," Olimar said. "During the times I've crashed, these strange creatures have helped me along the way to repair my ship or gathering the resources I need. I call them Pikmin, but never really individuate them by name. Well, aside from Steve, but that's only because he's the first Pikmin I found."
"The Pikmin and Yoshi aren't the only ones like that," Peach added. "In our roster, we have creatures known as Pokémon. There are many Pokémon of the same species, but these in particular are all named the same."
"Well, except for Mewtwo," Olimar pointed out. "He's the only one of his kind, remember?"
"Oh, yes, that's true."
Zelda decided to steer away from this conversation and enter something else. "So this roster," she said, "how many Smashers have taken part?"
"The number increases every year," Peach explained. "The first Tournament only held twelve Smashers. The second held about twice as many. This year, they're hoping to have over seventy Smashers. There have been a few who've only participated once in the past, but this year they're hoping to make it the biggest with returning Smashers, and new ones."
"Including myself, correct?" Zelda asked. She noticed how Olimar and Zelda both turned to each other, as well as how Yoshi hummed distractingly.
"Yes, of course," Peach said, smiling. But Zelda could see there was something off about her.
Before she could accuse them of such a thing, the doors opened and the servants returned with food. A plate of fruits was placed in front of Yoshi, fried Octorok tentacles and Cucco with rice for herself and Peach, and corn, carrots, squash, and cucumbers for Olimar.
"Captain, how do you plan to eat without removing your helmet?" Zelda asked, distracted in her movement of thought at this scenario in front of them.
"Simple, my dear." A hatched opened in the silver part of his suit. He set the corn cob inside it and closed the hatch. He also pulled his arms into their sleeves. The corn appeared just out of view from the helmet and he began to eat.
Yoshi picked up an apple and ate the whole thing; stem, core, seeds and all.
The conversation turned to other topics regarding the Smash Tournament. The Smash Mansion was where everyone lived as the Tournament took place. It would last for about six months. Although it was referred to as an "annual" competition, they actually took place a few years apart. For some people in some worlds, it literally was annually. In others, where time was different, quite some time would pass. Competitors were rewarded with coins, which would then be transferred as a form of currency to whatever suited them best. People and animals took part, some attacking fist-to-fist, with weapons, or even magic. Peach, Olimar, and Yoshi all rely on physical prowess. Peach could kick and use her umbrella in battle, Olimar could punch and use Pikmin, and Yoshi relied on his tail and... tongue?
"Is there an overall best fighter?" Zelda asked as her plate was cleared away.
"Not particularly. At most, eight Smashers could be in one battlefield at once, all against each other or in teams. It's mostly whoever comes out first gets the most coins, and the better rewards."
"The letter said that it was not a fight to the death. If you have swordsmen among your ranks, how has no one died?"
"There's a force field that protects anyone inside from physical wounds," Olimar answered. "That doesn't mean you won't feel the effect of the attack, though. I was once electrocuted by a Volt Tackle attack and though my suit continued to function well, I still felt the effect on my body."
Zelda hummed thoughtfully. "But then how is it decided who the winner is if everyone can take a hit?"
"Because everyone can't take a hit," Peach said. "Have you ever heard the saying that cats have nine lives?" She nodded. "It's something similar to that. Everyone has a stock, how much they are able to endure in battle. If an attack knocks you off battlefield or you fall off, then you lose a stock. Once you lose your last one, you are sent out of the battlefield with any fatigue cured."
Zelda was more and more impressed by this as time went on. "I was told that I would be tested for my prowess, yes?"
"Oh, indeed!" Peach said. "We've been speaking for so long I've almost forgotten about the reason for our arrival! Now, is there someplace large enough to have a proper fight in?"
Zelda thought for a moment, crossing her arms and tapping her chin with a finger. "The courtyard may suffice. The rookie guards train there all the time. I assume you saw them on your way in?"
"Yes, we did. Er, Olimar, the device?"
Olimar looked up in the middle of nibbling on a carrot like a rabbit. "Hm? Oh, yes." He opened the hatch again, but instead of putting something in, he took something out. It was a flat, silver disk, barely thinner than the blade of a sword. It had a blinking red light in the middle.
"I was given this to mimic the effects of a regular battlefield. All that has to be done is to press this button and to place it on a flat surface." She pointed to the red light. "Then it will create a dome around us and we go all-out in our fight until one of us is knocked out of the dome's effects."
"'Our'?"
Peach playfully winked. "Of course! A princess against a princess? Who could resist!"
A short time later, the courtyard had been cleared of the trainees. Only a few guards and Impa were left to oversee the fight.
"Ready, Olimar?" Peach said from across the courtyard.
"Almost, Princess!" Olimar set the device equidistant between the two of them, almost in the middle of the courtyard. "Okay!" He pressed the button and from where she stood, the red turned green and didn't blink. A burst of light erupted from it and a dome surrounded the three of them. The edges of it rippled like water in a river, signifying where the limit was. "As soon as I exit the dome, the countdown will start. Then you fight! Whoever gets knocked out first is the winner!"
Without another word, Olimar hobbled his way outside the dome to stand next to Impa and Yoshi. As soon as he did, a booming voice spoke.
"Three... Two... One... GO!"
It occurred to Zelda a second too late that the match had started. Peach ran toward her, brandishing her parasol as she did. The moment she reached her, she pushed her parasol up into the air and jumped with it, sending Zelda flying. She gracefully landed while Zelda hit the ground hard.
Zelda suddenly understood Peach's explanation. Though the umbrella went through her like a spear, it sent a numbness through her whole body. This was serious, she realized.
"You must surely be better than that, Zelda! Letting me take the first hit?" She winked at her while spinning her parasol over her shoulder. "Sweet."
She was taunting her. She had to be. Zelda had severely underestimated not only Princess Peach, but the Tournament in general.
Zelda stood back up. She held up an arm and waved her hand, infusing it with magic.
Upon her return from Lorule, Zelda taught herself the necessary offences of magic should another attacker pursue her again. She concentrated on Din's Fire and let the blast go forward.
Peach easily dodged it, jumping high into the air. Physics had changed dramatically in this environment.
She didn't let Peach land and instead concentrated on Farore's Wind. She disappeared and reappeared in Peach's exact position, knocking her upwards. She shot her hand up and sent another blast of magic, sending her back. She was about to do it again when Peach suddenly kicked her way down, nullifying Zelda's magic.
The two went on like this for a short while more. Zelda took advantage of the enhanced speed to block a radish thrown her way with Nayru's Love, sending it back her direction. Peach grabbed her by the front of her dress and threw easily threw her as if she were a sack of wheat. She followed it by a kick straight up, in which Zelda responded by teleporting away from her as she jumped with her parasol again, directing Din's Fire to her and hitting her mark.
She felt exhaustion take over the more they fought. She could feel it take over Peach as well as she used less aerial attacks to not over exert herself. As they fought more, Zelda came to a realization: the more she was hit, the more each blow sent her flying. It was subtle, yes, but one particular attack sent her almost to the outside of the dome's perimeter from across the field. She saw the same effect on Peach.
Finally, they reached a stalemate. As Peach once again brandished a radish, Zelda went up close and personal and activated Nayru's Love to shield her at the same time the projectile was thrown. The radish was knocked back and hit Peach. With so much damage taken over time, this single attack was enough to finally send her flying without recovery.
At the same time she passed the dome and disappeared in a flash of light, the voice spoke again. "GAME!"
Peach reappeared in front of her, seemingly all fatigue gone.
"And the winner is... ZELDA!"
The dome disappeared and Zelda felt herself feel like brand new. Peach was applauding her, and Olimar and Yoshi were cheering wildly.
"Congratulations, Princess Zelda of Hyrule," Peach said with a bow. "You've bested a veteran Smasher with grace and aplomb."
Zelda smiled bashfully. "There is much more to this than I thought," she admitted.
"And we wish to see you learn and grow in battle with the rest of us. Princess Zelda, will you do us the honor of participating in our Smash Tournament this year?"
"Princess Peach, I would be honored in fighting alongside and against you."
Peach smiled brightly. "Oh, this is wonderful news! Yoshi?"
Yoshi prodded forward, opening its mouth and extending an excessively large tongue, an envelope wrapped in it.
"You've had that in your mouth this whole time?" Zelda exclaimed.
Peach giggled. "Don't worry, it's dry. Here, take this. Everything inside will let you know what to generally expect as well as information about your room in the Smash Mansion. The Tournament starts in about three months, and you'll need to be there about two weeks early to get used to everything. We have so much that you're not used to here in Hyrule!"
"I can only imagine." Zelda took the letter and found it dry of saliva. "Can I ask, do you know if Link has already agreed to participate?"
"Link?" Peach paused to think about it. "I think he's already got his letter. Don't know if he's answered yet."
A circle of light appeared on the floor with an extravagant design bordering it.
"Oh! That's our ride!" Olimar went to the circle first. "See you soon, Princess!" He jumped into the circle after saying goodbye, disappearing into it.
Yoshi garbled a farewell as well, disappearing into it.
"I'll show you around when you get to the Smash Mansion, all right?" Peach moved to the light, waving goodbye. "See you in a few months!" As soon as she left, the circle vanished. The device that had set up the dome was left behind, but there now a blank light.
Zelda walked over to her spectators, letter in hand. "What do you think, Impa?"
"I think you have plenty of your mother in you, wanting to fight for your country," Impa said with grace. "Are you worried about the kingdom in your absence?"
Zelda shook her head. "Mm-mm. I'm confident that you can watch over until my return. And I'm sure the Sages can offer their own input, even if Gulley and Irene are young."
A few days letter, Link sent a reply to her previous letter. He mentioned how he was traveling Hytopia with duplicates of himself in order to clear dungeons that posed a threat to the kingdom, as well as unlocking area after area to get closer to the witch. His duplication seemed evident as each paragraph in the letter was written slightly differently, but alternating back to the original after the third one.
But he also wrote something telling. He had received no letter from a "Master H." and had never heard of the Super Smash Brothers Tournament before. Zelda was suddenly left with unease and worry.
If they had lied about Link receiving a letter, what else were they keeping from her?
The weeks went by as Zelda readied herself. She practiced more with her magic, trying to hurry the process and not lag behind with any spells. She decided to forego a typical fighting outfit and instead packed a few extra dresses. Peach could obviously fight well in one, so she would too. She used her wallet and filled it to the brim with purple Rupees. She wasn't sure if they would accept her kingdom's currency, but if they could exchange coins to Rupees, they could probably do the same in reverse.
Two weeks before the eventual start of the Tournament, she was once again greeted by a Smasher. This one was blue and bipedal, with a silver spike on its chest and hands.
"Your Majesty, my name is Lucario," it said. Though it didn't speak with its mouth, Zelda was able to hear its telepathic words. "I've come to escort you to the Smash Mansion."
The same circle of light that had brought it remained in place.
Zelda nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Lucario." He turned back to Impa, who nodded radiantly. She looked at the other Sages, all encouraging her.
"Good luck, Princess!" Gulley said.
"We hope to hear from you," Oren added.
"Show 'em what a Hyrulean's made of!" Rosso encouraged.
"I believe your patience is key," Osfala praised.
"May the goddesses watch over you," Seres prayed.
"A little magic will take them all down!" Irene cackled.
Smiling at their assurances, Zelda walked up to Lucario. "I'm ready."
Lucario nodded, moving aside. "After you, Princess Zelda."
Zelda stepped to the light, her belongings in hand and wallet at her hip. She stepped into the circle and felt the transportation magic overcome her. In a blink of an eye, the throne room melted away and was replaced by an equally-royal room. From here on out, everything was different.
A new story for the Princess Zelda was about to take place.
Edit 10/26/2018
Grammar and typo fixes that I'm embarrassed I didn't catch the first time around.
Author's Note:
This came to came the literal second I saw the E3 announcement regarding Smash Ultimate. I thought, "wonder how Zelda would have not have gotten into Smash, but Link did" in regards to Breath of the Wild. Then I decided to write this, how Zelda from A Link Between Worlds came to be instead of the other one. And in case you were wondering, Triforce Heroes is actually a sequel to ALBW featuring the same Link, and he's on that journey during this time. It does take place a few years later canonically.
Of course, I explained some of the game mechanics on a technical level here, which I think I did well on. Peach, Olimar, and Yoshi I chose just because I thought Zelda's reactions to them would be interesting, especially in regards to the "Yoshis are named Yoshi" thing. And don't even get me started on how the males also lay eggs.
And I never realized this before, but as I literally wrote it, all the babies in Yoshi's Island DS (Mario, Luigi, Peach, DK, Wario, Bowser) are actually all playable in Smash. Not really earth-shattering, but just a thought. Go figure.
Then there is, of course, the implication that the others are aware of the reincarnation cycle. I mean, different Link's have shown up in Smash before.
This is the first of a two-parter, as next chapter we'll see how Link joined the roster but how Zelda didn't. I might make the story longer, but (if I do) not until the game officially comes out in December and once I play it. I hope a new Story Mode comes into play, I really liked the "Subspace Emissary". Or who knows, I might retell Subspace Emissary with all those new characters. Meh, only time will tell.
Word Count: 5135
~CoronaCrown~