Wow, been a long time since I posted something. Anyway. I started this in the middle of summer, and decided to finally finish it about two days ago.

Not really much more to say.

Comments are appreciated :)

EDIT: BLAAAAARGH. Fanfiction deleted all my fancy lines :( well I fixed them. Whew.

Healing

Such an odd request was made by Ganondorf on that peculiar little Tuesday afternoon. Of course, there usually weren't one-on-one matches, but this had been a special request by Ganondorf. Master Hand was slightly confused as to why Ganondorf would want to go single handedly against Ike, because he was usually one of the best smashers in the mansion, but he agreed nonetheless.

"Ike and Ganondorf, Temple, no rules, at 5:30. One stock. Starts in five minutes for those who want to watch in the theatre."

Peach craned her neck to look at the speaker. One-on-one? She had never seen a one-on-one match before, except for in sudden death.

Curiosity got the best of her and she decided to go see the match. Ike was her friend, after all.

Peach strolled slowly to the theatre, mainly because she had to act very… prim and proper, to say. It was only necessary for her to act so. If she didn't, she would be an embarrassment to her family.

Pushing those thoughts out of her head, she continued walking slowly and very princess-like, until she saw Marth. Smiling, she approached him.

"Why, good evening, Prince Marth," she said quietly, lacing her fingers together in front of her. "It's good to see you. Would you perhaps, be going to the theatre?"

Marth smiled at her. "Yes, Princess. I will assume that you are going, too?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Shall I escort you?"

"Yes, thank you Prince Marth," Peach said as she gracefully hooked her arm with his.

Marth smiled at her and guided her into the dark room. They had been friends for quite a while, and were very polite to each other due to their similar upbringings.

Many assumed they were dating, but those were just assumptions, and nothing more.

Of course, those who did assume they were dating didn't know about his everlasting crush on Samus Aran.

He lead her to some good seats, and they sat down together.

He turned to her.

"Say, Princess, you usually don't come to the theatre to watch matches," He said, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. "Why do you come now? Is there something I should know about?" He smiled at her sweetly, continuing to play with her golden hair.

Peach blinked.

"Could it, perhaps, be something…" he looked her directly into the eyes. "To do with… Ike?"

Peach sputtered, her face immediately heating up. "He… he's just a friend!" She could not believe his assumptions! He thought that she was smitten with Ike?! Sure, they were close friends, and she noticed him looking at her a few times, but it was nothing more than that!

Marth chuckled, and stopped playing with her hair. "Well, now, Princess. Don't get too flustered there." He smiled at her. "I was just asking you a simple question, lady."

Peach calmed down slightly. "It was… rather… rude for you to assume such things," she murmured, smoothing her hair.

Marth smiled again. "Perhaps it was, m'dear, but you should probably think about it. Could you do that for me?"

Princess Peach sighed. "Alright, then."

Marth gestured to the screen. "Look, Princess, it's starting."

Peach turned to the screen and watched as Ike and Ganondorf appeared onto the projector.

"3…2…1… GO!"

Ganondorf lunged at Ike first, but Ike was faster and rolled out of the way before he could hit him. Pulling his sword back, Ike landed the first hit, raising Ganondorf's damage to 17 percent. Ganondorf, obviously enraged, ran to Ike and tried to smack him with his leg in a Sparta-style. Ike grabbed him before he could do so and kicked him forward. Ganondorf's damage was now at 24 percent.

Before Ganondorf could counterattack, Ike raced towards him and did his side-smash, sending Ganondorf flying across the screen, landing on the right side. His damage now stacked up to 43 percent.

Ike chased after Ganondorf, his sword in hand. Just as he was about to hit him again with his side-smash, Ganondorf did the unexpected, and stood up quickly. Reaching his right arm out, he yanked Ragnell out of Ike's hands. Ike, unsure what was happening and unarmed, gaped at Ganondorf as he lifted the sword up, weighing it.

Peach gasped as Ganondorf slashed the sword at Ike's left leg, sending him flying to the ground. Ike's pants leg was now torn open and revealed a nasty gash that was seeping blood. Marth had grabbed her arm, staring at the screen with a surprised and horrified look on his face.

Ganondorf cut his leg again, and again, Ike yelling in pain, unable to do anything. Blood now splattered the floor around him, and covered his pants.

Peach stood up, mortified. "What is going on?! Someone help Ike! He's in trouble! Why aren't the safety protectors on?!"

Finally, after he was done ruining Ike's left leg, he kicked him off the screen, laughing as he fell to his doom. He licked a bit of blood off of Ragnell.

"GAME!"

Marth stood up next to Peach and grabbed her hand, pulling her quickly out the door. "We must tell Master Hand, and now!"

Peach struggled against his grip. "No! I have to check on Ike to see if he is alright!"

Marth released her. "Go do that. I'll go tell Master."

Peach rushed to the Smasher lobby, where the smashers were transported after a match. Sure enough, Ike lay in a heap on the ground, his leg a bloody mess.

"IKE!" Princess Peach screamed, running to him.

Ike gazed at her with a pained expression on his face. "Peach…?"

"Oh, Ike! I was so worried about you!" She flung her arms around his wide torso, unaware of the faint blush tinting his cheeks. "We must get your leg healed up. Now! Where is Doctor Mario?!"

Ike stared at her, a look of admiration on his face. "Thank you Pr-"

"Shh, it's ok… We're going to take care of you. Just lay down."

At that moment, Marth rushed into the room, Dr. Mario trailing after him, a first aid kit in hand.

As Dr. Mario tended to Ike's wounds, Peach approached Marth. Her voice was bitter, and she used very unladylike language. However, at this point she didn't care. "Where in MUSHROOM KINGDOM is Ganondorf?!" she spat, her fists clenched in fury. She could not believe the horrible thing he had done to Ike!

Marth smoothed her hair and patted her shoulder. "Crazy Hand is taking care of him, m'dear. I'm afraid you don't have to worry about him."

Peach's wrath faded, and was replaced with sadness. "Why would he do that? He could have killed Ike." She closed her eyes. Marth patted her head gently, and she sighed miserably. "Now Ike isn't going to be able to fight or anything for a long time… what if he attacks again when Ike is unarmed? I will protect him with all of my might if he does."

Marth chuckled bitterly, rubbing his eyes. "Well, Princess, Ike may not need someone to protect him, because I highly doubt Ganondorf with be able to move after Crazy Hand is done with him. But I do know that Ike will need someone to tend to his wounds daily, and you are a skilled nurse. I assume you will accept the task? After all, Ike will probably not want to stay in a scruffy hospital bed for a long time. You could stay in his room and watch over him. I would accept it, but I find it a bit… awkward for a man to care for another man. And besides, you have much more experience in healing and medical issues than I do."

Peach sighed lightly, lacing her fingers together. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to watch over him."

Marth smiled brightly, like he knew something she didn't. "Princess, you are the greatest. I will let you sleep in my bed and I will take the spare bedroom nearby."

Peach looked at him, suspicious. "Why, Prince Marth, should I not get the spare bedroom and you remain in your designated quarters?"

Marth shook his head grimly. "Ah, ah… I'm afraid not, my dear princess. Imagine! What if Ike was to fall off his bed in the middle of the night? What if his bandages needed changing? What if he had sudden pains in his leg that caused him to suffer horribly?"

Peach gasped. "Oh, how awful!"

Marth nodded, closing his eyes dramatically. "You see, Princess, it is absolutely necessary for you to remain with Ike."

Peach nodded. "I see now, Prince Marth."

Dr. Mario had finished wrapping up his leg by now, and was ordering two ROBs to take Ike to his room on a stretcher. Peach approached him wearily, her fingers twitching nervously.

"Is he going to be alright, Dr. Mario?" she whispered, her eyes swimming with curiosity and worry.

Doctor glanced at her, and tugged on his mustache. "He will be okay. He'll be bed-bound for a few weeks, but his leg should recover if he continues taking the medicine I prescribed to him."

Peach let out a sigh of relief. "That is good to hear."

Doctor nodded firmly, glancing at his clipboard. "Marth tells me that you will be watching over him and making sure that he takes him medicine and switches his dressings. I appreciate it."

Peach's lips parted slightly, and she blinked. Marth hadn't talked to Doctor since they had arrived here… which means… "Marth told you I would before asking me…" she whispered quietly. "He knew I would?"

"Princess?" Doctor asked, concerned.

"Um, I am fine with it, yes. Thank you very much, Doctor." Peach smiled evenly.

"Alright. I trust you will take good care of him." Dr. Mario handed her the first aid kit, and turned in the direction of Ike's room. "Go to his room and make sure the ROBs handled him alright, although I'm sure they did. Good luck, Princess." And with that, he left.

Peach blinked. He wished her good luck… for what? People sure were acting strangely around here lately.

Peach began walking to Ike's room, and glanced over her shoulder, looking for Marth. He wasn't there.

"Marth…?"

No answer. Shrugging, she continued out of the lobby and to the Fire Emblem hallway. The theme colors were red and blue for some reason. She approached Ike's room and knocked lightly on his door.

"Come in," came the low answer from behind the door.

Peach let herself in and closed the door behind her. "How are you feeling?" she asked, approaching the bed he was strewn out on.

"Better. ROB said you would be taking care of me. Thanks."

Peach smiled. "It's no trouble, Ike." Man, word traveled quickly around here. She cleared her throat. "Prince Marth informed me that I would be… ah… sleeping in here with you. Is this the bed I will stay in?" She gestured to a tidy bed with dark blue sheets on it.

A faint tint of red touched his cheeks. "Ah…"

Peach gushed. "Oh, dear, Ike! You look horribly ill and flushed! Do you have a fever? Shall I fetch a cold rag?"

"Um, yeah, that would be nice, Princess." Ike muttered, still blushing.

Peach hurried out of the room and into the hall's bathroom. She grabbed a blue rag and wetted it in the sink before wringing it out. Poor, poor Ike. First his leg was savagely ripped apart, then he got sick. Marth was right, she needed to make sure he was comfortable and safe.

Returning to his room, she blinked in surprise as she saw Link and Zelda standing there, talking to the mercenary. She just barely caught the last bit of the conversation.

Link was speaking. "Look, man. This is the perfect opportunity. You need to tell her! She will certainly not break your heart, and she may even feel the same way."

Zelda nodded, agreeing with her fellow elf. "I think she returns the fee—!" She cut off abruptly. And turned around, just noticing that Peach was listening. "Oh, hello Princess Peach." She smirked. "Perfect timing you have."

Peach smiled warmly at her friend. "Ah, not to be rude, but may I inquire who you were discussing?"

Both elves turned to stare at Ike, who squirmed under the attention. "Er, nothing Princess."

"Please, call me Peach."

"Peach," he corrected. The color returned to his cheeks slightly.

"Oh, my! I completely forgot that you were sick. I am so sorry!" She rushed to his bedside, laying the cloth gently on his forehead. "I really had no right to be so intrusive… after all, it is not my place to barge in on other people's conversations… I am sorry."

"It is fine," Ike said, sighing.

"Well," Link said slyly, making his way to the door with Zelda following him. "I guess I'll leave you two alone." To Ike and Zelda's dismay, he put emphasis on the word alone.

"Yes… See you around, Ike… Peach." Zelda nodded to them and followed Link outside.

Peach pursed her lips. "I wonder what that was all about."

Ike remained silent, fiddling with a bit of cloth that was close to his hand.

At that moment, Marth entered the room, lugging a heavy object with him. He placed it on the floor in front of Ike's bed. It was Ragnell.

"I brought you your sword, Ike," he said, huffing. "I have no idea how you can wield that thing. It is horribly heavy!"

Ike chuckled. "Thanks, Marth. If you would, there is a stand on the wall over there…"

Marth picked it up again. "Yeah, no problem at ALL."

Peach was slightly surprised, as she had never seen Marth talk so… normally. It was a pleasant change, and it made him seem a little more… guy-ish.

"Ah, Marth… is that the bed I will be sleeping in?" She gestured to the neat blue bed across the room from Ike's bed.

"Oh! Yes, that's it. It is my bed, but we are close friends, so I presume you will not take that to heart?"

"Oh, of course not. I am truly sorry that you must relocate yourself from where you normally sleep… I feel bad for it…" Peach looked at her feet, her fingers twitching again.

"It is fine, Princess." Marth smiled genuinely. "I think it will be nice to get away from Ike for a while," he added jokingly, winking at her.

Peach laughed. "Whatever you say, Marth."

Marth sat down in a chair in the room, and Peach turned her attention to Ike again.

"Do you mind if I take a look at your leg again?" she asked, sitting down on the bed at his feet.

"Go ahead," he said quietly, averting his eyes to the ceiling.

She peeled the covers away from his body, and blushed a bit because he was shirtless. Driving a thought out of her head, she pulled his pants leg up to reveal the bandages cover his leg. He winced slightly as she did so, and she murmured a quiet, "sorry," before she focused on his leg again. The bandages were getting slightly soaked from being exposed to the blood so long, and they needed to be changed.

"… I should change your dressings," she mused to herself. She glanced at Ike's face. "Do you mind if I…?"

"Do whatever you need to." Ike's eyes remained glued to the ceiling.

Peach rose from the bed and walked over to where she had set the first aid kit down. She opened it and fished out some wrappings, before closing it again and returning to Ike's bed. She pulled his bandages off and gasped as she saw the wound first hand again. Ike sighed.

"Ah, er… Marth, would you mind getting me some salves to put on this?" Peach said softly, looking over at Marth. He was rather pale, but he agreed.

He handed her the medicine, and she slathered it on Ike's large wound. Ike hissed slightly at the contact, and Peach whispered an apology again. When she was done applying the salve, she wrapped his leg up in bandages.

"Too tight?" she asked.

"It's fine."

She fastened it and rose, holding the bloody bandages in her small hands. She walked to the bathroom to throw it out, and rubbed her eyes lightly when she was done. She washed her hands, and returned to Ike's room again.

"I'm going to go get my stuff. Prince Marth, would you mind watching over Ike for me?" she said when she entered.

"It's fine, Princess."

Peach walked to the Mushroom Kingdom hall, then to her light pink room. She fished around in her closet for some clothes, then in her vanity drawers for a hairbrush and some hair ties. She wadded her bundle up and walked back to the Fire Emblem hallway and into Ike's room. Everything was just as it was when she left it. Marth was still perched in the chair and Ike was still lying in his bed.

Upon her arrival, Marth stood up. "Princess," he greeted. "It is getting late." He gestured to the clock, which read 9:00 at night.

Peach's eyes widened. "Time sure does pass quickly," she murmured.

Marth smiled. "Yes, I suppose so. I guess that I will be heading to my quarters, then." He hesitated. "Be nice, Ike. And don't forget what I told you."

Ike rolled his eyes.

Marth left the room.

"I am sorry for all of this mess you are in." Peach said quietly, smoothing her hair.

"It's fine, Princess," Ike said. His back was facing her.

Peach smiled a small smile. "I told you to call me Peach."

"Peach," he said.

Somehow, she felt… flustered. And giddy. And a little bit shy. "Thank you."

"I think we should be going to sleep now. It's getting late, and I'm pretty tired." Ike remained facing away from her.

Peach smiled. "Of course. I'll go get changed, then we can just go to sleep, alright?"

Ike nodded.

Peach grabbed her sleeping clothes out of her bundle and walked into the bathroom. She changed quickly, not wanting to keep a bed-bound Ike waiting, and headed back into the room.

Peach flicked the light off and crawled into bed. "Goodnight, Ike."

"'Yeah."

Peach awoke with a sigh the next morning, and stretched her legs and arms out with a quiet groan. Sunlight streamed into the room's stain-glassed window, covering the room in its patriotic red and blue design. Peach had to mentally slap herself to remind her that she was not in her room, and she was not here for lounging around. She stood up quickly and fixed her bed. When she was done, she looked over at Ike who was watching her lazily, with an arm draped around his neck. He smiled sleepily when she glanced at him.

"Morning, Princess."

"Ike," she greeted. "You must be hungry… shall I go fetch us some breakfast?"

Ike nodded. "I feel bad that I'm bedbound and can't take care of myself, but I guess we all have limits."

With a final nod, Peach walked outside of his room and shut the door quietly behind her. Just as she walked out of the Fire Emblem hallway, she was bombarded by questions from the people in the mess hall.

"How is Ike?"

"Why are you taking care of him?"

"Is it true that you are sleeping with him?!"

"You sick girl!"

Peach's eyes widened. "Wh-what?! That's not true!" Her face flushed at Captain Falcon's accusation.

"Ike's finally got a girl! Ha!"

Peach was shocked.

"Leave her alone!" Peach turned to the new voice, immediately grateful for Marth. "She is not sleeping with Ike, you perverts!" He snapped, smoothing his hair. "Ike is going to be fine, but Princess Peach is his nurse until he gets better. Nothing is happening between them, so don't think about it like that. It is very rude." He shook his head. "I would at least think you would have some decency to not ask a woman a thing like that, much less a Princess."

The group looked guilty. "Sorry, Princess." Captain Falcon said quietly. "Does that mean you're still single?!" He looked hopeful.

Peach's eyebrow twitched. "Ah… yeah…"

"Yes!"

"If you'll excuse us, now…" Marth grabbed her hand and lead her to the kitchen. They approached the food bar and got plates. "Ike likes eggs, ham, and toast."

Peach glanced at him. "How did you know that?"

Marth smirked. "You don't know how many times he's asked me to get his food for him in the mornings."

Peach blinked. "…why would he ask you that?"

Marth turned around and looked at her. "You sure are intrusive today. Is something bothering you?"

Peach shook her head. "I just want to know more about him. He doesn't talk to me much… and I feel better asking you about him more than asking him in person."

Marth nodded understandingly. "He is kind of intimidating."

After their plates were full, they headed back into Ike's room. He sat up straight as they entered, looking famished. "About time!"

Peach flushed with embarrassment. "S-sorry… stopped to chew the fat with a few smashers."

"It's fine."

Peach gave him his food and sat down on a chair next to his bed. Marth perched himself on the windowsill and began shoveling his eggs in. Peach made a face at him, causing him to blush and eat more daintily.

She glanced at Ike, only to see him staring at her. He looked away when she looked at him. Strange… Peach thought.

Ike ate slowly and deliberately, staring at his food the whole time. Peach nibbled on a bagel, but was otherwise not hungry.

When they were finished eating, Marth insisted on taking their plates to the kitchen. He would dart his eyes between them a lot, as if looking for some sign of something. He seemed determined to leave them alone.

After he left, Peach looked down at Ike. "How are you feeling?"

Ike stared absentmindedly at the ceiling. "Fine," he said stiffly.

Peach bit her lip, wanting to start some kind of conversation with him. "I, uh, heard that Ganondorf is being allowed to stay."

Ike's face darkened. "He shouldn't."

Peach sighed. "I know. I heard he's on probation though, so maybe he'll—"

"Ganondorf will never stop what he does. I can just hope next time he doesn't hurt someone I care about. He won't see another day after that."

Peach smiled gravely. "I guess so."

Ike looked at Peach. "Peach, what would you say if I told you Marth liked you?"

Peach blinked. "Of course Marth likes me, he's my best friend!"

Ike didn't break eye contact. "I mean, more than just as friends."

Peach shook her head, her blonde ponytail swinging. "Marth can't like me, he likes Samus."

Ike let out a dry laugh. "Correction: Used to like Samus."

Peach sputtered. "Marth can't like me! He's just… just…"

"Just what?"

"He's just my friend! I mean, he has to like Samus! They're perfect together."

"Samus hooked up with Snake."

"What?!"

Ike laughed at her expression, and ruffled her hair. "I'm thirsty. Get me a drink and drag your secret admirer back here."

Peach left the room feeling exceptionally confused and embarrassed.

As she was walking out of the room, she ran straight into Captain Falcon, and she gasped, her face heating with embarrassment.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Peach exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands.

Captain Falcon smirked and grabbed her wrist. "Just the woman I was looking for."

Peach blinked, pulling her wrist back. It wouldn't budge. "Um, Mr. Falcon, I would appreciate it if you would release my wrist right now."

Captain Falcon pulled her closer to him. "Don't think so."

Suddenly, someone decked Captain Falcon right in the face, sending him reeling backwards. His tight grip on her hand released, and she gaped at him as he fell to the floor, knocked out. She spun around to see Marth standing there with a look of white anger on his usually relaxed face.

"Marth," Peach said, surprised. "Thank you!"

Marth grabbed her hands and held her in front of himself. "Are you alright?" He murmured, smoothing her hair. "If something were to happen to you…"

Peach thought about what Ike had said earlier. Did Marth really like her? She decided that the best thing to do would be to act as if nothing was ever said.

After Marth had released her, he gazed at her with tired eyes. "I'm sorry. I just…" he trailed off.

"It's fine," Peach reassured, smiling lightly at him. "I was just getting Ike a drink of water."

Marth shook his head. "You, my fair lady, were just sexually assaulted by Captain Falcon. I'll get him some water, and I want you to go get some rest." He turned her around and gave her a light push into Ike's room. He shut the door behind him.

Ike was sitting in his bed, glaring at the ceiling. A low hiss escaped his lips as he said, "What the hell just happened?"

Peach, surprised at his language, approached him. "Marth just—"

"Not Marth!" He yelled furiously. "Captain Falcon!"

Peach stared at him. "Um, I'm not too sure… Marth said he tried to sexually assault me, but—"

Ike gripped the blankets covering him, holding them tight in his tan fist. "And I wasn't there. I could have prevented that. I hate this!"

Peach looked away sadly, at loss of words.

"You look like shit. Go to sleep." Ike muttered stiffly.

Peach nodded silently and shut the blinds before crawling into bed and drifting into slumber.

When Peach awoke it was 6:00 at night. Astounded by her tiredness and embarrassed for not taking care of Ike in that time, she hurriedly got up. She looked at Ike's bed to see him lying there idly, fiddling with a Nintendo DS. He glanced up when she stood.

"Sleeping beauty finally wakes. You missed a good six hours of catering to my every need." He said lazily, setting the DS down.

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to sleep that long, really!"

Ike chuckled at her gushed apology. "It's fine, it's fine."

Peach bit her lip and stared at the ground. "So, would you like me to get you some dinner?"

Ike stared at her for a long time before shaking his head. He looked at something behind her, and as she turned around, a tall figure moved from out of the shadows. It was Marth, who was holding three plates full of food. One plate was full of meat and steak and potatoes, another was full of spaghetti, and another had some kind of sushi on it.

Marth handed her the plate full of spaghetti, Ike the plate with meat, and kept the plate of sushi for himself.

Peach stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. "Thanks, Prince Marth. I'm sorry I slept so long."

Marth simply shook his head and muttered something in Japanese. "It's fine, really. Ike is just a butthole."

Peach giggled at glanced at Ike, who was frowning deeply. "No he's not, he's just misunderstood."

Ike glared at her, and she laughed some more before sitting down on Ike's bed. She ate her pasta quickly and insisted on taking their plates to the kitchen to wash them. "I really need to do something. I feel like I've been of no use."

Marth stood. "Well, I'm going to go; I've got a match with Lucas against Link and Zelda soon. Well, I'll see you two around." Marth walked out of the room.

Peach looked at Ike. "Will you be alright if I go wash these? I'll take ten minutes maximum."

"Go ahead." He picked up the DS and began poking at it again. "It's funny how technology here is so more advanced then back home."

Peach was surprised for Ike to make such a comment; it was rare for him to talk about his home world.

Ike continued talking without looking at her. "You know, I had a friend back there. Her name was Titania. She was like a mother to me." He laughed, but it wasn't a normal one. It was happy at first, like remembering the good times, but it was shadowed at the end, as if something jarred his memory. He looked up for a moment, looking blankly at the wall ahead. "Then they invaded, and she—"

Ike cut off abruptly and went back to tapping on the DS screen.

Peach took the silence as a cue to leave. She made it to the kitchen without bumping into anyone, but found Samus sitting on the counter in the kitchen. She was drinking coffee and reading a magazine. She glanced up as Peach walked in.

"Hey," she said flatly, looking back down at her magazine.

"Hello, Miss Samus," Peach greeted courteously, while she filled the sink with soapy water.

"You do know that you're in your pajamas, right?" Samus asked, turning the page.

"I-I know." Peach cleared her throat. She hadn't bothered to change today since she would be taking care of Ike. Apparently others had noticed.

"So…have you made a move on Ike yet?" Samus asked quietly, sipping her coffee.

Peach blushed. "He's just my friend."

Samus laughed darkly.

Peach glared at her incredulously. "What?"

Samus looked at her, surprised. "Looks like Ike does rub off on people. You've got an attitude, Miss Princess."

Peach sighed and looked at her hands, and they somehow seemed to have started cleaning the stack of dishes next to the sink that was gradually piling up. "I'm sorry, Samus. I'm just so confused lately."

Samus set her magazine down. Peach stared at the cover. It read, Flex. "Look, Peach. We all have problems in our life. Some of them are harder to explain and fix than others. But almost all of them are fixable. Look at it this way." Samus picked up the magazine and tore the front cover in half. "This is a problem. But I can fix it. I can tape it, or I can get a new one. It's easy. Some aren't.

"When Ridley killed my parents, it was a problem." Samus took a deep breath. "At first, I didn't know how to fix it. Then I realized that—sometimes fixing a problem involves growing stronger and learning things. Sometimes it's the only thing you can do to fix a problem. Grow stronger. Now, I am not going to act like I can't see Marth being madly in love with you."

"H-He's not in love with me!" Peach cried.

"Peach, get real. He has loved you ever since you two got here. It's obvious." Samus rolled her eyes.

Peach sighed.

"And I am also not going to act like I can't see the obvious attraction between you and Lord Ike." Samus waggled her eyebrows.

Peach felt sick.

"You see, Peach. This is a problem. You and Ike like each other—"

"Do not!"

"--and Marth likes you. Sounds like you have problem." Samus glanced at the clock. "Well, I think it's time to go punch something. See ya." She hopped off the counter, throwing her magazine in the trash on the way out.

Peach had finished the dishes, and stood there with her hands in the lukewarm water for a while. Her mind drifted to Ike and Marth. A small smile found its way onto her lips as she remembered her meeting with both of the boys.

She had met Marth in Melee, the tall, shy boy with a smile that could kill. Zelda and Samus fell for him the moment they saw him, but Samus learned his age and backed off and Zelda was wooed by Link in the end.

She and Marth had hit off like a baseball game at three in the afternoon.

He had stumbled into her room, looking panicked and nervous. She had been unpacking her undergarments, and he had stood in the doorway for a second before realized what he had walked into.

Ike came into brawl, tall and muscular.

Peach had remembered the day well. She had been out strolling on a warm, sunny day, when she saw a tall man picking peaches out of her tree! She gasped and yelled thief, thinking someone would drag this criminal to the dungeon. He had stared at her for a moment before telling her that they were for other people in the Mansion, not him. Peach, feeling guilty for yelling at him, ran inside to get him a basket for the fruit. The next day, however, Ike seemed like he was feeling sick to his stomach.

"Oh!" Peach exclaimed, finally realizing that Ike had eaten the peaches.

"Princess?" said a loud voice behind her. Peach yelped and spun around, tumbling face-first into Marth's chest. His arms instinctively snaked around her waist to catch her, and they stayed like that for an awkward moment before quickly releasing her, his face flushed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.

She nodded. "You scared me!"

Marth stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "You shouldn't be out here in the kitchen this late. It's 8:00. Captain Falcon could show up. You know what almost happened last time." He grabbed her small hand and pulled her into the Fire Emblem hall and to Ike's room, but released it as soon as they entered the room. Ike glared suspiciously at the duo before glancing at the clock.

"You took longer than ten minutes, you know." He said flatly, looking at Peach.

Peach shook her head. "I'm really sorry. I met up with Samus and I ended up doing more dishes than I expected to and I was thinking and I just…" she trailed off with a wave of her hand.

Ike sighed. "Whatever. Luckily Marth went and saved you," he growled, clenching his fist. Peach remembered his feelings about being bedbound and looked at her feet.

"Sorry for being so much trouble, guys. I really hate to be the one everyone is worried about. I mean, I'm supposed to be taking care of you, but it feels like it's the other way around." Peach's eyes were welling with tears.

Ike, oblivious, laughed bitterly. "It does, doesn't it?"

One tear slipped loose of her eye, but a warm thumb caught it. Peach looked up, surprised, at Marth, whose face showed nothing but compassion and concern. "Please don't cry," he whispered, smoothing her hair.

Peach nodded before facing Ike again, who was playing with his DS again. Peach could barely make out what game it was, but it looked like New Super Mario Bros. He looked up when he noticed her looking at him, and his eyes widened at her slightly puffy eyes. The music of game over sounded and Ike cursed before looking down at the game again.

Suddenly, the speakers in the corner of the room sounded.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience, but due to the fact that our generators are broken, we have to shut off the power. Help is on the way and the generators should be fixed by morning. Good night."

And with that, the lights shut off.

Peach looked around but couldn't see anything. "Oh no…" she murmured, reaching her arms out to try and find her bed.

"Here's a flashlight." Marth clicked on the small light and shone it on her bed. Peach jumped on it quickly and pulled the covers over her small body. "I'm going to go to my room. Good night, Princess. 'Night, Ike." He left with a quiet thud of the door closing.

"Well… Goodnight, Ike."

"Yeah.

Unexpectedly, Peach found herself waking up at 1:30 in the morning. The moon shone brightly in the open window and soft wind blew her hair slightly. She sat up in Marth's bed and stared at her hands for a while. She glanced over at Ike and frowned. He had been so brash to her last night, for no particular reason. Peach felt her heart sink, and bit her lip to keep from crying at remembering last night's conversation.

Standing quietly, she tiptoed out of Marth's bed and into the hallway. She hesitated at Marth's guest room door, then silently opened it. She quietly walked over to where he was sleeping and sat down on the bed gently. She stared at his handsome face for a moment and thought about all the times he was so nice and caring to her. Even when she did bad things or hurt someone, Marth was always there to listen to her side of the story and nod understandingly before holding her hand and leading her to go sip tea or talk.

She gently leaned over his sleeping form and brushed a stray lock of hair from his face, then left.

When Peach awoke, light filled the room. She yawned at got up out of bed to see Ike still asleep. Frowning at his muscular form, she jotted down a note, stuck it to his forehead, and left.

As she was walking out of the room, she ran straight into Marth, blushing into his chest. Marth blinked and looked down at her. "You sure are running into me a lot lately." Peach bit her lip and looked at the ground.

"Sorry, Marth."

Marth smiled at her. "It's fine. Let's go do something fun today. But first you should probably go change."

Peach blushed and nodded. She changed quickly and met Marth in the hallway again.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked, staring at his attractive face. She had never noticed how good looking he was.

Marth tapped his chin. "How about we… bake a cake!" He grinned at his idea.

Peach stared at him, her mouth slightly agape.

"No buts! We're going to bake a cake." Marth grabbed her hand and pulled her to the kitchen, smiling.

After the duo had gathered the ingredients, Peach was sitting on the counter as Marth stirred the batter. Peach stuck her finger in the batter and licked it. "Mmmm."

Marth glanced up at her. "You know you could get sick from that."

Peach pouted at him. "Stop being such a party pooper."

Marth smirked at her, then looked back at the batter. "Does it really taste good?"

Peach nodded. "Yeah! Try some."

Marth hesitantly brought the spoon up to his mouth and ate a little. Peach couldn't help but admire how cute he looked when he ate it. Marth's eyes widened as he tried it.

"Whoa! This is good!" Marth ate a little bit more.

Peach reached her finger in the batter and flicked it at him, splattering his face. She giggled at his expression.

Marth spooned some out and flung it at her, hitting her hair and clothes. He smirked at her face, then frowned as she smeared some on his hair. He reached his hands into the sweet tasting food and flung some at her, only to be splattered more by her.

The cake fight went on until they ran out of batter, and were laughing until they cried.

"That was… fun…" Peach panted, clutching her batter-covered sides.

Marth laughed some more, then opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder at the Fire Emblem hallway. "Don't you think we should check on Ike now?"

Peach nodded, her mood immediately falling. Quite honestly, she didn't want to talk to him right now, especially when she was having so much fun with Marth. She reluctantly followed him to the room. Ike was glaring at Marth when they entered, and was tapping the DS screen stiffly with his left hand.

Peach looked nervously between the men and leaned backwards. "Well, I think I'm going to go get a shower now. Excuse me." Peach quickly headed out of the room and into the shower.

Marth and Ike stared at each other for a little bit, before Ike broke the silence.

"What was that all about?"" He asked flatly, glaring at the tall man.

"What was what all about?" Marth asked casually, folding his arms.

"You know what I mean," Ike said angrily. "Cake fights?! Do you have nothing better to do than have cake fights with Peach?!"

Marth scoffed. "I think you're jealous because Peach is spending time with me more than you."

"I am NOT jealous! I just have to sit here with this dumb DS while you go out and do stupid, idiotic things with Peach!" Ike spat.

"So now having fun is stupid and idiotic?!" Marth hissed, leaning forward.

"When it's with MY girl, yes it is!"

"YOUR girl?! Don't you treat your girl really well then, making her cry?!" Marth yelled.

"Shut UP!" Ike yelled.

"WHY SHOULD I?! If Peach likes me more, shouldn't she deserve to be with who SHE likes, not what YOU want?!"

"You KNOW that I like her! Just leave her alone if you know what's good for her!"

Marth seethed. "What's good for her?! Were you not just listening to what I just SAID?!"

"You were the one who was trying to hook me and her up! Now you're trying to steal her for yourself?! You're pathetic and selfish!" Ike growled.

"You… you hypocrite!" Marth snapped.

"Look who's talking!" Ike shouted. He looked at the ceiling and sighed. "Look, Marth. I've told you for a long time how much I like Peach. But then you turn on me and throw lovey-dovey cake all over her face. I just... I HATE THIS."

Marth blinked slowly, then threw his hands up and said, "I'm sorry, Ike. I can't help you. You're my friend, so fine. Take her. I don't really like her anyways." With that, Marth spun on his heel and walked swiftly out of the room.

As he was walking, he ran into something small, and realized it was Peach. Her hair was wet and her bright blue eyes looked up to him and his heart fell to his feet. "Sorry," he muttered, and continued walking past her.

His hand brushed against hers lightly, his index finger holding her pinky for a split second.

Maybe she imagined it.

Shaking her head, she continued walking down the hall. She tapped on Ike's door and let herself in. He was sitting there, tapping on his DS as usual. He didn't even look up as she walked in. Feeling neglected, Peach sat down on Marth's bed and began combing her hair.

Later in the day, she changed his bandages silently.

Peach, not being able to fall asleep, glared at the clock as it ticked.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Dong.

Dong.

…Two o'clock.

Peach let a long sigh escape her lips. She tossed. She turned. Sleep just wasn't coming. Sighing again, Peach rose from her bed and shuffled quietly to Marth's room.

Peach gently opened the door, only to see Marth standing on the balcony, looking up at the sky. Without looking back at her, he said, "I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

Peach sat up in bed abruptly as she heard pained groans from Ike's bed. She got to her feet and rushed over to him. "What's wrong, Ike?" She asked, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead.

Ike shook his head numbly. "Forgot…to take… my meds…" he nodded to a bottle sitting on a table, and Peach rushed to grab the bottle and a glass.

"I've got to go get some water. I won't be long, I promise!" Peach called as she rushed out of Ike's room. She filled the glass in the sink in the bathroom and walked outside into the hallway.

Marth was standing there with a towel on his shoulder. He looked away from her as she walked out.

"Marth? What are you doing up at this hour?" She asked, frowning at him.

"It's ten in the morning. Don't you have something you should be doing?" He said flatly, pushing past her and into the bathroom.

Peach stood there for a moment, staring blankly ahead of her.

Did he just…?

Shaking her head, she got the water, and returned to Ike. Ike took his medicine gratefully and let out a long sigh.

"Not forgetting those again." He muttered darkly, laying his head back down on his pillow.

Peach stood there, halfway expecting a 'thanks' but knowing she probably wouldn't get one. Things were still pretty rocky between her and Ike.

Suddenly, she decided to do something.

"Say, Ike, have you ever played checkers?" Peach asked him cautiously, gazing at her hands.

Ike frowned. "No, never heard of it. Is that some kind of game?"

"Yes, it is… Um, hang on. I think I'm going to go grab something…" she stood up and walked out of the room. When she returned, she was holding a box and pulling a folding table along with her.

Ike raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"Um, well, I thought you must be quite bored… so I thought we could maybe play a game to pass the time…" Peach mumbled, her voice growing fainter as she spoke. Truthfully she was nervous about asking to do such things with Ike… after all, they weren't exactly the best of chums right now… But it was worth a shot, right…?

Ike stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "I guess so."

They ended up playing best two out of three, because Peach won the first one. Ike came up with the excuse, "I've never played before, how is that fair? Best two out of three!" Ike won the last two, and laughed in her face about it.

"It's because of my superior battle tactics! I won! Haha!" He grinned, crossing his arms on his wide torso.

Peach smiled lightly, her hands folded in her lap. "I assume so." She cleared her throat. "I'm going to go put the game away. I'll be back shortly."

Ike shrugged. "Okay."

As Peach was putting the game up in the game closet, she noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye. She turned around and saw Marth, holding some clothes.

"Marth! Hey, Marth!" She called.

Marth abruptly stopped walking, then continued past her quickly without even looking at her.

Peach stared at his retreating figure, tugging on her hair. Why was he ignoring her? What did she do wrong?

Shaking her head with a soft sigh, she returned to Ike's room. He flashed her a small smile when she walked in.

"Hey, Peach." He said.

"Hello, Ike…"

Ike looked at her for a minute before clearing his throat. "Peach, would you mind getting me my mail?"

Peach blinked. "Uh, ok," she mumbled dully.

The mail kiosk was set up in a building separate from the main Mansion. A small, stone path lead up to it, and Peach was halfway to the kiosk before she realized it was raining outside. Her feet seemed to slow to a halt as she tilted her head up to the sky and closed her eyes. It felt good, the rain pattering on her face and plastering her hair to her back and neck.

"What are you doing, Peach?" A loud voice asked from behind her.

She spun around to see none other than Captain Falcon, his arms crossed around his chest. He had a dark black eye from where Marth punched him the other day. A wide smirk appeared on his face.

"Enjoying the nice weather I see."

"Um… yeah…" she said, taking a step away from him. He stepped closer to her.

"Might I comment," he said as he took another step towards her, "that you look quite nice wet…"

Peach cleared her throat and took another step back, followed by Falcon. "Falcon, I do not appreciate this kind of talk, and you know it."

"What are YOU going to do about it? All you ever do is cause problems. That's all you do. That, drink tea, and get captured. You're practically worthless. No one even cares about you. You know that? Not me… not Ike… not even Marth…"

Peach's eyes widened.

Abruptly, a punch landed in the side of Captain Falcon's face. "You don't even know," a bitter voice hissed, then with a twirl of a cape, the only thing Peach could look at was a retreating back. Its dark navy cape swished at its feet. Its hands were clenched. Peach couldn't look away.

Neither could Ike who had watched from a window near his bed back in his room.

Peach walked the rest of the way in a daze, leaving Captain Falcon lying in a heap on the ground. The mailman greeted her cheerily as she asked for Ike's mail.

She was utterly confused, still quite in shock about the spectacle that had just taken place outside moments ago.

He handed her the mail and bid her a good day. She walked slowly down the concrete path, her eyes not focused on anything in particular. A spontaneous spot of red caught her eye, a beautiful red flower growing next to the walkway. She leaned over and picked it up absentmindedly, twirling it in her fingers as she finished her walk. She had memorized one petal of it, the drops of water tracing its soft velvety petal and how the deep red color of it seemed to remind her of blood.

She shuffled into Ike's room dripping wet and shivering.

"Took you long enough," Ike snapped, his eyes narrowed angrily.

Peach couldn't say anything. She stood there with a blank look on her face. The flower dropped from her fingers and floated slowly to the floor. She closed her eyes briefly, then walked to Ike's bed and handed him the one letter he got.

He snatched the letter from her, huffing as he did so. Why was beyond Peach, but she had grown used to his mood changes.

"Oh, look. It's from Micaiah," he said darkly, looking through his eyelashes at Peach.

Peach remained silent.

After he was finished reading, he mused, "Well, that was a nice change… to hear from someone outside of this hellhole of a mansion…"

Peach couldn't speak. She wanted to say something, shout at him. The words got caught in her throat.

Ike slid the letter into a drawer in his dresser. He then promptly rolled over and tugged his covers over his wide shoulders. "That letter put me in a good mood… perhaps I'll be able to sleep now. Don't wake me."

Peach turned around and left the room, unknowingly crushing the delicate crimson flower as she did so.

The porch swing swayed gently in the slight breeze as Peach sat there, staring at the pouring rain with her knees tucked under her chin. The dense forest behind the mansion looked eerie and dark, and the pond looked somewhat peaceful. Her eyes closed slightly, then more so as the hum of the rain on the roof put her into a hollow slumber.

As soon as Peach was awake she was walking back to Ike's room.

"I'm hungry," was the first thing she heard when she stepped through the door.

Her mouth remained glued shut. She wanted to tell him that she really didn't care right now, that she had the biggest crook in her neck, her back was sore, she was tired, she was cold, and she felt like crying. But her body refused to shout those words at him.

"What do you want?" was the alternative. Although what do you want from me would be much more appropriate, she decided. What did he want from her?

"Food," he said, rolling his eyes.

She ignored him and walked to the kitchen. He wanted food, he would GET food, she thought to herself as she dumped a ton of hot sauce (or, as the bottle said, "Hawt Sawce!") onto his eggs.

"Um… Peach?"

Peach's head snapped up from the eggs she had been smiling evilly at and she gaped at Samus, who gaped at her.

"What are you doing to those eggs?"

"Oh, you know, Ike likes his food spicy!" Peach put on her best fake smile at her.

"Uh… is something wrong, Peach?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee. Man, she drank a lot of coffee.

"No, not at all. What makes you think that?"

"Oh, nothing…" she averted her eyes. "Do you know if something is bothering Marth? He's been acting strange lately."

Peach shrugged. "Beats me. He's been avoiding me lately."

Samus raised her eyebrows. "Did something happen?"

"Not that I know of."

"Huh. Well, that's odd. I don't know what to tell ya. I'd try to talk to Marth if I were you. If he's been avoiding you, then something is definitely up." She picked up her coffee mug and walked off.

Peach carried the plate to Ike's room and gave it to him.

Ike dug in greedily and didn't even flinch at the overuse of hot sauce. Peach cursed this silently to herself.

"Those eggs were good, did you do something to them?" he muttered. It was obvious he was reluctant to start conversation.

"No," she said. She didn't want to talk to him any more than he probably did to her. Of course, why he didn't want to talk to her was beyond her.

There was a knock on the door.

"Helloooooo? Ike, ya in here?" Link popped his head into the room.

"No, my leg magically healed itself." Ike snapped, rolling his eyes.

Link grinned. "I got ya some mail!" he said cheerily, and walked over to Ike holding a letter.

Ike raised his eyebrows. "Really."

"Yup. From a girl named Micaiah, it says." Link whistled. "Who would that be?"

"Oh, just a friend, you know." Ike winked.

Link laughed and left.

Peach sat there, staring at her hands.

Peach assumed that Ike was reading the letter, but wouldn't look up at him. Why did this 'Micaiah' figure bother her so much? She didn't even like Ike.

But did she?

Ike suddenly laughed, startling Peach.

"What, what is it?" she snapped, glaring at him. She was mad at him, but she didn't even know why anymore. Ugh, if only she could talk to Marth right now.

"Oh, nothing." He smiled. "Just remembering the good times." He chuckled again.

Peach rolled her eyes and stood up. "Well, I'll leave you to your letters."

And with that, she walked out.

And she felt pretty good about it, too.

Until she saw Samus, who had apparently been passing by while she had snapped at Ike.

"Peach, what's wrong?" she asked, sipping on her coffee. How did she always have coffee?

"I'm fine!" Peach said, walking past her and down the hall to the courtyard. Samus didn't follow her.

In the courtyard, she watched the fountain for a while, mesmerized by the water swirling and spewing, and the early morning air blew her bangs into her face.

She sighed and sat down on a bench near the fountain.

"Why is this bothering me so much?" she asked to herself aloud. "Micaiah is probably just a friend of his." But something in her mind doubted that that was all she was. "Well, even if she is his romantic interest, why should I even care? I'm just his caretaker after all…" she sighed again, pulling her legs up to her chin. "This is so confusing…"

"I hate this. I can't even sit in peace without this whole ordeal crossing my mind." She tucked her hair behind her ears. "I think that I'll just tell him how I feel. Not like our relationship could get any worse. Heck, he may even feel the same way." Her eyes widened at the thought. "If he felt the same way, then… we could be friends again!"

She stood up, grinning, and skipped into the mansion. Samus was sitting by the door sipping coffee, as usual.

"God, you're so bipolar." She rolled her eyes as Peach grinned at her.

"I've finally figured out what I'm going to do!"

"About what?"

"Ike, of course!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but it's good to see you happy again."

She walked down the Fire Emblem hall into Ike's room.

"There you are Peach." Ike smirked. "I was just rereading the letter from Micaiah."

Peach blinked at this. "What about it?"

"Oh, nothing, just was thinking about one special evening we shared together… she hasn't forgotten it, either." His smirk widened.

Peach stared at him. One special evening…?

No. No way this was happening.

"Wh-what?"

"Oh, it's not really anything you should be concerned about." He rolled his eyes. "But, I couldn't stop thinking about it, had to get it out there. Something that vivid doesn't stay well bottled up, you know?"

Peach's eyes widened. "Excuse me…"

She was walking down the hall before he could respond, running down the basement stairs before Samus, anyone could say anything, and she collapsed on the floor there, in the dark basement, and cried for the first time in years. Hot, wet tears rolling down her cheeks. She had been so stupid! Of course Ike would never even consider her for a romantic interest, he was already having "special evenings" with this Micaiah person.

So why did it hurt so much? Why did the hole in her heart ache every time she thought of him, good or bad?

"Peach?" A voice reached out to her.

Marth.

All at once she buried her face into his chest that had appeared beside her, and cried her heart out to him, clung to his support.

"Who did it?" His voice was full of hate.

She sniffed loudly, and shook her head.

"Who. Did. It." He asked again, pulling away from her. "It was Ike, wasn't it?"

Peach couldn't lie to him. She nodded, wiping her eyes.

Marth yanked his cape off and threw it over her, and left.

He couldn't believe Ike had done this to Peach. This was just too much. Making a poor, innocent girl hide in the basement and cry her eyes out? That was just inhuman.

He reached Ike's room in record time, slammed the door behind him, and grabbed Ike's shirt collar.

"What the HELL did you do to Peach, you sick bastard!" He sneered, pulling Ike close to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ike said coolly, pushing Marth away.

Marth shook with anger. "So you're telling me you don't have any clue what you did this time?"

"Nope," Ike said, popping the 'p' sound in it.

"Let me be clearer."

"Oh, please do."

"What did you do to Peach?!" He yelled, resisting the urge to punch the bigger man.

Ike stared at him. "What?"

"She's in the basement crying her eyes out because of you! What did you do to her?!"

"I don't know, I didn't know! The last thing I told her was about Micaiah…"

"Who the hell is she?"

"Well, she's a real person, someone from my home world..."

"Well, whatever you told her about this Micaiah person, I hope you're really proud of yourself."

"I didn't mean to-"

"To what, Ike? That doesn't really matter, because you already did."

Ike couldn't look him in the eye.

Marth snorted. "Just looking at you makes me sick."

Marth left.

Ike sat there feeling like crap the rest of the day, and he eventually fell asleep after waiting for four hours and no return of Peach yet.

When Peach drug herself out of the basement and back to the room, Ike was asleep. Without looking at him, she pulled the covers over his body and fell asleep in her own bed.

When Peach awoke, Ike was staring at her with a tired look on his face.

She immediately stood to fix him some breakfast, but he held his arm out.

"Stop."

"What do you mean?" she walked to his bed.

He looked at the ceiling for a moment, then looked down, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, Peach. I'm just so sorry."

Marth was leaning against the wall at the end of the hallway with his arms folded against his narrow chest. A smile slid across his face at the same time that his eyes welled and a tear balanced on his eyelash.

Part of him wanted to laugh, the other to cry. He lifted his head, rubbed his eyes, and walked on. After all, the hardest thing in life is to watch the person you love, love someone else.

Fin.