"I thought I told you Toon, LITERALLY counting down the seconds isn't really a productive idea."
Toon Link grumbled quietly and ignored his older counterpart. At the moment he was currently sitting cross-legged on the floor, across from one of the many clocks in the Smash Mansion. It was time for yet another Smash Tournament, and just like the last time, Toon Link found himself bunking with his older counterpart. He and "Link Prime" as he'd taken to calling him, had taken to acting as surrogate brothers for each other. And Link couldn't help but feel bad watching his "little brother" fixate on the clock in their room.
The elder hero new well enough from firsthand experience that children could get pretty lonely when they had no one their own age to be with, as had been the case for Toon after his arrival a week earlier.
Both Links had been looking forward to being together again, but Toon Link had other reasons to be excited about his return. Outside of Tetra and the children of Windfall Island, Link's closest friend had all been fellow Smashers.
Nana and Popo, Ness, Lucas, and to a lesser extent Diddy Kong, Kirby, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and even Squirtle. They were all "besties" in Nana's words, and would constantly play around and pester the adult fighters with pranks set up all around the Brawl Mansion. But with the exception if Diddy Kong and Kirby, it appeared as though he was the first of his friends to arrive. He had at least expected Ness to be there before him. So here he was, counting down the time it took for one of them to arrive again.
Suddenly, he felt Link's hand on his shoulder and practically jumped out of his skin.
"Whoa, buddy, relax." Soothed the older one, "It sucks seeing you like this. How about you and I go down to the battlefield and set up a few practice matches?"
When the younger swordsman still showed some apprehension, he grinned and added, "We can be on our own team."
"Together?" Toon asked, his face growing brighter already. "Sweet!"
Link chuckled as his bouncy little friend ran out of their room and down the hallway. Toon Link was just as powerful a sword wielder as he, and had managed to surprise even the older Link with just how much brute strength and agility he had. He had to admit, control over the winds was pretty sweet too. But even then, he was still a child, not even properly in his teens. Almost the whole mansion had joined him taken in treating him like their little brother, especially since his return.
But with the exception of maybe the doting Princess Peach, Toon never stayed in the adults too long and really only stayed with his "big brother".
Despite the fact that they had an abundance of time before the tournament officially started (still waiting on several fighters just to show up), everyone was getting ready for the fighting to start, and days like this were so no one got rusty. The two Links arrived at the training area. Master Hand and Crazy Hand randomized the roster as the younger blonde held his breath in anticipation. The two of them seemed to be up against Mario and Bowser.
"Really?" Growled the Koopa King as he turned to the portly plumber. "I only came down here so I could fight AGAINST this mustachioed loser, not WITH him! We've got a score to settle!"
"So you keep saying." Said the calm but authoritative voice of Master Hand, "Unfortunately for you, I make the rules."
"WhICH MeanS YoU goTTA DEAAAAAAAAAAL WitH iT!" Came the disjointed and spastic voice of Crazy Hand, who flew right up to Bowser's face, making the Koopa withdraw slightly.
"Yes, anyway." Continued the more rational hand. "It seems the score HAS been settled, pretty firmly in Mario's favor might I add. Perhaps working side by side with him will give you the insight needed to catch up to him."
"HaaaaaaHahahHahHahHahHahaha, burn." Crazy said, whilst Bowser just groaned and looked exasperatedly at Mario, who in turn gave a satisfied and confident smile.
"Whatever." He grumbled, moving toward the battlefield. "Not like I need the help taking down these green skirted pansies..."
"It's not a skirt!" Link said as he and the other two followed suit. "Why does everyone say that!?"
The two teams wished each other good luck as they skirted to opposite sides of the stage. Master Hand made the starting call.
"5. 4. 3. 2. 1!"
"I got the big one!" Link shouted, lunging to strike Bowser before his counterpart had the chance to make a moves.
Suddenly the Italian plumber hurdled closer to Toon, launching a barrage of fireballs, many of which Toon Link masterfully dodged. A singular weak flame causes a small burn mark on his bright tunic. The boy yelped and ran around in panicked circles before swiftly patting it down. Just then he noticed Mario charging a punch for his face and raised his shield in defense. The knock back caused him to slide before regaining his balance. Looking behind him, he noticed that he had just narrowly avoided getting pierced by Bowser's spiked shell. After making sure Bowser's focus was still on Link Prime, Toon moved to a less precarious position and began shooting several strong arrows. Mario blocked with his shield until the barrage became too much and the orb of energy shrank and broke. Mario was flung into the air and fell back with a thud, becoming dizzy. Toon Link threw a bomb that knocked Mario to the edge of the stage, where the plumber just managed to hold on to the precipice.
Toon moved to finish the job, but suddenly felt a pressure on his head. Bowser had picked him up by the noggin and lifted him off the ground.
"Uh oh." The boy said, after he realized what he was running on was no longer ground but thin air. Before he had the chance to do anything else, he was thrown by the Koopa King right on top of his partner, both Hero's letting out a simultaneous "Ouch."
Picking himself up, Mario dashed towards Bowser and jumped on him, using him as a footstool to gain more altitude, before he came crashing down on the green clad bothers and knocked them several feet away. The two were dangerously close to the edge, as suddenly an assist trophy fell onto the stage. Mario grabs the small container and held it to the sky. A blinding light flickered for a few moments before a small figure formed.
Suddenly a girl appeared who Toon didn't quite recognize, even though he felt like he should. Clad in a red dress, with enormous black pigtails and chocolate-brown eyes, the small girl seem to levitate before touching the ground and raising her staff. Her hair turned bright white and her eyes a blood red. Toon was oddly transfixed by the curious girl, as his partner rose to his feet to continue the fight. Suddenly a large purple cloud emanated from the girl which seemed to be messing with Link, making him trip over himself, suffer excruciating pain, then fall asleep in quick succession. Toon yelped, and rushed to the older boy.
"What're sleeping for, bro?!" He asked. "We're in the middle of a match."
Or at least, that's what he would have asked had the purple cloud not made it so he was speaking in tongues. Having no idea what was coming out of his mouth, Toon looked at the weird girl, who made eye contact with him before giggling to herself at his predicament. Toon turned around just in time to see Mario and Bowser punch he and Link out of the purple cloud and off the stage.
"TEAM RED WINS!" Came the voice of the announcer, accompanied by a heavy metal leitmotif befitting the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom.
"SUck it losERs!" said Crazy Hand to the Green Team, as the fighters exited the battlefield with the two Link's still in a heap on each other. Link groaned as he began to wake up, pushing Toon off him.
"What happened?" He asked groggily.
"We roth." Toon said, before realizing his voice was still messed up. Now however, it sounded as is he had just spilled hot coffee on his tongue. The girl from earlier was still on the stage, and began laughing to herself yet again before finally disappearing.
"Are you theriouth?" Toon lisped, all the while the two victories were seemingly bickering at each other.
"You think you've got it rough, kid?" Bowser said, staring Mario down. "Try having your partner jump on your freakin' head to get a boost! I mean, WHO DOES THAT?"
Mario only rolled his eyes in response, before muttering something in Italian.
"Oooooooh, and now he wants all the credit for the win, too! That was totally my kill! Heck, the girl did more in that fight than you did!"
"Who wath thee?" Toon asked, tapping the giant turtle on the plastron.
"Huh? Oh, I dunno, just some little witch or something. Ask the hands." Bowser said before going back to railing against Mario.
"Who wath thee?!" Toon asked, turning to Master Hand and jumping up and down. "Who wath thee!?"
"And better question," Link interrupted, grabbing Toon and lifting him up by the shoulders, "why is he still talking like that? Say 'aaah'."
"Aaaaaaah." Toon said, shutting his eyes and opening his mouth wide as if at a doctor's appointment.
"No burns." Link said, inspecting his mouth. "No bruises either. Strange."
"That was Ashley." Master Hand stated. "We hired her on as an Assist Trophy. She can be a bit rambunctious. Sometimes she casts curse on fighters the last well past the match. Just for a laugh."
Toon Link giggled at the prospect. This girl sounded cool.
"That's not funny, Toon." Link said, dropping the smaller boy back to his feet. "What if your voice is stuck like that forever, or something?"
"ThEn He'LL jusT HavE to TAke a voW of SilENcE, now WON't He? NOt LIKE you'rE nOt alREAdy usED to IT!"
It was true, both Hylians had been regularly silent before meeting each other, and making a resolution to be more open. It started with just talking around each other, but eventually they both grew comfortable enough to join in on normal conversation. On a good day, Link could even be considered chatty, and Toon Link almost always had something sprawling from his head to his tongue.
"I'll be thine, broseth." Toon said, earning a sigh and a pat on the head from Link.
"Hey." Link asked. "Where's the lounge or whatever for the Assist Trophies? I should talk to Ashley about getting him fixed sooner rather than later."
Master Hand informed the, of where the girl could be found, and the two left, with Link looking tired and Toon looking ecstatic. The hand then returned his attention to Mario and Bowser, who were unbelievably still arguing.
"Will you two behave?" He commanded, smacking Bowser upside the head and yanking on Mario's mustache.
"OW! Dude!"
"My mustache-a!"
"Listen," Link said, as he walked hand in hand down the hall with Toon. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on ya back there."
"Hey don't wowwy abou' it." Toon said with a smile.
"What's got you so happy, huh?" Link asked, getting only a shrug in return.
The two turned a corner, and released each other's hand as they found the Assist Trophies' living quarters.
"Shadow, no." Link said, listing off the helpers as he crossed their rooms. "Lyn, no. Isabella, Lakitu, Kat & Ana, no no no & no. That's funny, Little Mac's room is gone. Poor guy must've got fired."
Toon turned to one door curiously, tilting his head.
"Colo' TB-Game Thithteen? What doeth that even mean?" He asked, pulling open the door, only for a large white floating cube to come flying at him. He shrieked and ducked, as the cube flew across the hall ricocheting and rebounding off walls before it came flying at Link's head. Link deflected the projectile with his shield, sending it careening back into its room whereupon Toon Link quickly locked it back in.
"...Well that was different."
"Ooh, Hey!" Toon said with wide eyes, forgetting all about what just happened as he finally spotted Ashley's room. He knocked eagerly on the door, bouncing on his heels as Link walked over to join him.
"Yes?" Said the raven-haired girl after opening the door. Immediately she grew a small smile at seeing the blondes at her door. "Oh, it's you. I take it you're here about the tongue."
"Yep." Said Link curtly, bringing Toon with his as he stepped in the girl's room and shut the door behind them. Instantly the girl's smile fell.
"Hey, I didn't say you could come into my room!" She growled.
"I can see why." Link said, not at all intimidated. "It's a little cramped in here, don't you think?"
"I fink it'sss really nithe." Toon said earnestly. "I nether really had a room to mythelth until I moved in here the firth time."
Ashley took in what the boy said, blinking silently before bursting out laughing. Toon Link only smiled wider, while the tallest among them scowled.
"I need to use that curse more often!" The girl said in between laughs. "It makes you sound hilarious!"
"You fink so? Fanks!"
"Alright, alright, glad you two could get a laugh in, but can we see about maybe getting rid of that now."
Ashley pondered seriously for a moment. She looked to Toon's smiling face and caved in.
"Ugh, alright." She said, still smiling. She waved her wand at the boy and shouted "Papillaes Hydrostatus Reparendum!"
A shower of sparkles fell over a Toon, and he looked from Ashley to Link silently.
"Well?" They both asked.
"I...think...I think I'm good!" He said excitedly, sharing both a grin and a high-five with Link.
"Alright!" Said Link, opening the door to leave. "Thanks for that Ashley. Just, try not to curse my little brother again, ok?"
Ashley didn't say anything, but crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her gaze to the floor. Link thought she was just miffed at having her fun ruined but the look in her eyes said something different. He couldn't quite pin it down...
"Hey!" Toon said, ignoring his 'brother's cue to leave and instead staring intently at Ashley. "Do you want to hang out later or something? You seem really nice!"
Both Link and Ashley were at a loss for words, and the latter blushed slightly as she wasn't at all used to having people reach out to her in such a way.
"O-ok." She said. "I think you're nice, too. I think... we can be friends."
Then suddenly, her expression grew serious and she poked Toon in the nose.
"And, if you say no, YOU'RE TOAST!"
Toon smiled nervously, while Link face palmed, wondering just what the two of them had gotten into.
A/N: So this is one of two collabs I'm doing with my brother TheCrampReturns, both being about two cute shippings that have never met in canon. Color Tb-game fifteen is Pong by the way. This takes place just after Toon and Ashley were announced, so anyone announced afterwards haven't appeared yet, like Little Mac. Anyway we hope you enjoyed.