"All right kids, free gym period today! Do anything you want, handball, running, tennis, or weight room. Go knock yourselves out!" called out Ganondorf, the exercise science grad student in charge of running the class, before retreating back into the sports office. Of course, he was neglecting the purpose of his job training placement, but he couldn't care less.

The junior and senior gym classes of Smash Academy got up from where they were sitting after doing warm ups, and filed into their respective areas. Two teen girls made there way over to pick out some tennis rackets. It was the obvious choice- the other activities were either super boring, or took place in the weight room, which reeked of sweat. The girls picked up their rackets and headed over to the isolated courts on the far side of the schools activity center.

Locked in an intense tennis match, Peach and Zelda, princesses of allied kingdoms as well as good friends, were oblivious to whatever was going on around them. Their only focus was to win the match. Each was equally sure that they would win, when the ball smashed down on Zelda's side of the court before she even had a chance of reaching it.

" Ha! I told you I'd win!" Peach exclaimed ecstatically, quickly going into a victory dance. Zelda brushed it off with the usual her usual reply, trying not to show how affected she was by the loss.

"Oh, come on Peach. I let you win this because I'm hungry and the match wasn't going anywhere. Don't be too excited, I'll definitely get you next time!"

Peach threw her head back laughing at Zelda's response, "As if I'd ever believe that. Face it, and accept your loss with grace. It'll do you good to learn how to lose!" she replied cheerfully. Zelda was about to reply to her when they both heard a sudden shout from behind the bleachers.

"Woot! Go Peach! You tell her! Knew you could do it, girl", boomed the voice in a heavy Italian accent.

Zelda covered her mouth, trying to keep the giggles from escaping. Classic Mario she thought. Mario was known citywide for being an excellent fighter, but was known on campus as a bit of a fool. Ever since Peach and Zelda's freshman year, Mario had a bit of a thing for Peach. But back then, Mario was just an average sophomore, focused more on gaining his spot at the top of the fighters list. Now that he made to the top and became recognized, however, his confidence had reached a whole new extravagant level. Ever since the start of the new school year last month, Mario was ready to tie up all his loose ends before graduating. He had made it his goal to claim Peach as his girls, something the mushroom princess was very much against.

Peach turned a crimson color, angered by the fact the he of all people followed them here, and watched them play. She was ready to go over there and show him a piece of her mind, ready to use her racket's force if necessary.

Just then, the doors leading from the gym to the tennis court swung open, revealing a certain tall, handsome blue haired prince. One that a certain blonde princess seemed particularly fond of.

Marth.

Prince Marth. Of Altea.

And huge ego

Marth was a junior, just like Peach and Zelda, and royalty as well. He was known throughout the school as the dream prince; he hadn't done much to earn this reputation. Rather, it came naturally with his demeanor and his charming looks. He caught Peach's heart the first day of their sophomore year, when he was the first one to support her in her protest against the school's shady plumbing system- they bonded in their fear of something tainting their hair.

In the present, Peach blushed faintly at the thought that Marth had been around to see her win.

"Nice job, Peach! Heard about your win. I've noticed you getting better, and was sure you could do it!" he chimed before pulling Peach into a one-armed hug.

Peach shrank in her place. She didn't know what to think. She looked towards Zelda to discuss what just happened, but noticed that the Princess was preoccupied with a certain blond-haired Hylian boy working out in the weight room attached to the courts.

Link, a senior boy from Hyrule, was in the top list of most distinguished fighters at the Smash Academy. He didn't get there by schmoozing with his classmates. Something about his dedication to his fighting had all of the girls fawning over him.

The boy was making faces to her through the weight-room window , and even though Zelda was rolling her eyes, clearly annoyed, Peach was sure she noticed Zelda's lip quivering, threatening the break into a smile.

The two had gotten to know each other when Link the school assigned him to show Zelda around campus on move-in day of her freshman year. Being a distinguished fighter, as well as from the same country, the school figured it would be a good match. While Peach trudged behind Mario in the schools cafeteria and custodian closets for the entire orientation day, Link took Zelda around the campus, showing her all the parks and took her to the nearby, though off campus cafe for lunch. Despite the fun day they had, once the semester had started the two ever really interacted again. They sometimes shared passing glances in the hallway or small waves at school events, but that was mainly it.

That is, until recently, when Marth and Link teamed up as swordsman and Marth managed to continuously linger around Peach, with Zelda always somewhere nearby. Zelda was always more aloof then Peach, and a bit of a wallflower at parties, but she had definitely matured and grown into her confidence- Zelda was her own special combination of sugar and spice. She was a breath of fresh air for Link when Peach and Marth's conversations became a little too- she wasn't afraid to put them in their place.

Even though she wasn't afraid to call her friend out on her bullshit, she somehow always ended up getting dragged along into her schemes. Whether it was protesting the shade of carpet in the girls dormitory, or demanding more vegetable choices at the dining hall, whenever Peach was out by the school fountain hollering into a megaphone, Zelda was always off to the side, holding a sign or looking out for any staff members who might throw Peach into detention if they caught her protesting.

Out in the gym, Marth said his dramatic, temporary farewell to Peach, before leaving to enter the weight room.

Zelda rolled her eyes. The two could literally see each other from the two rooms, as they were connected by a small window made of reinforced glass. To prove her point, Peach walked over to where Zelda was standing by the window, pretending to make a conversation but really directing most of her attention towards the boy of her dreams and his killer deadlifts.

After congratulating Peach on her win, Marth walked into the weight room to meet back up with Link.

"So Link, what'd you think about that? Was it okay? Should I have said something more humble? All I need to know is that I didn't sound full of myself."

Link looked up after bench pressing trying not to laugh. He felt proud to seeing Marth try to contain his ego .

"Wow, Marth! This is the first time you didn't have to get a girl to drool over you with your looks and actually put some effort! You're even suppressing your ego!"

Marth wasn't fazed by his friends comments and decided to take it as a complement, given that he rarely gets any from Link. Mainly he just lectures gets lectured about his ever growing ego.

"Thanks! And I think you should be one to talk, with all the girls you've got drooling over you… speaking of girls, what about your little crush on Zelda? Don't lie to me, I know you like her."

That shut Link up right away. He was never really fond of the idea of girls being all over him, and he never even thought about liking one. His focus had always been on success...until recently.

Zelda…

What had recently made Zelda really stand out to Link, was her victory against Fox in last years brawl matches. She failed in her next match against Samus, but her first victory never left his mind. Link himself lost his first ever match against Fox, and he knew that defeating him was no easy feat. And...he kind of held a grudge against Fox for that loss. Which is why seeing the then junior get defeated by the sophomore year princess- of HIS own kingdom-was even more kickass.

Though he struggled to admit it to himself, let alone to Marth, Link accepted that he did have a soft spot for the girl.