"Marth, wake up Marth. Marth? MARTH!"

Marth slowly opened his eyes. Who the heck is waking me up at 6:30 in the morning? He tiredly looked around until he locked his sights on the source of the noise.

"Link! It's 6:30! And it's a Saturday!"

"Yeah, and it's also the day that you brawl against Peach! So get your butt out of bed and get moving! Your match starts at seven!"

It took a few seconds to sink into Marth's newly awakened mind. Marth fully opened his eyes as he took in what his friend had said. It was rare that he would ever have a match on Saturday, which was part of the reason he had forgotten, but the main reason he hadn't tried to remember was because he had to fight against Peach. And Marth strongly disliked having to fight against girls. He was always afraid that he would hurt them, so he never actually tried to fight.

After his moment of shock had passed, he quickly got up, got dressed, grabbed some breakfast, and left for the battle grounds. If he got to pick the battle stage, he would choose something easy, something that Peach couldn't hurt herself on...

After a few minutes of walking , Marth reached his location. As he entered he couldn't help but think about forfeiting the match. At least that way he wouldn't have to pretend to fight and lose. If he was going up against some girl like Samus, or even Zelda it might be different. But Peach... she just seemed so fragile, like a beautiful china doll. So graceful and enchanting yet... so breakable.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a soft voice.

"Hi Marth!" Peach said over enthusiastically.

"Oh, Hi Peach." Marth blushed, something he usually did around girls like her.

" You ready for our match?" Peach batted her eyelashes at him, making her look even more fragile and beautiful than she already was.

"Yeah uh... you see about the match.. I was wondering if maybe-" Marth was cut off by the sound of a bell. The sound that meant that the match was supposed to begin. Marth let out a defeated sigh.

As the match was about to start, Peach was chosen to pick the battle stage. Much to Marth's surprise she choose a fairly difficult stage to fight on. It was one that even Marth struggled with at times.

"Ready," a loud voice called, " Set," "FIGHT!" Another bell rang and the match was underway.

What do I do? Marth thought I have never fought her before, I don't want to hurt her, I can't forfeit. I guess I ju- A severe pain shot through Marth's lower back. Before he could catch himself he was on the ground.

"Did you miss the bell, Pretty boy?" Peach said in a joking tone.

Marth couldn't believe what was happening. First she knocks me down, then she trash talks? Maybe it's Samus in disguise... he thought jokingly. It was only once he was done with that thought that he realized that his arm was bleeding and he was surrounded by peaches.

"Come on! At least try Marth!" Peach begged in an innocent tone.

What the heck? Had she got the Smash ball? When WAS there a smash ball? How had I missed the Sma- Marth cut his thought off to avoid being hit again while he wasn't paying attention.

It seemed the only option he had was to either keep getting hurt of fight back. And though he knew what he SHOULD do, part of him wanted to see if he could really beat her.

Peach struck Marth again, only this time he struck back. Same with the next time, and the next, and the next. She blocked every blow until...

"Oww! My arm!" Peach cried, grabbing her injured limb. Marth's eyes filled with guilt and he rushed to her side.

" I am so sorry!" He said sitting down beside her. " I knew this would happen. Here let me help. I am so so-"

Bam!

When Marth woke up he was back in his room. The first thing he noticed was the cold ice pack resting happily on his face, then the blonde princess who was placing it there.

"Peach..." He said, still not fully awake. " What happened?"

"Well..." Peach said, HER eyes filled with guilt, " We were brawling and I pretended that you hurt me and... well... when you leaned down to help me I.. kinda kicked you in the face with my high heels and I may have.. possibly broken your nose. Sorry!"

A few moments of silence passed before Marth said anything.

"You can fight."

"Uh, Yeah." Peach said, saying duh in the nicest way she could.

"Why don't you ever defend yourself against Bowser then?" Marth felt kind of rude asking the question so strait forward, but he couldn't think of any better way."

"I don't know... I guess.. people don't want a Princess who can fight. People like a damsel in distress.. GUYS like a damsel in distress... " Her face turned somewhat red as she said the last part.

"Not all guys like a damsel in distress Peach... I... I don't..." Marth could feel his face going red as he talked. His face got even redder when he realized that she might take that the wrong way. " I.. I'm not saying that I don't like you when you act like a damsel in distress, 'cus I do like you but, if that's not who you really are then you should show the wor-

Before he could finish his sentence, the ice pack was off his face, and Peach's lips had replaced it. Marth didn't know what to do, until he realized that he wanted to kiss her back. So he did.

Only then did he see that it wasn't girls he was afraid of hurting ( though he never would want to hurt them), it was Peach. He didn't want her to be hurt by him or any one else. He realized that what he had felt wasn't the guilt of possibly hurting a women, but protectiveness over the girl.. the girl that ... he loved. And in that moment, he didn't care that he had lost his match, or that his nose felt like a horse had ran over it.

All he cared about was Peach, and as long as he was around nothing would be hurting her.