Ike casually walked down the aisle in the convenience store, his shopping basket filled with junk food such as potato chips, a box of sweet graham crackers, a jar of a certain, popular spread made of chocolate and hazel nuts, and a carton of Lon Lon Milk. The convenience store was just a block from the Smash Mansion. It is quite well-known due to the fact that most of the brawlers shop there and completely having all varieties of food ever known in the universe. Well, not everything to be exact. Ike smirked to himself as he remembered his first day at the convenience store.
"Is it true that this place has every single kind of food?" Ike asked Roy as the lord gave him and Pit a tour around the busy hypermarket.
"Even though their logo is 'You name it, we have it.", that doesn't mean that they have everything." Roy answered, grinning naughtily to himself.
"Really?" Pit asked.
"Really." Roy answered, giggling softly to himself, "I'll prove it!"
Trying to hold his laughter, Roy hid his impish face behind his neutral facial mask and walked up to the counter, where the bored cashier stood. He looked as grumpy as Donkey Kong when he couldn't find his precious bananas. Ike thought he saw dark bags under his eyes. Is he tired? How long has he slept? Maybe that's the reason why he looked so crabby!
"Excuse me, sir?" Roy asked, trying to sound as polite as his noble father Eliwood.
"Oh, it's you again." the cashier snapped grouchily, "What do you want from me?"
"I'm looking for a sandwich that has elephant feet and mustard in it." Roy said, grinning unbelievably cheerfully, "I looked everywhere and I can't find it!"
"Elephant feet sandwich with mustard?" the cashier responded, "We don't have that."
"But, your slogan says that you have everything! Is that true?" Roy began to smirk nosily as the cashier gave the redhead a fuming, frustrated glare.
"THAT'S IT, ROY PHERAE!" the cashier suddenly yelled, slamming his hands onto the flat counter. Ike and Pit jumped slightly. How long has Roy been picking on this guy? "LEAVE RIGHT NOW OR I'M GOING TO CALL MASTER HAND! DO YOU WANT TO GET BANNED FROM THIS YEAR'S TOURNAMENTS LIKE LAST YEAR?"
"I just wanted an elephant feet sandwich…" Roy said, faking a sad tone and looking down.
"OUT! OUT!" the cashier screeched, taking a pack of mint-flavored gum and hurling it at Roy, hitting him in the face.
"Let's go guys!" Roy called after Ike and Pit quickly as he rushed out the door.
Why is Roy along with Pit suddenly snobbish like Marth? Although they faced horrific hardships in their journey, it wasn't so tragic that it completely made them much more mature! Both of them were a bit immature at the start of their journey! Realizing that it was getting a bit late, Ike snapped out of his daydream and began to head towards the cashier counter to pay.
He saw Kirby with Meta Knight at the candy aisle picking out an extra-large chocolate bar, not running about the store while inhaling the food greedily. Meta Knight did not seem to change, but his eyes turned into a happy shade of blue when Kirby offered him the candy bar. Although Kirby is usually willing to share his food, when not asked to share with other individuals, he would engulf as much grub as possible.
"Kirby, you do not have to give me this candy bar." Meta Knight spoke friendly to the smiling pink puffball.
"But I must!" Kirby responded. Although calm, Ike was surprised. Huh?! Kirby can talk! Hold on, this is a perfect world! Maybe Kirby matured quickly! "It's a thank-you gift!"
"Well... Thank you." Meta Knight thanked.
Ike smiled at the two Star Warriors and head towards the cashier counter. Unlike the cashier he have known ever since he has been living in the Smash Mansion, who was grumpy and rude towards the brawlers, he was smiling cheerfully and polite! Ike noticed that he didn't have any bags under his eyes. Maybe he has gotten some sleep.
"Hello there!" the cashier greeted as Ike set his groceries on the counter. He began to scan the items, "How's your day?"
"Good." Ike answered, finding it awkward to talk to the unbelievably cheerful cashier, "And you?"
"Fine!" the cashier answered, bagging the groceries.
There was a sudden shrill beep. Kirby cried out in surprise and Ike immediately looked towards the source of the sound. He saw Bowser and Ganondorf standing at the item detector, as still as stone. The mercenary mentally shook his head as he awkwardly stared at the two Nintendo antagonists. It looks like they hadn't changed a bit!
"Whoops, it looks like we forgot to pay for this pack of gum!" Bowser said to Ganondorf, holding up a pack of cotton candy-flavored bubblegum.
"Yeah." Ganondorf replied, let's get in line.
When the two kings stood behind Ike, the indigo-haired swordsman put his guard up. This is a perfect world, right? The two evil kings might be easygoing and clumsy. But, it seems a bit suspicious! They are just playing it nice so they won't get into trouble!
"Hey Ike!" Bowser greeted when Ike was about to leave the convenience store.
"Hey." Ike replied calmly, hiding his suspicions towards Bowser and Ganondorf.
"You want to spend time with us?" Ganondorf asked politely.
"Sorry, I can't." Ike answered.
"How come?" Ike swallowed nervously. Should he actually mention his sleepover with Link? Usually, Ganondorf would show a glare full of hatred whenever Link is mentioned during a conversation.
"I'm hanging out with Link tonight." Ike answered, paying close attention to the King of Evil's facial expression. Ganondorf and Bowser looked at each other and shrugged.
"Well, have fun." Bowser said, "I hope you have a great time with Link."
Ike nodded exited the convenience store. As he walked back to the Smash Mansion, the ranger began to ponder what could've made Bowser and Ganondorf not evil and wanting to fulfill their dark desires. Bowser probably never attempted to take over the Mushroom Kingdom; he and the Koopas became allies instead. Same goes for Ganondorf. Instead of wanting to claim the entire Triforce for himself, he allied with Princess Zelda instead.
Although Bowser and Ganondorf weren't evil, Ike still didn't like them at all. It doesn't seem right to him. Maybe it is because it reminded him the time when the two acted nice to others just to get what they wanted? Now that he thought about it, he actually liked Bowser and Ganondorf when they are evil, not good hearted!
Arriving back the Smash Mansion, Ike found Link sitting at the doorstep, patiently waiting for him. Held in his hands was a copy of the game Super Smash Bros Brawl.
"Are you ready?" Link asked, standing up?
"Yes." Ike answered. The two went inside.
"Do you have a Wii?" Link asked as the Hylian and mercenary walked down the hallways.
"Yes, I do." Ike replied, "Did you unlock all of the characters?"
"Yes." Link answered, "It did take me a while!"
"Characters?" a familiar annoying voice asked abruptly, "Link, don't you know that you are the third to last character at the bottom of the tier list in that game?" Ike, who was excited and exultant a second ago, clutched his fists in anger and glared at Marth, who was standing in front of them with Pit and Roy. Link froze and stood behind the mercenary.
"You stay out of this!" Ike shouted, "C'mon Link, let's go!"
"Y-Yeah!" Link replied, following the bluenette.
The two swordsmen quickly went up the stairs, into Ike's room before the prince said anything cynical. With a scoff, Marth looked at Pit and Roy and asked, "What's their problem?" The angel and Roy shrugged with a soft jeer.
"I don't know." Pit answered.
"Commoners." Roy spoke haughtily, "They are incomprehensible."
In Ike's room, Ike set down the snacks onto the table and began to unpack. Link sat down on the cushiony sofa, a bit stunned by Marth's remark at him. The Hylian sighed and shook his head, trying to un-hear what the stuck-up prince said to him. However, words travel as fast as light and can never be taken back.
Ike's medium-sized room was decorated with indigo-colored wallpaper and picture frames containing photographs of his friends from Crimea. His bed, which had a thick blanket that shared the color of the ocean on a clear day, was right next to the window, which had the air conditioner on one side. A door led to a small bathroom, which only contained a sink, toilet, and shower. There was a small closet, where Ike stored his clothes and the legendary sword Ragnell. A long sofa, which can seat about three people, faced a wooden table and the small-screened TV.
"Ignore what Marth just said, Link." Ike said, "The tier list in Brawl doesn't really matter."
"Well…" Link softly spoke, getting off the sofa and injecting the game disk into the Wii, "Sure…"
Ike's blue eyes narrowed when he heard Link's voice falter. He doesn't sound happy… Maybe he can make him forget Marth's insult for a while with something! Ike eyed the chocolate spread and graham crackers. When he first tried the crackers with the spread, he swore that it was the best thing he had ever tasted in his life. (Aside from chicken) Picturing Link's hyperactive reaction, Ike opened the box of crackers and unsealed the jar of chocolate spread.
"Link, do you want to try some?" he asked, dipping a cracker in the spread and eating it with a smile, "It tastes really good!"
"Well…" Link spoke sensitively, a bit hesitant, "Ok."
Link took a cracker and plunged it into the spread. Does it taste good, or does it taste bad? Link wasn't fond in trying new foods. Most of the time, during dinner in the Smash Mansion, he would fussily pick at his food. Cautiously, he munched on the chocolate-covered cracker and abruptly shoved the whole thing in his mouth with a yelp.
"Do you like it?" Ike asked. Link shook his head quickly with a huge smile and swallowed with a loud gulp.
"Y-Yeah!" Link answered with a sudden hiccup, "It's the best thing I've ever tasted in my life!"
That night, the two swordsmen had a lot of fun. While snacking on junk food, they played Super Smash Bros Brawl. They engaged in one-against-one matches, fought against computer players, altered the rules for the giggles, and used (Not really) funny names such as "GOD" and "TROLL". Ike and Link had so much fun, they nearly lost track of time. The long hours only felt like ten minutes.
Link had never had so much fun in his life. Because of his shyness and caution towards the other brawlers, he never had the chance to meet them. The supercilious Marth and his two ignorant minions, Pit and Roy only saw him as a servant with no backbone. Although outgoing and sociable, Ganondorf and Bowser's size intimidated the reluctant Hylian. The other brawlers only said "hi" to him and paid attention to their friends.
When he first met Ike face-to-face, the mercenary who was undoubtedly influenced by Marth's rude behavior stepped on him like a doormat. Unable to find the courage to fight back, Link avoided him as much as possible and latched around his parents for protection. But strangely, Ike opened up to him and wanted to become friends! What's with the sudden change in his personality? He acted like if he had never bullied Link before!
"Whoa, it's late!" Ike suddenly spoke, pointing to a digital clock. It read 11:47.
"We better get some sleep." Link said, "I'll sleep on the sofa."
Link curled up in the sofa and buried his exhausted face into the fluffy cushions. His eyes as heavy as lead, Ike turned off the TV, leaped onto his bed, and turned on the air conditioner, which hummed and buzzed like a swarm of a million bees.
"Is the noise bothering you?" Ike asked Link, who looked up.
"No, it doesn't." Link answered.
"Ok." Ike responded, "Goodnight."
Ike was about to close his eyes and enter the mysterious world of dreams, when Link spoke.
"Ike?" he asked.
"Yes?" Ike muttered sleepily.
"That was the best night ever!"
"That's good." Ike said.
With a drowsy yawn, Link's eyes slowly closed and the exhausted Hylian fell asleep. Before his consciousness drifted into darkness, Ike smiled. He was glad that Link had a wonderful time at the sleepover! Before he knew that it hit him, the mercenary fell asleep.
In his dream, Ike saw a blur of colors. But, it looked oddly familiar to him, like if it was a memory. The colors came to focus, and he could clearly see what was happening.
He was at a street in Tokyo. A deafening siren blared in his ears. The mercenary spotted a parked semi-truck, a deafening ambulance with its lights flashing red and white, and a crowd of people look shockingly at something. What happened? Did something disastrous happen? Curious, he slowly walked towards the scene, like if he was underwater.
Ike watched two men covering a figure with a blood-smeared white blanket and lifting it onto a stretcher. A mangled tuff of indigo-colored hair protruding from the blanket was all that Ike could see. Blood was splattered on the asphalt street. So, someone got hit by… a truck? Who was the unlucky guy? Hold on… this seemed familiar…
"Aikuuu!" a familiar voice wailed in panic, "Anata wa daijobu ka?! Okiru! Onegai!"
Ike looked around the crowd for the source of the devastated voice and spotted the horrified Marth, who was standing with his frightened friends, Link, Roy, and Pit. Link and Roy grasped the traumatized prince's shaking hands tightly. Pit, covered his eyes with his firm hands. He couldn't look at this!
"Don't panic, Marth." Link whispered into the bluenette's ear, trying to keep calm.
Clutched in Marth's quivering hands was Ike's hairband. With a whimper, Marth suddenly yanked his hands free from his friends' grasp, collapsed onto his knees, and buried his face in them, sobbing uncontrollably. Realization hit the watching Ike like a truck- no, a train! He was the unfortunate guy who got smashed by the truck! Is he dead or alive?!
When the two men carried Ike into the ambulance, Marth suddenly stood up and was about to head inside the ambulance, only to be restricted by Link and Roy. In protest, the anguished Prince of Altea cried out and tried to free himself.
"Iya!" he wept, "Aiku! Iyaaaa!"
"Stop it, Marth!" Roy shouted, stomping on Marth's feet , "You can't come along!"
Like if he was a ghost, Ike walked through the watching strangers and put a soft hand on the hysterical bluenette's shoulder. The ambulance drove away, its siren echoing down the long, crowded streets. Completely losing control over himself, Marth collapsed onto the ground, submerged his face in his knees, and howled in agony. Link, Roy, and Pit sat down next to him and tried to comfort him by giving him a few pats on the shaking back, ruffling his hair, and whispering hopeful things to him.
"Marth…" Ike said sadly, unable to take his eyes off the heartbreaking scene.
With a frightened gasp, Ike jolted out of his bed. Sweat of fright rolled down his forehead. What the- was that a dream? Ike looked around his room and saw Link look worriedly at him.
"Did you have a bad dream?" Link asked nervously.
"Y-Yeah." Ike answered, calming down, "Don't worry. J-Just go back to sleep. I'm sorry."
After Link fell back asleep, Ike closed his eyes in effort to go back to sleep, but the image of Marth crying hysterically was burned in his sensitive retina.
Author's Notes: Poor Marth (Not the snooty one, of course!)
The next chapter may take a while, depending on schoolwork and my motivation to write the 5th chapter. I snuck two references in this chapter. Can you find both of them?
Story Questions:
Japanese Translations:
Aiku = Ike's Japanese name
Anata wa daijobu ka?! = Are you ok?!
Okiru = Wake Up
Onegai = Please
Iya = No
Do you think I totally made Marth OOC (Out of character) during Ike's dream?
How's the pace of the story? Is it too fast, too slow, or just right?
Which "flawless" character would you like to see in the next chapter? (CANNOT be Marth, Pit, Roy, Link, Kirby, Meta Knight, Ganondorf, and Bowser. I think I've already showed their personality)