Okay, first things first. MERRY CHRISTMAS!! (Or Holidays. Or Wintermas. Or whatever.)

This is my longest chapter yet. Feel free to make any reviews.

Nintendo4ever: Don't worry, Hector's in this a bit. They're mostly supoorting cast, but that might change later...

DISCLAIMER: I DONT ANY OF THIS STUFF BELOW. NINTENDO DOES.


Someone was knocking against the dormitory door. Link yawned, and ruffled his hair.

Sitting bolt upright in bed, his hand reached towards the bedside cabinet. Pulling at an assortment of clothes jumbled on top of it, his hand finally closed around his hat. Grabbing it, he pulled it roughly onto his head. It stuck up at an odd angle.

"Oh well, at least its better than last time", he thought, remembering the time two days ago when he had tried to stuff Ralph's hat on his head. Roy couldn't stop laughing for thirty minutes.

Link stumbled towards the dormitory door. The knocking stopped as he came close. Gradually he opened it slightly, just so he peep outside. He stuck his eye through the gap. Zelda's face swam into view.

"Morning Link," she greeted him cheerfully.

Link drew back, and opened the door. "Wassa Zel," he managed, before yawning again.

Zelda shrugged. "Nothing much, I guess. Just thought I'd bring you breakfast."

Link looked down. Zelda was carrying a plate, upon which was a huge assortment of buns, croissants, cakes and pastries. "Wow", he thought. And then it hit him. "Zel, where's the others?"

"Huh? Oh, right. They went about fifteen minutes ago."

"WHAT!!" Link nearly jumped out of his skin. He was late. Again.

Sometimes he wished he had a fairy to wake him up. His mouth flopped open and closed like a codfish. Zelda took the liberty of forcing a bun into it.


Marth sat at the table, aimlessly string his cereal. He liked rising late. Not that he wasn't an early bird, he liked to fell the sun on his face at the start of each day. But today was different.

One sole thought was running through his mind. The opening ceremony of the tournament, tomorrow. Not that he didn't like laying around here. It was nice.

His eyes wandered through the hall. Further away, he caught the eye of another silent man, dressed in a tattered green travelling cape, who was also aimlessly staring at his food. Their eyes connected for a second. Marth nodded, and turned back to his food. His gaze began to drift out the French windows.

Something in him longed for the chance to test his blade with another. His mind raced back to the time when he and Link had last fought, in that temple in the sky. He still remembered the sheer ferocity in the way Link had come at him. No wonder he was the previous Grand Champion. Well, maybe he should have laid off the taunting a bit…

Marth was paying so little attention to his surroundings, that he didn't even notice when someone came and sat beside him.

"Hey," the man said. "You alright?"

Marth jolted slightly. "Yeah, fine," he lied. "Just thinking."

The man folded his arms, and leaned back in his chair. "'Bout what?"

Marth silently rolled his eyes. He hated those who didn't understand his ways. "The tournament," he replied through gritted teeth, trying to keep his expression fixed on the cereal in front of him.

The man leaned in closer. "Oh, that. Don't worry about it too much, I find it helps. Erm…what's your name, again?

Marth still did not take his eyes from the cereal. "Marth. And yours?"

"Hector."

"Nice to meet you," Marth said, sounding as if he meant the chemical opposite of what he had just said.

Hector clapped Marth on the back, causing him almost to fall forwards into his cereal. He roared with laughter. "Sorry about that," he added, shrugging his shoulders.

Despite having his face half covered with cornflakes, Marth couldn't help it, he was smiling. Suddenly thinking of something, he turned to Hector. "Hey, aren't you the guy that Roy met the other day in the library?"

"Roy? Roy? Oh, yeah. Small guy with the red hair. Yeah, I met him." Hector yawned. "Seems to think I'm his uncle."

Marth laughed. "Uncle? But, you don't know him, do you?"

"Nope. My friend has a son called Roy, but I guess its not the Roy you know. He's only as kid."

"Your friend?"

"Yeah. A guy called Eliwood." Marth's eyes flickered. That explains a lot, he thought.


Link bolted the rest of his food faster than a starving dodongo. Swinging open the wide front doors, he strode out onto the mansion's green. The sun shone in the sky and the birds chattered in the trees, but summer was long over. Reminding himself of this, Link tightened his outdoor cloak around his shoulders.

"Dang it", he thought. It was almost Christmas. Which meant presents. What could he get for Marth and the rest of the gang? And Zelda? His stomach threatened to mutiny at the thought.

Link found Roy and Ike sitting on a log, overlooking the lake. High cliffs surrounded the area, and a waterfall splashed down into the water below. It was quite a peaceful surrounding. "What's up, guys?" he said.

Roy wasn't sure he could explain. "Dun know. Its like," he stood up and threw a stone into the water. "Its like something within me is calling. I know that sounds weird," he added quickly.

Ike spoke up. "I felt something like that back when I was travelling over Crimea. It's a hunger those that have seen battle feel. We can't sit around for long without feeling restless. And this place makes me feel uneasy…"

Link stuck his tongue into his cheek. It wasn't like his friends to be so philosophical all of a sudden. "Maybe. Hey, have any of you seen Ralph?"

Roy pulled a face. "What, old sour-puss? Nope, last time I saw him he was with Puffball Number Two. Probably practising for the tourney. Opening ceremony's tomorrow, you know," he added, just to drive the point home.

Link opened his mouth, but was interrupted by the sight of Marth running down the footpath towards them. He bent double, and almost fall over backwards onto the log. "Hiya," he wheezed, out of breath.

Roy nodded. "Wassup dude."

Marth looked quickly around. "Hey have you heard -" he began, but his words trailed away in mid sentence. His mouth fell open, as he gaze caught on something high above them. Link's did too. Ike caught the general gist and followed suit.

Roy stared confused at his friends. "Um…guys?"

No one answered. Perhaps they were too busy watching the person who had just appeared on top of the cliff.

The figure was tall and gangly, dressed only in navy swimming trunks. Wafts of cerulean hair flopped across his head. He looked utterly ridiculous, yet strangely brave at the same time, standing far above them.

And then he dived.


Hitting the water like an arrow, he showered spray onto the four on the bank. Slowly resurfacing, he trod water for several seconds, then bobbed towards the shore.

Marth pulled at his soggy hair. "Since when did I ask to go swimming?". They were wet, Marth perhaps the most of all. The diver approached them.

"Great," thought Marth, "Just what I need, another moron."

The man walked ashore, and shook himself dry on the grass. "Hey, sorry about that. I didn't know anyone was watching," he added, looking slightly abashed.He extended a wet hand. "How do you do?"

Marth hesitated, then shook it. "Marth Altea, at your service and your family's."

Roy sniggered. "What? That's how its done isn't it?", Marth retorted.

The swimmer's face broke into a wide smile, and he spoke calmly. "Quite. Ephraim Renais at your service."

Marth shook Ephraim's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Roy stood up. "Okay, man. We'll see you later. We've gotta go to the…er…"

"Hardware store," Link finished quickly.

Ephraim smiled. "Oh yeah, the new place that's just opened! Do you need someone to show you the way around?"

"No! I mean, no thank you," Link quickly corrected. "Come on guys. I've always wanted to buy bolts and screws," he said quickly, trying to keep a smiling face whilst simultaneously dragging Roy away by the ear. Marth nodded to Ephraim, and silently followed the others, hands in pockets.

Ike shrugged. "Sometimes I don't know about these guys. Well, see you tomorrow at the opening ceremony."

"Sure thing. I look foward to seeing if that sword of yours is not just for show."


As soon as they were out of earshot, Ephraim shook his head, muttering.

"Weirdoes."