My Dream, My Life
Chapter VII
"Link, a moment of your time," Zelda requested, approaching the Hylian warrior who was about to sit down for dinner. Her only answer was a nod and a smile from her champion, who indicated to sit across him. She smile in return and sat herself down and took a moment to compose herself. His behaviour wasn't something that really bothered her. He was someone of few words. He rarely spoke, but whenever he did, it was mostly because it wasn't something he could voice with his body language, or facial expressions. And even when he spoke, it was usually quite brief.
Link gave her a pointed look while eating, calmly waiting for the princess to speak. From her demeanour, it was clear that there was something troubling her. And from what he could observe, it was something a bit personal that she could only bring to him. A few possibilities came to mind, but he only kept note of them, not dwelling on them until he heard Zelda's story, and then come to a conclusion based on that information instead of making guesses.
"The last few days…have been interesting, to say the least," Zelda began, her mind coming together with what she wanted to talk about. "It started a few days ago when Samus had taken me to the Smash Hot Spring resort. It was…when we were in the change room…it's…somewhat hard to explain." Link, however, just calmly ate his dinner, while maintaining his attention on the princess. She was a smart girl, and chances are that she would be able to solve this herself. However, he knew that she usually needed someone to talk to and vocally tell her problem before the pieces fell into place. This problem though seemed to be a particularly difficult one if she was having trouble explaining her problem.
"It had started off as…concern. When I had seen the numerous scars on her body…I saw a glimpse of what sort of lifestyle she leads. But…I had an interesting reaction…I felt…an attraction towards Samus…or rather…when I realized that she was nude and had a full view of her body…it was…this is embarrassing to say but…I believe I wished to bed her." Link nearly choked on his drink. It took him a moment that Zelda had said that she wished to sleep with Samus. He gave her both an incredulous look, and an indication to continue. Despite the surprise, he had a feeling that this was running a lot deeper than he was expecting or was prepared for. And by some extension, he had a feeling that if his guess was right, this was going to give Zelda quite a shock as well.
"Eventually I had managed to put off my…sexual desires," Zelda resumed, her face beet red from her sudden confession. "But…in its place, there is this…strong concern towards her. I keep wondering…what kind of pains is she carrying in her heart…whether or not she's even able to find moments of peace…if she's actually alright despite her healthy appearance…if she has anyone to turn to…" Link noticed how she had stated that last line with disdain. It was almost as if she hated the idea if Samus had a special someone that she could turn to. The more he listened, the more he realized that this was bee lining straight for what he had guessed.
"And…on that note…I have found that I feel extremely disturbed…the idea that…Samus being with another man or woman…it bothers me deeply. The Triforce seems to react to such thoughts as well…I'm not sure what to make of what I'm feeling right now…it's almost as if there's an emotion within me that I've never seen or experienced…I…cannot seem to be able to identify it…"
Link set down his cup and let out a sigh and gathered his thoughts. This time he would have to speak. It was what he had thought. She had fallen for the huntress; how hard though he wasn't sure. While he had no problems with who the princess fell for, the fact she found it here, and it was with Samus surprised him.
"Princess," he sighed, "this is quite a problem…"
"I agree," Zelda said. "What do you make of the problem?"
Link stared at her for some time, contemplating. He could right this very moment tell her the reason of her feelings. However, he wasn't sure how it would affect her. While the idea that she had fallen for a woman wouldn't bother her, it may affect how she fought tomorrow especially since her partner was the one whom her heart had been captured by. He spent a few minutes debating this. Knowing that his Triforce could offer very little guidance, he made sure that the answer he would give the princess would be the correct one. She was one of his dearest friends, and he wanted to be sure that she was happy. His thoughts eventually led him to his decision. For her own good, he felt that this was one answer that he must give.
"It's not something I can help," he firmly answered. "This is one question I feel you need to figure out yourself."
"Link?" she asked, giving her a surprised and questioning stare.
"I know the answer," he said, placing his dishes on his tray. "However, it isn't my place to answer this question. Think deeply on this matter. I'm sorry, but I cannot help you on this."
"It's alright," Zelda sighed, disappointment evident on her face. "I just want this resolved before tomorrow as so that I can compete tomorrow with a clear mind. I do not wish to burden Samus because I have unresolved issues."
"Trust me, you both are better off with this unresolved, until after," Link explained, picking up his tray. Giving her an encouraging smile, he politely nodded towards the princess and took his leave.
Sighing discontented, Zelda got up from the table and headed towards the elevator. She hadn't a clue as to what exactly Link was referring to. Although she knew that he had his reasons for withholding his answer, the nagging feeling just wouldn't leave her. She wanted to know what plagued her mind, but it seemed that it was wrought with questions and riddles that she just couldn't discern. It bothered her greatly. She just wanted answers, but it seemed that they would not be coming; at least not tonight.
"It seems that there are some things one must learn for oneself," Zelda sighed. Walking into her room, she quickly changed into her sleeping gown and headed to the roof. Hopefully, the night air would be able to help her clear her mind of the day, and allow her to sleep peacefully. She would ponder on it more when the tournament was over, and when she was home.
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"You ready for this?" Samus asked her partner. Zelda simply nodded in response, maintaining a meditative posture. The tournament was well underway already, but they weren't due to compete for another little while. For the duration of their wait, they were taken to a private waiting room where all the competitors quietly waited with their partners until it was their turn to fight. However, their match was scheduled for the afternoon, so they were allowed to leave their waiting room and head out for lunch, but were guided out on the reason that they were not to know who their opponent was.
Opening up her stun-gun, Samus made sure that it was properly configured and that everything was in working order. Entering one of these competitions without her armour for the first time, she needed to make sure that everything was ready and in good working order, that a backup plan was at the ready should something go wrong. Assured that her gear was ready, she turned her attention over towards the Hylian princess.
The last three days had been a healthy workout for her, but it also brought on an interesting problem. There was a problem that was nagging her, and it stood out in the forefront of her mind. No matter what she did, she just couldn't get rid of it. She did things throughout all this time that had helped her ignore the nuisance, but by the end of each day it would return again and continue to plague her mind. No matter what she did, it would just stay there. She thought about bringing it up to Zelda, but every time she tried, or the thought even crossed her mind, she became increasingly nervous and would back down from the idea. Sometimes she wished that her life could just be back on the straight and narrow as it used to be. Unfortunately, she felt that it wouldn't be like that for a long time.
Glancing over towards the TV, she watched as Kirby and Meta Knight take on Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Both teams were doing decently, but she could see which the better team was. Although the two apes coordinated well and could read one another's moves like a book, she could see that Kirby and Meta Knight were doing it better; a lot better. It was clear that Meta Knight was a skilled tactician and trainer as she watched the two of them barrage the heralds of Kong Country with a magnificent display of swordplay and strategy. Despite Kirby's seemingly childish nature, it was clear that underneath all that was an intelligent being who could display an impressive show of skill and ability when he needed to, or possibly wanted to.
All too soon, the two easily overpowered the primates bringing the match to an end. Going through her mind, she went through the various pairings that she had seen so far, and who had won: Fox and Flaco who defeated Ness and Lucas, Ike and Marth narrowly defeating Link and Toon Link in an incredible display of swordsmanship, and now Kirby and Meta Knight who had just defeated Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. With that in mind, she knew who their opponents were: Mario and Luigi, the infamous Mario Brothers. They were a tricky pair; that much was clear. The fact they were brothers only made it that much harder. She only hoped their training would be able to give them some sort of edge fighting against the two and the fact the two of them were virtual unknowns.
"C'mon," said Samus when she noticed the two teleport pads that would take them to the ring. "You ready?"
"Let us show them our true power," said Zelda. The two of them shared a confident smile, and stepped onto the pad together. Momentarily engulfed in white light, the two of them calmly waited as their vision slowly faded as they found themselves in the middle of a simple dirt ring, where standing opposite of them were Mario and Luigi.
Glancing around, Samus couldn't help but smirk at the look of surprise and confusion among the crowd, and the competitors who were now sitting in the stands. Even Mario and Luigi were staring at her and Zelda, awestruck and dumbfounded. It was clear nobody was expecting this. Their trump card was played. Now it was time to see if they would reap the benefits of their surprise.
"Let's do this," Samus muttered, switching her stun-gun into its whip form. Stepping up, she ignited the blade and twirled it a few times in anticipation for the start of the match. Their resolve set, they would show that they were a force to be reckoned with. Nobody would stand in their way for what would be their path to victory. They would win.
"GO!"
Sprinting forward, Samus immediately felt heat rushing alongside her in her made dash towards the brothers. With Din's Fire in line with her and her whip held out ready to deploy, she surged forward to attack. Her assault was immediately impeded with a barrage of fire, but didn't let it stop her. Weaving in and out of the attacks, she charged straight for the brothers, aware that Luigi was preparing his own counter assault. At the last moment, Samus rolled to her left just as Luigi lunged forward.
From behind, Zelda released the spell and watched it violently explode in Luigi's face, sending him flying back from the shock of the explosion. Wasting no time, she quickly teleported straight over towards Mario catching him in a headlock from behind with her back against his, and then immediately enhanced her strength and threw him over her shoulder, throwing him straight towards Samus.
Throwing out the whip, she quickly wrapped it around Mario and swung down, slamming him hard into the ground. Reeling him in, she threw a hard punch straight into the dazed man's nose, sending him flying back from the force of it. Turning around, she saw the familiar flash of crystal as Zelda had immediately threw up a shield narrowly repelling Luigi's counterattack. Throwing her whip out again this time catching Luigi, she pulled hard dragging him away from Zelda and quickly threw him into his brother, tangling them in a mess of limbs.
Dropping the shield, Zelda quickly charged up another fireball and threw it straight towards the brothers, with Samus quickly following it from behind. Watching the brothers dodge it, she quickly regained control of the spell, stopping it cold and redirected towards Luigi. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Samus momentarily wrestle with Mario and having to drop her gun for a moment before throwing him over her shoulder. She could be brutal at times, but quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. Her resolve set, she exerted her will upon it further and increased its speed before detonating it directly behind Luigi and watched as he was sent skidding across the dirt on his front, with the back of his clothes burned, and his hair singed.
Zelda watched as Luigi struggled to get up. To her surprise, she began to walk towards her, albeit awkwardly from his injuries from the fight. Wasting no time, she quickly rushed up and threw a kick to his face before grabbing him and threw his smaller body away from her. Using her magic, she quickly lifted him up, and threw him straight into his brother's back who had been squaring off with Samus.
Sidestepping, she allowed the brothers to pass her as they landed in a crumpled mess. Feeling Zelda teleporting next to her, the two of them stepped up towards the weakened and battered brothers as they struggled to get back on their feet.
Stun-gun raised, Samus gave them a pointed look and said, "Do you give?"
The brothers looked at one another a moment before pulling out a white cloth from underneath their overalls and threw it in the air, declaring their surrender. Almost immediately, the crowd erupted in cheer of their victory as the MC declared their victory against the brothers.
Zelda turned to her partner to congratulate their victory, only to find her voice caught in her throat. In the name of all that was good, she bore witness to something she didn't believe that she would ever see: Samus smiling. It wasn't the usual smirking or just amused smile she often wore. For the first time, she was seeing Samus smiling in joy. She was elated to see Samus looking like this. Her eyes twinkled in a manner only seen among those who had accomplished something one was proud of; something that they had achieved with their own bare hands. That was what she was seeing in Samus's eyes.
She couldn't believe it. They were cheering for her. Even her competitors, they were applauding in congratulations to her. They were cheering, chanting her name. Her chest swelled in happiness, proud of what she had accomplished. She had defeated her opponents in a quick, proficient manner, and showed that even without her armour, she was still a power house, that she was a force not to be taken lightly. She had shown them what she was made of.
"We did it," said Zelda, grasping Samus's shoulder. "And…you can see: you are powerful and respectable, with, or without your armour."
"Yeah…" Samus sighed, the bright smile having yet to leave her face. This was the sweet taste of victory. She would savour it.
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"Zelda-hime!" a voice called out as Samus and Zelda walked out of the stadium for the night. Looking behind, the two of them watched Marth quickly approached the two of them.
"A moment of your time, Zelda-hime," he requested.
Samus suddenly felt something flare in her chest the moment the prince had approached Zelda. Within, she felt this strong burning desire, a need of some sort to hold Zelda protectively, and let him know that she wouldn't let him take her without a fight, let him know that he was touching something off-limits, and that he'd best keep his distance if didn't want to get hurt. That feeling raged through her heart as she watched Zelda and Marth step aside and quietly talked. Her fists clenched tightly as she struggled to keep the rage inside. However, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what was the cause of this rage was, or be able to identify it. All she knew was that the moment Marth wanted to speak to Zelda alone, her anger skyrocketed and now she wanted nothing better than to punch his lights out.
"Ja, I will see you in a while," said Marth, bowing lightly towards Zelda before walking off, giving Samus a pilot nod as he passed.
"What was that about," Samus asked neutrally, keeping steady rein on the emotions that bubbled within.
"Prince Marth has asked that I accompany him for dinner," Zelda answered; unaware of the struggle within, or the fact she had just added fuel to the fire. With her eyes glued straight to the front, she was unaware of the minute changes that were present in Samus's stride.
"I see," she flatly stated, feeling a seething rage ready to ignite within and erupt with the might of a volcano. "I suppose you accepted."
"Unfortunately, it was a 'formal' request," Zelda stated, emphasizing the word formal in a sarcastic manner. "It is clear he sees me as a prospective queen."
"What?!" Samus sputtered, nearly stumbling in her step, and her anger momentarily forgotten. "So what…this is one of those dinner meetings to see if you two are compatible?"
"Of some sorts," Zelda replied. "It is more like an exchange of information of our kingdom's strength, and of each other. Depending on the results of this 'information gathering session', Prince Marth may attempt to court me and will either attempt to obtain my throne, or ask for my hand in marriage and become queen of his world."
"But…wouldn't that mean that he'd have to take your throne, considering you are the only royalty on your world?" Samus asked.
"That is the issue," said Zelda, turning her attention towards Samus. "It is a prospect…I am not permitting. If he attempts, I will simply turn him down. His attempts for my hand and heart will prove fruitless. I shall not submit. It would only bode problems for my world, especially if my people of Hyrule do not approve of their prospective king."
"Very true," Samus agreed, feeling the anger boil down. It was there, but no longer was it bothering her. The fact that Zelda would outright reject any further attempts beyond tonight lifted this heavy weight she just realized that had been on her chest. It was a strange feeling. She was unsure of what to make of it, but put it aside for some other time to think about.
"Guess it's the bar tonight," Samus remarked.
"I fail to see the amusement of such establishments," said Zelda, commenting on her dislike of establishments.
"What makes you say that?" Samus asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"I have…heard stories of such establishments from the various guards in my court," said Zelda. "They often speak of fights, drunken antics, and women they find and bed there, half of them in drunken stupors that they do not even remember they had bedded the woman they wake up next to."
"Oh…" said Samus. "Well…it's clear to me…I will have to show you what a real pub is all about." Zelda gave a look that questioned Samus's sanity, and her clear dislike of the idea. The very idea that Samus wanted to go to a bar and take her along was utter madness to her.
"I'd rather not," said Zelda.
"Trust me," Samus sighed, wrapping an arm around Zelda, "you will enjoy it. I've been looking around, and I know a couple establishments here that serve good food, and have good crowds."
"And how can you say this with such confidence, coming from one who doesn't explore the city?" Zelda asked, raising a delicate eyebrow in curiosity.
"Simple: I drop my armour in alleyways and then go around town during the few short times I feel like hitting a bar," Samus simply answered. "I promise you, you'll like it."
"I see…" said Zelda. Although the idea that she was going to a bar still bothered her, the fact that she was with Samus relieved her greatly; a lot more than she had expected. Just what was it that nagged her? She still couldn't figure it out. Just what was it that Link knew that he wanted her to find out?
"So, it's been decided," Samus declared, her arm still wrapped around Zelda. "Tomorrow…actually…scratch that, to celebrate our victory in the doubles, we will hit the bar!"
"If you say so," Zelda sighed, blushing a bit when she realized the sudden close contact between the two of them.
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"Here's to loneliness," Samus sighed, downing her 3rd glass of beer for the night. Having finished her meal already, Samus had opted just to sit outside alone and watched the local traffic pass by her. She watched as vehicles flew by while people went to and fro around the city, each and every last one of them minding their own business as they were going about their own personal agendas. And around her, couples walked hand-in-hand talking amiably between one another enjoying the evening as they went about their dates. That particular thought hit a sore spot.
Letting out a sigh, Samus realized how much she appreciated company, even if she was in the company of just one person, she saw how disturbing it was to have spent that much time of her life alone. It wasn't even a day, and she felt uncomfortable in this sort of situation being alone without someone to talk to. And now that she was back in this situation, she wondered how she had been able to deal with the loneliness in the first place.
"Evening," a gruff voice suddenly greeted her. Glancing up, Samus watched Snake sit himself down in the seat across from her, a beer in hand with a cigarette in his mouth. "What's a pretty lady like you doing here by yourself?"
"Get lost Snake," Samus mumbled, taking another swig of beer.
"Aww, don't be a spoilsport Samus," said Snake, tapping some of the ash into an ashtray. "You and Zelda were quite impressive today. I wasn't expecting you two to pull off something THAT exciting today."
"Is there a reason you want to see me, or are you just hitting on me?" Samus asked, not particularly in the mood for Snake's antics.
"Quote the cold one you are," Snake stated, unfazed by her rather sour demeanour.
"And you're irritating me," Samus muttered. Reaching over, she grasped the cigarette in Snake's mouth and dropped it next to her foot where she promptly put it out all the while imagining that it was a particular part of Snake's anatomy.
"Ooo…a lady with things on her mind," Snake commented, taking a swig of his own beer. "Care to talk about it?"
"What is there to talk about with you?" Samus asked, wondering why he was still in front of her.
"No need for harsh words Samus," said Snake. "Just asking a few questions. You seem to be one who has a conflict of some sort on your mind."
"The only 'conflict' I have right now, is the urge to get up from this seat and strangle you and throw your corpse onto the street," she growled, clearly displaying her irritation.
"Then why aren't you celebrating your debut match with Zelda?" he quickly countered. He inwardly smirked the moment Samus failed to respond to his question. Although her expression was unreadable, her eyes displayed all that he needed to know. Something about Zelda's lack of presence was bothering her. With a little prodding and some choice words, he'll probably be able to extract the answer he wanted.
"Had a fight perhaps? A disagreement?"
"No, no," Samus sighed, leaning against her seat. "She was formally asked by Marth to dinner. It was some official request she couldn't turn down."
"I see." He had a funny hunch of what was wrong now. The way she talked sounded quite forlorn, almost depressed from the fact she was alone. Then there was the fact that when she mentioned the Altean prince's name, it was stated with the utmost disdain. At the rate this particular conversation was going, he had a feeling that he may or may not be having additional conversations with Samus.
"Sounds like you don't like the idea of her and Marth together," he commented.
"The hell you talking about?" Samus snapped quickly. "I don't like him. Of course I don't like her being with someone I don't like."
"Sounds a bit selfish," he remarked. "I'm sure it's a friendly dinner between a prince and princess. I'm sure that if she doesn't want to, she'll refuse seeing him further. Although…it seems to me that you want her all to herself."
Samus gave him a pointed stare, clearly irritating with what he was talking about. "You're starting to piss me off Snake. Do you have any other business with me? Otherwise, fuck off."
"Wow, frosty," Snake chuckled. Picking up his beer, he chucked down a fair amount of it before placing it back down on the table. It was quite clear to him now. Her sudden hostility was most likely a subconscious reaction to her questions, most likely because it knew she wasn't ready to fully experience what she was feeling. Despite knowing that he would most likely not see it, he could already imagine the look of understanding dawn on her face when she finally figured it out, and realized what her subconscious was protecting her from. He had a feeling that when that day came, there will be some interesting developments in the local media, and among the other competitors.
"I'll take my leave then," he stated, getting up from his seat. "Enjoy your evening, Miss Brawler of Brawlers." He quickly disappeared into the crowd before Samus could even say anything, leaving her to simply stare at the point she lost sight of him, glowering at his sudden intrusion into what had started off as a quiet evening. Even if it was a bit depressing from the fact that she was alone, it had been a quiet one.
"What the hell was he trying to get at?" she muttered, shaking the conversation clear of her mind and asking for her tab. There was no point dwelling on what most likely was a ruse on Snake's part.
"Tomorrow's going to be an interesting day," Samus smirked, dropping off her bill and some tip on the tray before walking out. Tomorrow, she would find out who she and Zelda would fight for the semi-finals, and then the finals the following day. Going over the last little while, she quickly tallied up how long she had been here. She had met Zelda on her fifth day staying, which incidentally had resulted her in staying a lot longer than she had expecting. She quickly came to an immediate halt in her step when she realized something.
"Today was the day she was supposed to go home," she muttered. "Damn it all." Resuming her path home, she felt her mood take a nose dive as she realized that Zelda would go home after this tournament was over.
"I guess our celebration will also be a farewell party."