Hmm, my thoughts on this chapter? I'm really not sure. I don't actually know whether i like this one or not.

Ah wells, just read and decide for yourselves instead of me telling you its good XD

***

Chapter 7

"What?!" Link hissed. "When was this?"

"It…it doesn't matter. All that matters is its suicide putting us together for something so serious." Marth finished, looking away with a hurt look.

Link didn't press it any further, and turned to look at Zelda, who was laughing so passionately with Samus. What would he do if Zelda were the one in this situation? If he almost got her killed, would they be so close now? Would they even be talking to each other?

No, probably not. He thought. Now I understand why Marth is so touchy 'bout her all the time. He's so scared of losing her. I would be too.

"All done!" Peach announced in a singsong voice, flicking one of Ike's blue locks in satisfaction. He got up, and went to pull every ribbon out from his hair. He looked down at her sweet little face, and decided he could put up with the hairstyle until he left the room.

"Nice look." Samus said with a slight smirk.

"You're next Sammie!" Peach said happily.

"Oh no I'm not." She stated firmly. "Do Princess's hair instead."

Marth looked up and blinked for a few moments, before looking at Peach's pouting face. He gave a smile, and stood up. "Yes Peach, do mine first. I'm sure Samus will let you play with her hair once she sees how lovely you make mine."

Samus turned around with an unamused face, before shrugging and nodding. "On the condition it looks good."

Marth sat down in front of Peach, who had that sweet smile upon her face once more as she brushed his blue locks. Samus looked at him for a few moments, and smiled on the inside. Usually royalty was only out for themselves, but he was different. He'd risk his pride to keep a girl from stressing out and going crazy.

Maybe he isn't so bad after all. Samus pondered. Sure, we've had bumps here and there in the road, but we've come out stronger than before.

Link watched as Marth sat contently with his eyes closed; and a small smile on his face. It's as if he never was sad at all…He truly is an amazing guy.

Peach pulled a few more locks of his hair, and sat there with hands on her hips. "All done!" she sang. "You look so pretty!"

Samus and Zelda both turned to look, and burst out laughing. Marth looked in confusion, and grabbed the mirror Peach handed to him. He felt like crying out, seeing his hair in two tiny pigtails. But instead he smiled and pretended to flick them around. Samus narrowed her eyes with a smirk.

He definitely isn't that bad at all. She concluded to herself.

***

She stood in front of the mansion's message board. She blinked, seeing who she was to patrol with. She slightly smiled on the outside, but on the inside her heart slightly sank.

Oh, he's gotta be dying inside right now… She thought sadly.

She turned away, and headed towards his room. Even though it was in the past, she still had to snap it into him that it was just in the past. Storming down the hall, she passed some veteran smashers whispering about her as she passed them. She rolled her eyes, knowing they didn't really know the story at all.

She kicked on his door, and found him sitting cross-legged on his bed, his hands in his lap. He was looking downwards, and life seemed to have left his eyes way beforehand.

"Cheer up Princess." Samus stated, closing the door behind her. He looked up at her, and jumped slightly in shock.

"Why are you…"

"I saw the patrol roster."

"Oh." Was his mere reply as he looked away slightly. Samus sighed, and knelt down in front of him.

"Look, you can't be thinking about that incident still." She commented quietly. "It happened over a year ago."

"And yet it haunts me like it was yesterday." Marth replied bluntly. "How can you even come here and look at me for what I did?"

"What you did? What YOU did?! What you did was save our lives!" She replied angrily, getting up. "Sure you plunged your sword right through my body, but that was a complete accident."

"Piercing flesh is no accident!" He had stood up to her, his glistening eyes now lost of their sparkle. "I foolishly turned around and pierced your stomach; there is no excuse for that!"

"There is always a bloody excuse!" She puffed up to him, her eyes also losing their charm. "We barely knew each other back then. We didn't know about each other's tactics or moves, nor did we devise a plan. Hell, we had NO time to devise a plan!"

Silence echoed after her tone. Time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other. A tiny salty droplet formed in the eyes of the Altean as she continued to speak.

"I was foolish enough to let my guard down that ONE time, and in doing so I was the one who almost got us killed!

"If it hadn't been for you trying to save me, we might've both died. I don't care that you missed and I took the blow, that doesn't matter to me…What matters is that you put your life at risk to save someone you barely knew…"

She kneeled down again, sighing as she went. Marth looked away for a moment, then sat back down on the bed. The curtains flicked gently in the breeze as Samus tried to find the words to say without being horrible.

"When I was in the Hospital wing for all those weeks, who was it that stayed by my side?"

"…I…I was."

"And when I began to try and move around, who was it that acted as my personal crutch to lean on?"

"I was."

"And when I thought I was losing it and wanted to just leave, who knocked the sense back into me?"

"…I did."

"…So, now do you see why I can look at you in the face, and talk to you like a normal person?" She stood up, and placed hands on her hips. "What's past has past, and we can't go around moping about something we can't change. If we did, why bother living at all?"

Marth looked up at her, and smiled at her. She was taken aback by the gesture; it was the first time in months he had truly smiled at her, or anyone for that matter. She felt her cheeks warm up, and she sent him a genuine smile right back. This time, he was the one to be taken aback. She was so…beautiful with a smile on her face. He felt his heart begin to beat out of his chest.

He never thought he could truly fall, let alone trust another. But as he gazed at all that was she, he came to conclusion it was that simple. She was beautiful, and every second he was falling for her more.

"So, how about that patrol tomorrow night?" She asked with a cocked eyebrow. He kept staring, not really having come back to earth yet. "Hello, earth to Exiled Prince."

"Huh? Oh, sorry." He said sheepishly. "Right, yes. I'll come pick you up at the scheduled time then."

"Oh? I think you need more protecting than I do the way you're acting." She winked at him before leaving the room.

He waited til she was out of complete eyeshot, before throwing his torso back onto his bed.

"Why must I be such a fool?" He asked himself sadly. "I don't even know why SHE has to be the one."

He closed his eyes and breathed deep, and could've sworn in the back of his mind, he heard a faint roaring of a giant beast.