This is the Epilogue. It will tie up all of the loose ends, don't you worry 'bout a thing. I was going to upload this yesterday, but I had to redo it because I didn't like what I did. I think this one is MUCH better.
Enjoy the final chapter!
Epilogue: Faces
Ike and Zelda edged into their seats in the stands. Being smashers, of course they got VIP seats right in the front along with the others. Ike held Zelda's arm as they moved, making sure nothing hit Zelda's bulging belly.
"Easy now," said Ike as he helped Zelda into her seat. "And…sit."
Zelda gave him a disgruntled look. "I'm perfectly capable of sitting myself," she said.
"Not while I'm around, Zelda," said Ike. "As long as you carry that child in your stomach, you do nothing alone. But don't worry, you'll be giving birth any day now.
"Yay me," said Zelda sarcastically.
"Oh, come on," said Ike. "It's so exciting!"
"To you," said Zelda. "You're not the one who has to push the kid out of your – "
"Hey guys!"
Ike and Zelda turned their heads around and saw Marth, Peach, Link, and Athena file into seats behind them. Peach was latched onto Marth's arm, looking dreamily content. Athena however, was holding Link's hand nervously. Ike chuckled. Those two had been together for months, and yet they still acted like two lovesick teenagers. Then again, they were only nineteen…
"Hello, Ike," said Athena, rather smugly.
"Athena," said Ike shortly.
Athena giggled. "Oh come on, Ike," she said. "You're not still mad at me are you?"
"That match was a fluke, and you know it," Ike said.
"My goodness, Ike," Athena said. "I beat you fair and square in that Brawl. Let it go!"
"It was not fair," Ike retorted. "I tripped at the last second and got hit by the lava. I would have won if that didn't happen and you know it! Stupid Norfair. I never want to fight there again."
"Whatever," Athena said, rolling her eyes.
Ike opened his mouth to yell at her, but Zelda placed an arm on his shoulder. Looking at her, Ike saw her give him a sharp look that told him: "shut up". Ike did as he was told. Instead, he turned to Marth.
"So," he said to the swordsman. "When's the ceremony?"
"In December," Peach answered for him. "I want the wedding to be in the snow. And Marth and I will both be wearing white. Oh it will be so beautiful!"
"Oh, I know," Marth exclaimed. "A white wedding on Christmas Day!"
"It will be beautiful!" said Peach.
"It will be glorious!" said Marth.
"Wonderful!"
"Magnificent!"
"Spectacular!"
"You're the cutest!"
"No you're the cutest!"
"I love you!"
"I love you!"
Ike shook his head and turned away from them. He was happy for his friend, but sometimes, he and Peach were so gooey, that it made him gag. Sometimes he thought about what it would have been like if Peach had stayed with Collin. She'd probably be the queen of Hyrule by now, Ike thought. After all, Collin was the current king.
Ike cast the thought aside and turned to Link.
"So," he said quietly so Athena and Zelda, who were having their own conversation, couldn't hear them. "Any wedding bells sounding between you two?"
"Us?" Link said, blushing and glancing at Athena. "Not yet. Maybe in another year or two. We're too young to get married. But I do plan on asking her someday."
Ike was about to answer, but the sound of the announcer silenced him along with the entire crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" shouted the anonymous announcer. "The Brawl is about to begin! This will be a one-one-one, three stock match. Only Smash Balls will be turned on. The Brawl will be held here on the Final Destination stage. Combatants, take your positions!"
"This is it," Ike shouted over the now roaring crowd. They all gazed at the large, flat platform hovering in the middle of what looked like outer space. It was a simple stage. No gimmicks, no extra platforms. Perfect for a pure, no-holds-barred, hand-to-hand combat battle.
The crowd watched as the first competitor entered the arena. She appeared in a short flash of light. She wore a blue bodysuit with an ornate eye on the chest. Sheik stood on the left side of the arena, awaiting her opponent.
Then, he came. A puff of black smoke erupted on Sheik's opposite side. When it cleared, an eighteen-year-old with untidy brown hair stood there. His attire consisted of a jet black karate uniform. A black sash was around the waist, and a black headband held up his hair. Red stood there, eyeing his teacher with a smirk.
Only he didn't look like Red. His face bore the remnants of scars from his previous training. His body was twice as muscular, and he was even a little taller. His expression however, still maintained the young-boyish features everyone remembered.
"This is it, Sensei," said Red. "My first battle on my own."
"I have trained you for almost a year, my pupil," Sheik replied. "Let us see if your training paid off."
The crowd waited with bated breath as the countdown began.
"THREE!"
"I won't hold back, Sensei," said Red.
"TWO!"
"I hope not," said Sheik. "Show me and everyone else here what you've learned."
"ONE!"
"You got it," Red exclaimed.
"GO!"
Sheik quickly began to pull out her needles. Red, having no weapon, immediately ran forward. His speed was like none Ike had ever seen on him. In an instant, he was directly in front of Sheik, a bare fist bearing down on the Sheikah.
Sheik reacted fast. She stopped pulling her needles and sidestepped him. Now behind him, Sheik had the advantage. She quickly threw a hard kick at his side, striking him and sending him to the ground. Sheik took advantage of this to grab more needles. When she had as many as she could carry, she jumped backward and threw them at Red from the air.
Red wasn't out yet however. He quickly rolled backward, barely dodging the needles. The downside to this however, was that he was right at the edge of the stage. Red struggled on the edge for a moment, before regaining his balance. Sheik however, was in front of him in an instant. She threw another hard kick, this time at his stomach. Red flew backward from the force of the attack.
Sheik's eyes glinted maliciously, and Ike knew why. Sheik used some scary tactics when she was by the ledge of a stage. She would throw a barrage of aerial attacks on her opponent, ensuring they couldn't return to the stage. Then, she would whip out her chain and latch onto the ledge.
Sheik was apparently trying to do that now. She jumped off the stage in pursuit of Red, who was still airborne and aimed a swipe of her arm at him. Red took the hit and flew backward even further, just enough to lose his first stock.
Sheik took the time she had to gather more needles. She held on to them as she watched the revival platform holding Red descend onto the stage. Red hopped off of it and landed lightly on his feet.
"Is that your best?" Sheik asked. "Surely I taught you better."
"Are you kidding?" said Red. "I'm just getting started."
And Red charged in, delivering a swift kick to Sheik's side. Sheik blocked with her arm however, and attempted to toss her needles at him, but was quickly struck by Red's other leg. He had used the arm Sheik used to block his attack as leverage to spin himself into another, more powerful kick. Sheik flew backwards off of the stage. This time she was the one struggling to get back on, while Red was in pursuit.
Red hopped off the stage after her. Sheik attempted to fool him by using her Vanish Attack, but Red caught on instantly. He quickly threw a punch and landed a clean hit, sending Sheik far away, ending her first stock.
"I wonder what Red will do to get back on the stage?" Ike mused aloud. His question was answered immediately. Red twirled in the air and vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing on the stage, completely unharmed.
"I guess Sheik taught him her Vanish Attack," Zelda said.
Sheik reappeared on the stage via revival platform. "Not bad," she said to her student. "Now let's see you keep it up."
The fight wore on. Neither Red nor Sheik gave in. Both fought relentlessly. Their hand-to-hand combat matched each other so perfectly, it looked as if it were choreographed. Both blocked each other's attacks and sent counterattacks accordingly. Soon, both of their damage was high again. Which meant that one hit could end a second stock, thus tipping the match on one's favor.
The two were at the center of the stage. Red attempted to aim a high kick at Sheik, but Sheik ducked and did a spinning kick on the ground, dealing immense damage to Red and knocking him off the stage and giving her the lead.
Her lead didn't last long, however. Red jumped down from the revival platform and rammed Sheik with his shoulder, sending her flying off the stage due to her high damage.
Both of them were now down to one stock, and the tension was peaking. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, enraptured by the bout.
Sheik hopped off of the revival platform and faced Red from the opposite side of the stage. "This is it," she said. "The homestretch. My luck be with you, my student."
"Same to you, Sensei," Red replied, before both charged.
Both met each other at the center of the lone platform. The two sent a flurry of attacks at one another. Sheik didn't even bother with her needles. All she used was her hands and legs. Red did the same, fighting Sheik with equal strength and speed.
"They're evenly matched!" Zelda exclaimed. "It could be anyone's game."
Just then, the crowd let out a gasp as a small, rainbow ball began floating around the stage. Red and Sheik stopped in spite of themselves and gave the Smash Ball one good look. Then, they lunged.
Sheik gave it the first strike. She jumped into the air and hit it with an upwards spinning kick. It wasn't enough however. The Smash Ball remained in tact and Sheik fell downwards, allowing Red to give it the finishing blow. Red's body began to glow with a magnificent rainbow-colored aura.
"What could his Final Smash be?" Ike heard Peach say excitedly.
"I don't know," Marth replied. "Let's see."
The crowd then gasped as Red vanished into thin air. Sheik remained in place, her eyes were closed and her body was limp. And then, Ike understood. It was all over for her, and she knew it.
"Bring it, Red!" Sheik called out.
"With pleasure," came Red's voice.
And, without warning, Red appeared right in front of Sheik and sent the fastest barrage of attacks Ike had ever seen. Punches and kicks rained down upon Sheik in quick succession, racking up her damage to a very high amount. Then, Red gave one final punch, and Sheik was sent flying off of the stage. The match was over.
"GAME!" shouted the announcer. "The winner is: RED!"
The crowd went wild. Every single person was on their feet, applauding and cheering for Red. Ike was among them. He clapped hard and cheered with the rest. He hardly noticed Zelda was frantically tapping him on the shoulder.
"What's up, Zelda?" asked Ike cheerfully, turning to his wife. Zelda however, had a nervous expression and was clutching her stomach.
"Ike," she said alarmingly. "My water just broke. It's time."
The sun was setting along the horizon as Red and Sheik walked around the garden. The flowers surrounding them gave the air a sweet scent. Red happily drank in the sweet air, still flushed with victory.
"I'm very proud of you, Red," said Sheik. "You've come a long way since I we began our training. I knew when we first began that you would become a great warrior. And I'm happy to say that I was correct. And now, you no longer need me to teach you. Congratulations, you have graduated."
"Really Sensei?" Red asked.
"There's no need to call me Sensei anymore," Sheik replied. "I am your teacher no longer. From now on, you will walk your own path."
"Thank you Sens – I mean Sheik," said Red.
"And also," Sheik continued. "I believe we made a deal." And she moved her hands to the back of her cowl and began to undo it.
"What are you doing?" Red asked in alarm.
"Upholding my end of the bargain," Sheik replied. "Remember? You defeat me, and I take off my cowl."
Comprehension dawned on Red's face. "Oh yeah," he said excitedly. "I remember now. Oh, man, I can't wait to finally see what you look li – " He froze, his mouth wide open.
Sheik had removed her cowl, revealing the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Red gaped at her, causing Sheik to blush.
"Am I that unattractive?" Sheik asked him.
Red frantically shook his head. "Hell no," he said. "It's the exact opposite as a matter of fact. You look like…a goddess."
Sheik's eyes widened and she blushed even harder. "You…you think…I look like…impossible."
Red smiled. "It's quite possible."
And, without warning, Red leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. It took a moment, but Sheik kissed back. The kiss went from soft and gentle, to hard and passionate as Sheik wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Red wrapped his arms around her and responded with interest.
The two remained interlocked with one another for quite some time. The sky was considerably darker when they finally withdrew from one another.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Red said softly to her.
Sheik smiled. "How long?" she asked.
"Long enough," he replied, pulling her into a hug.
"I love you," both whispered into the other's ear in unison.
Both of them pulled back and looked at each other in surprise.
"Did you just say, you love me?" Red asked.
"Yes," Sheik said simply. "Did you?"
"Yes," Red answered.
And then, without another word, the new couple smiled and kissed again. Or they would have, had they not been interrupted.
"Hey guys, you're never gonna believe thi – WHOA!"
Both turned and saw Link standing there, looking immensely shocked and uncomfortable. Sheik quickly replaced her cowl so Link wouldn't see her.
"Is this a bad time?" Link asked.
"Yes," said both Red and Sheik irritably. "What do you want?"
"Sorry guys," he said nervously. "It's just that Zelda's in the infirmary! She's giving birth!"
"Now?" Red asked.
"No, next week," said Link sarcastically. "Come on!"
And with that, the three made a mad dash for the Mansion.
"Okay-a Zelda," said Mario. "On the count of three-a, push okay?"
Zelda nodded, panting heavily. Ike was beside her, Zelda holding his hand in a vice-like grip. Mario stood in front of the white bed she lay on. He was dressed in his old "Dr. Mario" outfit that he didn't fight in anymore. His assistant, Peach stood beside him, in her white nurse's dress.
"Ready?" said Mario. "Uno, due, tre!"
Zelda let out a shout of pain as she pushed, squeezing Ike's hand even tighter. Ike endured it though. He knew it was nothing compared to what Zelda was going through. Then, she let out another yell of pain.
"Just push sweetheart!" Ike said soothingly. "It will be over soon!"
Zelda gave him a deathly stare. "IF IT'S SO EASY THEN YOU PUSH, DAMN IT!"
"Zelda," said Mario. "Come on-a, just one-a more. On-a three. Uno, due, tre!"
Zelda howled in pain once more, but her scream was immediately followed by an infantile cry. Ike's heart leapt. Beside him, he heard Zelda sigh with relief.
"Ike," said Peach softly, holding a small body in her arms. "Meet your daughter."
The smashers were all gathered around the small bed. Mario and Peach had to ensure that no one got too close to the baby, so they wouldn't pass any germs onto her.
When Ike had first seen his daughter, he cried for a full hour. She was beautiful. Her eyes were a startling blue, exactly like his. The tiny crop of hair on her head however, was the exact shade of golden-brown as her mother's.
Zelda held her daughter closely. The girl was looking around the room, wide-eyed at the large amount of people. All of the smashers fell in love with her instantly. Even the villains gave small smiles.
"She looks like my mother," Ike said, still sobbing slightly.
"Really?" Zelda asked.
"Yep," said Ike. "Except for the hair. She got that from you."
"What was your mother's name again?" Zelda questioned him.
"Elena," Ike answered curiously. "Why?"
Zelda didn't answer him. "Elena," she said to herself. "I like it. Can we name her that?"
Ike's eyes widened. "Name our daughter after my mother?" he asked.
"Sure," said Zelda, smiling. "I love the name."
"A-alright then," said Ike, taking his daughter from Zelda's arms and holding her. He smiled, fresh tears welling up once more. "Hello, Elena," he said to her.
Elena gave him a toothless smile.
Ike and Zelda stood in the moonlit bedroom, standing over a pink, wooden crib. Both looked on as their daughter slept. Next to Elena, slept Zelda's fluffy brown Eevee, Leo. The little fox-like creature was curled up next to Elena, snoring lightly. Leo had taken an instant liking to Elena the moment he had met her. The two babies played together until almost midnight. Then, it was time for bed.
Ike placed an arm around his wife. "Well, we did it," he said. "There's our first child."
"She's beautiful," Zelda said.
"Just like you," Ike told her. Leaning in, he kissed her lightly.
"I love you," said Zelda, when they withdrew.
"I love you too," Ike responded.
In the crib, Elena smiled in her sleep, her dreams filled with images of her loving parents.
Fin.
THE END BABY! WHOO! I DID IT! After about two weeks, I was finally able to complete my first multi-chapter fic. It feels soooo good! Oh and in case you all were wondering, Mario was counting in Italian. Uno, Due, Tre means One, Two, Three. Now I don't speak Italian, I just found that out online. So don't start speaking to me in Italian 'kay? 'Cause I won't understand a word.
Now, I'd like to give a shout-out to the people who supported me throughout this fic:
Clear Blue: You rock girl! You've been with me from the start, encouraging me to continue. You are the best! Thank you for everything!
notfromearth7: Someone else who has been with me from the start. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!
Female Warrior: Thank you for all of your…energetic reviews lol. I'll always remember you.
KCSonic113: I'm glad you liked the story. Though I doubt it's the best one out there, I'm still very happy you like it. Thank you!
And also, thank you to everyone else that reviewed and all those who review in the future. You all rock! Will there be a sequel? Maybe. If I could think of one good enough. Keep your eyes open, folks.
That's pretty much it. Thank you all again for reading and reviewing!
Peace!