Chapter 21: Stalemate
During the wait for the matches to begin it had become a top priority to make sure that Zelda was kept away from bad company, for Link and Marth in particular. Without being able to hold a single conversation, less being in the same room, they had come to a mutual agreement that the less the other one saw of Zelda the better. They had quickly developed a test of endurance to settle their differences. Because they could not stand each other they just had stay close to Zelda at the same time until one could take it no longer and left.
Zelda was too happy over the boys making an effort to make friends, and be on good terms with her at the same time, to pay it any thought why they all of a sudden were a bit more clingy than appropriate. Things could not be better as she, Link, Samus, Captain Falcon, Roy and Peach occupied the three-piece suite, with the TV on in the background and Link with his arm on the backrest behind her.
"Did breakfast taste particularly delicious this morning?" Peach sighed contently and leant back in the armchair. "I should be more conscious of what I eat or I just might have to go on a diet."
"Right," Samus grumbled darkly, eyes directed at the princess's needle thin waste. Captain Falcon who was sitting next to her in the two-seater turned his head away to hide his smile.
"Ah," Peach then exclaimed, causing Falcon to snap his head back in her direction. "Prince Marth, you are most welcome."
Peach and Roy appeared to be the only one of that opinion when the prince made his way over to them. The bounty hunters and Link combined their forces to create a united death glare while Zelda seemed fairly oblivious to everything going on.
Either Marth was completely incapable of taking in the mood of other people or he just did not care about the trio trying their best to wordlessly convey hostility. He elegantly made sure that the cape was not in the way and sat down on the other side of Zelda, crossing one leg over the other and putting on a smile so fake it would make any normal person crawl away in tremors.
Zelda was in pure bliss. Marth had made such progress in such a short time. He was really breaking out of his shell, although he did not speak much unless provoked and his smile was not fully sincere he was at least partaking.
Link's hand moved down from the backrest to Zelda's shoulder. "If it isn't Prince Marth. Peach just welcomed you, you know."
Marth did at first not show a hint of having heard any of what Link had said. Then he turned to Zelda, not Peach, and said: "I did not intend to insult Her Royal Highness."
Zelda glanced at Peach who nodded in encouragement.
"I do not think there was any offense taken," Zelda replied. It was a tad distracting that Marth's gaze was directed at somewhere near her shoulder instead of her face. He was usually very careful about things like looking people in the eyes when addressing them.
Marth dropped his smile and let his eyes wander from Zelda's bewildered face to Link's highly displeased one. In a way it was lifting his spirits to see the Hylian hero angry. He had such a heated temper that it was impossible not to tease him, besides he deserved it the way he could not keep his hands away from a lady.
Marth glared at Link's arm and silently praised Zelda for having the good taste to wear golden shoulder pieces. At the range of his vision he noticed Roy, who had been silent because he had brought an extra sandwich from the breakfast table, cringe uneasily. The general must have guessed that the friendly mood was about to be ruined. Well, essentially it was Link's fault for being all over Zelda. Roy could amuse himself with Peach if he was desperate for some friendliness.
"Hey," Roy exclaimed before Marth could do anything and laughed nervously. Marth gave him a cold stare. "Did you hear Falco mention that Fox will have a match today?"
"Yes, but it really is time for this event to get started," Zelda said.
"It is?" Peach gasped.
"Now when I think about it, there should be about two weeks since we got here," Samus said and peered at Falcon who confirmed what she said with a nod.
"Boy, when you think about it we don't really know all that much," Roy went on with a panicked grin and a glance at Marth.
"We can easily access a schedule and no matter how you look at it this will be the first day for the first match."
Marth's monotone voice sliced into the conversation. It felt quite embarrassing to say anything after such a remark, especially since the prince stared straight at Zelda when speaking and treated them all like air, if even that. He had not left a single opening for anyone but her to join in the conversation.
"Yes, but I guess that we have been quite busy, going swimming and whatnot," Zelda said.
"You did not forget," Marth said smoothly and Link clamped his teeth.
Zelda hesitated. "No, but I have not been quite as busy."
Marth shrugged and let it go. "There should be about 300 single matches."
"And 78 team matches."
"With chosen teammates," Mart added. "Let us not forget that we are to participate in yet 12 team matches each, where we are to cooperate with randomly selected partners. That will add another 78 team matches."
Samus, Captain Falcon and Link all listened to the conversation with mild interest. How rude to speak to Zelda only. It could not mean anything else than that they were lower than trash to Marth and none of them were willing to be looked down on.
Roy sighed and silently wondered why Marth, who was far from stupid, could not be a bit more careful when he was surrounded by three people who clearly gave of a vibe of wanting to throw him into a snake pit.
As things were, Roy was thankful for Peach's optimism. At least she seemed not to mind Marth's behavior, she even appeared to be enjoying that Marth cared about Zelda only. He had to admit that he had a soft spot for cheerful people like her.
"Princess Peach, did you say that Fox is going to be fighting in the very first match? That is quite an honor," Roy said cheerfully and turned to Peach. His gratefulness to her had caused her good mood to rub off on him.
"Yes, but I only know that since I overheard Falco mention it, as I said earlier. I have no idea who his opponent is."
"I know," Zelda cut in and faced away from Marth. The prince nonchalantly chose to glare at Link's arm, still placed where it should not be, when Zelda's focus was no longer on him. The hero could clearly not take a hint. Making Zelda act like Link was not there by pulling her into a private conversation had not had any effect whatsoever on him or his persistent arm. Marth wondered if he would he have to go as far as to use vulgar means to make him able to at least guess? Lowlifes like the imbecile could be so terribly troublesome. Marth did not know how much longer he could stand being in this dreadful company.
"Weren't the fighters chosen randomly?" Samus said to which Zelda shook her head.
"Basically you are correct but the first match is different due to its importance."
"Seems logical," Link said, being sick of having nothing to say. He did not mind all too much being left out of the conversation. It was his own fault for not looking into the competition more thoroughly, but Marth was getting on his nerves. The prince was sitting too close to Zelda, their thighs nearly touching and it was distracting no matter how you looked at it. Perhaps if he got himself a bit more involved he could ignore the annoyance.
That prince put on such an innocent image in front of Zelda and then he had to ogle her the second she turned away, or find something to glare at. Link would have to say that he was quite surprised that Peach had not pointed Marth out to be the pervert (life sure was unfair). He was certain that Marth was just waiting for an opportunity to do something lecherous. It was clear as day from his unexpressive face. Instead of forgetting about it, it made him want to do something impulsive, like wrapping his arms around the princess or, preferably, punch Marth so that his silly tiara flew off his head. He would just have to settle for a hand on her shoulder, at least that made his intensions clear and kept Marth from doing the same. Where else could the prince put his hand without crossing the line?
A little bit longer like this and Marth would surely retreat and walk away.
"It is important that the first match draws a lot of attention to the Super Smash Brothers," Zelda explained to Peach. "Mario was the obvious choice to stir attention. Hence he is Fox's opponent. Fox was chosen because of the probability he contributes to bring out the best sides of Mario in battle. For example, their height and strength are similar but their strategies and origins differentiate greatly."
"Mario?" Peach repeated. Her face lit up and she practically glowed with pride at the mention of his name.
"You know a lot, Zelda," Roy said and tore his eyes away from Peach who really looked her best when excited. He enjoyed her company, she possessed a personality he was fond of, but he would rather not think of her as adorable which was quite hard at the moment. Zelda had a more calming effect.
Zelda barely prevented herself from flinching. She scolded herself for being careless. If there was one thing none could be allowed to know it was that she had sponsored the competition. If she strutted around spreading inside information it would probably look suspicious even to people who were less gifted. She glanced at Samus, who she considered to be the most perceptive one. Sadly, her suit made it quite impossible to guess her thoughts.
"You have even looked into their fighting patterns? You are also a new Smasher, right, so you wouldn't know from before?" Roy went on. His face still had a boyish roundness, he was not as tall as the other swordsmen and his eyes were big and a childish blue, but his gaze was sharp and cunning. Zelda would have to come up with a good excuse, preferably without twisting the facts too much.
"That is because of Link entering last year," Zelda said lightheartedly. "I made sure never to miss anything about the Super Smash Brothers."
"I must have bored her to tears with all my stories from here too," Link joked.
"Yes."
Everybody looked at Marth but he was staring away from them and did not show the slightest hint of having said anything. They all decided to themselves that they must have imagined him speaking.
"I could never be bored with you, Link," Zelda laughed to make sure that there would be no awkward silence to ruin the otherwise perfect moment. She smiled at her hero who bashfully beamed back at her with a feeling that he would not be able to get a word out if he tried.
That was when Marth's hand was forcefully placed on Zelda's leg.
The quick movement, the sound, even Peach looked abashed and joined in the staring at Marth's blue gauntlet. Zelda felt her skin go hot under the fabric that was under the pressure of his fingers. What little color she had drained from her face. Before her eyes could move from his hand to his face, before anyone could react, Link jumped up from the sofa, his face beet red. The next instant his fingers locked around Marth's wrist and pulled him to a standing position.
Marth focused on his own trapped wrist. If not for his gauntlets, he could feel that there was enough strength behind to give him bruises. His gaze moved to Link. Not that this doofus appeared to be aware of his own power.
Samus and Captain Falcon were finally able to react and rose as well while Roy cautiously watched from his armchair and Peach hesitantly pulled up her feet to curl up in hers.
"You're crossing the line, Prince," Link said, his voice and octave lower, and flung Marth away from himself. Samus resisted her will to rush to the Hylian's side. If Link was angry his voice was usually loud, not low. She checked that Falcon would not leave her side and held her breath for whatever was to follow.
Marth made and attempt to approach Zelda again but Link frantically leap at him and grabbed him by the collar. The prince tried to lean back in his uncomfortable position, taking in the sight of Link's blushing face and the distraught in his fierce eyes. The trembles from his hands radiated through Marth who disdainfully smirked at him and flicked his hands away in a manner that made it quite clear that he did not want to be touched by him.
"Her shoulders were taken," Marth coolly explained and fixed the collar of his baby blue shirt with its golden rims. Link cursed and flung at him again while both of the bounty hunters advanced on the two fighters. Peach gasped and weakly told them to stop it.
"You are in no position to judge me," Marth said and pushed Link away. "You do not put your hand on a lady. There are no compromises to this rule. If you so touch her hand it will be equally indecent to touching her leg, which I have exemplified to you simpletons," Marth scoffed and was once again grabbed by Link and held at his mercy.
"Marth!"
Zelda stood up, her authoritative voice ringing through the tumult and quieting it down. She was composed, perhaps a bit too much so, which clashed with her snow-white complexion. There was an imminent feeling that she could all of a sudden drop to the floor.
Marth wriggled a bit, not quite enjoying the impact on his neck from his clothing being pulled against his skin due to Link's grip. Not to mention the difficulty it gave him to breathe. But to spite Link, and not lose face in front of everybody, he acted unaffected.
"Yes, Princess Zelda?"
Marth guessed that he would have been thrown to the floor if Link had not been in such a surprisingly sunny mood this beautiful day.
Everybody waited for Zelda's continuation. Marth could see that her mind worked fervently. There was an absence of soul in her unfocused eyes, a dullness of color and a strange feverish shimmer. Apart from that she was still unnaturally motionless. If he were to guess he would say that either she wanted an explanation from him, which he doubted he could grant her, or she would make a cute face and say that he had misunderstood the imbecile's intentions. Unless she wanted him to plead for her forgiveness, which he would not, or lecture both him and the imbecile for their childish behavior.
"I do not mind Link holding me like that," Zelda said and grabbed the sleeve of Link's green tunic. When she made contact with him, Marth could feel the grip on him loosen on reflex. The hero's rage was bleared in an attempt to resist seeping away due to the princess. "He has stayed with me through more than what is comprehensible to those who have not lived through it themselves. He is my closest friend and I would never even suspect a trace of indecency in his actions."
Marth smirked at Link's reddening face. It was the only way to handle Zelda's poor understanding of the situation. Although he had to wonder what the next step would be. If she was fine with the imbecile being all over her but not him, then what would happen next? It was not like he had decided to touch her leg on purpose either and he knew that Zelda was well dressed. He was aware of her wearing stockings underneath her dress. That was two layers of fabric. Neither had he felt her up or disgraced the two of them in that way.
"There is no need for you to exemplify his rudeness, because there is none," Zelda finished and tugged at Link's sleeve which left the Hylian hero with no other choice than to let go of Marth. As for Marth, he could take a hint. Don't touch me again. That was it, wasn't it?
"As long as he does not cross the line which I have drawn, I will not exemplify his rudeness." That was what Marth felt like replying but he would have to settle for silence in this case. Regardless of his shameless candor, he was not ignorant to there being two ferocious bounty hunters in the background, ready to join Link in a relaxing afternoon massacre. He doubted that Roy would rush to his aid as well and Peach was not even included in the calculation.
"I shan't doubt your intensions either, Prince Marth," Zelda added and Link twisted his face away so that she would not see the look on his face. Marth peered at the people surrounding them. There was no use to try to decipher Falcon or Samus's opinion, Peach appeared to be on the edge of her seat and Roy was currently behind him and it would be awkward to turn around to look at him.
Marth was happy, in his own way, to see that Zelda was recovering from his sudden move. The one who was most unsettled now was… the imbecile.
"Then all is well," Marth said and put his arm around Zelda's shoulders, gently pulling her away from Link. Immediately the crimson color that had begun to fade returned to Link's cheeks.
Roy sighed when the argument started over. His sandwich was finished and no matter how much he enjoyed a good fight it was quite useless have one over something this unnecessary. He rose and rubbed off some of the crumbs left on his hands against his clothing. Peach was the only one who noticed him leave and she trotted after him in a hurry. Marth was having the upper hand in this argument so she allowed herself to go after Roy. The ruckus was beginning to exhaust her as well.
Peach caught up with Roy just outside the door to the garden. A red toy ball had rolled up to the general and been stopped in its track by his legs. Pikachu came up to Roy about the same moment as Peach did and the Pokémon possessively headed for the red ball that Roy was about to pick up.
"Yours?" Roy asked and spun the ball on the tip of his index finger.
"Chu," Pikachu confirmed, looking about as happy about Roy being in possession of his ball as Link would have if Marth had carried around Zelda in his arms.
Roy did not pick up on the Pokémon's dislike and could not resist trying to dribble a little since ball sports were not too common where he was from. When the ball bounced back up Peach's gloved hands showed up out of nowhere and grabbed it before him. Struck by shock that he had not been able to react and keep the ball, Roy could only stare at Peach kneeling down and handing Pikachu the ball back.
"Why don't you play outside? There is more space and some fresh air will do you good," she said sweetly and Pikachu was unable to resist her consider suggestion.
Peach felt someone watching her and looked up at Roy who was staring down at her. They were usually on the same level of thinking but when their eyes met that feeling was amiss. He looked unlike himself, like a disguise had been thrown off. She must have looked surprised because he closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his untidy red hair. His cape almost brushed her when he turned around and exited without waiting for them.
"Roy, wait for us," Peach exclaimed and ran as fast as her pink stilettos would allow her. Roy strode amazingly fast considering his short legs and every third step Peach took, the red ball rolled past her, slowed down, she passed it, Pikachu pushed it past her yet again and the cycle repeated itself. Roy began to realize that it was futile to escape and slumped down with his back against one of the many trees.
The general scrutinized the princess that came to a halt before him. She bent over, shaking her smiling face and putting a hand on her chest. The rhythm of her heart stabilized itself as her bosom rose and fell under his gaze.
"You're fast," she said and grinningly tried to fix her posture.
"So are you," he replied, thinking back to how she had snatched the ball from him. Peach plumped down beside him and hugged her knees. She looked very much like a nymph of some sort when she rested her head against her arms and gazed curiously at him. He swallowed.
Then Roy noticed Pikachu and although it was quite hard to read a Pokémon's emotions at times he got a clear vibe of mocking from the electric rat. He responded with a mischievous smile, snatched the red ball and threw it away. Pikachu immediately darted after it, the straws of grass barely trembling as he swished past.
"Do you like animals?"
Roy froze at the sound of Peach voice. He sheepishly turned to face the girl who he had forgotten was in his company.
"Yeah, I kind of like them."
"I thought so," she chirped. "You know, this might seem strange, but I always had this image of you being a great family man."
Roy had to say that her words surprised him. He was used to being called brash, childish, boyish, youthful and fiery, nothing like how one would envision a father to be. In truth he was since long tired of people having preconceptions about him because of his looks. The wind ruffled a few green leaves above them.
"Remember our baby?"
He had to think for a moment.
"Oh, the bus. Yes."
"It was fun. You seemed so sure of how to act."
"I've had a good teacher," he replied with an enigmatic smile. Pikachu returned with the ball and Roy instinctually pressed his back against the tree trunk at the sight of the approaching electric monster, fearing payback had arrived. Surprisingly, Pikachu left the ball next to Roy and impatiently puffed his nose against Roy's leg.
"Pikachu."
Roy hesitantly threw the ball again and Pikachu happily set off.
"I can just imagine you with a pretty wife, wild children and a big shaggy dog," Peach mumbled.
Roy grinned awkwardly, wondering how the dog got in the picture. Peach moved a little next to him, her body brushing against his. The soft fabric of her dress felt as though it was iron ripping through his clothes. Her upper arm, one of the few spots of naked skin, touched his elbow.
"I was thinking how much I would want us to do something like that again," Peach went on and blinked drowsily at the green crown above them.
"Go swimming?"
She smiled and tilted over. Peach's thick hair spread over his shoulder, tickled his neck, drowned him in a sickly sweet scent. Roy cringed and tried to get a view of her face, noticing that her eyes were closed.
"Princess Peach?" Roy said, trying to mimic the paternal voice he had used during their game. He cleared his throat, listening to her steady breathing and the quiet sound of the breeze playing with the tree leaves. "It must be the heat," Roy added and put a hand on her head. His fingers sunk into her silky hair while her weight relied on him more and more. She was asleep.
The shade of the tree made the temperature pleasant, but the hot air had Roy sweat nonetheless. He put a hand on Peach's forehead to make sure it was not heatstroke and leant his head on hers when he found that his fingertips were warm in comparison. He sighed and let himself be soothed by the serenity around him, the gentle sounds of nature in rhythm with Peach's breaths lulling him to sleep.
"Roy!"
Roy squinted at the blurry figure and gritted his teeth at the sudden throbbing headache from being shaken violently. He could barely make out the image of Peach before him which brought back the memory of the moment before he had fallen asleep.
"I'm sorry," he exclaimed and grabbed her wrists, feeling the headache slowly starting to fade once she could not shake him anymore. It was first when everything stopped spinning that he noticed her hands trembling.
"No, I'm sorry. I was the one who fell asleep first," Peach said apologetically, her sad eyes appearing to be ten sizes bigger than usual when looking into his. He instinctually let go of her, resisting the feeling of being pulled in. If he thought back more carefully he had a vague feeling that she had fallen asleep first but he had thought that she was upset about waking up and finding him leaning on her.
"What time is it?" Peach blurted out. He was still a bit groggy, sleepily noting that she seemed a bit jumpy. His gaze trailed the house wall towards the sky while he tried to sort out an answer to her question but Peach had no patience to wait for him to find it. She desperately grabbed his cape, since his breastplate would not allow her to conveniently grab his shirt. "When was Mario's match going to start?"
That was all? He had begun to worry and she was trembling, pleading and doing puppy dog eyes over a match? He pressed his palm against his forehead and fell back, but surprisingly Peach's grip stubbornly held him upright and her eyes narrowed on him.
"I can't miss is. I don't know what I'll do if I miss it," Peach cried and freed a hand in which she raised her frying pan. Roy, who sensed his doom was near, fervently tried to scientifically explain why Peach would bring her frying pan to this place and where she had hidden it. She swung it in a horizontal half circle, pretty gracefully Roy had to admit, and chunks of bark splattered from the tree trunk they had peacefully used to support their backs earlier.
"I am sure it has not started yet," Roy tried to console her. It was hard not to imagine parts of his brain in place of the bark on the ground around them but if a lady was in need you had to put off your fears to some other time. He put an arm around her to help her get to her feet, unintentionally feeling how perfectly her dress tightly hugged her waist.
"I think you're right, Roy, thank you," Peach said with a face that made you doubt she could hurt a fly. Roy checked the ground to see if the bark was still there, which it naturally was.
"No problem," he said, basking in her appreciation, then added: "Just don't overstrain yourself for Mario," as to which she frowned with a mix of reluctance and bewilderment. "Otherwise I'm afraid our baby will suspect that we'll get a divorce and you know how stressful that can be for a child."
She giggled and bumped against him playfully, the frying pan in her hand swinging at her side. "I'm not the kind of girl that would pursue other men."
Roy spotted the glass doors and removed his arm that he previously had been unable to pull back from Peach's midsection. He fastened his pace, which seemed to stir her flowery scent, and theatrically opened the door for her with a deep bow and a lot of twirling with his free hand.
"Hello, has the match started yet?" Peach chirped when she entered and held her frying pan like a bouquet of flowers in front of her. Roy closed the door and then found a room filled with people staring at them like aliens from a distant planet.
"The match ended a looong time ago," Bowser helpfully informed from where he was sitting on the carpet in front of the TV. He turned back to watch the documentary that was on and flinched at the loud clank from Peach's frying pan hitting the floor. It echoed away into silence, without Peach tearfully apologizing or crawling on the floor to see if it had been damaged.
Roy dared not to look at her face when he saw the other distressed expressions the Smashers made. He anxiously waved a hand in front of her face but Peach did not move a muscle. The eerie silence and hesitant glances made Roy feel at complete loss of what to do. He gazed at the back of Peach's unmoving frame, feeling himself go numb in the process, when Bowser awkwardly stood and trotted over to the princess.
"Eh, Peach?" he said, sounding gruff even when he tried to be considerate. He gently tapped her shoulder with one of his claws, humbly putting as much distance as was possible between them. He clicked his tongue and wrinkled his big nose, fighting off his own reluctance before he spoke again. "If it makes you feel any better, he won. Not that he deserved it."
Tears began to form in Peach's eyes.
"I'm just kidding," Bowser fearfully exclaimed and jumped away from her like a scared cat. It did not stop her tears. They fell down her cheeks, she twisted her face into a grimace in an attempt to hold them back but her effort only made her break out into choked sobs that made every present person want to shy away from the sight, crouch up on the floor and cover their ears.
"I didn't do nuthing!" Bowser cried, waving frantically at the mass of people, somehow thinking he was the center of attention. A grunting noise was heard from Ganondorf.
Bowser kept claiming his innocence until Samus punched him in the gut, which hurt quite a deal despite the hard shell. He doubled over, digging his sharp teeth into his own tongue to stop himself from wailing. He did have his dignity.
Samus knelt down and patted Peach's shoulder in what was supposed to be a consoling manner. Captain Falcon eyed the small shoulder like it would break from the impact but kept his distance like everyone else. This soft side of Samus was nothing you saw very often either and truthfully he was eager to see if it would end in a fiasco, based on previous experiences with Samus's temper.
"Now you listen here," Samus said firmly. "You didn't miss anything because that match was hardly worth watching." She looked sideways and added under her breath: "Bet the Noki and the Hands are crying together right at this moment."
Peach removed her hands from her eyes and the fountain of water that had left them turned into a flood.
"You really don't have to cry," Samus said, the smallest of trembles disrupting her voice. A raspy sound was heard from her suit when she inhaled and then she put a hand on Peach's shoulder. "We're here to tell you everything." Peach began to cry even harder. "They fought at the Pokémon Stadium and a few of us went to sit in the audience." Peach cried waterfalls. "But most stayed to watch it on TV, although I don't think anyone recorded it." Falcon raised his eyebrows. Not even Link was that tactless. "Fox started out well, getting a few swift kicks in but he lost in the end."
"Details," Roy cut in, curiosity taking over. He felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed Samus's eyes on him from behind the visor.
"I want to hear about Mario's match," Peach sobbed, her bottom lip trembling at Samus.
"No, you don't," Samus said.
"Yes, I do," Peach insisted with a voice that nearly cracked.
"Mario managed to block the next rain of kicks, pushed Fox back but that sneaky little Fox ran straight at him faster than he could react," Samus told them obediently.
"That's when Samus shouted a few encouraging words to Mario," Falcon interrupted, slowly walking up behind Samus with his hands locked behind his back and a very amused smile on his face. Samus could not see him but all of a sudden she felt very annoyed.
"We don't have to go into that much detail," Samus snapped, her grip on Peach's shoulder hardening.
"No, I don't think it's suitable to cite you in front of the children either," Falcon teased.
"What happened after you yelled, Samus?" Peach asked, looking lovely despite her red puffy eyes. Samus bent down her head, making grunting sounds as she tried to force herself to speak but she could not bring herself to say it. Peach wondered if her friend was in pain when she saw Samus squirm like a worm on a fishing hook.
"Fox waved at him and ran off the stage," Falcon filled in. Peach tried to interpret the meaning of what Falcon had said, wondering how Samus fit in that sentence, while discreetly tearing Samus's fingers off her shoulder. It would not do to have ugly bruises.
Captain Falcon caught sight of Samus's terrifying grip on Peach and was grabbed by a sudden will to make a run for it. He had a nagging feeling that the one who would fall victim to Samus's rage was him. Perhaps there was still time to smooth it over? "So you can't really blame him for hesitating to tell you. Sure, it's nice that Fox is friendly but I would not have liked him to give me a wave like that, or grin at me like that while falling into the abyss." He shivered in disgust. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up?"
"Idiot," Samus said, standing up at the speed of a lightning bolt. Her voice was barely recognizable and Falcon was suddenly overcome by a strange desire to go camping in the mountains. She slowly turned around and the captain subconsciously took a step back. "Maybe you shouldn't have brought it up?" Samus parroted with a voice deeper than Falcon's own. He could feel the saliva gathering in his mouth but refused to swallow.
"Yeah," he said. "Just in case you were embarrassed."
Perhaps she had been having trouble telling Peach that Mario, who had just begun to get warmed up, had ended up with an unworthy win because of the flirtatious Fox not keeping his eyes on his feet. That was very different though from Captain Falcon's belief that she in a macho moment had been overcome by homophobia and unable to, as a man, tell the pretty girl in front of her how Fox had lost.
Samus angrily attacked the racer, who was lucky to block the first punch and unlucky to be hit by the second, while Peach began to cry again. Roy took a few deep breaths and made a few feeble tries to soothe the princess while Samus and Captain Falcon were having a wrestling match on the sofa.
The Noki chose that moment to come waggling down the stairs, looking around at the many people backed up against the walls of the living room, the crying Peach, the fighting bounty hunters, Bowser cheering Falcon on and Ganondorf who just left with a headshake.
The little creature cleared his voice and spoke, without really letting anybody calm down. "My, my, now when the matches have started it really looks like we all need to get to know each other."
Nana, who was currently holding hands with Popo due to the unsettling feeling in the air, leant closer to Ness on her other side. "Wasn't that why we went swimming?"
Samus stopped her abuse of Falcon and Roy carried Peach over to the Noki, bridal style, to listen. Only Bowser kept making noise about how Samus was a wuss for letting Falcon off the hook.
"Well, then," the Noki said slowly, looking at the many faces around him. There were a few Smashers missing, Mario and the Hyruleans among others, but it was not certain that the Noki noticed. People were beginning to wonder whether he was deaf as well, judging by his obliviousness to Bowser's loud complaints. "I know just how we will make you get along, although you two already seem to know each other pretty well," he went on and pointed at Captain Falcon and Samus who had not been having a fight serious enough to prevent them from standing next to each other. "But we really can't have people like you making others cry," the Noki finally added and scowled at Roy who still held the puffy eyed Peach in his arms.
"Wha-"
"What was your idea?" Nana asked and felt confident enough to let go of Popo, but her companion did not feel safe enough to let go of her yet.
"Oh, right, you should all sleep here tonight."
"Here?" Popo repeated and then silently mouthed the word over and over.
"Yes, you can take your own mattresses and pillows… although I think that there are a few sleeping bags in a closet somewhere."
"Wait, we can't sleep here. What about the girls?" Roy inquired and put Peach down with blushing cheeks, letting the earlier false accusation slide. The Noki stared at him like he had just spoken Greek and then turned to Popo.
"You want to have a sleepover, yes?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Then it's settled."
Roy was about to protest again when Peach clasped her hands together. The crying seemed to have made her a bit weary but as long as her spirit was present she could pull through.
"I can use this to make up with Mario! It's settled."
Roy did not want to know how she was intending to make up with her beloved plumber.
I have reached an impasse! It is probably easy to tell if one looks at the uneventful fight between Link and Marth which really is just repeating things. I got a bit sidetracked, trying desperately to think of some kind of plot (just a small one) to bring the story forward a bit. I have plenty of ideas, that is not the problem, but they cannot take place yet.
Now for some basic math (just to check that I have not made a mistake). Everybody (25 Smashers) will face off in single matches against everybody. That makes 24 plus 23 plus 22 plus 21 matches and so on. Then there will be team matches (13 teams) (the same way of counting but starting from 12) and random team matches where each individual will fight 12 matches (which makes 12 matches times 26 people divided by 4 people per match). Popo and Nana will have to split up during the team matches because of Zelda choosing to participate and thus making the Smashers an odd number.
Puh.
Thank you for the lovely reviews. It is really amazing how a few written words can keep you going. I am so happy that the two Links are being supported (that way I can switch sides and work a lot on Marth 'smiles evilly'). No, seriously, I am happy if I have been able to tone Link down a bit… seeing how much trouble I am having with him. Thank you so, so much for telling me your opinion.
Thank you for reading.
Review?