Chapter 2: Link
It was late in the afternoon. Link opened the door to the inn and entered the building. He had walked through the town the whole day and didn't find anyone to spar with. When it started to rain, he decided to go back to the inn he had a room in. He was cold, wet, tired and in a bad mood. There was no one in the inn. Link sat down on the chair closest to the door. A mushroom-like guy walked towards him. He was the inn-keeper and his name was Toad. "Some weather we're having, don't you agree?" he said with a tiny voice which matched his appearance. Link took his cap from his head and wrong it out. "You can say that again." "Have you found any competitors yet?" Link shook his head. "Besides Fox, no one." Toad's look revealed he was sorry for Link. "Can I get you something?" Link nodded. "I'm starving. Something to eat and I could use a beer as well." Toad nodded. "Coming up." He walked to the kitchen, but suddenly stopped and turned around. "Fox was with someone early this afternoon. She could be another contester." Link looked at Toad with a strange look on his face. "She? You mean Samus?" Toad shook his little head. "No. She was a very pretty Hylian." Link sat up straight. "A Hylian? Great!" Toad nodded and walked to the kitchen. Link put his cap back on his head. He wanted to lie back against the back of the chair, but noticed his sword and shield were in the way. He always wore them on his back and was so used to them he usually forgot he wore them. He stood up and removed them. He put them next to his chair and sat back on the chair again. He waited patiently for Toad to bring him his dinner. He thought who the pretty Hylian could be. He didn't know that many people. He didn't even know how the King of Hyrule and his daughter looked like. He didn't even know their names! He didn't like busy places. He preferred some peace and quiet around him. He just loved to practice his skills with the sword and bow. He made some money by hunting Poes and by doing some bounty hunting. It was enough to keep him alive; buy food and clothes. The Smash Bros tournament was perfect for him. He would have something to do for the upcoming months. The inn existed out of two levels: The ground floor and the first floor where the rooms were located. They were connected with a wooden stairway which was mounted against the wall opposite of the entrance. It was just a small inn with a few rooms. Link and Fox were lucky to be able to check in. There had been four rooms available. Suddenly, Link felt a hand on his shoulder. "A rupee for your thoughts," Fox said with a smile. He grabbed a chair and sat down on it next to Link. "Hey, Fox," Link said, surprised. "Let me guess, you didn't find someone to fight with?" "You're right about that one, Fox. Did you had a chance to practice?" Fox nodded. "Yeah. And I believe my opponent eagerly wants to meet you." "You mean that Hylian girl Toad talked about?" Fox shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what Toad said, but she's indeed a Hylian. And a nice specimen as well..." Link chuckled. "You're making me curious, man." Fox looked at the stairs and said, "Look, there she is just now." Zelda came down the stairs in a simple, light- brown, cotton dress with short sleeves. She had combed her hair. It hung decently along her back. "Eh... Link?" Fox said slowly. Link didn't hear him. All of his attention went to the Hylian girl. He suddenly felt a poke in his side. "Link! You're mouth's open!" Fox said between his teeth. Link quickly closed it, but his attention remained with Zelda. "Din! She's beautifull..." Fox gave him a quick pat against the back of his head. "Snap out of it!" When Zelda saw Fox and Link, she walked to the table and sat on a free chair on the opposite of Link. "Zelda, this is the man I've been talking about." Zelda sticked out her hand towards Link. "Hi! I'm Zelda." Link got out of his trance and shook her hand. "I'm Link." Zelda smiled. It seemed Link didn't know who she was. More the better. She didn't like formalities that accompanied her title. "Nice name. It suits you." Link was nervous. "Yeah, you too." Fox strikingly put his hand on his face. "Forgive him, Zelda. He's a social nitwit." Link looked at Fox. "Who? Me?" Zelda put her hand on her mouth and laughed. "That's not funny, Fox," Link said. Toad put Link's dinner on the table. Link searched his pockets for money, but couldn't find it. "I know I've got some... somewhere..." Link felt incredibly embarrassed in front of Zelda. Toad crossed his arms in front of his tiny chest. Toad was a good lad, but he had to make a living. "This time, you've got to pay, Link. No more free meals." "But I promise I'll pay you when I've got the money..." There went his chances with Zelda. "No, Link. I've heard that one last year." "But I didn't won then. If I win this tournament, I'll be able to pay you everything back." Toad was about to say something when Zelda interrupted him. "I'll pay for him. I'll pay you when the tournament is over. You have my word on that one." Toad walked back to the kitchen. "I'll trust you, Zelda. But if I don't see my money at the end of the tournament, he goes to jail." Link had suddenly lost his appetite. His economic state was always in the way. He looked at the plate of food. "I'm so sorry." he said softly. He stood up, took up his weapons and left the inn. Zelda wanted to stand up and follow him, but Fox stopped her with a simple gesture of his hand. "I'll go talk to him." He stood up and exited the inn as well. Zelda remained at the table. She couldn't help but feel guilty for being a rich princess. Fox quickly looked around and found Link sitting against the wall of the inn. He looked at the sunset which was easily spotted from his point. The inn was stated on top of a hill and it rose above the other houses. Fox didn't say a word. He didn't know how to begin. "Quite the view here," Link said. Fox looked at the sunset. "Yeah." They remained silent for a while. "Link, I feel sorry for you." "What is there to be sorry about?" Fox sighed. "You pretty much screwed up with her." "Yep. But I'll get over it." Fox sat down next to him. "Why don't you show off to her? One good fight and you're even." "You've got a point there. But just look at her. She's so decent. She'll never like a tramp like me!" Fox looked at him. "You're right about that tramp part." Fox pauzed to see Link's reaction, but it didn't came. He really was down. "But she doesn't look like a girl who minds money or wealth. She offered to pay for your meal, right?" Link looked at him. "Yeah... That's true. You think it means something?" Fox sighed. "I don't know, Link. But we'll see. Let's get back inside. Your dinner is getting cold." He stood up, but Link hesitated. "I can't go back in there! I made a complete fool out of myself." Fox gave him a faint smile. "She'll forgive you. I just know it."
It was late in the afternoon. Link opened the door to the inn and entered the building. He had walked through the town the whole day and didn't find anyone to spar with. When it started to rain, he decided to go back to the inn he had a room in. He was cold, wet, tired and in a bad mood. There was no one in the inn. Link sat down on the chair closest to the door. A mushroom-like guy walked towards him. He was the inn-keeper and his name was Toad. "Some weather we're having, don't you agree?" he said with a tiny voice which matched his appearance. Link took his cap from his head and wrong it out. "You can say that again." "Have you found any competitors yet?" Link shook his head. "Besides Fox, no one." Toad's look revealed he was sorry for Link. "Can I get you something?" Link nodded. "I'm starving. Something to eat and I could use a beer as well." Toad nodded. "Coming up." He walked to the kitchen, but suddenly stopped and turned around. "Fox was with someone early this afternoon. She could be another contester." Link looked at Toad with a strange look on his face. "She? You mean Samus?" Toad shook his little head. "No. She was a very pretty Hylian." Link sat up straight. "A Hylian? Great!" Toad nodded and walked to the kitchen. Link put his cap back on his head. He wanted to lie back against the back of the chair, but noticed his sword and shield were in the way. He always wore them on his back and was so used to them he usually forgot he wore them. He stood up and removed them. He put them next to his chair and sat back on the chair again. He waited patiently for Toad to bring him his dinner. He thought who the pretty Hylian could be. He didn't know that many people. He didn't even know how the King of Hyrule and his daughter looked like. He didn't even know their names! He didn't like busy places. He preferred some peace and quiet around him. He just loved to practice his skills with the sword and bow. He made some money by hunting Poes and by doing some bounty hunting. It was enough to keep him alive; buy food and clothes. The Smash Bros tournament was perfect for him. He would have something to do for the upcoming months. The inn existed out of two levels: The ground floor and the first floor where the rooms were located. They were connected with a wooden stairway which was mounted against the wall opposite of the entrance. It was just a small inn with a few rooms. Link and Fox were lucky to be able to check in. There had been four rooms available. Suddenly, Link felt a hand on his shoulder. "A rupee for your thoughts," Fox said with a smile. He grabbed a chair and sat down on it next to Link. "Hey, Fox," Link said, surprised. "Let me guess, you didn't find someone to fight with?" "You're right about that one, Fox. Did you had a chance to practice?" Fox nodded. "Yeah. And I believe my opponent eagerly wants to meet you." "You mean that Hylian girl Toad talked about?" Fox shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what Toad said, but she's indeed a Hylian. And a nice specimen as well..." Link chuckled. "You're making me curious, man." Fox looked at the stairs and said, "Look, there she is just now." Zelda came down the stairs in a simple, light- brown, cotton dress with short sleeves. She had combed her hair. It hung decently along her back. "Eh... Link?" Fox said slowly. Link didn't hear him. All of his attention went to the Hylian girl. He suddenly felt a poke in his side. "Link! You're mouth's open!" Fox said between his teeth. Link quickly closed it, but his attention remained with Zelda. "Din! She's beautifull..." Fox gave him a quick pat against the back of his head. "Snap out of it!" When Zelda saw Fox and Link, she walked to the table and sat on a free chair on the opposite of Link. "Zelda, this is the man I've been talking about." Zelda sticked out her hand towards Link. "Hi! I'm Zelda." Link got out of his trance and shook her hand. "I'm Link." Zelda smiled. It seemed Link didn't know who she was. More the better. She didn't like formalities that accompanied her title. "Nice name. It suits you." Link was nervous. "Yeah, you too." Fox strikingly put his hand on his face. "Forgive him, Zelda. He's a social nitwit." Link looked at Fox. "Who? Me?" Zelda put her hand on her mouth and laughed. "That's not funny, Fox," Link said. Toad put Link's dinner on the table. Link searched his pockets for money, but couldn't find it. "I know I've got some... somewhere..." Link felt incredibly embarrassed in front of Zelda. Toad crossed his arms in front of his tiny chest. Toad was a good lad, but he had to make a living. "This time, you've got to pay, Link. No more free meals." "But I promise I'll pay you when I've got the money..." There went his chances with Zelda. "No, Link. I've heard that one last year." "But I didn't won then. If I win this tournament, I'll be able to pay you everything back." Toad was about to say something when Zelda interrupted him. "I'll pay for him. I'll pay you when the tournament is over. You have my word on that one." Toad walked back to the kitchen. "I'll trust you, Zelda. But if I don't see my money at the end of the tournament, he goes to jail." Link had suddenly lost his appetite. His economic state was always in the way. He looked at the plate of food. "I'm so sorry." he said softly. He stood up, took up his weapons and left the inn. Zelda wanted to stand up and follow him, but Fox stopped her with a simple gesture of his hand. "I'll go talk to him." He stood up and exited the inn as well. Zelda remained at the table. She couldn't help but feel guilty for being a rich princess. Fox quickly looked around and found Link sitting against the wall of the inn. He looked at the sunset which was easily spotted from his point. The inn was stated on top of a hill and it rose above the other houses. Fox didn't say a word. He didn't know how to begin. "Quite the view here," Link said. Fox looked at the sunset. "Yeah." They remained silent for a while. "Link, I feel sorry for you." "What is there to be sorry about?" Fox sighed. "You pretty much screwed up with her." "Yep. But I'll get over it." Fox sat down next to him. "Why don't you show off to her? One good fight and you're even." "You've got a point there. But just look at her. She's so decent. She'll never like a tramp like me!" Fox looked at him. "You're right about that tramp part." Fox pauzed to see Link's reaction, but it didn't came. He really was down. "But she doesn't look like a girl who minds money or wealth. She offered to pay for your meal, right?" Link looked at him. "Yeah... That's true. You think it means something?" Fox sighed. "I don't know, Link. But we'll see. Let's get back inside. Your dinner is getting cold." He stood up, but Link hesitated. "I can't go back in there! I made a complete fool out of myself." Fox gave him a faint smile. "She'll forgive you. I just know it."