Chapter 3: Training mode
"Okay, Zelda. Show me what you've got." Link said to the Princess, who was on the other side of the platform. It was the morning after the problems with Link's dinner. The evening didn't went so badly for Link. Link could drink at Zelda's expenses, but he only drunk water. He didn't want her to pay for him. That was a big plus in Zelda's eyes. Zelda had asked that evening if Link wanted a spar with her. At first, he rejected the idea, but he saw Zelda really wanted it, so he had accepted the 'challenge'. Now he stood on the opposite of her. She was wearing her Sheikah suit. It kept her hair out of her face and she was able to move better in it. He gave her a wink. "Please be gentle with me." She smiled, something which was not visible under the mask. Link unsheathed his sword and readied his shield. At the sight of the weapon, Zelda startled. "You're not going to kill me, are you?" Link laughed. "No, it's like Fox's blaster. It doesn't kill in the tournament. I keep wondering how they do that. But it seems something in the atmosphere causes weapons to go into a not-killing state." The narrator walked to the side of the platform. "Ready?" Link and Zelda nodded. "Three... Two... One... GO!!" he yelled. Link and Zelda walked towards each other. Link was carefull not to attack too fast. He moved a bit to the left and right of her and waited her movements. Zelda jumped high into the air, made a back somersault and landed neatly on her feet a few meters away from Link. Wow. She knew some moves! She ran towards him and jumped high in the air. With her speed, she made a couple of flips over Link's head and landed behind him. She was so quick, Link didn't had time to turn around. With her back towards Link, she kicked backwards and hit the young man full on his back. He fell forward on his chest, but immediatly stood up again. Pain existed in the tournament, but was greatly reduced. Nobody knew how it was possible, but it just was. "Nice move, Zelda!" Link said admiring. "Why, thank you." Zelda said curtious. "Come on, Link! Show that rookie who's boss!" Fox yelled from the side of the platform. He turned to Zelda. "It's nothing personal, Zelda." Link walked towards Zelda, his chest unprotected by his shield, his sword at the ready. Zelda made a quick step towards him. Link horizontally swinged his sword towards her, but she used her hand to block his attack. With her free hand, she quickly punched him on his chest, his stomach and made, while turning her body around, an uppercut against his face. Link fell on his back, but immediatly rolled away from her and stood up. "Link, stop playing with her and finish her off!" Fox said encouragingly. "I'm not playing! She's really good!" Link assured his friend. Link didn't want to hit her. Although he knew it hurted just a little. He was affraid he couldn't bare it to see her hurt. Nonsense of course. Not that she was an easy opponent or something like that. He swallowed and ran towards her with full speed. Zelda saw him coming and kicked him at chest-hight. Link used his shield to block her kick. He made a slight jump, turned his body around in the air and kicked her on her chest with one feet at a time. He started with the leg that was closed to Zelda and ended with the other leg at the end of his turn. He landed back on his feet. When Zelda got hit by the first kick, she stumbled back a little. The second kick finished it and she fell on her back and dangerously close to the edge of the platform. A little sound of pain escaped her throat, but it was more out of surprise then that it had actually hurted her. Link bowed concerned over her. "Are you okay?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her feet under his abdomen. "Yeah, I am." she said shortly and gave a hard push with her feet. With a yell, Link flew over her, made a flip thanks to the fact that Zelda had her arms around his neck and landed on his back next to the platform. Zelda stood up as the narrator yelled, "And the winner is... ZELDA!!" Link remained lying on his back and saw an upside-down Zelda removing her mask. Fox gave Link a hand and helped him up. "That was an awfully dumb mistake, you know that?" Link sheathed his sword and hung his shield back on his back. He scratched the back of his head. "I guess so." He turned to Zelda. "You're good, Zelda. Really good." Zelda smiled. "I'm sorry for taking advantage of your concern." "Let me help you," Link said as he stretched his arms towards her. Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck as she let him lift her off the platform. Link put her down and they let go of each other. "I'm not used to fighting girls. Except for Samus. But she wore a mechanical suit and that fights a bit easier then when it was with you. But you're really good." Fox patted Link on his shoulder. "You think you can handle another fight, Hylian?" Link turned around to him. "You're challenging me? Let's make it a fight then." Fox ran to the narrator and informed him of the new fight while Link climbed onto the stage. Fox jumped on it and the narrator asked if they were ready. Link and Fox nodded. "Three... Two... One... GO!!" the narrator yelled. Link got his sword and shield from his back and ran towards Fox. Fox quickly pulled out his blaster and started to shoot at Link. Link blocked all the shots with his shield and bashed into him with his sword pointed forward. Fox fell backwards, but used his arms to immediatly get up again. He jumped towards the Hylian and kicked at him while in the air. Link avoided the barrage of kicks by rolling under Fox. Fox landed on the ground and immediatly turned around to face Link. Link already stood ready for Fox and used his shield as a weapon. He trusted the shield at Fox's neck. The top of the shield hit Fox at his neck and Link lifted the Lylatan up with his shield. Fox felt the shield in his neck as Link lifted him up. Link moved his shieldarm down and up again in one powerfull move. Fox flew up in the air. Link let the handle of his shield go and held his sword with two hands. His shield still hung at his arm at a second handle. He lifted his sword above his head and waited for Fox to return. When Fox was about to hit the ground, Link hacked down in one powerfull slash. It hit Fox full on his chest and he flew a few meters through the air with a loud yell. He landed near the edge of the platform. Link slowly walked towards him. Fox stood up with a bit of trouble. Link quickly put his sword away and grabbed Fox at his jacket. He lifted him up in the air. "You've been a bit careless, my friend." Link said as he moved his leg back. He quickly moved his leg forward again in a strong kick as he released Fox. It hit Fox hard and he flew through the air and off the platform. Link put his shield on his back as he heard the narrator. "And the winner is... LINK!!" Zelda gave Link a modest, but well meant applause. Link jumped off the platform and landed next to her. "You're amazing, Link. I've never seen anyone fight like that," Link smiled at her. He had definetly impressed her! Fox stood up and walked towards the two. "Man, you fight much better than last year. I guess I've underestimated you." He pauzed for a second. "But if you want to show off to Zelda, please don't do it by means of me again." Link and Zelda laughed. "I think we've practiced enough for today. Let's see if there's some fun around here, shall we?" Link suggested.
"Okay, Zelda. Show me what you've got." Link said to the Princess, who was on the other side of the platform. It was the morning after the problems with Link's dinner. The evening didn't went so badly for Link. Link could drink at Zelda's expenses, but he only drunk water. He didn't want her to pay for him. That was a big plus in Zelda's eyes. Zelda had asked that evening if Link wanted a spar with her. At first, he rejected the idea, but he saw Zelda really wanted it, so he had accepted the 'challenge'. Now he stood on the opposite of her. She was wearing her Sheikah suit. It kept her hair out of her face and she was able to move better in it. He gave her a wink. "Please be gentle with me." She smiled, something which was not visible under the mask. Link unsheathed his sword and readied his shield. At the sight of the weapon, Zelda startled. "You're not going to kill me, are you?" Link laughed. "No, it's like Fox's blaster. It doesn't kill in the tournament. I keep wondering how they do that. But it seems something in the atmosphere causes weapons to go into a not-killing state." The narrator walked to the side of the platform. "Ready?" Link and Zelda nodded. "Three... Two... One... GO!!" he yelled. Link and Zelda walked towards each other. Link was carefull not to attack too fast. He moved a bit to the left and right of her and waited her movements. Zelda jumped high into the air, made a back somersault and landed neatly on her feet a few meters away from Link. Wow. She knew some moves! She ran towards him and jumped high in the air. With her speed, she made a couple of flips over Link's head and landed behind him. She was so quick, Link didn't had time to turn around. With her back towards Link, she kicked backwards and hit the young man full on his back. He fell forward on his chest, but immediatly stood up again. Pain existed in the tournament, but was greatly reduced. Nobody knew how it was possible, but it just was. "Nice move, Zelda!" Link said admiring. "Why, thank you." Zelda said curtious. "Come on, Link! Show that rookie who's boss!" Fox yelled from the side of the platform. He turned to Zelda. "It's nothing personal, Zelda." Link walked towards Zelda, his chest unprotected by his shield, his sword at the ready. Zelda made a quick step towards him. Link horizontally swinged his sword towards her, but she used her hand to block his attack. With her free hand, she quickly punched him on his chest, his stomach and made, while turning her body around, an uppercut against his face. Link fell on his back, but immediatly rolled away from her and stood up. "Link, stop playing with her and finish her off!" Fox said encouragingly. "I'm not playing! She's really good!" Link assured his friend. Link didn't want to hit her. Although he knew it hurted just a little. He was affraid he couldn't bare it to see her hurt. Nonsense of course. Not that she was an easy opponent or something like that. He swallowed and ran towards her with full speed. Zelda saw him coming and kicked him at chest-hight. Link used his shield to block her kick. He made a slight jump, turned his body around in the air and kicked her on her chest with one feet at a time. He started with the leg that was closed to Zelda and ended with the other leg at the end of his turn. He landed back on his feet. When Zelda got hit by the first kick, she stumbled back a little. The second kick finished it and she fell on her back and dangerously close to the edge of the platform. A little sound of pain escaped her throat, but it was more out of surprise then that it had actually hurted her. Link bowed concerned over her. "Are you okay?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her feet under his abdomen. "Yeah, I am." she said shortly and gave a hard push with her feet. With a yell, Link flew over her, made a flip thanks to the fact that Zelda had her arms around his neck and landed on his back next to the platform. Zelda stood up as the narrator yelled, "And the winner is... ZELDA!!" Link remained lying on his back and saw an upside-down Zelda removing her mask. Fox gave Link a hand and helped him up. "That was an awfully dumb mistake, you know that?" Link sheathed his sword and hung his shield back on his back. He scratched the back of his head. "I guess so." He turned to Zelda. "You're good, Zelda. Really good." Zelda smiled. "I'm sorry for taking advantage of your concern." "Let me help you," Link said as he stretched his arms towards her. Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck as she let him lift her off the platform. Link put her down and they let go of each other. "I'm not used to fighting girls. Except for Samus. But she wore a mechanical suit and that fights a bit easier then when it was with you. But you're really good." Fox patted Link on his shoulder. "You think you can handle another fight, Hylian?" Link turned around to him. "You're challenging me? Let's make it a fight then." Fox ran to the narrator and informed him of the new fight while Link climbed onto the stage. Fox jumped on it and the narrator asked if they were ready. Link and Fox nodded. "Three... Two... One... GO!!" the narrator yelled. Link got his sword and shield from his back and ran towards Fox. Fox quickly pulled out his blaster and started to shoot at Link. Link blocked all the shots with his shield and bashed into him with his sword pointed forward. Fox fell backwards, but used his arms to immediatly get up again. He jumped towards the Hylian and kicked at him while in the air. Link avoided the barrage of kicks by rolling under Fox. Fox landed on the ground and immediatly turned around to face Link. Link already stood ready for Fox and used his shield as a weapon. He trusted the shield at Fox's neck. The top of the shield hit Fox at his neck and Link lifted the Lylatan up with his shield. Fox felt the shield in his neck as Link lifted him up. Link moved his shieldarm down and up again in one powerfull move. Fox flew up in the air. Link let the handle of his shield go and held his sword with two hands. His shield still hung at his arm at a second handle. He lifted his sword above his head and waited for Fox to return. When Fox was about to hit the ground, Link hacked down in one powerfull slash. It hit Fox full on his chest and he flew a few meters through the air with a loud yell. He landed near the edge of the platform. Link slowly walked towards him. Fox stood up with a bit of trouble. Link quickly put his sword away and grabbed Fox at his jacket. He lifted him up in the air. "You've been a bit careless, my friend." Link said as he moved his leg back. He quickly moved his leg forward again in a strong kick as he released Fox. It hit Fox hard and he flew through the air and off the platform. Link put his shield on his back as he heard the narrator. "And the winner is... LINK!!" Zelda gave Link a modest, but well meant applause. Link jumped off the platform and landed next to her. "You're amazing, Link. I've never seen anyone fight like that," Link smiled at her. He had definetly impressed her! Fox stood up and walked towards the two. "Man, you fight much better than last year. I guess I've underestimated you." He pauzed for a second. "But if you want to show off to Zelda, please don't do it by means of me again." Link and Zelda laughed. "I think we've practiced enough for today. Let's see if there's some fun around here, shall we?" Link suggested.