Chapter 9: Registration
Zelda threw the knife at Link with deadly accuracy. Link quickly used his shield to block the weapon. It fell soundly on the ground. "Nice shot, Zelda! You must have practiced this more." Zelda smiled a bit uneasy. "I used to do that when I was a kid. My father forbid me to do it, but it helped to eliminate the boredom of the castle." The two stood outside the town. Zelda was wearing her Sheikah suit, but without the mask. That afternoon, all the contesters would have to register for the tournament. It was almost time. Fox wasn't up yet. He had been drinking with his friends somewhere. Link didn't know where, but he suspected Fox had a serious hangover. Donkey had spent most of his time with Diddy. All the relatives of the contesters stayed in another village. That had also been the explenation for the fact that Zelda's friends had come on horseback. They stayed in a village not far from the one she was in. "If you pack some knifes, I think you stand more than a good chance, your Highness." Zelda walked towards him. "Don't call me that, Link. You know I hate it." Link picked up the knife and handed it over to her. "I believe this is yours." Zelda took the object from him. "Together, we'll kick their tails!" Link said, optimistic. "I hope so, Link. But are you sure you want me to fight with you in a team? I can be nothing but an obstruction to you." "Backing away, now are we? This afternoon, we are going to the town hall and registrate ourselves for the team battles and the free-for-all's. Do you have a problem with that?" he said threatening, yet with a smile that revealed he was only joking. All the towns and cities around Mushroom Kingdom held the registries in the town halls. A LOT of contesters were expected. Not just the champions of the year before, but EVERYONE could enlist. But one had to be really good to beat fighters like Captain Falcon, Mario or Yoshi. Zelda wasn't good enough to beat those guys in a one-on-one because she wasn't confident enough. But Link knew that if she would win a few team battles, she would be confident enough to fight in the free-for- all's. Link looked at the clock on the tower which rised high above the town. He pointed his thumb in the direction of the town. "Shall we go, your Majesty?" Zelda looked at him with a mean smile. "If you call me like that one more time, I'll... give you a kiss!" "Oh Din, no! Please don't do that to me! I'll never say it again." Link teased. "Just move, peasant." Zelda said at a spoiled tone. Link didn't want to continue with their little argument, so he took her hand in his as they walked back to the town. The two Hylians took their time to get to the town hall. Once they were there, and entered, they saw Donkey and Fox waiting. Donkey looked up as soon as he saw the two entering the town hall. "Hey! What took you so long?" he said as he walked towards them. Fox slowly followed Donkey, not willing to do anything to provoke his hangover. "We've already registered ourselves," Donkey said enthusiastically. "It's easier than last year. You just get a form over there and after you filled it out, you put it in the box over there." Donkey waved his arms and pointed at different locations in the town hall during his words, in order to put the emphasise on his explanation. "I'll get a form, Link," Zelda said as she walked past Donkey Kong. Link walked towards Fox and patted him on his shoulder. "Did you had a though night yesterday, or is it just me?" Link said sarcastically. "I just had a couple of drinks, okay?" Fox explained, a bit irritated. "A couple!?! Then I don't want to know what 'a lot' means in your vocabulary." "Just a few cups of coffee and I'm back to normal," Fox said softly. Link crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Just a few days before the tournament. Are you sure you can get there sober?" he said, trying to remain as serious as possible with his sarcastic statements. "Yeah, yeah. Make fun of me. But I'd like to see you after a few Lylatan beers. I had forgotten how strong that stuff really is," Fox said as he again felt his painful head. "Can I get the registry-forms here?" Zelda asked the man behind the counter. Apparently, he was Human. Probably one of the organizers. The man thought Zelda's innocent appearance was reason enough for a joke. "For who?" he asked shortly. Zelda thought it was a bit of an odd question. "Well, for Link and me." The man leaned on the counter using one arm as he hung a bit forward. "You?" Zelda felt a bit embarrassed and became uncomfortable. "Is there something wrong about me?" The man chuckled. "Lady, I've seen fighters come and go, and I can tell you, that you don't stand a chance. You're too young and it looks like you don't have any combat experience." "But... but Link said..." The man interrupted her. "Link is a good fighter, but he just says that to be polite. Let me guess, you fought him and he let you win?" Zelda swallowed and nodded. "Why don't you just go home and do whatever you do, and leave the fighting to those who can do it. It could save you an embarrassment." Zelda carefully shook her head. "No. I'm going to fight and I'm going to win." "Sure," the man said as Link joined Zelda at the counter. "What's up?" he said. "He thinks I can't compete the other fighters and he doesn't want to give me the forms." Zelda said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Link grinned as he pointed a finger at the man. "You're very lucky, you know that." The man frowned a bit. "And why is that?" "Well, she could have beaten you up, but she is a very nice girl, so she decided to spare your life." "She? Beat me up?" the man said, mean. Link placed both his hands on the counter. "YES!! NOW GIVE US THE BLOODY FORMS!!" The man immediately grabbed a pair of forms from under the counter and handed them over to Link. Link gave one to Zelda and they both completed the form. They put them in the box and rejoined Donkey and Fox. "I really felt embarrassed, Link." Zelda said softly. "Don't be. He did that last year as well, but I don't see him or his big mouth fighting in the tournament." "You can show them what you've got in two days." Donkey said as the four walked outside. "Yep. The big day is approaching." Link said enthusiastically.
Zelda threw the knife at Link with deadly accuracy. Link quickly used his shield to block the weapon. It fell soundly on the ground. "Nice shot, Zelda! You must have practiced this more." Zelda smiled a bit uneasy. "I used to do that when I was a kid. My father forbid me to do it, but it helped to eliminate the boredom of the castle." The two stood outside the town. Zelda was wearing her Sheikah suit, but without the mask. That afternoon, all the contesters would have to register for the tournament. It was almost time. Fox wasn't up yet. He had been drinking with his friends somewhere. Link didn't know where, but he suspected Fox had a serious hangover. Donkey had spent most of his time with Diddy. All the relatives of the contesters stayed in another village. That had also been the explenation for the fact that Zelda's friends had come on horseback. They stayed in a village not far from the one she was in. "If you pack some knifes, I think you stand more than a good chance, your Highness." Zelda walked towards him. "Don't call me that, Link. You know I hate it." Link picked up the knife and handed it over to her. "I believe this is yours." Zelda took the object from him. "Together, we'll kick their tails!" Link said, optimistic. "I hope so, Link. But are you sure you want me to fight with you in a team? I can be nothing but an obstruction to you." "Backing away, now are we? This afternoon, we are going to the town hall and registrate ourselves for the team battles and the free-for-all's. Do you have a problem with that?" he said threatening, yet with a smile that revealed he was only joking. All the towns and cities around Mushroom Kingdom held the registries in the town halls. A LOT of contesters were expected. Not just the champions of the year before, but EVERYONE could enlist. But one had to be really good to beat fighters like Captain Falcon, Mario or Yoshi. Zelda wasn't good enough to beat those guys in a one-on-one because she wasn't confident enough. But Link knew that if she would win a few team battles, she would be confident enough to fight in the free-for- all's. Link looked at the clock on the tower which rised high above the town. He pointed his thumb in the direction of the town. "Shall we go, your Majesty?" Zelda looked at him with a mean smile. "If you call me like that one more time, I'll... give you a kiss!" "Oh Din, no! Please don't do that to me! I'll never say it again." Link teased. "Just move, peasant." Zelda said at a spoiled tone. Link didn't want to continue with their little argument, so he took her hand in his as they walked back to the town. The two Hylians took their time to get to the town hall. Once they were there, and entered, they saw Donkey and Fox waiting. Donkey looked up as soon as he saw the two entering the town hall. "Hey! What took you so long?" he said as he walked towards them. Fox slowly followed Donkey, not willing to do anything to provoke his hangover. "We've already registered ourselves," Donkey said enthusiastically. "It's easier than last year. You just get a form over there and after you filled it out, you put it in the box over there." Donkey waved his arms and pointed at different locations in the town hall during his words, in order to put the emphasise on his explanation. "I'll get a form, Link," Zelda said as she walked past Donkey Kong. Link walked towards Fox and patted him on his shoulder. "Did you had a though night yesterday, or is it just me?" Link said sarcastically. "I just had a couple of drinks, okay?" Fox explained, a bit irritated. "A couple!?! Then I don't want to know what 'a lot' means in your vocabulary." "Just a few cups of coffee and I'm back to normal," Fox said softly. Link crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Just a few days before the tournament. Are you sure you can get there sober?" he said, trying to remain as serious as possible with his sarcastic statements. "Yeah, yeah. Make fun of me. But I'd like to see you after a few Lylatan beers. I had forgotten how strong that stuff really is," Fox said as he again felt his painful head. "Can I get the registry-forms here?" Zelda asked the man behind the counter. Apparently, he was Human. Probably one of the organizers. The man thought Zelda's innocent appearance was reason enough for a joke. "For who?" he asked shortly. Zelda thought it was a bit of an odd question. "Well, for Link and me." The man leaned on the counter using one arm as he hung a bit forward. "You?" Zelda felt a bit embarrassed and became uncomfortable. "Is there something wrong about me?" The man chuckled. "Lady, I've seen fighters come and go, and I can tell you, that you don't stand a chance. You're too young and it looks like you don't have any combat experience." "But... but Link said..." The man interrupted her. "Link is a good fighter, but he just says that to be polite. Let me guess, you fought him and he let you win?" Zelda swallowed and nodded. "Why don't you just go home and do whatever you do, and leave the fighting to those who can do it. It could save you an embarrassment." Zelda carefully shook her head. "No. I'm going to fight and I'm going to win." "Sure," the man said as Link joined Zelda at the counter. "What's up?" he said. "He thinks I can't compete the other fighters and he doesn't want to give me the forms." Zelda said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Link grinned as he pointed a finger at the man. "You're very lucky, you know that." The man frowned a bit. "And why is that?" "Well, she could have beaten you up, but she is a very nice girl, so she decided to spare your life." "She? Beat me up?" the man said, mean. Link placed both his hands on the counter. "YES!! NOW GIVE US THE BLOODY FORMS!!" The man immediately grabbed a pair of forms from under the counter and handed them over to Link. Link gave one to Zelda and they both completed the form. They put them in the box and rejoined Donkey and Fox. "I really felt embarrassed, Link." Zelda said softly. "Don't be. He did that last year as well, but I don't see him or his big mouth fighting in the tournament." "You can show them what you've got in two days." Donkey said as the four walked outside. "Yep. The big day is approaching." Link said enthusiastically.