Chapter 10: The Tournament Commences
Whistling, Fox walked to the entrance to the town. It was a beautiful day and, above all, it was the day the tournament would start. Toad had told the four that they had to go to Peach's Castle. Fox expected that they would have to fight on those weird stages again, just like last year. Donkey, Link and he hadn't told Zelda about the possible locations of the battles. But, then again, she would find out soon enough. Fox took his time to get to the exit. He pulled out his blaster and twirled it on his finger. He was happy for Link and Zelda and he was really looking forward to the tournament. Suddenly, he felt a patting on his shoulder. "Leaving so soon?" He turned around to see three familiar faces: Link, who had tapped him on his back, Zelda and Donkey. He didn't stop his walk as the three followed him. "Well, I was just taking a walk. I'm really exited." "Shall we go to the castle, then?" Donkey asked. "Hey, that's why we're here for, right?" Link said. The castle was not too far from the village the four friends stayed in, Toad had given them directions and they decided to walk to it. Fox and Donkey were fast in their phase, but Link and Zelda dropped behind a bit. They held hands as they walked through the green and colorful land. "You're tense. Nervous?" Link said as he looked at Zelda. She simply nodded. "I haven't really been to such a big event before. You know, always locked in my golden cage..." She wore her Sheikah-suit again, her mask was tied to her belt. Link looked at the suit. She had such a wonderful figure. "Do you ever wear fancy dresses like Peach does?" "On occasion." Link smiled. "I think it's pretty cool to have a legion of servants at your disposal. You just have to snap your finger and they'll bring you food and drinks. Must be paradise..." he said dreamly. "Forget it, Link. Life as a princess really sucks. You've got to do so much and you're allowed so little. And above that, my father is a stern man..." Link stopped, still holding her hand. "Something just hit me! Isn't it custom that a princess has to marry a prince?" Zelda looked away from him and to the ground. "Yes, that is true." she said sadly. "So when we return home, it's over?" She looked at him again and swallowed. Link got the message. He tried to remain positive. "Oh well, then we still have a few months. Think about the fun we can have in those months!" Tears started to roll down the Princess's cheek. Link wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her closer. He ran his hand along her back as she sobbed at his chest. They stood there for a while. "Enjoy the time we have, Zelda." Link whispered. He knew there wasn't much that could be done. He was a tramp, she was a princess and that was a fact. He cursed his bad luck. Had he finally found a nice girl and then she turned out to be out of his reach. She looked at him, tears still in her eyes. "I hope this tournament will last forever, Link." She felt stupid. She should have never started it. She knew it wouldn't work. Link moved his hand reassuring through her long hair. "Let's make it a good one, then." She smiled at him and wiped away her tears with her hand. "I guess that's the best thing to do," she said, assending. Link started to walk again. Donkey and Fox were far ahead of them. "Let's go, babe. We have to catch up with them." he said smiling as he again grabbed her hand. Zelda just smiled and they started to run along the road. After a little while, they arrived at Peach's Castle. It was bigger than Hyrule Castle, but then again, Hyrule was just a small country. It was build from light-grey stones and Peach's picture was in quarrel right above the entrance to the castle. It was a peacefull land with rippling water and a huge waterfall. You could say a lot about Peach, but she was a good ruler, Mushroom Kingdom was prosperous. It was really crowdy on the fields around the castle. Link couldn't believe his eyes. There were way more contesters than last year. Humans, humanoids and some really strange creatures. Link looked around the area to find Fox and Donkey, but he couldn't find them. "Now what?" Zelda said, confused. Link shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. It wasn't like this last year." Suddenly, Link heard the dark voice from his dream. "Well, well, well... Look who's here. What a pleasent surprise." Link quickly turned around and saw a tall man wearing black armor. He had red hair and a faint, greenish skin. His dark eyes were filled with fire. Link noticed Zelda frightfully grabbing his arm. The man fakely bowed before her. "Your Highness." he said with a mean voice. "Leave me alone, Ganondorf!" The man stood straight again and smiled mean. "Who is this young man? Could he be... My, my, Princess... You don't take satisfaction with just one man, do you?" Link felt Zelda starting to shake. Whatever this man had done, she was terribly affraid of him. "Go away, Ganondorf! I won't let you hurt me again!" "Hurt you... Oh, you mean THAT. And what do you think? That your puny magic skills can hold me back? Have you told this young man what had happened?" Zelda remained silent. "I thought so. You see lad, that girl over there is..." Link stepped forward and pointed an angry finger at the man. "You back off of her or you're going to be VERY sorry." Ganondorf grinned. "Ah! A true hero! Tell me this, Zelda... Is he good?" Zelda started to cry. "Go away! Go away!" she screamed. Ganondorf laughed and walked past the two and into the crowd. Link didn't really know what to say. Zelda didn't exactly had her day. "I don't know what this man has done to you, Zelda, but I assure you that he won't be able do it again." Link said as he comforted a crying Zelda. By saying that, Link really reassured her. She calmed down. "I'm sorry for reacting that way, Link." "He obviously has done something horrible to you, so I think it's more than logical that you reacted that way." Again, Link wasn't curious what had happened and Zelda was glad about that. Because if he would find out, then he would most certainly not want to be with her for the rest of the tournament. Suddenly, a figure apeared on the roof of the castle. Probably one of the organisers. He held a microphone in his hand as he started to speak. "As the president of the Smash Bros Tournament, I welcome you all to this event." Immediatly, everyone got quiet and looked up. "I have seen that the tournament has gotten pretty large, considering last year. It appears that Luigi and Jigglypuff aren't present, but furthermore, every champion of last year is present. I'll cut the small talk and get right to the case. As like last year, the tournament will be held at a variety of locations. These locations will temporary hold the same aura as the one which is here, meaning no one can be killed. Today, the fights will still take place in Mushroom Kingdom. A little outside the castle is a field filled with platforms. That's where today's matches will be fought. If you win a fight, you'll get a point. We decide who will fight who by a randomising with the computer. Don't worry, you won't fight the same opponent twice. There will be clearly shown where the team battles and where the free-for-all's will be held. If you want to fight, tell one of the organisors. I wish you all the best of luck. I'll see you all at the platforms." He walked back in the castle under the cheers of the crowd of fighters. The tournament had finally started!
Whistling, Fox walked to the entrance to the town. It was a beautiful day and, above all, it was the day the tournament would start. Toad had told the four that they had to go to Peach's Castle. Fox expected that they would have to fight on those weird stages again, just like last year. Donkey, Link and he hadn't told Zelda about the possible locations of the battles. But, then again, she would find out soon enough. Fox took his time to get to the exit. He pulled out his blaster and twirled it on his finger. He was happy for Link and Zelda and he was really looking forward to the tournament. Suddenly, he felt a patting on his shoulder. "Leaving so soon?" He turned around to see three familiar faces: Link, who had tapped him on his back, Zelda and Donkey. He didn't stop his walk as the three followed him. "Well, I was just taking a walk. I'm really exited." "Shall we go to the castle, then?" Donkey asked. "Hey, that's why we're here for, right?" Link said. The castle was not too far from the village the four friends stayed in, Toad had given them directions and they decided to walk to it. Fox and Donkey were fast in their phase, but Link and Zelda dropped behind a bit. They held hands as they walked through the green and colorful land. "You're tense. Nervous?" Link said as he looked at Zelda. She simply nodded. "I haven't really been to such a big event before. You know, always locked in my golden cage..." She wore her Sheikah-suit again, her mask was tied to her belt. Link looked at the suit. She had such a wonderful figure. "Do you ever wear fancy dresses like Peach does?" "On occasion." Link smiled. "I think it's pretty cool to have a legion of servants at your disposal. You just have to snap your finger and they'll bring you food and drinks. Must be paradise..." he said dreamly. "Forget it, Link. Life as a princess really sucks. You've got to do so much and you're allowed so little. And above that, my father is a stern man..." Link stopped, still holding her hand. "Something just hit me! Isn't it custom that a princess has to marry a prince?" Zelda looked away from him and to the ground. "Yes, that is true." she said sadly. "So when we return home, it's over?" She looked at him again and swallowed. Link got the message. He tried to remain positive. "Oh well, then we still have a few months. Think about the fun we can have in those months!" Tears started to roll down the Princess's cheek. Link wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her closer. He ran his hand along her back as she sobbed at his chest. They stood there for a while. "Enjoy the time we have, Zelda." Link whispered. He knew there wasn't much that could be done. He was a tramp, she was a princess and that was a fact. He cursed his bad luck. Had he finally found a nice girl and then she turned out to be out of his reach. She looked at him, tears still in her eyes. "I hope this tournament will last forever, Link." She felt stupid. She should have never started it. She knew it wouldn't work. Link moved his hand reassuring through her long hair. "Let's make it a good one, then." She smiled at him and wiped away her tears with her hand. "I guess that's the best thing to do," she said, assending. Link started to walk again. Donkey and Fox were far ahead of them. "Let's go, babe. We have to catch up with them." he said smiling as he again grabbed her hand. Zelda just smiled and they started to run along the road. After a little while, they arrived at Peach's Castle. It was bigger than Hyrule Castle, but then again, Hyrule was just a small country. It was build from light-grey stones and Peach's picture was in quarrel right above the entrance to the castle. It was a peacefull land with rippling water and a huge waterfall. You could say a lot about Peach, but she was a good ruler, Mushroom Kingdom was prosperous. It was really crowdy on the fields around the castle. Link couldn't believe his eyes. There were way more contesters than last year. Humans, humanoids and some really strange creatures. Link looked around the area to find Fox and Donkey, but he couldn't find them. "Now what?" Zelda said, confused. Link shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. It wasn't like this last year." Suddenly, Link heard the dark voice from his dream. "Well, well, well... Look who's here. What a pleasent surprise." Link quickly turned around and saw a tall man wearing black armor. He had red hair and a faint, greenish skin. His dark eyes were filled with fire. Link noticed Zelda frightfully grabbing his arm. The man fakely bowed before her. "Your Highness." he said with a mean voice. "Leave me alone, Ganondorf!" The man stood straight again and smiled mean. "Who is this young man? Could he be... My, my, Princess... You don't take satisfaction with just one man, do you?" Link felt Zelda starting to shake. Whatever this man had done, she was terribly affraid of him. "Go away, Ganondorf! I won't let you hurt me again!" "Hurt you... Oh, you mean THAT. And what do you think? That your puny magic skills can hold me back? Have you told this young man what had happened?" Zelda remained silent. "I thought so. You see lad, that girl over there is..." Link stepped forward and pointed an angry finger at the man. "You back off of her or you're going to be VERY sorry." Ganondorf grinned. "Ah! A true hero! Tell me this, Zelda... Is he good?" Zelda started to cry. "Go away! Go away!" she screamed. Ganondorf laughed and walked past the two and into the crowd. Link didn't really know what to say. Zelda didn't exactly had her day. "I don't know what this man has done to you, Zelda, but I assure you that he won't be able do it again." Link said as he comforted a crying Zelda. By saying that, Link really reassured her. She calmed down. "I'm sorry for reacting that way, Link." "He obviously has done something horrible to you, so I think it's more than logical that you reacted that way." Again, Link wasn't curious what had happened and Zelda was glad about that. Because if he would find out, then he would most certainly not want to be with her for the rest of the tournament. Suddenly, a figure apeared on the roof of the castle. Probably one of the organisers. He held a microphone in his hand as he started to speak. "As the president of the Smash Bros Tournament, I welcome you all to this event." Immediatly, everyone got quiet and looked up. "I have seen that the tournament has gotten pretty large, considering last year. It appears that Luigi and Jigglypuff aren't present, but furthermore, every champion of last year is present. I'll cut the small talk and get right to the case. As like last year, the tournament will be held at a variety of locations. These locations will temporary hold the same aura as the one which is here, meaning no one can be killed. Today, the fights will still take place in Mushroom Kingdom. A little outside the castle is a field filled with platforms. That's where today's matches will be fought. If you win a fight, you'll get a point. We decide who will fight who by a randomising with the computer. Don't worry, you won't fight the same opponent twice. There will be clearly shown where the team battles and where the free-for-all's will be held. If you want to fight, tell one of the organisors. I wish you all the best of luck. I'll see you all at the platforms." He walked back in the castle under the cheers of the crowd of fighters. The tournament had finally started!