Hey I'm back, and this is the fastest I've done a chapter after I just posted one. Yay, me! Still need to work on my timing though. I'm working on a goal. It's to reach 100 reviews. So, I need your guy's help! Please help my dream. Here's the next chapter.

Chapter 9

A Friendship Slowly Dying

The day went fast for the five friends. They had made it to a diner and had a good lunch. They saw a street magic show, where Young Link was in a disappearing act that was really good. Pichu helped pull a rabbit out of a hat and because she was so cute, she got a bear that was super big. They went to the movies next and saw about two movies by sneaking into one of them. They were now on their way back to the resort.

Link was carrying the large bear on his shoulders. "You just had to be a volunteer didn't you, Pichu?"

Pichu smiled in response. Link rolled his eyes and continued to slug up the street with the heavy load on his back. Zelda was up ahead holding a sleeping Pikachu in her arms. Pikachu had gone to a small shop and got a chocolate milkshake. After he drank it, it was a funny sight. Pikachu was talking super fast and was bouncing off the walls…literally. His sugar rush had finally ended and he went to sleep. The five came to a park and stopped because Young Link requested it so they can go on the play equipment. While Pikachu, Young Link, and Pichu went to go play, Link and Zelda sat down on a closeby bench to watch them.

Zelda was staring at her hands, horrified. Since the fire, they weren't the same soft hands she used to have. They were now darker and a few burn marks that were starting to form into sores. She turned her head away.

"Zelda."

Zelda looked to see Link looking at her. "I need to know."

"Know what?" she asks.

"It's about Veronica."

Zelda felt her heart skip a beat. What did he want to know about her? And on top of that, why was he asking her about Veronica?

"What about her?"

"Well, it's actually about both of you. I'm just wondering if something is going on between you two."

"…" Zelda couldn't respond to that. Of course something was going on, but would Link even believe her?

Link eyed her closely. "Is there something going on?"

"Link, there is nothing wrong with the two of us. She just chooses not to talk to me for some mysterious reason." She lied, which was something she rarely ever did.

"That's weird. Veronica said the same thing to me when I talked to her this morning. She said you and Samus hate her, and when she tries to talk to you two, you ignore her."

What a filthy liar! I can't believe she is getting Link to believe her! Zelda felt her anger boiling but she kept it to herself. "Link, Samus and I haven't done anything like that. Veronica says a lot of things that are untrue. Maybe she's the problem."

Link raised an eyebrow. " That can't be. Are you sure you're right? As long as I've talked to her she's been a good friend."

Right after Link said that last sentence, he regretted it. Zelda got up quickly and turned to glare at him. "So, what I say isn't true? Just because Veronica is so kind to you there's no way you can think she's the problem? You've known me for a while, too."

Link stood up as well. "Zelda, it's just that every time I see you two together she's being nice to you. The other day she told me how much she liked you but she was upset that you treat her bad by avoiding her and not hanging out with her."

"I treat her bad?" Zelda looked at Link in disbelief. "You really are clueless, Link! She's already sunk her claws so deep in you!"

"Zelda, I'm just going by what I see-

"Exactly: by what you see! Nothing else! Oh yes, and let's not forget you go by what Veronica says. Because every little adorable word that comes out of her mouth is golden and true!" Zelda said sarcastically.

Never in Zelda's life would she imagine being this mad at Link, but he was pushing her over the edge. Why would he believe Veronica instead of her? What had happened between them? Veronica was really succeeding.

"Just open up to her, Zel. She just wants to be friends."

"No, Link. I wanted to be friends with her! She started all of this when she-" Zelda stopped. She wasn't sure about telling him when she threatened her. She thought that maybe Veronica might turn it on her. No, now wasn't the time. "...when she always tried to hurt me."

Link stepped back when she said that. He was quiet for a moment. "She did that? Are you even sure?"

"Am I even sure? Are kidding me? Link, I'm not lying to you. Why don't you believe me? I would never try to lie to you."

"It's just hard to believe you when I know Veronica."

Zelda was about to respond but Young Link, Pikachu, and Pichu had came running back. They weren't smiling. They were looking panicky because they had seen the two argue.

Zelda knew she should stop, but she couldn't. "Link, I thought I was one of your close friends."

"You are! But even though that is true, it doesn't mean I know everything about you. And now with all this with Veronica saying you're mean to her, something I've never seen before, it's almost like we're just acquaintances."

"Well, you don't know Veronica either, and yet you live on every little lie that comes out of her mouth!"

Link got in Zelda's face. "I know more about her than you think! In fact, I know her better than I know you!"

Young Link couldn't believe his eyes. He didn't like Zelda and Link fighting. Zelda and Link were like a big part to his life like a mom and dad. Watching them fight was like watching a mom and dad arguing soon to break up. He ran up to them and tried to separate them.

"You guys, stop arguing! You two are supposed to be friends. Ones I care about it!" Young Link cried.

Zelda looked down at Young Link. He had tears welling up in his big blue eyes. Zelda felt tears coming to her eyes too. She sighed and knelt down next to Young Link. Her anger started to drift away. She wrapped her arms around the Young Hylian. "I'm sorry I upset you, Young Link."

Link was looking down at the two. He felt so ashamed for yelling at Zelda and now he had upset Young Link. When he looked over at Pikachu he had a shocked look on his face and Pichu was scared.

"Link."

Link watched Zelda stand up. She turned to him. "Who do you believe?"

"What?"

"I want to know, Link. Between me and her, who do you think is telling the truth?" Zelda whispered,

Link pondered her question. Throughout that argument he kept saying that Veronica was telling and truth and not for one second believed Zelda. He said he knew Veronica but maybe he didn't know her that well. But it was the same answer for Zelda. Who to believe, he was no longer sure. Zelda felt more sadness growing in her heart as she realized he was having trouble coming up with an answer. Zelda couldn't stay any longer. She used Farore's Wind.

Link tried to stop her. "Zelda wait I-

It was too late. Zelda was gone in a flash. Link looked at the empty space where she once stood. Young Link had crossed his legs and sat down on the ground in tears.

"Why did you guys have to fight?" Young Link sobbed.

Link kneeled down next to his younger self and placed an arm around him. He wished he could answer but he wasn't sure why they fought either. They were slowly falling apart.

Unknown Place

Zelda had teleported somewhere she hadn't been before. It looked like an old rundown place though. There were a few houses but the ocean was the biggest sight. She found herself walking around the town. There were kids outside playing and their parents were watching them. Some people were out in the ocean fishing or swimming in the water. Where Zelda landed, she found an old and raggedy bridge, filled with holes and high off the ground. She didn't want to cross it so she used her magic to teleport to the other side. She didn't quite reach the end but just a few more steps to the other side. She sighed and slowly walked across. She took one little step after another. Going slowly was starting to make her even more nervous.

I just got to run across. Zelda tried to run the rest of the way, but when closing in on the last step, one of the wooden boards broke through, taking Zelda with it.

Zelda screamed as she fell through. "Oh no!"

When she was falling she saw a tree branch and stretched out her hands. She grabbed the branch and stopped herself from falling. Zelda watched the board fall into the water below her. She sighed. Today was just not her day. She used her upper body strength to pull herself onto the branch. She managed to get on top of it and sat down. She panted heavily and placed her hand on her chest. She looked down below and watched the water carry the board down the stream. She was gonna need a minute before she used her magic again, and before she recovered from certain death.

Zelda thought about Link again. Link. He doesn't like me like he used to. We're not even talking to each other the way we used to. He would always tell me about his adventures and I would laugh at some of his stories. And with Veronica here, now I'm just a stranger to him?

"Why can't things go back to the way they were?" Zelda hugged her knees together.

"Roy, you cannot even begin to think about what kind of havoc you put us through!" a male voice said.

Zelda's ears picked up on a distant familiar voice. Another voice spoke.

"We wasted the whole day looking for you!" a female voice said.

Zelda raised her head and looked up. She knew who it was. Soon, she heard the voices walking on the bridge in the same direction she was. She pressed the button on her pink wrist communicator. "Samus?"

There was a long silence before she answered. Zelda? Hey! Where are you?

Zelda sighed. "Closer than you think."

Really, how close?

"You see that hole in the floor boards of the bridge you're walking on?"

There was silence. Zelda listened to them walk even further down the bridge and stopped.

I see it now. Where are you?

"Look down, Sam."

Sure enough, Zelda saw Samus poke her head through the board.

"What the-Zelda how did you get down there?" she asked.

"Long story," Zelda replied.

Zelda saw Marth's and Roy's heads next, replacing Samus. Marth cocked his head to the side. "This is an awkward place to be, Zelda."

"Yes I know. Now can I get some help?" Zelda asked nicely.

After a few minutes, Marth made his way down there and got Zelda. The two climbed back up and Samus and Roy helped pull them out.

Samus looked at Zelda. "Now, I bet there's a great story behind all this."

Zelda nodded.

Roy looked up at the sky. "We can talk about it later it's already dark outside. Last thing we need is to yelled at for coming back late."

Samus gave Zelda a hand and helped her up. "Right. We still have to take the ferry"

"I teleported that far?" Zelda asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, we're at an island just a little bit off from the town." Marth pointed out to the ocean where there were many illuminated lights. There were small formations of buildings. "That's where the town is."

"How come you all are all the way over here?"

Samus' eyes darted over to Roy, and her anger was barely ended. "Hmm…"

Marth lightly laughed. " Be nice, Sam. We had to go find Roy. And he was over here discovering some… things to take home as souvenirs." He chose his last words carefully so not to make Zelda suspicious. "And we were now heading back."

"He wasted our whole day. Let's just head back" Samus said as she and everyone else started to walk across the bridge again.

The quartette walked through a grassy field for a while. It was about 1:30 PM, when they were crossing through it. Crickets were chirping and frogs croaked. By the time they were at the ferry it started getting cold. They paid for their tickets and got on. The four went and sat at the front of the boat. Roy and Marth left Samus and Zelda for a moment to go talk. Meanwhile, Zelda told Samus about the fire and the argument with Link.

Samus was looking out at the city coming into view. "I just can't believe you two argued. Did you tell him what Veronica had done?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, I didn't see the point with the way he was acting." She grabbed her shoulders and hugged them. Samus found a blanket and put it over Zelda's shoulders. "Here."

Zelda took it gently. "Thank you. But sit down so we can share."

Samus obeyed her and sat down. She took one edge of the blanket and wrapped it around her left shoulder. "It is cold."

The girls sat in silence for a moment until it was interrupted by a beeping noise. Zelda's wrist communicator was beeping. She looked at it and it showed the name "Link" on it. Zelda continued to stare at it.

Samus looked at Zelda. "Are you going to…"

Zelda pressed a button on the communicator and the beeping stopped. She placed her hand back under the blanket. Samus grabbed her hand. "It's going to be okay Zelda. I just know it."

Zelda looked at Samus' green eyes of confidence. Zelda started to cry again on Samus' shoulder and Samus squeezed her hand. Zelda really loved having Samus as her best friend. She may have a cocky attitude most of the time but when it came to her, Samus always had her back. If Samus said it was going to be all right, then Zelda knew just somehow everything would be okay.

Nintendo Resort

Link and Young Link's Room

Link dropped his wrist communicator on the nightstand. He knew in his heart that Zelda was not going to answer. She was still angry at Link. Link remembered her sad, sapphire blue eyes filled with tears when he didn't answer her question. Link looked next to him. Young Link was fast asleep in bed. He ran up to his room as soon as Link and him returned to the hotel. He said his goodbyes to the pokemon and remained in the room for the rest of the night. When Link went to the room Young Link didn't acknowledge him.

Link took Young Link's hat off, letting his blonde hair fall down by his ears. He pushed the blonde hair out of his face. Young Link always liked Link watching over and taking care of him. They had fully adopted the idea of being brothers. Young Link loved it when Link called him little brother because he never had someone to call family just like Link since they are the same person. So, Link knew how Young Link felt when he saw him and Zelda fight. They were like parents to him.

Link went over to his bed. He didn't feel like taking off his tunic either. He just removed his hat and weapons and got into his bed. He slowly drifted off to sleep.

About half an hour later…

It was real late when they returned to town. It was about a little after 12AM. They didn't realize the ferry ride would be so long. They ran down the street in a hurry back to the resort. Minutes had passed as they ran up the long streets. Samus and Marth were way up ahead. Zelda and Roy followed close behind, Roy standing by to help Zelda along by latching onto her hand.

"We are really late. What's the punishment for past curfew, Sam?" Roy asked as the Resort came into view.

"Well… he banned us from a few things. Like fighting and free time," Samus said while panting.

"That can't be good," Zelda said quietly while gripping Roy's hand tighter. "It's only the second day and we can already get in trouble."

"That's only if we get caught, Zel. I'm sure we can sneak in somewhere," Marth said as they finally came to the last long street.

They ran up the last street in seconds. When they finally reached the Resort they ran behind a tall tree and took a quick rest. Samus almost fell back but held her feet firm. Zelda and Roy collapsed to the ground to catch their breath. Marth stood, panting while keeping an eye on the hotel to make sure no one was watching.

"I feel… like I ran… a marathon," Roy said slowly through his breaths.

"At least you're not wearing heels," Zelda commented.

"Guys, we can go through the front. No one is there." Marth pointed out when he looked at the entrance of the Resort.

"So, maybe there is a chance." Samus concluded. "We're gonna have to be really quiet to pull this one off. "

The four got up quickly, and quietly walked up towards the concrete steps to the front door. Zelda pushed open the door quietly. They crowded into the room silently and closed the door without a sound. The room was practically pitch black.

"A little light would help this dark situation. " Zelda made the power of Din's Fire grow from her finger.

"Good idea, Z." Samus whispered.

The four crept through the hotel, following Zelda's light. She shined her light on the elevator. "Should we take it?"

"No, it will make that dinging noise when we reach the top floor. Don't want to give Master Hand even an inch," Marth says.

Roy looked in front of him. "The stairs are right here, so let's move."

They crept up the stairs slowly. Samus sighed as they continued to walk up the stairs. "I think we might be able to pull this off."

"Yeah, maybe we…" Roy stopped in mid-sentence when he saw light flash on the wall. The others had not seen it.

Seeing that Zelda was the one with the light, he pulled her back. She made a small yelp and turned around. "What?" she hissed.

"There's a light flashing down the stairs." Roy said still looking up the stairs.

Samus heard footsteps coming down in the direction they were going. "Stop your magic, Zelda," she whispered. Samus watched the light go out. She started to walk back but Marth grabbed her hand.

"We can't go back. He'll hear our footsteps," Marth said as the footsteps came closer.

An idea popped in Zelda's hand. "Hey, grab onto my hands. I know what to do." Zelda held out her hand and a rough hand grabbed hers. "Is everyone linked?"

"Yes." Roy, Marth, and Samus said in unison.

Zelda concentrated and used for Farore's wind to teleport them off the stairs. They succeeded and they were on their top floor. There wasn't a soul outside.

Roy smiled. "Whew, we're home free."

Samus was going to agree but she looked to her left and saw a dark silhouette near a lever. Samus watched as the shadow pulled the lever down. Suddenly a loud ear-splitting alarm went off, blasting in all of their ears. The four of them grabbed their ears in pain. It was the fire alarm but there was no fire. Nonetheless, the water sprinklers above them came on, drenching the.

"Ugh, what's going on? I'm soaked." Zelda said when she held some of her dress in her hands.

Marth's blue hair had stuck to his face. He pushed some of it away. "This is just wonderful," he said sarcastically. "Let's head to our-"

"No, we can't do it that way. Zelda, teleport us into their room, okay?" Samus interrupted.

Zelda tried to ask why. "But…"

"Just do it!" Samus demanded.

Zelda did what she said in a hurry. In a matter of milliseconds they were in Marth and Roy's room. As soon as they were in the room. Everyone turned to Samus.

"Why couldn't we go to our room through the front door?" Roy asked Samus.

"There is tape on our doors." Samus said while brushing her wet hair back.

"So, what does that have to do with anything?" Zelda asked.

If we had opened the door the tape would have torn. Then if Master Hand would have checked our rooms he would have known some people were out past curfew."

"Oh," they all said.

"We better call it night so we don't raise anymore suspiscion." Marth walked over to Samus and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. "Sweet dreams, Sam."

Roy groaned and crossed his arms as he saw Samus smile at Marth's kind words. "Please. You'll see each other in the morning. I think you can spare one kiss, so Zelda and I don't have to be tortured."

Zelda couldn't help but agree with Roy even if it was romantic. Zelda grabbed Samus' hand. "We'll see you guys in the morning." They teleported out of the room as Marth and Roy said their good nights. When they appeared again they were back in their room. Zelda listened to the alarms shut off. There were some voices outside. Mainly Master Hand and someone else.

"That was too close." Zelda said quietly.

Samus nodded. "I'll say. Although, the shadowy figure that appeared in the hall bugs me."

"Who are you talking about?" Zelda asked.

Before Samus can answer, their conversation ended when there was a loud knock at the door. "Samus, Zelda, open the door."

"Oh no, it's Master Hand." Samus whispered.

"What do we do?" Zelda asked.

"Go put your robe on and get mine out of the closet," Samus told her quickly and quietly.

"You two open this door!" Master Hand commanded as his hand continued to boom on the door.

"Just a minute. I'm not decent," Samus said. Zelda put her robe on and went inside the closet. She found Samus' robe and tossed it over to Samus. Samus made a grab for it and caught it. She mouthed "thanks" as she put it on. Zelda pulled her hair down and jumped into her bed. She got under the covers and lied down in a sleeping position.

"ZELDA HARKINIAN AND SAMUS ARAN, OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW!""

Samus pulled her hair down and took a deep breath. She opened the door and gave Master Hand a weak yawn. "Sorry about that. I was sleeping."

"Samus, answer the door when I tell you to." Master Hand said angrily. He watched Samus nod in agreement. He saw Zelda in the bed slightly sitting up to look at the door. "Zelda, can you come to the door please?"

Zelda fake yawned and stretched as she went to the door to act like she was really asleep. "What is it, Master Hand?"

Zelda looked behind him and saw everyone else was out of bed and in the hallway, including the swordsmen they just left. Marth and Roy had changed quickly to nightclothes. Roy had red sweats with white muscle shirt. Marth wore blue sweats and a black shirt.

The other smashers were looking sleepy. Master Hand spoke again. "I need to talk to you two. Marth and Roy, you guys come too."

Master Hand started to float down the hallway. Zelda and Samus looked at each other before going out the door. As they walked past Marth and Roy, they followed right behind them. When Zelda walked towards where Link was, their eyes met. His eyes were pleading for her to talk to him. Zelda slowly looked away in another direction and walked past him. She didn't want to look at his hurt face. They followed Master Hand past a lot of the smashers' rooms before they reached a large one. When they went inside they looked at the large room. There was another door that probably lead to a bedroom, but Master Hand stopped them as soon as they got inside because the first room was his office. There were 27 chairs there in front of his desk just like the meeting room at the SSBM mansion.

"Have a seat in the first four seats close to my desk please, smashers." Master Hand said calmly.

Roy and Samus sat in chairs on the left side of the desk and Marth and Zelda sat on the right side of the desk. Master Hand floated at the head of the table and looked at them all. There was a long silence before he spoke.

"Now I was told some information about you four." MH checked if they were paying attention. Zelda was looking straight at him. Samus and Marth both were staring out in space. And Roy was picking at his fingernail. But this was typical for the pyro. He had a short attention span. He continued. "I was told by someone who wishes not to be named that they saw you four out past curfew."

Master Hand looked for any reactions to what he said. But everyone looked fine and hadn't reacted in shock or anything. "Anyone want to own up on it?"

Marth stood up for the group. "We got here on time. Around like um…"

"10:15." Samus cut in. "Yes, we were back at about that time."

"Really?" Master Hand watched them all nod. "Then answer me this. Someone pulled the alarm because they saw four individuals in the hallway. Which also set off the ceiling sprinklers, and from looking at all of you and you hair… it's wet."

Zelda felt her hair still dripping down her neck. "Well, with all due respect, that doesn't really help prove that we were outside past curfew."

"Yes. We went to a lot of places by the ocean," Samus commented.

"Right. Marth, Samus, and I went to the bay today and went swimming. And we went on a ferry that was slopping water everywhere on our way home at about 9:45," Roy added.

"So, our hair was still wet. We don't have hair dryers or anything," Samus said while sitting up straighter in her chair.

"Towels don't work fast at drying so my hair is still wet." Marth said.

"It was hot in our room, so I did keep my head under the running showerhead," Roy said after Marth was done.

"I washed my hair before I went to bed which was pretty late. I'd say almost ten minutes to midnight," Zelda said. "And Samus showered after me."

"Okay, you guys cleared that part up, but what she told me next leaves me still suspicious," MH said.

"Hey! You said she!" Samus said. Her emerald green eyes were burning into Master Hand. "There are not that many girls here. Who told you?"

MH sighed. "You might as well know. Veronica told me after she left my office from talking to her father."

How did I know? It was just burning in my mind that she had something to do with this. She's the one I saw in the dark near that alarm. Samus rolled her eyes in disgust. She looked at Zelda looking at her with her big blue eyes showing she was just as aggravated with that girl.

"Anyway," Master Hand continued. "She told me the tape was ripped off the doors. And when I went there sure enough no tape on the doors."

That must have been right when Zelda teleported us in our room. Veronica ripped the tape off. Roy thought to himself. "But Master Hand we were in our room."

Zelda hated this. She never lied this much. "Master Hand, we could have been framed."

Marth nodded. "Yes. Anyone could have pulled the tape off just to get us in trouble."

Master Hand's large fingers twitched. "I would believe that, Marth. But here's where you guys are caught." The four of them sat up even more tense in their chairs. "Zelda, you did Farore's Wind. There was a green glow outside her room. Veronica told me she saw it. And from what I heard from the other smashers, some said they saw a green glow also."

Zelda slowly moved her eyes around the room. As she looked at every one of them she could tell by their facial expressions that they couldn't think of anything else to back up their story. Zelda sighed.

Master Hand now turned his attention only on Zelda. "Zelda, you were out past curfew. Is this true what I say?"

Zelda gave up. There was nothing she could say to cover it up. "Yes, it is."

Marth stood up. "No, it's not… because I was out there with her."

Roy gripped the table. "I was there too."

Samus sighed and lowered her eyes. "Me also."

Master Hand sighed. "Well, there's nothing I can say but that I'm terribly ashamed of you four. I expected at least two of you to be responsible enough to be on time."

When he said that last sentence, he meant Marth and Zelda. For the short period of time the two have been there, they had been responsible and showed respect to his rules. As for Samus and Roy that was a different story. Samus, Link, and Fox before the new smashers arrived were always little troublemakers and Roy had gotten in a lot of trouble with MH in the short time he had stayed at the SSBM mansion.

"Now, we're on a holiday. So, because I'm so generous, I'll let you guys off with a warning this time. " Master Hand looked as they all lost tension and slumped in their seats. "But don't let me catch you guys doing it again or there will be consequences the next time. Do you hear me?"

"Yes sir." They all said.

Master Hand sighed. "Okay then. Now head back to your rooms and get some sleep."

Zelda and Samus' Room

"We have to get her back, Zel." Samus decided.

"Yes, I know," Zelda said quietly, trying to keep her voice down.

Zelda and Samus didn't go to sleep right as soon as Master Hand told them too. They went and sat down on Zelda's bed to talk. Samus was on her stomach in her orange t-shirt and black shorts with a pillow under her chin. Zelda was sitting cross-legged on the bed with a pillow in her lap with her long pink nightgown on.

"Today just wasn't my day, Samus. So many things happened in one day. The fire, the fall through the bridge, and now we've been busted by Master Hand."

"At least Veronica wasn't behind the bridge accident," Samus said, trying to cheer her up.

Zelda paid no attention to her, trying to make her feel better. "Let's not forget the argument with Link."

Samus placed an elbow on her pillow and placed her chin in her hand. "I can't believe you didn't tell him about the fire and all the other things that girl did to you."

"I was upset, Sam. When I told him she hurt me, he didn't believe me, so why would he believe that she tried to kill me?" Zelda started to remember the horrible argument. She sighed. "We're drifting away, Samus."

"Well, you just got to drift back so Veronica can't win. You love him-"

"That's just it. Veronica has gotten to me so badly that she's making me think something horrible," Zelda said.

Samus sat up. "What's that?"

Zelda felt a tear run down her cheek. "That I don't love Link anymore."

A/N: She doesn't love Link anymore? That's not good! Will this clear up? I don't know it's a 50/50 chance. And I have a question. If anyone know Roy's last name can you tell me. I need to know for my next story. Tell me in your review if you can. Anyway please review and I'll get another chapter up as soon as I can. Bye!