omg omg omg WHAT IS THIS-

YEAHP GUYS I HAVE RETURNED. SORRY FOR THE HUUUUUUGE DELAY WEW at least I posted it right right

I love how you guys still /try to keep up with this story of mine! It's very much appreciated, and I am happy to know that all of you are still solid for Marth and Ike woot woot

I ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY love tennis (though I don't play the sport, I just watch the opens bc *winkwink* ROGER FEDDIE) This is a pretty long chapter I guess so enjoy lovelies

I don't own SSBB.

Marth rushed to his next club, wanting to stay away from sports that involved big balls and muscles. He was sick and tired of being labeled as inferior to Ike due to his body build. It was unfair.

He reached the open court and saw Zelda and Sheik already donned in their athletic clothes, still looking fashionable as ever. This time, Zelda's blonde hair was neatly tied in a ponytail. Since her hair was always down, it was a rare sight to see her hair pinned up neatly. Marth marveled at the beautiful sight when he heard someone call his name.

"Marth!"
That familiar, childish voice.

He turned around to see Pit running towards him, panting uncontrollably. He paused to regain his breath before he could speak.

"...wow, you walk so fast, I couldn't catch up! I was calling out to you, but it seemed like you couldn't hear me. I'm sorry about awhile ago, if it frustrated you… I know I'm a bad player," he managed to utter. Marth just shook his head.

"No, it's fine. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to hear you, I guess my mind was too preoccupied on senseless matters. Don't worry, I got over it." Marth smiled sincerely. He proceeded to the rack which held a bunch of tennis rackets and picked the best one he could find. He checked if there were any scratches and frowned when he saw a few, but it wasn't that bad compared to the others. He could deal with it for now.

"Tennis? Do you play a lot?" asked the angel curiously as he chose a racket of his own.

"Well… it used to be my hobby back in grade school. I grew tired of it once I entered Smash High. How about you?" Marth swung the racket, trying to see if he still had the skills.

"Um… I guess I can say that I know the basics. I've already tried playing this sport before, and it's not very hard." Pit did the same, his movement very swift. Marth felt a little intimidated.

"You look like you're experienced. How about we practice while we wait for Mr. Game & Watch? He's not here yet, so I suppose we can borrow the court for awhile," suggested the blunette, earning a nod from the seraph.

They turned around only to see that the court was already taken by the twins. Marth and Pit watched from afar as Sheik served. The ball created a spin while Zelda received it, hitting it back elegantly towards Sheik's court. The two played agilely as if they've been playing the sport their whole lives. Marth and Pit were in fascinated awe.

"Oh my… they're so good," Pit commented, feeling his self-esteem decrease. He was confident at first, but it seemed like there were other people who were much better than him. It made him feel insecure now.

Marth sighed. What can you expect? He knew the royalties were skilled in mostly everything. He's certain they even knew how to sew and knit sweaters… those kinds of stuff you wouldn't expect them to know.

"Well, well, look who we have here!"

Ike strode towards Pit and Marth with Link tagging along, big grins on their faces. They were still happy about their little victory, obviously.

Marth rolled his eyes. "Are you stalking me or something? Why do I always see you everywhere?" Suddenly, Meta Knight popped out behind Ike, making Pit jump back in surprise.

"Me? Stalking you? You mental? I wouldn't bother wasting my time stalking a loser like you. Maybe you're the one who's stalking me," retorted Ike, his tone of voice a little different from the usual. It sounded rather… gay.

Is he on drugs? Marth wondered while he stared at the purple-haired male in front of him. Actually, no, Link looked more like the one on drugs. He looked like a total dipshit. It kind of scared him. Who knows what a high-on-drugs Link could do.

"Uh… congratulations, Link. You were great back there." Marth wanted to vomit. He didn't like to lie.

Link's eyes glistened. "Really? Why, thanks, Marth! You were great too!" Tch, yeah right, the prince wanted to say. He thought it better to keep his mouth shut.

"Where's our coach? Shouldn't he be here already?" Ike looked around. By coincidence, a pixilated Mr. Game & Watch appeared out of nowhere, a tennis racket already in hand.

"Looking for me? Heehee. Alright, youngsters. Get your rackets and prepare for a quick single match. Find a partner to fight against then line up," he spoke quickly, the words somewhat unclear due to his transmission.

Ike's eyes automatically darted to Marth. "Hey there, partnuh," he teased in a cowboy accent, causing Marth's eyebrows to wrinkle in disgust.

"Don't talk to me," he replied. Ike made a face.

"Is everyone done? Well then, let us star—"

"Hold up, coach!"

Fox was running towards them at an incredibly fast pace, his mouth slightly curved. It was hard to distinguish whether he was smirking or scowling.
He wasn't alone though; Wolf caught up to him and growled at Fox. Fox bared his teeth and ran even faster. Wolf wasn't going to give up.

Both of them were rivals. No one really knew why they were so hostile towards each other, but they weren't as intense as Smash High's famous rivalry between Ike and Marth. There were times when they treated each other as friends. People would wonder if they were already in good terms or were just bluffing… Their relationship was more of like a frienemy sort of thing.

Fox and Wolf abruptly stopped before Mr. Game & Watch. They were standing straight on both sides of the tennis coach, trying to win his respect.
"I'm sorry coach, our last club dismissed us late. And to make matters worse, the distance was extreme," explained Wolf. He wasn't short of breath… unlike me, Pit thought.

"He's right! It took us a loooong time to get here. Sorry 'bout that, coach. We still in the game?" Fox asked eagerly before shooting a glare at Wolf. Wolf glared back.

"I understand. You are excused, both of you. Now go get your rackets or else none of you will take part."

They immediately obeyed. Once they were ready, Fox stopped as if he had forgotten something.

"Wait a moment… where's Falco?"

Just then, a blue bird fell from the sky, successfully landing behind Fox with grace. Everyone looked at him, bewildered.

"Fear not, my friend. I have arrived," Falco announced. Fox turned to him and grinned.

"Yo! Thought you died, bro," said Fox while he patted his friend's back roughly. Falco coughed and faced Mr. Game & Watch.

"Pardon my tardiness, coach. The last class I had with these two had me delayed. I apologize." Falco did a 90 degree bow, but Mr. Game & Watch wasn't pleased.

"You may not play. I have already excused these two, even if they are running late already. It's past ten minutes of my time, and I don't accept your reason."

Falco shrugged. "I am completely aware, coach. It is not my fault, but if that is what you wish, I will have to abide by it. Also, I have no plans on playing anyway… I need to catch my breath for a moment." He excused himself and sat on the far benches, a place that had a good view of the whole court.

Everyone knew Falco as Fox's best friend. They were like the dynamic duo. They were always seen spending time together which made everyone in school think they formed an alliance against Wolf. They were wrong, because Falco didn't side with neither Fox nor Wolf. Sure, he treated Fox as a close buddy, but when the two rivals collided, he'd prefer not to involve himself in their arguments. He found it pointless and both sides never win most of the time. He was perfectly neutral. Falco was just closer to Fox because he liked his company more than Wolf's. He thought Wolf was plain boring.

"Hmm… since you are a lot, we can do doubles. Who's game?" Mr. Game & Watch wagged his racket in the air like a lunatic.

"Perfecto!"

Fox bounced towards Ike and struck a martial arts pose in front of Wolf. "I'll be with Ike here while you'll be teaming up with Marth. It's decided!"

Wolf flashed his teeth. "Alrighty! It's a fight between rivals. It's a great suggestion," he said. Link was being ignored, as usual. He was expecting more praises to come his way, but his fame had finally reached its end. Since Falco wasn't playing, he decided to watch too. He was tired from his victorious basketball game earlier, so he would rest as well.

The inseparable Zelda and Sheik were teaming up and were fighting against Meta Knight and Pit. The angel felt self-conscious, thinking if he might bring his teammate down. Meta Knight, on the other hand, didn't care about winning or losing.

"One set, race to three! Zelda serves first. Begin!"

Pit's heart was beating fast. He was to receive the princess' serve and it drove him nuts. A thousand thoughts raced across his mind, making him nervous all at once. What if he missed? What if he hits it, but ends up being out?

Zelda tossed the ball in the air and hit it gracefully, creating a spin which hit the center line. Pit mistook it for being out so he avoided the shot.

"15-0! Zelda's point!" announced Mr. Game & Watch.

Pit's jaw tightened. "Darn it…" he muttered. He shot an apologetic glance at Meta Knight but the blue ball wasn't looking.

It was Zelda's serve again. The ball was airborne and she hit it, stronger this time. Pit caught it and hit it back, but it was out. His thoughts were becoming reality.

"No, please, no…" Pit was mumbling to himself while Meta Knight still didn't care.

"30-0!"

Marth was shocked. The facial expressions Zelda and Sheik had on were… serious. Dead serious. They looked so fierce and it seemed like they weren't going to show any mercy towards Pit and Meta Knight.

"Sweet Jesus…" Link was observing Zelda and her gameplay style. She was deadpan and her composure was calm. She was unbelievably good at tennis… Sheik was a pro too, nonetheless.

"Damn… I'm grateful I'm not playing against her," Link said to himself and continued to observe from his seat. The atmosphere was downright tense.
Zelda served. Pit missed once again, gaining a point for the other team. He wanted to destroy the racket he was holding.

"40-0!"

Pit was already perspiring like hell. This was crazy hard for him, since he was battling the most famous students of Smash High, and Meta Knight wasn't saying anything. It was killing him.

Meanwhile, Ike was on the sidelines, watching the battle. He could see how difficult it was for Pit, having to be humiliated again.

"Go, Pit! You can do it, just focus!"

The angel felt his heart skip a beat.
Did Ike just cheer for me?

Pit didn't bother to look back. He kept his eyes on the ball and his thoughts on the game. He wanted to prove to Ike that he could do it. That he could beat Zelda and Sheik. He tightened his grip on the racket and bent his knees.

Zelda tossed the ball again and served with her usual spin. Pit straightened himself and received the shot, returning it in one brisk motion without hesitation. The ball bounced back on Zelda's court which was brought back to his court by the princess. Meta Knight reached his racket out and smashed it back but Sheik was faster. The ninja shot it away from Pit, causing the angel to chase after the ball. Miraculously, Pit reached it and returned it with a strong spin, leaving Zelda stunned after missing it by an inch.

Ike stood up, astonished. Link let out a 'whoa' while Marth smiled.

That's it, Pit. Keep your head in the game.

"40-15!" Mr. Game & Watch took note.

Pit was regaining his confidence and strength to win the match. He could do this.

"Wow, just wow, that was a great match! Great game, you guys!" Link applauded. He faced Zelda, expecting her to look his way but she was attending to Sheik. He pouted sadly. Stop being a hopeful ass, Link, he reminded himself.

"Congratulations, Pit, Meta Knight," complimented Marth while the two stood there, faces flushing. As always, they weren't used to flattery.

"Thanks, Marth… I thought I wasn't going to make it." Pit scratched the back of his head and smiled shyly.

"You were really good."

Zelda entered the picture and smiled sweetly. "How long have you been playing tennis, Pit?"

Pit put a finger to his lips. "Um… not too long. I don't quite remember, actually…"

Sheik stared at him for a long time, making the angel flinch at the uneasiness. After some long analyzing, the ninja nodded as if he finally understood something.

"Good job back there, kid!"

All of a sudden, someone flung his arm around Pit's neck, causing him to stumble forward. Marth backed away and glowered at Ike.

"Watch it, you might hurt him." Ike ignored the blunette, as always.

Pit felt his face heat up. OhmygodohmygodohmygoDIKEISHUGGINGME. Okay, not maybe a hug, but. Still.

The older mussed the angel's brown locks. "You nailed it! I never knew you were good at tennis."

Pit sheepishly grinned. "Yeah… uh… thanks, Ike." Ike looked into his eyes and smirked.

"You're not bad, aren't you?" The purple-haired male patted Pit's back before preparing for the next match. The seraph was hypnotized. He stood still, unwavering, relishing that smirk and comment Ike just gave him. Marth was watching him in amusement while he straightened his clothes.

"You alright, Pit? You're… really red, you know," he said while Pit tried to hide his face from the others. Marth simply muffled a laugh.

"Why don't you take a rest?" The prince jogged for a few seconds before heading to the court with Wolf. Pit sat down next to Link and admired Ike from a distance, silently rooting for him.

"Are you ready?" inquired Mr. Game & Watch, excited for the second game. He couldn't wait to see this.

"Yes, coach," answered Wolf while Fox scoffed at him. Ike sneered at Marth from the other court.

"Bring it on, Fried Dumpling," he intimidated the blunette while Marth just gave him a straight stare.

"I told you not to talk to me, Steamed Tofu."

"40-40!"

Sweat trickled down the faces of Ike and Marth. On the other hand, Fox and Wolf didn't seem to be perspiring at all. The intensity was amplified now; it was the last set already and they have been going from advantages to 40s and back.

"You're going down, Wolf!" yelled Fox across the court. Wolf hissed at him.

Ike bounced the ball on the ground thrice before throwing it in the air. He hit it hard with his racket, adding a spin to it. The ball shot right at Marth while he caught it with precision. It went over the net when Fox received it before it could bounce. Wolf moved to the front and returned it swiftly. The small battle between them was intense as they kept at it for several minutes when Wolf missed.

"Shit—Marth, heads up!"

Marth's eyes were glued to the ball the whole time, so he managed to catch it. It bounced towards Ike and he smashed it back when Wolf brought it to the other side, surprising Fox. Ike did not expect that would happen – the point was given to Marth's team.

"Advantage, Marth and Wolf!" Wolf rested his racket on his shoulder and faced Fox with a sense of pride.

"Who's going down again?" Fox stuck his tongue out and went back to his position.

Ike glanced at Marth on the other end of the court and saw him put his hair behind his ear which indicated that the blunette was bound to get serious. Ike squeezed the ball in his hand. Whether out of anger or nervousness, he didn't know. He just wanted to get the serve right.

He bounced the tennis ball once and tossed it up. He gathered all the strength he could muster within and delivered it through the ball, sending it flying at high-speed towards the two. Marth prepared to receive the ace and hit it as hard as he could. Fox decided not to catch it so he let Ike return it instead. Wolf thought not to disturb their small battle either, so they let Marth and Ike fight one-on-one.

Everyone's eyes were concentrated on the game. They were eager to know how it would come to an end – if Ike can make a surprise attack and bring it back to 40 again, or Marth will finally score and finish the match. It was hard to guess who would win.

Marth tried to remember how he had won that competition back in grade school. Ugh… he was pretty rusty now. He returned the shot and ran to the other side of the court. He needed to win this.

Ike swung his racket and the ball landed on Marth's court, making a confusing spin but Marth knew how to receive it. He executed a drop shot and prayed it would go in.

The ball sliced the air and soared above the net.

It's out – it's out, dammit, Ike repeated in his mind as he forced himself to move towards the ball – but he was completely rooted to the spot. He was sure it was out… but was it?

It's an out, Marth thought to himself, already accepting the loss of his advantage. But why wasn't Ike moving? Shouldn't he be chasing after it while cursing out loud?

Ike got his feet to move. He ran to see if the ball was going to land on the inside of his court.

He lifted his racket, paused, and contemplated if he should hit it back, but it was too late – the ball successfully landed on the line, counting as in.

Gasps emerged from the benches on the side. The people who were watching remained astounded as they tried to decipher if the ball was in or out.

"Wow, did you see that?!" Link uttered in surprise.

"No, it was super fast! Was it in?" Pit asked, dying to know the outcome of the game.

"I think it was in," Falco stated as he narrowed his eyes.

Mr. Game & Watch raised his hand and pointed at Marth and Wolf. "Point goes to Marth's team! The game is over, you may now shake hands and congratulate one another."

Ike did not move an inch, and neither did Marth. They both could not believe the result. Wolf and Fox were already shaking their hands, but the two rivals stood where they were.

"Marth? Ike? You guys okay?" asked Pit from afar in a loud voice, wondering why they weren't acting like they usually were. It wasn't… normal.

Marth was the first to snap out of his trance. "Line ball. I see."

"Damn lucky princess," Ike retorted as he walked past the blunette in annoyance. Marth did not react.

"That was awesome, good job guys!" Link clapped his hands together. Zelda and Sheik nodded at Marth, congratulating him for his victory.

"So, who's up for badminton next?" Mr. Game & Watch asked while he waved his badminton racket at them. God knows where he got that thing again.

Falco stood up from the benches. "Not me." Then he dragged Fox and Wolf along with him who continued to argue at each other.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Zelda smiled while Sheik started walking to the badminton court. Meta Knight and Pit shrugged.

"Might as well, I guess," Link sighed wearily.

Reviews will keep this story alive. No kidding it keeps me focused on it okay lol wtf but yeah comment guys if you have any suggestions for plot twists or just simply wanna show some love, yeah that'll be good too