Hello, again! Night Shade here with more Samus/Link goodness. I've decided to make the prologue into three parts, since I took so much time and space making the 1st tournament part. Oh well. As you know, prologue part 1 is the creation of SSB, while this part talks about Samus' and Link's times in the 1st tournament (SSB 64). Well, read on and enjoy yourself!

It all began during the first tournament, simply known now as the Smash Origins, where Samus had been one of twelve fighters selected compete for glory, honor, and a prize in the end. At first, she was skeptical: what was this freaky glove…thing, and why did it want to take her away from her own dimension? As she let the invitation lay somewhere in her spaceship, one day she was struck with a fainting spell while flying through space. At least, that is what the doctors believe. In actuality, her consciousness was transported to Master Hand's realm, the Final Destination, so she can ask anything she wanted.

She received the answers to her questions. While competing, her world would be frozen in time to await her return, so that nothing with a negative outcome would happen. Also, any lethal capabilities that the bounty hunter had, such as missiles, bombs, and energy beams, would be down-sized so that while they still have maximum damage levels, they could not kill. How the Hand was able to accomplish this, she did not know. Finally, Master Hand gave her the option of fighting in her Power Suit or her Zero Suit. Deciding that it was best to keep her gender a secret to use as an advantage, Samus chose to fight solely in her Varia Suit.

When transported to the establishment where all fighters were to call home, which was simply known as the Mansion, Samus was introduced to the other contestants. She found that strange was apparently a must for the requirements: fire-wielding plumbers, a green egg-laying dinosaur with a long, sticky tongue, an 'F-Zero' racer ('whatever the hell that is, she thought') who liked to give names to his attacks, and other things that she noticed were out of the ordinary.

However, what caught her attention the most was the young man dressed in a green tunic. He had his back turned and was looking out one of the windows. At first, she thought of him as a freak, with his long ears, weird, silly long hat, and laughably medieval weaponry ('A sword and shield? Really? Ha!'). Deciding that a few mind games would help her out in future fights, she began to approach the Hylian, hoping that her suit would scare him. As she neared him, he turned around, letting Samus see his front for the first time. At that moment, it took all of her will to suppress a gasp.

First off, the guy was handsome. He had all the right features in all the right places. Second, he was pretty tall, coming up to her shoulder, despite that her suit made more than six feet. Thirdly, he was like an Adonis. Not beefy-muscled, like Captain Falcon, but more streamlined with constant swordplay. His tunic seemed to bring out his well-toned chest. Lastly, and the factor that made Samus stop in her tracks and freeze like a deer in headlights, were his eyes. Blue as the ocean and just as deep, they were as beautiful as they were frightening. Those cerulean orbs had a look as if they were as soft as clouds and as hard as diamonds at the same time. They seemed to say "I will let you into my heart" and "I shall smite you if you ever endanger me" in one voice.

It was Link's eyes that made Samus feel fear for the first time since her childhood.

However, such fear was (kind of) misplaced. Outside of a match, Link was laidback and humble, making him well liked by the other contestants. He would help others if they come to him with a problem, and learned about other dimensions, especially being introduced to the idea of breakfast cereal (who knew he was such a morning person?). On the battlefield, Link showed that he was called the Hero of Time for a reason. Like Samus and few other fighters, Link's weapons were made non-lethal. Nevertheless, he was skilled with the blade, using his signature 'Spin Attack' to slash his way to the top, bested only by Mario in a very close final match.

Samus was the complete opposite. She acted the same on and off the battlefield- cold, scary, and unapproachable. She didn't come to make friends, nor did she care to. No one would want to come near her. Even when Mario tried to mingle, he turned tail from Samus' glare. She came to win, and that was it.

It was after her first encounter with Link that something began to stir.

After her first match against Yoshi, the green dinosaur, the bounty huntress began to watch the green-dressed Hylian. She wanted to spot a flaw, to see if he had something that she could use to her advantage. She found that he loved music, always finding time to play on some small blue instrument. He kept his senses sharp and alert, much like she did, by setting up hazards unknown to him and quickly learning to overcome him. After a few more days of analyzing, Samus saw something she did not expect: she saw a bit of herself.

Even though he was active with everyone, Link never talked, aside from battle cries and grunts. Not a single word came from his mouth. Also, Link surprisingly was a bit of loner himself. He would often retire to his room and stay in there for long periods of time, coming out only for a match or to go on long walks. It was by then that Samus decided to confront the Hero in private.

It was the night before the semifinals, and Link was nervous. He would be facing Samus, 'the woman in the living armor', as he sometimes refers to her. Link was probably the only one who knew that Samus was female besides Master Hand. He also knew that she could possibly kill him if he ever said anything about her gender, so he said nothing. Come to think of it, he hasn't said a word since he came to this tournament. He thought is was weird, since he had no problem talking in his own dimension. Why would he feel the need not to talk? Deciding that another midnight stroll would probably set his mind at ease, Link strapped on his gear (out of habit and instinct) and headed out the Mansion and onto the nature trail that ran alongside it, not noticing that a certain bounty huntress was following.

As Link made towards the end of the trail, which was marked by a clearing and a wooden bench, he took notice of another presence behind him. He stopped for a minute, pretending to admire the calming scenery. The Hero waited until he felt his hair stand on end from under his cap, telling him to strike immediately. Faster than anyone would care to think, Link swiped the Master Sword from it's sheath and spun around, stopping just a hair's width from the stranger's neck. The stranger, it turns out, is just a annoyed Samus.

"Oh, put your metal stick down. It won't do much," she grumbled, her voice altered to sound more robotic than human thanks to the armor. As Link didn't move an inch, she swated the sword away. Link sheathed said sword and proceeded to walk over to the bench. As he sat down and sighed deeply, he glanced over to Samus, as if to ask 'What do you want?'

Samus ignored the look of the Hero and sat next to him, mentally going over what she wanted to ask. Deciding that she stalled long enough, she bluntly asked, "Why the hell do you never talk?". Link merely stared at her, eyebrows raised in interest. It wasn't a question that many people bothered to ask. He snapped back to Samus' rant before he got in trouble. "I mean, all you do is shout; not even a little 'Hi' or something like that? Sure, everyone thinks I'm a cold-hearted bitch, but at least I let people know I'm human."

Link couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, which Samus took as an insult. "How dare you laugh at me? Do you realize that I can kill you with a push of a button? Why are you like this?" she ended, practically shout at the long-eared boy. Link still just stared back, only this time it was out of concern. Surely he and is actions couldn't have worked up the girl this much, could they? The excitement of her rant left, along with an considerable amount of adrenaline. She flopped back against the bench, not caring that her suit's weight splintered the wooden support.

Through her visor, she Link cautiously put a gloved hand on her shoulder pad. While it never made contact with her skin, she felt a tingly sensation as if it did. After a few seconds of awkward comfort, the Hero stood up, looking towards the stars. Samus was about to start another monologue about how much he annoys her when-

"Tell me, Miss Aran," Link spoke quietly, voice slightly raspy from unuse, yet sounded just like his eyes looked: dangerous yet harmless, hard with discipline yet soft with comfort, even having a musical lilt, "Why is it that you are so concerned with me?" he looked at the armored huntress, grinning slightly at the state of shock the she was in.

"You-y-you can speak…" Samus stuttered. 'Wait. Why am I stuttering? It's not like it has an effect on me.' Yet her mind betrayed her by fabricating illusions of Link speaking sweet nonsense into her ear. Desperate to stay in control, she pressed on to another matter. "How do you know that I am a women?" she asked coldly, almost as if daring him to answer.

Link, oblivious to her question's undertone, replied. "I do not have a particular reason. I just knew. I seem to have develop a sort of…sense, for a lack of a better word, during my travels. However, you still did not answer my question, Miss Aran."

Samus got up and turned him around to face her, jutting a finger into his chest, ignoring the groan of pain that came from his mouth. "One, keep your senses to yourself. Two, if you tell anyone that I am a woman, that sword will shoved down your throat, you will crap metal. Three, call me 'Miss Aran' again; I dare you." She pushed him back with her finger and turned away.

"…you still have not answered my question. Why are you so concerned with me?" Link asked again, hoping to get an answer.

Samus sighed. "I heard you the first time." she paused, not really sure how to phrase what she had to say next. "I…I guess I'm…fascinated by you."

"Oh?" Link looked at her, extremely interested now. "How so?"

"Well, for starters, you are like me, yet you're not. You are a lone wolf by nature, yet you would risk your life to protect people. Some people fear you, but respect you for what you do. What really grinds my gears about you," she turned back towards him, his eyes showing that he was paying attention, much to her relief, "is that I can't read you like I can other people."

"Really?" Link sat down on the bench yet again, "that is what is troubling me about you as well." As Samus turned around to listen to the Hero, he continued. "I want to know more about you, Miss Samus. I have read everyone in this mansion completely except you. You are such a mystery to me; your weaponry, your armor, your nature- everything. All that I know about you is from you show other people- cold, cunning, dark." Link tried to see if he could see her eyes through her visor. That would fix everything for him.

"Is that what you think of me?" Samus looked at the stars like the blue-eyed man was previously.

"It is not what I think. It is what you show me and everyone else. I cannot and will make a judgment upon you if I do not know you." Link got up and moved in front of the huntress.

"And h-how is it that you will know me?" Samus's robotic voice came out with a stutter, unused to having anyone this close to her, especially if that someone was Link.

"Take off your helm."

"S-sorry?"

"It is the only way for me to see who you really are. I will let you ask me whatever you want, even if you do not wish to remove it." Link kept trying to visually pierce through her green visor. He just wanted to know this woman. He didn't know what compelled him to go through with this. Not even Zelda, with all of her magic, mystery, and personality could top what he was feeling for the huntress.

"…I can ask anything?" Samus asked, feeling that he was lying.

Link made a triangle shape upon his brow. "By Farore's Wind." Samus took that as a promise and reached for her helmet as the green-clothed teen stepped back. Her fingers touched seemingly random place around the rim of the red barrier. Suddenly, a hiss and whirring gears were heard and a miniature plume of gas was seen. Pieces of metal that were supposedly the inward locks of her helmet jutted out from the sides as it slightly rose up from loss of pressure. Link could only look on with anticipation as Samus finally reached up to remove the barrier. After that, Link couldn't help but gasp aloud.

In all honesty, he was expecting her to have black hair. He was expecting a lot of black, actually. Instead, what he saw was without a doubt better than anything he could've come up with.

Her golden blonde hair was done up in a high ponytail, two long, thin bangs coming down to frame her heart-shaped face, which was beautiful with the moonlight shining upon it, despite being somewhat pale from being in the suit all the time. Her eyes, however, were just as Link imagined- stony, skeptical, and cold. Still, he saw something, the slightest bit of warmth...

"Samus," said Link, "what I am about to do will let you see, hear, and even whatever you wish from me, but it will let me do the same to you. Do I have your permission?"

Samus, still taking in that she was letting someone see her true face, let alone let them see her inner self, just nodded, hoping that she would not come to regret this.

Link then raised his left hand, and for the first time Samus saw a symbol glowing on the back of it. It was a group of triangles, three triangles that created an upside down triangle on the inside and a bigger one on the outside. Link gently put his hand on her forehead, and closed his eyes.

"Soul Exhange."

Suddenly Link saw only her eyes, letting him see a warrior hardened by the world around her. He saw that she had suffered the loss of her parents when she was a child. He felt anger when he saw the purple dragon, wanting to hack the demon to ribbons. The Hero saw vengeance, despair, , regret, and rage, but most importantly, Link saw a young woman, sitting on her backside, knees held close to her chest, tears coming down from her oceanic eyes every now and then. He began to feel not only every emotion that she had ever felt, but also every emotion that she wanted to experience. Friendship. Joy. Redemption. Forgiveness. Love.

All while this was going on, Samus saw what the young hero went through as well. His adventures through time, the white, eyeless mask that nearly consumed him, the dark king that had come so close to ruling his homeland with an iron fist. However, it wasn't what she saw that made her speechless; it was the emotions that radiated off his very being. Protection and loyalty were among the more strong feelings, but she saw something that she didn't expect- regret, shame, repulsion of himself. As she began to wonder why would he feel this way about himself, she saw more memories. A dragon, that was raised by Link as a child, was beheaded by his own hand seven years later. A small girl dressed in forest green standing on a bridge, crying her eyes out. A ninja-like person, whose gender Samus couldn't make out, was laying on the floor, the blue skin-tight suit punctured with numerous arrows, blood red eyes changing to blue…

Then a flash of light, and the next thing they knew, Link was on one knee, desperate for breath, and Samus was shaking her head, trying to regain her sight. Finally Link just gave in and landed unceremoniously slumped on the floor. The huntress finally caught her composure and glared at the one lying spread-eagled the grassy earth. "What…the freaking hell…was that?"

"Soul…Soul Exchange." Link wheezed, catching his second wind, yet deciding to stay down. "Comes with receiving the power of the goddesses," he once again held up his left fist, which still glowed with the golden symbol. "It lets me see into another one's soul, and they into mine. Every memory, emotion, want, need, and the list goes on."

Samus continued to glare at him. "You mean to tell me that you invaded my personal shit?"

"You gave me permission, Miss Samus."

"What the hell did I just say about calling me that?"

"You said not to call you 'Miss Aran'." Link replied, looking up towards the stars.

Samus was about to insult him, but instead of the profanity she had in mind, she began to laugh. At first, she looked as if she had freaked even herself out; then, she grinned widely and laughed as if she never laughed before, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Link just looked up at her, the began to laugh as well, finding it contagious. Finally, the awkward hilarity subsided, and they found themselves in silence once again.

"…I've never been this open to anyone before," Samus spoke up, deciding to lie down next to Link, "not even with myself. Ever since my parents were killed, I stayed closed up. Not even the Chozo, my foster race that raised me, even gave me my armor, could not pierce through that walls I had put up. No one seemed to understand what I was going through. People thought I was emotionless, as cold and empty as the deep space I travel through.

"Then I came here. At first, I thought I had made a mistake. There was no way I could find anything here remotely useful here. Nothing to help me. Then you came along," she mentioned, turning on her side to face the Hero, who was still looking up towards the sky, now with a blank expression on his face, "and I began to be curious. There was something about you that...drew me to you." she confessed, feeling her face suddenly get warm for some reason. 'Maybe my cooling system's is on the fritz?' She was shaken from her memories when Link spoke up.

""I was ten years old when I was destined to save my homeland. There was no notice; no choice, but I chose to do it anyway, despite the casualties that surmounted. The first was my guardian father spirit, the Great Deku Tree. He gave his life to ensure many others that there is hope from the impending doom. The second was my friend, the fire dragon Volvagia. I taught him how to talk. Seven years later, he went mad from dark magic, and the only way to give him peace was to kill him. I still remember when he died, that last thing he cried was my name…"

Samus knew his pain all too well. Losing those you love from things that could have been avoided. "And the ninja? Who was that?"

Link sighed. "Shiek, Last of the Shiekah tribe. She was close to death when I found her like that."

"So Shiek was a girl?"

"Not just any girl. She was Hyrule's royalty, Her Majesty Princess Zelda, in disguise for seven years. She survived, but still suffers nightmares from it."

"Why did she hide her identity?"

"Why do you, Miss Samus?" Link looked straight into her eyes, making her feel something she had never really felt before.

"…because I need to. I would not be taken seriously if my opponent were to find out my gender."

"Zelda did it to protect her people. If she was known to have been alive, the usurper, Dark Lord Ganondorf, would have used her people against her."

"I see. So it was not out of cowardice?"

"No. Out of hope. She knew that one day, I would return and restore the kingdom. She just needed the people to believe." Link sat up and dusted himself off. Samus followed suit and got up.

"Thank you…Link," that was the first time she had said his name. It left a strange sensation on her tongue. "No one has ever bothered to learn about me. You are the first person here who was actually brave enough to stand up to me."

"I guess that is why I was chosen to bear the Triforce of Courage," he said, looking at his gloved hand, the light having faded away completely. As he looked up again, the Hero saw Samus stick her armored hand out in front of him. He smiled as he reached for it, letting her pull him up. "Thank you for letting me understand you, Miss Samus."

Samus frowned, squeezing his hand in hers, ignoring the slightest twitch in his eye. "Don't call me 'Miss'. 'Samus' will do just fine, and thank you for giving me a chance."

"It is no problem…Samus." Link winked at her, which caused her face to grow warm once again. Maybe there was something wrong with the cooling system. A small shift in her hand told her that she still holding the Hylian's hand, though thankfully not squeezing it anymore. Both young adults seemed to noticed this at the same time and quickly letting go. Link began to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment while Samus just stood there. The Hero spoke up again. "Samus?"

"Yeah?"

"Does this mean that we are friends?"

Samus froze. Had she ever considered making friends when she first came here? The answer was no. She was here to fight, win, take the prize, and go home. This young man, with the most perfect pair of eyes she had ever seen, changed all of that. "Yes, we are," she said softly, tucking one of her golden bangs behind her ear. Link smiled warmly, an act that made Samus, once again, warm as well.

"Great, but remember, friends do not go easy on each other, especially during a semifinals match," Link stated, a small smirk set on his lips.

Samus blinked, having completely forgotten about their fight tomorrow. "Ha! Please, I won't even have to try to wipe the floor with your ass." she tried to get into her taunting mode, but their rather intimate conversation seemed to reduce any negative feeling toward him to mere ashes.

Link waved, already walking down the path back to the Mansion before Samus had even realized it. "Hubris was the downfall of many great countries. Do not let is be yours…Miss Samus," he added as he went over a hill in the path, completely disappearing from the huntress' point of view.

Samus frowned, then smiled gently. She could not stay mad at him now. She bent down to retrieve her helmet. "A one of a kind guy," she stated as she looked up towards the heavens, as her newest and first ever friend had done numerous times during their talk.

"May the best warrior win."

To say that the semifinal match for the tournament was amazing would be a drastic understatement. The fight was downright epic, packed with ferocity, perfect hits and plenty of tide-turning. However, one of the more notable moments during the match was when Link spoke in public for the first time. It was right after Link had grabbed Samus with his Hookshot and threw her across the arena, which happened to be Final Destination, a crowd favorite. As the huntress soared through the air, Link rushed upward with a Spin Attack, scoring multiple hits as he used his shield to knock her back to the floating platform. As she began to recover from the combo of hits that she had taken, Link simply walked up to her and asked her, "Do you need help, Miss Aran?"

Everybody, the crowd, the other contestants, and even Master Hand gasped, not just at Link's monumental mistake, as Samus does not take kindly to taunts, but the merciless wrath of the feared space warrior that was now imminent. However, to everyone's (except Link's) shock and dismay, Samus merely chuckled as she got up and looked straight at the Hero. "Ooh, now you're gonna get it," she said, her voice quivering with almost childlike excitement. "You're the only who's gonna need help after I leave you quaking in you boots, Mr. Courage!" She fired a barrage of missiles at him, which he leapt over and landed right in front of her, a smile of painted innocence drawn across his lips.

"Prove it."

And thus, the fight escalated dramatically. The two fighters were down to their final life, currently had critical damage, and were complete equals until suddenly, Samus grabbed Link with her energy tether and flung him towards the left side boundary for her win. However, she didn't count on the Hookshot that embedded it's point into her chest plate, pulling her towards her foe as it recoiled. Just as Samus reached him, Link spun in the air, causing Samus to swerve in front of the Hero, and kicked off her back, knocking her into the boundary line first, with him following soon after.

It was a brilliant move, Samus had to admit.

As the other's celebrated Link's victory, the two former foes were deep in the forest, chatting away in the same place as the night before, only this time they weren't two fellow fighters; they were friends.

"I must say, you almost had me, Miss Aran."

"Don't call me that, jerk!"

"Sorry. I was under the impression that you liked it when I called you that," Link said, sipping from his cup of refreshment.

Samus' face grew warm again, but she had finally realized that she was blushing, and since she had taken off her helmet once again, she turned and huffed, not giving him the satisfaction that his 'pet name' had started to grow on her. "So," she began, desperate to change the subject, "how do you feel about being in the finals?"

To her surprise, Link put on a serious face. "I might lose."

Samus abruptly punched the young man in the shoulder. "What the hell? You were sure as hell cocky against me! What makes you think the chubby plumber stands a chance against you?"

Link smiled, and replied. "He wants to win more than anyone. He has save his damsel in distress not once, but hundreds of times. Plus, he is far more skilled in combat."

"You have a sword and shield, not to mention bombs and a boomerang!"

"It does not matter what weaponry I have. It is about not only skill, but the will to become the best. Sometimes, grit counts more than steel."

Samus couldn't argue with him there. She remembered her quarterfinal match with Kirby. Her attitude towards the innocent puffball nearly cost her the match. "Just promise me one thing, Mr. Courage."

"Yes, Miss Aran?"

Samus looked deep in his eyes, like he had done the night previous, and saw her reflection, his irises' refraction causing her to shine in his eyes.

"Do your best, okay? For me?"

Link once again smiled, an act that Samus enjoyed seeing more and more.

"Of course."

Link was right. Mario's will was stronger than his, but he did give the plumber one hell of a time. Both were down to their final life when they decided to go all out with one last attack, Mario's hands aflame and the Master Sword glowing white with pure energy. They blitzed towards each other, Mario brandishing his increasingly blazing fists while Link unleashed a wicked fast Spin Attack. As the two attacks collided, a spark was seen in the small nexus of the attacks, the a gargantuan explosion. As the smoke, noise, and debris subsided all that was seen were the two foes staring each other down, running on pure determination at that point.

Link then smiled, then put his sword back in it's sheath and his shield on his back strap. Looking at Mario, he simply said "Thanks for the fight. It was great." before collapsing face first to the ground, still conscious but completely out of energy. As the audience went into an uproar chanting Mario's name, Link was lifted onto a stretcher, and a familiar voice called out to him.

"You're gonna to kick his ass next time, or else I'll fry you with my cannon. Got that?" Samus was there in full armor, but he could tell she was smiling.

"G-got it, Miss Aran."

After the closing ceremonies, Master Hand told everyone that the next tournament will be held in the next couple of years, and to expect a whole new experience. As everyone said their goodbyes, Link and Samus were in front of the Mansion, awaiting the portals that would transport them to their respective dimensions.

"Samus," said Link, looking down at his boots.

"Yes, Link?" replied Samus, her hair finally free of her helmet once again.

"I…I want to give you something," the Hylian began to dig around in one of his many magic pouches.

"What is it, Mr. Courage?" Samus had decided to give the young man his own 'pet name'. Link scowled in false anger, but chuckled soon after.

"Well, do you remember how I told you the Great Deku Tree gave his life to protect Hyrule?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with-" Samus stopped mid-sentence when Link pulled out a spectacular green gem, it's viridian reflection shining upon Link's face. To make it more splendid, the gem was somewhat wrapped in golden bands, creating a symbol in the center. It was truly marvelous. "W-wow. L-Link, it's beautiful."

"Before he died, the Great Deku Tree gave me this, saying that it would help me in my journey. It turns out it did- it helped me get this sword," Link referenced to the sword currently resting on his back. "This was the most precious thing that my…'father', I guess you could say, gave me, and now I give it to you.

"Samus, my best friend," he got one knee in front of the stunned woman, "I give to you the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri Emerald." He placed the glowing gem in her armored hand and closed her fingers around it. "Keep it, and every time you see, I want you to think of me."

"Link…I…" Samus was at a loss for words. This young man, this kind, caring, absolutely handsome young man, had just entrusted her with something that he held so close to his heart. She threw her arms around the Hylian, holding his head close to hers. "D-don't make me cry, b-bastard; I'll kick your ass." She had a reputation to keep, after all.

Link merely chuckled. "I am glad that you like it."

Samus just held him for a while he held her back. Then she whispered in his ear, "You're my best friend, too," just as the portal sporting her competition symbol appeared. The two best friends let go of each other and smiled.

"Be prepared for next time, Miss Aran. I will be better than ever."

"Hubris was the downfall of countries…or some crap like that you said earlier"

As Samus made her way to the portal, the last thing she heard Link's voice, his musical lilt always pleasant to her ear:

"I will miss you, Samus."

The last thing she thought, as she was transported back to her world, back to her old life as a bounty hunter, without her new best friend, was:

'Goodbye, Link…my Link…'

Whew! That took forever! I apologize if some parts were a bit hard to read. I aim to please, so reviews are what help me become a better author. Be warned- I'm flameproof. Bring them on! Also, I would like to thank Coli Chibi, my first reviewer, for liking my story. I think you story 'Fast Love' is one the best Smash Bros. stories I have read! As a token of appreciation, Coli, you can have up to three requests for me to do.

The next chapter will be about Samus' and Link's times in Melee, and about how they cement their feelings for each other. I hope you enjoy my work.

Until next time…

NIGHT SHADE