Chapter 2

-o-

Introductions and Intrigues

Two months passed quickly when one tried to organize a fighting competition. As Mario had promised, they found a director on one of the Delfino Isles. It was a Noki, a race with the appearance of oversized seashells but with arms and legs, and a head of course. This particular Noki had a brown shell with white stripes and a matching hat, small round glasses and a strong tendency to misunderstand things. He was originally the director of an amusement park and had abandoned his old job with unexpectedly little regret, although it had been impossible to figure out whether he realized what was expected of him at his new one.

The competitors were supposed to gather, get to know each other and install themselves in their new home two weeks before the grand event and Zelda decided that it was about time she told Link about her coming along.

Link had waited patiently for a whole day after Zelda's departure and then he had started to sneak back into her garden again – every day – to see if she had returned yet. He had no trouble leaving on long journeys himself but then he knew that she was safe and sound back home in the castle.

"Link, are you here?" Zelda said with unmasked surprise when she found him in the garden.

"Yes, just thought I'd check if you were back today. Guess I'm lucky that you were on my first try."

She sat down on the ground beside him, leaning in closer. She had thought hard on how to break the news to him ever since she has said goodbye to the two hands and it would have been dreadful to have to wait for him to show up.

"I've got big news," she told him.

"You got front row seats?"

"I'm coming with you."

Her friend did not look quite as happy as she could have hoped.

"You mean that we'll go there together? But the competitors are supposed to be there two weeks early and–"

"No, wait, look what I got." She held out a letter similar to the one Link had showed her. He stood there dumbfounded for a moment, with a scowl on his face, while he tried to think of any other reason besides the actual truth as to why she would be in possession of such a letter.

"You?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"You…" He grabbed her shoulders and looked intensively into her eyes. "You may not go."

"What!" She broke free from his grasp and frowned at him in a way that he knew meant that she craved an explanation – or that he would take back what he said, but he was not planning on that.

"You could get hurt."

"You think I would break into pieces from a hit or two?" As soon as the words had slipped out her mouth Zelda remembered that she had promised to lose her matches and would most likely end up taking quite a few beatings so she was quick to add: "I am not going for the fighting. Hyrule should be on friendlier terms with more countries than Termina, Holodrum and Labrynna."

"Zelda, no matter how many good or peaceful things you can come up with it's not gonna change the fact that this is a fighting competition. I've never asked anything of you, so please listen to me and stay in the audience."

There had been a time when a traitor had overthrown the king, Zelda had gone into hiding and Link had picked up his sword for the first time. She had waited for him, guided him and helped him become the hero he was destined to be. In the end, when it was all over, she had turned back time, given him his lost childhood back and erased the traumatic memories of her people. This fulfilled one of her own selfish desires as well. Her father, who had been killed in that reality, had also come back to life.

Even though she and Link were the only ones that could remember that undone future where she had struggled for seven years to survive, Link was the one who more than anyone seemed to think that she was made of fragile glass and that a splinter was equal to having a Goron trample her.

"I will go," she said.

"You're not going," he said in a low voice. He talked through his teeth and Zelda was sure that if she had been anyone else he would already have put in a lot more force behind his words. She did not like making him upset, especially since he seldom did ask her of anything and it felt cruel of her to so easily ignore such a small request. To satisfy him, at least a little bit, she pretended to reconsider whether she should give in to him, but of course everything was already settled and there could only be one answer.

"Yes, I am going."

"No," he said and got to his feet, his chest rising and falling with the same rhythm as his quickened breaths.

"Yes," she said, also standing up. They glared at each other, he set on winning the stare-down, until she tossed with her hair and walked away from him. He inhaled and then followed her. They continued to argue as she kept walking and he kept following until they had walked around the whole courtyard.

"Fine then, if you're going to be that stubborn," Link exclaimed in frustration and headed towards the exit.

The princess stood with her arms crossed and did not give him a single word of goodbye, much less a glance, when he left. His overprotectiveness would blow over, or at least tone down, and she would show up at that gathering whether he liked it or not. It was for his sake. She had hoped that they would be going there together but she could get there on her own just as well, even if it would not be near as enjoyable.

Zelda ended up being lucky. Link's concern for her safety was stronger than his anger and the princess was pleasantly surprised by her hero that was waiting to escort her when the big day arrived. He did not look very happy but letting her do as she pleased and stick around was better than having her wander off on her own. She on the other hand could barely hold back her joy when she saw him. It was only for the sake of future arguments that she pretended to still be angry with him.

On horse the journey would take days, if not months. Fortunately, Hyrule was part of a network of teleportation spots that would allow them to get to the right city in the blink of an eye and then it would not be very far to the house where they were going to stay.

Zelda sat behind Link on his mare Epona when they rode towards the teleportation area and tried to catch a glimpse of his face. The shield that hanged over his back worked as a cold wall between them and made it difficult for Zelda to hold on. She would have liked some of the body warmth. Link had been muttering to himself the whole ride and still seemed to be in a bad mood when he helped Zelda get off the horse.

"Why can't you just let me teleport us?" Zelda said.

"You shouldn't exhaust yourself. It's too far."

He took a hold of her hand, if yet he tried to avoid looking at her, and together they walked inside to teleport.

It took some time but they finally found the mansion outside the big city where they arrived. Once one reached the city border it was not difficult, because it was located in the middle of a field and was in clear view from a far distance. It was a red brick house with white pillars that rose taller than the young trees that were a part of its garden. Its warm color looked welcoming in the bright sunlight and on the green lawn a stage had been set up.

They were a bit late and there were already several people on the lawn that were past breaking the ice.

Zelda cringed. She was used to, but not particularly fond of, crowds. This was also the first time she had been faced with the possibility of making friends rather than political contacts. Everybody already looked like they got along well enough without her and she was grateful that Link still held her hand. She was no sure that she could pull this off. She was not witty, or even the kind that smiled effortlessly, but before she could indulge in her own shortcomings Link spotted a familiar face and pulled her along.

"Fox," Link called out.

It was a suitable name, that was for certain. A fox wearing green clothes and grey boots that matched his jacket well turned around. His style bore resemblance to the military and he wore quite a few technical gears, such as a headset, that made it difficult for Zelda not to stare at him as if he were a piece of art. He opened his mouth to return the greeting when he noticed Zelda lingering behind Link and flashed his sharp teeth with a wide grin.

"Link, who might your lovely lady-friend be?"

"Her name is Zelda and she is not available," Link said dryly. She did not follow their conversation but this Fox person seemed friendly.

Fox rolled his eyes that were a nice forest green, and given a mischievous spark by the sunlight. "You can't blame me for hoping to run into a charming vixen. There were only two women last year and Jigglypuff was not really worth the attention."

"Jigglypuff is a Pokémon," Link said, giving Fox a weird look. "You didn't?"

"No, weren't you listening? Not worth the attention, and except for your... dainty little thing here, I've only seen an Eskimo that looked like she was about five years old. Seems I'll be stuck with my old flame."

"There never was anything between you two," Link said but Zelda noticed that Fox was scanning the crowd rather than listening to Link and he apparently spotted something he liked because his eyes grew ten sizes.

"Blimey," he said and quickly ran towards another woman in a pink dress.

"Oh, he didn't say goodbye," Zelda said. She would have liked to try out having a conversation too and regretted not finding an opportunity to join in this last one.

"Don't talk to him when you're alone," Link warned her. "Right, you better hold on to my hand too." He held up their hands and let their fingers entwine to get a better grip.

"Are you still mad?" she asked.

"No."

"I am sorry that I always bring you so much trouble."

Nearby two young men were standing a bit to the side. They were quite the duo, dressed in medieval clothes, long capes and both carrying swords with golden hilts and jewels that practically screamed that they were not to be wielded by just anyone.

The shorter one were moving his head back and forth when he watched the many contestants walking by them. The corner of his mouth twitched and he made sure to give the man beside him an impatient look when each new opportunity to make a new acquaintance passed them by.

He had been the one to insist upon his friend accepting the invitation so he could just not leave him standing in a corner. It was not very long ago that they had got to know each other but already from the start it had been obvious that the taller man, Prince Marth of Altea, preferred locking himself up in his castle over socializing. Despite this the prince had never driven Roy, the shorter one, away when he had chosen to stay after his own intrusive visit. He had complained and acted unnecessarily cold, though.

Marth deeply regretted that he had let Roy talk him into attending this topsy-turvy gathering. Altea was at present trying to recover from being occupied by its former ally, now traitorous enemy, Gra. He was also recovering, but from the reminiscence of the shame of being sent away from his home as a young boy, the insult of being unable to protect his sister and the grief of finding out that his parents had been killed. It was as though reality had turned into whispers behind darkness when everything he knew and held dear crumbled to pieces over him. The only thing that still felt real was the monotonous scribbling of his pen when he sat at his desk and went through the never ending piles of documents that had to be signed. He read, he wrote, and then there were more papers. It kept Altea on its feet and that was what he lived for.

One day Roy, son of a marquess from faraway lands, had showed up, straightforward to the point of being brutal and with a stubborn attitude that would go on anyone's nerves. He was not anything that Marth would ever have imagined to be a part of his life. Marth had not liked him more than any other noble showing up on his doorstep. There were influential powers he could not send away, like Akaneia, but after Gra he did not want any close ties to other countries and he had made that clear to the young lord. For some reason, Roy was still hanging around and to Marth's horror he found that he would miss him if he left. That did of course not mean that he liked this whole idea of participating in some crude fighting event like this. He only did it for Roy – and he was aware how stupid that was because Roy only participated because he thought that it would be good for him.

"I'm Captain Falcon."

Marth's depressing thoughts were interrupted by the voice that had a hint of a raspy sound to it. The first thing he saw was a giant hand covered by a bright yellow glove that had a brighter orange glove peeking up where it ended. The impression was already completely wrecked and Marth raised his gaze to just get the whole sight of this person over with.

It was a man with a built of a berserker that held out a hand for him. He wore blue spandex and a red helmet with a golden falcon in the front. Marth pulled his eyebrows together and stared at him. The friendly approach was too much. Too in-one's-face. He saw no reason why this person would like to greet him.

Captain Falcon scratched the back of his head and began withdrawing his outstretched hand when Roy grabbed it and shook it.

"I'm Roy of Pherae and this is Prince Marth."

"Highness," Falcon greeted Marth who nodded, just for the sake of etiquette, and then walked away with Roy scurrying after him.

"Can't you at least try to enjoy yourself when you finally get to come out of that dark murky castle?"

Marth answered him with one of his iciest stares.

"Okay, I get it, Marth, but the next time someone says hello can you at least try to say something?"

Right then another person approached them.

"Hello, I'm…"

Marth walked past the person in the orange robot suit without as much as a single glance.

Roy stayed behind and started a lively conversation while Marth headed towards a deserted corner and hoped to be left alone. Once he had reached his chosen spot he was free to observe everyone else like as inconspicuously as a fly on the wall. It was a while ago that he had been out among people. So many wide smiles and weird creatures and bright colors. It felt like a clown's face that could be washed off and leave nothing but an insipid countenance with little meaning.

Not many looked like fighters either. A little boy with a yellow and red striped T-shirt, which alone made Marth recoil, walked past him with innocent enthusiasm on his face. There were animals that looked liked plush toys and he had even seen a doctor stroll around while humming to himself. Then he caught sight of a couple some distance away. They drew his gaze past the people blocking his way. It was their long pointy ears that had caused him to take notice of them, they could not be Manaketes? No, their clothes were too strange. The woman's dress had a piece of purple cloth attached to her golden belt. It hung like an apron in the front and was covered with the most peculiar symbols Marth had ever laid eyes upon. Birds with spread wings, crying eyes, triangles. Her looks were on par with some of the women he admired the most. Both Shiida and Nyna were beautiful beyond compare and his sister and mother were the most beautiful, yet there was something about this woman that made it feel as if a raging storm was shattering the windows he tried to close. Whatever it was about her it broke inside and he could feel the cold and the ripping wind. She was smiling gently, yet her being was more plaintive than the sorrowful Nyna.

There was no grotesque mask on her face. It was like he had been wandering down a path rimmed with wilted flowers and suddenly laid his eyes on a rosebud.

Roy came running back to him and to Marth's great annoyance he blocked the view of the woman with the pointy ears.

"I'm glad that you are so blue that it's easy to spot you," Roy said and pointed at Marth's blue clothing that of course went well with his dark hair. There was not a fold or a crease out of place. Roy's own messy, red hair was worse than usual because of all the running and he fixed his purple cape that had tilted over his right shoulder.

Marth shifted position when the target of his sudden incomprehensible interest moved again. She made no approach to befriend anyone but watched anyone that came up to talk to her male companion with hopeful eyes. No, it was rather like shattered hope before anyone had opened its mouth.

"Are you listening to me, Marth?" Roy asked while Marth was busy wondering what someone like her could be doing in this place. She did not look like she should be fighting at all.

"Oh, now I get it. You're not ignoring me, you're looking at something. What is it?" Roy looked in the same direction as Marth and grinned. "Another swordsman! I bet you want to face off against him," Roy said and grabbed Marth's cape to pull him over to Link and Zelda

"No," Marth said aghast.

"You there," Roy called out to the Hylians.

Link smiled when he noticed that the two men heading over to them carried swords. It would be fun to show them a thing or two. Zelda only needed a glance at Link to know that this was like a birthday present to him.

"I'm Roy, son of the marquess of Pherae," Roy introduced himself and grabbed Link's hand without the smallest hint of hesitation.

"I'm Link and this is Zelda," Link said and gestured at the princess beside him. He had finally let go of her hand and that he would soon regret.

"Pleasure," Roy said and swiftly brought her hand up to his lips that barely brushed it before he turned to Link again. The Hylian hero's hard-set expression made Roy raise his eyebrows as he drew back. Even if these elf-like people were a couple, was it not pushing it to get upset over something like a greeting? Zelda was among the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes upon but that did not mean that he would fall head over heels for her at first sight. Maybe it was some cultural thing. He snapped of his fingers, already fully recovered from Link's glare and satisfied with the explanation he had come up with.

"Forbidden property?" he whispered to Link and discreetly pointed at Zelda. Link did not reply but the tension eased up.

Meanwhile Marth had made eye-contact with the noblewoman and at once he could tell that he was not alone in this... yes, what was it? An inkling of a feeling? A purity, like a droplet of morning dew in a polluted and muddy swamp? It was hard to tell how he knew. It was more than sensing it and when her lips parted, as she quietly inhaled, it was all the proof he needed.

"Marth, this is Link," Roy said.

Marth left his friend's side and approached the two Hylians. He reached out for the woman's hand and his bare fingertips lightly touched the soft fabric. He put his free arm behind his back, crossed one leg in front of the other and closed his eyes when he bent down. Her dreamlike gaze and the blue irises, with a lilac tint in their depths, were the last thing that lingered on his retina. Even though there was no hurry to his actions he would not be able to describe even how the texture of the fabric felt on his lips. They brushed the back of her hand like a wind fleeing with a sweet dream. He glanced up at her face from behind his blue bangs and let his mouth rise just above her glove.

"I'm Marth of Altea." His voice was soft as velvet. "A pleasure," Marth finished his introduction and straightened up.

Zelda felt her inner presence float away into a warm soft light. She appreciated good manners. The base of etiquette was to make other people feel good. It had a feeling of benignity to it that felt like an embrace she had always longed for but it was rarely that the finest nobles made her feel like they were being truly polite. Roy had of course also been acting accordingly, maybe a bit sloppy, but there was just something about this man that felt unwaveringly sincere.

"I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule," she said and lowered her head to show her respect as she curtsied.

Link watched in despair the softness of Zelda's gaze. For as long as he had known her, in a different future, a past and a second past, she had never looked this untroubled. She had smiled her loveliest smiles for him a thousand times but always with a dark cloud lingering somewhere in the deepest corner of her mind. One could see that there was a lot of shadows behind those eyes that would never take off. Now it was as if her pale skin had taken on a luster that changed the whole aura around her.

It could not be true. Link's gaze shifted to Marth. If there ever was a polar opposite to soul mates, this was it. The prince's whole being provoked him. That loathsome expression, the haughty gestures, the neat correctitude, the tiara. It was as sudden as a match being lit.

Link stepped in-between, his back towards Zelda and not quite sure what expression was on his face. His skin felt hot and his muscles tense as if he was about to slash a monster in half.

Marth made a small bow to Zelda and completely ignored Link when he left with Roy following closely behind. The read-headed lord apologized over and over while he walked away and then had to run to keep up with Marth.

"Hey, you're just leaving?" Link called after them, his hands clenched into fists.

"Is there something wrong?" Zelda asked and put a hand on his shoulder.

That prince had ignored him completely, like he was a huge nobody, and dared to get smooth with Zelda right before his eyes. But with the prince gone, and under her touch, he could get a grip. That Marth needed to be told a thing or two but maybe it was for the better that the hatred let go of him. He would not have liked to face Zelda, afraid that those ugly feelings would show on his face, unless he let go.

Suddenly they heard a high-pitched cry of surprise and saw a woman with blond curly hair in a pink dress run towards them with bouncy steps as fast as her heels would let her (which was faster than most). To Link she looked like a giant doll.

The girl headed straight for them and grabbed Zelda's hands with starry eyes.

"How nice to meet another female Smasher. You don't happen to be a princess too?" the girl said in a voice sweeter than nectar. She had a small golden crown on top of her light and fluffy sunny blonde hair. It was without a doubt the friendliest face Zelda had seen today, perhaps in her entire life even. She swallowed when she realized how touched she was by this open-heartedness and goodwill.

"I am a princess," Zelda confirmed and smiled. The other girl's smile widened in return.

"I'm Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom!"

"I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule."

"I'm so glad I met you," Peach said and let go of Zelda's hand so that she could clasp her own hands together. "We need to show the boys that we can fight too, right?"

Zelda's smile faltered a little since she knew she would have to disappoint her new friend on that point. She also noticed that Link did not seem to like where this conversation was going and she would rather not bring up their old argument about she not belonging here.

"Oh, forgive me, I almost forgot. This is Link", Zelda said and gestured towards her friend. Link opened his mouth to greet her but Peach was quicker.

"I recognize you. I always watched your matches closely because my Mario told me so many things about you. You two were obviously getting along quite well and I thought that it was so romantic when he told me your strength was this girl–"

Link quickly covered her mouth, recalling how often he had been encouraged to talk about Zelda when Mario had told him about his own love interest. This Barbie-doll had to be her and he did not need this blabbermouth to reveal his feelings for Zelda. Could you get a worse declaration of love? Unfortunately, he was unaware that his other hand, which he held around her waist to stop her from struggling, accidentally slipped further down.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Peach screamed like a banshee when she broke free with astonishing strength and slapped Link hard across the face. Zelda gasped and reached out for him but Link held up his palm to stop her before she got the chance to tend to him.

"I-it was an accident," Link stammered and worriedly threw a glance at Zelda who watched the whole scene with a very confused expression on her face – not sure whether to tell Peach off or to take care of Link despite his protests.

"An accident?" Peach said and watched the way his eyes darted between the two princesses. "Zelda, was it?" She kept her azure eyes locked on Link. "I suddenly remember that Mario has mentioned the name Zelda as well. If you can behave like this in front of her you are clearly nothing like what my darling described. You... pervert."

From a room beyond time and space (well, from where else?) she pulled out a frying pan. Link did not even finish his thought on what she needed that for here and now before she started flinging it at him. As he did not like fighting girls Link decided to make a run for it.

"Hello? Excuse me. Could I get your attention, please?"

Zelda looked at the stage where the Noki had positioned himself and grabbed a microphone.

"First I want to welcome you all–"

"Except Mario!" A giant creature that looked like a cross between a dragon and a turtle filled in.

"…Welcome you all to this new season of Super Smash Brothers. Super Smash Brothers Melee."

"Lame," The turtle's voice was heard again.

Zelda gulped. She had helped to come up with the name. The turtle did not seem to bother the Noki though.

"We'll hand out some information for you soon. First I will tell you a few things myself." He cleared his throat. "Everybody will face off against each other. You will get two points for a win, one point each for a draw and no points if you lose. The eight people that have received the most points will meet in the finals. We will also have team battles and you can collect bonus points for fair play, tactic and a few other things for bonus prices. You will live in the mansion which you can see here," he waved a hand at the house. "Everybody will get their own room."

"Can you share if you want to?" A small voice in the crowd asked.

"You can contact us in the office, which is also in the building, if you have any questions."

Master Hand and Crazy Hand showed up with some folders. Crazy Hand waved to Zelda who bit her bottom lip and gave him the smallest wave of her hand before she used it to shield her face and look away. They had decided not to make known that she was involved in this.

"The room you have received, rules and additional information is written on the paper we're handing out now."

"I don't want this room," the turtle said the second he got the paper in his hand, most likely not even aware of which room he had got.

"Quiet, Bowser!"

Zelda recognized Peach's voice and the sound of her frying pan colliding with something. She took a breath of relief because Link must have escaped safely and just as she was thinking so he emerged from the crowd and reached her side.

Before she could say anything most people began to move towards the mansion and Zelda made sure to stay close to Link. The house had two entrances, one leading directly into the living room and one into the kitchen. When one came upstairs there was one room to the left, which was the room Zelda had received, and a long corridor to the right. The first door on the right side led to the bathroom, the rest were bedrooms for the Smashers – all the way down the corridor – until one came to another flight of stairs that led to a third floor of rooms and the office.

"Only one bathroom!" Zelda heard Peach again from somewhere in the back.

"Come see me and tell me where your room is later," Zelda mumbled to Link and let go of his hand to enter her own room, trying her best not to be shoved forward by the flow of moving people.

She knew that all rooms looked the same but they were allowed to make as many changes as they wanted, provided that they were willing to pay for it out of their own pocket. She had a feeling that Peach would hurry to do that. When she unpacked she felt herself smiling. She loved this so far.

(A/N)

I did get a review! I am so happy. So, I will shamelessly go all mushy here and say that this chapter is dedicated to Naz Delphiki (I somehow had a nagging feeling that I would confuse words and thanks to the good critique I doubt that I will remake the same mistake).

I did not know what to write at all in the first chapter since I want to write one of those unoriginal stories about the Smashers' lives, which leaves this story rather plot-less. I do not know why I updated either because I said I would not. My apologies to Bowser for calling him a turtle but everything was kind of revolving around how Zelda experienced it and I am quite sure that she has not seen a Koopa (although there are Mario paintings in her castle...). I also made a big change when I put Labrynna, Holodrum an Termina as neighboring countries rather than their own separate dimensions. I just want people to be able to stay in touch without crossing time and space. In this story it would complicate things for no reason at all.

Well, this is going to be a MarthZeldaLink-triangle (just to make things clear unless you have not already guessed it). Irregular updates because this is for fun after all.

I admire you if you gave chapter two a shot after chapter one (I did not like it that much. It is so awfully frustrating when one has to write about things leading up to the fun parts). This chapter is pretty much the same, though. So thanks a lot for reading.