The Planets
A/N: This 10,000 word limit is killing me!
II. Venus, Bringer of Peace
Samus adjusted her dress, careful not to mess up her hair or make-up. She wore an elegant white gown with a long train trailing behind her. Gold thread slowly made its way around her skirt and down her train, clashing beautifully with her silky blonde hair. Speaking of her hair, it was pulled up into an elaborate knot and held by a lovely flower clip, courtesy of Princess Zelda.
"You look beautiful," a small voice whispered behind her. Samus smiled as she turned around to face young Nana, who was swathed in a simple pink dress and a rosebud clip. Her piece of gold for the night was the thin chain wound around her throat.
"Not as beautiful as you do, Nana," Samus smiled, brushing a stray curl from her roommate's face and carefully pinning it under the rose. "Popo would be so happy right now."
Nana blushed. "I-I'm actually going with Ness tonight. As much as I love Popo, he's only a brother to me…"
Samus' smile widened. "Either way, you'll certainly be turning heads tonight." in the distance, she heard a bell chime. "You best be running down there, Nana. You're already at least two hours late as it is."
Nana nodded. Then, without any warning, she leaned forward and hugged the huntress. "Thanks, Samus. Thanks for helping me get ready…" with that, she ran off.
Samus stared after her, blinking slightly from the sudden contact. She had never received a hug from anyone, much less the youngest female Smasher in the mansion. She had always been so cold, so distant to the others that it was whispered that a good practice was to stay away from her.
Not that she minded, of course.
More bells chimed in the distance. When they chimed next, she was to step out onto her balcony and perform. Her intention was to create a grand display of spectacular fireworks, one that would strike all into even the stoic Gerudo King. Once that was done, the fireworks would form into monsters and she would battle them, showing her prowess in combat and strategy. It would all end in a huge bang, large enough to shake the very foundations of the Smash Mansion.
She carefully pulled the medallion around her neck, her brow wrinkling slightly as she noticed that the ribbon did not match the embroidery upon her dress. While normally such a flaw would not matter to her, she wanted to make a statement tonight. She wanted to show that even a woman could be great.
The bells chimed. It was time. Samus took a deep breath, glanced at her reflection in the mirror once more, then stepped towards her balcony. The doors glowed gold and opened on their own at her touch, showing her the true power of the Venus Medallion.
The moment she stepped out, she knew that the audience was in awe. It was said that the Venus Medallion also amplified the beauty of the wielder, and she would be stupid not to know that many found her slightly above average in attractiveness. She put on her most winning smile and raised a hand, sharp blue eyes searching the audience for the man to whom she was about to prove herself to.
Her eyes locked onto him easily, for what other person would dress in so much black tonight? There he was, standing there in a doublet, breeches, and cape with gold trimming, glaring out at her through deep golden eyes. She knew he was watching her carefully, waiting for her to mess up the entire festival.
Ha, she would show him.
She raised her arms in the air, locking her eyes upon the glowing golden orb in the sky. She noticed that there were no stars tonight, the moon hidden somewhere in honor of this day. Samus took a deep breath and cleared her mind, connecting her essence with that of the Goddess of Love and Beauty.
Light exploded from her fingers as a warmth spread throughout her body. She heard the audience gasp in awe as the fireworks burst forth from her palms. Reveling in her success, she spun around, transforming into a pillar of white and gold flame as her lights painted the sky a myriad of color. It was breathtaking, the most glorious experienced she had ever had. Here, upon this balcony, she was loved and feared all at once. She had the power to save them all or destroy them. She was the greatest!
The finale was approaching. She now called back her fireworks, drawing them into a spinning orb she held above her head. The audience gasped again, whispers breaking out everywhere as the huntress' huge ball of light grew and grew. She scanned the audience again for Ganondorf, ready to smirk at the Gerudo King's reaction.
Anger flowed through her. For right there before her, the Gerudo King was laughing. He was laughing at her. Even in her greatest moments of glory, she was little more than a worm to him. Her anger peaked with every heave of the hated man's chest, clouding her judgment and causing the ball of light to grow to nearly titanic levels of power. Without a second thought, she aimed the ball at the arrogant Wielder of Power and fired.
When she next woke up, she was in an unfamiliar room. The room was dark, lit only by a few candles sitting on the nightstand next to her. The blankets and sheets that surrounded her were maroon in color, nothing like the blue comforter she normally slept with. As Samus sat up, the musky scent of the desert reached her nose.
It was strange. She felt… heavier than she normally did. What was more, she felt stronger and… more powerful as well. It was so hard to explain the feeling. She felt as if she had just gotten back from a long dip in the pool and had trouble getting out of it. For some odd reason, she could feel the flow of some invisible current all around her, one that occasionally surged with a strong yet gentle power.
Something pulsed gently in her right hand.
"You're awake," a familiar voice stated. It was a feminine voice, rich and strong, tingling with command and battle experience.
Her voice.
"W-What?" she stammered, jerking back in surprise at the sound. The voice she spoke in was definitely not hers. It was deep, dark, and ancient. It rang with arrogance and hate. It was the kind of voice found only in the darkest corners of Hell.
Ganondorf's voice.
"… Everything shall be explained soon," Samus squinted, making out a tall, curvy figure leaning up against a nearby desk. For some extremely odd reason, the figure was wearing her dress. Their hair was tied up exactly hers had been. She saw what looked like a cheap knock-off of her medallion hanging around their neck.
The door to the room opened. A large hand clad in a glove edged with gold thread floated in, hovering a few feet above their heads. This glove was soon followed by Pit, wearing a tunic of gold.
"Master Hand!" Samus and the figure said at the same time. Samus was still quite unused to the deep quality of this foreign voice she spoke in.
Master Hand bobbed once to show that he accepted their greeting. "Samus… Ganondorf…"
Ganondorf? Where?
Pit cleared his throat. "Do… do you want me to explain to them as well, Master Hand?"
Master Hand bobbed again to show his agreement. "Yes. It would be best for both of them to know what is going on."
Pit sighed as he regarded the two before him. Samus couldn't help but wonder why he looked so sad. "Samus… out of all the people here, I didn't think you would ever stoop that low…"
What was he talking about? Samus frowned as she searched her most recent memories. She remembered the fireworks and the balcony, Ganondorf's laughter, her anger…
"What did Ganondorf do that made you attack him?" Pit pressed.
"I don't know what I was doing," the one in her dress spoke. "But one moment I was laughing at those two Hylians in their silly get-ups and the next, I felt as if my very essence was being ripped from me, as if-"
"Calm yourself, Ganondorf," Master Hand said firmly. "And let Samus speak."
"… I was insulted earlier today by Ganondorf," Samus said quietly. "A-And I suppose that… I allowed my anger to get the better of me, and-"
"And this was all a big misunderstand, huh?" Pit interrupted. Samus bit her lip and nodded, still quite unsure what was going on.
"But what happened? One moment I was perfectly fine, the next, I'm sitting in bed and… and someone is wearing my clothes and I feel so… so different, and-"
"Haven't you figured it out already, Samus?" Pit asked, bitterness dripping from his every word. "You're being punished."
Current Story Word Count: 3, 521 words