Captain Falcon: Welcome back to Swordplay, everyone!
Samus: We've finally hit Chapter 19.
Captain Falcon: I remember the author mentioning we're probably halfway through the story, maybe more...?
Samus: Heck if I know. One thing I do know is that she's got Brawl, and she's dying to write a fanfic for it. Besides "Blunette and Brunette", I mean.
Captain Falcon: All right, let's have our guest do the disclaimer.
Ness: Okay! bijoukaiba claims no ownership of Super Smash Brothers Melee, or any of its related characters or their respective franchises.
Samus: See you later. Hooray for time skips!
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Chapter 19: We Need To Talk
The next three weeks went by faster than a one-stock match with a Level 1 handicap and Bob-Ombs as the only item. A new year had started, and for the fighters at the Battle Royale Suites, it only made them want to face new challenges.
More fighters began to take on the Event Matches, and almost half of them had been completed by this time. More people started to sign up for Classic and Adventure modes as well, and in the process, a new fighter had come along. It turned out Master and Crazy had actually manipulated time travel to introduce the younger form of Link as a challenger. With no real inspiration for nicknames, they had settled on calling him "Young Link".
"But why do we need two Links?" Bowser had asked. "Isn't one enough?"
Master had shrugged and replied, "It was Crazy's idea, not mine. Enough said."
Nevertheless, Young Link was welcomed among the fighters, particularly the Hylians, swordsmen, and younger fighters, earning a room on the top floor.
The younger fighters. Things were starting to change for them, and they didn't seem so 'young' or 'little' anymore.
A perfect example of this was Ness. After he had earned his first victory against Bowser, it was like a giant weight of misfortune had been lifted from his shoulders. That same week, he went on to win three more matches, defeating Pichu, Roy, and Mario, but losing to Donkey Kong. Nevertheless, his record continued to improve incredibly. At the present time, his record was approaching an even number of wins and losses, at 13-19.
Sometimes, growth isn't always a good thing. It certainly wasn't too pleasing to the Ice Climbers, particularly to Popo. Nana was his closest friend, almost like a sister to him, but she had suddenly started to seem colder to him. She wasn't doing it intentionally to offend him, but she seemed a bit... 'distracted' whenever a boy went past, particularly Ness. It surprised many people (it amused Bowser) to sometimes find Nana quarreling with Popo over different things. Whether it was what they should have done to win a fight, or how he should take better care of his clothes, or even trying to correct his manners, they were arguing more often than normal. It actually bothered many of the fighters, to see the image of companionship tarnished by quarreling for reasons they didn't know.
It was a Friday night, and many fighters were heading to bed. Popo changed into his pajamas in the room he shared with Nana like he always had; Nana now preferred to change her clothes in the restroom.
Popo flopped down on the bottom bunk, clad in blue pajamas. Nana came out of the restroom in her pink pajamas and climbed up onto the top bunk.
"Will you get the lights?" Nana asked with a bit of impatience.
"Can't you do it?"
"Well, you're the one in the bottom bunk by the lamp," she replied.
Without a good comeback, Popo sat up and reached over to the bedside table with the small lamp. He turned the knob to shut it off, enveloping their room in darkness.
Popo was silent for a moment, before calmly asking, "Nana? Can we talk?"
"I'd rather sleep," she sighed. "What?"
"What's happened to you? We used to be such good friends, and now you're..." he paused to find the right word. "... just, different."
"I don't know..." Nana mumbled.
"It just seems like you're under a lot of pressure. It seems like everything I do bothers you now, but it didn't before. And what's up with Ness? Do you like him or something?"
"No...!" Nana retorted, but it sounded like there was denial in her voice. "I don't know. I guess I've changed, and I just think the stuff you do is embarrassing."
"But it's fun!"
"Maybe to you, but... look, can I go to sleep?" Nana asked.
"Why isn't it fun anymore?"
"Will you stop asking me questions?! It's really annoying!" Nana raised her voice.
A knock at the door caught their attention.
"Hey guys, can you quiet down in there?" Fox's voice came from the other side of the door. "Some of us are trying to sleep, you know."
The Ice Climbers were quiet for a moment, then resumed arguing.
"Maybe I'm not annoying, maybe you're just boring! And if I bother you so much, then maybe you should just leave!" Popo whispered, nearly hissing.
"Maybe I will!"
He heard movement in the bed above him, then Nana climbing down the ladder. He heard her footsteps getting fainter until light entered the room - the door opening - then it got dark again.
It also sounded like Nana had started crying after she left the room.
Right now, Popo didn't care. He pulled the blankets over his head, trying to ignore his anger so he could sleep.
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Marth had finished buttoning up his pajama top when he heard crying in the hallway. Curious, and hoping to comfort whoever it was, he peered out and saw Nana starting to head towards the fourth floor, carrying a pillow under her arm and dragging a blanket with her free hand.
"Nana?" the prince asked.
The girl turned around to look at him with a sniffle.
"Oh dear, what's wrong?" she was a bit short, so Marth had to kneel down to her eye level.
"I... I had a fight with Popo..." she whimpered.
She started crying again, hugging onto the prince. Marth gently patted her back.
"I know, you've been arguing a lot lately... but what brings you here?"
Marth looked up as the door to Link's room opened and the Hylian came out in his pajamas as well. He looked down, meeting Marth's eyes.
"I thought I heard crying," the Hylian remarked, kneeling down as well and placing a hand on Nana's shoulder. "Everything all right?"
"She had another fight with Popo, and I think this was probably a bad one..."
"Ohh..."
"He... he told me that maybe I should leave, so I... I did. I was going to see if... if Zelda would let me stay with her to... tonight." Nana explained, choking on her sobs as she tried to hold them back.
"I think Zelda's already asleep," Link apologized.
"I... I was kind of thinking of asking Joy if I could have a different room. I... I don't know why, but I've felt really uncomfortable about sharing a room with Popo lately..."
A perplexed look passed over Link's face.
"Nana... how old are you, again?"
Nana turned her head to look at the Hylian. She appeared confused, but answered his question. "I'm eleven... but I'll be twelve in October. Why?"
Now Marth looked up at Link, realizing exactly what his fellow swordsman was thinking.
"Oh, do you think she might be..." Marth's voice trailed off when he saw Link shake his head quickly.
"I'll just tell Joy to talk to you tomorrow, okay? Peach, Samus, or Zelda might also be able to help. Don't worry about it tonight, Nana. You really ought to get some sleep right now," Link explained.
"You can take my room tonight," Marth offered to the girl. "I don't mind sleeping in the hallway for one night... I've had to rest in worse conditions."
"Okay," she agreed. Nana definitely appeared to be feeling a little better. She smiled and commented, "Thanks, you guys. Sometimes it feels like you're my big brothers."
Marth went in with Nana, then returned to the hallway with a pillow and blanket in his arms. It surprised the prince to see the Hylian still standing in the hallway, almost as if he was waiting for him.
"That was a nice thing you did," Link commented with a smile.
"Thanks," Marth replied softly, glancing down at his bedding with a small smile.
"You don't have to sleep in the hallway, you know," the Hylian commented, opening his door.
"Oh no, I couldn't," Marth shook his head. "I really don't want this to turn into a complicated room-trading situation in one night."
"Then we won't trade," Link replied. He blushed slightly, though it couldn't be seen in the dark hallway. "We'll just share."
"Sh... share?" Marth squeaked. It was a good thing their faces were hardly visible in the dark; Marth had turned bright red.
"Sure..." Link replied awkwardly, leading Marth in. "We're both guys... it's not like it's implicative or anything."
"Of course not," Marth agreed, setting his extra pillow and blanket aside on a chair. "I mean, we are... just friends..."
"... Yeah," Link agreed, pulling the bed covers back. "Do you prefer a side? I don't have any real opinion."
"The left is fine," Marth replied, sitting down on that side of the bed.
Link turned off the light in his room. Marth felt him crawl past him in the dark, before settling on his side of the bed. The Hylian pulled the covers over both of them.
"Good night," Link whispered.
"Sweet dreams," Marth replied softly.
The prince closed his eyes and snuggled into the pillow. He took a deep, relaxing breath, pulling the covers up to his ears. Link smiled, feeling the covers shift. He rolled onto his back, folding his hands over his chest and closing his eyes.
Twenty minutes later, he opened them again.
He just couldn't fall asleep.
Link rolled onto his left side, finding himself facing the back of the prince.
Sure, on some of his adventures, he'd had to stay the night at the house of a kind farmer or peasant, and occasionally had stayed with another male.
It didn't bother him then. But why did it feel so different, so awkward, to be sharing a bed with the lovely prince?
It felt so wrong to him, being this close to Marth. But how could something so wrong feel so right to Link?
Marth rolled over in his sleep, his fingers gently clutching the loose folds of Link's pajamas that rested near his heart. His warm breath tickled the Hylian's bare neck. If the prince was awake, he would've been startled by how fast Link's heart was beating.
What was Link supposed to do? Wake him up and say, 'Hey, sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep, but you accidentally grabbed onto me and it's making me... uncomfortable, so could you please let go and scoot over?' Of course not, that'd be rude and awkward.
He was feeling a bit more relaxed, however. He probably was just too cold before, and now that Marth was this close to him, he was feeling warmer and more comfortable. The prince would probably roll over again in a few minutes anyway. Link yawned sleepily and draped an arm over Marth's shoulder. Whether he had intended to or not, he didn't know- Link practically passed out in a few minutes.
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Sunlight was the natural alarm clock for the fighters on that Saturday morning. Nana was still resting peacefully in Marth's room, and the two swordsmen were asleep in Link's room.
Correction... Marth was now awakening in Link's room. The prince found himself curled neatly against Link's chest, with the Hylian's arm draped over his shoulder. His arm seemed larger than what he had expected; while he wasn't as 'pumped' as Captain Falcon, there were definitely some muscles in Link, probably from hauling around that heavy shield, or wielding that bow or sword of his.
A brief smile passed over Marth's face, then he shook it away. No, no, no! He shouldn't be admiring another male's build; he shouldn't even be in the arms of another man, it was wrong!
...
... But how could something so wrong feel so right to Marth?
No, no. We're just friends. There's no way. I can't be in love with Link. I just can't.
"There's no way," Marth whispered to himself softly, tucking his arms against his own chest.
"No way to what?" Link murmured.
He removed his arm from Marth's shoulders, stretching both of his limbs past his head, drumming his fingers against the headboard of his bed.
"It's nothing," Marth lied, then put on a cheerful face. "Good morning."
"Mornin'," Link replied with a yawn as he rolled out of bed.
Marth followed suit, sitting up and stretching his arms above his head. He quickly stood up and strode over to the door.
"Leaving already?" Link asked, then grinned. "I'm not that bad of a host, am I?"
Marth smiled and shook his head. "No, I just wanted to check if Nana was awake. I can't wear my pajamas all day, you know."
"Good point. I should also ask Zelda to have that talk with Nana."
Marth nodded.
"... Thanks again."
"No problem."
The prince exited the room, and was surprised to greet Zelda, dressed in a casual white blouse and long purple skirt, already heading down the hallway. He smiled, but she gave him a confused look.
"Morning, Marth... I'm a little surprised to see you coming out of Link's room so early in the morning..."
"Good morning. It's all right, Princess. It's a long story. Link would like to speak with you about something," the prince approached the door to his room and knocked. "Nana? Are you awake?"
Greeted with another baffled expression from the princess, the prince replied, "Again, long story. Link can explain everything."
Before the princess could reply, much to Zelda's (and Marth's) surprise, Link practically yanked her into his room.
"Could you be a little more gentle next time?" Zelda asked, smoothing off her skirt. She looked up to see Link pacing around his room, still dressed in his pajamas. "Now I'm really curious. What's up with Nana in Marth's room?"
"We need to talk. First, Nana stayed in Marth's room tonight because she's suddenly uncomfortable with sharing a room with Popo. I think you and Joy - maybe Samus and Peach as well - need to talk to Nana about what happens when you get older," Link explained.
Zelda blushed slightly, but nodded.
"No problem, we can talk after lunch in my room," she paused after noticing Link was still pacing in the room. "I'm surprised that asking me to talk to her would put you through so much stress."
"It's not Nana that's bothering me. It's... Marth," Link admitted, coming to a standstill.
"Oh?" Zelda asked, sitting on the edge of Link's bed. "How so?"
"Well, since Nana was in his room, I invited Marth to spend the night with me... and I've been feeling strange ever since. I can't quite put my finger on how strange, it's just... strange."
"Maybe you're coming down with something," Zelda suggested. "I mean, after Marth saved Ness, they both had a small cold a few days after. Maybe you caught a small cold from him?"
"It's not strange like that. I haven't felt this way for a while. Like, ever since we formed search parties to go look for Ness, when I..." Link sighed, and sat down floppily next to her on the bed. He sighed again, burying his face in his hands.
"... I kissed him, Zelda."
"You did what?" the princess's tone wasn't disgusted, nor jealous, nor ashamed, but she wasn't exactly in a 'good-for-you' tone either. The only way to describe Zelda's reaction was startled and surprised. "... Why?"
"He was upset, and it just seemed like the only way to comfort him. And Marth didn't even try to back out of it. I don't know why it came to me... it just did," Link explained. "And then, last night... I felt so uncomfortable, but at the same time, so relaxed and at ease..." Link squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. "I... I... I just don't know!"
"Easy, take it easy. It's okay," Zelda soothed, gently rubbing his back. "I have to admit, I've never seen you act this way around anyone before. You might not have known each other as long as you've known, say, myself or Saria, but you've certainly known Marth for several months now."
Link took a deep breath, starting to relax. "Zelda... what's wrong with me?"
"There's nothing wrong with you. At least, I don't think so," Zelda comforted. "... I'm not sure how you'll take this, but... do you want to know what I think?"
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Marth exitted his room, freshly changed into his new favorite outfit for the weekends- his Falcon shirt with a pair of khakis. He was free to change in his room, as Nana was absent. She had, however, written him a note thanking him for his favor.
Out in the hallway, he immediately walked over to Link's room, ready to invite the Hylian to spend the weekend with him. He placed his hand on the doorknob, already pondering the fun things they would do that day.
"NO! I DON'T LIKE MARTH!"
Marth jerked his hand away from the door, almost as if it had burned him.
But it certainly wasn't his hand that hurt.
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Zelda appeared shocked by Link's loud outburst. Noticing the princess' frightened expression, Link took a few deep breaths, calming down.
"I'm sorry. But, I don't like him... not like that at least..." the Hero of Time added quietly. "It's not meant to be."
His female friend placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry if that embarrassed you," Zelda apologized. "But you know, some people would probably say the same thing about me."
Link looked over at the princess.
"How do you think Hyrule would react if they knew I was in a relationship with someone from a different race - a different species, technically - from myself? Especially if they knew that he looked like an animal," she narrated. "But I wouldn't care what they say. I like Fox for who he is, not what he is nor what he looks like."
Zelda blushed. "It's like they say, it's what's inside that counts," she smiled and continued. "And that's probably why I love him. Love is love, and neither race nor gender should decide who you care about."
Now Link blushed, looking down at the floor. "I'm... I'm not sure what to think."
"It's just what I think. Maybe to you, it seems wrong. But... I just want to help," she placed another comforting hand on his shoulder, then stepped out of the room. Marth was standing outside, his back to her, clearly waiting to see her dear friend. She smiled, then continued down the hallway, hoping to run into Fox downstairs.
Link slipped out of his pajamas and into a red shirt with blue jeans. Exiting the room, he was surprised to find Marth, standing with his back to him.
"Hey, what's up?" he asked with a smile.
The prince was silent, still facing away. Link's expression fell; this was almost like the search on that snowy day.
"Marth?"
"How could you say that?" Marth asked. His tone was darker, and his voice was softer. He sounded solemn. He sounded hurt.
"You heard what I said to Zelda?" Link asked, taken aback.
"I heard enough."
"How could you?! I mean, after telling her about Nana... that was supposed to be a private conversation!" Link's voice was raised slightly.
"Private? Certainly not, if you were talking loud enough for me to hear. You practically screamed to the others how you feel about me," Marth retorted.
"Well, I'm sorry if you thought I had feelings for you, but I don't," Link stated, his voice growing darker. "What happened a few months ago was a mistake. It wasn't supposed to happen. The time we've spent together... it wasn't supposed to hap-"
The sound of Marth slapping Link across the face seemed to echo coldly off the walls. The prince's hand was numbed from the shock, and Link's cheek stung with pain as it turned red.
"Then maybe..." Link decided. "Maybe it's better if we stop spending time together."
"Maybe you're right," Marth agreed coldly.
The Hylian stormed past, not even looking the prince in the eye, heading downstairs.
Marth returned to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He leaned back against the door, releasing a huff of anger.
No. I'm not weak. Don't do it. I'm not going to give in. I can't...
The prince lifted his hand, gazing at his red palm as it tingled numbly. The whole incident flashed through his mind again.
Damn it...
Marth slid down to the floor in a seated position, folding his arms around his knees, as hot tears streamed from his eyes.
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Captain Falcon: This chapter was just... intense.
Samus: (nods) It was a short one, but yet powerfully moving.
Captain Falcon: A good choice for a title, too. There's so many interactions here where characters 'need to talk'.
Samus: I hate to sound like an English teacher, but you also have to admire the parallelism between the Ice Climbers and Link and Marth, and the "image of companionship tarnished by quarreling".
Captain Falcon: Deep, bijoukaiba. Very deep. (thoughtful nodding)
Samus: Yeah, unlike her introduction of Young Link.
Captain Falcon: Well, she doesn't really like him. She prefers his older counterpart. Plus, the little guy doesn't really play a big part in Swordplay. That's fine by me; I can't wait for the ending in about ten chapters. And then she's got that sequel planned...!
Samus: Well, we won't give away too much about Hunted just yet.
Captain Falcon: You just did. (laughs)
Samus: (laughs) Thanks for reading, see you next time!