Everyone cheerily looked back and remembered those brawls and chuckled when Lucas said he had been afraid. Ness, always standing up for his blonde friend, snapped, 'Well I know you were all afraid too. None of us knew what to expect.' I would agree with Ness, although I don't think Bowser was as frightened as he was eager to totally roast whoever he was brawling. Bowser is now growling at me.

Samus glanced at Rashida and then shrugged. "Off I go," she said, tapping a button. Her green visor shut with a snap, concealing her face and expression. "Hope you beat whoever you fight."

She turned to looked at the painting that was actually a portal and then stepped into it, as if she was go through the wall. Everything was white and she was spun around and hung in the air, as if frozen for a moment. She glanced down and saw she was three feet above a stone floor. Then the portal released her and she dropped lightly to the ground, stayed kneeling for a moment, and then stood, readying her blaster.

She strained her eyes to see the beginning of her opponents materialization. Who would she fight, and beat, today?

White light surrounded a silhouette and then the opponent materialized, spinning around in a complete circle, cape flying out behind, before landing gently on booted feet and standing to face her.

She tried to remember seeing him before, but she hadn't been actively introducing herself, in any respect of the word, to anyone.

His hair was a deep blue and his bangs hung over is forehead, partially swept away from his deep blue eyes which were narrowed ever so slightly. His eyebrows made him look serious as he stared at her, lips pressed tightly together. He wore a crown of sorts and his sword glinted in the bright light. His cape hung almost to the floor, but blew out suddenly in the wind.

A voice sounded over the loudspeakers.

"Marth versus Samus! 3-2-1. Go!"

Samus narrowed her eyes behind her visor and suddenly raised her blaster arm and fired twice.

He promptly dodged once. Then twice. And then he was upon her.

She received a sharp kick and the sword went through her.

She knew because of the portal there was no blood, but it still hurt a little and she was mad.

She braced her foot and gave him a terrific punch in the gut that sent him flying back, a grunt escaping his mouth as he hit the edge.

He was on his feet and both spotted the floating, glowing orb simultaneously. Samus charged up something to aim, focusing. The next instant Marth was by her side. She glanced down and a moment later she was hurled off the platform.

Samus immediately disengaged her plasma ball and jumped up. It got her high enough to reach the edge and she pulled herself onto the stage and instantly kicked Marth, who was glowing strangely with colorful electricity. He stumbled back and suddenly Samus felt frozen. She couldn't move.

His eyes grew bright and flashed as he raised his sword high above his head. "Hiiiiiiiyaaaah!"

Her eyes widened in horror as he dashed at her, full tilt, blade shining.

There was time to flinch and then the sword shot through her and the impact sent her flying.

As Marth grew smaller as he disappeared she grabbed her aching stomach and fumed.

A white light enveloped her and then dissolved and she was in a large room with words and statuses flashing on a large screen. A moment later Marth materialized, is cape falling gently about him. He said something in a foreign language and then looked over his shoulder.

"Good fight."

"Moron! That was less than a minute!"

Marth had already turned away and was fading from view. Then he disappeared.

She folded her arms, steaming, and disappeared as well to return to the portal room.

"Well?" Asked Peach. "How was your match, Samus?"

Samus glared at her. "Some cocky blue haired dude whipped me. Grrrrr." She stomped the ground. "But you won't see me losing again."

"Who'd you fight, Peach?" Asked Rashida, walking up, swinging her sword.

"Oh, some... Guy." Peach burst into tears.

"What's wrong?" Asked Rashida, hurrying up to her and dropping her sword with a clatter.

"He... He b-b-beat me so bad! I didn't get barely any damage on him. He kicked, punched, hit, and then as I prepared a weapon he hit me so hard I lost my breath and flew off... The the stage!" Peach was sobbing. "And he wasn't even nice about it! He didn't smile. Just looked... M-m-mean! He was so scary, I'm going to have nightmares about him for the rest of my l-life."

Rashida, eyebrows twisted with worry, patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Peach. Us girls stand up for each other and Samus, Zelda, and I will go tell him what for after the second round of brawls, okay? Do you know his name?"

"They said, Peach versus Ike,'" answered Peach, whipping her eyes. She stared at her hands which twisted and untwisted her handkerchief. "But don't mind me. I was always a lower Tiered smasher. I'm just scared and sad at how badly I was beaten I guess. Just a big cry baby."

She didn't notice Rashida look perturbed for a moment and glance quickly at Samus.

"What?" Said Samus, noticing the look on her face. "You know him?"

"Yeah," said Rashida quickly. "Bye. I'm off to my next match." The truth was Rashida wasn't at all sure if she knew Ike anymore. He had changed so much and she hadn't really spent enough time to know if he'd changed on the inside as well. The Ike she knew was soft and nice. He had struggled a lot as a kid, but he was stout, loyal, and fought for his friends. She knew he didn't smile very much and he did occasionally say, "You'll get no sympathy from me," but she didn't think he could beat Peach so hard like that. Especially the delicate, girlish princess who didn't look like she could hurt a fly.

Zelda arrived at the meeting place to see only Peach. "Where are Rashida and Samus?" She asked.

Peach glanced up. "Oh. They're off to they're next matches."

"What about you?"

"Yeah. I will. I just had a little bit of a trauma attack with the first guy I fought." Peach gave a forced smile. "I'm okay. Did you win your first match?"

"Yes," nodded Zelda. "It wasn't easy, but I was pretty confident. It was that little blonde kid, Lucas. I have to admit, he's pretty good with those shocking powers and stuff. I wanted to go easy, 'cause he looks so cute, but after the first two times I got shocked and 'PK fired' I used my all. And it still wasn't super easy. I tell you what, there's no resting there."

"Not one on one," responded Peach. She shivered. "Not with the guy I fought. Oh, Zelda, he was so creepy!"

Zelda patted her friend's shoulder. "I bet you can get your next opponent. Oh! Ten minutes! Bye!"

Zelda raced off, grabbing up her skirt to keep from tripping over it. She opened the door and was surprised to see Link there too.

"Hi! How'd your first brawl go."

He shrugged. "It went too long and the loudspeaker said 'Sudden death' and then Luigi wound up a punch and let it go just as I reach him with my sword. I lost." He grinned. "What about you?"

"Good, good. I won. But it was good competition. Which portal is yours?"

"That one," answered Link, pointing to a portal with fluffy clouds and fake looking trees and grass.

"Hmm. Let's see. I'm that one." She squinted at the plain platform sort of place and raised an eyebrow. "Oh well. See you at the reuniting room."

She winked at him and slid into the wall.

Surrounded by white and then dropped. She spun around and landed beautifully, straightening to see where her opponent was.

"Zelda versus Snake. 3-2-1. Go!"

Zelda's blue eyes opened wide in horror. "Where was her opponent?"

She heard the crunch of a boot behind her and paled. Quickly using her magic she disappeared and teleported ten feet forward. Then she whirled around.

The man who stood there took her breath away. He was tall and muscular with a tight gray body suit and a utility belt. He was carrying a wicked looking gun. Hs hair was brown and somewhat scraggly with a similar short cropped beard. His eyes were dark and piercing as he stared her up and down.

She was frozen as he bent on one knee and pulled out from nowhere a larger gun and aimed it at her, the whole while his eyes never straying from her large blue ones. There was a puff of smoke as he pressed the trigger. His eyes were hidden from view and the spell broke.

She suddenly realized a missile was heading towards her, leaving a trail of white smoke.

Zelda leapt into the air and teleported mid jump to right behind Snake. Then she whirled up some magic and let it fly.

She blinked as it hit him and he fell forward, catching himself in a roll at the end of the platform. She watched him and then gritted her teeth. She was going to lose if she kept this up!

She leapt forward, whirling magic in her hands to hurl at him.

He dashed forward and a series of kicks and rolls and punches sent her hurling backwards. She lost her footing and stepped off the edge of the stage.

Her gloved hands snagged the edge and she stared up into his face as he bent and set up his launcher to aim right at her.

Her eyebrows knit and she gave a feminine grunt. Then she bolted upwards with her magic and jumped behind him.

He whirled around just in time to receive a back kick in the face. She spun to follow it up with a jaw punch and instantly began preparing magic, just in case, as he stumbled backwards and tripped off the edge.

She ran to peer over the side and stepped back in amazement as he rose, clinging to a robotic helicopter of sorts. She tried to aim her magic, but it had charged too much and unleashed, barely missing his feet.

He sailed over her and landed neatly.

Zelda, panting, ran at him again, charging more magic. He prepared to meet her with a fist pulled back to deliver a stunning punch.

As his arm shot forward she teleported right behind him and aimed a kick.

He stumbled back as her kick struck his neck and then suddenly his hands were on the ground and his feet were in the air.

A moment later his heals had hit her in the face and she fell down on her behind with a cry of surprise.

"You're good," she remarked. Link had mentioned before all men liked to be admired. He made no answer, only kept his creepily level eyes on her as he proceeded to kick her in the head again.

She teleported only to see he had been prepared and a punch that had been readied sent her flying backwards to catch her balance at the end of the stage.

She was breathing hard now from all the damage she'd taken and felt weaker. But if she lost to this Snake guy she knew he would never fall for her. He was a strong man and probably wanted a strong woman. And if she didn't beat him she was sure Samus would somehow find a way to snag the man.

Her eyebrows knit and she shot two weak bolts of magic and teleported to right in front of him as they reached their target.

He had used his shield on the first one, but the second knocked him back and she followed it up with a succession of punches and began charging magic.

He used his helicopter again and then dropped right on top of her.

Both fell to the ground. She stared up at him.

His face was close enough to see his nose was bridged and he had a small scar on his forehead. His eyes were a dark hazel and they stared into her bright blue ones. His knee was on her stomach.

"Get off," she said quietly and threw him off with a pulse of magic. Then she scrambled, as quickly as her amount of damage would allow, to her feet. He was right in front of her. Their eyes locked briefly and he took her hand and hurled her off the stage.

She used a bolt of magic to fly up and grab the edge only to glance up into the frightening eyes that were screened a moment later by a puff of smoke. The missile sent her shooting down until she was caught by the white portal and dropped into the large finish room.

A moment later a large cardboard box dropped from another portal. She blinked as it lifted and the Snake guy stood. She suddenly realized he hadn't spoken the whole round. He hadn't even made a noise.

He glanced back to stare at her again and she kept her eyes steadily staring back, narrowing them as she did so.

Then he spoke. "Mission accomplished." His voice was low and soft and a little scratchy.

A moment later they were both dissolving back to the rooms.

"How'd it go?" Asked Rashida, as she plopped down on the bed, hurling her sword against the closet door.

"I lost again," said Peach, softly. She forced a smile and shrugged. "But this time I almost beat my opponent. He was that pink marshmallow."

"Don't you mean 'she'?" Snapped Samus, shining some of her armor nearby on a short stool.

The four woman had congregated in Rashida and Samus' room to talk about the day.

"I know, right?" Giggled Peach. "But it's actually a boy named Kirby."

"Weird," grunted Zelda, who had been staring at her hands the whole time.

"What's wrong?" Asked Peach. "You lost?"

"Yeah."

"I totally creamed my second guy," said Samus and then sobered. "Don't worry about it, Zelda. You win some you lose some. And two games doesn't say much about you. 'Sides, you won the first one, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Zelda repeated.

Rashida and stood to put a hand on her shoulder. "What's really wrong, girl?"

"Nothing," answered Zelda, snapping this time. "It's just who I lost too that has me bothered."

"Was it Mario?"

"No!"

"Bowser? The dinosaur?"

"No!"

"Link?"

"No! And stop asking questions. I don't wanna talk about it."

"Well, you guys," said Peach, breaking the awkward silence that fell. "What are you gonna wear to the party tonight?"

Zelda suddenly glanced up from staring at her hands. "Hey! The party tonight!"

"Oh, that perked her up," snorted Samus, grinning.

The girls instantly launched into descriptions of the dresses they planned to wear and the jewelry and who they wanted to see and what kind of party it would be and if there would be dancing.

Except Samus. She remained quiet and calmly scrubbed her helmet, which had gotten pretty dusty from that last brawl where she had beaten the big dinosaur with no damage taken. She had been very proud of herself, but there was still an irk whenever she thought about that blue haired Marth who had beaten her. It wasn't fair.

"Samus. What are you going to wear?" Asked Rashida, turning to look at her.

Samus glanced up and then looked sideways. "This."

All stared at her blue body suit and protests erupted.

Marth glanced around the full party room, searching for Ike or Rashida. He spotted Ness, who had beat him after the announcer had said, 'Sudden Death'. Then he saw Ike, speaking with Snake in a corner and Marth suddenly felt sadly intimidated by Ike, who had changed so much. He wondered how his friend's brawls had gone, but he didn't feel like walking up and interrupting their conversation to ask.

He turned around and instantly spotted Rashida, just entering with the three other young ladies. He knew that the one with the straight blonde hair was Samus, the one he had beaten so well. The other two were the princesses, Peach and Zelda. He turned away and walked to the wall. How unfortunate that everyone had a friend but him. He shrugged to himself as he took a cup of punch and turned around to find someone directly in front of him, blue eyes glittering.

"Hi, Marth!"

He didn't like the way Samus spat his name. Was she such a sore loser?

"Greetings."

"I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn't put yourself on a pedestal because you beat me once! You were just lucky you got that smash ball! It's a warning that I am not going to be gentle with you from now on."

Marth wanted to snort. He restrained himself and stared calmly at her. "I look forward to future brawls. You seem to be a good opponent."

Samus shot out a hand and smashed his shoulder into the wall. He winced a little.

"Look, Prince!" She hissed. "I don't want any of your fake courtesy. You'll treat me like I'm one of your equals. I'm not a lady in any sense of the word. I'm a woman and I'm just as good as you. You talk to me straight on and maybe you'll get by, got it?"

Marth was now furious. His eyebrows knit together. "There is no brawling outside the portals."

"I'm not brawling you!" She snapped. "I'm telling you what's good for you."

She put her other hand on Marth's other shoulder and pushed him against the wall. "Now..."

Marth was wondering if it would be a smart idea to knock her flat on the ground or if his statement of self defense would be able to keep him from getting expelled from Ultimate Brawl.

Samus suddenly froze as the sound of two heavy boots stopped directly behind her and a heavy hand was laid on her shoulder.

She released Marth and turned to stare up into the frighteningly stormy blue eyes of a giant man with purple hair, his eyebrows knit together in a fierce frown.

"Why don't you leave my friend alone," he said, his voice deep and even.

"Who are you?" She snapped, determined not to be intimidated. "The helpless prince's bodyguard?"

There was no answer, but the fingers tightened a fraction around her shoulder and she turned and stalked away.

"Sorry," said Ike, shrugging. "I know you don't like feeling helpless, but I didn't think you'd be allowed to knock her down. And I know you're such a rule follower."

Marth smiled. "And you fight for your friends. Maybe we'll be teamed together. Tomorrow they have the team battles."

"Oh, good. I'm better with those. The confusion gives me more time to charge a blow."

Marth raised his eyebrows and inclined his head. "Then I will desperately hope I have you, because team battles are not my best brawl types."

Ike shrugged.

"Rashida," said Zelda, hurrying up to her and grasping her arm tightly.

"What's wrong?" Rashida looked into Zelda's blue eyes which were wide and a little dilated.

"Look. That guy right over there, Snake, was the guy who beat me. What do I do?"

"Uh... Why would you do anything?"

Zelda glanced over her shoulder at Snake's broad back. "I just... Wanna congratulate him. But I'm scared. He's got these eyes..."

Rashida gave her friend a strange look and then took her hand. "Come on."

She dragged Zelda forward until the princess caught her footing and swept past her, gaining confidence with a friend by her side.

Snake, instantly aware that two girls were behind him, stifled a smile and kept up his relaxed conversation with Bowser, who finally stopped talking to him and stared meaningfully at the girls.

Snake turned around lazily. "Whatcha want?"

Zelda raised her chin a trifle and looked directly into his eyes. "I just wanted to congratulate you on winning. I'm usually more amiable a little after fights, then directly following."

"Oh." He gave a small lazy smile and sauntered off.

Zelda turned to stare after him, her eyes narrowing.

"You like him?" Asked Rashida incredulously.

Zelda whirled on her. "Do I look that dumb to you? No, I don't like him!"

Rashida shrugged. "I mean I guess he's cute, but he's kinda..." Rashida finished her sentence with another shrug and turned to engage Peach, who had dashed up to them with terror in her bright blue eyes.

"There he is!" She exclaimed in a hushed whisper, her voice full of undisguised terror.

Rashida and Zelda looked over to where she was pointing.

"Wow," said Zelda. "Yeah, I guess that would be scary. That's that Ike guy. I guess I didn't imagine brawling against him, even though I was definitely intimidated by is muscles."

"Yeah," said Rashida, folding her arms. "Ike's friends with that Snake dude. But actually, he and Marth share a room."

"Marth must be really brave," whispered Peach.

Rashida put her arm around Peach. "You met him yet? He's nicer up close."

Peach took a step back. "Yeah, I met him," she said hurriedly. "And I brawled with him and saw as much up close as I want of that monster."

Rashida frowned and grabbed Peach's hand in a vise-like grip. "C'mon. You're meeting him."

Peach planted her feet and was pulled along anyway. "Zelda, help!" She hissed in terror.

Zelda stepped forward and grabbed Peach's other hand. "Rashida, leave her alone. She doesn't want to meet him."

"But she has to know that he's not mean!" Insisted Rashida, turning to use more leverage and try to tug Peach's hand from Zelda's.

Zelda grabbed Peach's arm with her other hand. "No. I'm not letting you."

Samus walked up to them.

"You guys are making a scene. What's wrong?"

"Rashida wants to force Peach to meet a guy she's scared of," answered Zelda, giving Rashida a disapproving look.

Rashida tossed her head.

"Peach, seriously. All the smashers are nice when you get to know them," said Samus. "'Sides. You gotta face up to your fears."

"No thanks," answered Peach and then turned pale.

The girls had created such a scene they had drawn the attention of Snake, Bowser, Mario, Ike, and Marth.

Peach stared into the stormy blue eyes and Rashida turned to glance at Ike as well, releasing Peach, who stumbled back against Zelda, who stumbled back against Link, who was right behind her.

He held her up gently and got her on her feet.

"What is the problem?" Asked Marth, stepping forward and folding is arms.

Rashida flushed and folded her arms as well. "I was just telling the scaredy cat she didn't have to be afraid to meet the 'monster' that I call 'Ike'."

Peach burst into tears and jerked her wrist from Zelda's gloved hand. Then she fled the room, bursting through the door and running away.

Mario walked up to Ike and stared up at him. "What did you do to Princess Peach?" He asked angrily.

Ike folded his arms. "I defeated her in a brawl, Mario." His voice was hard.

Then he turned to Rashida. "You needn't force someone to meet me if they don't want to."

"I don't want her to be intimidated by you. You're really actually nice."

Ike folded his arms. "If she's intimidated, let her. I won't say that I don't hit hard in brawls, even if I'm not a good smasher."

Rashida's eyes stung with tears and she turned and stalked out of the room towards the woman's area.

Ike turned and stalked off to the men's area and Snake, Marth, and Pit followed with Link and Captain Falcon following shortly after.

"You shouldn't insult women if you want them to like you," said Captain Falcon later, leaning against the wall.

They were congregated in Snake and Captain Falcon's room.

"Look!" Snapped Ike, walking over to stand nose to nose with the captain. "If I want a woman I know how to get one. And I don't! If women are scared of me, let them! I don't care. If they aren't scared of me, so what? As long as I'm not ridiculed they can think whatever they want about me!"

"You must have a great self image then!" Remarked Pit, raising his eyebrows. "I care a lot about what people think."

Marth didn't feel like contradicting Pit on the point of Ike having a good self image. "But perhaps it would be kind, Ike, to show her that you are not really an angry, frightening person. Not because you care if she thinks that, but because it would be kind. She looked pretty scared."

"Princesses always look scared over nothing," said Snake in his low, rough voice as he took a cigar from his belt, lit it, and began puffing.

Marth gave him a shrewd, annoyed glance.

"I don't know how to talk to women," muttered Ike, sitting down on Snake's bed.

"Have Marth do it for you!" Said Link. "Or I could even tell Zelda to do it."

"Like that blonde princess is going to listen to an elf who's telling her something she heard from her boyfriend who happens to have met me three days ago!" Snapped Ike. He stood. "Night all. Don't get nightmares about me." It was a sarcastic joke, but his tone bore no mirth.

Marth followed his friend out the door and caught up with him, matching his heavy, even gait.

"I didn't get to ask, Ike, but how did your two brawls go?"

"Good. I won the first, versus Peach. Second was against Lucas. It was close, but he knocked me off after about two minutes. Man, those little guys sure pack a punch. What comes out of those tiny hands?"

"Who knows," shrugged Marth, grinning. "Ness, the black haired one with the cap, beat me. It was very close, but during sudden death he charged up his bat and I didn't see it. I felt bad hitting him. Did Lucas get you with his smash power?"

"You mean with that glowing ball? No. I got it with an Aether jump, but he dashed out of the way when I tried to get him with it. What about you? Oh, well I guess Ness would've beaten you if he'd gotten that."

"Not so," answered Marth proudly, as he opened the door to their room and both stepped inside. "I dodged every single one. And the stage was rather large and not just a plain platform, so I was able to do so rather easily."

He sat down on the bed and pulled off his boots, unfastened his cape, unbuckled his belt, and gently placed his crown on the nightstand. Then he removed his gloves and chest and shoulder armor.

Ike jerked off his cape and headband, undid his leather armor and shoulder guard and arm bands. He threw his boots and the leg arm our on the floor along with his belt and lay back in his bed, taking a deep breath.

"The armor is great and all, but I like just the tank top and pants."

Marth grinned. "It's uncomfortable to sleep in, to say the least." He walked into the bathroom and shut the door and Ike rolled his eyes and closed them, asleep before Marth returned.

Everyone has their tiffs. Rashida gave Ike a hug and informed me they would always be friends, no matter their differences. I just smiled.