Summary: Cloud has come to the Super Smash Bros to settle old scores, and Link is happy to oblige. Some people seem to be taking it the wrong way though.
Pairings: Link/Samus romance. Link and Lucario friendship. Cloud/Tifa romance. Link and Mario friendship. Roy and Pit Friendship. Cloud and Link friendship/rivalry.
Link was shopping when he heard the news. He was in the Smashopolis mall, Wall*Smash, looking for something great to get his girlfriend, Samus Aran, for the upcoming Valentine's Day. For lack of a better idea, he had dragged Lucario along since the Pokémon had a good reading on Samus's aura and could help him find something good.
"So what do you think Lucario? Chocolates or flowers? Both?" asked Link of the dog-like fist fighting Smasher who was glumly following Link around with a bored expression.
Lucario sighed. "Neither, Link. Samus isn't into the girly things. You know that." Said Lucario. Link gave a look like a dejected puppy and put the items back. "Link, why am I even here? You're Samus's boyfriend, and you've known her since the NES days. Why are you having me pick something out? You know her better than I do." Commented Lucario.
Link looked down as though embarrassed. "Well, it's just, I don't want to get this wrong, you know. I mean, I really like Samus." He said. "I don't… I don't want to do something stupid and screw everything up… like I usually do." He said, a bit dejectedly.
Lucario sighed and put his furry arm around his friend's shoulder. "Look, Link. I may be a large dog-man with psychic powers and mad Kung Fu skills, but I do know a thing or two about people. I know them through their auras. You and Samus, damn. It's like the room explodes into fireworks whenever you're together." It was the truth. Their auras did react rather spectacularly whenever they were together. It was beautiful. The only thing he could compare it to was the reaction between Link and Ganondorf's auras. Granted that was more than likely was from pure hatred. He really hoped it wasn't love.
But, back to comforting the insecure hylian.
"Link, Samus isn't going to leave you if you muck up one Valentine's Day present. I don't even think she knows about the holiday, what with her being from the future and all." Said Lucario. "So stop worrying and get her what you think is best." Said the Pokémon. "And let me go home and get some rest. You got me up at six in the morning." Thought Lucario to himself.
Link gave a small sigh of relief. "You… you really think so?" asked Link with an unsure smile. Lucario sometimes forgot how young Link was. He was barely over seventeen, still just a kid really. Of course he was nervous about this stuff. Lucario gave him a reassuring nod and a pat on the shoulder, careful to avoid impaling him with his palm-spike. Boy had he learned to be careful about THAT the hard way.
"Well-a of course Link!" came a familiar voice from behind them. "But-a if I were-a you, I would-a be getting-a ready."
Link and Lucario turned to see none other than Mario himself standing in the aisle, pushing a basket loaded down with candy boxes and pastries. "Hey Mario!" said Link brightly with Lucario raising a hand in greeting. "What's with all the sweets?" he asked, but then his brow furrowed. "What do you mean, get ready?"
"Well, Peach and-a I were-a going to-a be giving out-a Valentines to-a everyone so the dateless-a losers will-a not feel bad." Said Mario brightly. Of course Mario and Peach would come up with something like this. The two of them were the unofficial mom and dad of the incredibly weird and screwed up little Smash Mansion family. "And-a as for-a getting ready, well-a, the-a DLC characters are-a coming soon, in-a two days in fact." There was a mischevious twinkle in Mario's eyes that Link immediately distrusted.
"Yeah I got the memo. What, is another one of my enemies getting into the game? Its' bad enough that that pervert Ghirahim is an assist trophy." Said Link, shuddering at the horror of realizing that his newest enemy s in Smash. He hoped his restraining order was enough to keep Ghirahim away. Probably not though. Freaking pedo-bear wannabe.
Mario shook his head. "Oh no, not at-a all. But one of them-a is… interested in you." Said Mario with a grin. "Remember-a… Death Battle?" asked Mario.
To Lucario it meant nothing, but it obviously hit Link like a cannonball. He gaped like a landed fish at Mario. "You mean he's… he's coming to Smash?" asked Link, a note of disbelief in his tone. Was that a note of anticipation in his voice as well? Lucario thought so.
Mario gave a slow nod. "Oh-a yes. And he was-a quite insistent that-a he get a rematch-a." said the Italian plumber with a great big smirk on his mustached face.
"I'm sorry, but I'm completely lost." Said Lucario. How had they gone from discussing Link and Samus's relationship to this again? "Who's coming to Smash, and why do they have a bone to pick with Link?" asked Lucario.
An anticipatory grin came over Link, a look of savage glee that looked eerily like Ganondorf's. "Cloud Strife. It's time for round two."
"I've got to admit Cloud, this is a pretty sweet set-up Nintendo's got going on here." Said Tifa Lockhart as she lounged on the bed the Smash Mansion had provided for Cloud. "A queen-sized too, plenty of room for… movement." She said with a saucy wink to her boyfriend who was currently shedding his daytime clothes leaving him in only a pair of sweats and giving Tifa a wondrous look at his torso.
Cloud snorted and lay down next to her. "Or sleeping, I'm dog-tired." He said with a light smile. "But, if you were to insist I wouldn't say no." he said as Tifa snickered.
"Yeah, yeah Casanova. Rest up. You've got a grudge match tomorrow with the Legolas cosplayer." Said Tifa. Cloud's expression turned into a thoughtful one with just a tinge of amusement to it.
Cloud remembered the Death Battle between himself and the swordsman known as Link quite vividly. They had talked to each other a little before and after the match, and Cloud had found that he liked the Hero. Liking had turned to friendly but intense rivalry after the outcome of the battle, leaving Link the winner. Cloud had been floored. He hadn't been the only one. Practically all of AVALANCHE had expected Cloud with his SOLDIER training and abilities to decimate the slightly feminine looking warrior. But Link's arsenal and training had proved to be a match for Cloud's magic and brute force.
The two of them had shook hands and Cloud had vowed a rematch at some point. Master Hand must have heard of it, because he gave Cloud a place in the newest Tournament. Link had sent him a letter yesterday, accepting Cloud's challenge.
The fight against Link had been the most extreme battle in Cloud's memory since the fight against Sephiroth. The two heroes had battled with nothing held back and nothing stopping them against each other. Link was one of the few that Cloud could respect as a warrior, and now he was in a mansion filled with people with power like Link's.
"You ready for tomorrow Cloud?" asked Tifa. "Ready for the match up with your gay lover." She teased the spiky haired SOLDIER.
Cloud smirked. "First off, Link has a girlfriend, he's not gay. Secondly, I'm as ready as I'll ever be. We're fighting by the rules of Smash Bros now. The ground is even." He said, his jaw set determinedly. "This time, I'm coming out on top."
"Okay." Said Tifa, looking ready to burst into laughter. "I could make an innuendo out of that one, but that would just be too easy."
Cloud got up and stretched. "You know, on second thought I'm going to go get some last minute training in in the Target Course." He said. "Try not to be too loud when you're thinking of me in the shower tonight." He said, throwing on a T-shirt with the Super Smash Bros emblem on it. Tifa threw a pillow at him.
"Ready Link?" asked Samus from her lounging position on his bed as Link finished strapping on his gear for the upcoming duel that day. "It's gonna be full force today. I'd prefer it if my boyfriend didn't look like a complete bitch." She said in her usual even tone.
Link raised an eyebrow as he pulled on his fingerless gloves. "Yeah, I'm ready." He said, not even fazed anymore by Samus's foul language. It seemed to be common with people from a more futuristic setting to swear more casually. It used to bother him, but in the end it wasn't his business what language his girlfriend used. She didn't bother him about speaking in Shakespearean during battles, so he didn't bother her about her swearing. "And I'll be fine Samus. You know me." He said, cracking his neck.
"Yeah, I know that you're crap under pressure." She said, standing up. "And literally everyone's gonna be there. You're a good fighter, but I worry anyway. I hope you know I don't do that for everyone." She said with a slight smirk.
"Yeah, that's because you love me." He said with a playful grin.
"Keep that quiet would ya, I've got a reputation to maintain." She said, stifling a snort. "And best of luck out there today. And if the big bad bully hurts your feelings I'll beat the crap out of him for you." She said. Link didn't doubt that she could beat Cloud into the ground if she wanted to. He was pretty sure Samus could do anything if she put her mind to it. He wasn't sure how he'd managed to snag such an amazing woman, but he counted himself pretty lucky.
"Thanks Samus." He said. "Kiss for good luck?" he asked, a slight grin on his face that he knew Samus found adorable. Samus gave a martyred sigh and kissed Link.
"Play your cards right and you'll get a lot more than a kiss tonight." She said. Then she smirked. "Long as this Cloud guy doesn't steal you today. I don't have to worry about him stealing my boyfriend do I?" she said, enjoying the flustered look on Link's face.
"Wha- no- why- I-" he stuttered out before he saw the laughter Samus was holding back and realized he was being teased. "Ha, ha Samus." He said blushing fiercely. Somehow she was still able to get under his skin. "Gay jokes, very funny. A lot of people would call that offensive." He said, the tips of his ears turning red as Mario's cap.
She lightly smacked his shoulder. "I don't censor myself, more fun that way. Now go out there and win that grudge match. Show him why length is better than girth." Link very nearly resorted to banging his head against the wall as hard as he could.
Meanwhile, in the managing area where the item drops and the battle music for the battles originated two forms stealthily stole along the wall humming the Mission Impossible theme to themselves. These were, of course, the self-proclaimed Prank Masters of the Smash Mansion, Pit and Roy. Roy had been the Prank Master of Melee, giving the Smashers such memories as the "Noodle Incident" and the dreaded "Jock Strap Event". After Roy had been kicked out Pit had taken up the mantle in Brawl, continuing the legacy with such horrors as "The Night of the Hamster-Bees" and the legendary "Sharknado" which he had sold the rights to and had been made into a B-list movie.
Now the two were reunited in the latest gathering, and they were going to make it legen…wait for it…DARY!
"Ooh, this is going to be awesome!" said Pit, ready to get even with his self-proclaimed rival Link. "Link is going to regret stealing my moves." He snickered evilly.
"Yeah, and Viridi's attention I take it?" asked Roy in a dry voice. He loved his best buddy like a brother, but dear Gods he had poor taste in girls. First the crush on his boss and now the Nature Goddess who tried to kill him? The guy seriously needed to take some lessons in romance from the Roy-ster.
"I do not like Viridi!" asserted Pit angrily in his girlish voice. "Just because she's got pretty hair, and pretty eyes, and is smart, and funny, and…" he trailed off as he began fantasizing about the blonde Goddess. Roy took the opportunity to slap him a couple times to wake him from his pleasant day dream.
"Wake up stupid! We've got to take care of this before Master Hand gets here to manage the duel." Said the red-haired totally not a Marth clone aggressively.
"Right I'm sorry." He began before Roy slapped him again. Then again. Then a couple more times for good measure. "Stop hitting me already!" cried Pit. Slap, slap, slap. "I'm warning you. Nothing. "Good. Glad we could-" SLAP!
"Well, now that that is worked out, let's get this baby rolling!" proclaimed Roy, swapping out the track for the upcoming battle with the one he and Pit had made. And like that, prankster magic baby." He proclaimed with a broad smile and a heroic pose. And then Pit clobbered him with a crowbar leading to a cat fight between the two.
Final Destination. A stage unrivaled in its epicness and its badassery. Just a simple platform hurtling through space. A place for epic fights, settling scores, and showdowns between rivals. Today it was the sight of Cloud's introductory match, the Grudge Match as the Smashers were calling it. The showdown between Link and Cloud. Two heroes facing off. Two warriors of the sword. Death Battle take two. This was gonna be good.
Naturally, bowser had started up a betting pool for the match. The Smashers actually seemed to be evenly divided into thirds. One third believing that Link would win, one third believing that Cloud would be victorious, and the final third was betting that this was all so that two gay lovers could finally have their time together. Tifa and Samus had a mutual bonding experience over beating what could only be described as 'the living shit' out of the final third.
Link and Cloud entered the arena, one on either side of the stage of Final Destination. "Cloud." Greeted Link, drawing the Master Sword. "Link." Greeted Cloud, shouldering the Buster Sword. Link had dressed in his traditional green tunic for the occasion, the only change being his blue scarf from Hyrule Warriors wrapped around his neck. Cloud himself was in his Advent Children outfit as he felt it was more appropriate for the grudge match.
"Been a long time Link, hope you're ready for the mother of all beat downs." Said Cloud, cracking his neck.
"You sure you want to do this Cloud? We all remember how Death Battle went." Said Link. "You should have seen the look on your face when I parried your Omni-Slash." He said, smirking at the memory of Cloud's incredulous face as Link had defended against Cloud's greatest assault on his person. For once Navi was useful for something as she had filmed it all.
Cloud gave a half-scowl, half- smirk at Link's statement. "No doing that here, we fight by the rules of Smash now. You're rules. And it's going to be sweet beating you in your own game." Said Cloud, readying the Buster Sword as Link did the same with the Master Sword and Hylian Shield.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" proclaimed Master Hand from his booth where he ran the matches. "Today we have the Grudge Match of the century! Link: the Hero of Hyrule versus Cloud: the Guardian of the Life Stream!" Cheers accompanied the announcement as the spectators, including the other Smashers, cheered. "And today I have selected very special battle music for this fight! HIT IT!" he cried, oblivious to a very bruised and battered Roy and Pit's giggles.
"It's okay to be gay, lets rejoice and give thanks in a gay waaaaay!" the music shocked everyone into silence for a moment. Before the inevitable giggling could start, the music was cut off and Master Hand had his breakdown. "ROY! PIT! GET OVER HERE YOU WEASLEY TWIN WANNABES! I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU A VIOLENT LESSON IN PAIN!"
Roy and Pit knew that now would be a good time to panic, and started to run for it. "CRAZY HAND!" screamed Master Hand at his brother. "RELEASE THE MIIS!"
As the Miis proceeded to beat some sense into Roy and Pit, the real music came on. (Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce).
Link and Cloud recovered from their embarrassment and went back into baddass mode. "We're never going to live this down are we?" asked Link, his ear tips turning red again.
"Probably not." Said Cloud with a shrug. "Might as well keep going though."
"THREE!" cried Master Hand beginning the countdown.
"Whatever happens, friends?" asked Link with a grin.
"TWO!"
"You bet. May the best man win." Said Cloud.
He agreed because he knew that they would be friends, good friends. Sure it was fun to try and decide who was better, who was stronger, etc. But in the end, it didn't matter. They were both heroes of great legend and myth. They laid down their lives for justice and freedom. They were great men both. And in the end, they would be friends no matter what.
"ONE! BEGIN!"
AN: Bit of a longer one this time. Hope you enjoy reading! I sure did enjoy writing it. LEt me know what you think in the reviews!