Origins: Ryu Hayabusa

Smash Mansion, Dining Hall

Zelda, Peach, and Daisy were walking through the dining hall, each carrying a meat and vegetable platter, discussing the affairs of their kingdoms when they passed Marth's table. Marth, who was sitting by himself, suddenly stood up seeing the trios pass by, stepping in front of them.

"I hate to interrupt this conversation ladies," said Marth, "But may I borrow Princess Zelda for a moment? She's needed for a recruiting job."

"Oooh!" said Peach, an interested grin on her face, "Best of luck to you darling!" she called

"Knock 'em dead dude! Oh, we'll save your platter for ya!" said Daisy, scooping her own plate underneath Zelda's, jarring it from her as the two other princesses about-faced and walked the other direction.

"So, who's this recruit?" Zelda asked, hands on her hips in anticipation.

Marth directed a sweeping gesture towards Conference Room B, "In here," he said simply, heading for the room.

Opening the door, a dossier was already on the table in the blank conference room. Zelda opened it, revealing a ninja in blue garb. Immediately, she smiled wide, "So this is a ninja-on-ninja situation Your Highness?" she asked with a wink.

"Not necessarily Your Highness," Marth said, returning the wink, "We don't anticipate you having to fight him. Just let him know that we might need his demon expertise."

Zelda nodded, "Okay! Simple enough!"

Marth nodded back, "Quick study as per usual Princess. The Portal Room is ready to go when you are."

Zelda curtsied, with a bright smile on her face, "I'll depart as soon as possible! Thank you, Marth!" she said, leaving the room.

Stopping first to touch base with The Link Trio, who had sat together as per usual, about her activities tonight, she headed for the Portal Room.

New York City, New York, 1991

Zelda stepped out of the portal into an alleyway, Immediately, her nose wrinkled, "Hm, if this is what the industrial revolution brings, count me out," she muttered to herself.

Upon exiting the alley, Zelda used Nayru's Wind to cross a busy intersection. According to the files included in the dossier, she had three city blocks to go before she got to the place she needed to be. She noticed as she walked, that there were two types of people, people ogling the skyscrapers, and those looking straight ahead, aggressively brushing aside the ogglers. Zelda looked straight ahead, but was polite, issuing "pardon me"'s and "excuse me's" to each person she bumped, not an easy task seeing how many people were condensed into this small area. And what's worse, some even snickered with laughter as she apologized for bumping into them!

The nerve of them! Zelda thought, At least my people are more polite than this.

After what seemed like an eternity, a shop caught her eye.

Ryu's Japanese Shop

Ah! According to the dossier, this is the place! Hyrule's princess thought.

Pushing against the crowd, more aggressively this time, she opened the door to the shop. A bell dinged, and two people seated at the checkout counter looked towards her. One was a muscular woman with a blond, pixie haircut, wearing a black. The other, a man, with handsome features and finely combed brown hair.

"How can we help you?" said the woman,

Zelda looked around. Lining the walls and shelves were ancient-looking masks and weapons, probably associated with Japanese culture. Zelda bit her lip. The thought briefly came to mind to express interest in buying something, just for the sake of a good open, but in truth, nothing in the shop interested her,

"Are you Ryu Hayabusa sir?" Zelda asked the man.

"Yes, how may I help you, young lady?" Hayabusa asked as the woman put a stick of bubble gum in her mouth,

"My name is Zelda, and I represent a fighting tournament called the…"

"Listen," interjected the woman in between obnoxious chomps of her gum, "I don't know how you found out about Ryu, but he isn't some LARPer, okay?"

"Irene, please don't be rude to our guest…" Ryu began, but Irene cut him off.

"Ever since we opened up this place, it's been nothing but LARPers and fat sweaty guys looking for anime tapes…and…what do they call 'em? Ya know those kids that wear all black and listen to The Cure?"

"Goths?" offered Hayabusa.

"YEAH! It's clear you're some goth punk from Manhattan on daddy's money, Well, we ain't interested in that, so you need to leave."

"Please!", Zelda pleaded, "I…"

Suddenly, the bell rang again. Three tan-skinned men walked up to the counter. They were identically dressed, in leather jackets with popped collars, jeans, and spotless sneakers, but while the two bigger men sported short black hair, the short one had hair so inexplicably greased that Zelda could see the light reflect off of it.

"James, what do you want?" Irene asked, venom in her voice,

"Ey Johnny, you see how this lady talks to payin' customers. Real bad customer service if you ask me," shouted the small one.

"Yeah James, really sorry stuff," agreed one of the bigger men, the one on James' right.

"Except you never have bought anything…" Hayabusa began,

"Oh, like anyone else has?" James interjected.

"And," Ryu continued, matching Irene's venom from earlier, "Every time you have come here, you've been informing us to pay for protection, which I have said, time and time again, we do not need."

"Look, man, I know, I know, but I'm just tryna keep my boss happy. My boss ain't happy, he takes it out on us, we have to come back and take it on you Kapeesh?"

"Out. Now," hissed Irene,

"Pisan, I'm getting real tired of these friggin…" rambled the other heavy, whipping out a gun and pointing it at Zelda,

Zelda focused, and before everyone's eyes, she changed into Sheik. She whipped out her chain, cracking the knuckles of the hand that held the gun.

"AGH!" screamed the man, holding his thoroughly broken hand, "SHE BROKE MY FRIGGIN HAND!"

" Chucky you idiot! You're the one who pulled on a gun on her!" James shouted

"EY! NOBODY DOES THAT TO MY BRUDDAH!" bellowed Johnny,

He took a running start at Sheik, only for her to hook kick him square in the jaw, knocking him out. James went for a gun of his own, only for Ryu to flick a throwing star at him without turning to look at him, causing it to connect with the small man's shoulder.

"AGH! FUCK!" he screamed, bolting out of the store, with Chucky offering a shoulder to a woozy Johnny as they ambled out.

"Huh," Irene said, "Didn't even have to get my gun out, you ain't so bad after all."

"But…you transformed…" Ryu said, now able to let his shock show.

"Yes, and I'm aware that you have experience with similar elements of the fantastic?" asked Zelda, now in her deeper Sheik voice,

"Yes. And I'm assuming in addition to this tournament you speak of, you need my skills for something else as well?"

Sheik nodded, "I'm going to open a portal to another dimension and you need to come with me."

Ryu nodded, but Irene spoke up, "Hey! What about…?"

"Oh, your invitation to be a member of the audience will come in a week or so," said Sheik.

Sheik pressed a button code into her wristwatch, and the portal open. Irene leaned over and pecked Ryu on the cheek, "Knock 'em dead babe."

Ryu nodded, following the princess turned ninja into the portal. Upon exiting, three men in similar green tunics and caps were stood in the foyer of an enormous mansion of which they all now stood. The tallest of the green tunic group hugged Sheik, "How'd your recruitment go?"

"Got the guy," said Sheik, transforming back into Zelda, "Ryu Hayabusa, meet Link, Link, meet Ryu Hayabusa."

Link offered a hand, which Ryu shook, "Charmed. I'm a friend of Zelda's. I've had to save her from evil a few times," said the Hero of Hyrule, which made Zelda blush.

"You had to save her?" gawked Ryu, "Good lord, I shudder to think what kind of evil could do you in Zelda."

The green tunic wearing boy who looked to be from a cartoon spoke up, "A few halls down actually."

"What?" gasped Ryu

The other boy, who appeared to be a younger version of Link interjected, "But we're all friends now."

All Ryu could muster was an "Eh?" which caused Zelda, and the two younger boys, to giggle.

Link spoke through a smirk, "There's a lot to digest. Here, let me take you to your room. I think you're rooming with Greninja."

Ryu nodded as he, Link, and the two younger boys began to walk up the grand staircase.

Suddenly, the cartoon boy whipped around, "Hey Zel, ya coming?"

Zelda shook her head, "No, I haven't had the time to eat yet. Do you know if Daisy actually saved my food or just ate it?"

The look-alike to Link grinned, "I think she saved it this time! I saw it in the kitchen fridge just before you showed up."

"Oh good," breathed Zelda, "Because if not, she and I were going to have words in the arena," said the princess as she headed off towards the kitchen.

Ryu simply waved goodbye as the green tunic trio, Link in front, the two boys in back, aided his trip to the bedrooms.