The characters and all their elements of video game references are properties of Nintendo.
Chapter 4.
Link, still groggy from waking up, was completely taken by surprise when he opened the door and saw Samus standing there. His mind raced to process the situation. Why was she here, and why now? He didn't have time to think too much, though, because he noticed Samus was just as stunned as he was. The fact that he hadn't put on a shirt didn't help.
Samus felt her heart race as she saw Link standing there shirtless. She hadn't expected that at all, and now her mind was a mess. Blushing furiously, she quickly looked away, trying to compose herself, but it was difficult to do under these circumstances.
"Uh… hey, Samus," Link stammered, breaking the awkward silence. "Did you… need something?"
Samus cleared her throat, her voice wavering slightly. "I… I just came to talk about the upcoming match." She glanced at him again, struggling to maintain her usual composed demeanor. "We're paired together, and I thought we should… strategize."
Link nodded, still feeling a bit disoriented. "Oh, right, the match… um, come in," he said, stepping aside to let her in, trying to act as normal as possible. He grabbed a shirt quickly and threw it on, hoping that would ease the awkwardness.
Samus entered the room cautiously, still flustered from the whole situation. She could usually face the most fearsome enemies in the galaxy without breaking a sweat, but here, standing in front of Link, she felt unusually vulnerable.
"I figured we should coordinate our tactics," Samus began, trying to sound professional. "Pit and Bayonetta have very different fighting styles. Pit is more defensive and agile, while Bayonetta… well, she can be unpredictable."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Link said, glad that the conversation was finally shifting to something practical. "We should probably focus on keeping Bayonetta from getting the upper hand early on. Pit's agility might be a problem, but we can handle him if we don't let him keep his distance."
Samus nodded, her mind starting to ease into the strategy talk. "I agree. I think we could use your shield to deflect Pit's arrows and Bayonetta's bullets. While you take care of that, I can use my speed to keep her off balance."
Link smiled, feeling more comfortable now. "That sounds like a solid plan. I've never really fought alongside you before, but I'm sure we'll make a great team."
For a moment, there was silence, both of them standing there awkwardly. Samus's earlier nervousness started creeping back. She was about to leave when she suddenly remembered what Zelda had said.
"Link," she started, hesitating, "about what Zelda said… yesterday…"
Link froze for a second, his heart skipping a beat. "What… what about it?"
Samus bit her lip, trying to decide how to phrase her next words. "I just want to be clear… I don't know what she was implying, but—"
"It's nothing!" Link interrupted quickly, his face turning red. "I mean, she was just… teasing. You know how Zelda can be."
Samus exhaled, relieved and awkward at the same time. "Right. Just teasing." She glanced around the room, trying to find an excuse to leave before things got any more uncomfortable.
"Anyway, I'll let you get some sleep," Samus said abruptly. "We'll meet tomorrow to finalize our strategy before the match."
"Yeah, that sounds good," Link said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Thanks for stopping by, Samus."
She nodded and quickly left the room, feeling the tension finally lift as she walked down the hall. She still felt confused, though, not just about Zelda's teasing, but about her own feelings that had surfaced over the past few days.
Link, on the other hand, sat down on his bed, staring at the door after Samus had left. His heart was still racing, and now more than ever, he was beginning to realize just how much Samus's presence affected him.
It was a new day, and Samus was standing in front of Link's room, knocking impatiently. Most of the Smashers in the mansion were already awake, which only added to her frustration. Finally, the door opened, and Link came out in his casual clothes, still yawning.
"Good morning, Samus. How are you?" Link asked, trying to wake up completely.
"Did you not sleep well or did you stay up late last night?" Samus asked curiously.
"No, I fell asleep as soon as you left," Link chuckled lightly. "I usually sleep more than 10 hours. Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"More than 10 hours?" Samus thought, surprised. She didn't know someone like Link could be so sleepy.
"Don't worry," Samus said, trying not to make him feel bad. "It just seemed strange."
Link nodded, now more awake. "Alright, let's get started. We should head to the training ground."
"Wait," Samus interrupted immediately. "We need to have breakfast first. You might faint during training if you don't," she teased.
Link smiled softly. "That sounds good, let's go."
Link chuckled a bit at Samus's comment, scratching his head. "You're right, I do get pretty sleepy when I haven't eaten."
Samus smiled slightly, relieved that things were starting off on a more normal note that morning. They walked together toward the dining hall, as the morning light streamed through the mansion's windows. The atmosphere between them was lighter than the awkwardness of the night before.
When they arrived at the dining hall, a few Smashers were already eating, though it wasn't as full as it would be later. Both got their meals—Link with a large plate piled high with food, while Samus opted for something lighter but balanced.
As they sat down, Samus watched Link eat with enthusiasm. "You weren't kidding about needing food," she teased.
"Well, I need to make sure I have the energy to train," Link said with a grin, chewing a large piece of bread. "Especially if I'm going to keep up with you."
Samus felt a slight blush but hid it well. "You'll be fine. You're one of the best fighters here."
"Thanks, but I still need to keep improving," Link said, taking another bite. "Especially with Bayonetta and Pit as our opponents. That match could get intense."
Samus nodded in agreement. "Bayonetta's the one I'm most worried about because of how unpredictable she is. She always finds a way to catch her opponents off guard. And Pit, well, he's hard to pin down because he's so fast."
Link wiped his mouth and leaned back in his chair, thinking. "That's why we need a flawless strategy. I'll take care of Pit, and you can deal with Bayonetta. But if either of us gets cornered, we switch targets and cover each other."
Samus smiled slightly. "Sounds like a good plan. You handle Pit's aerial attacks, and I'll try to keep Bayonetta grounded. She won't be able to pull off her crazy combos if I keep her on the defensive."
They finished their breakfast and stood up, heading toward the training grounds. As they walked side by side, Samus felt a sense of calm. She liked how they could talk strategy so naturally, and despite the awkwardness of the last few days, she felt comfortable being around him.
"Thanks for this," Samus said as they neared the training area.
"For what?" Link asked, looking at her.
"For… being easy to work with you," she said, before she could stop herself.
Link smiled. "Same to you, Samus. We make a good team."
Finally, they arrived at the training ground, ready to focus on the battle ahead, with a quiet understanding between them that was growing stronger with each passing moment.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the mansion, Pit was having a very different kind of conversation.
"Okay, so what do you think? I could take on Link and you against Samus. Sound fair?" Bayonetta said, flashing a wicked smile.
Pit hesitated for a moment. "I mean, I guess that could work, but—"
"What's wrong? Afraid to hit a woman?" Bayonetta teased, laughing as she saw Pit's uncomfortable expression.
"N-No, it's not that," Pit stammered, trying to clarify. "I just think if you really think about it, the teams are pretty evenly matched. I mean, Link and I both fight with swords and bows, and Samus can ditch her robotic suit whenever she wants. She's quick, agile, and she fights with high-tech guns. It's kind of like you, but... I mean, her weapons are probably more advanced, you know?"
Bayonetta raised an eyebrow and stepped closer, her smirk growing more dangerous. "Oh? Are you saying she's better than me?" she asked in a low, threatening tone.
Pit gulped and backed up slightly, waving his hands defensively. "No, no! That's not what I meant at all!" he said, his voice shaking.
But Bayonetta wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. She casually cornered him against the wall, her eyes sparkling with mischief. With a swift motion, she raised one of her guns and let it glide just past his cheek, making Pit flinch.
"You know," she said, her voice smooth and playful, "I tend to punish little angels who get out of line with these." She twirled her gun and gave him a mockingly flirtatious glance.
Pit swallowed hard, feeling a bead of sweat on his forehead. "This is going to be a long day," he thought, silently hoping for some sort of miracle to get him out of this situation.
The day had passed rather smoothly, with Samus and Link spending nearly all of it training together. They only paused for lunch and a few breaks, during which they dedicated time to getting to know each other better. Samus was fascinated by the tales Link shared about his homeland, the adventures through Hyrule, and the legends he lived through. In turn, Link found himself captivated by Samus' stories of the galaxy and the many alien worlds she had explored, each one sounding more incredible than the last.
Now, they stood outside Samus' room after a long day of training.
"Tomorrow's the match," Link said, stretching his arms. "I hope all this training pays off."
"We're going to win. Don't worry about it," Samus replied confidently.
Link smiled at her assurance. "I like your confidence."
Samus felt her cheeks warm slightly but managed to maintain her composure. "You're welcome," she said, a little shyly.
"See you tomorrow, Samus," Link said as he turned to leave.
"Don't oversleep! If you do, I'll carry you and your bed to the arena," Samus teased with a smirk.
Link laughed at that, his earlier weariness fading for a moment. Despite it being their first time really spending a full day together, both of them felt surprisingly at ease in each other's presence, as if they had known each other far longer. Neither of them had really wanted the day to end, and as they parted ways for the night, they both carried a sense of anticipation for what tomorrow's match—and perhaps their budding friendship—might bring.