The characters and all their elements of video game references are properties of Nintendo.
Chapter 7.
It was a peaceful afternoon in the mansion. The fighters were scattered around, some training, others resting or engaged in different activities. In the garden, under the shade of a large tree, Link and Samus were enjoying a quiet moment together. The weather was perfect—not too hot or too cold.
Samus, however, found herself growing restless. Sitting idle wasn't her thing, and the stillness of the moment was beginning to bore her. She glanced over at Link, who, on the other hand, was in a deep sleep beside her. His peaceful face reflected none of the turmoil that often accompanied her moments of boredom.
She was slightly amazed by how effortlessly Link seemed to fall asleep, as if insomnia had never been a concern for him. His breathing was steady, calm, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest created a serene rhythm that Samus couldn't help but watch. His peaceful, almost boyish face in sleep struck her as… adorable.
He looks like a male Sleeping Beauty, she thought with a quiet chuckle.
Samus's eyes lingered on his lips for a moment, and a mischievous thought crept into her mind. What if I kissed him? Would he wake up like the fairy tales, breaking the spell? She quickly blushed at the idea, feeling a wave of heat rise to her cheeks.
What am I even thinking? she mentally scolded herself, trying to push away the thought. But it lingered, and despite her efforts, she couldn't fully shake the flutter in her chest. She realized just how fond of him she had become, more than just friends or partners in battle.
Samus sighed quietly, leaning her head back against the tree. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to regain her composure. Link, blissfully unaware of her inner turmoil, continued his nap, completely at ease beside her.
As Zelda strolled through the garden, she spotted Samus sitting under a tree, seemingly relaxed. As she approached, she noticed Samus resting one arm on her head, peacefully watching Link sleep beside her. A playful smile crept onto Zelda's face.
"Good view, right?" Zelda said suddenly, catching Samus off guard.
"Zelda!" Samus exclaimed, startled and losing her composure for a moment.
"Shh, don't wake him," Zelda teased with a whisper, "We wouldn't want to ruin this peaceful moment."
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Samus retorted, slightly flustered.
"Sorry if I'm interrupting your special moment," Zelda continued with a mischievous grin.
Samus felt her cheeks flush. "Ashh, not this again," she muttered, clearly embarrassed.
Zelda, undeterred, gave her a warm smile. "You two just look so cute together."
Though Samus tried to brush it off with an uncomfortable grimace, she couldn't deny that part of her liked the comment.
With a light laugh, Zelda shifted gears. "Anyway, I came to invite you to a friendly match with the other girls."
"A match, huh? That actually sounds great," Samus replied, eager to shake off her boredom. If anyone else had invited her, she probably would have accepted out of sheer restlessness.
"Perfect! But first, why don't you wake Link?" Zelda said with a playful wink.
Samus leaned over and gently called, "Hey, Link, wake up." But there was no response. She repeated herself, but he remained in his deep slumber.
"It's impossible," Samus sighed, exasperated by his heavy sleep.
"You know, you could always try a kiss," Zelda teased, clearly amused by the whole situation.
Samus shot her a look but then, without warning, leaned closer to Link's face. Zelda's eyes widened, half-expecting Samus to actually kiss him. But before anything could happen, Samus yelled, "LINK, WAKE UP!"
Startled, Link shot up, looking around in confusion. "What happened? What are you doing here, Zelda? Where are we?" he asked, still dazed.
"Relax, Link," Samus said, feeling satisfied with her method. "We're still in the mansion. Zelda just invited me to a little game, and I wanted to wake you up."
Link rubbed his eyes and muttered, "You didn't have to shout like that."
Samus crossed her arms, her face serious. "Well, it's not my fault you're such a heavy sleeper."
Zelda couldn't help but laugh at the interaction. "Calm down, you two. You know, fights like these are best settled in private," she teased.
Samus, rolling her eyes, decided it was time to leave. "Come on, let's go, Zelda. I don't have time for your jokes."
"Alright, alright. Goodbye, Link!" Zelda said, still smiling.
Link, yawning and trying to shake off his grogginess, watched them walk away. He thought for a moment about going back to sleep, but then Samus reminded him, "By the way, don't forget your friends invited you to train this morning. Shouldn't you go meet them?"
"Oh, right. I guess I should," Link replied, standing up with a sheepish grin.
"See you at dinner," Samus said over her shoulder as she left with Zelda.
With nothing else to do, Link sighed and headed toward the training grounds where his friends would be waiting for him.
Samus and Zelda arrived at the training ground, where Lucina and Bayonetta were already waiting. The sight of Lucina wasn't surprising—Samus figured she was likely the one who had organized this fight. However, Bayonetta's presence was a bit more unexpected. Unlike Samus, Bayonetta was bold, free-spirited, and never shy about saying exactly what was on her mind. She also had a flair for wearing extravagant outfits that turned heads wherever she went.
"Hello, princess and futuristic woman," Bayonetta greeted them with a smirk. "Finally decided to show up, huh?"
"I was only gone for a few minutes, don't be impatient," Zelda replied with a calm smile.
Bayonetta waved her hand dismissively. " You're the one who beat me the other day, aren't you?" she said, turning to Samus with an appraising look.
"Yes, I fought you," Samus responded, her tone serious as usual.
Bayonetta sauntered over with her typical confidence. "Well done. You're really quite agile, and your technique is impressive," she said, flashing a mischievous smile.
"Thank you," Samus replied, returning the smile, though it was much more reserved.
Lucina clapped her hands together, cutting through the air of casual banter. "Good! Now that we're all feeling a little friendlier, how about we form teams?" she suggested, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Teams?" the other women asked in unison, caught off guard.
"Of course! It's the perfect way to improve camaraderie," Lucina said, undeterred by their surprise. "How about Samus and Bayonetta versus Zelda and me?"
"A witch and a bounty hunter against royalty?" Bayonetta said with her typical smirk. "Now, that sounds interesting."
"It's fine with me," Samus said as she began to stretch, loosening up for the match ahead.
"Excellent!" Lucina exclaimed, her enthusiasm evident. "Let's get into position then!"
The four women began to spread out, the energy on the field shifting from friendly banter to focused determination. The match was about to begin, and it was clear that neither team intended to go easy on the other.
Link arrived at the usual spot where he and his friends trained, but to his surprise, they weren't there. He quickly realized the training was just an improvised excuse for his friends to escape the awkward situation with Samus earlier. The memory of their nervous faces, especially when they had faced much worse threats and adversaries, made Link laugh. The idea that a woman could make them tremble, despite everything they'd been through, amused him, and he let out a rare, hearty laugh.
The place was so quiet that the only sound that filled the air was the melody of an ocarina. As he turned, he spotted his younger self—Young Link—sitting in a corner, playing the Ocarina of Time. Link approached him with a greeting.
"Hello, champion," said Young Link with a small nod, acknowledging his older self.
"Hey, how's it going?" Link responded.
"Just hanging out, nothing to do. Looks like you're in the same boat. Your friends ditched you with a weak excuse, huh?" Young Link said with a smirk.
Link was impressed by how perceptive Young Link was, even if he appeared so youthful.
In response, Young Link showed him the Ocarina of Time, the powerful artifact that had allowed him to manipulate time itself.
"Sorry for using this selfishly earlier," Young Link said, referring to the ability to manipulate time. "I won't do it again. I just wanted to impress you," he added with a small smile.
Despite his childlike appearance, Young Link was far from ordinary. He was the legendary Hero of Time, tasked with a great purpose at an age when most children were still playing. His maturity and bravery had been forged through the trials he endured in his ancient era.
Link couldn't help but reflect on the stark contrast between their childhoods. As a child, Link had enjoyed carefree days, playing and living peacefully until his own destiny had come calling. In contrast, Young Link had his innocence stripped away to fulfill a heroic destiny, spending his youth battling monsters and risking his life to defeat the darkness that plagued Hyrule. To save the land, he had even been forced to leave his childhood behind and become an adult, all to face Ganondorf and secure the future of Hyrule.
Link admired the resilience of his younger counterpart. Even though they were the same person, they had lived very different lives. Both were heroes, but each had followed a different path shaped by the trials of their respective eras.
Link enjoyed spending time with his younger counterpart, finding it fascinating to converse with another hero who shared his legacy. It was a rare opportunity to meet someone who understood the weight of being the Hero of Hyrule, and the bond they formed was both unique and profound. They often shared stories of their adventures, with Link learning about what Hyrule had been like in ancient times through Young Link's experiences.
One of Link's favorite parts of their friendship was their occasional sparring matches. Although they were technically the same person, their skills had been shaped by vastly different experiences. Link had been trained by knights and warriors, giving him a structured and disciplined fighting style. He enjoyed passing on his knowledge, helping Young Link refine his sword techniques and improve his combat prowess.
In return, Young Link offered his own invaluable skills, honed through years of survival in the wilderness. Unlike Link, who had received formal training, Young Link had become self-reliant out of necessity. His stealth, agility, and hunter's instincts were unparalleled, and Link often found himself learning as much from his younger counterpart as he was teaching. Young Link's ability to move unnoticed, track prey, and set traps became a source of inspiration for Link, helping him to improve in areas he had not previously focused on.
Together, they complemented each other in ways that made both of them stronger. Their bond was a testament to the shared legacy of the Hero of Hyrule, a connection that transcended time itself.
As Link sat in the dining room, waiting for Samus, he noticed his friends waving from a distance. He couldn't help but chuckle, guessing they were keeping their distance to avoid another awkward encounter like the one from the morning.
Suddenly, Samus took him by surprise by sitting next to him.
"Hello, elf," she said with a smirk.
"Elf?" Link asked, confused by the nickname.
"Haha, sorry, Bayonetta refers to you by that name," Samus replied, amused.
"I'm so glad you've made a new friend," Link said innocently.
"It's no big deal, I just fought alongside her, and we won."
"I'm very happy," Link responded, sounding indifferent.
"How did it go for you? You look... intact," Samus teased.
"Well, I did well. Fought hard and won," Link said, trying to sound convincing.
"Are you serious?" Samus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Link responded, keeping a straight face.
"It's just that while I was in my match, I saw your friends resting and joking around, and you weren't there," Samus said, giving him a playful smile.
"Surely you saw them when we hadn't even started yet," Link stammered, trying to make his lie sound more believable.
"Haha, you're terrible at lying," Samus teased.
"I don't tell lies," Link said, though his voice lacked conviction.
"Don't try to hide it. I'm curious about what you and your friends were talking about this morning before I showed up," Samus said, her mischievous smile growing wider, leaving Link momentarily speechless.
He realized Samus had a sharp intuition, or perhaps he had been too obvious. Either way, it was clear that trying to keep secrets from her wasn't going to be easy.