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Chapter Text

"I just don't know what to do!" Zelda exclaimed, the heat of frustration flooding her face as she began her tirade. "Everything I do to get his attention seems to fall on deaf ears!" The Princess paced back and forth as she spoke, attempting to dispel some of her excess energy.

"Maybe he just thinks of you as a friend?" As soon as the words left Daisy's mouth, she regretted it. Immediately, Zelda's eyes opened wide with despair, and Daisy began apologizing profusely. "Look, I'm not great with relationship advice... but it sounds like you've tried almost everything. He doesn't show any interest in you?"

"He barely acknowledges me as anything more than an ASSIGNMENT! It's downright infuriating!" Tears began to well up in her eyes, but she fought them back.

The visibly upset Princess was referring to one man, and one man only; the man who is sworn to be at her side through all trials and tribulations, the courageous Link. A proven warrior, he has been tasked with keeping Her Majesty safe, even in such a seemingly simple adventure as attending Smash University. The Princess had requested to go to school so she can become wiser, but in reality it was because she knew her knight didn't have much education, coming from a poor family and working his way up the ranks to eventually become her protector. She had grown rather fond of him as time passed, but he tended to stay fairly stoic, except for his protective nature in combat, and that was something that both peaked her curiosity, and upset her. Over the years she has tried to break him out of his shell, and as time went on she began to develop feelings for the man she tried to crack. Now, many years later, she was no closer to solving this issue, and it had begun to wear down on her mentality.

"Now now, take it easy... You'll be fine. Take some deep breaths, try to calm down." Daisy walked closer to Zelda and put an arm around her, pulling her into a friendly hug and rubbing her back slowly. Zelda did her best to listen to her friend, and slowly managed to compose herself, though her feelings of uncertainty were still very much present.

"Thank you, Daisy. I'm alright now." She pulled away from the embrace and wiped her eyes with a somber smile. "Come on, let us get to lunch."

Daisy smiled back, but she couldn't shake the bad feeling she had.

In the lunchroom, things were just as hectic as usual. The chatter from the many people eating and talking with their friends was obnoxiously loud, but there were two students who were exceptionally noisy, and always were.

"Hey Pit! You're gonna drop your ice cream!"

"Worry about yourself, Roy! I eat floor ice cream all the time!"

Roy, the young general of the army of Pharae, and Pit, the last living angel and general of Palutena's army. These two have been friends for years, getting into all sorts of mischief and just generally goofing off. And of course, they happened to spot the two Princesses as soon as they were entering the lunchroom. Pit caught Roy staring, and teasingly elbowed him in his side, snapping Roy out of his trance. "Hey, buzz off!"

Pit laughed at his friend, then without hesitation, waved the Princesses over. "Hey you two, come sit with us!" The Princesses looked at each other and nodded, swiftly moving over towards their friends.

"Hey there, ladies." Roy said in a playfully flirtatious tone, grinning at the two.

"Howdy!" Daisy responded cheerfully, sitting down across from the swordsman. Zelda took her seat beside her, across from the angel. The two of them took their respective lunches and began eating, enjoying some idle chitchat.

"So Daisy, you're lookin' good today." Roy commented with a childish grin on his face. "Ain't that right, Pit?"

"I plead the fifth. I never know when my girlfriend might be listening..." Pit shivered at the thought. The others looked at Pit in disbelief. "What? I have a girlfriend! You don't know her though." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, a light blush on his face.

"No way you got a girl before me!" Roy exclaimed with frustration. He then turned back to Daisy. "Hey, how about you and I go out sometime?" He flashed a lion's grin and a wink her way. Daisy grew a bit flustered at that, and quickly tried to deflect the question.

Zelda sat there quietly. She had been listening to this conversation about relationships, but all her mind could do was think about one boy, and how she couldn't have him. And the longer the conversation went, the more irritated she grew. "Why can't I be happy with what I have? Why can't I get the happiness I want?" She thought to herself, and the more she thought, the worse her thoughts got, until finally, she had enough.

"Shut UP!"

A strong gust of Farore's Wind blew around Zelda, and in her fit of rage, she thrust it towards the two boys, sending them spiraling towards the wall of the lunch room, landing with a loud THUD. As the wind died down, she realized what she had just done, and her eyes shot open wide and filled with tears. She got up, and quickly ran out of the lunchroom.

"Ow... that was harsh..." Pit sat up, rubbing his rear as he watched the perturbed Princess running off. "And strong... was it something we said?"

Daisy only sat and stared in disbelief at what she had just witnessed.

By the end of the school day, word had quickly spread about the lunch outburst. Princess Zelda had gone home immediately after the incident, and people had been hounding Link with questions. He sighed as he finally exited the school, slowly walking home on his own. Seeing as the Princess had already left, he could take his time. 'But what could have made her snap like that?' He thought to himself. "Maybe I should ask... no, I should let her calm down. She'll tell me when she's ready. And tomorrow I'll interrogate those two... Pit and Roy were their names, if I heard right."

Little did he know, something more important would occupy his time, and as an evil presence loomed over Smash University, a sense of dread filled the air.

Chapter Text

Link waited outside of Princess Zelda's home, as he always had every morning before school. Leaning against a brick wall next to the front gate, he thought about what he had heard the day before. "What could have made her freak out like that? She's usually so calm..." He sighed, thinking back to their youth back in Hyrule. A soft smile spread across his face. He cared about the Princess, of course, but in a much deeper way than he would ever let on. A secret he had kept for a long time, and planned on keeping for as long as he could, because he knew it would never come to fruition. But since he was ordered by her father, the King, it was a pleasant excuse to be close to her, even if it hurt him deep down. Still, he couldn't help but wonder just what those two buffoons had said to anger her.

Just as he started to get lost in thought, he heard the front gate open. He looked over, and there she was, in all her royal glory. But immediately, he could tell she wasn't her usual self. Her head was down, and as she looked his way, her eyes looked sad, before quickly averting her gaze. "Good morning, Link. Shall we go?" She said, flashing him a forced smile. With an uncertain nod from him, the two began their quiet walk to school.

All around the front entrance, police had taped off a large area, causing student traffic to build up. It didn't help that everyone stopped to stare at the scene either. Link was forced to grab Zelda's hand - against her wishes - and force his way through the crowd. "Link, w-what do you think you're doing?! Let me go this instant!" The flustered Princess struggled against his iron grip, blushing fiercely, but couldn't get herself loose. Eventually, she gave in with a huff and let herself be pulled through the crowd as she tried to compose herself. "My goodness, what is with him? What's with ME?" She thought to herself. But once the two got close to the front, he stopped in his tracks. Zelda, confused at this, stepped forward, and what she saw left her speechless.

There was a body. A dead one.

Zelda threw a hand over her mouth as her eyes opened wide in terror. Link, thinking quickly, pulled her in the opposite direction, searching for a path through the crowd to get them through the front gates of the school. His only priority was making sure that the Princess was safe and secure.

Finally, they had broken through the crowd. They burst through the front doors of their University breathing heavily, but wasted no time in rushing to their homeroom class. There, Link knew he could make sure of her safety. As they entered the classroom, they finally allowed themselves to breathe. Zelda sat in her seat, looking about ready to collapse. Link took his seat next to her, eyes darting around the room warily.

This was something that would haunt the two, more than even they knew.

"Hey, did you hear what happened?"

"There was a dead body found right there yesterday!"

"I heard it was magic."

"Zelda was pissed yesterday, didn't she leave early?"

Word of what happened spread like wildfire, and with it came rumors and gossip. Zelda kept her head low all day, but she heard every word that was muttered about her. People calling her a murderer, a criminal, even a psychopath. "It wasn't me, I swear! I'm Innocent!" But she knew none of them would believe her. Only a handful of people would. And she had to find them, fast.

"Whoa, where are YOU headed, Ms. Murderer?" A crude snicker came from behind her, and she froze in place, slowly turning around to face the person.

Samus Aran, a Bounty Hunter from space, loomed over the Princess with a smirk. "In a hurry to flee the scene? Or maybe searching for a new victim?"

Zelda clenched her fists. "Hello, Samus. What a... pleasant surprise." She shot back, trying to stop her voice from wavering. "If you must know, I am trying to go home on time."

"Is that so? Got someone to meet?" Samus crossed her arms over her chest, her smirk fading to a frown.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Don't kill him on the way home, okay?" Samus said with a chuckle. "We wouldn't wanna label you as a serial killer, at least not so soon." Zelda felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she trembled with anger. She knew she was innocent! But she had no way of proving it. Tears started to fall down her cheeks, and she looked down at the ground. "What, now you're gonna cry?" The Bounty Hunter laughed harder now. "Look at you! You're a damn coward!

"Leave her alone, Samus!" Suddenly, a voice called from behind the two of them. Zelda lifted her eyes and spotted a familiar orange dress. Daisy ran up to the two of them, standing in between them. "Go pick on someone else!" Daisy glared at Samus, fists clenched and ready for a fight.

Samus looked between the two girls; one looking dejected, one acting defensive. "Tch... You two aren't even worth my time. I'm out of here." With that, she turned and walked off.

Daisy let go of the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and turned around to face her friend. "Hey, are you okay?" Zelda nodded solemnly. "Come on, let's get you over to Link." Zelda shook her head. "Want me to take you home?" Another nod. "Alright, I'll let Link know."

The two began their long walk home, but one thing was on both their minds: Who could commit such a heinous crime?

Chapter Text

All through the day, Link had been struggling to focus on his classes. Even at lunch, he barely ate anything. He kept thinking back on what he had seen that morning. A dead body, right in front of the school he went to. Even in his time as a knight, he had never seen a situation like this. And the next image he would see in his mind was the Princess's face, stricken with horror at the sight. That's what bothered him the most; the fear in her eyes. Neither of them could fathom that such a thing could happen in such a place, and to such an extent. Even the bokoblins didn't treat the Hylians in such a horrible way. The more he thought of it, the more worried he became. He had to make sure the Princess was safe.

But first, he had some questioning to do. And he knew where to start.

As soon as the final bell rang, Link roamed the halls, searching for two individuals in particular; the Angel named Pit, and the Swordsman named Roy. Luckily, they weren't hard to find, even in the sea of students.

"Pit, hurry it up will ya? I wanna get something to eat before heading home!"

"Go without me, I told my girlfriend that I'd meet up with her for a bit!"

"Don't try to blow me off, I know you don't have one!"

"What?! I totally have one!"

The two were as noisy as ever, and Link was thankful for that just this once. He approached swiftly but cautiously. These two were the culprits who managed to upset the Princess so easily, after all. "Hey, you two. I think we need to have a talk."

Roy turned around quickly, and the smile quickly fell from his face. "Oh no, I was worried this would happen... Pit, I think you should cancel whatever 'plans' you had with your 'girlfriend'."

"Why are you saying it like that?! You sound like you still don't believe me..." Pit turned around, and his smile dropped just as quickly. "Oh. Oh boy. Uh, hey there, Link... Funny thing happened yesterday, and it was totally Roy's fault. I had absolutely nothing to do with it. None at all."

"Hey! That's so not true! You were the one who-"

"Both of you shut up!" Link suddenly shouted. "I haven't even said anything and you're freaking out! I just want to ask you two some questions. Alright?" The two jokesters looked at each other nervously and nodded. "Good." Link took a deep breath to compose himself before speaking. "What happened yesterday at lunch that caused Zelda to go home early so upset?"

Pit spoke up quickly. "So there we were at lunch, when Zelda and her friend walked in. Roy has a really big crush on that one-"

"Hey, he doesn't need to know that part!" Roy threw a punch at the other's arm, causing him to yelp in pain. "Anyway..."

Roy and Pit went on to explain the situation at lunch, and the conversations they were having. Link nodded along, absorbing the information and pondering on it. Something didn't add up right in his mind, but that was something he would have to address with the Princess herself. "Thank you for the information." The two clowns nodded, and as Link turned to walk away, they let out a sigh of relief.

Just as he was preparing to leave the school and meet Zelda, he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out to check the message he was sent, but he didn't recognize the number. Confused and concerned, he opened it. It read, "Hey, this is Daisy! Your friend Zelda gave me your phone number. She said that she wanted to go home with me for today, so you don't have to wait on her. Don't worry, I'll make sure she's safe!" "Daisy..." He thought he recognized the name. "Ah, that must be Princess Zelda's friend." Putting his phone away, Link started off towards his home, thinking about all the information he was given. But one thing didn't sit well with him.

Why would Princess Zelda freak out over something as simple as talking about relationships?

Chapter Text

"Link, you can walk to school on your own from today on, as I will not be going myself." This was the message Link had received just as he was preparing to leave his home. Puzzled, he responded, "Is everything alright?" But he never received an answer. "I can see why... This whole situation is a mess, and she's being blamed by everyone in the school." With a sigh, Link departed towards school, finding himself lost in thought as he continued processing what had happened the day before.

Lost in thought, he almost didn't hear the call of a certain peppy Princess call out from behind him. "Hey, Link! Heeeeeey!" Princess Daisy was waving him down, running towards him. Trailing behind her trying to keep up were two other Princesses, in pink and blue dresses respectively. "Wow, I can't believe you didn't hear me!"

Link looked at the energetic girl, a puzzled look on his face. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Nope, but you will now! I'm Daisy, Princess of Sarasaland! These are my two sisters!" She gestured back to the others behind her.

"Hi, I'm Peach, ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom." She waved sweetly and the Hylian.

"I am Rosalina. I rule the Cosmos." She stated coolly.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Link of Hyrule, protector-"

"We know who you are, Link! Zelda's a good friend of mine." Daisy cut him off, and started skipping ahead. The others looked at her and, with a shrug, started walking behind her. "I even walked her home yesterday."

"Yes, thank you for that. Things were a bit hectic yesterday, considering..." Link trailed off, still struggling to process everything smoothly.

"Right..." A sad look fell on everyone's face. "Well, I had to do your job a bit yesterday. With everything going crazy, someone decided it would be a good idea to pick on her, and it wasn't pretty." Daisy grew upset as she recalled what the Bounty Hunter had said to Princess Zelda. "But I handled things, at least for now."

A frown spread across Link's face as he heard this. "Maybe that's why she stayed home today..."

"She stayed home?" Daisy looked over at the Hylian, eyes full of concern. "Poor girl..." From that moment on, the walk to school was silent.

Things at the school hadn't settled down much since the day prior, which wasn't surprising to Link and his new companions. What was surprising, however, was the new classmate standing in the front of the room. "Alright, listen up everyone!" Chrom, their homeroom teacher called for attention to the front, as if everyone wasn't staring anyway. "Today, we're getting a new student. Everyone, say hello to Sheik." Murmurs spread throughout the room. "Sheik will be taking Zelda's seat. I received a call from her father saying she will not be returning to school for some time." More murmurs. "Settle down! Now I know things are hectic with what happened, but you all need to keep your heads together."

By this point, no one in class was listening. Daisy turned to Link with eyes full of tears. "Zelda won't be coming back..?" Before Link could respond, he felt a presence behind him. Sheik had already taken Zelda's now relinquished seat next to him, and turned his attention to the Hylian and Princess. Caught off guard, Daisy reeled back slightly. "Whoa, when did you get there?!" Sheik looked at the two for an extended period of time, before turning away as if he hadn't even seen them. "Well now, that was rude..." Daisy pouted. She looked at Link for some help, but realized he was lost in his own mind. Sighing to herself, she tried again. "Hey, uh, Sheik, you look like a ninja of some sort. Where are you from?" Sheik didn't react for a moment, then as quickly as he had appeared, got up from his seat and walked out of the room, without acknowledging that the Princess had even said anything. Daisy stared in disbelief as the new classmate left without a word. "Unbelievable!" She thought to herself. "I oughta give him a piece of my mind!" With that thought, Daisy shot up and darted after them.

Daisy roamed the hallways for several minutes, looking for the ninja-esque character, passing students, classrooms and even a janitor's closet in her quest to find him. Just as she was ready to give up, she heard a door close around the corner from her. Figuring that this would be her last attempt at finding the mysterious man, and letting her curiosity get the better of her, she rounded the corner. However, the only thing she found was another set of bathrooms at the end of the hall. With an exasperated sigh, she turned to start heading back, when a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the Princess. She let out a slight shriek, but was silenced by a hand quickly and pulled into a dark closet. Daisy couldn't see a thing, and with everything going on in town and around school, only one thing passed through her mind as fear and adrenaline began to take over:

This is the end for her.

Chapter Text

Pitch black nothingness. That's all Daisy could see as the door slammed shut and locked behind her. She had been kidnapped, as far as she could tell, and this wasn't how she wanted to go out. No one would know until it was too late. But she wouldn't go down without a fight. She was the more athletic sister in her family, and definitely more physical. She struggled against her captor, swinging and thrashing with all her might, trying her hardest to break free. And for just a moment, she got free. She reached out for the closet door, her last rays of hope peeking out from the bottom of the door. But just as her hand was about to grab the handle, she was pulled back once again. Despair filled her heart, and the last bit of fight she had faded away. As she was preparing to take her last breath, she heard something surprising: "Daisy, calm down! It's me!" A familiar voice rang through her ears in a hushed tone. A light clicked on, and there was the figure of Sheik, breathing hard from their struggle.

"Sheik..?" Daisy looked at the Sheikah with visible confusion. "Who... Who are you?"

Without a word, Sheik reached up and began removing the bandages and scarf from his face. And the face Daisy saw was one she certainly wasn't expecting.

The bell rang for lunch, and immediately the halls were crowded. Not wanting to get swept up in the lunch rush, Link stayed behind in the classroom to think back on what Daisy had said that morning. "Someone harassing the Princess..." A sigh escaped his lips as he rose from his seat, making his way into the now less cluttered hallway.

He was making his way towards the cafeteria, lost in thought for what felt like the millionth time that day, when a deep voice bellowed out behind him. "Yo, Link!" The voice rang out, and Link turned to come face to face with one of the most muscular men he could remember ever seeing. "Been a while, hasn't it? Hope you haven't forgotten me!" The man ran a hand through his messy blue hair. "It's me, Ike!"

Link took a moment to realize just who was in front of him, before it clicked in his mind. "Oh yeah, I remember you now. The last time we spoke, you were a lot... well, smaller." Link chuckled, and Ike let out a hearty laugh along with him.

"I know man, I really bulked up! Even got myself a girlfriend, heh!" As if to show off, he flexed his bicep for Link. "So, how've you been? Busy with your job as usual, I'm guessing?"

"Well, not recently. Not with what's been going on around here..." A solemn look fell upon the Hylian's face.

"Oh right, that whole thing where that Zelda chick killed that guy."

Link's eyes shot up, eyebrows furrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Y'know, the dude that got found out front? Everyone's saying she did it. My girl even said that when she brought it up, Zelda started acting real strange. Plus, if you look at the evidence-"

"Zelda is innocent!" For the first time in what could have been years, Link let his emotions get the better of him. Anger filled his eyes, and his fists were clenched so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Without giving himself the chance to think, he wound up and took a swing at the warrior in front of him, hitting him square in the jaw and knocking him off balance. "You have no idea what you're talking about! Your 'girl' must have been the one who was harassing and bullying Princess Zelda!"

Ike recoiled when he was struck, surprise spreading across his face, followed by sudden rage. "You bastard! Don't you dare badmouth my lady!" He charged forward, grappling with the knight and striking a blow to his stomach, causing Link to double over in pain. Adrenaline began coursing through the both of them, and after a momentary pause, the two started to brawl right then and there. The fight went on for several minutes before some of the professors arrived to separate the two. Faces bloodied and bruised, the two continued to spit insults at each other, but as the adrenaline finally began to wear down and the pain started setting in, Link couldn't help wonder how he had let himself lose his composure so suddenly.

But Link knew one thing for sure: He had to get to the bottom of this. He had to clear Zelda's name.

Chapter Text

Word of the lunchroom brawl spread quickly, and by the end of the day all everyone was talking about was "who won the fight?" Meanwhile, as all this gossip was circulating, the two culprits were sitting in the Principal's office. And the Principal was none too pleased.

"Really now, I expect this from Ike. But YOU, Link? I thought you would have known better." Palutena, the school's Principal, sat at her desk - well, it looked more like a throne - as she discussed what had happened with the bruised boys in front of her. Her Vice Principal, Bayonetta, stood against the wall next to her, currently thinking of a suitable punishment for the two.

Ike looked at the two of them in disbelief. "Whaddaya mean you expect this from me?! I wasn't even the one to start it in the first place! It was him!" He pointed a finger over to Link, who begrudgingly looked down in his lap. "I was only defending myself!" As Ike droned on and on about how it wasn't his fault, all Link did was sit in silence.

Finally, the Vice Principal had heard enough out of the irritating boy. "Enough! No more out of you, or you'll get double what Link gets!" Hearing that, Ike promptly quit talking. "Now, Link, what do you have to say in response?"

"I am the one at fault, I threw the first punch." Link said dejectedly. "I regret my harsh and quick reaction I took against him."

Palutena raised a brow at this. "Reaction? What might you have reacted to?" She leaned forward in her seat.

"Well y'see-" Ike began before being swiftly quieted by a glare from Bayonetta.

"Ike and I had struck up conversation, being that we had not seen each other for some time. We were telling each other of interesting happenings - well, Ike was talking mostly, I was just listening. He mentioned how he had gotten a girlfriend, then he had mentioned Princess Zelda." Link finally lifted his gaze to meet Palutena's. "He said that she... she was a criminal, and a murderer! And I just could not let that sit. I know she's innocent, I just have to-!"

"I think I've heard enough, Link. You were acting out of defense for Zelda. While I don't condone such actions, I do understand. But it's unlike you to act so irrationally." Palutena leaned back in her throne with a hefty sigh. "What sort of punishment do you think young Ike and Link deserve?" She spoke softly to her Vice Principal.

Bayonetta smirked as she looked at the two boys in front of her. "While Ike is not the main culprit here, he did still participate in the brawl. So, for the two of them, I say one week suspension, and Link earned another week on janitorial duty for initiating the physical altercation. Ike will accompany him for three days."

While Link quietly nodded in acceptance, Ike was not happy with it. "why do I have to clean too?! All I did was defend myself! Just because I said something he didn't like-"

"Ike, one more word and I'll have you cleaning for a year." Bayonetta scowled angrily at him. He once again shut his mouth. "Now get out. Both of you."

The two got up from their seats, bowed respectfully to their superiors, and swiftly exited the office. The two made their way out of the school in silence. Once outside, the two locked eyes momentarily, before parting ways. Link wanted to apologize, but he know it would not be accepted, at least not yet. So as he made his way home, he pulled out his cell phone to send a text.

After her run-in with Sheik, Daisy had decided that she would take the rest of the day off. She rarely ever skipped school, but she felt she needed a break from the stress of school and the drama between students. So Daisy returned to her home, turned on some music and decided to play some games on her computer. She found herself thoroughly engrossed in her game, so much so that she hadn't heard her phone go off. Hours had passed until she finally looked at it.

From: Zelda - "Have you heard from Link? He has not spoken to me since the day before we went home together..."

"That's surprising. Link is usually always around her. I wonder what happened to him?" As Daisy was about to respond, another message came through. Curious, she decided to open it before responding to her friend.

From: Link - "I don't really know who else I can tell, so I'm telling you. You cannot tell Princess Zelda. I wouldn't want her to worry while she's staying home."

"Even stranger..." Confused and slightly concerned, she sent her response. "Sure, what's up?"

From: Link - "Concerning the issue you and her had the other day with that Samus girl, well... I know her boyfriend. Ike is his name. We knew each other from a few years back. We were talking, and he brought up what had happened, only he had a slightly different story. Things happened and, well, there was a fight. We've both been suspended for a week."

"Fight? That's not like him at all. Something's up with those two..." Daisy sat without response for minutes, just thinking about the peculiar situation she's been put in. "On one hand, I should tell Zelda that I've spoken with him. On the other hand, he asked me not to say anything about it. Hmm..." Daisy sighed, finally settling on what to do. She grabbed her phone and sent a message. As she hit send, she felt a pang of guilt in her chest. But her decision had already been made.

To: Zelda - "Sorry Zel, but I haven't heard from him."