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Attached Ch4: Lunch

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"So what kinds of foods do you like, Samus?" Zelda asked as they made their way past several buffet tables.

"I eat whatever I can find at the time," she said as she picked out a rather thick sandwich with slices of various types of meat. "I try and get stuff high in protein and with as many calories as I can so I can go for as long as possible without needing to eat," she gestured with the sandwich in hand. She placed it on her tray then took a second one.

"No, I mean what do you like?" she really emphasized the last word.

Samus took a few seconds to think over Zelda's rather strange question. "Steak, I guess. Never really thought about it before."

"I'm fond of poultry myself. Though it's hard to find here," Zelda said while looking around at the various buffet tables. "I never know what to get when I come here. A lot of the food I've never even heard of before and some of the things that look familiar have an unfamiliar taste." Zelda was picking out small portions of various foods from the different tables.

"That's because they have food here from all of the competitors' home dimensions. Just stick to stuff from your own world and you'll do alright."

"Oh no, you've mistaken me, I quite enjoy the variety and novelty of it all."

"Really? Well don't complain when you get sick from something that doesn't agree with you," Samus said grabbing a fist full of candy bars.

Sitting down at a table, Zelda noted the large volume of food Samus had. "Isn't that... too much?" she questioned.

"No. Like I said. I don't eat very often, so when I do, I eat a lot," Samus began unwrapping her sandwich.

"Why don't you just eat more frequently then?"

"More convenient this way," she said biting into the sandwich "And since I'm used to it, if I get caught in a situation with no food available, it won't be that much of a bother to me. This is the first I've eaten in a couple days."

"Well that doesn't seem very healthy to me," Zelda said sounding a bit worried, to which Samus just shrugged her shoulders.

They sat quietly, eating for a minute or so before Samus spoke up. "So... Zelda... listen, about before... I really didn't mean to yell at you like that."

Zelda shook her head. "It's ok. I understand, you were upset. I get upset and yell sometimes too." Samus gave a nod, accepting Zelda's forgiveness.

"Samus, why is it you come to this place," Zelda said abruptly. "Link says he comes here because it's fun and he likes the attention from the cheering audience."

"I could do without them," she said referring to the audience. "I come here just for the competition."

"To test your ability?" Zelda questioned, "To... prove something to yourself?"

"That's part of it, but it's more to improve my skills. Some of the competition here is actually pretty tough and the variety of fighters have abilities and tactics that I'm not used to seeing. It forces me to improve and adapt."

Zelda just looked down at the table, she appeared lost in thought. "Is that why you come here?" Samus asked, "...to prove something to yourself?

"Ye- yes... Because I'm a princess everyone always treats me..."

"Wait, you're royalty!" Samus exclaimed "Well that explains a few things."

"Yes... What?" she said talking over Samus. "What does it explain?"

"The way you talk, you're overly formal. Also the way you walk, it's very stiff, like you've been trained to walk that way."

"Oh... It is true that I received instruction in posture and in speech. I don't think it's that noticeable though," she said a bit annoyed, then she wondered why Samus was noticing her walk.

"Well, just don't expect me to call you highness or majesty or anything," to which Zelda just smiled.

"Anyway, as I was saying, because I'm a princess people treat me like I can't do anything for myself; like I'm a helpless child. I have servants who do all physical labor for me, advisors who make decisions for me... every time I'd try and assert myself they'd insist I needn't worry about anything, that they'll take care of it. And they're all so over-protective, I can't even take my horse out riding without an escort," Zelda ranted.

"Then Link told me about this place, how he'd been coming here for a while, competing, fighting. Something I'd never have been allowed to do in Hyrule... I made him sneak me out of the castle and take me here. After just watching a few times, I knew I wanted to compete as well. ...I wanted to do something on my own, accomplish something without the aid of others...something to prove I wasn't helpless." She looked up to see Samus smiling and staring at her. "What?"

Samus saw something of herself in Zelda's words. "You don't want to feel weak," she replied. Zelda just nodded.

"So do you think I'm any good? At fighting I mean," Zelda asked.

"You're too slow, you lack discipline, you seem to have no knowledge of basic fighting maneuvers what so ever, and you get tunnel vision."

"Oh," Zelda was somewhat taken aback by Samus' brutal critique. Though she found her honesty refreshing, unlike Link or Fox had been the previous night.

"Though you do have good instincts, and a strong determined will. Which are more important in the end. Those other things could be corrected through training. How often to you train?"

"Never," she said shyly. Samus just shook here head, then stuffed her mouth with more sandwich.

Zelda drummed her fingers on the table while Samus chewed her food. "Samus, what did you mean before...? You said you weren't used to dealing with other people."

"Oh...Just what I said, I'm not used to it. ...I'm not really around other people much at all."

"Why not?"

"My job keeps me busy. I'm a bounty hunter, I spend lots of time traveling around the galaxy tracking down bounty heads. I also sometimes do mercenary jobs for the Galactic Federation. Those missions rarely involve any contact with people either. Sometimes I go several months without seeing another sentient being."

"That sounds very lonely."

"Yeah..." Samus said quietly, looking down at the table.

"If you don't like it... why don't you find something else to do?"

"It's... it's all I know," she said still not looking up. "Anyway, that's why I wasn't very polite when you first tried to talk to me; I mean I don't dislike you or anything."

Zelda smiled, "It's ok, I understand."

"So why did you anyway?"

"Huh. Why did I what?"

"Why did you want to talk to me that first night?"

"Well you just seemed so very sad, I thought there might have been something wrong, I just wanted to help."

"Oh," Samus again looked down at the table.

"Was there something troubling you ...or might there still be? I notice it now every time I see you, this look of great sorrow in your eyes."

She didn't answer, she only looked away even more. She opened her mouth to say something and glanced quickly at Zelda but only shut it again without saying a word and turned away again. Zelda saw she had hit on a sensitive topic and decided she should change the subject.

"I really admire you," she blurted out.

"What?" Samus looked questioningly at her.

"You fight so eloquently yet so forcefully at the same time. I'd never seen any thing like it. Not even Link impresses me as much as you do." Samus' mood brightened a bit at this. Zelda continued "But it's not just your skill I admire, you command a lot of respect from those around you, from the other competitors especially and from those watching in the stands. And its respect that you earned, not that was given to you because of a meaningless title." Samus managed a half smile. "And the fact that you're a woman makes it all the more impressive," Zelda added.

"Why...does that matter?"

"Well I guess I also envy you as well. You already have what I came here to obtain, though to a degree far beyond anything I had hoped for myself, and even beyond any men I have ever known. Because you're a woman I guess it seemed more attainable for me."

"You really think I'm all that great?" Samus said sounding unconvinced.

"Yes," Zelda nodded "...I do. That's why I decided I had to meet you, had to talk to you, to see what kind of person you were."

"Oh," Samus said beginning to understand Zelda's behavior towards her the last few days.

"Although you're a lot different than I thought you would be."

"Huh? What did you expect?"

"Well I thought you'd be more... well more like Link... or like Impa, she was my bodyguard when I was younger. Both of them seemed to be... above everything, as if nothing ever bothers them. Never getting down or never losing their temper. Like for some reason they didn't face the same problems everyone else did." Zelda let out a small laugh. "That sounds a little odd coming from someone who's had such a sheltered life as me... I suppose when you think about it those would be rather endearing qualities. But to me it made them seem like... like they weren't real, like some sort of idealized characters from a fairy tale, distant and unapproachable. But... you seem like a real person, even though you were very evasive before, now I feel like I can talk to you easily." Zelda took a short pause. "Though your social skills could use improvement," she said teasingly.

'A real person?' Samus tried to process all Zelda had said. She didn't understand how Zelda could think that about her, but at the same time it made her feel a little bit of... something. Something she hadn't felt in as long as she could remember. Was this happiness?

"Samus, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, just promise not to get mad."

"Just ask."

"Why didn't you hit me before when you had the chance, it seemed like you hesitated."

"I... umm...I didn't...ahh," she stammered, Zelda noticed that she started to blush.

"What?"

"It... It's stupid."

"What is it?"

"I... didn't want to hit you, I would have... hit you in the face... and..." She was blushing even more now. "You ...have such a pretty face... I didn't want to... hit you there."

"Oh, thank you. So that's what it was." Zelda couldn't help but smile at this. "But you know any injuries I had would have been healed by that machine."

"I know, I just... didn't want to." She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side "Told you it was stupid, I should never have let myself be distracted by something like that." Zelda just giggled, as Samus when back to eating her lunch.

After a short time Samus asked "So Zelda, what's with that guy you're always here with, Link was it? You related or something? You look a little alike."

"No, we're not family."

"He your boyfriend then? He's kind of attractive."

"He is? I hadn't noticed. And it's nothing like that, we're just friends. Though I was interested for a while, but nothing ever really happened; besides he has someone already."

"The way you were talking about him before, it seemed like you didn't like him at all."

"Well it's true what I said, he is distant at times, much less now though then when we first met, but I don't dislike him for it. He really is a good person. But... sometimes I wonder," she said a bit quieter now. "Is he really my friend or is he just being nice to me because I'm royalty and he feels he has to. I mean he won't even call me by name, it's always 'highness' or 'princess' with him, even though I've asked him not to several times." she concluded, now in a somewhat raised voice.

"Next time he does it just punch him out, I guarantee he won't make the mistake again."

"I couldn't do that," she said a bit shocked. "Anyway, it isn't just him. I always feel that people are treating me different because of my status. Certainly all the people of Hyrule, though even here too, Fox and his friends, pretty much everyone I meet ...though... not you," she said smiling. "I hate it sometimes; hate being a princess. Sometimes I wish I could just quit," she sighed. "I feel like I am a title and not a person."

"I know... I know what that feels like," Samus said looking off as if into the distance.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed "Nobody..." she took a long pause. "... nobody treats me like a person, those that employ me simply view me as a tool to accomplish their goals, its all objectives, mission parameters and payment with them. Those I hunt fear me and view me like some kind of predatory beast ...with them its nothing but violence and death ...I'm not...I never..." she trailed off, and stared at her half eaten food for a while. "I... don't feel like a person either..." pausing again, "lately... I've even come to think of myself as... as that beast... or... a machine, with no other purpose... than to kill. It feels like... I'm... I'm loosing my humanity... I don't... I..."

She stopped as she felt something touch her hand. Looking up she saw Zelda reaching across the table and holding her hand, looking at her with a look of understanding and compassion. Samus stared into her eyes again, feeling the warmth they emanated. Zelda gave her hand a small squeeze, and smiled. Samus took a deep wavering breath.

"Zelda...don't..." She closed her hand into a ball. "I'm fine," she said slowly slipping out of Zelda's grip and pulling her hand away. She went back to eating her lunch trying to quickly finish it.

Seeing how uncomfortable Samus was, Zelda decided to talk about something she seemed to be more at ease with. "So, you really think I have potential to be a much better fighter?"

"Yeah..." Samus said still feeling a bit uneasy from before. "It's... Its like I said before, you have good instincts; being able to pick up on my mistake like that and take advantage of it was really impressive."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, you just need to train more," Samus paused for a bit, "I... I could help you ...teach you some basics, show you what you're doing wrong ...if you want."

"That would be wonderful!" Zelda was beaming, "Thank you so much!"

"Alright, tomorrow morning then?"

"Tomorrow morning," Zelda agreed.

Samus stood up from the table having finished her lunch "I'm going back now," she said and started to walk off.

"Wait..." Zelda called after her. "...I'll go with you."

End Part Four
Illustration by *Shydrake [link]

Last chapter: Match [link]
Next chapter: Reminiscing [link]
© 2008 - 2024 G3rain1
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After a short time Samus asked "So Zelda, what's with that guy you're always here with, Link was it? You related or something? You look a little alike."

"No, we're not family."

"He your boyfriend then? He's kind of attractive."

"He is? I hadn't noticed."

...RIIIIIIIiiiiight.