My First attempt for an Ice Climber Fanfiction. Hope you like it.
Bolded and underlined words are Author's Notes, italicized and underlined words are Popo's inner critic, just italics are emphasized words,bolded quotes are Popo's mock-psychic voice, Italicized quotes are thoughts.
If you seriously think I owned Ice Climber, you're an idiot. If I owned it, There wouldn't have been only two games, one of which doesn't really even count, in the series. There would be a whole lot of games, at least two for each console, and Lord knows how many toys and plushies and whatnot, If I owned the series. It would also be the first Nintendo game series with open romance.
For those of you still reading, I now can give you the story, now that all that's done and the people who wouldn't care have been bored away to go take selfies in the bathroom. The story starts now:

In the world of Nintendo, on Tundri, the farthest north continent, just north of the topmost parts of the Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule, a young man and woman, both aged 19, clad in near-identical parkas, both holding a large, wooden mallet in one hand - Left for the boy, Right for the girl - while their other hands held each other's tightly, stood atop a massive mountain overlooking much of Tundri.

The boy in the blue parka was named Popo, the girl in pink Nana. This mountain they were standing on the top of, while being seen as hazardous or even suicidal to most, was nothing compared to what either of them had been through before. In the past, they had climbed mountains, found treasures, fought the eccentric fauna of Tundri, most of which seemed to want the two dead solely on principal, struggled against the harsh elemental conditions of their northern home, battled in two different tournaments against the top fighters of Nintendo and beyond, and even rescued their hometown, Chillo Village, from starvation and giant condors, all done before either of them had even turned 12 years old.

But since then, 8 long years had passed them by, and the two adventurous young children had grown up. And in their growing up, they had both fallen in love. With each other, no less. When their relationship had turned romantic, neither was sure. It had simply happened. But they were very glad it had.

Due to years of scaling the continent's physically demanding mountains and battling against the elements, Popo was now tall and sturdily built, with a handsome face, and a headstrong personality. Despite the years going by, his humorous, intelligent, and kindhearted mannerisms he had when he was younger had stuck with him. As a result, many longing glances were cast as he walked through the streets by all the village girls and women, who would spend many hours talking amongst themselves and calling each other out for not being able to get him to even look their way, although in truth, none of those women could ever hope to get Popo's attention, largely because of one major factor working against them: Nana.

Those 8 years had been very kind to Nana. She was only 2 inches shorter than Popo, with attractively set features and a generous figure that could never truly be hidden by even the large, fluffy pink parka she was prone to wear everywhere outdoors. She was always smiling and laughing, and she never seemed to notice any other boy except for Popo, whom she flirted with and teased relentlessly. This is what made all the women attracted to Popo and put off by him at the same time: the sight of this attractive, shapely, smart, witty girl clinging to his arm as they walked through the village streets, a girl who did not quietly coax to get what she wanted, but dragged Popo by the arm to the store display and told him exactly why she needed him to buy her those embroidered mittens, a girl who never seemed to want to sit at her own chair when they ate at the local inn, but whose favorite seat seemed to be her companion's lap, where she could easily feed him slices of eggplant on kiss the stains off his lips, and he could do the same to her.

This was the sort of sight that greeted the villagers whenever the Ice Climbers - as they had come to be called - came back into Chillo, hoods off, hammers dented, eyes gleaming in triumph, sled filled with the prizes they brought back with them, to the point that they might break if anything else falls upon them. The villagers loved to discuss these two with one another. And by far their favorite gossip involving these two had to be their relationship.

It had always been quite obvious that they were quite close. After all, they had been joined at the hip for years. They had always done everything together since they were infants. When the Pterocondor attacked their village, they had been the only ones willing to go back and get the food supply it had stolen. Since then, their bond had changed. They starting seeing each other in a different way than just friends, they discovered their feelings were quickly becoming romantic, a change they welcomed openly. And while most people their age were spreading around, seeing lots of new people in hopes of finding the right one, they were not, because they already had found the people they wanted to share their lives with: each other. But this became more difficult in the wake of many rumors, which annoyed them to no end

The one rumor that they could not stand was that the two of them were related, siblings or cousins or who-knows-what. They knew it wasn't true, and it infuriated them that so many people thought it was. "For the last time, no, we aren't related!", or something along those lines, had to constantly be repeated, often to the same people, over and over. As far as they, their parents, and their grandparents knew, their two family lines had never intertwined. This was not the only rumor about them, but this one was at least partially understandable, as they did for some reason look quite similar. But some of the rumors spread were absolutely ridiculous, no ground in reality at all. Of course, they never really took any of these seriously.

The town butcher, for example, had heard from somewhere that the two friends-turned-lovers had hypnotising abilities which they used to get better deals when they haggled with him for the meat they brought down from their mountain expeditions. He had jokingly told them about this one day , to which their only respose was for Popo to swing a seal carcass back and forth in front of him and say "you will buy this seal for 20 gold marks" in a mock mystic voice until he noticed Nana snorting with laughter, and chose to silence her with a deep kiss, taking advantage of the fact that her laughter caused her mouth to be wide open, which allowed Popo to quickly take over the situation. This had the added effect of bringing silence to all others in the shop and the butcher telling them to "take it outside 'til you're ready to talk business without clamping onto each other's faces".

Another rumor, one that was especially popular with some of the more naieve members of the Ice Climbers multiple clusters of wistful admirers, stated that Popo and Nana were not really lovers at all, that it was all some sort of act to garner attention. "'We must be very good actors then, because even I'm convinced'", was Nana's opinion on the matter, when they were confronted with this idea one night by a bystander who had, humorously, pitched the question to them on the same night they both had said "I love you" to each other for the first time not 2 minutes before the question had been asked. If their interrogator had been paying better attention, he might have realised he was wasting his time and theirs for no reason.

While most were not dense enough to believe that the romance between these two was nothing more than a facade, there were some who stubbornly clung to the idea of it. Most of them were male admirers of Nana, of which she had no small supply. These men were considerably more daring than the women who pined for Popo, theey would walk straight up to her and practically demand, at least in her mind, that she pursue a relationship whith them rather than Popo. If at any point Nana and Popo were not with each other, and sometimes even if they were, Nana would find herself surrounded by men who attempted several different ways to win her fancy, be it jewelry, poetry, or, on one strange occasion, a jar full of powdered moose-antler shavings. Any suitor to make advances towards Nana were always met with one out of two fates: either Nana would ask them what gave them the right to attempt to take her affections from her "'darling Popo'" and club the man with her mallet, or Popo would choose that exact moment to jump into the fray, pick Nana up in bridal fashion, and supply whoever had made the advances with a glare that clearly stated, "Not yours", before turning on the ball of his heel and walking away with Nana still in his arms, where she could very well stay for several more hours.

Popo and Nana had always had admirers, but the admires had not always made open advances to them. In fact, they had only been going on for about 2 years, since the duo had turned 17. In the customs of the Heskims, the people who populated the continent of Tundri, one was allowed to get married starting at 17 years of age, and as soon as they had heard that he was at the age of eligibility, all the young women around that age primped and preened, and then made a great show of passing in front of Popo several times, attempting to show themselves off in hopes of somehow getting him to ask them to be with him. Their efforts had failed miserably. While the other girls had been doing silly things to attempt to get his attention such as miraculously finding yet another loose coin on the ground and making a big show of bending downwards and picking it up, Popo's attention was instead drawn to Nana, who was making an even bigger show of wiping stray crumbs off the collar of her coat, which would open the front ever so slightly , just enough to maintain her love's attention on her and her alone. She knew exactly what those other women were trying to do and would have none of it. While she was justly confident in her ability to keep Popo with her even if he were to pay attention to other girls, she would much rather her competition was not allowed so much as a sideways glance from the man she saw as her's. Popo reacted in a similar way to the men who wanted to go after Nana, and when he noticed them approaching later that day on a similar mission to the girls, who, he still was only vaguely aware of their presence, he quickly turned her attention away with a purposeful shift in his seat while Nana still sat on him,making her fall forward directly into his waiting arms and lips. This caused the men to quickly back away in defeat, and made Nana briefly forget there were other human males, save the one whose lap she was sitting in with his arms clasped firmly around her waist and his lips locked dominantly with hers.

In short, Popo and Nana were madly in love, and as such, paid no heed to any of the attempts of others to catch their fancy. This left an unpleasant taste in the mouth of many of their potential suitors. Over time, some of them would become bitter and leave their group of admirers for the other group: their detractors. There were many in the village who did not think fondly of the pair, for a myriad of different reasons. Some still believed those ridiculous rumors and tried to find evidence of their truth. Some thought it was indecent how intimate they acted with each other, that their constant kissing and touching and whatnot should not be done publicly by two as young as they were. Many, however, disliked them not for their relationship, but because of their seemingly superhuman abilities.

For one, they were strong, they swung those heavey wooden mallets as if they were toys. They were agile enough that sheer cliff faces were no more of a challenge for them to climb than staircases. They had incredible endurance, they've been known to cross mountain ranges in a matter of days during sheer blizzards. All Heskims, the people who populated Tundri, were strong, all of them were agile, they all were resilient. But the Ice Climbers, they were far stronger, far more agile, had far better endurance, than any other Heskims, or even most humans. And that was not the strangest thing they could do.

They noticed it first, as they came down from the mountain after defeating the Pterocondor. Their coats seemed just a little too warm, and the weather outside seemed nowhere near as bad as it once had been. Then, snow and ice started flying outside their bare hands. Before too long, they had to wear their coats everywhere or else they would lose control. This was when they started spending more time in the mountains. When they were in the village, people would shout at and insult them, saying and doing some very terrible things. They were only 10 at the time, they had no idea what was going on.

Then they were summoned by Master Hand to the Smash World. They greatly enjoyed it there. They made friends with the other Smashers, who were quickly endeared to the two youngest competitors. And, while they were there, they got the hang of their ice powers. When they found they could control them, they started looking to the ice, not as something unpleasant they had to bundle up against to survive, but as a tool, a force of nature that obeyed their every command. Master Hand had selected them because he saw that they had the potential to be among the strongest fighters in any of the worlds from which the Smashers hailed, and now they could deliver on that idea. They had extreme physical capabilities right off the bat, which gave them a leg up always, but then there was their unique combat style, which took advantage of the fact that there were two of them, making their own abilities twice as strong while confusing their opponents. And then, when they had gained control over the ice, an entire new dimension was brought to light. In the Smash World, they had used it for little else than the incapacitative, freezing their opponents in place and whatnot. But later, when they had returned to Tundri a year older, many experiences wiser, and countless battles stronger, they started applying it in other ways. That strange Polar Bear with the Speedo and sunglasses no longer bothered them, he was not stupid enough to think he could break down a 9-inch wall of solid ice. Nitpickers and Bees which constantly swooped at them found their wings weighed down by blocks of ice. When Topis retreated to their caves, they would be quickly sealed shut with plugs of snow, which they could eventually dig out of, but not until well after they had gone. And when they needed to travel quickly back downwards, how better to do it than a sleigh made of ice, which would simply shoot down the mountain, saving them many days perilous descent. Bridges of ice created themselves over the water. And they had been permanently diqualified from Chillo vilage's annual ice sculpting competition after being the unargued winners 4 years in a row. Their experiences Smashing with the other champions had done them good, no longer were they the two little kids barely able to survive the mountains. Now they were the Frozen Cardinals, the undisputed champions of Tundri.

I hope you have enjoyed the story this far. I've told you about the lives of our favorite two mountaineers. I showed you they would never even think of involving themselves romantically with anyone besides each other. I explained why many were not as fond of the two as you or I are. I recounted their uses for their powers. I told you a little of the continent of Tundri and the Heskims who live there. Now, I will take you back. Back to the beginning of the story, where I introduced the mirror-image lovers. Now you will see what they were doing on this mountain, and why I mentioned it in the first place.

''I never get tired of this view, Popo." Nana claimed to her companion, looking outward to the truly awe-inspiring sight of the vast land sprawled before them. But while she did love to see it, Nana was only saying it to make conversation, her mind was wandering instead on the subject of why they were up here. Popo had simply appeared at her door, telling her that they were going climbing. She did not really question it then, she knew they hadn't been climbing in several weeks and she knew that being in town too long put him on edge. Besides, spontaneity with Popo, in her experience, usually led to good things. So she had simply complied. But now, after hours of silence whenever she tried asking what they were here for, she was getting curious and in need of at least some conversation.

"That's good." Popo replied. While his expression seemed calm, his inner critic was screaming at him, "What is wrong with you man?! Can't you see she was trying to get you to talk?! She still doesn't know why you brought her up here! TELL HER ALREADY! Also, wipe your mouth, you're drooling. There you go." His inner critic was annoying sometimes. "Still", Popo reasoned, "I should probably tell her." "yes you should", repied his inner critic with smug satisfaction.

Hesitantly, Popo put his hand on Nana's shoulder. "Um, Nana?" he attempted. "Yes, Popo?" she asked as she turned around, her eyes glistening with hope now that he was finally talking. "You, um, y-y-y-you're probably w-wondering why I b-b-b-brought you up h-h-h-h-h-h-h-here, r-r-right?" he stuttered, staring to doubt himself "Come on, Popo, don't lose your nerve now".That inner critic wasseriously getting on his nerves.

"Well yes, a little" Came Nana's hesitant reply. This was quite strange for Popo, he never got nervous. He always maintained his cool. He could stare down any challenges, and wasn't afraid to take the lead when they had to fight someone. "Not just in fights either" Nana thought with a light blush and an inward giggle. But now, he was stammering like mad, averting her gaze, and his face was scarlet. She thought he looked adorable, but at the same time, her curiosity was piqued. What could make him so very embarassed?

After a few seconds of severe awkward, Popo took a deep breath to regain his composure, and started over. "So, Nana, yesterday, I want to see your father..." he trailed off ad began mumbling, his nerves were failing him again. "Hm? My father? Why?" Nana questioned. While she knew that Popo got along fairly well with her parents, not unlike how she did with his, as far as she knew, she had not expected the boy she was in a relationship with to tell her he had been talking to her father while she was not there, something most girls probably can relate to. Now she really needed answers.

"Popo" she put a finger to his lips. '"I love you, but you're stuttering really badly, and I have no idea what you're saying. Now, calm down, think about what you need to say, and say it."' She smiled at him sweetly, willing him to speak. He did as she advised, taking another deep breath in, and this time, forcing his nerves to hold. He looked his love squarely in the eyes, and said, slowly and meaningfully, "I talked to your dad yesterday, so I could ask him if I could ask you something." Nana looked at him incredulously. "Ask him for permission to ask me for permission? What in the world does that mean?"

"Well" Popo began, "I needed to get his blessing for this, but I knew that the real choice would be up to you." Nana was not stupid. In fact, she was incredibly smart. However, Popo's vague words and strange tone severely confused her. She simply looked blankly at him. "Eh? What are you saying?"

"Come on! You're confusing her! Just tell her already!" Popo really hated his inner critic, probably because he was usually right. Popo looked at the girl in front of him, the girl of his dreams, and said, "Nana, do you love me?" Nana did not even hesitate a moment. "Yes, I love you Popo. Why?"

"Because, Nana, I love you too." Any trace of nervousness or inhibition was thrown to the wolves at this point. "Do you remember, a little while back, when we were lying out in a cave while we were climbing, and I said the cold doesn't bother me?" She thought about this for a moment, and then answered, "Yes''

''Well, what I meant was, the cold doesn't bother me, because I have a thought that helps me to resist it. Something that warms me up at whenever I think of it." He looked into her eyes again. "That thought, is that I love you, love you so much, that I want to give my life to you."

Nana smiled brightly, a single tear welling up in her right eye. Popo had never been much for being overly complex, preferring to speak with his actions instead. But this, this was new. Strange enough he had been nervous and stuttering earlier, but now, expressing his emotions through words, and doing it so well? This was nearly unheard of. What could he possibly have in store that would cause him to act like this?

No sooner had she finished contemplating this, than Popo had gotten on one knee. When she realized he had done this, she looked down to him, her curiosity quickly peaking. "Popo? What are you doing now?" She inquired. She was getting really tired of all her efforts to procure an answer coming up fruitless. If she knew how soon she was getting an answer, she probably wouldn't have asked with such an edge. Especially if she knew the answer.

Popo set his hammer down at his side, and reached into the pocket of his parka. After a minute, he pulled out a small sealskin pouch, from which he pulled...

"Popo, i-is that a..." Nana is incapable of finishing that sentence. It wouldn't be necessary, as the obvious answer would be, "Yes that is a ring". A very nice ring, I might add. An intertwined gold and silver braided loop made the band, with a V-shaped base with two pieces of gemstone, dazzling blue sapphire on one side, pearly pink garnet on the other. Nestled between them, a small diamond in the shape of a valentine heart.

Popo looked at Nana's shocked expression with pride, he had always joked about how she was hard to get real shock out of. Now he really got the proper reaction out of her. After a few seconds of savoring her reaction, he held the ring out towards her in his hand. "Nana (Insert what you think her middle and last name are here), will you marry me, so that we can share our lives together for their remainders, however long or short that may be?"

His answer came in the form of a swift tackle and a firm kiss to the lips by the subject of his proposal. After a few moments of this, Naana raised herself up above Popo, and exclaimed a loud "Yes!"

And so it became. In the not-so distant future, they would be married. They would have 4 children, all of whom would have their parents' power. Their entire lives would revolve around climbing like it had before.

But for now, they were on this mountain, sharing their special moment, which they would later both call one of their favorite memories

AAAANND We're done here! Thank you for reading Ice Climber Fanfiction number 11! You know what to do. Read, review, follow, favorite. Especially review. Let me know whether it's as bad as I think it is.