Well, lately I have been reading some Smash Bros section, and many more from the Metroid, so I decided to look for Smash involving Samus, and found she's quite a great character to pair with. A common pairing involved Samus and Zelda, and well, the Legend of Zelda being my true fandom, I decided I may try my hand at it. Well, maybe not a romantic story, but at least friendship one.

Another thing I often found, was the fact Zelda was portrayed as the naïve one of the two, and, I just can't imagine her like that. Not saying it's bad, only that I have always seen Zelda being more than meet the eye. That's why this fic my give you a lil surprise if you're used to the helpless, princess in distress.

From the collection of One too many Shots, Smash Bros section:

First Impressions

By: Dan Heron

"Well, this doesn't look so bad," a young woman said to herself as energy swirled around her, before gathering around her wrists as she stepped away from the red and gold, Hunter-Class gunship. The hatch closed up with a hiss as the blond woman started to make her way towards the mass of bioforms leaving their own ships or warping out of the several portals surrounding the parking area.

Her blue boots clanked softly against the metallic floor as she calmly made her way towards the scanning area. Had she left her gunship the moment she arrived, she would have saved herself the wait, elbows to her bare midriff and back, and accidental pulling of her long, blond ponytail. Then again, jumping headfirst into an unknown situation wasn't her style; she had used her ship's scanners to get all the information she could about the planet, and the information showed optimal conditions for Human bioforms's survival. Even so, she performed a heavy scan using her own suit before deciding to store it in the devices around her wrists, hidden underneath white, heavy-duty gloves.

However, she noted with a little mental scowl, she had agreed to come to this dimension way quicker than she would normally do. She had been pondering this the moment these strangers politely presented her with the invitation, coordinates for the dimensional warp, and short description of the events to be held in this planet. Normally, she would have simply dismissed them as soon as the opportunity presented itself, but she didn't. It may have something to do with the fact they clearly showed they knew her, but they didn't act like people who knew her. They weren't surprised she was a woman beneath that golden and red armor of hers; they didn't shrunk in fear when she fixed her eyes and scanners on them. They didn't act like fans either, that was always a plus.

Or maybe, she finally realized she needed a change of pace.

Still, surrounded by so many bioforms, a huge portion of them unknown for her, kept her itching to released her suit from its stasis, if only to feel the safe comfort of the triggers against her right hand.

She dismissed the thought, though, as she made it in front of the scanning area; so far, no alarms had blared in the back of her mind, unlike in the Alimbic system.

"Shit…" she whispered to herself as she took one final look over the crowd behind her. Without a thought, a heavy, cybernetic glove formed around her right arm, starting from her elbow. She immediately reached behind for the plasma gun hanging from her hips, and steadied herself.

She fixed her eyes on that red ponytail hanging from the back of a metallic, camouflage green helmet until it disappeared into the scanners. She relaxed a moment, but turned with a start towards the man poking her back; the moment she had recognized Weavel armor, she had forgotten about the rest of the world, including the impatient line of bioforms behind her. She didn't bother with an apology as she jumped into the scanner, and a synthetic, androgynous voice announced the start of the scanning. Energy barriers rose at both sides of the booth, and a loud silence filled her senses.

"Chozo bio-metallic armament detected. Varia-suit in stand-by," the voice said, and her eyes widened in alarm. This thing had been able to detect her suit in its stasis?! Not even the Space Pirates could do that when she was using it! Not only that, this blasted machine was shouting her personal information for everybody to hear! "Samus Aran, Welcome to the Brawl!" Samus jaw went slack; wasn't this stupid machine already loud enough?!

But, a voice in the back of her head noted: she didn't remember hearing this voice before. She had been standing in front of the scanners for quite a while, and she didn't remember hearing "Welcome to the Brawl" or any name or other kind of information. Apparently these barriers served to protect the newcomer's privacy at some degree.

"Would you like an assistant during your stay?" the androgynous voice inquired. Samus simply shook her head no. She had read several times the several tutorials she had been given before coming to this dimension. "Please, place your palm in the-" Samus didn't let it finish as she placed her left hand over a scanner, reading her hand twice before a green huge covered its surface. "Enjoy your credits!" the synthetic voice said in a chirpy tone.

The corners of her lips curled up in an impish grin. She knew almost everything in this planet was free: food, rooms, clothes, ship repair, interdimensional travel to tourist planets, and even souvenirs. The only things she would need credits for were the prizes, and these credits were to be earned through her achievements in the several tournaments and random "Brawls" during her stay. Only Brawlers could enjoycredits.

"Enjoy your stay, miss," the voice said, lowering the shield, and allowing her entry to the rest of the planet.

"Yes, this doesn't look bad at all," Samus said to herself, taking in the vast sight in front of her. Green and copper intertwined, shaping a huge park filled with lush and massive trees, leading towards cabs, bio-metallic roads and several stores surrounding the arrival area; everything built as if it had naturally grown in such ways.

Samus felt another smile forming on her lips. I guess this is what would happen if the Chozo had developed a corporative mind.

She stretched her neck to look over the crows, trying to find trace of the former Space Pirate, and she found it. She narrowed her eyes, seeing Weavel taking a cab all for himself, heading towards one of the massive stadiums behind the parks.

Samus uncurled her fist, still encased in the auxiliary battle glove, and let out a sigh of relief. Weavel mustn't have recognized her out of her Chozo suit, or maybe he wasn't as paranoid as she was. She relaxed her shoulders and made her way into one of the parks, keeping note of how comfortable her hand felt incased in the bio-metallic gauntlet.

She looked up, losing herself in the sight of the maze of branches high above the ground. She was reminded of Tallon IV's merge of technology and nature, the way the Chozo had decided to live, and felt even more relaxed. This planet was looking better and better at the moment, maybe too good, but then she was reminded of the cyborg from her own dimension. It seemed there wasn't really a policy against letting the bad guys in. She knew Weavel had given up the Space Pirates, but that didn't mean her dislike for him was any lesser than his dislike for her.

She vigorously shook her head, trying to get the green armored freak out of her mind. She had come to this place for a reason: get away from her normal life, and she intended to enjoy this surreal experience as much as she could. Reaching behind her head, she pulled the black thong holding her hair, letting her golden locks cascade down her back; pocketing the black strip in her the back of her blue short shorts, she started to stroll into the park, just like any other normal person.

The place really started to grow in her. Despite the continuous flow of bioforms from the gateway, this place seemed to have been designed for people wanting a piece of rest. Funny, considering the whole premise behind the "Brawl". She went deeper into the park, simply taking in the different individuals enjoying the quiet atmosphere.

She lost track of time, simply leaning against a tree and letting the scenario go by. She only realized how late it was when she noticed how few persons were still around, and the slowly changing color on the sky. She detached herself from the tree, stretching out her body and idly noticing her armored arm. Yes, nothing like the feel of a trigger against your fingers.

She turned around, ready to take a cab and make her way towards the stadiums and begin her vacations when she noticed a lonely person walking in the same direction. For a moment Samus regretted not having her suit on, lacking its scanners to help her define the girl's race; still, she could easily tell it was a female, bipedal, probably human if you ignored the fact of the long, pointy ears, and fairly young at first look. Then again, first impressions could be misleading; she was a walking proof of that.

Samus studied the younger woman more carefully as they made their way back to the gateway; noting the fact the smaller woman was removing a tag from her tight fitting white jeans, Samus could easily imagine her buying the jeans and the rest of the outfit she was wearing. Making use of the free stores could well be the reason she was alone at this time.

The bounty hunter noted with slight disappointment the color of the blouse: a not too subtle shade of pink and white designs. Samus' lips twisted in a grimace, noting how "girly" the other female looked. Maybe this girl was just that, another girl, and a very feminine one…. Was that a tiara she was wearing?

She was about to pick up the pace, not having a reason to stall any longer, when she noticed a group of five males in the other girl's path. Maybe clones now that she took a moment to take a good look at them; bipedal, slightly reptilian features on them, a long tail trailing behind, and all of them identical to each other. The group oblivious to her eyes, focusing theirs on the small woman.

Samus' instincts immediately kicked in, and she took a defensive stance, recognizing the obvious signs of hunters approaching their prey. A young, blond girl. There was a brief pause on the group's part, maybe deciding if they could obtain something from the Human or not, but then they moved in. In a blink, the five circled around the young woman, effectively closing all escape routes and using a nearby tree as support.

Samus didn't even think it twice as she took a step ahead, grabbing the plasma gun from behind her hips, training her eyes on the back of the reptilians' heads. She could be a bounty hunter, and she worked for money, but Grey Bird had taught her to be the Defender; she wouldn't let this group of freaks do anything to the poor girl.

However, before she could take another step, time seemed to slow to a halt as one of the reptilians started to fall on his back. Blue eyes blinked in confusion, not realizing what had happened until she saw the other girl's face; eyes glaring daggers to the collapsing face, her hair wild at the sudden movement, and a fang trailed by green blood flying between the Human and reptile.

Finally, the body hit the floor, and time moved again, along with the younger blond. Samus' trained eyes saw a pink blur in front of the girl as punch after punch was delivered to another reptilian; Samus lost count of how many blows landed, but apparently were more than enough to send the male to the floor. Without stopping, the girl went low, sweeping out her leg at another man's clawed feet; as he was falling, the girl spun once again and sent him flying away with another well aimed kick to his chest.

Samus was about to warn the girl of one of the reptilians reaching into his clothes, pulling out a blaster, but the other girl was faster than her. Without slowing her rhythm, she jumped away, reaching under her blouse and then lashed out; the gunner dropped to the ground, holding tightly his hand. Needles? Samus thought, seeing five long, metallic needles piercing his hand, going through the blaster, and sticking out of the other side of the weapon.

The remaining reptile was about to reach for his own gun when the girl jumped after him. Time once again seemed to slow for Samus as she watched the smaller woman soar through the air, gracefully turning in the hair, her form fluid like water, and then she lashed out. The brutal roundhouse kick connected with the side of his head, slamming him against the tree a moment later, rendering him unconscious. In a flash, the girl spun around, and the gun of the previous reptile fell to the ground, or at least part of it did.

Samus looked on in awe at the short blade held in the other woman's hand. Roughly as long as her forearm's length, single edge, and shinning under the dying sun's light. The girl remained for a second in the end of her slash, arms crossed in front of her, blade held in her right hand for her attacker's eyes to see; with a swift motion, she twirled back her blade and placed it back, under her blouse where Samus could hear a click.

The tall woman blinked her azures, trying to remember how long the whole thing lasted. Seconds… she incredulously realized. This girl was fast, and that strength, her petite body didn't seem capable of all that damage…

"Princess!" somebody shouted to her far left and Samus turned to see two young men rushing in their direction. The taller one appeared to be the same race than the petite fighter, wearing black jeans and a green hoodie; his dirty blond hair bouncing as he ran behind the smaller boy. This one wearing a loose robe over black undershirt and shorts, and white wings on his back; wings that simply didn't made sense from a physiological point of view. Samus shook her head, reminding herself this was a multidimensional crossroad.

… Wait a second, Princess?

"Zel, you ok?" the blond boy inquired once they reached the petite girl.

"Princess, did these monsters harm you?" the smaller boy worriedly asked, bouncing around the girl probably looking for any kind of tale telling wound.

"Yes, don't worry boys,"Princess Zel calmly replied, brushing some of her long locks behind her right ear. "Everything is under control."

The taller boy gave her a wolfish grin, looking down at one of the reptiles in the process of crawling away. "A bit too much?"

"Maybe a bit," the princess replied with a sheepish smile.

"They still could have hurt you, Princess," the winged boy replied, truly worried for her.

"Pit, don't worry, everything was under control," Zel insisted, putting a hand over the brunette's shoulder. "She was ready to help me if I needed it."

It was about that time Samus realized they were at just a couple meters from her.

Discretely, she replaced her gun back in its holster and straightened up, self-conscious of the three pair of eyes on her. She was too used to be behind her visor, where other people weren't capable of noticing her eyes on them. Just how long this girl had been aware of her presence?

"Thank you."

"Nnh?" Samus' azure eyes blinked for a moment, not sure where that had come from.

"For keeping an eye on me," the petite blond elaborated, gently curtseying in front of the taller woman.

"Nnh," Samus simply nodded.

" Glad you were here," the taller boy gave her a smile, offering his left hand.

"Nnh," Samus simply nodded. The boy simply smiled, shrugging in defeat.

"Still, you shouldn't have let the Princess fight off the creatures on her own," Pit frowned, and Samus returned the frown.

"She was too fast," she couldn't help herself. She had intended to keep it to the minimum and leave as soon as possible. It… it just bothered her what thismidget was implying.

"You really think so?" the princess said in a surprised tone, blushing lightly at Samus words.

"Nnh," simply replied, forgetting to nod this time.

"See? I told you, you've have improved Zel," the taller boy said, nudging Zelda's side with his elbow.

"Link, is that the way you treat your princess?"

"It is, Pit," the princess replied, placing a delicate hand on the winged boy's shoulder. "And please, call me Zelda."

"But-."

"I use your name, it's only fair I get to be called by my own name. Don't you think so?" Zelda gently smiled and Pit sheepishly nodded.

"Sorry." Zelda simply smiled and then Samus straightened up, having Zelda's eyes back on her.

"May I inquire about your name?" the smaller blond said in a polite voice and Samus found it hard to reply with another grunt.

"Samus," she simply said, hoping they'd get the hint. By this moment, somebody should have already pointed out the fact she was freakishly tall; she was at least a full foot taller than this Link boy. It was unnerving the fact they seemed so okay with such tall woman. Maybe the alien name would give her a chance to break their weird behavior.

"Samus…" Zelda's voice trailed off, almost as if she tasted the sound of the name. "That name…" the bounty hunter smiled, sure she was going to say-

"Is kinda cute," Link thoughtfully said. Samus managed to keep her jaw from falling to the ground.

"Very," Pit agreed, thoughtfully nodding and crossing his arms. Samus felt the need to kick the two guys between the legs.

"I was going to say lovely, but cute does the trick too," Zelda replied and Samus deflated a little, her eye twitching subconsciously.

What's wrong with these three?

"Miss Samus," it was the midget this time and, with great effort, Samus managed to keep herself from growling, "Would you mind sharing a taxicab with us?"

Samus simply blinked.

"Or are you planning to walk your way to the stadiums? It is getting dark, and I wouldn't like something like happening again," Pit elaborated.

"Oh… I, well, I guess," she stumbled, not really sure what to answer.

"Cab then?" Link said.

"Or walking?" Zelda inquired.

Samus parted her lips, trying to get an answer out, but she only managed to point in Link's direction.

"Wonderful!" Zelda smiled, taking Samus gloved hand in hers. "Shall we?" she politely asked.

… What the hell…

One grunt and nod later, and the four were making their way back to the gateway.

Samus was trying to remember the last time something in the same level of weird had happened before. There was plenty reference material, but it just didn't quite match. It made her uncomfortable, yes, but in a good kind of way… if that made any sense.

By the time they were reaching the gateway, Samus shook her head.

It had been years, many years, when the people in her dimension wondered what was her, not who, but what. An alien, a cyborg, maybe a robot, but certainly not a woman. She had always managed to keep herself from punching a hole in anyone who brought the subject in front of her face.

She felt herself blush a faint shade of red; to think she'd be doing the same in a different dimension.

Pit, he no longer bothered her. From hyperactive midget, he shone in her eyes as somebody who cared truly and deeply for everybody, included a grunting, blond woman. She could see in his eyes a life of hardship, and the joy of helping people. Maybe a bit over the place, but she felt she could put up with him.

Link… she couldn't believe somebody so quiet could tell so much. The few things he had said the first time they met appeared to be more than his usual quota. What she thought was a cocky attitude, changed into a peaceful and serene one; almost as if nothing could bring him down, not even a quiet, blond woman. And yet, Samus could see his calloused hands, a work filled life, and something deep in his eyes, something that hurt and that he could only keep for himself.

Then there was Zelda… How wrong that first impression had been. A helpless little girl who kicked five tugs' butts with her own hands as if it were nothing, then finding out she was actually a princess… Were princesses supposed to act like that? Maybe they were from where Zelda and Link came…

"You three, come from different worlds?" it had been nagging Samus in the back of her mind. They seemed to know each other, but the winged boy acted just as surprised to the other two's friendship despite social status as Samus was.

Link simply nodded with a smile on his face. Typical, Samus thought.

"That's right. Link and I come from the same plane, it's the first time we have met," she added with a polite nod in Pit's direction. The younger boy nodded enthusiastically.

Is he trying to act like Link? Samus thought with an inner grin.

"Oh!" Zelda suddenly took a hand to her mouth, and the other three sharply turned in her direction. "Sorry," Zelda apologetically smiled, seeming to shrink a little.

Samus stared at the stretched hand in front of her.

"What?" she asked. For once trying to keep her confusion from sounding like a bark.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Samus Aran," Zelda politely said, lightly bowing her head, then she looked up with an embarrassed smile adorning her lips. "With everything that happened, I forgot to make the proper introductions, I'm very sorry."

It took a second for a smile to dance on Samus' lips. Taking the small hand into hers, she heartfelt said: "The pleasure is mine, Zelda."

Fin

End Notes:

Well, there you go. My crappy excuse of a fic! And now for the lame excuse of, excuse my poor engrish, not my first language, etc.. Well, I just hope you enjoyed it!

You may find some mistakes here, considering I haven't played Metroid Hunters or Kid Icarus, I really can't say it isn't my fault. Should have made some more research, but when inspiration roars, you better sit down and do as you're told, yep yep.

Other things were deliberately done, like Samus height. Officially, she's over 1,80 meters, roughly over 6 ft; the outfit she's wearing is from one of the bonus images in Metroid Zero Mission, one where she has a cybernetic gauntlet on her right hand, and is holding a blaster; her suit "vanishing" can be seen in all the Prime games, I think; Zelda kicking butt comes from lovely Sheik of course, mad speed and Needle Storm! She loves point and sharp things. And Link and Zelda decided to try something new besides their usual gear; variety is important, you know?

The "baddies" were just generic baddies… nothing relevant about them other than being nice meat punching bags. With lazor guns! They didn't get to use them, of course.

Now, for the readers that have been waiting for updates on my other stories, well, sorry! Gonna remove them, cuz they suck!

…. Yep, they do, badly. Don't worry thou, I'm planning a new and improved come back… some day.

And for all the Smash Bros readers: I have other ideas for more Smash fics, but I find myself with the little problem I have little knowledge about the characters, like obviously Pit. Falcon, Olimar, Ness, Lucas, Wario, Marth, Ike, Marth, Sonic, Kirby, Metaknight, the Kongs… damn, it's a long list. And I call myself a gamer, I know next to nothing about them. That sucks. Oh well, guess I'll have to lurk more in this section.

Neway, review if you like, review if you don't, review if I need a kick in the right direction, review if I need a kick to keep me on track. Nah, just kidding, just hope you enjoyed this random fic X3