The Storm

By gLiTcH mAsTeR

It was a dark and stormy night at North Palace. Princess Zelda lie awake nervously in her bed, she was deathly afraid of thunderstorms. Thunder roared and she shuddered, rain pelted the walls of the castle and lightning lit up the sky. Soon she decided that she couldn't sleep, and got up to get a glass of water. Zelda walked through the huge marble hallway to the kitchen, her bare feet cold at the touch of the mineral.

She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and turned on the faucet, filled it with water, and drank it. The thunder boomed again and Zelda jumped, dropping her glass to the floor. It shattered against the marble and glass scattered across the floor. She pressed a button on the side of the wall and she carefully made her way to the door knowing a maid would take care of it.

Zelda headed back to her room, shaken. On the way there she stopped outside a wooden door, she hesitated for a moment then slowly turned the brass doorknob. The door creaked open and she stepped inside. There was a boy with dark blond hair and a green hat lying asleep on the bed. She remembered that he had been so tired after his recent battle with Ganondorf that he didn't even bother to speak with anyone when he had returned from his quest that day or even join them at the celebratory feast, he just went strait to bed and apparently didn't even take off his green tunic, he had simply taken off his boots and went to sleep instantly. I probably shouldn't disturb him; he's had a rough day… She turned back to the door when the thunder clashed again. She ran to his bedside. "Link, Link, wake up…" He didn't stir. "Link, come on… wake up!!" "DON'T KILL ME MR. NEISON!! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE A WORLD CHAMPION KICKBOXER!!!" Link bolted upright and when his eyes opened it sounded like glass breaking, Zelda jumped back. "Woo…glad that was only a dream, Mr. Neilson is even scarier then Ganondorf, if they were to duel to the death then Mr. Neilson would definitely win … Hey Zelda, what're you doing here?" "I'm sorry I woke you but-" "No don't worry about that, I'm actually really thankful you woke me up before Mr. Neilson cracked my spine." "Oh, well good! But who the heck is Mr. Neilson?" "gLiTcH mAsTeR's science teacher." "Ok… and why are you so scared of him?" "Because the Cage Match Blood Brawl is this weekend and I'm nervous that I'll have to verse him, he is a world champion kick boxer, and my Master Sword is no match for his Super Ultra Neilson Kick." It thundered again and Zelda jumped onto the bed and landed next to Link. "Are you scared, Zelda?" Zelda shivered. "Maybe just a little... that's actually why I came in here in the first place, I was wandering if I could stay here with you tonight?" Link looked at her very tenderly. "Of course Zelda, it'll be nice to have some company, now let's get some sleep." Zelda climbed under the covers next to Link.

A while later the storm picked up and Link seen that Zelda was still awake and very tense. He scooted closer to her and put his arms around the terrified girl. She spun around nervously and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was only him. Link felt her body relax in his strong yet gentle embrace. "You startled me Link…" "Yeah well I thought you could use a little company, you must really be scared of these things huh?" "Yeah, but I feel so much better now…" She snuggled up against his green tunic and sighed. "Good night Zel" "Good night Link… and thank you…" and soon they were asleep.

A few hours later a siren sounded and Zelda awoke, she clutched Link tightly and buried her head in his tunic, but try as she might she couldn't shut out the hail and rain hammering the castle. Link awoke and felt Zelda clinging to him. He heard the storm bearing down on the castle, and suddenly he bolted out of his bed and grabbed Zelda followed by the Master Sword and his shield. "What's going on!!" Link clasped Zelda's hand and pulled her out of the room, down the long marble hallways, and to the door. "Zelda, listen to me, we're under a tornado warning, we've got to get to safety, just don't let go of my hand alright?" She nodded but Link could see that she was frightened. They ran out into the storm and rain and hail pelted them. Link led her to a bush near the far side of the courtyard and drew his sword. "What are you doing!!" "Saving our lives!!" "This'll take us strait to the dungeon, we'll be safe there!!" He cut down the bush with the sword and it revealed what looked like the entrance to a storm cellar, he began to pull on the handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Link look!!" Zelda pointed to an enormous funnel cloud in the distance, just visible through the barrage of precipitation and darkness, tearing through the kingdom. Link began to yank furiously on the door and it still wouldn't move. "Hurry Link!! It's getting closer!!" "I don't mean to freak you out or anything but I don't think it's going to open." "Then what are we going to do!!" "Come on!!" He took her hand again and this time they ran through the courtyard and hung onto one of the enchanted totem poles that the king had had installed in the nearby forest. "Whatever happens Zelda, don't let go!!" "I'm scared Link…" "I know, but trust me, everything will be ok." He reassured her. "Ok, hang on, here it comes!!" The tornado bore down on them, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.

Zelda hung on to the totem pole with a death grip, her heart was pounding and she could think nothing besides that that was the end. She heard a loud crash and heavy debris filled the air as metal clanged against the weakening totem pole. She winced as the hail and debris rammed against her, but soon she felt Link's fingers close around her hand. "Don't be scared Zelda, but the totem pole is weakening. We'll have to let go if we are to survive.

Soon the ferocious wind let up, and Zelda, whom was caked with dirt and full of scratches, let go of the totem pole and dived into Link's arms. He, caked with dirt and scratched as well, held her tightly. "Is…is it over?" Zelda asked and then shivered due to her soaking wet body and the bitter cold. "I think so." Suddenly a small voice spoke. "You guys need a place to stay? You can come and stay with me and the other Karaks back at the Deku Tree, you two must be freezing!!" They realized that the small voice belonged to one of the little tree people known as Karaks. The little six inch tall dude asked again, "So how about it?" "Sure, thank you." They said in unison, and the tree dude led them through the forest and to the Deku Tree.

They stopped in front of a huge tree that had the ability to talk, he was surrounded by a knee deep river. The tree man flew over using his magical tree juju. "Sorry but you're going to have to wade." They waded across without a word considering they probably couldn't be wetter, and they couldn't feel the sting of the icy water because they were numb anyway. The tree used his tree juju to make an opening appear in the Deku Tree. "You can stay in here, I'll be right back, go on in." They did so and stood at the entrance, surprised at how roomy it was in there. It was partially sticky in places and smelled of sap, but they got used to it and sat together at the back of the tree, relieved to be out of the storm.

When the Tree Dude returned he was carrying two steaming bowls of who knows what and some pillows and blankets, along with a bowl of what you and me would call crap, but what they would call dessert.

He sat the stuff on the floor of the tree and handed them the bowls of soup. "We don't really feel like dessert little Karak dude…" Link said staring at the stinky bowl of you-know-what. "Are you sure?" "Yes." The tree dude grabbed the poo and started out the door. "Suit yourself, oh and, call me Tony." When Tony left Link and Zelda spread the blankets across the floor so they wouldn't run into anymore sticky spots and then draped one over them. Then they turned to their wooden bowls with the light brown soup like substance inside. Link slurped some out of the bowl (he had to because trees don't use spoons) and swallowed it. "So how is it?" "It tastes kind of like hot sweet tea, with an occasional crunch because there's nuts in it, probably cashews." "Ok and what did you think?" Link nodded, "It's pretty good." Zelda tried it. "You're right this is good!" And they continued eating the soup.

When they finished they were lying together under their fuzzy red blanky nearly asleep. "Did you realize our clothes are dry, Link?" "No…" he admitted. "That soup must have had some sort of magic in it that did it." "yeah." There was a long silence. "Sounds like it really calmed down out there huh Zelda?" He noticed that she wasn't paying much attention to him and was staring off somewhere in the other direction. "You ok?" he shook her. "Huh? Oh, yeah." "You seem like something's bothering you." "I well, I really have to tell you something, but you have to promise not to laugh ok?" "I promise." "Well, over the years when you've saved me and all that, and you've always been there for me and believed in me, what you did tonight just makes me-" She pressed her lips against Link's and kissed him. Then, realizing what she had just done, turned bright red, got up, and walked to the other side of the tree. "Aren't you going to get some sleep Zelda?" "Wha- aren't you mad about what just happened?" "What happened? I'm not mad at all, just come here we're both going to need our strength tomorrow." "Uhh…ok." Zelda crawled back under the covers. "What's that over there?" Link gestured toward the door. "What where?" They both sat up. "That thing, over there!!" "Are you sure there's something 'because I don't see any-" Link pulled Zelda toward him and kissed her passionately. Zelda gasped. "Does this mean you-" "Yup, I love you." "I love you so much, Link!!"

Tony was sitting outside the tree in a lawn chair enjoying the rain and eating the poop dessert while listening to the entire conversation. "Well, looks like they've seen a happy ending, for know…anyone want some dessert!! … anyone? Ok suit yourself but you don't know what you're missing!! THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!

THE END