Chapter 2
Violent winds beat relentlessly on the tall grasses in Hyrule Field underneath ominous gray clouds. The stone framed royal palace windows also gave view of the ominous crimson shadows of Death Mountain, as though the volcano threatened to erupt and blanket the whole region in searing lava. The Hylian Princess Zelda had also heard reports of monsters reappearing in places like Lake Hylia and Link's native Faron Province.
"This is bad, this is very, very bad." Princess Zelda was frantically pacing back and forth between the throne room hallway and her master bedroom. "I knew I should have gone with that bounty hunter to retrieve the Triforce of Power. It seems to corrupt everyone but me…"
"What WERE you thinking, anyway?" Stated Link from their bed, rather snobbishly. At that comment she came over and smacked him on the head with his own soupspoon. "Owwww," recoiled Link and he sank further down in bed.
"None of this mess would have happened in the first place if you hadn't taken that stupid bet at Telma's!" Snapped Princess Zelda. She was referring to the town tavern and the soup-eating contest that some smart-ass Gorons had spurned the heroic swordsman into accepting. The intoxicating soup's recipe called for wildflowers plucked in grassy areas. Nobody had bothered to tell Link that these particular flowers had been plucked from Kakariko's graveyard. He had been poisoned by a bacterium with a name impossibly difficult to pronounce. Thankfully, Zelda's imposing Sheikah handmaiden Impa knew the very bacterium and the remedy for it. Hence, the nasty soup Link was forced to consume and his quarantine to the master bedroom of the royal palace.
"We could have gone together and retrieved the Triforce of Power from Ganon. Instead it is light years away from Hyrule, with someone that cannot control its power, and no one around here has ever fathomed space travel." Zelda sulked down onto the oversized lavender chair facing her royal wardrobe.
"As a guard at some of the trade meetings in the past, I seem to remember hearing Earth's ambassador mention a part-time race driver and bounty hunter named Captain Falcon. Why don't you hire him," suggested Link.
"Well, I cannot go with him. Trade negotiations with Holodrum's Lynna City are occurring all this week and my attendance is expected," replied the Hylian princess. "Falcon could not go alone because he almost certainly could not escape the Triforce's corrupting power."
"Well, as holder of the Triforce of Courage, Power can't corrupt me either. I'll go." With that statement, Link leapt out of bed only to be confronted by his beloved.
"You will go right back to bed, mister," commanded Zelda sternly. "You know Impa told you to rest for at least a week. Too much activity will only relapse your illness."
"But I heal quick," muttered Link. His life partner just ignored him, staring at herself in her large jeweled mirror and trying hard to think of a solution. "Perhaps if we recruited a team to do most of the fighting and I just went along to transport the Triforce…"
"But which team could we get?" Asked the royal maiden of her reflection.
"Well, remember those flyers we received about an upcoming Smash Brothers tournament; the ones that you didn't spend more than two minutes considering? I spent some time looking them over and examining the list of competitors. There is a team based off Planet Corneria called Star Fox. Their leader is a young fox called Fox McCloud – never mind the irony – and he has four associates that fly with him," said Link.
Zelda frowned at herself. Something inside her soul gnawed at her mind, telling her that Hyrule's climate and weather would only get worse if the Triforce was not recovered. The Hylian monarch knew the Triforce represented an integral part of climate control. Still, she hated the idea of Link going on an adventure in his condition. After so many circumstances had kept them apart, Princess Zelda was finally able to be with her hero Link. And Hyrule's Royal Knights would be losing, albeit temporarily, their leader. She turned to face her Legendary Hero:
"I'll send for the Star Fox team immediately. You had better come back alive and sane."
Princess Zelda's controlled fury almost relapsed Link right there in bed. Though demure, she could be really bossy – and scary – when she wanted to be.