Chapter 4
-o-
Take a Seat
It was early morning and Zelda took another sip of tea from the pink porcelain cup while she looked around Peach's room. It was a wonderland of pink; The walls, the light curtains that hung down to the floor, the flowers, the flowerpots and the many pillows in different shades, shapes and sizes on the huge round bed. The color was everywhere. The fluffy bedspread Zelda was sitting on was no exception.
"I hope you do not mind that the room is a little messy. I have not got everything in order yet but I could not wait to invite you," Peach said and scuffled to the edge of her desk chair she had turned around.
"I cannot even begin to imagine what the final result will be like."
"Oh, I have everything planned," Peach jumped at the subject. "I wanted to do more last night but Toad was absolutely exhausted."
Zelda stopped her hand from closing the last distance between the cup and her lips when Peach waved her teaspoon at something the Hylian had mistaken for a plush toy. Now she saw that it was a small person snuffing quietly. One who looked very much like a mushroom. His head was crowned with a round mushroom hat sporting bright red spots and his puffy white pants strongly resembled the foot of a mushroom.
"O-oh?" Zelda said.
"Yes, he loves to help, like most Toads," Peach said and drew a sigh while Zelda tried to figure out if Toad was a name or a specie, and whether they had anything to do with actual toads? "He just pushes himself too hard. You know, he's sort of supposed to look after me and I think he feels bad that I'm always getting, well, kidnapped and so I guess it makes him feel better if I let him help out. He's too precious."
As rude as it might be to say, it was no wonder Peach got kidnapped if that tiny fellow was her bodyguard. He looked like anything but one. Actually, he looked kind of cuddly.
Toad stayed asleep while an hour of tea-drinking and friendly chitchat flew by. Zelda glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and just as she noted to herself that Link should be up three quick knocks interrupted their conversation and the Hylian hero himself entered.
"Mario was right. You were here," he said, eyes on Zelda when Peach rose from her chair and crossed her arms.
"I'm happy you knocked but it would be nice if you could wait for a 'come in.' What if I had been changing?"
Link was about to say something, like that he had no interest in peeping, that it would be a strange time to get dressed or that that was just why he did knock, but thought better of it and walked over to Zelda instead.
"Weeell?" Peach said, refusing to have a back being turned on her be the single response she received.
"Sorry," Link muttered and turned back to Zelda. He inhaled and found himself drawing out the breath until his lungs could take it no more. Wonderful. He was usually full of confidence but one look from Zelda, even and encouraging "oh, I am so interested in what you have to say" look, and he could not get the words to come out like they normally did. If he could have left the room, to start off better, it would have been great but he would look like an even bigger idiot. As long as he said something it should be fine. It was not that big of a thing he had come for so what did he have to be afraid of?
By the time Link finished that thought he noticed that the distance between himself and Zelda had increased notably. His first instinctual thought was that maybe the goddesses had granted his wish to escape the room but then he felt that someone was pulling at his tunic around his neck area. The next thing he knew the door was shut in his face.
Peach dusted off her palms and scowled at the white door with her back turned to Zelda. "Honestly, Zelda…" She did not get further because the door slammed open and hit her smack dab in the face. Peach slammed her hands over her sore nose and moaned into her palms when Link strode back inside. She glared at the green blurriness behind the tears she fought so intensively her eyes burned with pain.
"Z-Zelda, I wanted to ask you..." Link said, going on pure will to compensate for confidence.
"Out!" Peach cut him short and pointed at the door with a trembling hand and her nose like a glowing red strawberry in the middle of her face. The tears were overflowing and the fact that she failed to hold them back seemed to only add to them. Both Hylians flinched.
"OUT PLEASE!" Peach yelled and made Toad roll over in his sleep. Link shifted his weight from his left foot to his right. No matter what he thought of Peach he did not want to make her cry – and what was she crying about in the first place? He was afraid she would get hysterical if he so moved an inch or clicked his tongue but it did not feel right to walk away without saying anything.
It was down to Zelda to do something. She walked over to Peach and took out a handkerchief.
"Calm down," she said and held it out. Peach shrunk and pouted pitifully at it while she wiped her tears with her hand but after eyeing Zelda for a while she accepted it.
"Now," Peach said while dabbing her eyes. "Will you be so kind as to leave my room, please?"
Link looked no less uncomfortable than before and scratched the back of his head.
"Uhm, why'd you start crying?" he mumbled with his head lowered. This did not seem to make Peach feel any better. Quite the opposite. She squeezed the handkerchief as her eyes flared with relit anger. After he had completely disrespected and neglected her wants in her own room, forced his way in and the damage he had caused to her nose stared him in the face like a warning light he asked why she was crying? Why. She. Was. Crying?
"Link," Zelda said and shook her head at him while she put her arms on Peach's shoulders. That instantly killed the hero's feelings of sympathy. He tried to be nice and this was what he got in return?
"I just don't get girls like you," he scoffed. "You get to smash somebody else's skull in with a frying pan like it's deserved it but you, you cry over nothing."
"We'll leave now," Zelda said and there was no need to add 'period' to that. She gave Peach's shoulders a squeeze and marched over to Link who was staring sullenly at the floor. With a small push of her palm she made him turn around and walk with her out of the room. Peach stared like an abandoned puppy at the other princess's back disappearing behind the closing door.
"What's with her?" Link asked Zelda when they stood in the corridor. It was no laughing matter, he knew that, but for some reason a dry laugh followed his question.
"I know you meant well but that last part was unnecessary."
"I don't get what you mean," Link said and looked up at the ceiling to avoid her penetrating eyes.
"What did that have to do with anything? What else could it do than making her sadder?" Zelda began.
"Well, it was all true."
Zelda put a finger to her forehead as if she was making herself ready for a long explanation but to Link's surprise she did not lecture him.
"What did you want?" she asked instead.
He opened his mouth to speak but no words came. There was no describing how frustrating it was. The hall seemed cramped and warm all of a sudden but he had to try and push that out of his mind. All he wanted was to ask if she wanted to come with him to the garden. He needed to go outside, get out of this house and get some fresh air. He wanted to lean back against the rough corky trunk of a tree and listen to the quiet rustle of leaves with his eyes closed. It would be nice if she was there next to him.
"Is it important?" she asked.
"Yes," he said forcefully but quickly changed to a more humble approach. "I mean no. No."
"No? Well, what is it?"
Geez, not questions when he was already busy trying to lead the conversation in the right direction. Now he had to try and figure out what she wanted with it. He should have gone with that yes. It would have been a lot easier working with that – and he would not have looked like a boggling wuss if he had stuck with it. He might already be going down the slope. He had not exactly had any big expectations about inviting her to go with him but making himself out to be a fool was not how he had imagined things.
"Forget it. It really wasn't important," he mumbled. Better playing it safe, he thought and smiled weakly. Zelda returned it with her head cocked to the side.
"Since you're here would you like to join me for a stroll? I've been wanting to have a look at the garden as I haven't seen it yet. Unless you're busy, of course, but I thought it would be nice if we could find some time alone. There have been a lot of new faces since yesterday and I think I need to catch my breath."
At first Link could not get the words out. Mind-reading wonderful woman. He held his arm out for her in what was a striking imitation of most noblemen he had witnessed escorting a lady. Only he lacked that important air of haughtiness. Zelda responded with a most royal nod when she took a hold of his arm.
"It would be my pleasure. Princess."
"Sir."
Young Link sunk deeper into the living room couch with a real monster yawn. There had to be someone he could play with or maybe he should go outside? It was nice weather. He pushed his head over the armrest and what did he see if not Zelda and himself – his older self to be exact – on their way over to the double glass doors leading to the garden.
The boy got up like a shot and scuttled after them. He glided out the door, crawled along the ground and peeked up behind a couple of bushes as green as his tunic. The pair was sitting on a bench and Zelda's attention was on two lemon yellow butterflies. Link gulped as he held his eyes transfixed on her right hand.
Zelda had spotted a bird while Link, with a set expression, tried to grab her hand for the eleventh time.
Young Link had a splendid grimace of disgust on his face. Maybe there was something to that old saying that some things you are better of now knowing? He had grown up to be the most pathetic thing he had ever seen. He could not even recognize himself. With his head hanging he snuck back inside.
"Zelda and I hold hands all the time. Sure, it's mostly she holding my hand but what's the big deal? It's not embarrassing when we're alone. At this rate we'll grow apart and she'll go away. I don't want that."
"You, I heard and saw it all. I might be able to help you," a dark voice cut into Young Link's monologue. "Take this."
The boy turned around and found what was obviously Bowser wrapped in a blanket supposed to serve as a cloak. Between his claws he was holding a book with big glossy letters.
"What's that?"
"Just a little something I'd like to call 101 Ways to Make Her Fall for You."
Young Link raised and eyebrow.
"I'll read the back for you then," Bowser said and cleared his throat. "Tired of being dumped? Tired of being answered by giggles when you make your move? Tired of Mr. Popular stealing your future wife? Or maybe you just want your tongue to untie itself? Then this is the book for you. Dr. Robert Stewart has listed not 100 but 101 charming to-die-for lines guaranteeing that any girl falls head over heels in love with you. You will see that your popularity increases along with you confidence when you use this book. See it as a well lit road leading to your new happy future…" Bowser trailed off and glanced down at Link. "Do you want me to read the reviews? They're right here below and they're all real positive."
"No thanks, I'm already convinced. You're really giving it to me? It's just what I need!"
Bowser happily handed it over to Link who held it as though it were a relic.
"Th-thanks," he said and Bowser grinned mischievously to himself when the boy disappeared up the stairs with the book still in a tight grip.
"Now that boy will be trained into an irresistible ladykiller and I'll win that bet."
"Cheating, are we, Bowser?"
Bowser made a small jump and the floor vibrated when his feet hit the ground. "Ganondorf?" he said when he turned to face, indeed, the Gerudo king, Ganondorf.
"I'm not the great awesome King Bowser. I'm, uh..." Bowser said and threw the blanket over the lower half of his face.
"Cold?" Ganondorf filled in the end of his sentence with a smirk. "If you're done playing I will be taking my money now."
"We didn't say a thing about no helping and our bet is about the grownups. The little one's not involved, and besides I just tipped him off about a good book. Nuthin' else," Bowser snorted and two puffs of hot air left his nostrils.
"I see," Ganondorf said, his lips ever curled into a mocking smirk. "You read?"
Bowser tossed his head to the side and his eyes happened to land on Peach sighing deeply when she came walking down the stairs.
"Sometimes. Depends on what they're 'bout," the Koopa mumbled. Peach was walking closer and the same moment she passed them Bowser jumped back to his usual blown up posture and grinned, with the blanket still hanging over his head. "But good books are good. Yeah, I think we need more books in the Mushroom Kingdom. Yup, I've got plenty of good ideas but I'm never invited to any important meetings."
Peach giggled but she did not even have the time to suppress it before tiredness – or whatever it was keeping her in low spirits – took over.
"Not now, Bowser," she said.
"Waddya mean?" Bowser bellowed and made Peach stop. "I was just telling Gandorf..."
"Ganondorf," Ganondorf interjected.
"Gannondodoff that I'd make a mighty fine king of the Mushroom Kingdom. I can't help if you're eavesdropping. It's not polite, y'know."
"Please, Bowser," she said with a sympathetic smile. "I've told you off nicely years ago. Don't force me to be hard on you."
"It's got nuthin' to do with you," Bowser insisted just as Mario showed up to join their small group
"Hiya, Peachie. I haven't-a seen you today."
"Mario!" Peach squealed, her bad mood blown away, and bounced closer to grab his hand. "Did you miss me?"
"Mmm," the plumber said and shrugged. "The postman just arrived with-a package for you."
"Oh? Where is it?"
"Over here-a," Mario said and walked away hand-in-hand with the princess. "Bowser didn't-a bother you, did he?"
"No, no."
Bowser mouthed the same beginning of the same word (meaning the letter "P") at the empty spot in front of him until his eyes narrowed and he snorted angrily. "That stinkin' plumber left the package over there to lure her away on purpose."
"You are pathetic," Ganondorf said.
Before Bowser could roar out a "WHAT?" a short boy in a red cap and T-shirt with red stripes ran into them.
"Sorry 'bout that," he blurted quickly and disappeared as fast as he had showed up. He was taking the stairs two steps at a time in the same hurry and failed to notice that someone was on the way down.
"Sorry," the boy blurted out after a painful tumbling fall down the stairs and had a quick look at the groaning person in front of him. It was another young boy, with blond hair, big blue eyes and most remarkably long, pointy ears.
"It's fine, I guess," the blue-eyed boy said and removed the book he had been reading from the top of his head to rub his aching skull. "I wasn't watching where I was going. What were you in such a hurry about?"
"I heard there were computers in the house and wanted to check them out. Wanna come?"
"Okay... I'm Link," Young Link said and got to his feet. He was quite a bit taller than the other boy but there could not be that much of a difference between their ages.
"I'm Ness, you coming?" Ness said, already halfway up the stairs. Young Link shrugged and followed.
To tell the truth, Link had no idea what this kompjuteer thing was but once he stood before it he could do nothing but gawk at it. It was amazing. It did look like a simple weird box but it had some sort of shiny black square in the front. It looked like a big hole but when he touched it his finger hit a smooth solid surface.
"Oooh," Young Link said in awe.
"Don't touch the screen," Ness told him while pressing the power button. Young Link made a small jump when the screen lit up.
"Magical," he said, all but pressing his nose to it. "What does it do?"
Now it was Ness' turn to stare, but at Link and not the kompjuteer. His eyes moved down the Hylian's attire; the green tunic, the shield and sword hanging on his back, the boots, not to mention the long hat. "I see," Ness said. "You're not really used to modern stuff, are you?"
When Link did not reply Ness smacked his lips.
"Okay, Link, this is a computer. You can do a lot of things with a computer like playing games, reading or talking to friends, and that's not even the start of it."
"Why just not talk normally?"
"Nah, you can… write to people who are far away and they can get the message right away and write back."
Link listened like a child would to its first bedtime story and both boys leaned over the keyboard.
"I'll show you," Ness said.
Peach was sitting on her bed with Mario next to her and holding her arms out for Toad who was wiggling over with a box.
"Finally my new laptop is here."
She happily accepted the package and Toad watched her turning it and peeling at the tape with his eyebrows pulled together.
"Princess Peach, aren't there already computers here?"
The same moment she picked up the lacquered light-weight technical wonder and proudly held it up in front of her.
"It-a suits you," Mario said after having had one look at it and its bright pink color.
"It is actually a gift and it wouldn't be very nice of me to return it. They named the corporation "Peach" after me – see the Peach symbol? I think it can be of good use to have my own laptop. I've already got a couple of new friends to add for instant messaging."
"No-a weird people?" Mario said.
"Goodness no. Just people in the house. Let's see if anyone's online right now." And with that she flipped the laptop open and Mario shuffled closer.
Ness had just finished giving Link his first email account. "I've already got a few addresses from the people here and I've got others from home too so I copied a few for you. Maybe someone's online so we can try it out."
As if on cue a message appeared on the screen with a chiming sound.
Pink Princess3 has logged in
"I don't know who that is," Ness mumbled to himself. "Has got to be one of the new ones."
"IT HAS GOT TO BE ZELDA!" Young Link shouted and threw himself over the keyboard. "How's it working? What do I do? How can I talk to her?"
"Just type something," Ness said and peered at Link who was reading his book feverishly while sometimes yelling "hello" at the screen or banging on the keyboard.
"What kind of book is that?" Ness asked once the Hylian had at lest given up on the keyboard and leaned over.
"It's full of things girls like," Link replied in an enigmatic voice and a quick look to the side.
"Do girls really like this?" Ness said, skimming over Link's shoulder.
"I don't know what it all means but I better try it," Link admitted.
"Girls do say weird things," Ness agreed. "How about this line? It sounds sort of like a greeting even though I don't know what pants has got anything to do with being happy to see someone."
"Pink Princess?" Mario said, an amused smile on his face when he raised his dark eyebrows at Peach.
"I know it's not very imaginative but everyone should know it's me at least," Peach said and pulled her shoulders up as she blushed.
A small chime announced that a message box had appeared and the princess flew at the screen fast as if by reflex. Her eyes were already moving along the text but for each new line there was a change in her expression. Her eyebrows sunk and were scrunched together in a frown. Her head fell with a clunky motion as her lips parted. A blush spread over her face until she looked like a reddish. She slowly turned away so that Mario, who was trying to see past her shoulder, would not get the smallest glimpse and her own eyes moved to the username Hero of Time. She knew the braggart who walked around flaunting that fancy title. She had heard it from Zelda.
"That…" she hissed and Mario drew back when she raised a hand clutching her old frying pan. In less than three seconds the princess had swished out the room.
Link closed the glass door behind him and seized the opportunity to hang with his head as the Hylian princess had already gone ahead. Holding hands was too weird of an initiative after all. Right then Peach made a jump over the white railing off the second floor and landed graciously, if yet still furious, on the floor below. Her gaze zoomed in on Link who could already guess what was about to happen before she began to sprint towards him with her frying pan raised. The one problem was that he was frozen stiff.
"You pervert!" she shrieked and the horrid object collided with his head like piano in an old cartoon film. She repeated with each blow of the tool of doom to his poor skull, which was quite a fair amount of blows.
Zelda was standing in her room frowning at a certain piece of clothing that had slipped her mind. She was holding up Marth's midnight blue cape folded into a neat square and resolutely pressed it to her chest when she swirled around. How could she have forgotten? And did she even know which room was his, she thought to herself when rushing down the hall. She lifted her gaze when she rounded the corner to walk up the second flight of stairs and clutched the cape tighter in shock when she nearly slammed straight into the prince himself. For a second he seemed surprised but it passed quickly and he was about to sweep by her when she forced out an, "uhm," and he threw a look over his shoulder.
"Prince Marth," Zelda said with more force and swallowed so that her voice would not be lost a second time as she handed it to him. "I wanted to return this to you. Thank you for letting me borrow it. It was most kind of you."
Without replying he worked with quick and accustomed hands when he wrapped the cape around his shoulders and fastened it with the red jewel brooch. "It is what any gentleman would do, Princess."
It always felt strange hearing the title out of somebody else's mouth other than Link's. For a moment she could not reply.
"There you are," Roy interrupted, popping up as if from nowhere, and gave Marth's shoulder a slap. "I was wondering what took you so long and if you'd decided to bail out and hide in that mouldering room of yours again." He threw a quick glance at Zelda. "But I can see that 's not the case." His humble tone of voice contrasted greatly to his mischievous smile. Marth made a quick turn away from Zelda to face Roy instead. Although the motion was aggressive he could not have been angry because the red-headed lord grinned unaffectedly.
"You found your cape," he said enthusiastically.
"Goodbye," Marth said, which Zelda assumed was directed at her alone, even though the prince did not grant either of them as much as a glance before walking away. Partly due to his tone, partly due to Roy's smile, again mischievous, aimed at her before he nodded and hurried to catch up with Marth.
Peach tapped a spoon against the wine glass she had fetched especially for this gathering she had organized. The two long rows of Smashers that went down the table fell silent and it was quite a comfort to have Mario at the other end whenever she lifted her gaze.
"Well, we've all met an introduced ourselves but we haven't really had any activities to get to know each other. Most people went out to restaurants yesterday – even though it is quite far to town – and I thought it would be nice if we could have dinner all together."
"Sorry, but I won't be sticking around," a blue birdlike creature sitting next to Fox said. "There's no way I'm eating here ever again."
Peach blinked and waited for an explanation but when there came none she spoke herself. "Why is that?"
"Not if he's cooking again," Falco, the blue bird, said and pointed accusingly at a short, black figure, flat as a paper with a big nose that could very well match Mario's. "It was like trying to eat rocks. He burnt everything."
There were quite a few nods from other people and the little flat guy kept turning as if wanting to become invisible – which he did from the right angle..
"It was very kind of him to offer," Peach said and smiled. "How about me cooking this time?."
Obviously that minor fact was not enough to convince Falco to stay.
"She's a terrific cook-a," Mario cut in.
"Can't all the girls cook?" Fox suggested, standing up when he raised his hand. Samus immediately shook her head.
You won't have to cook," Captain Falcon said and felt Samus's sour look drill through both their visors.
"I figured," Peach began and tapped the glass again. "That we could change make a schedule and everyone can get to cook."
"He can't cook," Falco yelled and pointed at the paper thin guy named Mr. Game & Watch.
"I'm sorry to have to say this but I've had enough of your frying pan," Link told Peach. "I'll be eating out tonight."
"I hope you won't change your mind because I will not make enough for you," Peach snapped.
"I guess that settles it," Ganondorf said. "Peach will cook, everyone will stay here and Link won't get any food."
A shaking hand was raised. "Uhm… Will I not get any food either?" Young Link asked timidly and Peach bit her lip..
"Of course it doesn't include you. I couldn't leave a child to starve," she said while the grown Link was staring at her with his mouth hanging open.
"While we're here," Peach said. "We're kind of many so I think it would be for the best if we all had our own seat."
People began to yell and blabber so that no words could be made out through all the noise. "Silence!" Peach cried and everyone, except for Ganondorf who kept complaining loudly, turned their attention back to her. Peach tapped her fingers on the table while glaring at Ganondorf. When he finally fell silent she smiled. "I thought that we could decide about the seats now so that we won't risk the food getting cold later. Everybody rise, please." Everyone did, except Ganondorf, but after receiving quite a few glares the King of Gerudos slowly rose from his chair too.
"Now," Peach said and clasped her hand together, "find your seats."
While everyone else threw themselves over the table or leaped for a chair or ran as fast as they could Peach sat down in the seat she had taken from the beginning and waved at Mario who had done the same. Marth had thought to do the same thing but his chair was hogged by a demonic pink creature. He backed away, finding himself standing on the outside together with Zelda. Samus had run away from her seat next to Captain Falcon as fast as she could and was now involved in a fight with Ganondorf and Mario's brother Luigi. The plumber, dressed in green and slightly taller and more slender than his well-known brother, was soon forced to give up the fight after Samus's beam gun had sent him sliding along the floor.
Marth was in an even worse mood than usual – and he was not usually the perky kind. Roy, the one person he could stand sitting next to, had already taken the seat on Peach's right side and the chair to his own right was being occupied by the small yellow Pokémon Pikachu, and next to Pikachu sat the even smaller Pichu. Opposite of Pichu, Samus had taken a seat and on her left Zelda was about to sit down. Marth's pulled up shoulders fell. That was a seat he could consider taking. There was not much to think about. He went for the chair with long determined strides, keeping his gaze locked on it. He reached out and his hand touched the smooth wood. He was about to take a relieved breath when he noticed that someone else's hand also was on the back of the chair. Link and Marth both looked up at the same time.
"I was here first," Link said and pulled the chair to him. Marth let it go but glided onto the chair without the word.
"Didn't you hear me?" Link said and leaned over the prince who stubbornly remained where he was. The Hylian kept his intensively blue eyes on the other man's unbudging profile but if Marth would not even look at him it was safe to say he had no intention of giving up on the chair. Well, neither had Link. He shoved Marth to the side and sat down on the edge of the seat.
"Move it," Link tried again, now pushing with all his weight to get Marth off the chair but Marth hung on as if glued to it. Realizing that it was no use Link drew the Master Sword from its sheath hanging on his back, and, even though it was an awkward position, pointed it at Marth.
"I will only say it once."
Marth's gaze hit him like hailstones and the prince prepared to draw his own sword when Zelda interrupted.
"There are two empty chairs left two seats away, can't you sit there, Link? Marth did take the chair first."
"I reached it first," Link argued, cheeks flushing, as he stared at Zelda. Shifting his gaze back to Marth with a furious expression, everyone else, who had by now calmed down and found a seat, watched them while holding their breath. Meanwhile Marth was busy with a private dilemma. He could not remember when he last had felt like this but he had to make an effort not to smile. He wanted to give that blond pointy-eared neanderthal a big wide smirk.
"Link?" Zelda said and appeared to be the only one oblivious of the tension hanging over the room like a dark cloud. To everybody's great surprise Link took a deep breath and got up. Rather impolitely he then forced Samus out of her chair. She did not put up much of a fight though and simply moved over to the empty chair next to her old one. Zelda glanced at her but Samus merely made a lazy wave as if to say that she did not care. The princess moved over to Link who was meanwhile sitting with a rather insulted expression to her right.
"Does everyone have a seat?" Peach said. "Now there's no turning back. These are your…"
"What about the one next to you?" Roy cut in and pointed at the empty chair opposite of him to Peach's left.
"There's a seat over there? Great! I had to pass on this one," Captain Falcon said from the other side of the table and hurried over. Samus's helmet was as usual hiding her face but she still looked as if struck by lightning when Captain Falcon sat down next to her. However, the famous racer did not try to converse with her but instead waited for Peach to go on with the meeting. Peach looked around to see if everyone was listening and gave an approving smile at the attentive response.
"Then I guess this is how it'll be from now on. I got nothing more to say so remember which seat is yours and be back around 2 o'clock for lunch."
The chairs' legs scraped against the floor when several people hurried back to their activities. Link glared at Marth swishing out of the room when someone pulled at his shield.
"You're not angry, are you?" Zelda asked. Link averted his eyes when he turned around and tapped his foot when he inhaled. Could he put this into words?
"Why'd you pick his side?" he asked and looked her straight in the eyes.
"It looked like a fight would start."
Here's some news for you princess. The fight was already on.
"You always get along well with other people, Link. It's common courtesy to give up your seat. Truth to be told there was no way to tell which on of you got there first and if I were to get involved I would much rather tell that to you, who are close to me, than a stranger."
Link did not say anything.
"I'm glad you got a seat next to me in the end though," Zelda added and Link's face immediately lit up.
"I figured you'd feel better if I were there since I'm the only one you already know pretty well."
Link took a step closer to her but the very same moment Peach showed up and squeezed herself in-between them, pushing Link to the side to get some space. He stumbled back glaring fiercely at her.
"Zelda," Peach said with her usual enthusiasm, "I could use some help in the kitchen. I bet it's a good opportunity to get to know each other better and I thought it was a fun idea to gather the girls."
"You should," Link said and put aside his annoyance to give Zelda an encouraging smile, which instantly vanished when Peach pouted at him in a way that seemed to say, "butt out."
"I'm leaving," Link muttered.
"Zelda, I hope you know it's not good to let people hang around because it's hard to turn them down," Peach said, staring after the Hylian hero. "That guy, he's always so... angry. Haven't you noticed how he's always glaring at me and being curt when I'm close to you?"
"To his defense I must say that although he can be hot-tempered, stubborn, overly confident, childish..." Peach had a nervous laugh on the tip of her tongue before she became aware that Zelda spoke as if she was counting good traits. "...he is so for a reason and knows not to bring it too far. He has a very low tolerance for injustice, but because of this he also has to put up with a lot of things and considering what he's been through... It is purely out of respect for you that he is holding back."
Peach cringed. "Is it such a good thing that he has to hold back then?" she mumbled.
"Well, sometimes I think that he can be a bit too lenient simply because the other party is a woman," Zelda said and Peach nodded, convinced Zelda was hinting at Link's problematic pervertedness. So she was aware of that?
"Speaking of women," Peach said. "How about you ask Jigglypuff – its the round pink Pokémon with catlike ears and cute hair-curl – and I'll ask Nana the little Eskimo girl if they want to cook with us?"
Zelda nodded. She guessed that it was up to her to ask Samus too.
Oh my, I received surprisingly lots of nice reviews. Thank you. I better move on to bring up a few things that some of you touched upon:
I know about Sheeda but I am having enough characters to worry about as it is without bringing in people from outside the game – even if it has to do with Marth's backstory. I like when writers take that into account but in this case it feels like it would do more harm than good. Captain Falcon is not going to be an idiot or a perv (maybe a bit thick-headed at times but everyone will have those kinds of moments). Fox on the other hand will, which is too bad since I've become really fond of him after playing Star Fox Adventures, not to mention a Fox/Krystal fan. Believe it or not, Marth's coldness is also for the sake of the story (although I honestly think one can interpret his personality somewhat like this if one squints) and Roy's personality is to give a bit of contrast. Why would Marth with his personality do anything if not someone like Roy makes him?
The main point of Marth being cold has to do with the dynamic of the LinkZeldaMarth-triangle. Zelda and Marth will find an understanding that their relationship will be mostly based upon. So which will it be? Soulmate or friendship growing into something more?
And I will add some romance between Roy and Peach too, for those of you wondering, but mostly it'll be Mario/Peach.