"Hey, guys!" Link ran into the room, waving a piece of paper wildly. Zelda, Nabooru, and Impa looked up from their game of Old Maid to stare at the exuberant young man, his face beaming. The other four Sages ignored him, continuing their heated discussion about the best tunic.
"Green is natural. It reminds me of the trees in spring," Saria sighed happily.
"No way! Red, definitely." Darunia sat back smugly.
"Excuse me," Ruto said hotly. "Everyone knows blue is the best tunic. Besides," she added with a grin, "Link looks best in blue!"
Rauru observed the argument with detached interest. He debated whether to add his own opinion or not about a certain magenta-colored tunic he had come across the other day. Just as he was about to speak up, Navi interrupted.
"Hey!" The four looked up at the fairy in consternation.
"What?!" Ruto snapped.
"...Um... Link has something to say," Navi whispered, cowed by Ruto's blazing eyes. The four Sages turned to the hero, who was jumping up and down impatiently. When all eyes were upon him, Link paused to take a deep breath for effect.
"My Pen Pal is coming!" He waited expectantly. There was silence for several moments, then Zelda spoke.
"You have a Pen Pal?"
Navi was incredulous. "You can write?!"
Link glared at his fairy friend, then turned to Zelda. "You don't mind if he stays at the castle, do you?"
"Not at all!" Zelda was happy to see Link so cheerful. And social, for that matter. "When will he arrive?"
"Tomorrow."
"Well, then! We've got a lot to do! There's a welcome feast, and sleeping quarters. We have to notify the cooks, the maids, the castle guards, the stablehands, my father, the chiropractors..." her voice trailed off as she bustled out of the room with Saria and Ruto in tow.
"What about our game?" Nabooru cried after her.
"Doesn't matter," Impa sighed. "I got the Old Maid...again." Rauru tried unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter.
Link turned towards the door. "Well, I'm off to go prepare for my guest... This is going to be so much fun!" He took a step, then turned back. "And, by the way, red is the best." Darunia's laughter followed him out of the room.
Zelda awoke to the sound of a rhythmic banging coming from down the hall. "By the Goddesses, if that is Rauru doing jumping jacks again, I'll kill him," she muttered, glancing out the window as she got out of bed. It was still dark, probably only four o'clock in the morning. "That man...no people skills...honestly!" She put on a robe and headed down the hall to investigate. To her partial relief, it was not Rauru who was causing all the noise.
"Link...what...are...you...doing?!"
"Good morning, Princess!" Link put down his sword and swept across the room to kneel before her. He caught her hand and gave it a gentle kiss. Then he bounced right back up and began zipping around the room, picking things up for no particular reason, then putting them back down.
"Link..." Zelda's voice had definitely taken on a threatening tone. "Do you know what time it is?" He stopped and took a quick glance out of the window before responding.
"4:07:16 exactly!"
Zelda quickly got over her amusement. "And do you know how much noise you are making?!"
Link glanced out the window again, then turned back. "Um..."
"I AM TIRED! I just got to sleep an hour ago! Sit!" Link sat immediately. "Do something quiet! Here," she said, thrusting a box of crayons on him. "Color a picture for your Pen Pal!"
"Good idea!" Link exclaimed.
"Men!" she nearly screamed as she stormed out of the room.
"Green is natural. It reminds me of the trees in spring," Saria sighed happily.
"No way! Red, definitely." Darunia sat back smugly.
"Excuse me," Ruto said hotly. "Everyone knows blue is the best tunic. Besides," she added with a grin, "Link looks best in blue!"
Rauru observed the argument with detached interest. He debated whether to add his own opinion or not about a certain magenta-colored tunic he had come across the other day. Just as he was about to speak up, Navi interrupted.
"Hey!" The four looked up at the fairy in consternation.
"What?!" Ruto snapped.
"...Um... Link has something to say," Navi whispered, cowed by Ruto's blazing eyes. The four Sages turned to the hero, who was jumping up and down impatiently. When all eyes were upon him, Link paused to take a deep breath for effect.
"My Pen Pal is coming!" He waited expectantly. There was silence for several moments, then Zelda spoke.
"You have a Pen Pal?"
Navi was incredulous. "You can write?!"
Link glared at his fairy friend, then turned to Zelda. "You don't mind if he stays at the castle, do you?"
"Not at all!" Zelda was happy to see Link so cheerful. And social, for that matter. "When will he arrive?"
"Tomorrow."
"Well, then! We've got a lot to do! There's a welcome feast, and sleeping quarters. We have to notify the cooks, the maids, the castle guards, the stablehands, my father, the chiropractors..." her voice trailed off as she bustled out of the room with Saria and Ruto in tow.
"What about our game?" Nabooru cried after her.
"Doesn't matter," Impa sighed. "I got the Old Maid...again." Rauru tried unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter.
Link turned towards the door. "Well, I'm off to go prepare for my guest... This is going to be so much fun!" He took a step, then turned back. "And, by the way, red is the best." Darunia's laughter followed him out of the room.
Zelda awoke to the sound of a rhythmic banging coming from down the hall. "By the Goddesses, if that is Rauru doing jumping jacks again, I'll kill him," she muttered, glancing out the window as she got out of bed. It was still dark, probably only four o'clock in the morning. "That man...no people skills...honestly!" She put on a robe and headed down the hall to investigate. To her partial relief, it was not Rauru who was causing all the noise.
"Link...what...are...you...doing?!"
"Good morning, Princess!" Link put down his sword and swept across the room to kneel before her. He caught her hand and gave it a gentle kiss. Then he bounced right back up and began zipping around the room, picking things up for no particular reason, then putting them back down.
"Link..." Zelda's voice had definitely taken on a threatening tone. "Do you know what time it is?" He stopped and took a quick glance out of the window before responding.
"4:07:16 exactly!"
Zelda quickly got over her amusement. "And do you know how much noise you are making?!"
Link glanced out the window again, then turned back. "Um..."
"I AM TIRED! I just got to sleep an hour ago! Sit!" Link sat immediately. "Do something quiet! Here," she said, thrusting a box of crayons on him. "Color a picture for your Pen Pal!"
"Good idea!" Link exclaimed.
"Men!" she nearly screamed as she stormed out of the room.