Chapter Thirty-Nine -

"What is it?" Zelda demanded.

"Ganon's troops... are about... two days from the castle. And they've started marching."

"What? I thought we had a week at least to get ready!" Zelda exclaimed.

"They're faster... than we expected. They've also got... reinforcements... from across the sea. Humans who're battle-trained."

"Ganon's gone too far this time. I can understand Gerudos and Moblins and Iron Knuckles and such, but people from other countries?" Link asked rhetorically.

"You did good," Zelda said to the scout. "Go on and rest."

The scout nodded. "Thank you, my liege." He bowed and left the castle.

Not wasting a moment, Zelda turned to one of the people who had came in when the scout had burst into the room. "I want a messenger found and sent to King Zora with this news. Also, dispatch a second one to Death Mountain."

"Got it."

"Good. I'll be in my room," Zelda replied, walking up the stairs.

The guard walked off. The others left only after Link shooed them away. After doing so, he turned around and walked up the stairs. Link climbed the staircase and stopped at the top. Thinking quickly, he took a right and found himself standing in front of a large door that he could recognize at sight - Zelda's bedroom door.

He knocked and, after hearing her shout for him to come in, opened the door. Link shut the door behind him and walked over to Zelda, who was standing at the window.

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

She sighed. "There's only a few days until Ganon slams into us. We're in no way ready for a war, let alone a siege, if it comes to that. Currently, you're our best fighter and our only experienced fighter to boot. This whole battle mostly rides on your shoulders, you know. And all the while I'm silently begging and pleading that you won't have to go out there against those odds and possibly get killed. I couldn't stand to lose you."

"You're worrying about this too much."

"How can I not? Every time I turn around, there's another reminder of the danger hanging over us. The world's creeping in and I'm helpless to stop it."

Zelda watched as Link turned around and walked over to the doors. With an audible click, Link fastened the lock on the door.

"Link, uh, why did you just lock the door?" Zelda asked as he turned back to her.

"We're alone now. Just me and you. Everything else is now behind the door. All those worries, those problems, they're all outside this room now. You're just Zelda now, not Queen Zelda, not in charge of protecting a country, not under threat of death, got it? I want you to just forget about all of these problems, even if for just a few hours. It'll be good for you."

Zelda smiled. "You know what? Sounds like a good plan."

"Well, I'd like to think so. So, Zelda, what would you like to do for the next few hours?"

"I don't know. Wanna try thinking up something good to talk about?"

"Might as well. Forgot to plan this far ahead."

Zelda laughed as she sat down on the couch. "Tell me if you think of anything."

Link nodded, taking a seat on a chair. "Same to you."

The two sat there, brainstorming ideas, yet, neither of them spoke. This silence went on for quite some time before Link finally spoke.

"Blegh."

Zelda laughed. "Well, blegh to you too."

They both laughed for a second or two before falling back into silence. Once again, several minutes passed by, but this time, it was Zelda who spoke.

"You want to know something weird?"

"Always," Link replied.

"Don't you find it strange that it hasn't rained since before my birthday?"

"Huh. You're right. I hadn't really thought about it, but that is pretty weird, especially in this season."

"We're about due for a rain," Zelda commented. Suddenly, as if on cue, a lightning bolt raced across the sky, bringing the thunder and pouring rain. They both went over to the window, watching the rain.

"Alright! Now, say 'Rupees should be falling from the sky!' Please! Say it!" Link begged.

Zelda laughed. "Rupees should be falling from the sky."

Link excitedly stuck his upper body out the window, bag in hand. As he waited for the downpour of Rupees, Zelda opened up her bag of Rupees and threw a red one at Link. It hit him in the center of his back, causing him to jerk up. He spun around and grabbed the Rupee, shoving it in his bag.

"Ha! Finders keepers!"

Zelda merely upended her bag onto the table, silver and orange Rupees glimmering brightly.

Link growled and put his bag down. "Yeah, well, that's from the coffers. I earned all of mine."

"Well, I get paid, so I sort of earn mine."

"Oh? How so?"

"You see, the people pay me to keep them safe and keep everything under control."

"Ah, I see. And what about the Picori?"

"Picori? Now you're making things up. I'll believe you about Subrosians, flying bears, talking monkeys, undead Ikana and even the occasional giant flying whale-like fish, but that just sounds made up."

"The Picori are real, just like all of the others. And for a matter of fact, there's supposedly Subrosians in Goron City now as it is."

"And what are these Picori?"

"The Picori, also called the Minish, are itsy-bitsy little people who run around everywhere hiding stuff. They're my current theory on why I can trim down large bushes and groups of grass and find bombs and Rupees."

"Ah. And if they're supposedly so tiny, why would I have to protect them? What could I protect them from? The occasional foot?"

Link laughed. "I don't know. Just a suggestion. And you know, if you keep making jokes at the expense of the Picori, I'll gather up a mini-Minish army and invade your room."

"Then I'd hire an army of feet to guard me."

"Oh, come on, the Minish wouldn't be stopped by feet! Together, they've taken down some of the largest and bizarre bugs I've ever seen. They're unstoppable!"

Zelda thought for a second then said, "Pesticide."

"Oh, that's a new low even for you!"

"You know I'm kidding, Link. I'd never dream of hurting your little pixie friends."

"Picori! And they're not always little, you know. Ezlo and Vaati weren't. Well, Ezlo was cursed into a hat and Vaati was evil."

"Vaati... That name sounds familiar."

"It should! I've had to beat him two or three times already!"

"Oh? So, tell me about these adventures of yours again."

Link walked over to where Zelda had sat down. "Well, it all started while I was staying with the town smith. He gave me a sword to take to the festival for the competition they were going to have. So, I headed down there, soon joined by Princess Zelda. This was, of course, not you, but one of the many princesses named Zelda. Either way, we were at the festival when..."

-----

"And so, with one final stroke from the Four Sword, the curse was lifted from the princess. I was rewarded, as usual, and with my tutelage under the smith brought to a close, I boarded a boat that Ezlo provided and sailed off to another adventure."

"Well, that sounded like quite an exciting adventure in itself. Shrinking and growing to stop a Minish gone mad," Zelda commented.

They were sitting on the couch, Zelda leaning slightly on Link. Link, who had drawn his sword to emphasize the 'final stroke' part, nimbly sheathed the sword with his left hand. Tossing the sheathed sword on the bed, Link returned back to the conversation. "Well, yeah, but it's not my favorite adventure. Not by a long shot."

"Oh?" Zelda asked, slightly surprised. "And which adventure of yours is your favorite?"

Link grinned. "One where I chased down the keys for a giant door, drew a sword from a sealed room, and fought the greatest evil in the world for the life of the most beautiful princess in the land."

"Oh? And how did that adventure end?" Zelda asked, already knowing the answer.

"I don't know. I'm still adventuring," Link responded, surprising Zelda. "However, I must say that love is an adventure that I'm quite fine with continuing."

Link turned to look into Zelda's radiant blue eyes. He knew that he could easily get lost in those eyes if he wasn't careful. Of course, he could care less, had she not looked away at that exact second.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked him as she glanced away.

"Of course. I always have, and I always will."

Zelda nodded and leaned on Link's chest. "Promise?"

"Every time," Link responded.

Zelda buried her head in Link as he slid his arms around her. Wrapped in Link's warm embrace, she dozed fast. Barely awake, she whispered, "Good night, fairy boy..."

"Good night, princess," Link returned, almost asleep himself. Yes, sleep was definitely contagious. Definitely... contagious...