Here's mine. 221 words.
Blue
Her eyes were blue.
It sounded like a stupid thing to say, really, because of course her eyes were blue. Anyone could see that. They were the most striking feature in her face --among her other striking features, like that waist and those legs and that fair skin and by the gods, that tempting heart-shaped pink mouth-- and poets near and far did not hesitate, when tales of heroic ventures were slow in coming, to describe her beautiful blue eyes.
But he knew her eyes better than any other.
When she lay, sated, tired but happy, her eyes were the deep blue of Lake Hylia’s depths; when her anger caught, they flared like the sharp glint of light on a ripple before the wave broke; when she was sad, they were the soft gray of a stormy sea; when she was playful, he could see his reflection in them like in the steady flow of Zora’s river; when she laughed they were the pale, bright blue of a waterfall, and then there were moments like now, where her eyes were the warm blue of a pond, full of life and depth, the surface shining in the bright sun, and the ripples bubbling along as she said the words “I love you.”
Zelink Theme #1: River/Lakes
Title: Blue Lake, Blue Eyes
Words: 164
“It sure is a nice day, isn’t it, Link?” Zelda asked the young man named Link as they both seated themselves on the grass near the beautiful body of water that was Lake Hylia.
“Yeah...” Link replied quietly.
And it really was a nice day outside. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, there were no signs of rain clouds, and Lake Hylia was as blue as ever.
As blue as Zelda’s eyes, Link thought suddenly, staring at the blue water before him. Link then looked at Zelda, who was watching the sky and didn’t seem to notice.
Yep, Zelda’s eyes were just as blue as the water of Lake Hylia.
A smile crossed Link’s lips as he continued to look at Zelda’s blue eyes.
“Link, is there any particular reason why you’re staring at me like that?” Zelda’s voice woke him up out of his thoughts.
“Oh...was I staring?” Link asked, a light blush dusting his face. Zelda smiled.
Title: Planned Kidnapping
Theme: River/Lakes
Wordcount: 1382
Genre: General
Setting: Post TP
Rating: G
"Busy day?" Link asked as he settled himself comfortably into the chair across the desk from her. Ever since he had all but single-handedly saved Hyrule from Zant and Ganondorf, Link was allowed to go pretty much anywhere in the kingdom, including the ruling monarch's study.
"Pointless day, more like," Zelda replied, frowning at the paperwork in front of her, "Summer is coming to a close, so instead of drawing plans for the coming autumn and winter, as they should be doing, all the ministers are taking off early to enjoy themselves..."
"Leaving you to finish what they should be doing?" Link finished.
"Exactly!" Zelda snapped. She made a disgruntled little noise, as if admonishing herself for her outburst, and then with restored dignity she added, "It is at times like these when I fully understand why Hyrule was so easily overthrown."
Link gave a little laugh of understanding.
"Tell you what," he said, "Since your ministers are off shirking their duties, what say you shirk yours as well?"
"Link, I cannot go running off at a moment's notice, I have a country to run!"
"Well, if you won't come freely, then I'll just have to kidnap you."
Just then the door to the study opened, and in came Zelda's elder handmaiden.
"Impa!" Zelda half laughed, sounding rather flabbergasted, "Link said he's going to kidnap me!"
"Just for the afternoon!" Link added quickly.
Impa stared at the two of them, Link looking determined and Zelda caught somewhere between incredulity and amusement, before a grin spread across Impa's weathered features.
"I think that's a marvellous idea. You've been working yourself too hard, Highness, and you could certainly use the moment's respite."
Zelda, normally quite eloquent, suddenly found her vocabulary devoid of anything, save confused, word-like sounds, as Impa chivvied her out of her chair and into her bedroom.
"Master Link, go down to the stables and saddle Poseidon for her Highness while I change her into her riding clothes. I'll have her meet you at the bottom of the tower. Oh, and could you leave your Clawshots, please?" she added as an afterthought.
Mystified, Link placed the Clawshots on top of the now unattended paperwork on the Princess' desk before running off to ready the horses.
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Link had only to wait a few minutes at the bottom of the tower before Zelda made her presence know, and that was by knocking stone chips onto him. Looking up, Link couldn't help but grin, now that he knew what Impa had wanted the Clawshots for.
Using the grappling devices to scale down the wall, whizzing from balcony to balcony, Zelda was making her escape in a most un-princess-like fashion. Using the bottom edge of the balcony closest to the ground as an anchor point, she lowered herself gently into her horse's saddle, and then returned the Clawshots to their rightful owner.
"Good form. I'll give you ten points for the landing," Link quipped, replacing his equipment. Zelda, who wore an expression of bemused confusion, said, "I have just been kicked out of my own castle,"
"Kidnapped out of your own castle," Link corrected.
"Alright, kidnapped," she acquiesced, "But where am I being taken?"
"A kidnapper never reveals his destination. It would ruin the surprise!"
Zelda smiled and gave a sigh, "Of course. Now, are we to leave for this mysterious location any time soon?"
Link smiled back, and giving Epona a gentle nudge he replied, "As you wish, Highness,"
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Link, Zelda quickly deduced, was leading them to the bridge over Lake Hylia. And while she was expecting that they were going to cross said bridge, she quickly found she was mistaken.
"We're leaving the horses here, Highness," Link said, bringing Epona to a halt and dismounting in one smooth movement, "They can't exactly use our next form or transportation,"
Mystified, Zelda stopped and dismounted Poseidon, and pulling a dark blue cloak from her saddlebag, followed after Link.
Instead of the bridge, he headed for a wooden stairway off to the side, a stairway which led to a shack pressed up against the hillside. Throwing the hood of her cloak over her head, in order to disguise herself in anonymity, she followed Link inside.
And was immediately accosted by a Cucco.
"Link! What?" she spluttered as the avian ricocheted off of her with no seeming ill effect.
"You'll find out in a moment," Link laughed before descending a short ramp. Zelda followed, and caught sight of a colourful, if scantily clad man.
"Well, hi there! Welcome to Falbi's Flight-by-Fowl!" the man exclaimed, upon spotting the two of them, "Are you ready for a flight full of dreams and sweet, sweet bonuses? A Cucco-powered ride around Lake Hylia? You will LOVE it! Next up for fantastication... ONE BIG GUY AND ONE PRETTY LADY! Right, then that's 20 Rupees each for a ticket to the Isle of Riches. How about it, partners?"
Before Zelda even began to reach for her money pouch, Link had already handed the man two red Rupees.
"Awright! Thanks, partner!" the man said, pocketing the money, "Now just grab a Cucco of any colour and try to sail to the Isle of Riches!"
"Just follow my lead," Link said, grabbing a nearby Cucco. Spotting the one that had collided with her, Zelda grabbed the bird and joined Link outside one the small launching platform.
"Cucco flying's very simple," Link explained, "Just hold onto its legs, and once you're airborne you shift your weight around to steer. Just follow me!"
And with that, Link jumped off the platform. But instead of going off to there right, where the image of a giant green Rupee was suspended into the air, he went to the left, towards the waterfall that came from the Zora's domain.
Zelda leaped after him, and found that Cucco flying was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.
As they went soaring over the lake, Zelda could see that Link was leading them to a grassy, shelf-like area, just off to the right of the waterfall.
"Wow, nice landing!" Link complemented when they had safely touched down, "I landed on my butt after my first flight,"
"So, what do we do with them now?" Zelda asked, indicating the bird in her hands with a nod of her head.
"Don't worry, they're trained to go to Fyre over there," Link said, pointing to the floating shack at the other end of the lake, "He fires them back up to Falbi with his cannon. And don't worry," he added, at Zelda's startled expression, "Being launched out of a cannon doesn't hurt these guys in the least,"
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It was the smell of something delicious that woke Zelda up, later that day. Sitting up from the comfortable pillow her cloak had made, she saw that Link was cooking a rather substantial looking fish over a fire.
"Good morning, or evening, I suppose," Link said while he tended to the fish.
"How long was I out?"
"Not long, a half an hour or so,"
Zelda smiled as she stretched. She felt completely and utterly relaxed, more at ease that she had been in, well, years it seemed. She knew she hadn't been this relaxed since before Zant took over.
Aside from the counsel meeting in the morning, as well as her forceful removal from her own castle, Zelda's day had been full of nothing but leisure, and she was fairly certain that she had never spent a day fishing, talking about inconsequential things, or playing silly little games in her life.
"I really have to thank you, Link," she said, "You and Impa were right, I really did need to get away from it all,"
"It was the least I could do," Link said with a laugh, "Besides, this is far more enjoyable than having to rescue you from the clutches of evil,"
"Oh yes," Zelda agreed with a laugh of her own, "Much more enjoyable! I hope you don't mind me asking, but where did you learn how to cook? That fish smells fantastic!"
"Believe it or not, a Yeti taught me," Link replied with a fond smile, and as he cooked the fish (which Zelda had caught, she was pleased to say), he told her of the affectionate Yeti couple that lived in the mountains... Theme: Rivers/Lakes
Words: 156
Title: Helping Him
She watches him, crouched precariously on her perch atop the large dead tree in the tiny island in the middle of Lake Hylia. Even wrapped in her disguise, she has the uneasy feeling that Link suspects her. She cannot let him get any closer to her than he already has come.
He is looking for her, startled at her abrupt disappearance, she suspects. Even unsure of her identity and motives, he still cares for her. A small, sad smile curves her lips.
‘Poor, sweet boy.’
Crimson shrouded azure eyes lift to see the sun rising and she rises to her feet on her perch. It’s time to offer him more help.
‘Look this way,’ her heart urges his before she dives off, knifing through the water so cleanly there is barely a splash. Holding her breath she swims silently through the cool lake, knowing that its secret treasure, the fire arrow, will soon belong to Link.
Title: The River of Time
Word Count: 576
“The flow of time is always cruel...”
I know this better than anyone. In seven years, my world was forever changed. As time passed, my world crumbled. As time passed, evil gained control. As time passed, I lost everything.
“...its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it..."
Time sped fast so quickly for me. Seven years of my life passed in the blink of an eye – I slept for nearly half of my life. For everyone else, those seven years were long and painful. For me, their supposed Hero, they were the shortest of my life. I wish I could reverse it – so that I suffered instead of them, but I cannot. Even the Ocarina of Time cannot change that.
“A thing that does not change with time is a memory of younger days..."
Everything changed while I was sleeping, except for my memories. How I wish some of those memories would fade. I do not want to remember the smell of the enemies I defeated. I do not want to remember how I was forced into a battle I didn’t understand. I do not want to remember the joy I felt at defeating my enemies, because every enemy I defeated brought me closer to nearly destroying my world.
“Time passes, people move. Like a river's flow, it never ends.....”
Time is like a river – it always flows in one direction, no matter how we wish we could stop it. I am the exception to that rule, but once this world is safe Time will be the same once again. Once again it will flow continuously, without anyone interrupting it. Bad things happen when you mess with the power of Time – the state of this world is proof of that.
“A childish mind will turn to noble ambition...”
But there are some good things about Time. My childish hopes and dreams became realities. I no longer fight because a pretty girl asked me to. I fight because it is my duty, and because I want to. I am the Hero of Time, and so I will save this world. Time cursed this world, but Time will also allow me to save it, as its Hero.
“Young love will become deep affection....A feeling in the heart that becomes stronger over time.....the passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power.....through the power of the heart....”
Ah...this is a somewhat awkward topic. Friends becoming lovers, increasing power of the heart.....I understand the power of the heart all too well. My heart urges me to keep going when the rest of me wants to give up. My heart keeps me wanting to protect this world....to protect her. Whenever I want to give up, me heart forces me to think of what will happen to her if I do. I have no idea if she is even still alive, but as long as I hear no word of her death, I will keep fighting for her. She is dear to me, and I fight to keep her safe.
“The clear water's surface reflects growth....”
I have grown. I grew from an embarrassed and unsure young boy into a strong and much more confident young man. My feelings for this world grew from misunderstanding to the need to protect. My view of Princess Zelda grew from friend to beloved.
“Time passes, people move. Like a river's flow, it never ends.....”
(OOC: The end is a little dodgy, but I don't have time (how ironic :P) to edit it again....)
