A Girl of the Future

by Vanessa Krowd

  Chateau Romani. Please, have some."

  Nobody said anything, awkwardly exchanging glances between each other then looking back at the man -confused and unsure about the situation.

  "AH HAH HAH!" The man abruptly laughed, slapping his thigh three times. "Your expressions are priceless! Come on, lighten up!"

  "Ungh…" Rosalina groaned, her head pounding slightly from the powerful presence before her.

  "Umm, excuse me… but…" Peach politely started, a little shy.

  "Just who the hell are you?" Mario concluded, taking a step forward with harsh eyebrows.

  -The Travelling Swordsman- LINK

  Link had his head tilted back, drinking from his fancy sake cup. He concluded with the swipe of an arm. "Ah!"

  "Yes, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Link." Link introduced, a glowing blue bulb of light with white wings flying out of his hat with a gentle chime. "And this

  here is my partner, Navi the Fairy."

  -Link's Companion- NAVI THE FAIRY

  She appeared to be just a blue orb with white wings, but up close Navi was a tiny girl with long wavy blue hair and white wings, light blue skin and a white dress that stopped

  just above the knees. "She's a bit of a party pooper, but she's very helpful."

  "You'll have to excuse my master." Navi greeted, fluttering in place by Link's head. "He's a bit of a free spirit."

  "AH HAH HAH!" Link abruptly laughed. "Yes, well, at any rate, it looks like we've found the right place."

  "Found the right place?" Peach questioned, her head tilted slightly.

  "P-PRINCESS!"

  An exclamation mark appeared over everyones heads, the eight of them turning around to see a Toad solider running up the dirt path towards them in a panic.

  "J-Johnson!" Toadsworth barked, stepping forward -cane in hand. "What seems to be the problem?"

  The Toad guard stopped before the eight of them, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. He wore a white cloak, his mushroom cap white with red spots. "I-I-It's

  Toad Town, sire! It's been invaded!"

  Gasps of alarm and shock emit from all but Link, Rosalina, and Navi.

  "I… INVADED?" Luigi cried, eyes popping out of his head and teeth sharp.

  "B-B-But that's impossible! Our defences are so strong, I say!" Toadsworth whined. "So very strong indeed…"

  "Could it be Bowser?" Daisy hypothesized, exchanging glances with the group.

  "Probably." Mario predicted, punching a gloved fist into his gloved palm. "Guess I'll have to kick his ass once again."

  "N-Negative, Master Mario!" The Toad Guard declined. "According to our intel the enemy is King Bulblin and his army of Bulblins!"

  "Bulblins, you say?" Navi inquired.

  "That's co-correct." The Toad Guard nodded.

  "What are Bulblins, Navi?" Peach questioned, her head turned towards the blue fairy.

  "Are they scary?" Luigi whined, hunched over in fear.

  SLAP!

  "MAN UP ALREADY!" Daisy growled, her slap in the concluding position and teeth sharp, Luigi's head tilted with his tongue slightly sticking out.

  "They're a race of humanoid goblins native to Hyrule." Navi answered.

  "Ah. It seems that I've been followed." Link calmly noted.

  "YOU MEAN THIS IS YOUR FAULT?" Luigi screamed, pointing at Link with bulging eyes and sharp teeth.

  "You idiot, the whole towns in trouble because of you!" Daisy attacked.

  "YEAH IDIOT!" Toadsworth agreed, catching himself on his informal behaviour afterwards. "Oops. My apologies, heh heh."

  "Now now, it's not like Link got the town in trouble on purpose." Peach defended.

  "No, the ginger has a point." Link calmly agreed, with an easing hand. "But don't worry, I'll take responsibility."

  "The names Daisy." Daisy hissed, unpleased by his choice of description.

  "Ten…" Rosalina calmly sensed, her eyes closed and lower left triangle of the Triforce on her left hand glowing. "No, twenty..."

  "Twenty?" Mario grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Ha, piece of cake."

  "Th-Thousand." Rosalina concluded, with a slight gulp.

  "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!" Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Peach, Johnson, and Toadsworth cried -their jaws dropped eyes bulging teeth sharp and tongues wild and zig zag like. "TWENTY

  THOUSAND?"

  "I'll take responsibility my ass!" Mario growled, dirt flying from his zooming feet as he raced towards Toad Town. "Dammit, this is serious!"

  "Mario, wait!" Peach cried, a hand extended.

  "Is that idiot really thinking of taking on twenty thousand enemies at once?" Daisy growled. "I don't care how strong he is, that's just stupid!"

  "Master Mario! You're powerful but twenty thousand is simply too much!" Toadsworth hollered, hands by his face as he yelled down at the dashing Mario.

  "Well they're not just gonna go away on their own ya old fart!"

  "Sigh... He's always so headstrong…" Toadsworth sighed, shaking his head. "So very headstrong indeed…"

  "I'm really worried." Peach whined, with a pout.

  "He doesn't stand a chance." Rosalina calmly predicted, her closed eyed expression stone cold serious.

  "YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Luigi scolded with sharp teeth, Peach comedically crying fountains of tears in the background.

  "AH HAH HAH!" Link abruptly laughed, slapping his leg. "I'm beginning to like you guys!"

  "TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!" Luigi scolded with sharp teeth.

  "Yes, I suppose I should go and help." Link agreed, turning towards Toad Town. "Come on Navi."

  With that, Link and Navi proceeded down the dirt path towards Toad Town, leaving the others at the stone bridge before Peach Castle.

  "T-That still leaves ten thousand enemies a piece…" Peach thought aloud. "Don't we have any more firepower?"

  "Luigi, why don't you go?" Daisy suggested, her arms folded.

  "LIKE HELL!" Luigi declined, his teeth sharp.

  "My powers have not yet fully returned to me…" Rosalina thought aloud, looking at her hand. "Unfortunately at this point I can't be of much assistance. My apologies."

  Princess Peach was examining Rosalina, who was hovering six inches above the stone bridge on her left. She then directed her attention down towards Toad Town, her blue

  eyes trembling slightly with worry.

  -A Brief Description of Toad TownToad

  Town is composed of four main districts that are connected by a small central point called Peach Fountain.

  Peach Fountain is a circular area in the centre that connects the four districts. From there one can go north, south, east, or west. The massive fountain of Peach features

  the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom herself in solid gold with her arms extended skyward and eyes closed, water coming out of her head, the spout concealed by her

  crown.

  The Northern district has a massive gate that leads to Peach Castle, as well as various shops and services. We have the world famous PRINCESS BAKERY, the five star

  RAINBOW ROAD RESTAURANT, the seven star TOADSTOOL HOTEL that has an awesome view of Peach Castle, the national historic site TOADSTOOL GARDENS, and various other

  buildings.

  The Western District is filled with fancy homes that only the richest people in the Mushroom Kingdom could ever hope to afford. Its a very ritzy district and also has a gate

  that leads out to the countryside and border.

  The Eastern District is actually mostly a university, home to the prestigious Princess Peach University. It has various shops and some cheaper homes as well. It has a gate

  that leads to the Toad Town Airport, which flies to various places all over the world.

  The Southern District is the largest of them all. It features the largest mall in the world, South Toad Town Mall. It has various item shops, pubs, restaurants, as well as a

  train station and sea port that lead to various places all over the kingdom.

  All o
ver Toad Town people were locked in their homes, not a single soul in sight except for the thousands of Bulblins that were roaming the streets with their clubs and bows, many Toad soldiers downed and defeated all over the city streets. Frightened people watched from their windows, terrified shop keepers cowering behind the desks of their

  beloved businesses in hopes that they or they're establishment would not be harmed by the foreign goblin invaders. Gathered in the northern district was Mario, Link, Rosalina,

  Peach, Luigi, Daisy, and Toadsworth, as well as a few Toad Guards who were standing with their spears aimed forward -expressions intense. Mario was ahead of the group in a

  fighting stance, Link standing a bit behind him, Rosalina and the rest of them a little further behind. Covering the entire northern district was thousands of Bulblins, but before

  them was an even more massive Bulblin known as King Bulblin, the green skinned beast with massive horns riding atop Lord Bullbo, an armoured blue skinned warthog like beast

  with massive tusks.

  "You ugly bastards…" Mario growled, igniting his fists in flames. "I'll beat the hell out of ya one by one!"

  "Mario..." Peach whined, burying her worried face in her hands.

  Mario proceeded to run, but was stopped by a brown fingerless gloved hand.

  "Oh?" Mario barked, his eyes widening slightly as he was stopped in his tracks.

  He turned his head and saw it was Link who put his hand on his shoulder. "No need to get so worked up. Let me handle this one."

  His eyes were concealed in shadow, the travelling swordsman walking past Mario and causing him to stumble backward a bit.

  "What the? Hey!" Mario whined, his teeth clenched, shaking a fist. "What's the big idea?"

  Link walked ahead of the group, standing just five feet before the massive snout of Lord Bullbo, King Bulblin sitting upon the dangerous beast -his army of twenty thousand

  bulblins behind him all throughout the massive Toad Town.

  "Hey everyone." Link greeted, sword and shield on his back. "I'm going to have to kindly ask that you please leave quietly. You see, there's so many of you that you're taking

  up the whole city, and you've scared everyone away with your weapons."

  "What is that guy doing?" A red spotted Toad hotel resident from above whined, looking at the situation down below.

  "Is he out of his mind?" Someone else from another building hissed, peeking from the curtains.

  "Really? That's your big plan?" Mario growled, his fist clenched and stance defined.

  "We're all going to die..." Luigi whimpered, cowering behind the nervous Daisy.

  Peach watched Link from behind with an expression of worry, but somehow a little bit of faith could be seen on her face as well.

  "Heh heh…" King Bulblin grinned, revealing gnarly yellow teeth.

  From atop a distant building a Bulblin sniper charged back an arrow, and fired it at Link's head. The lower left portion of the Triforce shun brightly on Link's left gloved hand.

  The camera was blurry as the arrow zoomed towards his head at a high velocity. Peach's eyes widened in horror as she saw the arrow flying towards his head, and that he

  was just standing there.

  "L-L-LINK L-LOOK-"

  Then, remarkably, Link raised his right hand and caught the arrow between his index and middle finger, the tip just inches from his head -his eyes concealed in the shadow of

  his dirty blonde bangs.

  "Oh!" Peach and Luigi awed, their eyes widened and mouth open in impressed surprise.

  "What the hell?" Mario barked, also impressed and surprised.

  "He caught that arrow right out of the air!" Daisy awed, clearly impressed.

  "Bloody amazing, I say!" Toadsworth praised.

  (His left hand glows in the same way Rosalina's does…) Peach noted, her expression pensive as she examined his left hand down by his side -right hand still holding the arrow

  up by his head.

  Rosalina also stared at Link with a pensive expression from behind, seeming to be lost deep in thought.

  "Roo?" King Bulblin barked, surprised that Link caught the arrow.

  "I see your not going to just step aside politely…" Link thought aloud, his eyes concealed in shadow as he dropped the arrow onto the cobblestone by his brown booted feet.

  "Very well then."

  With a cry the King Bulblin pointed at Link. The thousands of Bulblins cried and proceeded to charge at the lone swordsman.

  "OH NO! THEY'RE COMING!" Luigi cried, his arms stretched skyward in panic and teeth sharp. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

  "I sure hope you know what you're doing." Mario growled, nervously watching the incoming army in a fighting stance, the earth trembling from the incoming armies footsteps.

  Link then extended his left arm, palm facing outward. The bottom right portion of the Triforce shun brightly on his gloved hand.

  (This time the lower right triangle is glowing!) Peach noticed, her eyes keen.

  "A-Are you serious?" Rosalina awed, the usually calm girl unable to believe her eyes.

  "What? What? What is it?" Daisy asked, seeming anxious.

  Then, a large green ring of energy radiated outward from Link, expanding far and racing right through all twenty thousand of the Bulblins and stopping them dead in their

  charging tracks. The King Bulblin shot glances between his arms as he felt chills all throughout his body as the ring passed him -the twenty thousand Bulblins frozen in place mid charge. The racing green ring had an intense frequency to it, a heavenly glimmer that steals the soul. Everyone was silent, their eyes widened in suspense as they

  watched the entire army that was stopped dead in their tracks by a single man in green who stood there with his left arm extended with his palm facing outward. Then, miraculously, the eyes of the Bulblins whited out, and one by one they and their weapons fell to the ground. There Link stood, his eyes concealed in shadow as the twenty

  thousand Bulblins fell to the ground before him, one after the other. As they hit the ground they evaporated into black dust, disappearing entirely. Just a few seconds ago

  Toad Town was littered with thousands of Bulblins. Now only their king and his beast remained in the now empty streets.

  "W-WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!" A Toad Guard cried, unable to believe his eyes.

  King Bulblin, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toadsworth, Daisy, and even Rosalina were completely lost for words. Their trembling eyes were widened, their mouths open in shock and

  disbelief. Link single handedly eliminated twenty thousand Bulblins with just the raise of a hand. There he stood, his eyes concealed in the shadow of his dirty blonde bangs, his

  arm extended before him -palm facing outward.

  "He..." Rosalina started, her eyes trembling.

  The awestruck Peach, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Toadsworth turned to Rosalina, who was looking at the back of Link with a fist clenched nervously by her chin -her widened

  eyes trembling weakly. "He has that power?"

  Peach directed her attention back to Link's left hand. The bottom right piece of the Triforce glowing on his left hand faded, and Link brought his arm back down to his side.

  "Now I'll ask you again: please leave this town quietly." Link ordered, lifting his head afterward and revealing his eyes as well as the most epic expression that was

  accompanied with racing lines. "Or I'll have to force you to."

  Lord Bullbo squealed as he stood on his hind legs, waving his front legs in a panic before landing back down on the cobblestone streets of Toad Town and scurrying out of sight

  with his tail between his legs -King Bulblin riding away with an angry cry. With the threat eliminated, people slowly and cautiously started to peek out of their doorways,

  nervously stepping outside.

  "It's okay everyone!" Link called, heroically standing in the cobblestone streets of Toad Town's Northern District. "The enemy is gone!"

  Multiple citizens cheered
and cried in happiness, smiling and dancing on the streets -happy to be safe once again.

  "You're amazing!"

  "That was incredible!"

  "What a hero!"

  "Unbelievable!"

  "L-Link, that was truly incredible!" Peach praised, still looking impressed.

  "Just who the hell are you, really?" Mario questioned, head tilted back ever so slightly, eyes still slightly widened.

  Link stood there with his back facing the group of them, his hat and hair blowing gently in the morning breeze -the sunrise causing him to appear as a black silhouette.

  "My name's Link." Link introduced, turning his head to Mario behind him. "And I'm the First Hero chosen by the Goddess!"

  "That was absolutely amazing!"

  "We're in your debt good sir!"

  "You're a hero!"

  "Please, don't mention it." Link eased, with a hand. "I'm sorry I got you all into this mess in the first place."

  "Can we go now?" Mario grumbled, standing a few feet behind Link with folded arms.

  "Daw, is someone jealous?" Daisy teased, leaning forward with comedic devil horns and a finger on her chin in thought.

  "Grr -WHY YOU!" Mario growled, his teeth sharp and fist clenched, Daisy and Peach giggling into their fingertips.

  "Hmm?" Link inquired, turning his head slightly and then smiling. "Ahh, yes. I suppose we have some things to talk about."

  "You're leaving already?" A green spotted Toad frowned.

  "Please, let us show you our gratitude with a reward!" A blue spotted Toad pleaded.

  "Gold coins, jewels, anything you want!" Another Toad added. "We're truly in your debt!"

  "You're safety and well being is reward enough, I'm certain." Peach interrupted, trying to ease the eager crowd.

  "Anything, huh?" Link pondered, rubbing his chin with a closed eyed toothless smile. "Hmm… How's the sake here?"

  "OUT OF ANYTHING YOU WANT SAKE?" Peach, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Toadsworth cried, jaws dropped and teeth sharp.

  The gang was gathered on the stone bridge in front of Peach Castle on this early morning. Link sat criss cross on the stone bridge, Navi flying around him . Mario was also

  sitting criss cross on the stone bridge, in the west position if Link was south. Luigi sat criss cross in the east position. Toadsworth and Peach stood near Mario, Daisy and