Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Link: Lucky Number 13 ❯ A Couple's Union Pt. 05: Fully Grown ( Chapter 24 )

Chapter Twenty-four

Okay, I thought the Gerudo were the most normal sect of people in Hyrule-behind the Kakariko villagers-when it came to physical changes. However, it would seem old Link is wrong yet again, as Nabooru's little tale has left me in that weird silence. As you know, when I went to apologize she'd taken off-which meant she didn't get far. Anyhow, I found her at the edge of the water a ways down the beach, looking very hurt. From beneath the self-imposed beating I was being subjected to, I joined her preparing myself for full apology mode. After all, that was a gripe all those years ago when we were just friends. If she were bigger, stronger, faster she could've defeated Ganondorf and for me to start joking about it-knowing full well how bad it feels to have a shortcoming picked with-must've hurt a lot.

"Sit down, we need to talk," she started with. "You wondered why they are so much taller than most of the ladies back home, right?"

"Never mind them right…"

"Yes or no question," she interrupted harshly.

"Yes, but…"

"No buts," she again interrupted me. "I'll tell you why. First of all, do you recall the women you faced on your trials through time?"

I told her I did, and she started over.

"Good, now do you recall anything extraordinary about them or anything different compared to our guards now?" To this question, I took a brief few moments to recollect and told her the one glaring difference.

"They were a bit taller." Three, four, and maybe even six inches taller than our regulars are today in some cases, but I didn't get the significance, however, she'd soon clue me in.

"Those were most of our soldiers' mothers," she admitted, which surprised me little considering our guards' youthful appearances. Okay, so they don't look significantly younger, but never mind that. "Those who didn't fall after Ganondorf's death fell when we tried to combat Twinrova." This soon led to me asking where all of this was going, which left me with an answer that was altogether unique.

"In simple terms, they never fully developed… I never fully developed." Right about here is where I began to think she was jerking my chain. Come on, I've been sleeping with a child for all of this time? Unfortunately, this wasn't as funny as I thought considering how quickly she lost it when I cracked a smile.

"What do you mean, 'fully developed'? You aren't exactly a two-year-old," I'd said, before getting the seriousness of the discussion again.

"No, but if you think about it, I've been the same size since you met me!" Right, I missed the problem with that too. Most of the women you hear in town are constantly yelling about being the sizes they were when they were younger and here Nabooru sat, in all of her glory, annoyed by it? This wasn't exactly making sense to me, so I asked what was so wrong with that.

"There are certain changes the Gerudo go through in their progression into adulthood. In the rare male: the skin turns green and their eyes darken considerably. In women: we grow up and develop on as normal Hylian women do. However, there's a change that usually occurs between eighteen and thirty that's as dramatic as the males of our race."

This is the part where it began to make sense.

"You get taller?" I asked in amazement, causing Nabooru to pause to confirm my theory.

"Yes, but there's more to it than that," she tells me. "Since women are generally the main laborers, our changes work to fulfill a bunch of tasks-our strength, speed, and agility increase, which helps in times of war and work, while other areas are enhanced to better immobilize our victims."

I wasn't even dense enough to miss that hint.

"By immobilize… do you mean… you know?" I didn't want to think it, let alone say it, but a head nod confirmed this dismal information as well.

"Yes, we develop a certain scent, if you will." I wrinkled my nose at the prospect of her smelling like a fish or something, which she laughed off.

"The scent is entirely tolerable and controllable, and it's used to control men's hormones," she paused and gave me a little look. This was simply the set up before the fall. "And in some cases, if a woman so chose to, she'd sleep with a male to get his valuables. You'd be surprised how pliable you all are after a quick roll in the hay."

Told you, but at least there was some control on their part, and it wasn't like that all the time, as I'd heard in the past. I don't know; I just don't like the idea of them using their bodies to steal things… I'd prefer the clunking on the head method, personally.

"So, with this whole maturity thing, you could make more of the male Hylian populace hornier for you than they are now?" Yeah, I was getting paranoid. Anyhow, with a spirited laugh, she'd confirm this bit of news, too.

"There's one thing I don't get though, why didn't the change happen to you all?" Again, the mood soured, this time into a rather foul glance in my direction. I'm thinking maybe a curse or something. Of course, I was about as right as two left feet. "What?" I'd asked, wondering how this could possibly be my fault.

"We didn't make love soon enough," she'd say in a slight whisper. I was about to ask the typical "what do you mean" question when she sighed and began once more. "The change occurs after a female is… penetrated for the first time usually. Most of the others are heading into their mid-twenties and with everything that's occurred in the last few years, they haven't had time to seek men to progress them. Those who have-for one reason or another-didn't go through with the change. Heh, some of them think Ganondorf may have cursed us; I, for one, refuse to believe that bullshit!"

Have you noticed that I seem to be directly tied into everyone's problems? First, I'm too perfect for Zelda, which causes her to try and live up to the standard I've made for her. Second, I constantly bitched to Nabooru about my problems for years, while she's secretly putting up with a beastly witch and hidden emotions for me. Third, I finally realize Nab means something to me, only I find it out three years after the last year where this evolution was supposed to happen. I'm like a walking book of bad omens. Link the Cursed! Coming to a village near you…

In any case, we've been sitting quietly at the water's edge since she said that. The only change in the last few hours a gigantic steak I prepared for her, which played a double role in buying me more time in this decision. I know her pride won't let her ask me to do it; I don't necessarily want to do it. What happens if she turns into some hulking she-beast? And what's worse, she turns into a seven-foot-tall monster and thinks she looks great as it. I love her the way she is, and transforming her into some… thing isn't appealing to me at all.

Huh? What do you mean I'm being stupid? Did you not just see some of those women at the pirate camp? Think back, I mean really think back. That one woman had to be at least as tall as I am and I won't even mention the fact that her neck looked as big as one of my thighs! So, what do you suggest? Change my beautiful wife into a potential… whatever that was, and then if I don't like the results say, "Sorry, you're too ugly now, bye." Erase the thought from her mind? No, that's cowardice on a whole new level. Not to mention that's like saying if she ever has an idea I don't like, wipe her mind of it and make her agree with me. Then I'll truly have a flesh and blood puppet, as opposed to a wife, and I don't want a puppet no matter how batty some of her ideas may seem.

"Link, could you… no, never mind," she says, breaking the weird silence. I'm the biggest wimp on the planet; you know that right? Yeah, I figured you would. Maybe I can say I can't… yeah, yeah, ultimate power, blah, blah, blah.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" Smooth question, considering how obvious this is, "Because I love you the way you are, really! I wouldn't change a thing about you! Now are you sure you want to do this?"

Fine, I'm about as indiscrete with my objections as Ruto was about finding her mother's jewel. Inclining my head to my right, Nabooru sits on her folded legs looking right at me smiling joyfully. Goddamn it… I can resist this-I can do anything! Let me just think of a way to say I don't want you to turn into a monstrosity, nicely.

"Would you?" Okay, so I can't say, no. I'll just be honest with her if I don't like the results. After all, she's always told me everything straight up.

"So, how do you want this done?"

She answers my question with an intense hug, along with a very delectable selection of kisses. I begin to pull her towards me, which she brings to a stop with an abrupt push.

"We'll get to that later," she says, rubbing my chest through my tunic. Hmm, this gives me an idea.

"Actually, I think we will get to it later. Except later will be now and when we get to it, it'll be four years ago then."

"What?"

"You said it happens between eighteen and thirty, and your birthday isn't for another two weeks; so, if I go back four years to the day and we make love then, everything should work out, right?" I can only hope this little experiment doesn't do something to the future other than put her at ease. "Or did you not have an urge to sleep with me back then?"

She gives me one of those quizzical glances before saying, "Yes, I had the urge. But I was hoping for a more… immediate solution."

In other words, do your magic stuff and make it happen now.

"Uh-huh, about that immediate solution, in all honesty, I'm too nervous to alter your body. I'd probably end up altering you the way I'd want, which means you wouldn't change at all," I say, only now realizing the potential problem that could've come out of my words. "Besides, it's not like it's vital that you control how horny people are or that you need to be overwhelmingly stronger or faster. You don't have to fight anymore. And even if someone did show up, I'd rather deal with it."

"That's my point." And who thought I was getting off with that little speech? "It's not that I'm ungrateful for you or your assistance, but I'm too used to solving my own problems… or at least trying to. That means: stealing, fighting, and what have you, on my own. I am a warrior-just like you-and whether or not I fight another day in my life, I still like having the option open to me and I can only improve because of this. Besides, how would you like it if someone said you could never fight again?"

I still don't see the point of this, because I know I'd love it if someone offered me a chance never to fight again… All right, fine. I'm spewing more shit than a Dodongo crap hole. Fighting's too embedded in my personality, and I really get a kick out of beating things up. What can I say? I'm sick, I need help.

"Improve how? Last time we fought, you were stronger and faster than I was. Hell, the only reason I'm sitting here instead of rotting in the desert sand is because you got mad and let your guard down. But I understand you want to keep the scale tipped in your favor in battle as much as possible, and I guess this is how to do it." I let out a long sigh… that causes a sizeable wave in the sea. "See? I can't even control my control on the world around me at times, and you want me to do something this extreme to you?"

She inches herself under my arm, which I make less burdensome by draping it around her shoulders.

"Yes, because I have faith in you," she says calmly, but as boldly as ever. "You've done too much for me not to believe in you or your abilities, and that's why I'm asking this of you." Her quiet, yet serious tone resets me to my course of action, but I still need to plead against this again. "Besides, if you can take a child out of my womb, why can't you do this?"

My breathing stops, realizing that in my pre-wedding haste, I kinda put the kid in a holding cell. Not a literal one, but let's just say it's in between here and there-life and death or "sleep." Hmm, now that you mention it, it wasn't that difficult. And I guess I can't really deny her now, because her faith in me would completely shatter if she thought the downside to her change was the same for our child. Oh, well, I suppose this isn't that much of problem actually committing the act. I just have a problem with the potential results really.

"What would you have done if I never came upon this whole god thing?" I ask in a shift of subjects, turning and looking down at her. For a moment, she's silent, staring back into my eyes with a suspicious gaze.

"That's easy," she says as the look vanishes while straddling of my lap, "we would've fucked every single day until I became the first Gerudo in history to have it happen after her thirtieth birthday." I smile, adding my lips to hers, while silently cursing myself for not getting to her sooner. "Now quit stalling and do it… please." Damn, saw through the instant erection thing. Still, I wouldn't mind an all out sexual marathon to still see if it weren't possible for her to attain this completion at thirty-three.

"Only if I get another kiss." I say it with false petulance, and sincere worry. My wife flashes me that seductive smirk, which turns into a slow and tested kiss. "This may feel a little weird, but tell me if you feel any pain." I warn through our mental union.

Using the kiss as a sort of link with her, I begin to fish throughout her mind in hopes of finding a map on how to do this right. Images of everything she's seen leaps out at me, slightly disorientating me. Damn, you'd think making a person grow would be simple enough. I keep sifting until I find the 'designs' to make her a child and into the person that she is, yet no way to see her body any larger. What in the hell are all of these little things? They look like twisted noodles. I guess there are limits… Ah-ha! Slowly, the image of a Gerudo appears. Tasca to be exact. I've never been one to copy another's work, but I don't have much of a choice now. So using this image, I try to construct her enlarged features to Nabooru.

"Mm!" I stop dead, as Nabooru emits a low groan. "D-Don't stop," she says through her mind. Shit! Okay, breathe. I'll just make her unable to feel pain. Wait… I won't know if I've moved something I shouldn't have.

"I can do this," I repeat to myself, going back to this ridiculous task. Her bones begin to crack, as they stretch. My stomach twists with the sickening sounds, while she grunts out her discomfort into my mouth. I slowly begin to expand her organs next, not to mention her skin, all the while pondering how many different ways I can kill the monster who thought up this stage in the Gerudo development.

Beginning on her spine, Nabooru begins to twitch and openly spasm at the pain traveling throughout her system. "I'm sorry." I whisper, breaking the kiss shortly. She shifts again, or more accurately, she becomes slightly heavier against me, signifying the weight of her changes. Taking another deep breath I adjust her muscles, joints, and patiently bring her heavy breathing under control. Finally-after the longest four minutes of my life-it's done. I open my eyes and discontinue the kiss again to look at what I've done… or ruined. Almost as if it were an afterthought, I expand her clothing to better fit. Never again…

"I don't think it worked." My voice freezes, as she wobbly stands, towering over me from my perspective.

"I… I… think it did, Hero," she says, noticing the undoubtedly odd change of viewpoint. I stand up to inspect her, because I really hope I didn't screw up somewhere. "Odd seeing you like this," she comments taking into account, her head is a little above shoulder high with me now. I honestly don't care about the height; I'm more concerned with if I hurt her or not, because she doesn't look all that well in my opinion.

"Are you all right? I wanted it so you wouldn't experience any pain, but I needed you to be able to tell me if I was hurting you… anymore than I already was." At least I didn't give her a third eye or anything, and she doesn't look that different.

"It's okay," she assures me, still fawning over as much of her body as she can see. "Can I have a mirror?"

Without necessarily thinking about it, a mirror forms in my hand.

"A body sized mirror," she corrects, as do I.

Silently, she rotates to take in her newly developed body. I gotta admit-I did a good job. No mutated muscles or tree trunk sized neck, and her voice stayed in that oh, so sexy register. "Could you make my ring a little bigger, because I don't think my finger should be that color." I move to investigate, noticing her finger is a faint shade of purple.

"Done," I say simply, as I adjust the ring to a more comfortable setting. Hmm, I notice it's a lot easier to change inanimate objects and nature. But why did it feel like I was twisting iron when I did that to her body? No, I mean twisting iron in my old state of being.

"Why didn't you do my body in such a way?" she questions in general confusion, as opposed to ungrateful bitchiness. "I'm not complaining, but I figured it'd be rather easy… and painless." If she read me any easier I'd be a walking book.

"I can't really explain it, but I don't think people can be changed that simply. At first, I was trying to do a quick fix, but then you wouldn't respond. So I literally had to force your body to grow." Nabooru begins to speak, but I shush her as I feel a familiar tingle move past my skin.

"You really didn't get the puppet analogy did you?" Great, Auntie Farore has decided to make a visit. Nabooru shrinks in closer as my aunt insists on talking from a plane of vision that my wife can't see. I face the water to give Nab a better idea of where she is.

"What exactly does that mean?" I ask curtly. For a while, the goddess simply hovers above the waves with an almost whimsical expression on her face. "Any day now…" She begins to walk toward us, ultimately stopping about four feet away. And still shielded from Nab.

"Din told me about your little talk earlier, and luckily, I'm here to explain the parts she neglected to tell you." Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like anything that comes out of her mouth? Staring blankly at her, my aunt decides to speak again.

"The term puppet came up, she told me. And while that isn't the best explanation, it is the simplest. Now, what this means is, we all have certain "strings" that can and will be pulled…"

"Is there a point to this?" I interrupt, as I feel she's simply making me wait before dropping some obscenely horrible news on me. Farore flares an agitated green, and I flare an agitated nothing, as I rather calmly stand annoyed by her presence. Nabooru clutches my arm, unnerved by being in the presence of one of the goddesses… yet able to sleep with the headcheese without fear, weird.

"The point is this: Resurrecting people, healing people, and changing things of the trivial are easy. Mortal design is with self-preservation primarily in mind. When you offer them life in face of and after death, their strings and souls wrestle from Death easily in favor of life. However, what you just did to her was completely foolish. Do you have any idea how many gods and goddesses' prerequisites you two just messed with? The resistance you felt was a sign from them that you were messing around with things that have been in effect for eons." Heavy stuff to make a person grow, wouldn't you say?

"In simpler terms: Think of it as a group of puppeteers working together to control a single puppet. You, Link, walked up and snatched the strings that weren't ready for pulling yet. You entangled her strings so to speak. While her well being isn't directly under me, those whom she is aren't pleased with your blatant disrespecting of them. Despite this, my main concern in all of this is you. Even with your magnitude of power, there has to be some realization on your part in all of this."

"Of what? I thought I'd been doing well up until now," I respond quietly, as I look at Nabooru unsteadily, realizing I've just done something potentially threatening to her. I think I'm going to be sick. Farore gives me a rather emotional glance, before continuing.

"Realizing that you can't give her everything she wants-not when it comes to things like this. There's a reason there are so many gods and goddesses. No single god can control all mortals; thus, we all have to do our part for them. So, when you trample over a plethora of our work-like you did today-you cut her off completely from us. And since you can't or more accurately, don't know how to control the ins and outs of her being, you could've lost her soul over any one of the infinite realms of reality. If you'd messed up, none of us could have interrupted your hold on her soul to save her. Thus, trying to bring her back to what you know as life would've been a virtual impossibility."

As she pauses to let me digest this information, I feel somehow disappointed in myself. It's not like I'm so shallow in all of this until I'm inconsiderate of them, but more accurately, I… it… I don't know. It's as if I'm scared, but can't fully realize it. I could've sent my wife spiraling across into some hellish dimension, and it scares me into a quiet numbness.

"The real point is that I shouldn't use my power just because I have it." My voice seems to say out of its own accord rather than my vocal commanding.

"Exactly," Farore agrees, "but also, the issue of knowledge is to be discussed as well. The dormant systems you activated within her body for example. The Gerudo have a gland that activates during certain situations that are of an emotional order. Extreme fear or extreme elation-great sex in most cases-usually cause the gland to speed up exponentially the production of growth hormones. After the intense production is complete, the gland usually dies. But again, you were in control, so…"

"I didn't kill it off, did I?" Her silent shake of the head hits me like an effective boulder in the mouth. The reality slowly begins to trickle through my exterior, as Farore clears her throat.

"And since you held her life in your hands, they couldn't stop it either, which means she would've eventually popped. Thankfully, you unwound yourself with her before you did any serious damage and the infrastructure put everything in working order. The fact is that we truly have been blindly relying on you too heavily, Link. The things you've acquired on your own without any help are phenomenal, but the risks you pose to everything with your lack of control and knowledge is just as great, if not more so. Understand, I'm not trying to alarm you; the same risks you pose to everything else, you pose to her and your child given your inexperience." Farore pauses again after the lecture that I sincerely needed to hear. "That's why we have a proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" I ask, still distrusting her or any of the beings that she represents.

"Gods and goddesses:" Farore states plainly, "we're offering you a chance to live and learn among us-temporarily unless you choose otherwise-until you gain a better grasp of your powers. Most of us have volunteered to instruct you, to make you aware of the effects your innocent actions have on us, and mainly so that you won't destroy what has taken us a very long time to build. This is entirely your choice, but I hope you take this into consideration-despite your feelings toward us-because there is only so far 'winging it' can go."

Again, my eyes fall towards Nabooru who radiates with guilt upon this startling amount of revelations. This really shouldn't even surprise me. Even in this supposed ultimate power, there's still something out there working to screw me over. Too bad, I'm turning the screw this time.

"How long is temporary?" My question garners an audible gasp from Nabooru, yet no further objections, as her eyes divert to the sand.

"Considering your sponge like absorption of these things, I'd say if we worked nonstop with you for thirty years that should suffice." Farore's words meet my wife's silent, yet intensified grip on my arm. "Relax child, in this world he will only appear gone for three months. On our side, however, it will genuinely pass as would thirty years here. I'll give you some time to think about this; I'll return for your decision a bit later. In the meantime, be careful." Farore fades from my vision then, as I'm left to make a rather difficult decision.

"You aren't considering this are you?" Gee, and here I thought she'd gone mute on me during this. The sarcasm does nothing to ease my mood. I sense her apprehension towards me potentially leaving her and sigh.

"What do you suggest I do? Roll over and pretend none of this is serious?" I pause and turn to face her. "Then what? Wake up from a nightmare with everything destroyed… you destroyed?" The paranoia begins, as my mind spins various ways for my errors to affect everything.

"Don't sleep." Nabooru says in her calmest voice. "You seem in complete control of your facilities when you're awake and since you don't need to sleep just stay awake."

An interesting suggestion, but I'm not totally convinced that'd solve all of my problems. Why am I not convinced? Easy, what Farore and Din neglected to tell me is that I'm still attached to the gods. I can sever my "strings" with them at any point, but as long as I'm on this side, the strings will reattach if I let them do so. That means, I can pass out after making love to her again if I'm not careful, which means I can end up with nightmares… and if you remember, I had a tendency to sleep fight back in the forest.

This all boils down to my mortal presets in a way. I'm so used to relying on them or the normal way of doing things until I'm the equivalent of a king puppet. After I stay up for so long, I start feeling as though I should go to sleep, which makes me more susceptible to the gods of sleep. And since I have no experience in stopping dreams, I'm wide open when it comes to manipulation by those who control that aspect of things. Fuck! It's like being on guard 24 hours a day. Factor in a family and your potential to hurt them, and it becomes doubly hard to deal with all of this.

It's kinda odd how I seem to realize this on my own and how Din's tale ended up being completely useless. I know; I know. She doesn't know what it is to hold my power or live on the side of reality where her people control things, so I can't blame her.

"I guess I'm just paranoid," I ramble after my silent duration. Nabooru smiles at this admission, though, the next part isn't going to be something she'll like hearing. "But for once, I finally need to be paranoid. I could've lost you today and as attractive as I find you, this really shows I should learn to leave well enough alone."

"Link, if it's about what… she said, don't worry. Even if I lost my soul, I'm sure you could've found it easily," she says a little too calm for my liking. This is growing more upsetting by the antagonizing minute, because something's inside of me that has let me think that I've been in control, and is now seeing fit to expose every possibility for me to mess up. Or maybe, I'm finally thinking things through without reacting out of blind arrogance… "Like they said, you do reign supreme."

"Look around you!" I yell forcefully, making her drawback. I quickly compose myself with a deep breath and start over. "I don't reign over anything. Come with me." I grab her arm-careful not to hurt it-and twist the world around us into an abyss of endless black. Her breathing amplifies until it sounds like a miniature hurricane is surrounding us. Perhaps if I can let her see what it is that I do, she'll understand my reasoning. Concentrating briefly, I illuminate our surroundings to reveal what you would think were fairies floating idly. They aren't fairies though-they're dimensions. Is this where she could've been sprinkled across? Here's a question for you: Do you think I would've brought us here if it weren't?

"What are these?" Nabooru asks, hesitantly reaching for one of the floating orbs of light only to have me stop her. Why did I stop her? Imagine a quake that shook all of reality. That's what'd happen inside of that realm if I allowed her to touch it.

"Each one of these represents an alternate reality to that of our own. If I messed up my little experiment on you today, you could've been lost in any of these places." I expand my hand in front of us, which lights up even more of the multiple dimensions and shows their literal infinite ongoing. "And you're right, I could find you, but it'd take a virtual eternity."

Taking another deep breath, I realize that I've made my point. Releasing the hold on the world around us, we shift back onto our island. It's apparent that Nabooru's a little stunned as am I by my sudden knowledge of such things. A few hours ago, I didn't even know that place existed. The next minute, I not only know of its existence, but I can tell you what's happening in each plane of existence within that place. I can't truly put words to it, but if you can imagine what's it like to know every possibility and outcome to every single person's every single choice… you wouldn't be close to my level. I think my knowledge is expanding or at the very least, I'm tapping into a deep trench of knowledge that was inside of the Triforce. I shake my head to slow my thinking down, bringing things into contrast as I only see my thoughts now.

"You're scared, aren't you?" she asks, after a very long moment of silence and watching me fidget for the first time.

"Yes" -I admit- "I went so far trying to make sure none of them could ever hurt us again, you know? But then I ended up bringing on the same danger that I wanted to prevent. It was bad enough trying to deal with this when it was my own power; I should've known stacking the deck this much with his would have big consequences." My emotions are slowly calming, as Nabooru sits in the sand and pulls for me to join her.

"I think I understand, Hero or I'd like to think I do. It's as you said: "It isn't necessary to use your power because you have it." And knowing your feelings for me, I shouldn't have tried to manipulate you via them like that…" she silences, as I put my hand on her knee.

"You didn't know. Hell, I didn't even know, but this whole situation has me a little edgy. Not edgy, but full blown seeing things that I normally don't see." Sitting here with the sun setting behind her, I know Nabooru knows what I'm thinking. "You know I can't make this type of mistake again… that I won't make this type of mistake again. This isn't like walking around with a sword and no knowledge on which to use it…"

"Actually, it is," she interrupts. "It's like being the only one with a sword and the ability to kill anyone at any time…"

"Yet you don't. You have the sword, but you know you don't have to use that ability or that sword…"

"Exactly," she interjects into our circle of words. "Your sword is just bigger now and you kill more people with it, but the same principle applies. So, do you still think you need thirty years to arrive at the same conclusion?" Nabooru says with an unmistakable plea… pending you can sift through her monotone voice and find it.

"Is three months really that long of a time to wait, in light of the end of the world or existence?" Let's see how she likes having difficult questions lobbed in her direction.

"I can survive without you for three months, if that's what you mean," she answers smoothly though with a hint of something in her voice. "But this is thirty years for you. Things change in that amount of time… people change… feelings change." Her eyes burn through me with that look of need and silent begging, leaving me helpless.

"What do you honestly think will happen?" Great, another question. Not just a question, but a very stupid one to boot. Nabooru draws her knees into her chest and stares at me, cautiously choosing her words to put a proper feeling to her answer. I sit in idle mode, bracing for the impact of a voiced concern of me falling out of love with her and trotting off with some goddess. "You're the only one who wants me. Despite what could go on there, you're the only woman I want and need. Thirty days or thirty years, I'll still love you when this is done." I add for reassurance and sincerity.

I move towards her, needling her out of the protective ball she's in and lay back with her against the sand. Nabooru drapes her right arm and leg over my right side, startling me when I realize her new size.

"I know… or at least I want to know. I mean, I finally get you… marry you and then 'Poof!' You have to leave me again. I want my man… my husband with me, and for some reason or another, I can't keep you," she says with an unmasked bitterness. "It's not like I never expected to go from time to time without seeing you, but this is just too much…" A poorly concealed sob touches my hearing, making my stomach curl in on itself.

"Sssh, I'll work something out." I say gently, pulling her onto my chest and holding her, while stroking her back to make her tears stop. "Incremental stages or something where I come home after every couple of years there-how does that sound?"

I materialize a handkerchief for my wife's teary eyes, which she accepts with muffled thanks. All this pain and hurt, for what? My own prejudices and fears of being trapped as the 'Puppet of Time', that's what. I should've killed dear old dad and let that been good enough, but no. I play the role of paranoid boyfriend and overdo the protection thing. How could I have been so stupid?

I suppose his fanatical supremacy rants did influence me in some of this, only for the purposes of being safe and manipulation free though. After all, if my power blended with his gained the ability to rule everything, it should work in reverse; so being physically stronger than everything meant nothing could harm anyone I ever cared about again. Except me. I didn't factor myself into the equation. And now here we sit, reaping the potential penalty for my error.

"It sounds fine, Hero." Nabooru says, after a quiet minute. "Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks for dying, screwing up our honeymoon, and oh yeah, thanks for the random appearances of your invisible relatives." My sarcasm vents itself to add into the chaotic pool that is our life. "Sorry, I'm just a little upset right now."

"I know," Nabooru says with understanding, propping her head up to face me on my chest. Nah, the elbow digging into my chest isn't painful at all actually. I stare into her eyes for a long while after that, slowly rubbing my hands over her back. "And me blubbering like a baby isn't helping…" she begins, only to have me rest a gentle kiss upon her lips. Ever receptive to my touch, a shy smile spreads across Nabooru's lips as I silently shake my head to dissuade her from placing any blame on herself.

"You know, you're going to have to relearn how to walk now," I add, obviously trying to change the subject.

"What makes you say that?" she asks, though, I can tell she's keeping the real situation in mind. "I stood perfectly fine."

"The fact that you've just grown five inches taller in a matter of minutes," I respond rather seriously. "There's a big difference between standing and walking. And believe me, when you grow that suddenly walking becomes very problematic. I'll bet you can't walk four steps without falling."

Raising the argumentative eyebrow, Nabooru raises to her feet to prove me wrong. "We'll see about that," she says in predicted triumph.

Three… two… one…

"Ah!" She made two steps before falling face first into the sand. Rolling over to face me, she says, "Well?"

"Well, what?" I ask, keeping an innocent smile on my lips as she stares angrily at me.

"Don't just sit there, help me!" I stand up while chuckling despite myself, watching her spit out grains of sand. I extend my hand and pull her to her feet. We pause as that odd tingle runs through us like it did in her room that morning. I can't help but notice how close her face is to mine now. Nabooru seems to notice it too, as the redness in her cheeks begins to illuminate under my scrutinizing gaze. "What… why are you looking at me like that?" she asks sheepishly.

"Kind of like the old days; you being so close and all." I reply, definitely remembering how close our old heights were and how accessible she seemed to me back then. She nods, looking up at me with those beautiful, golden eyes, recalling the same feelings herself.

"Yeah," she murmurs, sighing deeply as I thumb away the sand on her face. I literally feel the blood… light… whatever it is that fuels me, begin to boil in response to being this close to her again. Odd how horny I seem to feel with her this in my face all of a sudden. Maybe this may not have been so (physically) bad after all. The intensity of our eyes continues, as I began to dab the sand from her lips. The sand easily dusts away, yet my thumb continues to trace the contours of her lips, admiring their soft-firmness. She takes the tip of my thumb into her mouth suddenly, spinning her tongue around it in a most desired of ways. My restraint loses its hold, enough so that I nearly yank my finger from her lips. Instead, I inch my thumb from between them, grazing it down her chin before I tilt my head forward and seal my lips to hers.

My hand trails slowly to the nape of her neck, in much the same way hers does mine, holding her perfectly still. Her lips part slightly, edging her tongue between them to trace the outline of my lips. You have no idea how much I like that. I decide to play, as she begins to nibble my lower lip affectionately. Twining my right arm around her waist, I edge my hand into her pants, giving her ass a squeeze. Nabooru moans into my mouth then, letting me know my work wasn't unnoticed. Of course, I up the intensity by allowing my middle finger the courtesy of tracing between her muscled ass cheeks, stopping only when I reach the swollen lips that I always seek when we're together.

"Mmm, Link!" she whispers sharply into my mind, unconsciously lifting her leg to allow my fingers better access. I assist her by removing my left hand from her neck and holding her right leg, as she holds onto my neck and pumps against my fingers. With her hands locked behind my neck, I use what little of my fingers that penetrate her to bring my name from within her again.

"Uh… nice," I sigh, feeling her hands come free of my neck and begin to stroke me through my tights. Nabooru looks up with a half grin, before her eyes shut and the moans continue. I grunt again as my dick begins to twitch for his share of the action, causing my fingers to speed up their exploration of her exceptionally tight walls with my fingertips. It's all that I can do not to beat myself off-so I begin to kiss gently at her throat. She moans my name in that enchanting way throatily laughing as my dick begins to drum against her palm.

"C-C-Can we… out here… mmmm, please?" Shortly, I ignore her question. Sucking intently on a part of her neck that makes her grind-or at least attempt to grind-against me.

"We can do it wherever you'd like." I mumble against her collarbone, kissing wetly downward until I reach her cleavage. With a slight shift in her weight, Nabooru slowly unbuckles the belt in my tunic. I begin to lose pace with my hand at her crotch in face of her hand sinking into my tights. My breath stalls as the unbelievable heat of her hand surrounds my shaft, jerking base to head in a rhythm that causes my hand to leave her pants entirely.

"Glad to see this wasn't a mirage," Nabooru comments slyly, squeezing her "this" to make sure I get the implied meaning. I shakily remove my lips from her cleavage and quirk an eyebrow, before applying my hands to her breasts. Her head drops forward, nearly panting like a dehydrated animal the moment my hands begin to knead her breasts. "I-I-I don't recall hearing anything about this level of sensitivity."

I smile broadly as my wife's hands stop to enjoy my ministrations. I allow my tongue to sink between her breasts, savoring that spicy cinnamon flavor that accompanies her skin. We fall to the sandy ground below, as she starts to tickle my neck with brief kisses and even briefer licks. Her hand leaves my dick-against my mumbled protests-while she arches away from my mouth. Nabooru looks down on me, panting and slightly flushed, but never the less smiling while unlacing my tunic.

"How do I look?" she asks suddenly, yet still undressing me. "Honestly, because I thought you'd appreciate a larger version of me… since I was so small…"

"You look gorgeous, as usual," I insure her taking hold of her hips. "And don't you dare try to make me feel guilty now. I love you either way; besides, you were never small to me…"

"Ha! The way you carried on earlier, I figured it would take at least three years to see dick or balls of you. And now look at us." I wonder if she'll ever quit screwing with the mental state of my dick. "Admit it: You're more attracted to the taller me, aren't you?"

"Fine, fine, I'm a sucker for tall women! Oh, no, you've found out my horrible secret! I was so afraid that I'd break you before, but now, now, I can fuck you like a wolfos in heat without fear. It's true! I loathed you when you were five-foot-seven, but I can't resist the six-two you! Boo Hoo!" Okay, so my acting needs a little work, but I think she gets the point of how silly she's being, despite laughing uproariously at me. "I'm attracted to you-whether or not you're a few inches taller or shorter. I still like you for who you are, not what. But I will admit that I did miss being shorter, because you seemed closer to me then."

"Then why didn't you change your size then?" she asks, as I lift my arms for her to take my tunic off. For a moment, I content myself to look at her before answering the question.

"I don't know," I respond, watching her remove my boots. "I guess I like being tall."

"I see," she says cryptically.

"Especially since your feet used to dig into my lower back when we'd do it standing up; not to mention how cute you looked bouncing up and down on my lap. You seemed so vulnerable in a sense, and to tell you the truth, I enjoyed having you like that. Under me, on top of me, writhing around… moaning, screaming…." I've said too much, haven't I? Ah hell, I may as well finish since she's already blushing. "And I really love how cute you are when you blush like that."

"Stop," she giggles, as I rollover until I'm on top. "So you liked overpowering me?"

"Yep," I respond with lascivious smile to match hers. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"I'll tell you later," she whispers, pulling me into a kiss.

If you'll excuse me, I have work to do.