My true treasure

by Fox McCloude

The day before Zelda's coming-of-age ceremony, Link takes her to spend some time together at Papuchia. There they will find a treasure, in more than a sense. ZeLink oneshot, set 7 years after Spirit Tracks, with references to Phantom Hourglass. Cover image made by Telinkfan1 in Deviantart.

My true treasure

By Fox McCloude

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.

---

Hyrule Castle…

Princess Zelda was sitting before her desk, her right hand held a quill doodling around on a piece of scroll, and her head resting on the left one, with a boring and sleepy expression. The old professor was rattling on and on nonstop, as he wrote a lot of unintelligible things on the blackboard. His already boring and tiring lecture felt even worse because they had spent the whole week reviewing it time and time again, to the point she had fully memorized it by heart, and she saw no point in having to do the same thing again.

- *Ahem*, Your Highness. – The professor spoke up, giving a few taps on the desk with his cane.

- Huh? Yes, Professor? – Zelda asked, just as she had awakened from her trance.

- If you were so kind to give me your full attention… -

- I apologize. – She said, trying to pretend she was paying attention.

Zelda couldn't concentrate on the lesson at all, not when her head was lost in space, occupied in other thoughts. Thoughts having to do with a certain young engineer who daily passed in front of her castle just to say hello to her.

- Link… - She suddenly whispered.

Flashback: A week before…

- I'm really sorry. I cannot attend. –

- Link, is it really necessary for you to make that trip now? –

- Zelda, I've been preparing for the whole season. –Link said. – If I don't go now, I'll have to wait for another year to have another chance. –

- But Link, please understand. – Zelda said. – It's my coming-of-age ceremony. It will be the only one in my life, and I want you to be there. Look, more than the ceremony itself… it's for my birthday, since we met you have always been there. –

- Yeah, I know, it's important for you, and so it is for me. – Link said. – But I can't escape this. That's the trouble of being both an engineer, and a soldier. The training trip is obligatory for all of the soldiers, and you know it. –

- Link, I thought we were friends… best friends. – Zelda said, making emphasis on the last part.

- Of course we are. Believe me, I'd do anything to attend, but you're aware that I can't escape my responsibilities. –

- For the Goddesses… why did they have to make the training trip precisely now? – Zelda said. – Listen… perhaps I could convince the captain to postpone it for a bit, so… -

- No, don't even think about it. – Link stopped. – That would be improper; they might think you're taking advantage of your position just for a whim. –

- A whim? – Zelda said. – Link, you're calling it a whim, but you don't even understand how I feel. –

- What's that supposed to mean? Listen, just like me, you have your own responsibilities, and sometimes we have to make sacrifices to fulfill them, and you know it. –

- I see… so you care more about your responsibilities than you care about me, right? – She said, feeling tears of anger going up to her eyes.

- What? Hey, hold on, I didn't say that, I just… -

- No, don't say anything. – Zelda interrupted him. – I will turn 18 years old, I will become an adult. Now I think about it, this was no more than a stupid childish wish. –

- Zelda, you got it all wrong, I didn't mean to… -

- You better take your leave now. – Zelda said, turning around so that he wouldn't see her cry. – You have many things to do, you shouldn't be wasting your time with me. –

- Zelda. – Link placed his hand on her shoulder, but she brusquely pushed it away.

- Leave me alone. – She said, her voice sounding broken. – Go, I want to be alone. –

- But… -

- I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE! – This time she yelled out loud, and was unable to hold back her tears anymore.

Link wanted to say something, but upon seeing her in such mood, he couldn't do anything but to obey her order. He left and closed the room's door, and immediately Zelda dropped herself on her bed, burying her face in a pillow which soon became completely soaked with her tears.

End of Flashback.

Looking back now, Zelda felt guilty for saying those things, and for mistreating him like that. A part of her mind tried to convince her that her reasons to be upset were valid to a certain extent, after all, he was her best friend and she wanted him to be present at her coming-of-age ceremony. That was important to her. But he had his own life, and his own responsibilities, and that was something she couldn't change. She couldn't be so selfish. No matter how she looked at it, that didn't justify having yelled and dismissing him from her presence like that.

- Fine, I think that's enough for today. – The old teacher said. – We shall continue the lesson tomorrow, Your Highness. I'd recommend you to review everything we saw today. –

- Huh? Yes, yes, of course. – Zelda replied, as she tried to hide the fact she was just brought back from her thoughts. The professor burrowed his brow, but he had to let her go, after all, the time of the lesson had concluded.

As she walked towards her chambers, Zelda's mind was set on one single thing, and it wasn't reviewing her lesson. Admitting to herself, the actual reason she became mad at Link was because she intended to use her coming-of-age ceremony as an opportunity. It was true that all those adventures they had together brought them really close to the point of becoming the best of friends, but as the years passed, Zelda's feelings towards him matured and changed, becoming stronger and deeper. Her heart was no longer satisfied with having him just as a friend. She wished for something more than that.

- "The least I should do would be giving an apology to him." – She thought, as she entered her room. – "I shouldn't have treated him like that. Alright, it will be the first thing I'll do when I see him. –

Yes, first thing would be giving him a proper apology. She just had to wait until she saw him. Although, for some reason, she had the feeling it would be harder to do than it sounded in her mind.

---

A few days later…

Link did not show up at the castle for the following days, so Zelda didn't have a chance to apologize as she planned. The Princess was getting distressed over it, because at that rate, Link would be gone in his journey and she wouldn't see him for an entire month, and the last thing she wanted would be that they separated being at odds with each other. In a couple of occasions, she felt tempted to sneak out of the castle and go to his village by herself to apologize in person, but in the end she was unable to bring herself to. However, she had to do something, and fast.

As the sun was rising, only one day separated Zelda from her eighteenth birthday. The Princess was still in her bed sleeping peacefully, until she was awakened by some tapping on her window.

- Hmm… - She lazily opened her eyes. Looking at the clock on her wall, she realized she had been awakened one and a half hour early: it was 6:00 am. – What's happening? It's too early. –

The tapping continued, and Zelda tried to ignore it by covering her head with her pillow. She didn't want to answer until the tapping sound stopped and instead she heard a very familiar voice.

- C'mon… Zelda, if you're awake please tell me… -

- Hmm? – Zelda left the pillow aside, and then approached the window to listen.

- Zelda? Say something if you're listening. Aw come on, I know you have light sleep. – The voice was unmistakable.

- Link? Is that you? – She immediately knew it was him. She knew his voice very well, and besides, who else would have the nerve to wake her up like that?

- Zelda? At last. – He said. – Will you open the window? We need to talk. –

- Give me a minute. –

As she was only wearing her nightgown, she took a sleeping coat on a hanger and put it on. Besides, since she had just woken up her hair was all messy and entangled, so she tried to comb it as best as she could before opening the window. She couldn't blame him if he was upset at her. She wasn't fully sure about what to say upon seeing him, but at least, she could now apologize to him.

However, when she opened the window, Link seemed as high-spirited and cheerful as usual. One could say they never had had that argument.

- Morning. – He greeted her. – Sorry I came like this, but I really needed to talk to you. –

- So did I. – Zelda said, trying to smile back at him. Gathering up her courage, she went straight to the point. – Link… about what I said before… I was just too angry, believe me, I didn't mean to… -

- Ah, let bygones be bygones. I'm not mad at you. – He interrupted.

- Well, you should be. – She said, embarrassed. – I was being too selfish, I didn't even consider that you too have your own life. –

- No, you were right. – Link said. – The coming-of-age ceremony only comes once in life, doesn't it? Obviously you want all of your close friends to be present. And believe me, I'd give anything to attend, but… –

Zelda remained silent. That wasn't exactly as she planned to apologize, but at least they were no longer at odds with each other, and Link did understand her feelings after all.

- Well, I thought that, if I can't attend, I should at least do something to make up for it. – Link said upon noticing Zelda waited for him to continue. – I thought we could… I don't know; go on a little escapade somewhere for today. –

- Escapade? – Zelda's heart skipped a beat. If she didn't know better, she would think that by saying "escapade" Link meant something else, perhaps a somewhat indecent proposal, although part of her didn't find it unpleasant.

- What I mean is, we can ride the train to go somewhere. – Link said. – I could take you anywhere you want, so we can spend some time together, before I have to go. It's the least I could do for my best friend. –

His best friend. Zelda couldn't help but feel that her heart deflated a bit. If only he knew, if he knew that she was no longer satisfied with being only his "best friend". Nevertheless, maybe this could be a good chance. If she couldn't do it in her coming-of-age ceremony, maybe she should do it before, instead of waiting for him to come back from the training trip. As the saying goes "a stitch in time saves nine". And in that very instant, she remembered a small promise he had made to her years ago, and he had yet to fulfill. But she took her time in pondering about it, and Link was starting to get impatient.

- So? If you don't want to, please tell me at once. Alfonso's waiting for us. – He said after a while.

- Well… how about you take me to Papuchia? – She said.

- Papuchia? – Link was a tad surprised. Going so far from the castle?

- You know, we're in the middle of summer, and the place is perfect. – Zelda said. – I remember you promised me years ago that we would go together for a swim there someday, am I mistaken? –

- That is… - Link blushed slightly. Of course he remembered that promise… vaguely, since Zelda had not mentioned it again. But the idea of going for a swim with the Princess of Hyrule… he seemed to like it as much as he felt nervous about it. – Well, but Papuchia is a bit far from here. We would take all day long to come and go. Don't you prefer going somewhere closer? –

- You said you would take me anywhere I want. – Zelda pointed. – Well, I want to go to Papuchia. Since I met you, you've always kept your promises. –

- Well, yes, but… does it have to be now? –

- Link… - Zelda placed her hands on her hips, taking a somewhat authoritarian attitude. He had offered himself, and he couldn't take it back now.

- *Sigh*, alright, I'll take you to Papuchia. – Link said, resigned. Anything to please her.

- Thank you. – In a split second, Zelda regained her radiant smile, and saying no more, she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. – Just let me get everything ready, OK? I'll see you at the platform. –

Link left the room. Just as Zelda closed the window, she couldn't help but touch the cheek where Zelda had kissed him. Well, she was quite fond of such gestures, because as he quite well remembered, in the very moment she recovered her physical body, the first thing she did was hugging him. For some reason, he sensed that Zelda had some specific motive to go to Papuchia with him, but whatever it could be it didn't matter to him. He would do anything to see her happy.

- For the Goddesses… what have I just gotten into? – He said, trying to hold back his laughter at "those" thoughts.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Zelda started rummaging her wardrobe, trying to find some summer clothes, something light and fresh for that hot and sunny weather of Papuchia. Although aside from that, she was looking for "something" more important.

- This will come in handy now. – She said to herself. – I wonder… will Link like it? –

The old professor and many others in the castle would say it would be "improper" for a princess to wear something like that, but if they were going for a swim, that was unimportant. It was the best she had for such an occasion, in more than one sense.

---

A bit later…

The young couple was aboard the train, inside the passenger wagon, while Alfonso was at the locomotive. In such a fortified castle one would think it would be virtually impossible for Zelda to sneak out unseen by the guards, but the young princess had more than enough experience in that, since she and Link had done it quite a few times. None of them had spoken much during the journey, but Zelda was really impatient to reach their destination. She had done many things with Link before, but this was the first time she would go for a swim with him in a hot summer day, and she couldn't help but feeling a bit excited about it. Link on the other hand had decided to take a nap during the journey, and while Zelda felt somewhat tempted to wake him up, to at least have someone to talk to, she didn't want to disturb him. She was content just by looking at him, so peaceful and relaxed.

- Patience, Zelda. – She whispered to herself. – We'll soon arrive. –

Having nothing else to do, Zelda walked across the wagon, wishing time would pass faster. Suddenly, she noticed something on one of the deck compartments. Filled with curiosity, Zelda climbed on the seat, and upon seeing it closely, she noticed it was a small wooden case full of holes. She took it to examine it, and she heard some noises as though there was something alive inside. As she wondered what could be inside, she opened the case, and a second…

- AAAAAAAAAAAH! – Zelda screamed, throwing away the box, and accidentally pulling the emergency stop cord.

- Aack! What's happening? – Link exclaimed, almost having a heart attack due to the sudden scream. – Zelda, you alright? –

- A mouse, a mouse! – Zelda cried out again, trembling and hugging herself on top of the seat she was standing on.

- What, a mouse? Where is it? – Link asked.

- It went that way! – Zelda screamed, terrified. – Catch it, I'm begging you, please catch it! –

Link looked below the seats, trying to find the mouse. It was probably the pet of a kid who left it in the train by mistake, and then he understood. Since he knew her, Zelda always had had an irrationally huge fear of mice. He still didn't understand why, as he thought they were mostly harmless. Alerted by the emergency cord, Alfonso stopped the engines, and he ran off towards the passenger wagon to see what happened.

- What's the matter, is there any problem here? – The engineer asked, and then he saw Zelda trembling on top of the seat, and Link on all fours on the floor trying to find the rodent.

- Nothing to worry about, Alfonso. – Link spoke, still looking below the seats. – Just a little mouse. Maybe somebody left it here. –

- Those brats. – Alfonso said upon understanding. – I've told them not to leave their pets here, they're so irresponsible. –

The elusive rodent took quite a while to let itself be caught. Link managed to trap him with the case, and Alfonso took it with him to the locomotive so that Zelda could be at ease. As he left, Zelda put her feet back on the floor. Clearly she herself was quite embarrassed at her exaggerate behavior, for something as small as a mouse.

- I'm sorry. – She apologized, her cheeks flaring up. – Doing such a scandal for something like that. I didn't mean to alarm you. –

- Rest easy, it's nothing. – Link said, sitting next to her. – You never told me why you're so scared of them. –

- That's… that's something embarrassing. – Zelda said, looking away.

- Come on, you can tell me. – Link said. – I'm your best friend, am I not? –

- Hmm… - Zelda didn't want to recall that episode of her life. It was so uncomfortable and embarrassing, and she feared he would make fun of her. However, upon seeing his comprehensive expression, she finally decided to talk. – I was about four years old. I had gone to pry around at the kitchens. One of the cooks was chasing a mouse at the moment, and when it saw me, it went underneath my skirt, then ran up my leg, and… and… - She was unable to continue after that, and Link understood why.

- Wow, that must have been unpleasant. –

- Don't laugh at me. – She said. – It wasn't funny. –

- I'm not laughing. Hey, it's not such a big deal. – Link said.

- It's easy for you to say. – Zelda replied. – You're not afraid of anything, and I'm a scaredy cat. –

- You're wrong. – Link said. – You're the bravest girl I've ever met, and even the bravest ones are afraid or something. It's inevitable, we're just humans. And also, you're wrong by saying I'm not afraid of anything. –

- You're just saying it to make me feel better. –

- No, I'm not. – Link said. – With everything we went through seven years ago, there were many times I was afraid. Afraid that we wouldn't make it… and that I wouldn't be able to save you. –

Zelda had a hard time believing that. During the time she was torn apart from her physical body and traveled with Link to restore the sacred tracks of the kingdom, she never saw him showing fear or something, despite the many dangers he faced, sometimes all by himself as she couldn't do anything else but look without a physical body. However, she had always been told that being brave didn't meant having no fear at all, but facing your fears with determination and honor to do what you must. She decided not to ponder anymore on that, and somehow, Link's words helped her feel better with herself. Saying no more, she simply embraced him and cuddled into his chest, waiting until they reached their destination.

They remained silent for the rest of the trip. They got off the train once they arrived at Papuchia. Zelda carried a couple of lunch boxes for both of them, as they both planned to stay there all day long. Alfonso told them he'd come to pick them up at nightfall and then left, leaving them alone. And that was exactly what Zelda wanted.

- Well… we're here. – Link said, a bit hesitant. – Now what? –

- Isn't it obvious? – Zelda said. – What did I say we would come to do here? –

- I know, but it's just… -

- If you want, we can just find a more… private place. –

- Why do I have the feeling that was what you wanted in the first place? – Link said, crossing his arms.

- Do you have any objections? – Zelda replied.

- No, but… -

- Then let's go. –

Zelda grabbed his arm, and ran off towards the seashore. Link finally resigned himself, Zelda just wanted to have a good time with him, and of course he was willing to do anything to make her happy. It would be best to stop pondering so much about it and enjoy the moment. He had offered to take her anywhere, and there was also that promise he made to her, and since he had to fulfill it sooner or later, what was the point in waiting?

- How about a race forward to that small island and back here? – Zelda suddenly asked.

- You don't waste any time, do you? – Link replied.

- What's the matter, are you afraid I could beat you? – She challenged him.

- I don't spend much time in the water, I don't know about you. – Link said.

- Come on, it will be fun. That's why we came here, after all. –

- Alright, since you insist. Let's do it quick. – Link replied in resignation.

Zelda smiled. Saying no more words, she untied the straps holding the dress she was wearing; it slid down her body to the ground, revealing that "something" she had so well-concealed in her wardrobe. Link was left astounded at the sight before him. He had always thought Zelda was a really beautiful young woman, but he had never seen her like that. Underneath the dress she was wearing a strapless, one-piece swimsuit which really highlighted her slender figure. It was purple on the upper part and blue on the lower one. If it wasn't enough, it was adorned with golden laces and some gemstones, something really befitting a princess like her. Zelda turned around, and felt quite satisfied upon seeing the expression in Link's face.

- Do you like it? I had been keeping this especially for today. –

- Wow. – Was everything the boy could say, mesmerized at such beauty.

- So? Do you like it or not? – Zelda asked again, although she very well knew the answer.

- Of course I like it, you look amazing. – Link said. – Surely that old professor of yours would get a heart attack if he sees you like this. –

- No doubt. – Zelda said. – Well, I'm ready, what about you? –

Link gulped down at this. There was no turning back now. Admitting it to himself, it was kinda embarrassing, but if Zelda had changed in front of him with no concern, who cared if he did the same thing? And there was no point in going for a swim wearing the uniform. He stripped down to a pair of light green underpants, and Zelda had to contain a sudden impulse of jumping over him upon seeing his well-toned muscular body.

- Here we go, let's swim! –

And so, they both dove into the water, Zelda was quite eager to start that little race to that little island and back. Link was not a bad swimmer, but Zelda really outmatched him, and Link couldn't help but wonder where and when did she learn swimming like that. In any case, he didn't feel bad for losing the race, and having entered into the water somehow made his inhibitions go away. With such a hot weather that day, there was nothing better than going for a swim, and soon he was having lots of fun as well. They both soon started splashing each other like small children, and competed on whom could dive in deeper or hold their breath underwater for longer. Even underwater, Zelda moved with such grace and elegance Link could almost swear he was seeing a mermaid, and upon coming out of the water, her wet hair sparkled with the sun so brightly Link was left speechless. Many would never dream of seeing her like that, there was much more in Zelda than met the eye. Normally she was a well-behaved, serious and modest princess, but in that moment, she was just a girl who wanted to have fun. Of course, Link knew that facet of her, a facet she would only show when she was with him.

- Hey look! It's Princess Zelda, and Link! –

- Yeah, it's them! –

A few kids had arrived, apparently they had the same idea of going for a swim, Zelda cheerfully greeted them, and invited them to join her and Link. With more people, the fun soon increased. The kids were surprised to see there the Princess of Hyrule, and she made them promise to "keep it a secret". The girl had a real gift to deal with little children. The kids stayed with them until they were called off for lunch. Zelda and Link continued diving by themselves for a while until Link himself told him he was getting hungry, so the couple finally got out of the water, and went to take their lunch boxes to eat.

Once they had their lunch, they sat below a palm tree to rest for a while, but in that instant, Link looked at Zelda, and noticed something off.

- Hey, Zelda, what happened to your necklace? –

- Huh? – Zelda touched her neck, and sure enough, she noticed her necklace was missing. – Oh no. It must have come loose when we were swimming down there. –

- I'll find it. – Link said.

- No, don't worry, I'll do it. – Zelda said.

- You sure? We've just eaten our lunch, maybe… –

- No need to worry, I won't take long. – Zelda said. – Meanwhile, you can rest for a bit. –

- Alright, as you wish. –

Zelda once again dove into the water, and looked around to find her necklace. It couldn't have sunk too deep; they were in a shallow zone. A few minutes later, she saw something shining in the bottom, so she swam in that direction. She felt relieved upon seeing it was her necklace, and she was about to go back up to the surface, when she noticed there was something else close by. It was a chest partially buried in the bottom sand. But upon looking closer, she was surprised upon noticing the lock was golden and it had engraved the royal family's symbol, including the Triforce. She tried to pull it off, but it was too stuck. She had to swim back up to the surface to breathe, and she immediately called out for Link.

- Link, you have to come with me! –

- Eh? My, that was a short rest. – Link said. – Did you find your necklace? –

- Yes, here it is. – She said, showing it to him. – But listen, I found a treasure chest down there; it has the royal family's emblem engraved. –

- What did you say? – Link immediately stood up.

- Come with me; please help me pull it off. –

They both swam back down, and Zelda guided Link to the place where she found the chest. Once they found it, Link too was surprised upon seeing the symbol, and stared at Zelda with an interrogating expression. Zelda nodded and gestured to him to help her pull it off. But even with their combined efforts they were unable to do it, and the position it was buried in made their task even more difficult. Trying to find something they could aid themselves with, Link picked up a couple of sharp stones he saw, he gave one to Zelda, and then they used them to remove the sand around the chest. It took them some time, but they finally managed to dig out the chest, and just in time because their air was faltering. They both swam back up to the surface, and threw it into the dry land, intrigued about its contents.

- So… how are we gonna open it? – Link asked.

- Allow me. – Zelda said.

Pointing at the lock with her finger, she let out a small energy spark. Link thought it was funny to see Zelda using her power for something like that. The fact was that it worked, and the lock broke in half, allowing them to open the chest. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing impressive inside, the contents were covered by a thick fabric. Upon removing it, they could finally see what was inside: an hourglass, and a splendid sword.

- Wow, would you look at this. – Link said, getting a hold of the sword to examine it. It probably had been underwater for decades, and yet it looked as though if had been recently forged. Upon holding it he felt an energy reminding him somewhat to that of the Lokomo Sword, but it was different, and the sword by itself looked different too, the hilt was blue and it had engraved what looked like a golden hourglass.

- This is… - Zelda took the hourglass, and examined it thoroughly. – Could this be…? –

- Zelda, do you know something about this? – Link asked, as Zelda looked at the sword, and then the hourglass again.

- I think so… yes, there's no mistake. – She suddenly said, smiling in excitement. – Link… we have just found the lost treasures of my ancestor Tetra! –

- What did you say? – Link didn't understand.

- I had only seen them in ancient engravings… but there's no doubt about it. – Zelda said. – This is the Phantom Hourglass, and that sword you have is none other than the Phantom Sword. –

- Really? Are they valuable or something? – Link asked.

- Of course they are. – Zelda said. – Over 100 years ago, when Tetra was still traveling across the seas, before founding our kingdom… several entries in her sailing journal relate that she was captured by a demon named Bellum who tried to steal her powers and life force. At that time, the man who would eventually become her husband saved her using a magical hourglass containing life energy converted into sand, and a sword forged with three rare and legendary metals. They decided to keep them both as heirlooms, but one day, they were attacked by evil pirates who tried to steal them, and they were lost in the commotion. –

- Wait… are you saying these are…? –

- Yes, they are, I'm sure of it. – Zelda said. – I can't believe we've found them. –

- Look, there's something else in the chest. – Link said.

In the bottom of the chest, there was a small picture frame hidden below the fabric. It had a very ancient photo, although amazingly well-preserved. It was a family portrait, showing a dark-skinned, green-blonde young woman, whom they both recognized as Zelda's ancestor, Tetra, holding a baby in her arms. The young man smiling next to her had one hand on Tetra's shoulder, while the other was tickling the baby. Link couldn't help but notice something odd upon seeing him.

- Is it my idea, or… he kinda looks like me? – He commented.

Zelda looked closely. Tetra's husband surely enough shared a physical resemblance to Link, particularly his blond, messy hair, and his attire, a green tunic with a floppy cap. Zelda also knew that the name "Link" appeared in several stories relating about legendary heroes, and many of them had come to have close relationships with her lineage. Of course, she knew it was just a coincidence, because Link had been named after the heroes of such stories. However, she couldn't help but admit it was curious that her ancestor had become attracted to a legendary hero named "Link", just like her. It was in their blood, apparently.

- Why are you staring at me like that? – Link asked upon noticing the strange way Zelda looked at him.

- It's nothing. – She said. – We should keep these. We shall take them back to the castle when Alfonso comes back. –

- As you say. – Link said.

They both stored the hourglass, the sword and the picture inside the chest. They still had quite a few hours before the engineer came to pick them up, so they could still have some fun for a while. However, Link was still thinking about it. Years before, when he went to visit Grandpa Niko dressed in the soldier uniform he had said something like "You remind me of an old friend". Apparently, the uniform for the Hyrulean soldiers had been standardized that way in memory of Tetra's husband. Link didn't know exactly how old Grandpa Niko really was, but he knew quite a bit about what had happened before the founding of the kingdom. Almost as if though he had lived it…

---

At sunset…

After so much fun, Link and Zelda were so tired they thought the best way to end the day would be watching the sunset together, as they waited for Alfonso to come back for them. So, the two of them sat on the edge of the pier to watch as the sun went down behind the sea. A beautiful sight and they had it all for themselves, because in that moment most people had gone back to their homes.

- It's been an amazing day. – Zelda commented.

- I know. We really need to come here often. – Link said.

- I wish this day never ended. – Zelda added.

- If that happened, your birthday would never come. –

- Yes, but, what I'm trying to say is … -

- I know what you're trying to say. – He interrupted her. – But don't worry. When I come back, we'll have plenty of time to do this, and more. Besides, we managed to find those lost treasures. –

- I know. – Zelda said with a smile. – But I already had found my own treasure, long ago. –

That was true. She greatly treasured each and every moment she spent with him, and this would be no exception. It would be hard having to say goodbye the next day, even if it was only temporal. However, with all the things she wanted to tell him, Zelda felt she couldn't wait a whole month for him to come back. It was best to do it now. Discreetly, she moved in closer to Link, and placed her hand almost touching his.

- Time surely flies by… I can't believe it's been seven years since we met. – Zelda said.

- Yeah. – Link said. – So many things have happened. And to think that was just my first day as an engineer. I never thought I would end up… -

- Becoming a hero and saving the entire kingdom. – Zelda completed. – Or rather, the world. –

- It wasn't just me, remember? You were there with me all the time. I wouldn't have done anything without you. – Link corrected.

- You gave me back my body. – Zelda pointed. – Really, you have no idea how scared I felt. There were times I feared I would never go back to normal, that I would never be able to touch… to feel again… –

- Really? – Link asked.

- Really. But… - She looked at him and smiled. - … you never gave up. You were there, with me, and that gave me strength. I knew that as long as you were with me everything would be alright, and we would make it. –

- I felt the same. – Link said. – When that fiend stole your body, I felt so hopeless for not being able to do anything. To be sincere… in that moment I was more concerned about you than Hyrule. You were the person I wanted to save the most. –

They both remained silent. Zelda placed her hand in her chest, feeling as her heartbeat sped up in excitement. She knew it, she always had known that Link also harbored deeper feelings for her. Or maybe, she wished it were so.

- But everything was worth it, wasn't it? – Link said smiling back at her. – Should that never have happened, I would have never known you as I've done. And we wouldn't be the best of friends now. –

- And… what if I told you that I consider you more than just a friend? – Zelda said. – What if I told you that you're the most important and special person to me? –

This time, she placed her hand on Link's. It was so pleasant to feel the warmth. Maybe having been separated from her body helped her value something as simple as the sense of touch. And guided by that same impulse, Zelda raised her other hand towards Link's cheek to caress it gently. Link didn't fully understand why Zelda was doing that, but he didn't complain. Zelda's hands were warm and soft, her caresses were a pleasure and a privilege that only he could enjoy.

- Do you know what makes me happier about having regained by body? – She asked, looking into his eyes.

- What? – Link replied, although by looking at Zelda's eyes, it wouldn't take a genius to guess the answer.

- This… -

Zelda closed her eyes, and slowly approached towards him until their lips finally made contact. A bit inexpert at first, but soon the young couple had merged in a sweet and passionate kiss, letting all those feelings inside to finally flourish. Link did not put up any resistance, she allowed Zelda to guide him all the time, and when they finally separated to look at each other, none of them said a single word. After all, with that kiss, they wouldn't need words to express their feelings. Zelda cuddled into Link's chest, while he gently stroked her hair. It was an indescribable sensation, she was in her own sanctuary, a safe haven where she felt protected… and more importantly, where she felt loved.

- Zelda… - Link suddenly spoke up, bringing the young princess back from her thoughts. – I've been thinking… maybe I should really postpone the training trip. –

- What? Hey, Link, if you're still thinking about what I said before, there's not… -

- No, you were right. – Link interrupted her. – It's true, lately we haven't had much time to spend together. And it's your coming-of-age ceremony, I can't skip it. –

- But this is important for you. – Zelda said.

- Zelda, do you really want me to go? –

- No! But you shouldn't leave it aside just for a whim of mine. –

- Zelda, tell me the truth… you want me to stay with you, don't you? –

- I… Alright. Yes, I do, but… –

- Then why are you complaining? Besides… I too wanna stay here with you, always. –

- Link… hug me tightly, and never let me go. – Zelda said, clinging to him in a protective way.

- I'd never do that. – Link said, embracing her in the same way.

In that moment, the one and only wish in Zelda's heart was fulfilled: being always with Link. That was her true treasure, having him beside her as her best friend… and her love.

FIN.

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Author's notes:

What's up? Heh, you have no idea how long this story made my head spin. The idea came up almost after I reached Papuchia for the first time in Spirit Tracks, after that small "proposal" Zelda made to Link, you guys tell me, wasn't that great? I think it's superfluous to say it became my favorite Zelda game, and for OBVIOUS reasons. To be honest, while I was writing this I wasn't sure on how should I fill some of the holes, so in the end I decided to include some references to Phantom Hourglass. In case you're interested, the swimsuit Zelda wears here was published in a couple of drawings in my DeviantArt account. The first time I drew it I never thought it would come in handy *chuckles*. By the way, the trailers of Skyward Sword had given me many hopes for ZeLink in the game. I hope it becomes definitive.

Well, that's all. Bye!