"Friends…earthlings…internet people…lend me your ears!" A deep breath is heard from the darkness.

"HIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!

"Now that I've shattered your eardrums, you have no choice but to read on, since sight is now your primary sense. Evil, right? Anyway, a few of you may know me. I am known around here as 'Foxpilot' because that's my penname. Don't like it? Meh, your problem.

As you may have read in the description, this story is for Reyser3000's ZeLink contest. I came up with the idea in the shower, only it was for Star Fox. Then, when I heard about this contest, I figured I could adapt it! Not that you need to know about these sorts of things.

"Anyway, this takes place a few years after Twilight Princess. The Mirror is shattered, the land is at peace, and there's love to be had for some. You'll understand more as you read, I hope. Anyway, why don't we have Impaz do the disclaimer?"

"Why me?"

"Nobody really talks about you. Just go for it."

"Foxpilot does not own Legend of Zelda except for the discs and data he bought and saved respectively. These are not used for copyright infringement and are not sold as originals. Suing Foxpilot is a foolish move, as he has very little money to take and barely has a life—."

"I think that's enough, thank you. Let it…Begin!"

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She was there. She was always there. When he had come, desperate for help and at wits end, she had been there. Even when she had disappeared into the Twilight, she had been there through his Princess. And when Ganondorf had threatened to trample him with his midnight-dark stallion, she was there to provide the light needed to escape the shadow of evil.

And when his Princess, the one he had become so fond of over the many weeks of travel, had fragmented the link between their realms, his world and hers, she had been there with him.

She had been there as he had lugged his body towards Telma's bar, pulling with all of her might to keep him from self-destructing. She had been there as his friends, who didn't understand his feelings, continued to pester him about his depression. "You saved us," they'd say. "You saved the world! There's no need to be down!" But there was: even though she had been beside him the whole time, his heart was in pieces, more shards than the Mirror would ever be in.

She had taken him in when he couldn't stand the look of the townspeople; had offered him peace, quiet, time…

…Privacy. That was what he had needed, and she had understood that. As he barricaded himself in the room she had lent him, he had let the emotions he had bottled up run free for days. And when a visitor had tried to come for him, she had driven them away. For days, a week, two weeks, a full month!

Finally, bone-thin from self-imposed fasting and exhausted from self-induced sleep-deprivation, he had let his body succumb to sleep. Even in his dreams, she was there, whispering words of encouragement and offering her presence to comfort his shattered and disturbed soul. And when he had awoken days later, she was there. She was asleep, covered in ink and paper from duties she had performed by his bedside rather than in the traditional place. Pieces of food, covered in her make-up, had embedded themselves in her skin, her clothes, and the bedspread; she hadn't left the room even to eat.

As time passed, he regained strength and spirit. He had taken up sword once more and promised to pull his weight; he had taken the position of night watchman for her, following her wherever she went from eerie dusk until the bright dawn. He knew she was really watching him; that she needed no "night watchman," but he didn't mind. He had his job and would protect his selfless benefactor with his life. There had been a number of exciting moments during this vocation; thieves desiring the treasures she kept and assassins of the disgruntled people, claiming that she was not deserving of her status. They had all been dealt with fairly, justice served by a stern but benevolent hand. And he was rewarded; smiles at first, then a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Then, one night, a kiss.

It was brief and sweet; at first he thought it was just the cumulative thanks for his constant service and consistent vigilance. It was only in the cheek, after all; no big deal. He had shared deeper with Ilia back home. But as he thought about it, staying up alone in the dark as she slept, he realized that he had developed an attraction to his benefactor. A crush.

Or…love?

He had taken a brief vacation to go home to talk to the one person who could help him. He had been a father figure for as long as Link could remember—he couldn't recall his true parents, if they had been around at all. This man, by the name of Rusl, had helped raise him from infancy and was the one person Link could trust his feelings to.

Rusl had been a kind person for all the years Link had known him. He would never hurt anything unless there was an urgent need. He had never betrayed Link, the "wolf incident" notwithstanding, and would never go back on his word without due cause.

And that held true here, as well. Rusl, who had lived many a happy day with his wife, Uli, was full of advice. They had talked long into the night and when the truth had finally surfaced, he was not hateful or critical. Rusl, despite expressing doubts at Link's choice of mates, still gave the young Hero of Twilight his best regards and tips. And when Link returned to his job, he had followed Rusl's council.

Sixteen months had passed since that day. And now the entire country was abuzz. Rumors were spread, disputed, and replaced faster than the Hyrulian Royal Guard could shoot a volley of arrows. Link was in the center of it all, walking through the town, parcel in hand. Villagers stopped and stared, glancing at the small load in his hand that was getting heavier with each step. As he presented himself at the gates, Link's heart hammered against his ribs as he contemplated the right words. Once he was allowed to pass, Link had to fight the urge to turn around and return the package; a difficult task as the impulse was growing with each step. But he finally managed to arrive at her door.

His knocking rang through the halls. Link was sure that he had awoken the angry spirits of their ancestors with three simple taps on the heavy oak door. As Princess Zelda had opened the portal, Link knelt down and pulled the ring out of bag he held. Its band was made of the purest gold, inlaid with rubies dug from the Goron mines. On top, a great diamond sat and glistened in the torchlight. It had been very costly, but it would be worth more rupees than he could find if she would only say—.

"Yes!"

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Now Link stood in the groom's tent. It had been about two years since that day. He smiled fondly as he adjusted his clothing. Enlisting mages to remove the charms on the Magic Armor had been Zelda's idea, and a great one at that. He had taken the cloth out of the headpiece, leaving his hair to stick up wildly, even comically, from the crown of the suit of enchanted mail. He had to admit that he looked amazing, even as his mind wandered to the one part of the ceremony he was unsure about. As he thought about it more, Link's nerves began to rattle; he feared that they would break out of his skin in minutes. Link snuck a look outside of the tent. It was almost the agreed upon time! Drawing his head back in, the hero, the king-to-be, began to pace around the small room. After several moments, he had decided.

Sticking his head out of the tent once more, Link took the opportunity to make for the gates of the castle.

He didn't even notice as one set of eyes followed him. These eyes preceded the body, as one of Link's oldest friends dashed out after him.

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It was almost time for the ceremony. Rusl made his way toward Link's tent to let the young man know. As the aging warrior made his way across the field, he shook his head in wonder. Link, the King of Hyrule! First, the hero of the village children; then, the hero of the land; now this! Though Rusl didn't understand the finer details of Link's perilous adventure over four years ago, he knew that Link had done something incredible for the kingdom. As it was, the official Ordon defender, soon to retire as his son, Colin took over, was utterly amazed by Link's life. And Link had honored him among all people to be the best man! This would certainly be a day to remember.

Rusl lightly knocked on the tent's door-flap. "Link, it's almost time for the ceremony." Rusle was graced with no answer. "Link, you alright in there?" Still nothing. Maybe the hero had fallen asleep from all of the heat? Rusl opened the tent flap and entered.

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Bong! Bong! Bong-bong! Bong! Bong! Bong-bong! Zelda looked up as the tailors put the finishing touches on her regal wedding dress. At first, she wondered why the bells were ringing. It couldn't be time to close the shops in town already, could it? Though most of the country had travelled to see the proceedings, several entrepreneurs still kept their stalls open in hopes of catching new clients.

It slowly dawned on Zelda that she had heard this pattern before in her teachings. It was a very special code, devoted to telling the citizens of Castle Town one thing:

The groom had vanished.

This had happened a lot in Hyrule's history. Whether the man in question was captured by a wizard, had been teleported by a forgotten charm, or simply run out for no given reason, this occurrence was common enough to warrant its own code.

Zelda leapt off of the stool she stood on, surprising the dressmakers, who had their sewing materials ripped out of their hands. Ignoring the needles that punctured the dress and pricked her shins, Zelda ran for the gates to the castle in the hopes of catching her man-to-be.

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Link heard the bells and the cries of the princess as he made his way through the town. The burg was mostly empty; the only passers-by were the random ragamuffin and the penniless beggar. Link knew he should go back and explain his absence, comfort his bride and love, but he couldn't. Not yet.

He wasn't ready.

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"If you think I'm leaving off there, you need to brush up on the term 'hopeless romantic.' I'm fairly sure you'd find my penname nearby. In short, this is NOT OVER!

"Reyser has requested that these be longer than oneshots, so I am making this longer than one chapter. This is certain to be two chapters, possibly three. It depends on what I come up with.

"I'm actually rather satisfied with this work. But what do you think? Bearing in mind that the story has yet to be completed, make your own judgements."

"You make me look like a real jerk, you know that?"

"And I seem like a helpless damsel!"

"Uh…heh…um…ooh boy. Eh, Link, Zelda, please step back a bit. All will be explained in due time. You don't have to get all mad about it, you know?

"I'll end this so I can explain a few things to the stars. Ciao chow, folks."