Okay, this is my first Legend of Zelda fanfic, and was requested by one of my amazing friends who goes by the name of Floppyshop on deviant art, as thanks for a really sweet valentine she sent me back in February that I have been promising her since. So, thank you very much, and enjoy this one-shot.

I do not own any of Legend of Zelda

Snowpeak Mountain, Northern Hyrule

Zelda POV

I wake up, finding myself to be in a cold dungeon, laying on a flimsy mattress on the floor, my hand chained to the floor, and a rough, thin blanket only half covering my body, providing little warmth for me. As I sit up, a wave of dizziness washes over me, forcing me to lay back down, realizing the extreme amount of pain there is in my head. Putting my hand to my forehead, I feel a small bump just behind my hairline, where I must have been hit by the goblins that attacked me on my ride through Hyrule Field.

I hear the clashing of metal on metal, and the shriek of goblins as they are cut down by someone, who is shouting as they swing their blade through their foes. Finally, the shrieks end, and I hear the sliding of a sword being returned to its sheath, the tapping of heavy duty boots on the floor, approaching the door to the entrance of the dungeon. I quickly lay the way I was before, feigning sleep as the door swings open as the person breaks down the door with a slight grunt. I think I recognize their voice, but I just can't think of how I would know them. Their footsteps approach my cell door and pause, presumably as they see me laying 'unconscious' in such a horrible place.

A gasp, and a whisper, "Zelda?" I remember the voice, it's Link! I open my eyes and groan as I roll slightly to be able to face him. "Oh, by the goddesses, what happened?!" I struggle to push myself up, but can't find enough strength to do so. "Your Highness, try not to move, wait for a moment, alright? I have a key right here." Link opens the cell and rushes to my side, rolling onto my back again and looking into my eyes and at the bump on my head. While he is inspecting me, his hands are removing the shackle that is chafing my poor wrist.

"Link, what happened? Where are we? How did you find me?" I whisper, desperate to know what has happened.

He smiles gently and pulls out a glass bottle with some red liquid inside, which I recognize as a heart potion. He unstoppers it and holds it to my lips. "Drink some of this, then I will answer your questions to the best of my abilities." I take a deep breath, as I know how bad this potion tastes, but I need to take some, or I will have an even harder time leaving with Link. I take a couple of gulps before he is satisfied, as he helps me to sit up and lean against the wall a bit more comfortably than laying on the thin mattress. "Okay, so what would you like to know first?"

"Well, how did you find me here?"

He looks down, a bit sad, if I can still tell anything about him. "The palace guard found me at my house in Ordon when I was visiting home for the week, and seeing Colin's baby sister, for the first time. They named her Harmony, and she is the sweetest little girl. They found me and Rusl practicing in front of my house, and said that you had gone missing, and that the Zoras had been attacked by goblins again, without any particular explanation of why or how. They told me, and I went to see King Ralis to find out what happened, and he explained everything that had happened, then said that some of his warriors had seen several of the goblins carrying a large bundle through the passage to Snowpeak in the middle of the fighting. I thought that it was a bit odd, goblins missing out on a major fight to carry something up to the mountain. I would have been here several hours ago, but I had to find a way to retrieve the Master Sword and the Shadow Crystal, so that I would be able to survive the trip. I went to Faron Woods and found that skeleton boy waiting for me, and he gave me the crystal, saying Princess Midna left it in his possession in case I would be needing it for some odd reason or another. He took me to the sword and guided me out, then I came straight back to Zora's Domain, where I transformed into a wolf and picked up your scent off of a ribbon I found blowing in the wind."

"So you followed my scent here?"

"Yes. When I arrived I encountered a large group of the goblins, and decided to clear the place of them in case you were still here, just to be sure of your safety in the event I could try to get you out." I hear something clatter in the corridor outside the dungeons, making me flinch away from the sound. Link heard it too, as he whips his head around and puts his hand to his sword. "Princess, stay here, and keep quiet. I'll go see what it was really quick."

Not giving me a chance to nod, he walks out, pulling out his sword and placing his shield on his arm, walking out and leaving me alone to worry about him.

Link POV

I walk out of the dungeon containing Princess Zelda, more than a little concerned for the condition she is in rather than being entirely focused on finding the source of the noise. She just seemed so scared, confused, and disoriented that I just can't help but be worried about leaving her alone, even if it is just to be sure I can leave with her safely. It will be a difficult trip out with her being as wounded as she is, but if I can get her outside fast enough, I can transform into a wolf and carry her on my back quickly to Zora's Domain, and therefore to someplace that can treat her better than a simple potion can.

I hear the noise again and my instincts make me roll forward, just as a blade slices the air where my throat was just a second before. I turn to see a Dark Knight is the one attacking me, the heavy armor on his body making him a slower opponent, but I will have to perform a perfect helm-splitter attack if I do not want to give him a chance to speed up by knocking off all of his armor to make him vulnerable.

He turns to me, raising his sword to attack again, and I jump back as the blade swings down, letting it slice the air just a centimeter from myself as I leap into the air, spinning in the air over his head and letting the Master Sword shatter his headgear and his skull, a small arc of blood following the blade and splashing to the floor before all traces of his existence blacken and dissolve into dust over the floor.

"Let that be a lesson to whoever dares to harm the Princess." I stay for a few minutes where I am and calm myself as I listen to the light breeze flowing through the halls of the old mansion. When I hear nothing more that could threaten our safety, I sheath my sword, but keep my shield on my arm just in case I need to protect myself. I walk back to the cell where they were holding the Princess, hearing her heavy breathing that indicates she has fallen back asleep.

I crouch next to her, smiling as I tuck a stray strand of her hair behind one pointed ear before I pick her up, carrying her bridal style in my arms as I look for the living room I passed through while I was searching near the entrance. Laying her down on the plush couch, I take a look at the large pile of wood in the corner, noticing that it is very cold in here, and she is already cold enough. I grab a few logs and drop them in the fireplace, lighting them with a bit of the burning oil in my lantern, and managing to keep it going after a few more minutes. Being as careful with the couch as possible, I drag it a bit closer to the fire, which is already warming the cold atmosphere in here drastically, compared to the rest of the mansion.

I settle down to wait for her to reawaken, sitting on the floor and leaning back on the couch, pulling out a booklet that I found a while back, and have been working on translating from Twili to Hylian, as Midna had taught me a bit of her world's language while Hyrule was plunged into twilight by Zant and Ganondorf. I had never thought I would really be able to remember any of it, but here I am, translating something fairly simple.

Two hours pass before Zelda stirs again, but it is merely just to turn more towards the warmth of the flames. At least she is doing alright, and showing some signs of recovery.

Zelda POV

I wake up, warm and on something more comfortable than the mattress I found myself on earlier. I open my eyes to find a nice fire, then Link walking over to it, dropping a log into the center of it. He looks over and notices that I am awake again, and approaches me cautiously, with a look of relief and worry hovering over his features.

"How are you feeling? Any better?"

I smile and sit up easily. "Much better now, thanks. Do you think we can leave this place soon?" I ask him, hopeful that I can get home and reassure everybody that I am alright.

"Er, about that." He scratches the back of his head, a grimace on his face. "I could make the trip as a wolf, but there is a blizzard that just rolled in about an hour ago, and if I were to even attempt taking you out there, we would most likely not make it. This storm is getting pretty bad, so it looks like we will be stuck here for at least a day, as I don't like the idea of being in the open at night."

"Oh." My hope falls drastically, and I look down. "Hey, Link?"

"Yes?"

"What did you do after we saw off Midna at the Arbiter's Grounds?" I look up at him to see his thoughtful expression, recalling everything that happened once we parted ways.

He sits down on the floor in front of me, leaning back on his hands with his back to the fire. "Let's see, once I dropped you off at Hyrule Castle, I went back to the Sacred Grove to return the Master Sword to its pedestal, as I didn't think I would be needing it again. Once that was taken care of, I went to see the Zora's and learn how they fight and live. After that I went back to Goron Mountain to make amends for all the damage that was caused during the fighting during the twilight. I spent several weeks doing that and wrestling them." He laughs at the memory. "None of them were able to beat me, and I wasn't even using my iron boots during the fight!"

I laugh heartily along with him, highly amused that none of the mighty Gorons were unable to defeat the Hero of our time. "That must have been highly embarrassing to all of them!"

"Oh, if there had been anyone that wasn't a Goron there to watch, they would have never allowed another Hylian to enter their territory ever again!" We just continue laughing awhile longer before we settle down for him to continue the story. "Anyway, I stayed in Kakariko the whole time, and helped Renado and Luda with cleaning up the graveyard for a day, then I went home to see everybody again, and helped out with the ranch again. That's when the guards came for me."

"Wow, you were fairly busy then, huh?" I smile, knowing that he was trying to make up for all the trouble he caused everyone when he was trapped in his wolf form.

"Yeah, to say the least. It made me feel better, since everything that has happened." He grins at me. "So, Princess, what have you been up to? I noticed that the Castle was intact when I brought you back and was wondering how that happened."

I blush lightly at his expression. "Well, the goddesses decided that since the Triforce of Power is what destroyed the Castle, they would repair it for us, which I have thanked them for in my nightly prayers to them." I smile. "Once I got started on the work there, things got a little crazy. Nobles were complaining constantly to me, due to the problems they encountered due to the initial attack and poor relations with the Gorons. I never had so many headaches before, even when there was a scandal that almost led to a feud between two of our most prominent noble families over a marriage contract that created false rumors around the Castle."

He whistles. "Now that is insane."

"Yeah, and I just managed to get enough free time to go for a ride today because I finally managed to make them get over it. That's when the goblins abducted me, and now here we are." I shake my head. "I just never thought we would be dealing with the aftershocks of the Twilight Crisis for so long. I can only imagine what Midna is dealing with in her world from all of her people."

"Yeah, she must have it really bad, if we think we are having a rough time here." We fall into a comfortable silence, during which he gets up to add more wood to the fire and check the weather through one of the few windows in the room. "The storm isn't letting up any. If anything, it might just be getting even worse." He sighs and pulls out a small sack from one of his belt pouches. "Here, I only brought a couple loaves of bread, and I can heat up some pumpkin soup from Ordon if you would like that as well."

"Um, may I just have a little bit of the soup? I'm not so sure I want to eat anything else." He smiles and pulls out a glass bottle filled with a thick, orange substance, which he simply unstoppers and places on the floor. Unsheathing his sword, he pulls some embers from the heart of the fire onto the tiles in front of the fireplace, and gently places the soup into the small pile. He then pulls out a loaf of bread and slices it into neat little pieces. "Wow, someone might think you are the one who does the cooking, not just going to eat at Colin's or Ilia's house every night."

He snorts. "More like those kids are always coming over to my house to eat with me almost every night, them making me cook for them for years." I shake my head and hold in my giggles, but I see him blush a bit when he sees my shoulders are shaking with laughter.

"That's just too funny!" I can't hold it in anymore and burst with laughter, thoroughly embarrassing Link and his blush only darkens.

I finally stop laughing when I can smell the rich, creamy scent of the soup, which makes my mouth water. Link pulls the bottle of soup from the embers and removes his green cap from his head, wrapping it around the bottle before handing it to me. "Be careful with that, it's going to be very hot."

"Thank you." We eat in silence, during which I set my feet on the floor and invite him to sit up on the couch next to me, which he does immediately.

When I have had my fill of the wonderful pumpkin soup, I look at Link, noticing his far off gaze as he eats the last of his slice of bread. "Link?" He turns his attention to me immediately, with a curious look in his eyes. "How have you been? I mean, you went through so much to help Hyrule, and have told me what you have done, but never said anything on your thoughts."

He sighs, that look returning to his eyes. "Honestly, I've been trying to distract myself from thinking, but it hasn't really worked. I met my ancestor, who taught me the trump moves so that I could win all the battles the way I did, and I didn't know who he was until the end. I depended so much on Midna all through the Crisis and now I miss her. I couldn't protect the children of Ordon, and Ilia suffered a temporary memory loss, and she couldn't remember me for the longest time. Everybody was relying on me through the entire Crisis, and I was struggling to keep up, and many people still hold that same reliance on me. I just… I don't know how I make it through every day. As soon as I sit down to relax, there is someone else asking me to do something for them."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Link, I'm so sorry. Why didn't you at least tell them that you needed to relax for a while? You could have stayed at the Castle awhile, at least until your wounds had healed from fighting Ganondorf." I can't help but be worried now, knowing that he hasn't been relaxing as much as he needs to be.

He sighs. "I didn't want to be a burden, and I was needed back in Ordon as it was." He notices this doesn't ease my concern and smirks. "Worried about me, Princess?"

I start blushing. I manage to squeak out a small, "Yes."

Link POV

Hearing her say she was actually worried about me means a lot, and I just smile widely at her, feeling like the happiest person around. Then I realize that her eyes are widening as she looks at me. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

She just giggles like a little girl. "You're blushing Link." That only heightens my embarrassment and darkens my blush. "Link, I really missed you. Especially after Midna left, when I had nobody that I was really friends with."

"Princess, I didn't really want to be away for so long, it's just… I didn't know what else to do." I lean towards her and wrap my arm around her shoulders. She leans into me and closes her eyes, sighing with content. "You need to rest. I'll make sure nothing happens."

She smiles and breathes slowly, falling asleep instantly. I just pull her closer and keep an eye on the fire and the window, waiting for the blizzard to end.

Two Days Later, Hyrule Field Outside of Castle Town

No POV

As the sun hits its height in the sky of noon, Link and Zelda arrive at the bridge to the gates of town. He walks her to their side of the bridge and stops, scratching the back of his head before he lets out a sigh.

"Zelda, I will be back in a couple of days. Living in Ordon is just not something that I can really do anymore." She turns to him with a curious expression. "I would like to take you up on your offer of living in Hyrule Castle if it still stands."

A wide grin breaks over her face, and she pulls Link into a massive hug. "It will always be open to you. Just be safe on your way, alright? I need my Hero intact to serve his duties, after all."

Link smiles back at her and squeezes her in a quick hug before he turns around to make a quick trip back to Ordon.

Finally done! I would have had this done like two weeks ago but I caught a massive onslaught of homework and had to bring my computer to school to work on it during lunch. Thank you for reading, and I would appreciate any story requests, reviews, and any advice you might have to offer for my stories.

I do not own Legend of Zelda