-On a relatively small, unknown, rocky planet orbiting a fairly ordinary star, great events that could decide the fates of its inhabitants are beginning to unfold.

Created and blessed by the Three Goddesses, this world has a special place unlike any other in the galaxy.

Tucked away behind mountains and hemmed in by forests and rivers, it is a naturally peaceful, naturally beautiful place. The people who live there are also special in many ways, and live in harmony and grace.

This great, bountiful land is known to all as Hyrule. Its power, glory, and prosperity are the awe of the entire world.

One man controls it, protects it, and guides it toward even greater heights, the indomitable sovereign King of Hyrule. The lands and provinces under his authority are vast and wide-ranging, and all in them swear everlasting fealty to him and his Royal Family.

Over the years, one by one, stunning military victories and political alliances brought the surrounding countryside, and almost everything beyond it, into his realm, turning what was once a small kingdom into a mighty empire.

His children stand to inherit this empire, to rule it justly as all the kings and queens have have in the past, and to make it grow far beyond what it is, and to keep the current trend of peaceful relations with all people under the Royal Family's rule.

But peace is a fleeting thing, never truly permanent. It has been said that peace is not necessarily the absence of war, but the presence of justice...

Chapter Two: JEWEL

-Northern Hyrule: Death Mountain-

Several days after meeting his new comrades, Link reached the summit of the famous Death Mountain. A craggy, actively volcanic peak of at least eight thousand feet, it was , of course, not the highest peak in the world, but it was certainly very dangerous. Heat waves drifting out of the open crater and down the mountainside made everyone in his party who could sweat do so profusely. All the trees that had grown up the eastern slope were gone, leaving only volcanic ash and rock, with nothing left at all for the travelers to use for shelter.

Link stood at the edge of the precipice that would lead down the mountainside and put his hands on his knees and panted heavily, looking over his weary party. The Sheikah boy Jaden was dressed at this point in not much more than burlap and a few scraps of leather, his original clothes having been lost sometime before ever even finding the Legendary Hero in the tower. Zeta, the Zoran female archer, was coming dangerously close to fatally dehydrating, her arms and legs losing scales to the heat. Lagging behind, and desperate to escape the searing temperatures, was Dreck, the forest Deku Scrub, already starting to shrivel and warp as the heat lambasted his wood-like skin.

Of everyone, Gonga was the only one who seemed to be in his element.

"Ahh, perfect weather today!" he said to no one in particular, breathing in the scorching air.

As a Goron, intense, blistering heat would be the one of the lastlast thing to bother him. His tough, leathery skin was enough to shield against temperatures of well over three thousand degrees. Gonga felt right at home, and made no other remarks or actions that would suggest otherwise, but, nevertheless, his companions still gave him odd looks.

With his war-hammer, he broke off a large chunk of black volcanic rock. Shoving it into his gaping mouth, Gonga ground the rock up rather noisily, prompting even more strange glances. Then, totally oblivious to all other things, he curled himself up into a ball and went to sleep. So special among all the species in Hyrule were the mountainous Gorons that in times of great need they had the ability to digest solid rock, drawing from it precious minerals and elements, using them to help their bodies endure starvation much better than any other race.

Link sighed heavily to himself, knowing that it would now be next to impossible to wake the Goron up for at least another ten minutes.

While the others sat down near Gonga to shield themselves from the hot winds and to take a breather, the Hylian moved himself even closer to the edge of the sheer cliff face that led to lower ground. It wasn't quite as hot as other areas where he stood, so he sat down, letting his legs dangle over the edge.

Gazing out over the majestic landscape, Link could see, down in the valley, the little village of Kakariko, the Sheikah town where Princess Zelda's caretaker, Impa, had been born. He presumed that Jaden was also born and raised somewhere in the vicinity of that town.

Because of this, his thoughts turned to Zelda herself. He actually hadn't seen her in a good few years, and it troubled him. The last chance he was able to really spend any considerable amount of time with her was the few months after he had returned the Master Sword to its proper place in the Temple of Time. It had been a magical time then, where the two of them did nothing but play in the grass all day long.

They had been the only two people on the planet to have any knowledge of Ganondorf's reign of terror. Since Link had never been sealed away in the Sacred Realm, the King of Thieves never did gain control of anything, though he did manage to gain the Triforce of Power. However, thanks to quick action by the young Link and Zelda, Ganondorf was captured as he exited the Sacred Realm, and with no time to learn the intricacies of the magic afforded him by his piece of the Triforce, he was subdued and summarily judged, first by the King of Hyrule, and then by the Sages, the spiritual holy-men who were the caretakers of the Hylian religion.

Ganondorf was taken, bound and chained, deep into the deserts east of Hyrule, and there he was imprisoned in the twilight of what was left of the Sacred Realm. Soon, people began to wonder why he had mysteriously disappeared, the Gerudo especially. Without their leader, Nabooru, Ganondorf's second-in-command, took over.

The Gerudo quickly fragmented however, and for a time, their power in the west of Hyrule was greatly diminished, but they were recently united once more under the mysterious Gorkhan. He naturally wasn't related to Ganondorf, but was the most recent male to have been born to them. For reasons lost to legends and myth, only one male was born to the Gerudo every hundred or so years. Hylian scientists and philosophers were still trying to find what could have caused this strange mutation in such a small group of humans.

Gorkhan himself entered the world seventy-five years after his predecessor, and was now only twenty-six.

On the mountain, however, these things were furthest from Link's mind. He preferred instead to dwell on his memories of the princess, Zelda. She had entrusted him with her own personal treasure, the Ocarina of Time. It was all she had given him when he set off into the wilderness in search of Navi, his fairy friend who had been his most steadfast companion during his struggles in the alternate future.

As if a dream had suddenly been realized to him, he drew the ocarina out of his pocket and started to play a sweet, melodious tune on the little clay instrument. It was a timeless song, one that was written when the world was new and fresh, and spoke of the never ending progress of the ages. Few mortals had ever had its notes grace their ears, as it was a highly guarded secret of the Royal Family. It was one the most soothing pieces of music he had ever heard, and naturally, it was Zelda who had taught it to him.

Together, they had played it constantly as they sat and looked up at the brilliantly luminous stars at night, creating music even until the early morning hours and into the dawn.

Suddenly, Link snapped out of the daydream and tried to remember his task at hand. The heat was certainly starting to get to him at this point, but unfortunately, memories of Zelda and their exploits kept creeping back into his head. He had wanted to stay with her forever, but he had greatly missed his fairy friend at the time, the one who had helped him through his most perilous adventure.

And so, Link journeyed far, ending up in the far off Hylian province of Termina. There, with the help of the land's four guardian spirits, he had saved the world by putting an end to the evil Majora. The young hero then had many more adventures, and almost single-handedly saved the lands of Hyrule, Labrynna, and Holodrum, all in a few short years.

Now age twenty, he had already lived up to the title of the Legendary Hero. While journeying far away several years past, he was gifted with the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword, which had become useless as a key to the Sacred Realm. The Oracle of Secrets had removed it from its pedestal, and with it he stopped the dark plots of Ganondorf, now twisted into Ganon, the King of Evil. For a while, he had needed to use two hands to wield the sword, but it did not fail him in the end.

Link had grown since then, and was now a strapping young man and an able swordsman.

Throughout his recent adventures, he had seldom seen his beautiful friend Zelda.

In fact, she was one of the reasons he traveled so much.

Once upon a time, the Princess of Hyrule had captured his heart. They had never been anything more than friends, but at this point in his life, Link wanted something more than that. He was her champion, supposedly, and the rules of chivalry forbid anything other than acquaintances between knight and lady. However, despite his near kingdom wide fame, and despite having saved the life of the crown princess on more than one occasion, Link had yet to be knighted, and this both troubled and confused him.

Link put this out of his mind again, and reasoned that if he did even more daring deeds, then he might gain more than just Zelda's friendship.

Perhaps, if he could win her over, then maybe he would finally be at peace with the world, though he admitted to himself that that would be unlikely.

Just as the last chord of the Song of Time came from his ocarina, the Deku Scrub came and sat down next to him.

"That's a beautiful song," said Dreck, admiring the fine craftsmanship of the instrument. "Is the ocarina yours?"

Link smiled a bit and gazed longingly at the instrument before answering.

"Ahh, no," he replied, "I'm sort of…holding it for a friend."

He meant the Princess, but Dreck didn't know that, and continued his line of questioning.

"Really? Who? I'll bet it's a girl," he said. "It's always a girl."

"Yeah," replied Link, "you'd win that bet."

"Oooooo…is she pretty?"

"Pretty doesn't do her nearly enough justice..."

Again, a broad smile crept its way across his face. Dreck didn't seem to understand why Link had suddenly spaced out, so he poked him in the side to get his attention.

"Enough daydreaming, we need to get down this mountain quickly before I burst into flames!" said the Deku, dramatically pointing at himself.

Indeed, if they did not leave soon, the heat might very well set the little shrub man on fire. Link fixed his hat, placed the ocarina back in its pouch, and stood up. He proceeded to wake up the sleeping Goron from a safe distance using the scabbard of the Master Sword. The imposing Gonga woke from his sleep in an uproar, standing and swinging his arms wide while yawning, only narrowly missing beaning Link in the face with an outstretched fist.

"Okay, so how are we going to get down?" asked Zeta, her hands on her hips.

In reply, Dreck reached underneath his tiny gray hat and pulled out two strange looking flowers. Both were quite large, with eight orange-red petals neatly splayed out in a circle. He gripped the stalks tightly and stepped closer to the edge of the cliff, ready to jump off.

Link saw what he was doing, and went to help him. He grabbed two small, volcanic rocks that were nearby and tied them to Dreck's legs with a length of rope he always carried with him.

Seconds before he was about to jump, an irate Zeta physically restrained him.

"Dreck, you ridiculous little wooden man!" she yelled at him. "You want to get killed, don't you? The wind is blowing too hard! You'll get dashed to pieces on the boulders, or be carried a thousand miles away, you imbecile!"

The Deku put away his flowers and glared at the Zora with great malice in his eyes.

"Quiet fish woman!" he shot at her. "I know what I'm doing! I'm a lot smarter than you think!"

Zeta snarled at him to show her disgust, forcing him to explain his intentions. He put away his flowers for a moment and pointed out over the expanse of the horizon to show what he meant. Looking around, Zeta saw the dark, circular cloud that always hung over Death Mountain appeared to be larger and was rotating a little bit faster than it normally did.

"Listen, there's about a four knot wind going right now," he said. "I weigh only a few pounds, so, yes, it might very well blow me all the damned way to Lake Hylia! But if you were paying attention, you'd have noticed the rocks attached to my feet!"

"Oh…" was all Zeta was able to say.

Dreck shook his bulbous head in pity for the Zora woman. Again he pulled out his flowers and held them at the ready.

"The rocks will act as weights and counteract the force of the wind. It's really quite simple, even for you Zeta," he added sarcastically.

"Why you rotten little piece of bark!" she replied in anger. "I'll show you a thing or t..."

She never did get to finish insulting him. Before Zeta could scream any more obscenities at him, Dreck stepped off the edge and into the wild blue yonder. At first, the force of the wind blew him slightly off course. But soon he was soaring majestically in the bright azure sky, thoroughly enjoying himself the entire time.

Dreck landed quite a distance away on a small ridge at a much lower altitude. He waved to them from afar with his stubby arms, then sat down to take a quick nap.

Zeta was absolutely, positively furious.

"Who does that demented little shrub think he is?" she yelled, venting her frustration.

"Uh…the smart one," Jaden answered, beginning to climb down the rough surface of the cliff. "I wish I had thought of that."

"Indeed, Zeta, you must admit, that was a fairly good idea," Gonga added, searching for a way to perhaps roll down the mountain.

"I think you should give him credit for things once in a while," Link said. "Maybe then you wouldn't fight so much."

The cerulean colored Zora turned several different shades of purple in a blind rage.

She wondered how they could dare to speak to her like that and assume they'd get away with it.

Why should Zeta, perhaps the greatest archer to ever live, have to listen to their sarcastic comments all the time? She had come from the proudest line of Zora warriors, and could probably hit that smart-mouthed Deku Scrub from where she was standing.

Of course, none of that mattered.

Her comrades were almost at the bottom by the time she had finished her temper tantrum.

-The City of Hyrule-

At least three and a half days later, after a very painful journey down the mountain, Link and his party entered the magnificent City of Hyrule. It was hard for him to believe, but the city seemed bigger than it had when he was a child. The drawbridge that had once allowed entrance to the city had been dismantled, as a population boom forced people to build their houses and shops just outside the city limits. Therefore, a new wall was constructed, leaving the small tributary of the Zora River to flow unimpeded through the heart of town with a permanent stone bridge running across it.

Everything appeared to be grandiose. The majesty that was Hyrule Castle, with its many banners fluttering in the breeze, overshadowed everything. The Temple of Time, where everyday Hylians could go to pay homage to the goddesses, stood tall as a beacon of light and hope.

The Market Square was still the bustling place it had always been, even now somewhat late in the afternoon. Customers and merchants from all over the realm convened here every day to trade goods for rupees, the small, brightly colored jewels that were used as currency in Hyrule. People were bustling about, and generally minding their own business. At first, none of them noticed the weary travelers enter the square, but they did eventually, and soon were desperately trying to hock their wares.

"If we go north from here, we can meet with Princess Zelda," Link said, pointing to the castle. "I don't have any money, so we might as well just go and get it overwi…"

Before he could end his sentence, the Sheikah boy jabbed him in the side.

"Master Link, look!" Jaden exclaimed, gesturing out into the crowd.

Around them, stood at least a hundred other Hylians. Every one of them was simply gawking at Link, and they soon began to whisper amongst themselves. They moved in closer to stare at him some more.

"Impossible…" said an old man. "Link is thirty feet tall."

"I heard he can lift mountains with his bare hands," a little girl whispered.

"His clothes are pretty shoddy," a young woman said.

"Who cares, he's handsome! Look at the size of his ears!" her friend exclaimed, beginning to drool.

This went on for only a few more seconds before the crowd had them completely surrounded. All of them swarmed in, trying to grab Link so he could give out autographs, among other things.

"Aaaaaahh!" the hero began to yell. "Get em' off! Get em' off!"

Link never did think he was that much of a celebrity, but apparently, in his absence, he had become one. Several small children firmly attached themselves to his legs, and many young women were clawing at him, trying to have him all to themselves. With girls tugging on each arm, and little kids disrupting his balance, Link was sure to topple headfirst into the sea of people.

If he did, the hero might be smothered to death.

Things were rapidly going out of control. The rest of Link's party had been rudely shoved out of the way as soon as they had entered the square. Gonga could have easily cleared the area, but he had no wish to hurt any of the cityfolk. Jaden and Zeta were at a loss, and even Dreck was out of ideas. They could only hang their heads and hope the mob did not suffocate their friend.

Lucky for the Legendary Hero, a few of the King's soldiers came to break things up.

"All right, all right, break it up!" one of them said, forcing his way through the crowd.

"Everybody go about your business and leave this man alone!" the other soldier added.

Clad in shining armor, these were but two knights out of many that served the King with an unparalleled devotion. Hylian soldiers always did look a little ominous, but most were easygoing unless there was some kind of trouble.

The hero had fallen over, and was now lying in the middle of the hard cobblestone street. While one soldier returned to duty, the other bent over to give Link a hand. The green clad Hylian took hold of the soldier's outstretched arm and pulled himself to his feet.

"Thank you muchly sir," Link said, "I'm afraid to think of what they might have done to me…"

The soldier nervously put his hand behind his head, unsure of how to accept the hero's thanks, as he often received so little..

"Oh, it was nothing really," he chuckled before recognition showed in his eyes. "Hey, wait a minute! Haven't I seen you before?"

Link looked rather confused, and shifted his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"If we have, I don't remember," he replied apologetically.

"Of course we've met!" the soldier exclaimed. "You're "Mister Hero"!"

At the mention of that name, the memories all came flooding back. He had given this soldier a wooden mask with the image of a popular children's character, a fox called Keaton. Every kid in the realm had wanted one, and Link was happy to sell it to the man, for a small profit of course, so he could give it to his young son.

Link could only guess how much fun its new owner had playing with it, but just the thought made him happy. Money was just a thing to him, but the smile on that boy's face years before was a priceless memory.

"I never thanked you enough for that, young man," the soldier said. "If there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."

The hero only thought for about five seconds before answering.

"Can you take me and my friends to see Princess Zelda?"

-Hyrule Castle-

The royal palace was a truly wondrous sight to behold. Giant towers rose above the billowing clouds hovering over Hyrule Field, demanding obedience from all those living in the realm. Much larger than it actually seemed, it was designed and built by a veritable army of bricklayers. Here was the seat of power from which the Royal Family held its dominion over the land and its many peoples. This symbol of authority was both a wonder of architecture and an impregnable fortress.

Although the outer wall of Hyrule Castle was made of simple gray stone, the inside was composed almost entirely of the finest marble. Banners hung from every wall, proclaiming for all the King's sovereignty. His Majesty's Royal Guard stood straight as arrows at every major entrance. Everything about was immaculately clean, with not the tiniest bit of dust or dirt anywhere to be seen.

That is, of course, until the ragbag company trudged wearily through the front entrance.

Knowing he wasn't actually supposed to be there without permission, the knight who had led them in quickly turned and exited the foyer.

"Hmm, this is nice…" Jaden muttered to himself, admiring the furnishings.

Underneath their feet were enormous, plush purple carpets. The edges were laced with spun gold, and they were truly a joy to stand upon. A spirit of malice, though, began to grow around them as palace guards and shocked servants gaped at them. Not one of the party had yet realized just how much mud and dirt from their footwear was being absorbed into the priceless carpet.

As if to confirm this unspoken sense of horror, a door on the other side of the vast greeting room opened dramatically, the knob banging loudly against the marble walls. Out stepped a tall woman, dressed in a dark blue gown with a long train that spread along the floor.

Her hair was of the same color as Jaden's, a stark white, identifying her as yet another of the Shadow Folk. Her eyes were of deepest crimson red, making it seem as if they were ablaze with anger and she hastily moved to intercept the five incoming travelers.

The servants that had before been too appalled to move quickly sprung into action. They unceremoniously pushed Link and his comrades off of the carpet and onto a patch of bare marble floor, then proceeded to uproot the plush material. Within seconds it was in their arms, rolled up, and on its way to be thoroughly cleaned.

Jaden frowned and glared at the woman as she walked gracefully over to them.

"Indeed, it is nice. Or at least it was!" she said loudly, addressing him while gesturing to the splendor of the castle interior. "Do you plan to defy gravity now and walk upon the tapestries that hang from the ceiling?."

Without a moments hesitation, the Legendary Hero tactfully stepped in to change the subject.

"A thousand apologies, Lady Impa," Link said, bowing courteously before her. Behind him, his friends showed their admiration in the same manner.

This woman was Princess Zelda's caretaker, Impa. One of the greatest of the remaining Sheikah people, she had been handpicked by the King to tend to his daughter's every need. In fact, she had literally raised the Princess since she was an infant, protecting the King's daughter and gently molding her into the confident young royal that everyday Hylians professed to know and love.

Zelda, being much older now, no longer had much need for Impa's services. The Princess had her own ladies-in-waiting to tend to her, so the Sheikah was now more a cherished advisor and personal mentor.

"Stand up child," Impa told the young hero. "There's no need for that…"

The same deep wisdom was in her voice that Link had remembered from many years before. She had an aura of respectability and honor about her, the kind that meant no one would never dare to question her authority. However, despite her often hard exterior, Impa's heart was rumored to be bigger than Hyrule itself, metaphorically, of course.

She herself had been quite big in the recent past, having had a great taste for Calatian chocolates, but had since slimmed down to her normal size.

Link and his friends slowly rose before her. She looked them all over, and noticed the tattoos on three of them, making a mental note to bring up the subject at a later time.

"We haven't seen you in so very long, boy," she said. "Why did you not come to visit us? Much too long…"

"I've, uh…I have been rather busy," said the hero.

The Sheikah woman laughed heartily, and put her hands on the Hylian's shoulders and embraced him..

"I would bet that, and more!" she chuckled. "You're the biggest thing to happen in our kingdom since…since…the Goddesses!"

Link's sense of modesty prevented him from doing anything other than smiling nervously and scratching his neck in an awkward manner, and Impa patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. Right now there was someone else she needed to speak with.

Ignoring everyone, she walked over to Jaden.

"Boy, why are you dressed in those rags?" she asked, referring to the state of his clothing.

Jaden looked down at himself and the dirty brown sack he called a pair of clothes. He should have been wearing one of the splendid blue garments of the Sheikah warriors. Instead, he was covered in scum, looking more like a pauper than a servant of the Royal Family.

"Ahh...I had to ditch my clothes," he nervously replied.

"And why is that?" Impa countered.

"In the process of saving of saving our great and glorious Legendary Hero, I may have misplaced my armor, thank you very much," Jaden sarcastically replied.

At his comments, the Sheikah woman frowned. The boy's insolence was getting on her nerves. This was not the way a proper Sheikah should act and she needed to intervene before he further degraded the honor of her race.

Impa proceeded to bring her right hand into the air. In one swift motion, she slapped him hard upside the back of the head, probably leaving a nice red mark.

"Don't talk back Jaden!" Impa said, quite aggravated. "Your big mouth is what always gets you into trouble."

"Sorry Auntie," the boy responded, his head low as he looked away, quite embarrassed.

Link and his friends suddenly began to snicker amongst themselves. Apparently, they found something very amusing.

"What now?" Jaden said, quite annoyed. "Did I do something?"

The Legendary Hero tried to hold back a burst of laughter, and he almost lost the struggle. His face was turning red, and his cheeks were puffed out, holding in the air. Breathing deeply for a moment, he calmed himself, trying not to think of what he had just heard.

"You two are r-related?" Link asked, clearing his throat.

"Jaden is my nephew," Impa replied. "I've trained him personally in the Sheikah martial arts. I sent him out into the world two and a half years ago, hoping he would prove himself a man. How he could lose such an important item as his armor is beyond me."

"Yeah, he is pretty clumsy," said the hero under his breath, but directed at Impa. "I'll admit he did help me escape, but other than that he has little sense of balance…"

Jaden took great offense to that, his ears able to hear whispers just as well, if not better than, a Hylian could.

As the boy turned away in humiliation to sulk quietly, Impa sighed heavily. She was excited to see Link, and her nephew could be be given a refresher course in proper Shiekah behavior at a later date. The young hero hadn't visited in many years, even though he was always welcome. By this time, many had thought that he should have taken his place among the Knights of Hyrule. Unfortunately, only the King could offer him a knighthood, and had not yet done so.

Some among the Royal Council had come to believe Link was a rogue agent, suspicious at best, and dangerous at worst. Still others thought him to be the sole salvation of the land, the great solution to all the problems the Army could not solve. All of these opinions, and more, had filtered into the King's ears over the years, but Hyrule's sovereign had never said so much as a word on the matter save that the man was welcome in his house.

Did Link ever know that he could come and go as he pleased. The King of Hyrule owed him a huge debt of gratitude for saving his realm, as well as his daughter, again and again, but Impa could not recall if this had ever been properly communicated to Link.

Was that why he never came back to see her and the Princess?

"Enough of this," the Sheikah woman said. "Jaden can continue his infatuation and association with these Renegades if he wishes. He can have his attitude and act childish as well, if that so tickles his fancy."

The boy turned around once more, but only to stick his tongue out at his aunt.

"So," Impa sighed, turning her attention back to Link. "What is it that brings you here?"

"I...uh, we...are here to see the Princess," said the Hylian. "Would you...happen to know where she is?"

For a good minute or so, Impa pondered his question, as it required much thought. At that moment, there were very many places the Princess might be. She could easily be locked in a meeting, writing out royal documents, or being fitted for a gown of some sort. Either way, it was sure to be very important.

"Come to think of it, I am not entirely positive where she is," the Sheikah replied. "Today is her free day, so Zelda might very well still be sleeping."

Link's jaw dropped wide open. He stared strangely at Impa for a long moment, his brow raised in confusion.

Impa simply stared back at him, smiling politely, as if such a thing were common knowledge throughout the kingdom. She noticed that Link appeared to be a little irked, but more so puzzled. Furrowing her brow, she tried to think of a way of explaining it without making the Princess seem like a lazy, rich snob.

"Let me rephrase that," said Impa. "Her Highness has an enormous amount of responsibilities. She an ambassador, a diplomat, a hostess, a ringleader sometimes. Zelda does all the things her father doesn't want to do, the things her mother is too aloof to care for, as well as all the things her brother is too young to do. Six days a week, she works almost until she drops. Conferences, meeting dignitaries, banquets, many things of that nature are on her list. After so much, on one day of her choosing, Zelda usually just goes to her room and generally isn't seen for the next twenty-four hours."

For a good ten seconds, the hero had absolutely nothing to say, but after the time had passed, he found a few simple words.

"Ahh, okay," Link finally replied, seeming to understand it all. "Do you think there is any chance I could see her now?"

"Perhaps," the Lady Impa answered. "I think that we could arrange that...but it's your funeral, lad."

-Hours later-

The room Link stood in now was one of the most luxurious he had ever had the pleasure of being in. Lightly violet colored doilies and creamy white lace were everywhere, giving the whole space an undeniably feminine look and feel. Several large bureaus were situated along the walls, the most striking one being a gigantic mahogany set of dresser dresser attached to an equally large mirror. A walk-in closet with a half open door revealed a veritable treasure trove of beautiful gowns and dresses, the collection easily worth more than all the rupees Link had ever spent in his whole life.

Stepping forward queitly, the hero then noticed the bed. King-sized did little to describe it, as it was positively enormous. The wooden bed frame had been embroidered with gold, and was shimmering brightly in the fading light of the afternoon sun. Over the mattress were sheets of purest white, crumpled up in the lower left corner, looking for all the world like a big puffy cloud.

Link moved closer to see if anyone was still in the bed. Unfortunately, its occupant was nowhere to be seen, probably gone since that morning. He glanced up and searched the light purple room in an attempt to find its owner.

He found her soon after.

On the other side of the vast room near an open window, Link saw the very person he had wanted to talk to for so long. Thin and curvaceous, she was the living epitome of earthly beauty. Her long blonde hair flowed down over her back, with only a few strands falling over her face. The girl's eyes were as blue as the sky, like a stunning turquoise. With her kindly heart and a fierce sense of honor and justice, all the peoples of Hyrule respected her. Clad only in a simple white dress, her appearance belied her importance in the lives of everyday folk.

Men would gladly die for her. There had been a train of suitors a mile long since she was a child, as she was royalty of the highest order, answering only to the King.

The greatest jewel of the Royal Family, this maiden was truly the fairest girl in all the land.

She was the lovely Crown Princess of Hyrule, Zelda.

For the entire afternoon she had been sitting at her desk. Now, the young woman was sleeping peacefully, and drooling slightly, as the hero slowly approached her. He noticed a stack of parchment that had fallen off the top, and that she was still gripping an ink pen tightly in her dainty hand.

At first, Link had absolutely no wish to wake her. He stood ramrod straight and remained absolutely silent. Impa's last words before sending him in had been a stern warning.

"If you wake Zelda up and she's grumpy, then pity your soul…"

She was so quiet that he could barely hear her shallow breaths. Link locked his knees and stood absolutely motionless, not wanting to make the slightest noise. Despite his not saying or doing anything, Zelda awoke with quite a startle.

The hero stopped breathing when she started to move around. A smile crept across her lips and turned into a wide grin. Though her eyes were still tightly closed, Zelda got up to stretch. She didn't seem to notice Link's presence at all.

It was either that, or she was ignoring him for the time being.

"Did, um…did I...wake you?" the Hylian stammered.

"Not really," the Princess replied, yawning. "I just didn't want to get up and on with business. Who let you in, who are you, and what do you want?"

Despite the sweet, melodious tone of her voice, Link was aghast.

Her last three words drove through him like a dagger. How could she not remember him after all they had been through? Were all the adventures the pain and the emotion for nothing? What purpose would this visit have if he had to spend all his time explaining who he was?

His questions were answered and his mind put to ease when Zelda finally opened her eyes.

At the sight of the man in front of her, the Princess became very excited. Link had grown up to be very handsome. Young women everywhere pined for him, and a few had already tried their best to marry him. As a rogue however, he was always searching for adventure, and was unlikely to settle down.

However, there was at least one person who could change that situation.

"It's...it's you," the Princess said incredulously. She then raised an eyebrow and smirked at him knowingly. "Took you long enough to visit, didn't it?"

Link was almost a head taller than Zelda, and was certainly more conditioned physically than she. He now wore a white tunic in place of his trademark green one, which had been ripped beyond repair. Impa had taken his hat so it could be mended, and then presented him with the tunic and a silk undershirt.

"Yes, it is I Princess," Link answered shyly. "It's a...a privilege to finally be in your presence."

He got down on one knee and bowed before her, not really knowing what else to say.

"That is totally and completely unnecessary," Zelda said. "Please, stand up."

She walked over to Link and took his hand, then brought him to his feet. For a moment they locked eyes, sending a torrent of memories and emotions washing over the both of them. Zelda quickly grew red in the face and had to turn away.

"To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" she asked the hero, trying to hide her feelings. "Is there anything that you need?"

"Actually, yes, I do require something Princess," he replied. "I greatly wish that this was only a social call, but I really need to have a discussion with you."

She turned back to face him, her cheeks blushing light pink anyway. Batting her eyelashes, Zelda took his hand once more.

"Very well then." she said. "You will walk with me?"

-Zelda's personal courtyard-

The Eye of Din had long since disappeared beyond the horizon, allowing the blanket of the night sky to drape itself over the land of Hyrule. A cool summer breeze swept lightly over the courtyard, bringing the temperature down to ideal conditions. The fragrant scent of flowers filled the air, giving the courtyard's only occupants wonderful delusions.

"When was the last time we did took a walk like this?" the Princess of Destiny sighed. "It's so beautiful out tonight."

"Seven years almost," answered the Legendary Hero, who made his way to a flat patch of grass that was free of shrubbery. He sat down upon the grass and began staring up at the stars.

"And that's definitely way too long," said the Princess, sitting down next to him. "I've been waiting for you to come back, but for the longest time you never did..."

Link sat up straighter then, and brushed his shoulder length hair out of his face. He turned toward Princess Zelda and stared deep into her eyes, trying to find an answer to her question.

"I wanted to, really I did, but...but you know that I had to try to find her..." he softy said.

"Oh, yes, your fairy friend, Navi," Zelda replied. "I had almost forgotten. How could I have done such a thing?"

Link held up a hand and shook his head, absolving her of any forgetfulness.

"It's okay Princess, I'll always remember her," he sadly remarked. "In my dreams, I can still see that creature Ganondorf became, and how Navi wanted nothing more than to help me destroy him. We did, I went back in time, and she just up flew away. At first I thought nothing of it, but...Navi never returned..."

"You never did find her in all your travels, did you?"

"No, no I did not..."

The hero seemed to be on the verge of tears, at least to Zelda, but she knew he would no do so in front of her. The fairy Navi had been his only companion in some of the most empty and painful times of his life. Without her, the very first monster he came across might well have chopped Link up into tiny, ragged bits and eaten him. She brought him through many more situations like that, but now that Navi was gone, he had changed into a different person than he was as a child.

He had grown up, far too fast, and his sense of naivete was replaced by an often hard-edged view of the world. Zelda decided to spare him any further feelings, and so changed the subject.

"I never told anyone about what happened during those lost seven years..." she confessed. "Not the whole story."

The hero was rather astonished by the switch, and answered immediately.

"Well, why not?" Link asked, matter-of-factly.

She hadn't expected that question at all, and instantly it hit Zelda that she was about to reveal something that no one else had ever heard before. It frightened her, and she turned away from Link to stare at a lonely blue flower that was poking out of the soft, green grass. She poked at it, and thought of picking it to smell it, but decided against it with a sigh.

"It's...it's complicated," she muttered.

Link put his hands on her shoulders, reassuring her.

"Alright, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he said simply.

The Princess spun to face him, a miserable look on her face. Without her even saying a word, Link understood completely. Zelda had witnessed many horrible things during that time, things that a child should never ever be forced to see.

"There was a battle in the desert," she recalled, closing her eyes and speaking softly. "Ganondorf destroyed our army with his legions of demons and monsters. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died. That was the end of us. The glorious, all-powerful Hylian Empire fell two days later..."

Link seemed a bit confused, and spoke up.

"Hylian Empire?" he said incredulously. "I didn't know your father was an emperor."

The Princess blink at him for a moment, then shook her head, smiling for a moment. It had slipped her mind that Link was not anywhere near as interested in politics as she was.

"Well, not quite, but he likes to think of himself as one," Zelda explained. "Labrynna...Termina...and so on...these all are provinces of Hyrule. They pay tribute to my father. This city is now the center of a vast empire, despite the fact that my father has yet to declare himself an emperor. That could come at any time."

The Princess shrugged her shoulders on that point, then gestured to the north, outside the castle walls.

"Hyrule City extends about two and a half miles north of here. There'll soon be more than a hundred thousand people living here," she said matter-of-factly. "Ganondorf did terrible things to the people of Hyrule in that other time, so think of what he could do if his bonds were ever truly broken."

A very large amount of people lived in the northern part of the city. That area was the true business and residential center, with the southern part, while smaller, being the cultural center of Hyrule City. Both areas had been thoroughly ravaged during the King of Evil's reign of terror. Luckily, that tragedy had been averted due to Zelda and Link's heroism, relegating that dreadful experience and those dark times to the world of memories.

Due to the power of the pieces of the Triforce that they each held, Link and Zelda were the only two who could recall the tragedy of Ganondorf's rule, and thus work to prevent it from ever taking place. It had been a hard sell to have the King of Hyrule turn on a supposed ally, but the duo had convinced him of the Gerudo's duplicity and treachery.

Zelda sighed heavily, and looked up at the sky. She dared not close her eyes, lest visions of Ganondorf's evil reign come flooding back into her mind.

"You understand why I couldn't ever tell anyone about what happened," the Princess murmured quietly.

Link moved closer, and wrapped his arms around her, trying to give comfort. But her emotions took hold of her, and she brushed him off with a strength beyond her at the time.

"I had to see my father die! I had to watch, from four hundred yards off as the axe came down on his head!" Zelda exclaimed. "They murdered him in the field, in plain sight of everyone! Then...then Ganondorf burned the city! Thousands were killed while it was being evacuated! I could do nothing to save them..."

At that point, the normally icy calm princess broke down. She collapsed into his arms a half-sobbing mess, and Link just quietly held her. Zelda had been forced to hide from Ganondorf, to disguise herself as a Shiekah from then on to avoid capture and own execution. Every day of those seven long years she had feared for her life and the lives of her loyal subjects. Frequently, Zelda had nightmares about the Evil King coming to take her away and destroy Hyrule for the second time.

"I refuse to let that happen again..." she whimpered. "I know why you're here. Gorkhan. I know, you don't even have to say it."

The Princess dried her tears and peered deeply into Link's eyes. She could sense that he had his own wealth of hateful memories as well.

"But you know why we can't ever just tell anyone the truth about Ganondorf," Zelda replied. "They barely believed us before, and even with all the proof we had! The Gerudo are very temperamental. Plus, they worship their kings, both past and present. If...if they found out about that it would mean yet another civil war."

A thousand things were swirling through her mind, most of them visions of what might happen should the new Gerudo leader decide to get hostile. However, what was absent were the solutions to these problems.

Zelda stood and kicked the grass with her shoe in frustration, making a sizeable divot. She liked to have control of the situation, but had little idea now of what to do. The Princess reflected upon everything and anything her father had told her about diplomacy and politics, desperately trying to find the right combination.

A brilliant idea then popped into her head, and she knew just what to do. She grabbed Link, and started to walk towards the nearest door with him in tow.

"Ack! Princess, where are you taking me?" Link cried.

"Somewhere where we can plan what we're going to do," she answered. "And I want you to call me Zelda, okay?"

"Yes, Princess. By all means…"

-The Princess's chambers-

Dragging Link behind her, Princess Zelda arrived back at the entrance to her room. Opening the doors, she shoved the hero inside, nearly knocking him to the floor. Then, she promptly walked over to her desk and sat down. Grabbing her ink pen, Zelda began to feverishly write on a piece of gilded parchment.

What she was writing, the Legendary Hero had no idea. He dained to ask, and did so.

"And that is?" Link asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Something that will get me out of this forsaken castle," the Princess replied.

"And where exactly are you going?" the hero inquired.

Zelda looked up from her desk and stared at him, her lips twisting into a smug grin.

"With you, of course," she said plainly. "Impa can take over my duties. She's done it before."

Link took several steps back, shaking his head. As much as he enjoyed being with the Princess, he surely wasn't going to take her along. It would be his head on a pike should any unkindness be visited upon the Crown Princess of Hyrule.

"You must be joking," Link said, his jaw wide open. "Tell me you jest."

The Princess raised an eyebrow, and gazed at him quizzically.

"No, not at all," she said innocently. "Quite set on this over here."

She then simply returned to her writing, ignoring Link for the time being. He was left to stand there and sputter for a moment before he found his voice.

"Zelda, please! You can't be serious!" the hero exclaimed.

Link knew he could do nothing but try to persuade her not to. His antagonistic tone wasn't helping his current cause either.

Again, the Princess stopped. Reaching up, she removed the gold crown from atop her head and placed on the desk. For a moment, she looked at it, pondering its meaning and the responsibility that came with it.

"The Hyrulean Civil War lasted for almost fifty years, did you know that Link?" the Princess solemnly asked.

"No, I…" he began before Zelda cut him off.

"Fifty years of civil war! Fifty years of ceaseless combat!" she said. "That was the price of my father's kingdom, the price for peace. For me to sit here and do nothing while that peace is threatened by yet another Gerudo warlord goes against everything I've been taught…"

"But we can handle Gorkhan by ourselves," Link replied. "Myself and my other companions. I don't want to get you involved in this."

The Princess stood up, finished with her document. She folded it, placed it in the closest envelope, and sealed it with wax. Zelda stamped it with her personal seal and placed it on the desk.

"You just don't want me to get hurt," she stated. "That's something you don't have to worry about."

Link simply rolled his eyes.

"Zelda, when did you become a warrior?" he said sarcastically.

"Excuse me!" the Princess retorted. "You forget that I was trained in all the Sheikah martial arts. Granted, Impa doesn't remember it but I'm not completely useless on the battlefield..."

"Princess, could you at least try to see it my way?" Link argued.

That was the end of the line. Zelda folded her arms and turned away from him. She would have her way one way or another, and there was nothing Link could possibly hope to do about it.

"No! I do what I wish, when I so wish to do it," she sternly replied. "I do not have to ask your permission, or argue with you any further over the subject. The way I see it, you have two choices. Either let me go with you, or have me go anyway, without you! It's entirely your decision..."

Link quietly sighed to himself and let his head droop. While his arms swung uselessly and his knees buckled, the truth hit him and nearly knocked him over. Another long journey was at hand and he would have to spend day after day after day at the Princess's side. He did not want to have to essentially babysit her, and was skeptical about any actual combat ability she claimed to possess.

When he thought about it however, it didn't seem so bad. He would certainly have to protect her from a huge number of goblins and monsters, but at least it would be a challenge. Of course, Link was never one to back down from a challenge.

In addition, he would get lots of quality time with Zelda, who, he had to admit, was growing on him again, despite the attitude he remembered..

"So, what's it going to be?" the Princess asked.

The young hero smiled to himself.

"Since you put it that way, I don't see why not…"

-Outside Hyrule Castle: the next day-

Even though a whole day had passed, Zeta was still painfully sore. She hadn't expected such a thorough cleaning, or the use of hard-bristled scrub brushes. She silently vowed never to take a bath anywhere in Hyrule City ever again.

"Ugh...I think I'm missing a few scales," she said, feeling the small of her back. Indeed, she was, and she furrowed her brow at the discovery.

No one was paying any attention to her complaints. The others were quite busy marveling over their new clothes. Jaden had his pristine blue Sheikah armor again, which he was constantly straightening and adjusting. Dreck was fiddling around with his hat, which had been expertly stitched and now had a red feather sticking out of it.

Gonga now wore nothing, and was, for all intents and purposes, completely naked.

The young Zora woman then peered down at herself. The leather hauberk she wore now was of fine make, suitable for any archer, although she lamented the loss of her pants for the leather-armor skirt. While it offered her legs adequate protection, Zeta found it to be rather drafty.

For about a half-hour they had been waiting outside on the fairgrounds in front of the castle. Link had yet to return from his audience with the Princess, so they did not see him during the night. One of the guards woke them up and had given them the message that they were to wait outside.

-The previous day: Lower level of the Castle-

Zelda's former bodyguard grabbed Link and started to lead him off. His friends followed close behind, all the while marveling at all the stained glass and exquisite artwork of the castle interior. Impa led them all through several winding stairways and down many long hallways. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they stopped in front of a small wooden door where two guards were standing watch.

It had been beautifully carved, but was a little too obscure to be the entrance to the Princess's bedroom.

"This is Zelda's room?" the diminutive Deku Shrub asked aloud.

"Of course not," Impa replied. "The Princess would never sleep anywhere in this area of the castle! How could you ever think such a thing?"

"Then what is it?"

"This is a washroom."

Slowly, one of the guards opened the door. Inside an enormous bathtub sat, just waiting to be used. Fragrant soap and potpourri filled vases adorned the room. The servants inside were prepared to cater to any of the weary travelers' needs. A beautiful, multi-paned stained glass window provided light, throwing a dazzling mixture of color onto the lightly painted walls. Link and his comrades could do nothing but breathe in the aroma.

They were beginning to go into a trance, so Impa snapped them out of their daydreams.

"If any of you wish to meet the Lady Princess, the first thing you will have to do is wash up. You're all quite filthy," she stated matter-of-factly.

Right then, Link looked down at himself. His tunic was once a bright green, but now it was ripped in many places, the white shirt and dirty chain-mail underneath showing. On top of that, the color had faded and the whole tunic had a very fine layer of dirt on it.

As someone in the crowd earlier had stated, his clothes were pretty shoddy.

Link then glanced at his friends, who were also just as dirty. Jaden looked like a grubby peasant wearing a potato sack. The Goron behind him wore nothing at all, save for a beard that had turned to rock from years and years of mineral deposits slowly building up in it. Zeta's clothing had deteriorated into what amounted to a pair of leather briefs and her leather top. All the Deku Shrub wore was a plain gray hat, which by now had several holes in it.

Each of them had been through immense pain and suffering, so it was only fitting that they looked like it.

"All of you go inside," Impa ordered them. "Quickly now, time is of the essence."

Seconds before he reached the entrance, a great force shoved Link into the stone wall.

"Where are your manners? Ladies go first!" exclaimed Zeta, pushing the Hylian aside.

As she strolled in, a female servant took her hand and led Zetalyn to the tub. The others walked in just as the servant rudely dunked her into the bubbly water. The woman produced a very large scrub brush from off the adjacent wall. For her tactlessness in dealing with the Legendary Hero, Zeta would be given "special attention".

When the door closed again, Impa turned around to finish attending to her duties. The day was not over, and there were many more things to do and she needed to be elsewhere. It was then that she stepped in something soft that immediately ruined her nice boots.

Brown and sticky described whatever it was best. Impa tried to shake it off but it remained firmly adhered to the bottom of her shoe. Grimacing, the Shiekah woman pointed to the carpet while addressing one of the guards.

"Get somebody to clean this up…"

-Back in the real world...-

Like always, Zeta was quickly growing impatient.

"Where is Link?" she thought aloud. "That bum better get out here soon before I go belly up!"

Even though it was only nine in the morning, the sun was still scorching hot. The summers in Hyrule were known to be extremely hot and humid.

Zeta's question was answered and her threat dispelled as the castle's drawbridge slowly lowered. When it finally creaked into position, three people walked across the bridge and onto the fairgrounds.

The first was obviously Link. His green hat was unmistakable.

The second was a woman, Impa apparently. She seemed to be carrying a large, brightly colored shield.

Unfortunately, Zeta had no absolutely clue who the third person was. The newcomer was obviously blonde, female, and Hylian. Her attire was much, much different, as she appeared to be wearing armor. The woman's protection consisted of a steel, breastplate with gold embroidery and a metal skirt with a very light pink dress underneath that went down to the lady's ankles.

As they walked towards them, Zeta noticed that the woman was also carrying a metal staff. It was about as tall as she was, and looked to be a rather formidable weapon.

When they at last met up, Link was the first to greet them.

"Ah, greetings," he said cheerily. "Sorry I made you wait so long. Had to get my hat back from the tailors."

His four companions all sighed heavily, not particularly caring all that much about the status of his hat.

Then, for a reason Zeta didn't understand, Jaden immediately knelt down, bowing low in front of the woman in gilded armor.

"What's wrong with you? Your shoe untied again, little boy?" she asked, scratching her head.

The Sheikah boy gave her a look filled with a million obscenities.

"That's Princess Zelda!" he said through clenched teeth. "Kneel down this instant!"

Turning purple with rage, the Zora woman was ready to hit Jaden, but instead of doing that, she suppressed her anger and knelt down in front of the Princess along with her friends, grumbling under her breath the whole time.

"Please stand up," Zelda said. "We really should be leaving if we want to get to the ranch before the day ends."

As they stood, Impa positioned herself in front of the Princess Zelda, firmly stopping her from moving any further. A painfully stern look was directed at the King's daughter.

"Are you positive this is what you want to do?" she asked, holding up the shield to block Zelda's path. "I'll not be able to help you should you get into some kind of trouble. On top of that, I can only lie for you for so long before your father starts asking questions that I can't answer."

"Trouble? Ha!" the Princess laughed. "If anything happens the Legendary Hero here will be around to protect me."

Link smiled nervously as the tall Sheikah walked up to him and got in his face.

"Mark my words...may the Goddesses have mercy on your soul should any harm come to the Princess, because I won't!" Impa snarled protectively. "Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes Lady..." the Hylian stammered. "I will...make sure."

Zelda's former caretaker then handed Link the shield. It was made of good, solid steel and would be very unlikely to break. On the front, the scarlet eagle of the Royal Family had been painted, along with the golden symbol of the Triforce.

"A Hylian Shield," Link said. "Very sturdy. Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's strong steel," replied the Sheikah woman. "May it protect you on your journey."

At that point, Impa simply turned and headed back towards the castle, leaving the hero and his party to begin their long, difficult quest.

-Mere minutes later-

Link fixed his hat, lashed the shield to his back and started walking. The Princess followed behind, along with the others, who were eager to know what exactly was going on. All they knew was that they were going south for some unknown reason.

Most certainly, Zeta was not thrilled at the prospect of having to cater to royalty. Thoughts of dumping the royal off at the nearest trade-post and forgetting about her played through her Zoran mind, and she smiled deviously to herself.

To her great surprise, she found that Zelda was walking right along side her.

"Your Highness!" she exclaimed. "I…um…I didn't see you there."

The Princess wore a smirk that told she knew what the Zora was thinking about. Zelda wasn't going to bring it up though, as she knew that not everybody likes everybody else and was willing to live with it.

"Do you...uh...do you know where we're going?" asked the fish woman.

"From what I know, the horse ranch just south of here," the Princess replied. "It shouldn't take us any more than a few hours to get there."

"Ah, I see. We need horses."

"That's correct."

Had Zelda taken horses from the stables at the castle, her father would have been alerted to at least some of the nature of her expedition, which would be undesirable. For now, they were headed to Lon Lon Ranch at the center of the fields of Hyrule.

For the next few minutes the two women traveled in complete silence. Link led them down the city's side streets, so as to avoid being mobbed again by passing through the Market Square. It worked well, as not a single person stopped them to ask for an autograph.

It was smooth sailing all the way.

Eventually, they reached the city gates, where a few guards stood watch. Zelda handed them the letter she had forged, and was allowed to leave the city with her party.

As they stepped onto the grass of Hyrule Field, they could see Lon Lon Ranch in the distance. There, at the most famous ranch in the whole kingdom, they would be able to secure horses and essential supplies. Meat, milk, and firewood would be all they needed for now, all easily attainable at the ranch.

Just before they could begin their trek, Zeta stopped the Princess in her tracks.

"Forgive me, my lady, but may I ask why you are accompanying us?" she asked in her most respectful tone.

Zelda thought about that for a minute before replying.

"That's simple," answered the Princess. "I have diplomatic immunity."

End Chapter Two

Proceed to Chapter Three!