Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters or their respective franchise; Legend of Zelda and Metroid belongs to Nintendo while Soul Calibur belongs to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not earn money for writing this.

A Hylian's Harem

Chapter 2

The Reunion of Blades & the Screeching Sorceress

"So Link!" Sheik exclaimed joyfully, skipping around the Hero as they walked through the corridors. The night was upon them, and as much as they all wished to celebrate Link´s return and victory, the need of sleep was nothing to ignore. They could celebrate another day when they had more time to plan the feast.

The two Sheikah women was to guide Link to his own quarter for the night however, an eager request which had prompted Zelda to stifle many giggles as Sheik happily pulled Link by the wrist and Impa simply walking closely by his side.

"What was the faraway land like? You got to tell us everything! Did you fight any monsters?" Link chuckled at Sheik´s more talkative and open behaviour. "I will happily tell you all about my adventure, once I've gotten my rest… But I can tell you, it was wide with wonders and horrific encounters of its own. I learned much during my stay." He finished with a smile.

"Sounds very intriguing." Impa commented. "We look forward to hear your tales in detail, once you have recovered from your journey. But for now…" She placed her hand on his shoulder, a smile gracing her lips. "It's good enough to see you again. You have been quite missed."

He didn't reply, but his smile said it all. The feeling of longing was mutual and had not gone unnoticed by the Hero, not once during his whole adventure.

"Here we are!" Sheik exclaimed as they reached the door. "Everything inside is already prepared for you Link."

"It is?" Link arched an eyebrow. "How is that possible?"

"Princess Zelda had this room prepared after you went off on your journey." Impa replied. "Especially for you. She never once doubted you would return. So she arranged this room for you whenever you would return."

"As thoughtful and selfless as ever…" Link smiled. "I need to thank her properly tomorrow."

"You do that." The older Sheikah said. "But for now, you should get some rest. I imagine the journey to have been long, and your clothes are still damp from the weather. Tell you what, I´ll take care of your clothes and have them dried up and warm for when you wake up."

"That would be most appreciated Impa… Thank you. I´ll just head inside real quick and change then."

The two Sheikah women nodded, watching their Hero disappear behind the door to change. Impa felt glad to be of assistance to Link, despite her back of the mind wanting to watch him discard his clothes, revealing his muscled body. As if she could read minds, Sheik shot her older Sheikah sister a scornful glare which didn't go unnoticed.

"Yes?" Impa inquired, watching Sheik still glare at her.

"I wanted to take care of his gear…" She muttered, averting her eyes to the floor. Impa sighed deeply and patted Sheik on the back in a friendly manner, to coax a sense of no hurt feelings. "You could help me you know."

Sheik looked back at her senior playfully coyly. ".. Can I be the one who takes them back to his room?"

"Of course. But I will be accompanying you." The Shadow Sage couldn't help but to stifle a boisterous laughter at Sheik´s reaction. She looked like she was about to burst; a guilty pleasure of Impa to tease her fellow Sheikah.

The door opened up, prompting them to fall into silence as Link stood before them. Their crimson eyes widened at the sight of his bare, muscled chest, the only clothing remaining on him being the pyjama-pants. He held out his damp and clumsily folded clothes towards Impa with a bashful grin.

"Here… Sorry for the messy state of it all. I owe you one Impa."

"It… it is quite alright." She tried her hardest to look him in the eyes, but the bare skin of ample muscles and handsome frame was too tempting for her, despite being a Sage. She mentally chastised herself for ogling at the young man, but her affections towards him demanded their eye-candy. And how sweet it was to drink in the image of a half-naked Link.

"I am more than happy to be of assistance, Link… I shall wish you a good night, and an equally good rest. We will see you tomorrow." She took the moist clothes from him with a small smile.

"Likewise Impa. And you too Sheik. Sleep well."

"Y-Yes…" Sheik said shyly. "Good night Link…"

With a courteous nod from the young Hylian, their conversation ended and the door closed with a light slam. The two Sheikah women began to continue down the corridor, equally silent with only the faint droplets of rainwater hitting the stone floor providing sound as they walked. Neither wanted to state the obvious that had inevitably happened, their minds remaining focused on the dreamy moment of Link, in his toned glory.

:::::

"Curse this abominable rain!" Ivy yelled out loud, shivering under her hooded robe in the fragile shelter she and Sophitia had managed to hastily put together. The rain was merciless as it cascaded like arrows, with the wind savagely cutting the small fire they had succeeded in creating underneath their shelter.

Not knowing how much further it could be to reach Link´s homeland, the two women decided that the wisest decision was to camp for the night and continue in the morning when the weather hopefully was better suited for travelling. But the rain and wind was cold and persistent, forcing the two to huddle up near the slowly dying fire.

"As long as the shelter holds, we should avoid catching a cold." Sophitia stated. "But I have to agree with you about this foul weather… Hey Ivy? How much further do you think it is until we reach his homeland?"

The taller woman shrugged underneath her robe. "I have no clue. But there shouldn't be too much of a journey left. Once we continue in the morning, we should be reaching the borders quite swiftly. As long as we don't slow ourselves down."

"Mm." the blonde Greek woman nodded. The fire flickered against the howling wind, its yellowish-red core brightly standing in defiance to the harsh surroundings of the rainy night. The drops smacked against the cover of their shelter in an unending rhythm.

She let her mind wander to the reason of her journey; the stout, mysterious warrior known as Link. Sophitia felt her cheeks grow warmer despite the biting cold as images and memories of Link flashed before her. How they had first met in a pub, both of them trying to find information or clues to the evil blade to their sparring and moments of cheeriness.

They had a similar fighting-style, she and Link. Though Link sometimes surprised everyone by randomly and nonchalantly picking up bombs and a bow, his skills with the blade remained impressive. It was captivating to see him utilize every limb in his battles, how he deflected blows and projectiles with his shield and the techniques he used with his sword – which apparently was called "The Master Sword".

His azure eyes that could be calm, soft and passionate at one time, and sharp, focused and deadly in the next. At such a young age as well; Sophitia couldn't believe that he was barely 18 by the start of their quest, and apparently he had honed his skills since he was 10.

He was dreamy, there was no denying that. Compassionate, honourable, and courageous was his best features when it came to personality. By sheer physical appearance, he was downright handsome. Or "a perfect stud" as Ivy had put it. Ivy´s strong liking to the mystical warrior had not gone unnoticed by the other members of their group. She was probably thinking about Link as well right now, but it was alright.

They could only silently agree that Link was gorgeous as they began to fade to the dream world, without a doubt continuing to dream about their man in green.

:::::

She heard the bolts of thunder roar in the distance. It was a muffled sound, but she heard it still. Her eyelids twitched as she tried to open them, a faint light across from her giving her enough vision to slowly recover her sight.

She blinked repeatedly, but she remained tired and groggy. Her body felt weak and refused to move as she wished. It was warm, wherever she was. After enough time, she could make out that she was in a room. There was a few lit candles on a wooden table across the room, and a single glass window gave her an insight of the dark weather that raged outside, stained with the numerous raindrops.

´Where… Where am I…? I don't remember… Weren't I out…outside…?´ She thought to herself. Her vision might have come back, but her head was spinning. The limbs and sinews didn't respond to move.

´What is going on…? Did… did someone…´

"Oh! You finally came around then?" Said an elderly male voice. Tiredly, Veran glanced over at the short, elderly man who smiled at her, with his young female assistant right next to him. "Thank your lucky star that you were found. If the young man hadn't rescued you, you would've probably still been out there."

"What… where am…" Veran tried to speak, but her voice came out weak and dry. The doctor hushed her.

"Don't try to speak. Your body is exhausted and wounded, but you are on the road to recovery. Just try and fall back asleep young one, you will need it. Again, it is luck that he found you when he did… You were horribly wounded."

It came back to the sorceress now. She remembered Link, the damn hero who had mercilessly assaulted her with the seeds and sword, and then the spell backfired. But how? What exactly had it done? Was she even in Labrynna anymore?

"…I… Where am I..?"

The doctor sighed. "She must be suffering from amnesia. Let us hope it will only be temporary. Anya, get another hot towel ready, we must keep her body warm."

"Right away doctor!" Anya said, jogging out of the room in her haste. The doctor who remained smiled at the woman who slowly fell back asleep again.

"You just rest now, young one. Your questions will be answered in the morning. But… Just what happened to you?"

::::::::

A new morning´s hush basked itself over the land of Hyrule, bringing the tranquil song of circled birds in flight over the bright, blue day. Not a cloud in the sky, and the sun stood proudly on its aerial seat, its radiant beams of light showering every patch of land, every step of cobblestone and through every window of glass.

Link groaned in his slowly shattering sleep. The light of the new day lit up the room from its heavy shadows, forcing the young Hero to awake from his restful slumber.

"Wakey wakey Link~" A voice suddenly, but calmly said. Link heard it, but tossed and turned as he clung onto sleep. A hand shook him gently by the shoulder, reducing the slumbering shackles to nothing and prompting the young man to wake up.

Groggily, he sat up on his bed, rubbing his eyes to better adjust them to the light. As he did, he managed to make out that three people were in his room. He blinked. Zelda, Impa stood before his bed, whilst Sheik was next to him, holding a large, but portable wooden tray with a wide smile on her face. Impa held a small smile of her own while the princess tried to hold in her giggles.

"I guess Saria was right." Zelda managed to say between her stifled giggles. Puzzled, Link looked over at Impa in the hope of a better explanation. "Saria told us how much you enjoy to sleep in. We didn't quite expect that you would sleep till nearly the middle of the day."

The blonde man chuckled with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that… I guess I was in need of more rest than I thought." The women playfully rolled their eyes as Sheik put down the tray in front of Link, revealing the contents to be a varied breakfast; from fresh bread with various applications such as ham and marmalade to drinks.

"Because you are such a sleepyhead," Sheik said teasingly. "We decided to bring the breakfast to you. A healthy and nutritious meal for our growing Hero~" Link let out a hearty laughter. "Thank you Sheik… That's thoughtful of you- Oh! That reminds me!" His blue eyes shifted to Zelda. "I really have to thank you Zelda. I appreciate that you went through the trouble to prepare this room."

"It was nothing, Link." The princess said with a wide smile. "It is I who cannot thank you enough for what you have done for this land. It is the least I can do. You should eat up and get dressed; I have planned a tour around town to show you the changes during your absence."

"With pleasure!" Link exclaimed with a silly grin as he began to eat his delicious breakfast. Zelda giggled and took her leave, with Impa and Sheik to keep Link company.

Said Sheikah women shared a look of mild agitation towards each other. While Impa remained at the front of the bed, Sheik had taken the liberty to climb onto the bed to sit next to Link. "So, Link… How does it taste? I hope it's good!"

Impa cringed. ´Way to go Sheik…´ "That reminds me lad, Malon was here earlier to deliver the milk you're currently drinking. She is looking forward to see you whenever you can afford the time."

"Of course! Man, it feels like it's been ages since last time… I got to bring Epona with me when I visit her! I'm sure she will be happy to see her too!" He looked over at Sheik. "And yes, this is really good Sheik!"

"I see, great!" The younger Sheikah said. She flashed a hidden grin towards Impa as she scooted closer to Link, talking about how she wanted to hear about his adventure as soon as possible and whatnot. Her senior on the other hand frowned; granted, she too wanted to sit beside the Hero, but she was mature enough to not sink to such childish behaviour.

´Oh grow up Sheik!´

:::::

"Damn it…" Samus slammed her clenched fist onto the screen in anger. "This is not looking good… The engines are nearly busted. I need to find a suitable planet to crash on and repair it by hand – Crash being the keyword here…" She eyed the internal scanned on her monitor, her frown deepening. "I'm surprised that my ship has lasted as long as it has by now. But I won't be able to land properly if I don't find a suitable planet soon- Hm?"

She narrowed her gaze at the hologram-chart. Judging by her current position and direction, she would find a planet.

"Looks like I am finally seeing some luck… I just hope my emergency engines don't give up on me on the way." She punched in the necessary buttons, and her ship was once again soaring at high speed through the great universe. It shook violently, the screens flickered, but Samus knew she would make it. Her ship had been through worse.

"Come on… You can do it. Don't bust out on me now. Just a little further…"

:::::

Back in Hyrule, the bright weather continued to prevail, recovering the moisture from the last night´s rain. The grass of the field was slowly drying up and the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the faint winds danced in harmony.

Sandals and heels walked with fresh steps across the vast field. The wind gently blew across their faces, their hair danced along it, and their robes were flung over their backs, their purpose no longer needed, and for once, they knew for certain where they were.

The white-haired woman smirked triumphantly as they got to the top of the hill, and enjoyed the wide scenery of mountains in the distance and an unmistakably town with a proud, tall castle even further in the horizon.

"I think it is safe to say that we have arrived Sophitia." Ivy said coolly. "So this is Hyrule… "

"It's stunning…" The blonde woman said in amazement. "Just look at the landscape; breath-taking, no matter where I look. No wonder he might have been homesick…"

"It certainly doesn't look like England. But who am I to complain." Ivy said. "I'm sure there is even more to it than meets the eye. But enough admiration, we should try and find Link as soon as possible."

"Absolutely. Oh! We should convince him to give us a tour! Two birds with one stone, no?" Sophitia smiled a radiant smile, forcing Ivy to chuckle. "I have to agree with you on that one. Come, we should head to the town first things first."

The duo hurriedly began to descend the grassy hill, each with her own smile of excitement on their astonishing features. They had actually arrived in Hyrule, Link´s home; they walked upon foreign land, and it thrilled them like a second adventure.

"Ivy?"

"Yes?"

"Can you imagine his surprise when he sees us? I mean, here of all places?" The blonde giggled, prompting the taller woman to laugh along. "I imagine he will be quite surprised. It will be fun to see!"

They shared another heart-warming laughter as they nearly ran through the field towards the drawbridge. The rich sound of a busy town was clearly heard the closer they got, and the astonishing view of a Hyrulean market-town was presented before them. Cobblestone ground with potted flowers of various colours adorned the market, and a small but stunning fountain was proudly standing at the centre with crowds of people in foreign clothes all around in an atmosphere that seemed to yell Welcome to Hyrule Market.

:::::

The market seemed to beam with life in the distance, down the road from the castle. As soon as his boot stepped onto the fresh soil, Link arched his back and took a deep breath, smiling at the familiar sight.

"I never got to enjoy this properly due to the storm, but now… I honestly feel good to back home."

The women behind him shared their respective ways of laughter. "Yes, I can imagine." Zelda said as she stepped up beside him. "It feels like only yesterday when you tried to sneak past the guards all the way to the garden. I still remember the surprise I initially felt when a boy clad in green suddenly stood behind me."

"Well, the Gerudo did acknowledge my skills of sneaking past guards. That have to count for something right?" He replied with a grin. "Oh! Speaking of which, how has the Gerudo tribe been doing?"

Impa stepped up to him to answer, a confident smile gracing her lips. "Nabooru still checks on them every now and then, but they have shown no hostility. I think that they never really served Ganon to such extent. Still…" She glanced over at Link with grin. "Those women still invade the market every now and then in search for temporary boyfriends."

He let out a boisterous laughter. "I see… As long as they don't try anything funny."

"Enough about that." Sheik intervened. "We got to show you around, right Princess?" Said woman giggled and nodded. "Yes, quite so. You should see the market Link; we have made a few changes to it I'm sure you will like."

"Can't wait to see it." Link said. "I remember running around it like crazy when I was a kid."

"You are in for a surprise then." Impa said while patting his shoulder as they began to walk down the path, ultimately leading them to the market town. The guards offered salutes to the group as they went by, some even cheered as they continued through the first gate.

:::::

"A Bazaar… A Potion Shop? Happy Mask Shop? Treasure Shop? Hyrule seem to have it all." Ivy said with a low chuckle. As soon as Sophitia and she had walked inside the market they had let their eyes wander with a hunger for learning. They wanted to explore everything Link´s home world had to offer, every nook and cranny of customs and culture.

"If you see an armoury, give me a shout." Sophitia said in excitement. "I would love to see their shields… Maybe I can get one like Link has!"

"I´ll keep that in mind. Though that potion shop sounds interesting… As an alchemist, maybe I could learn a thing or two…" The female duo kept walking through the crowds, eagerly observing everything around them. From the stout buildings of familiar medieval theme that Ivy was used to see in England, to the lush spots of flowers that were decorating the town. Breath-taking to its highest degree, Sophitia couldn't help but notice the stares they received as they walked.

At first she had seen it as they stood out as foreigners and shrugged it off. It was inevitable after all. But after closer inspection, she noticed that the men and women barely looked at her. They were looking at Ivy.

´Is it because they find her more beautiful than me..?´ The Greek warrior thought bitterly, sighing over the men's tiny brains down below. Then it hit her. They didn't stare because Ivy was more beautiful (some were, probably) but they stared at her in shock and bafflement because of what she was wearing!

´Of course!´ She thought, horrified. "I-Ivy! Cover yourself up this instant!"

The taller woman arched her eyebrow at the Greek woman. "Huh? What for?"

"You're attracting attention! An awful lot of it as a matter of fact!" They both looked around the town. Within a certain radius, all the townspeople around them stared with wide eyes at Ivy and her purple, revealing costume. The looks ranged from lustful grins to disgusted frowns, though the latter was the majority. The eyes of children were covered by their mothers, and women of nearly all ages glared at Ivy in spite.

They had become the centre of attention.

"… Surely they must've seen something like this before?" Ivy said, slightly taken back by the sheer amount of disgusted looks she received. The blonde next to her stared with appalled look.

"They obviously haven't, and even if they have I certainly don't think it's common to actually walk around in it! P-Put on your robe!"

"Why should I? It's not my fault they can't handle my appeal." Ivy said bluntly, scoffing at the crowd with a frown.

"Ivy please! The last thing we want is to get in trouble with any authorities!"

:::

"The town seem even more alive than I last remember it..." Link said with a content sigh. "And to think that is used to be infested with Redeads…"

"It is hard to believe, isn't it?" Impa commented. "Thanks to our combined efforts, we managed to seal Ganon and everything evil he created with him in the Sacred Realm. It didn't take long for the town to be thriving again with life."

"It's truly magnificent." Sheik said cheerfully. "Don't you agree- Hm? Princess?" The Sheikah walked up the blonde woman. "Is everything alright? You look troubled."

"It… It is nothing wrong with myself, but…" She pointed over at the large gathering of people near the centre of the market, not too far from their current position. "there appears to be something going on over at the town. I don't recall any events taking place today…"

Impa narrowed her eyes. "There appears to be a commotion. Shall I disperse them, princess?"

"It depends. Let us see what it is all about." Zelda said in a soft, but firm tone. Link and the Sheikah women followed right behind her down the small dirt path until they reached the market. The various voices of the people occupied the surroundings, muttering and whispering. Whatever was going on, it attracted more and more of the towns-people like moths to a flame. It wasn't until Impa cleared her throat that the first group of people turned around, only to be met by the princess´s Sheikah attendants, the princess herself, and the Hero.

"What is going on here?" Impa demanded. Her voice, full of command, effectively dispersed the crowds as they walked through, each and every other person pointing towards the centre of the crowd. "It's some foreigners!" One said. "That woman has no shame!" Said another.

"I keep telling you Sophitia, I refuse to put on the robe again! It's hot enough as it is and it's their own damn fault for choosing to stare!"

"Ivy please! Have some decency! Just until we get out of here!"

"See that? The nerve of that woman!"

"Cover your children's eyes folks!"

"For shame! How can she walk around like that!"

´What the…?´ Link thought. Those voices sounded familiar. Too familiar. He must've misheard the names, but if it really was them…

As the last crowd of people moved, Link managed to spot something purple and blue. The familiarity of the two women was replaced by fully recognizable friends. Link felt his jaw hang loose in bafflement, his eyes of azure widen considerably as shock overwhelmed him. Right in the centre of the market in his home world was two warriors he had never thought he would meet again, and here of all places! Before Impa, Sheik or even Zelda could announce their presence and have this gathering come to an end, Link stepped forth, still in shock and bewilderment.

"What the- IVY?! SOPHITIA?!"

The two foreign women turned their heads towards the crowd, Link at its spearhead with a look of astonishment on his handsome face. The crowd looked over as well, shocked to see their Hero having returned, but mostly due to him seemingly having a connection to the two. Impa cast a puzzled glance at the young lad, as did Sheik and Zelda.

"L-Link! We found you!" Sophitia exclaimed. "Oh thank Zeus we found you at last!"

"Ahh, young Link of Hyrule… We meet again!" The two women threw themselves as the green-clad hero, knocking him down to the ground in their joy while Zelda and her attendants watched them in shock.

:::

After having had Impa and Sheik tear the women off him, Link had quickly suggested that they talked somewhere more private, away from the prying eyes of the public. After Zelda and Impa had convinced the people to go on with their daily activities and assuring them that the "problems" would be taken care of, they had moved back up the dirt path towards the castle. They had all remained silent, with the exception of the joyous giggles and chuckles form the two foreign women.

Once the coast was clear, Link sighed heavily. "I suppose I owe you all an explanation…" He motioned towards the two women. "These two are adventurers from the distant world I journeyed to. When I looked for the corrupted blade, I came across a group of likeminded fellows who also sought its destruction, amongst them was these two."

Sophitia stepped forward, and offered a courteous bow. "Sophitia Alexandra of Greece, champion of Hephaestus the God of Fire and Forge."

Zelda smiled at the girl, who couldn't be that much younger then herself, if not older. She returned the bow, as did the two Sheikah women when Ivy stepped up as well.

"Isabella Valentine, from the British Empire. Heiress of the Valentine House." She bowed in a similar manner as she had seen her Greek friend do. The bow was returned, but she saw their strange looks, prompting her to stifle another chuckle.

"I am pleased to meet you." Zelda said in her usual, sweet voice. "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. And these two are my attendants, Impa and Sheik."

"P-Princess?!" The Greek blonde nearly shouted, as she hurriedly knelt down on one leg before Zelda, bowing her head. "An honour to meet you, Princess Zelda."

"Please, stand up. No need for you to kneel before me Miss Alexandra." Zelda said with a smile. ´So cute… At least she has manners. She strongly resembles Link.´ She glanced over at Link, then back at Sophitia. Blonde, wielding a sword and shield, and so far honourable. It's cute in a way…´

Her ocean-blue eyes wandered to the taller woman with a slight horrified look. ´I am not going to say anything negative about Link´s friends… But what in the names of Nayru, Din and Farore is she wearing?! It can't possibly be regular clothing from where she comes from, right?!´

"So, you two shared the same goal as our brave lad here?" Impa said with a nod at Link´s direction. Ivy and Sophitia simultaneously nodded to affirm the question. "Yes, this young man appeared out of nowhere, claiming to look for a certain evil blade… After demonstrating his skills, it didn't take long for us to accept him into our little group. However…" Ivy shot Link a mild glare before she stepped up to him and slapped him at the back of his head, ruffling his cap in the process.

"I understand that you may have been homesick dear, but how dare you just leave without as much as a goodbye? It really hurt our feelings you know, and after we bonded so well..."

"I… uh…" Link stuttered, adjusting his cap at the same time. "I didn't realize you cared that much… thought I see where you are coming from. I should've at least said goodbye. I'm sorry Ivy, Sophitia."

The Greek blonde felt her cheeks flare up, and her green eyes averted from Link´s stared. "I-It's alright… We f-found you anyway, so it g-good.."

"What she said." Ivy ruffled his cap once again, this time in a friendly manner of simply patting him. "We got lots of time to share now, right? You can make up to us by giving us a tour of your beautiful land." ´Amongst other things, you stud.´

"Oh, you intend to stay?" Link inquired, slowly turning to Zelda. "I… I'm not sure…"

To his relief, Zelda smiled warmly back at him before addressing the two women. "They are more than welcome to stay. They are your friends after all. Ladies, I humbly invite you to the royal castle, as guests of Link, and of me."

"Princess, are you sure? We know next to nothing-" Impa began, but Zelda intervened. "I know Impa. But they are friends of Link, whom we all trust more than anything. I will take his word that they are good people and considering all that he has done for Hyrule…" She paused. "… I think it's only fair, no?"

"Understood Your Highness." The crimson-eyed attendant looked over at Ivy and Sophitia. "Shall we show them their rooms right away? I don't see any horses with them, so I assume they travelled here by foot. Surely they could use some rest."

"Hmm.. A good nap would surely be fitting right now…" Ivy said, tapping her chin. "I humbly accept your offer, warrior." Impa didn't respond, but her grin said it all.

"I too humbly accept." Sophitia said. "And allow me to thank you, princess, for allowing us to stay despite our… awkward encounter."

"Pay it no mind." Zelda replied. "A friend of Link is a friend of mine. Come. We can give you the tour later Link, once your friends have rested a bit."

"Sounds good to m- Oh!" The women all looked back at Link, who was last in line. "I forgot I had an important promise to keep with the doctor?"

"A promise?" Sheik asked.

"Yes, I promised the doctor to visit – I explain it all later, but I really need to go! So sorry about this!" The young man shouted as he ran back down to the town, slowly disappearing into the crowds. Zelda giggled at him and began to lead the way for the group of women. They shared talks of stories, Link, and cultural differences which all was fascinating and interesting in their own right, but underneath Zelda's smile and friendly manner, her mind churned with a bugging question.

´How can she walk around in that… attire so casually?!´

::::

"Oh, young man. I see that you finally made it." The doctor said with a hearty laughter. "Decided to sleep in huh?"

"My apologies doctor!" Link said through his heavy panting. "I am embarrassed to say that I forgot! It's not too late is it?"

"On the contrary, your timing was perfect. Poor woman have been walking the line between conscious and unconscious nearly all night and most of the morning. She only just woke up properly." He motioned for Link to follow him as he walked through another door. "It is unfortunate though. Poor lass seem to suffer from amnesia. We don't even know her name."

"Oh.. I see… But at least she's okay now, right?"

"Naturally. She is all patched up and recovering. Not even a cold! But it's that amnesia instead…"

"How are you feeling?" Anya the assistant asked. Veran glanced over at her with a small smile as she tried to sit up properly. "… I feel a bit better. Thank you."

"No need to thank us, it's what we do. And the kind young man who brought you here."

"Young man?" Veran asked. Anya nodded with a great smile. "Yes. Last night during the rainstorm, this handsome young man came from nowhere, carrying you in his arms. Said something about finding you out in the field."

"…I see…"

"In fact, I think he's on his way over now. He promised he would come and visit you."

Veran´s eyes widened up a little. Her saviour would actually visit? She felt like laughing. If only that person knew just who he had rescued. Still, it would be fun to see the face of the man. Once she had recovered completely, she would rub her powers in just that face, mocking him for bringing on the wrath of the Sorceress of Shadows to this place.

Anya left the room, chirping happily after having cleaned the desk. As she went through the door, Veran heard her, and the doctor´s voice, prompting her to listen carefully.

"Ah, Anya. How is the patient?"

"She's all well and awake doctor! Oh, hi there mister! Did you come to fulfil your promise?" Anya said with a giggle, but Veran felt her eyes widen even more. Her "saviour" was just beyond that door.

"Yes, absolutely." A third voice said, catching the sorceress´s interest. It was youthful. Sounded like a handsome guy in her mind. She grinned.

"Well then," the doctor said. "Just go through that door. I'm sure she will be happy to see you."

She heard the single pair of footsteps coming closer. A faint shadow began to emerge from the doorway.

´Poor, unsuspecting fellow…´ Veran mused. ´If only you knew just what you have brought… You can stand there all you want, and say what you will, but once I have fully recovered, I will wipe that smile of yours away. That... handsome smile… and those… oh those sharp, indigo eyes… so befitting you, like a knight… a knight clad in green, but that could be arranged-´

Veran felt her heart threaten to stop. ´Green garbs…?´ She eyed the man before her up and down. She felt the cold beads of sweat beginning to appear on her person, and the breaths that in vain tried to gain oxygen.

´Green garbs…? G-Green… Cap, boots, tunic… Green tunic! Green cap! Sword and shield?! No, No, N-NO!´

The horror she felt overwhelmed her. She threw away the covers of her hospital bed and crawled up to the corner of the room, knocking over any objects that were in her way. Trapped with no exit, she witnessed the spitting image of Link, the Hero carefully walking towards her. His words fell on her deaf ears, with only her inner voice screaming in panic, and eventually through her throat.

"NO! You can't be here! You can't be here! Leave me ALONE! NOOOOOOO!"

"D-Doctor! Whoa, H-help! She's out of control!"

"GET AWAY FROM MEEE!"


I really, really didnt think the chapter would be that long. Still, more for you to read if you like this story that is. ^^

Until next time!