Chapter 2: Reunited Once More

Zelda gasped as though frightened to see him there. She rubbed her eyes groggily and gazed back at him again. A boy in green about the same height and age she was fell right in front of her. The same boy she had dreamt about night after night.

It must be the boy from the forest, was what she thought.

Zelda was utterly distracted. Her eyes were fixed on Link only and there wasn't a chance that the blue pair was going to budge at all. Had she forgot what happened?

Link wasn't surprised. He expected it. But he didn't know what to say. He just stood in front of her, trembling with panic and distress. His diminutive heart was pumping vociferously that its beat was almost hearable in the courtyard. Zelda gave him the impression that she forgot him. Of course...Her eyes were filled with fear, yet she seemed concerned. Her mouth was entirely blocked by her cupped hands that were piled on top of it. Why had this come to be?

Link stared at Zelda with sorrow and melancholy. Her reaction towards seeing him was expected, but disturbing-too disturbing. He was absolutely motionless and quiet. His heart beat without delay. Thump da thump da thump.

In a blink of an eye, she ran to him beaming, her arms were stretched. Link felt a gush of relief wash over him as she jumped at him and threw her arms around his neck.

Embarrassed, she pulled away, but she didn't seem to regret it. Her face was lightened. She was moving so fast, she could have been jumping over an invisible rope.

"Link," she exclaimed.

"You remember me," he smirked.

"It worked. Link, Midna made it happen!" Zelda was literally bouncing up and down.

"The sword...the grove...the guardians," Link paused after each word. "What time is this?"

"I guess Midna sent us back to the day we saw Ganondorf," Zelda responded. Amused as she was, she suddenly frowned.

"Well, what happened then?" Link asked, knowing something wasn't right. He leaped up the steps and towards the window.

Zelda turned away from him, avoiding the question. She gazed at the unfamiliar people that hung in a frame on the wall in one of the halls. A mustachio man, a spunky blonde princess, an oversized turtle with spikes on his shell...

Was it possible that Ganondorf hadn't come?

"You didn't see him." It sounded like a question. He smiled, but he didn't seem to understand Zelda's sudden disappointed.

"No," she responded, inhaling.

"Aren't you happy?" Link asked again.

"No," she repeated. She made her way over to the lonely window and stared through its glass. Her arms folded over her chest, and she leaned against the wall.

"I don't understand," Link said.

"Ganondorf was supposed to come. He didn't," she simply answered. "I have had those dreams. I had a feeling, or sort of a premonition of you coming to see me."

"And that's bad why?"

Zelda sighed. "Link, my father is having breakfast with the Gerudo Chief."

Link stared at her puzzled. But then he caught what she was trying to say.

"That can't be-"

"Ganondorf," she said darkly.

Link nodded his head dumbly.

If they went back in time, and Zelda didn't see him out the window like she was suppose to, why was there a Gerudo Chief? The original chief was Ganondorf, but he was gone. Or was he? Wait, was he? Was Ganondorf gone? But there was chief. When would this chief show himself? When would Ganondorf show himself?

As if reading his mind, Zelda stated, "Don't be upset. I was confused too." She smiled.

"This is a lot for one kid to indulge, Princess," Link replied.

"We have to talk to Impa," Zelda suggested, though it seemed more like a fact.

Without a single word, Link nodded.

Zelda gracefully lifted her dress and stepped down the stairs into the flower bed, with Link walking right beside her.

"Um listen, we have to keep quiet. My guards would flip if they found out about you," Zelda explained.

We? Link liked the sound of it for some reason. "Keeping quiet, got it."

Zelda chuckled. "Don't even breathe," she joked.

"Your wish is my-"

"Halt. You boy, step away from the princess!" A strong and low voice shouted from outside the courtyard. A soldier dressed in loads of armor stepped in, pointing his spear a few inches from Link's lip. His aim was perfect; Link didn't notice him move the weapon at all. His heart sped up quickly.

Without thinking, Link pushed the pointy tip of the spear to the side. His action angered the soldier. He immediately placed the spear back to where he had it before, only this time closer to him.

Two guards came in defensively behind the soldier. They too, where dressed in heavy armor. Their spears pointed at Link as well.

Zelda became frustrated. Her face turned bright red and her fists balled up at her side. "What are you three doing!" she screamed.

"Princess, we are simply following orders," the soldier answered calmly.

Zelda bit her lip. "Don't you princess me!" she shouted. "And following orders? Did my father ask you to come intrude on us the way you did!" She shook her head, depressed.

"Well, um no, Princess. It is our duty and we-"

"Drop your weapons," Zelda ordered.

"But."

"Now," she growled, pointing at the ground. Her other hand blocked the way to Link. Link felt nervous. It should have been the other way around. The guards did as told immediately.

"Princess, this boy," the soldier pointed at Link, disgusted, "is no more than a commoner. Your father has set a rule on that." Link winced at the word, commoner.

"My actions are my responsibility. And this "commoner" you say is my guest that you have rudely disrespected today," Zelda answered.

"A filthy boy like him carries no respect," one of the two guards said.

A commoner? Link being a commoner? He put is head down in shame.

"I hadn't asked for your opinion," she told the guard who spoke.

"Please," the soldier begged. "Be reasonable."

"Enough," Zelda ordered. "Now be gone."

The solider sighed in defeat. He glared at Link, noticing nothing but what he thought of him: a rat. "Princess," one of the guards said in place for the soldier.

"Enough," the soldier stopped him. "The Princess is right."

Zelda still didn't smile. "Go on and leave," he told them. The guards glared at Link before they left. Then, the soldier took off his helmet and kneeled before Zelda. "My apologizes, Princess. I had no idea."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now if you mind, go tell the others that Link here must be treated welcomingly." She emphasized, Link, to make a point. Then, she kindly asked him to leave. The soldier put his helmet back on and turned toward the exit, giving Link another stare. Link stared back at him, his eyes full of shame. The pride he held for himself was gone.

"That was some battle," Zelda smiled, skipping out of the courtyard.

Link was flabbergasted, though he shouldn't have been. Zelda was headstrong, he knew that. She held many skills, and this leadership skill worked perfectly well on her. But he still didn't feel right.

For as long as he known her, Link always thought of himself as nothing compared to Zelda. He was a commoner, one who befriended the princess. In his world, he was smelly old garbage sitting in the wrong place. Zelda interrupted his thoughts.

"I will like to see me father, but now probably isn't the right time," she told him as they walked.

"What do you mean?" Link didn't bother to look at her. He knew what to find. The sad Zelda. She told him about her father long ago, but his memory was dim. It faded away.

"My father...he is very strict, especially on me," Zelda furrowed her brows. "He changed after my mother died," the sadness in her voice was nearly heartbreaking. "He was flower and she was the bee. She kept him from withering."

"But he shouldn't be that way with you," Link replied.

"I know, but I can't do anything about it."

When silence filled the hall, Link took the time to look at himself. He started with his feet that were covered in filthy, old boots. His boots were muddy and the top of it was almost ripped off. He moved on to his tunic, the hero's tunic. Blood stains and dirt took away every appealing thing about it. Plus, a huge tore in the upper shoulder of the uniform showed his skin, which was dirty as well. His arms were covered in scrapes and bruises. Link didn't even want to know how bad his head was. His hair was sure to be messy and his face must have been worse than his arms. Basic commoner characteristics.

Zelda was dressed in clothes of high quality. She had no scrapes, no bruises. Her blonde hair was clean, without a twig or leave sticking out of it. Her face was smooth, or eyes were crystal blue. He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve being in this castle. The guard was right. He carried no respect. Zelda was too good for him. She was on the top of the food chain and he was on the very bottom.

Zelda knew this was coming. She had noticed his distress whenever he looked at himself. She sighed. "Link."

Link looked up at her. 'What in the world are you doing?" She asked.

Link shrugged. "Nothing."

"You're not mad about what my guard said back there are you? "Zelda seemed to understand Link. More than he ever dreamed possible. She knew how he felt. "Link, I am not any different than you."

Link didn't feel the need to argue with her. He knew she would win. "I didn't say anything," he replied.

"I know you Link."

They walked down the hall in silence until they reached the huge doors that led into another hall. Link helped Zelda open it and together, they entered another long route.

"Oh look! The exit is right there. Come on Link." Zelda pulled Link's hand and began running towards the door. Two guards stood at each end of another extremely large door. Link looked at her astonished, but his amusement left when he noticed the guards. He just didn't catch up with her until she stopped in her tracks.

"Open the doors," Zelda commanded them firmly. She glanced at both guards and nodded her head, probably hoping that the soldier gave them her message.

One of the guards looked up at Link, but spoke to Zelda, "This here is the boy captain told us about?" He asked her.

Zelda nodded her head.

The guards slowly took a grip on the knobs and pulled the doors open gradually without further question.

"Thank you," Zelda said as though she didn't really mean it. She walked right out without even looking at the guards once more. Link shrugged and followed her out too.

"What does she see in him?" They asked each other and that started a long conversation for the two of them.

Zelda took a hold on her dress and ran forward.

Link paused and tried to see what was ahead of her. He expected something to happen, and to his prediction, there was a tall lady. "Here we go again," he muttered to himself, knowing the event that would occur. Quickly, he shouted, "Zelda, watch out!"

Zelda gasped and then they knocked the lady down, bouncing back and falling too. The lady got up at the same moment Link arrived. She smiled as she helped Zelda up.

Zelda's eyes widened as she realized who the lady was. She stood proud and tall in front of them. Her strong red eyes gazed down at the two of them and her snow white hair was tied in a small ponytail. She wore clothes of armor and thick muscles added an extraordinary feature to her appearance.

"IMPA!" Zelda shouted, hugging her with no reason to stop.

Impa gently tapped her on her back. "How are you Princess?"

"What are you doing here?" Zelda immediately asked her.

"Right, what are we all doing here?" Impa repeated. Zelda gave her a clever smile and Link shrugged.

"We were all sitting at the top of Death Mountain talking about how you two defeated Ganondorf and how proud we were. And all of a sudden, a string of light comes at us and sucks us in. The next thing I knew I was back in the castle in front of the King who demanded I find the Gerudo Chief. That's when I knew that you two had something to do with it."

"But I had too," Zelda replied, giving her a sly smile.

"Wait, did you say the Gerudo Chief?"

"What? Surprised? ," a familiar voiced laughed with pride and eagerness behind them. Zelda, Link, and Impa both turned around and saw another lady. She too, stood with arrogance. Her hair was red and even when it was tied; it still reached the end of her back. Her face was smothered with make-up and she had a devilish smile. Her tanned skin looked smooth and the lady most likely spent an hour a day taking care of her. Her eye eyes were appealing.

"Nabooru?" Zelda exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, actually, I was scheduled with an appointment to see the king," Nabooru answered.

"Hold up, isn't the Gerudo Chief supposed to see the king now?" Link asked. Impa grinned behind him.

"Yes," Nabooru simply answered him.

"Then why are you going to see him?" Link asked again.

"Because I am the Gerudo Chief," Nabooru smirked at the name and crossed her arms.

Link and Zelda both looked at her in astonishment.

"Surprised now aren't we? I'm sure Impa told you what happened last night?" Nabooru's view shifted to Impa. "You did right?

Impa just nodded her head.

Right. So after that, I found myself back in the tent in Gerardo valley eating my omelet until my assistant took it from me and gave me clothes to wear. I know you two did something for that to happen." Nabooru explained.

"But I had to," Zelda repeated once more.

"She does hold the Triforce of Wisdom for a reason," Impa stated. "Let's hear why she did that."

Zelda gulped. Link put a hand on her shoulder, but removed it quickly. Zelda smiled. "Midna gave me a wish for helping her out. I decided to go back in time to fix all the problems I caused. I wanted to make sure that Ganondorf never got his filthy hands were they should have never been," Zelda enlightened. "I did this to help everyone."

"And now you two were going?" Impa asked.

"Link and I were searching for you," Zelda plainly answered.

"And here I am," Impa smiled.

Look Impa take them out to have fun, I have to go talk to her father and then I will try to find the other sages and discuss this matter. Later take them to the Sacred Grove and the other sages and I will be at the Temple of Time. We shall truly see if Ganondorf has come or not," Nabooru requested.

"We will be there," Impa responded, gladly.

Nabooru nodded her head, amused. "Now you two be good. And Link, I am going to let you off the hook on that promise, understand?"

Link smiled shyly at her and nodded his head. Zelda, trying to show that she didn't care, turned away. Did Nabooru have to mention it in front of her?

"Now let's go have some fun," Impa said leading the two out.

Zelda couldn't help it any longer.

"Link-"

"Zelda, it was just a little promise I made to her when I was young. Nothing to worry about.

Zelda looked at Link suspiciously. Impa grinned as the three made their way over to the market.