Author's Notes: Chapter 2 is FINALLY UP! After so much time and no reviews, it is finally here. Chapter 3 should be up soon, and from Link's POV! Yay! That doesn't happen very often in this story since it's mostly from Tahla's POV. Sorry. Read and review PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! *gets on hands and knees* Please say SOMETHING int he reviews about this story! I will most likely update faster that way!

Chapter 2: Vulnerability

"So what's your business here, Link?" I asked. "Why were you just standing there?"

"Oh, well… It's kind of a long story… But to make it short and sweet, I'm here to help. I was looking at the Clock Tower over there, trying to find a way to the top. Staring at it won't help me figure it out, but I can't really explore around quite yet since it's getting late." He responded, sounding a bit stressed.

"Well, do you have a place to sleep? The innkeeper won't accept you because of your age and the hour, but we have a place at my house if you'd like." I invited politely. If this kid was here to help, I wanted to know the whole story behind why and how.

"Um… one second." Link turned away and started to whisper with Tatl. I cocked my head to the side and looked at the two curiously. I didn't know my invitation required a secretive discussion. It didn't last but a moment. "Sure, why not?"

I lead the way and he followed, his sword and shield making a very soft clinking sound while he walked that reminded me of marching soldiers.

"Why do you have such equipment? It looks fit for a knight." I wondered aloud.

"It's because I AM one. Link, Hyrulean Knight. Got a nice ring to it, don't you think?" He laughed at himself.

I looked at him skeptically. A knight, at my age? He noticed my expression and replied,

"I know, it's weird, but again, long story. My whole life is a long story."

"Well maybe when we get inside, you can tell me, 'cause we're almost there." I was eager to know his past. He seemed mysterious in a way. That was very intriguing.

"Um… sure, I guess." Link flashed a quick smile at me. The smile never seemed to reach his eyes, but he hid it very well. I got the feeling he was only staying the night because I offered, and he didn't want to turn it down and seem cold. Could he be feigning friendliness?

We finally came to my house. I cannot tell you how happy I was to be free of the moon's gaze. Though the walk with Link was alright, I still felt it the whole time.

"Tahla Cumber! You worried me—" My mom stopped short when she saw Link behind me, who waved at her and smiled. He definitely wasn't awkward.

"Oh, mother. You worry too much. This is Link; I ran into him and invited him to stay the night since he's got nowhere else." I quickly summarized.

"Hi, Mrs. Cumber. I promise I won't be any bother. I'm not planning to stay here more than a night." Link was so polite! Surprising in a way…

Mother put her hand over her heart. "Such manners! Well, Link, you may stay here as long as you need to. It'll be no trouble at all, I'm sure. We'll all enjoy your company." She smiled. "Tahla, I'll leave it up to you to get him somewhere to sleep and all that, because I'm going to bed. Goodnight!" Waving farewell, she yawned and walked away to her and dad's room.

After my mom was gone, I looked at Link wide-eyed and with my mouth in a skeptical smile.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"I can't believe it,"

"Believe what?"

"You're such a SUCK-UP!" I punched his arm.

He winked. "Just keeping up appearances."

I didn't really know what that meant, but I didn't want to ask.

"So where should I sleep? I can just use the floor right here…" Link started to set his stuff in the corner. I was surprised by his humility.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor! We have a couch for you to use, at least!" I protested. "A guest, sleeping on the floor? As the sort-of hostess, that cannot be allowed." I crossed my arms and looked him square in the face.

"Mmm…" He bit his bottom lip and observed my expression. He looked… pained. "Don't look at me that way." Stunned, I uncrossed my arms slowly and continued to stare, but thoughtfully instead of sternly, as he turned away. From the debonair personality he gave off, he didn't seem like one to be very sensitive. I guess there truly was more than meets the eye. I thought he would just laugh at my stern stare, but I guess not. I pushed the wrong button.

Link had bent down and was looking through his bag for something. He stood up and faced me with a piece of paper. When he nodded, I stepped closer and looked at it more closely. It was a drawing, a very good one at that. It showed three pictures: Link and a girl in a forest, both playing bean-shaped instruments; Link and a fancier-dressed girl sitting together on a hill; and lastly a picture of a fairy.

"Who? Or what?" I asked. The fairy looked kind of like Tatl, but was shaded darker to indicate a different colour. The drawings were all in graphite. "Did you draw these?"

Link nodded and cleared his throat. When he spoke, he sounded different, more mature. Pointing to the first picture, he said, "This is Saria and I in Kokiri Forest. We lived there as kids. She only lived there once but… never mind, long story." His eyes suddenly lit up with thoughtfulness. "Anyway, the instrument is an ocarina. We would share songs and play with or for each other all the time. That was how we wasted the days away, hidden and protected by the Great Deku Tree." He sighed. "Those were some of the best days, the good days." Pointing to the next picture, he said, "This is Zelda and I on Hyrule Field. Some of my best, and to be honest a few of my worst, were spent with her. She's the princess of Hyrule, so it was hard to hang out much. I actually talked to her twin sister, Star, a lot more than Zelda, but it was still great to have long conversations with the princess. She was probably the wisest person I know, which is why I often went to her for advice. We have a lot of history, nothing really bad though." Link pointed to the last picture and smiled. "This… is Navi. She was my companion, my best of all best friends, who taught me pretty much everything I know. Navi was with me through it all too… But she's gone now. I went on this journey to find her." He sighed, the smile long gone. "But see where THAT got me. Now I'm here, stuck in TERMINA. Never heard of this place in my life, plus the name is weird. Though Hyrule isn't much better I guess…"

"I've never heard of Hyrule, or Kokiri Forest, or the Great Deku Tree. Never seen a fairy until today either." I pointed out.

"Well then I guess we're more than even."

"But I don't understand why you speak like you're so old, and why when I looked at you all stern-like you turned all story-telling-grandpa."

He laughed. "Yeah, sorry I guess. But when you looked at me that way, you reminded me of Zelda. I could never say no to her, ever. And now that I can't see her, I guess it just made me a bit homesick." He put the paper back in his bag. "And as for why I speak like I'm old? That…"

"Is a long story?" I finished sarcastically.

"Yes, it is." Link settled into a cross-legged position on the floor with me following, sitting across from him with my dress splaying out. "I'm not really an open book, but you seem… trustworthy. Do you want to hear the long story?"

"Of course! Only reason I invited you over, spill the beans!" I joked. I got him to laugh again before he began to speak.

"Well… it begins when I was very, very little. My mom saved me, and gave me to the Great Deku Tree, who gave life to all of Kokiri Forest. Only children live there. Time seems frozen, and you never grow up unless you leave. So I lived there throughout most of my childhood, playing happy songs, sleeping in a tree house, playing with Saria, just living a naively playful life. Except I had nightmares. I didn't have a fairy like every other kid; I was special. That's when the Great Deku Tree sent Navi to me. I was chosen to save him from the evil giant spider inside him. I was born of a knight, and I must have gotten those genes. Unfortunately, though, the Tree died. Even with the curse gone, it was too late. He gave me a special green stone called the Kokiri Emerald. That was what lead me to Zelda. I went to see her, and together we planned to stop evil Ganondorf in his tracks. He wanted the Triforce, the most powerful thing in all the dimensions, but if he had it, he would destroy everything good in the world. Zelda's plan was to obtain the other two Spiritual Stones, ones like the Emerald, and keep them from Ganondorf's reach. They were the keys to the door that sealed away the Triforce. Even though I did what she said, Ganondorf attacked the castle and forced Zelda and her nursemaid to flee from harm. She left me an ocarina though: the Ocarina of Time. I opened the Door of Time with the Stones and the special ocarina song and saw the Master Sword. The only way to defeat evil was with this sword, and she believed I was the one to wield it. It was the most life-changing thing I'd ever done. It put me to sleep for 7 years, so I was suddenly a teenager when I woke up in the Temple of Light. Rauru, the sage, explained everything. I was now the Hero of Time, and I was supposed to stop Ganondorf, who got the Triforce of Power and was for the Triforces of Courage (which I have) and Wisdom (which Zelda has). Long story short, I ended up doing just that with the help of some sages. Zelda had to send me back to my time because I actually wasn't supposed to be there. But instead the goddesses decided to test me further, and take Zelda's soul and imprison it. What was left became more and more human, and I befriended her. But it wasn't right. She wasn't Zelda. I found the princess, with some hard times along the way. I saved her, the goddesses explained it was a test, and Zelda finally sent me back again. I got back and told Zelda what happened so it wouldn't happen again. There was peace for some time, but shortly after I got back as a little boy, Navi had left. I was restless to find her. Both Zelda and Star (the clone, who was inserted into our timelines) bade me farewell and I set off on Epona, my awesome horse. I was in the forest, sleeping on her, when I got robbed by a Skull Kid! He took my Ocarina of Time, and my horse. I followed him and got turned into a Deku Scrub (which feels so unnatural) and had to learn the Song of Healing to turn back into myself. Now I can change into a Scrub with a mask. Tatl here is only with me because she got separated from her brother Tael, who's stuck with Skull Kid. Skull Kid stole a mask called the Majora's Mask, that has unbelievable powers to wreck havoc on us all. It's what's making the moon come down so angry and scary. I need to get that mask off of him, and get it back to its owner, the Happy Mask Salesman." He exhaled. "What did I tell you? LONG STORY. I even summarized."

"That wasn't long at all…" I said sarcastically. "Wait, what did you mean by 'she only lived there once'? When you were talking about Saria?"

"Oh, that. I meant that when I got back, I lived with her there again. She only got to live there once. I relived my childhood, or at least a part of it, all over again. But to her, I had never left." Link explained. "I have a confusing life. And I feel like it's about to become even more confusing…"

I nodded. That would logically make sense. "So how are you to stop the Skull Kid? Can I help you?"

He chuckled. "How in Hyrule would you help me? You've never done this before."

"But you shouldn't do this alone. Even with Tatl, you should have a friend. Besides, adventure kind of sounds fun right now. Better than waiting for my doom in this house, right?"

He hesitated. "Well… I… hm…" He looked troubled. "But if you get hurt or something, it would be my fault. And I couldn't… I don't want that to happen."

I gapped at the floor. To think THAT was his reason, instead of saying something like, "I don't need you." That, to me, was the most gentlemanly thing ever. "Well, I'm flattered. But I think that I will be just fine."

Link eyed me with skepticism. "That's what they all say."

"I'm serious!" I punched his arm.

The blue eyed boy smiled. Sighing he gave in. "Fiiiine… But I'll warn you now: it's not going to be a picnic with sunshine and rainbows. There's scary stuff out there, and I don't know how you'll deal."

I raised an eyebrow. "I know I'm a kid, but you underestimate me. Even if I wasn't raised like a warrior, I've seen the moon and I think that's enough fear for a lifetime."

" Alright…" Although he obviously thought otherwise, he looked at me and said, "You're a funny little girl, you know? I like you, Tahla Cumber."

I smiled. "I like you too, I guess."

A look of mock surprise adorned his face and he punched my arm. "'I guess'? Wow, you're nice!"

"I am so very kind, aren't I?"

Link laughed and I laughed too until we forced ourselves to be quiet. My parents needed to sleep.

"We should probably go to sleep." I whispered.

"Yeah, you're right." He kicked off his boots and pulled off his hat. I walked to my room but looked back at him through the doorway.

"Goodnight." We said almost simultaneously.

Tiptoeing past my sister on her side of the room, I flopped down on my bed. This had been an interesting day.

End of chapter notes: I'm listening to Nine Inch Nails while I write this... hee hee. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the story, actually, but it's nice to hear... I'm weird. This is actually like the longest chapter I've ever done in a Zelda fanfic... My goodness.