Greetings everyone. Thank you for all the reviews, favourties and alerts. The support is wonderful to see.

Warnings; some very obvious references and innuendos. Though nothing too drastic, I am simply highlighting this to younger readers.

Re-edited; 11/02/13.


Lanayru's bright iridescence illuminated the cavern, the wavelengths of light hitting the small geodes in a way that created brilliant spectrums. It transformed the otherwise dark atmosphere into an array of beautiful hues.

The leaves were cast into shimmering golds and silvers as the light projected in a glowing orb. The water reflected the spectacle as the light finally expanded out in such a way that the two Hylians were forced to shield their eyes. When they could see again the majestic serpent regarded them with its constant calm demeanour.

It was a truly spectacular sight.

"Greetings, Queen of Light, and Hero of Twilight. What matters do you seek answers to?" Lanayru asked, its powerful voice echoing in the hollow area, making it twice as grandiose.

Zelda instantly bowed, cuing Link to mirror her movements, previous discomfort lost as both regarded the spirit.

"As I am sure you know, there have been recent disturbances in certain areas of Hyrule. Ones that are causing great distress for the citizens that inhabit these regions. What I wish to ask of you, my Lord, is if you know of what the cause is." Zelda spoke after rising from her bow.

Lanayru remained silent for several moments, an expression that could be defined as pensive upon its face. "I have been made aware of these circumstances, but alas, I cannot say that I know the reason, nor do I know when they will strike again."

"You don't know?" Link asked, forgetting to maintain a polite tone in his incredulity.

"No, Hero. I do not. All I can determine is that it is something which we should all be cautious of."

"Please, is there anything more you can disclose to us?" Zelda questioned, regarding Link with a look of disdain as he rolled his eyes at Lanyaru's previous statement.

"I am afraid to say that I cannot, there have been no signs of disturbance other than the deaths." The light spirit reflected, almost sounding troubled.

"I see," she frowned. It seemed as if the murderer didn't exist. "But surely you can trace the lingering aura of the person, and connect that to someone in Hyrule?"

The light spirit inclined his head, "it would be reasonable to do so, if I could."

"If you could? Why can't you?" Link interrogated.

Lanayru looked at him, black eyes sorrowful. "There is nothing to trace, it is as though the offender has vanished."

"Vanished, my Lord? How is that possible?" Zelda wondered out loud. It was impossible. No one could simply disappear; even when invisible, the individual's presence could still be felt.

"My brethren and I believe that they may be able to travel between realms. It is the only logical explanation we have concluded."

"So we're looking for a ghost then." Link scoffed, his agitation getting the better of him.

Zelda was as equally annoyed at their lack of knowledge. They were no closer to discovering the identity of the murderer than they had been several minutes ago, but she was hiding her irritation far better than he.

"Or someone who dwell in dark magic to possess the capability to travel between realms" Lanayru responded reasonably, giving a more falsifiable possibility than a ghost.

"Thank you, my Lord, I will alert the Sheikah to be vigilant." Zelda concluded, beginning to dip into a bow of departure before Lanayru's voice echoed around them.

"Be warned though, Queen of Light, the foe is more powerful than you expect. More will be needed than Wisdom and Courage alone."

"We'll need the Master Sword?" Link asked.

"Steel is nothing compared to the might of magic. Not even a blade infused with such magnificence can defeat this menace on its own." Lanayru divulged gravely.

Zelda frowned, "Then how do we conquer this murderer?"

"Look to legends of old, of times no longer remembered. It is there the answers lie."

"Are you referring to the medallions the Hero of Time collected?" She questioned, thankful for her research in the library.

"To locate such objects, the sages must be awakened. Only valour and sapience will lead you to their destination." The light spirit answered enigmatically.

"What good will some coins do us?" Link scoffed.

"Have faith, Hero of Twilight. The medallions aided a Hero once before to overcome the impossible. Do not be so quick to disregard their magic."

Link just shrugged, "I'm not. But how are we to find objects that supposedly don't exist?"

"Determination and intelligence can be the greatest assets to success." Lanayru replied. He gave no clue as to how they were actually meant to locate them.

"Very well, thank you, my lord." Zelda bowed fully this time, seeing no further reason to remain as Lanayru was yielding no more answers.

"Farewell, Queen of Light, and Hero of Twilight. Remain alert on your adventure for I fear naught good will emerge from prying into this matter." Lanayru warned, inclining its head as a means of valediction. Its light shone brilliantly once more before dispersing into a multitude of beams that rained back into the spring.

"Well," Link announced flippantly, "that was pointless."

She sighed exasperatedly. "It appears so; we still do not know who the culprit is, or even where their next target is." Zelda said, feeling rather crestfallen at the waste of a journey. "At least we know what we need to be looking for if we are to stand any chance of surmounting this foe."

However, she was still rather unsure of where to begin looking and decidedly even more worried for the safety of Hyrule. How was she supposed to catch someone when she had no inclination as to who they were?

Link just nodded. "Where to now then?"

She looked up at him, slightly surprised. "You are free to return home if you wish, I do not mean to interrupt your plans. As far as I can tell, you are healed, and no longer in need of my care."

He smiled, "I'm more than happy to keep you company until we at least return to the castle. That way I know you're safe."

Zelda's cheeks tinged pink, touched at his concern. "But what of those in Ordon, won't they be worried as to your whereabouts?"

He shrugged, beginning to walk over to the bridge on their right. "Perhaps, I told them I had matters to attend to in Kakariko. Which I never got around to doing thanks to those wolves."

"Then please do not feel as though you must remain with me, you have far more important things to attend to." Zelda said encouragingly, carefully masking the fact that she wouldn't mind spending more time with him. There was no harm in having a strong swordsman at her side.

Link chuckled, "It isn't too necessary, I was going to visit Renado; see what he knew of those wolves."

She nodded her head as if in agreement, "it would have been a wise decision to gauge what he knows, or even to inform him of them."

How odd that he referred to them as wolves now when up until he had been attacked, he had never seen them before. How could he have been planning to discuss something he had not even known existed?

"Exactly," Link replied. "It might be a good idea to see if there is a pattern to their behaviour."

"Yes," Zelda agreed, deciding not to call him out on the matter. Surely he had his reasons for lying. "Though I still find it odd how they have only attacked you…"

"I'm an interesting person, maybe they felt jealous because they don't have a grey coat." Link replied nonchalantly, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"You're either incredibly naïve, or ridiculously stupid if you believe that." She chided, finding it remarkable how fear did not seem to taint his humour.

"Or maybe I'm just glad it was me, and not someone else." He answered.

"Why?" She questioned.

"Would you have saved me if I was not the hero?" He asked seriously, awaiting her reply expectantly.

"Of course I would have!" Zelda replied defiantly, upset that he was questioning such a thing. "I would save anyone regardless of class or station, you know well that they mean nothing to me."

Link looked away from her. "I know that. I guess I just find it odd the lengths you go to, to save one life."

"All lives are important, be they commoners or kings." She replied, then added, "Or heroes," for his benefit.

"What about murderers?" He whispered almost imperceptibly.

"You mean like the one who has committed the most recent deaths?"

"Yeah, sure." Link said, eyes flickering off to the lake.

Zelda mulled it over; her immediate reaction was to say no, she would not give her aid to such a person. But something in his gaze stopped her. "It depends on the severity of their crime. People do not tend to be defined as murderers when dealing death in the hopes of saving another."

Link breathed out, seemingly relieved, yet a somewhat troubled look still lingered in his eyes.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason." He said too quickly, eager to change the subject.

She regarded him oddly, curious about the reason behind his inquiry. Could he be any more of an enigma?

She wasn't even sure where they were headed. She simply followed him as they crossed several bridges, their wet footprints marking their path. The moon grinned down upon them, the brightness of it their only source of light. They should really be making camp at this late hour, yet Link didn't seem to be showing any signs of stopping.

"Where are we going?" She finally said, wishing she had consulted a map before beginning on the journey. She had no clue how they were going to get back up into Hyrule fields.

"I figured you wouldn't want to sleep on the floor, or be shot out of a cannon at so late an hour, so I thought we'd take lodging there." He gestured towards a house situated upon docked wooden boards out into the lake. She remembered seeing it from Falbi's viewpoint, but she hadn't really thought much of it.

"The owner won't mind our imposing?"

"Not at all, he's let me stay there before, I'm sure he'll be fine with you too." Link replied confidently.

"If you say so," was all she said in response, following his lead as they encountered the small man standing in front of the house. He was dressed as bizarrely as his companion back up at the "Flight-By-Fowl" though considerably less cheery.

"Hey Fyer, do you mind if we stay here tonight?" Link called out as they approached nearer.

Up closer, she could see the masses of paint coating his face, smudged and worn from the heat of the day. The colours were bleached by the moon's light, yet were probably as weirdly toned as Falbi's.

Zelda found the weird colours and face paint a little disturbing. If these two were what most clowns were like, she wasn't surprised that many people were afraid of them.

"Of course, of course, a single bed will be fine for you and your lady?" Fyer chuckled, his gaze leering at Zelda from head to toe. The attention made her incredibly uncomfortable.

Link glanced over at her, noticed the frown inching upon her mouth, and immediately took her hand in full view of the clown.

"Yeah, that'll be fine." He nodded, subtlety shielding Zelda's body with his own. She was grateful. Honestly, the way in which the clown was gawking at her made her skin prickle with unease.

"Room on the right." Fyer said, staring at her chest. "Just don't be too loud." He added as an afterthought, chuckling to himself.

Zelda gasped, eyes wide with alarm but Link smiled good-naturedly, and lead them around the back where the door was situated. "We'll try not to."

Once they were inside the house, she pulled her hand free from his, and turned around so that she could glare at him.

"Will you stop insinuating that we are a couple? Word travels and the last thing I want is my council believing this is some romantic affair."

He just laughed, "Zelda, believe me, those guys won't go telling anyone. Besides, it's just a bit of fun, it doesn't mean anything." Link raised an eyebrow at her, suddenly questioning.

"Of course it does not, you are here as my guard." She said defensively, regretting it when his eyes narrowed.

"Only as your guard huh? And here I was thinking we at least had a better relationship than queen and knight."

"Link, you know that is not what I meant. I just mean that it wouldn't be fair to Ilia should she discover what you are implying."

"To Ilia? What has she got to do with anything?" Link asked, genuinely confused.

Zelda's eyebrows furrowed, "I assumed you two were together."

"I wouldn't call it being together…" he trailed off, "what made you think that?"

Her cheeks tinted pink, feeling ridiculous for having jumped to conclusions, even if they had seemed logical. "When you left, I thought it was so you could be with Ilia…"

Link chuckled, but his eyes darkened, the effect amplified by the blackness of the corridor. "I had my reasons, but that was not one of them."

"Then what was it?" She enquired, clapping a hand over her mouth when realising how intrusive she sounded. "Forgive me, I do not mean to pry."

He looked past her, gaze distant. "Let's just say it had something to do with another female."

"Oh," Zelda said, thinking of his relationship with Midna. "I'm sorry, I knew you were close." Though she couldn't be sure how extensively she could define close.

"We were, but things change." Link sighed, "I think it's about time we got some sleep."

"Yes, of course, it is late." She agreed, hearing the refusal to continue to with the conversation. Clearly Midna had meant more to him that she had initially realised.

They said nothing more on the matter as they ascended the stairs leading to the two bedrooms, and entered the one on the right.

It was small, but cosy. Yet though the room was amicable enough, the colour scheme was dastardly. Greens and purples filled every corner. From the checkered bed spread to the putrid lime lamp. The bed was pressed against the western wall with a chest of drawers by the side, a screen in the corner. She found it as eccentric as the clowns, and was more than overwhelmed at the garish display.

Yet it was still better than sleeping outside she rationalized. She moved to sit upon the couch, rummaging through her satchel in search of nightwear, which prompted her to think of something else.

"What about our horses?"

"What of them?" Link replied, turning to face her from where he was crouched lighting the fire.

"We've left them alone up in the fields with no food or water, the poor animals will be starving!" She cried out, standing up. She wasn't exactly sure what she proposed to do, but knew they couldn't be left to face the night like that. Especially not with wolves roaming around…

"Relax Zelda, that's taken care of." He answered simply, returning to kindling the wood.

"Right," she scoffed, "I did not see you leave them any supplies."

"And you're forgetting that Epona is a wanderer, and a feisty one. She'll know to run from any predators. Besides, she won't be there now, and neither will your stallion."

Zelda quirked a brow, "How can you be so certain? Horses are loyal creatures, they won't have left their posts."

"Trust me, they have. Epona will have gotten bored of waiting and gone in search of somewhere to stay. She probably went to the northern fields as there's water there, and your horse was under instructions to follow her." Link said easily, not worried in the least.

"And you are sure of this how?"

"Easy," he smiled, done with the fire and standing up, "Many times I've left her for several moments, only to return and find her several feet away from where I dismounted. As for your horse, I told him to stick with Epona as she knows what she's doing."

"You expect me to believe that? You cannot commune with animals." Zelda ridiculed.

"No, I don't have a great long conversation with them," he paused for a second, "well, at least not in this form. But Epona understands me, and so I told her what to do."

"That's… Mad." She finally concluded, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Is it?" Link said, "I speak to her a lot when in wolf form. Okay, that makes me sound like a nutcase…" He laughed.

"Which is frequent I assume?"

"Very," he spoke with a grin, "Epona is great company."

"Goodness Link, I hope you don't go around flaunting this ability; you sound positively insane." Zelda mused. Yes, she had known of his transformations when twilight had descended, but she had never considered the fact that he may actually speak to other animals. It sounded absurd even in her own head.

He simply gave her the expression of 'well duh.' "I don't exactly go telling everyone I can be a wolf either."

At this, her eyes widened. "You still posses the capability to do that? Even without the master sword?" She thought of their talk in the hospital - that wolves were still a part of him. She hadn't considered the fact that he could still transform.

He rolled his eyes, the action clearly questioning her mental aptitude.

"Don't give me that look, I thought it was only possible with the twili crystal?"

"It was. Or rather it is. When I touched the Master Sword, the magic embodied itself in the crystal, yet Mid.. Uh, she used it frequently enough, that eventually I was able to change at will." He said, watching her reaction.

"So, it is as if the magic has become a part of you…" Zelda thought out loud. "Have there been no other changes? The curse Zant cast on you was incredibly powerful, I would think it dangerous to meddle with it."

"No, she altered it slightly to deter any side effects." He said fondly, an obvious reverence for the twilight princess in his voice.

"I see," she replied, somewhat more coolly than she intended. "Would you be able to change now?"

"Yes, but I don't think I will." He said rather reluctantly, though with an undercurrent of humour.

"Why?" She asked curiously, wondering about the amusement in his eyes.

"Think about it. I'm changing forms, my clothes don't fit a wolf, so they rip…" he looked towards her, waiting for it to click.

"I don't… Oh. Oh…" Zelda bit her lip, repressing any unbidden thoughts before she would blush. "Of course, she would have kept your clothes safe whilst as a wolf…"

Did that mean she had seen him naked then? Dear Nayru, why was she even thinking that? Promptly, she sat back down, resuming her search for nightwear to distract herself.

"Exactly, so now I only change if unavoidable and after ensuring no-one is nearby. They'd be in for quite the shock otherwise." Link chuckled. She may have just been hearing things, but his voice seemed strained.

"But you have clothes here, giving you the chance to change forms."

"If you honestly want to see me naked that badly, Zelda, you could just say." He smirked, letting it morph into a grin when he observed her growing blush.

"I did not mean it like that!" She instantly rebuked, wishing she weren't as red as she knew she was.

"Sure, sure. You know that I can change forms, and after realising that I don't keep my clothes, what other reason could there be as to why you want me to transform?"

"I…" she wasn't exactly sure why she wanted him to change, but she rationalised it was likely an eagerness for seeing the transformation herself. It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to see him unclothed. Nothing.

"See, you don't even know yourself," Link laughed, amused at her discomposure.

"You know what, I think I'm going to call it a night." Zelda declared, stalking over to the screen in the corner, satchel in tow. "You can get changed whilst I am behind here."

"Fine by me," he agreed, "I don't think you'll take too kindly to me sleeping half-naked?"

Zelda sighed, men were far too obsessed with things of a sexual nature sometimes. "Do you like breathing, Link?"

"It's a pastime."

"Then please, and I do mean this in the nicest way, shut up." She warned from behind the screen, removing her dress and hanging it over the top of the wooden frame. He laughed in reply.

Keeping her hair twisted in the long braid to prevent the mess she knew it would be otherwise, she donned her long nightgown before stepping out from behind the screen. She was surprised to see him already changed and reclining on the couch.

"Have you naught else to change into?" She asked, referring to how he had simply removed all garments other than his trousers and undershirt. At least he was wearing clothes - her pulse wouldn't be able to handle it if he had been topless.

"It was short notice that we begun traveling. I didn't have time to return home and grab other things."

"Oh, of course, I should have realised. Are you comfortable enough in that?" She asked, thinking what a foolish question it was. Even if not, there was hardly anything she could do about it. She may be powerful with magic, but clothes couldn't be materialised from thin air. Perhaps they could venture to one of the markets and purchase some nightwear at some point.

Link quirked an eyebrow. "You forget I've slept in the fields before completely garbed in armour, anything is better than that."

She smiled sadly, "the path of a hero does have its trials in even the most mundane forms."

"Nothing I couldn't deal with. It has just made me appreciate the simple pleasures in life." He replied.

"Like sleeping in a bed?" She remarked, clearly indicating how he was upon the couch.

"I'm fine, before you ask. Like I said, simple things."

"Perhaps," Zelda reasoned, "but logically, I should be sleeping on the couch as I am smaller, and so would be more comfortable."

"Yeah, right. Sorry, your majesty, but you get the bed." He laughed, watching her eyes narrow slightly.

She sighed. "Must you be difficult?"

"Think of it as me being noble. I'm hardly going to let you sleep on the couch when you're the queen." Link refuted.

"Exactly the point I am arguing; you deserve a bed far more than me - a woman who has slept in one nearly every day of her life." She rebuked.

"Nearly?" He picked out curiously, disregarding all other words.

Zelda looked away, her hands rubbing her wrists subconsciously. She mused on how he still retained the ability to read her thoughts just through her words. "There have been times when I was not afforded the luxury."

"When?" He asked, something akin to anger simmering beneath his words.

"Nothing you need worry about," she reassured, not wanting to go into detail, subtly hiding her wrists behind her back. She felt his gaze on them now that they were unshielded by gloves. "The Sheikah train their recruits more harshly than I am used to is all," she lied, deliberately moving her eyes to her right. She knew he was absurdly attuned to the simplest hints that she could be lying: including the flickering of her gaze.

"Right." He said, his tone showing his disbelief. "Serilda is far too protective of you to allow you to be treated in such a manner."

Zelda blanched, "Even the most vigilant of guardians cannot protect everyone," she whispered.

"Zelda, tell me what happened…" he begged, standing so that he was no more than a foot away from her.

"No." She replied, almost forcibly. "There are secrets you wish to keep veiled, and so too, are there secrets that I do not wish to speak of."

"Mine are not concerned with my welfare." He shot back.

"Nor are mine. They are a thing of the past, let it remain that way." Her eyes were unwavering, daring him to question her - a tactic she often used when dealing with her court. She hated using it on him, but she simply did not want to speak of those times.

"Fine," he muttered, none too pleased with her resolution. "Good night, your majesty." He added, dropping the subject, the slightest hint of anger in his tone as he turned to resume his position on the couch and closed his eyes.

Zelda bit her lip at the sight, reprimanding herself for being too stern. He was only inquiring about her welfare. She was his queen, it was to be expected that he would be protective. It was just a loyal patriotism to her.

However, there were things he was clearly hiding from her, that she had allowed to pass. Should she not be afforded the same luxury?

She sighed, and blew the candles out before making her way to the bed.

"Good night, Hero."


Sunlight streamed in through the gap between the curtains, landing on the still sleeping monarch. Zelda groaned at the invasion and brought an arm up to shield her eyes. Slowly, she blinked them open and smiled. She was used to being woken up much more abruptly by the noisy bustle of her maids. Sleeping in to be awoken by sunlight was a welcome change.

Zelda sat up and glanced around the room, surprised when she didn't see the hero. Judging by the height of the sun where it shone through the clouds, it was still early in the morning. He must simply be an early riser, she decided, rubbing a hand across the back of her neck to ease out some of the knots gathered there overnight. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and winced as her bare feet touched the cold wood.

She checked to make sure the door was locked before she began to dress in her simple gown. Regardless of the clown's hospitality, or the fact that he could still be asleep, she felt safer knowing she was locked in. After tying the last lace of her maiden's dress, she still felt as if she were forgetting something. Normally getting dressed was a bit more complicated of an affair, a queen had to wear all the proper adornments.

Not that she wore the golden armour everyday, it was cumbersome and reserved for important occasions. But her crown always adorned her head, and the absence of it was particularly peculiar. She naturally didn't wear the diadem all the time, but the times she didn't were when she was alone such as in her chambers. Never did she appear without it when she was to face other people. Yet she couldn't help but notice how different she appeared when she glanced in the mirror.

Her face seemed… softer for lack of a better word. Not as defined and sharp. More like Zelda, and less of Queen. She couldn't discern whether she liked it or not.

Indeed, she looked far more approachable. Not so much the proclaimed "ice queen," but more of the woman she strived to be. Someone who listened to all problems no matter how small or insignificant they may appear, unburdened by only having time for those deemed of highest importance.

But her crown was an embodiment of her power, her nobility. Without it, she felt vulnerable. She almost believed she would not be taken seriously. It was absurd, for she was nowhere near powerless, and at present moment there were none who would judge her. Still, it was disconcerting. Zelda sighed, teasing the braids from her hair and letting it fall over shoulders, down to her coccyx. The repetitive movement of brushing through the long tresses was calming.

Why was she so concerned over her appearance anyway?

There was none who she was inclined to impress - be they general public or suitors. She did not see the need to fret over looking the part of queen. No-one had recognised her in the short period she had been away from the castle, so she needn't worry. Neither was she preparing herself for some event that required proper attire.

It was simply the unfamiliarity of it. That was it. Seeing herself without her crown for prolonged periods was something she would likely become accustomed to.

There was absolutely no way that she was thinking of how Link had called her beautiful in simple clothes…

Instantly, a blush rose in her cheeks, glaringly bright against her pallid skin. It was simply a compliment, a kind word that he had probably felt obliged to say. It was common courtesy, nothing more.

A small knock sounded on the door, gentle, but enough to make her jump as she was jolted out of her thoughts.

Ensuring her sleeves were rolled down and hair re-braided she unlocked the door, meeting the sight of a silver tray, adorned with various items. The tanned hands alerted her that Link was the carrier before she even looked up.

"Hungry?"

Zelda glanced down at the array of silver lids, noticing the tea pot and two cups. "You didn't have to do this," she said fondly, pleasantly surprised at the gesture.

"I was already up, besides I didn't think you would want to dine with Fyer."

"You thought correctly," she smiled, moving aside to let him in.

Link set the tray down on the couch, leaving enough room that they could sit either side of it. Lifting the lids, she was pleasantly surprised to find rashers of bacon, fried cuckoo eggs and toast.

The emotion must have shown on her face, for Link suddenly chuckled. "What were you expecting? Fish?"

"Well, yes." She admitted, gratefully pouring herself a cup of tea, and warming her hands around the porcelain. "I didn't expect such products would be available here."

"Clowns like good food too." He shrugged, sitting adjacent to her.

Zelda's smile took root on her mouth again, "don't we all?"

He just chuckled, passing her the set of cutlery. Both contently filled themselves with the fried foods, savouring every morsel. She had to give it to Fyer - he certainly knew how to cook.

There was something decidedly pleasant about having a meal away from formal manners and maids dashing about. It was more peaceful for starters, and she couldn't deny that sitting here with Link was comforting.

It reminded her of the days when they would sit in her study, discussing the pompous mannerisms of royals and ridiculous clothing they wore. They had certainly gotten quite the laugh out of seeing one with heels. Not even she wore such footwear, preferring the worn softness of her leather boots over pinched shoes any day.

She sighed softly - he had been far more unguarded back then, and definitely less sarcastic. It made her wonder what had happened in those four years to change him from the kind-hearted young fellow into the somewhat colder, overly suggestive man that sat before her now.

"You never did say where you were headed next." Link said, looking up at her.

Now that she was thinking about it, she couldn't help but notice how guarded his eyes truly were. Not so much a distrust, but more that he was unwilling to let her see any deeper that what was on show. How curious.

"And as I said, you do not have to accompany me despite feeling as though I need the protection."

"And you're avoiding the question." He rebuked.

"Very well, I was planning on planning a visit to a place." Zelda answered, deliberately being elusive out of sheer amusement. He could read her too easily. After having received no helpful answers from Lanayru, she had decided that the Sheikah would be her next best bet.

"A place? Am I not allowed to know?" Link asked.

She pondered her answer. Truthfully, she didn't know. Where she was headed did not take too kindly to strangers. But the Hero could hardly be considered a stranger - he was one of the most acclaimed men in all of Hyrule.

"I shall let you guess our destination when we head out." She replied, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his statement.

"So no, then." He laughed, "you do realise I know all of Hyrule, your destination wont remain secret for long."

Zelda smiled, "confidence like that can lead to misjudgements. I highly doubt you know of the exact location of this place."

"Try me." He smirked.

Her smile became a laugh, "I don't think so, simple tricks like that won't fool me."

"Good to hear, I would be worried if the Queen could be so easily misguided." Link grinned.

"Ah, so it was a test?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"Sure," he shrugged, "keeps you on your toes."

Zelda chuckled, placing her cup down. "If you say so," she stood up, brushing off invisible crumbs from her dress. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," he followed her movements, picking the tray up before she could protest. He lead them back down the stairs they had come up the previous night.

Upon entering the small, cluttered kitchen, she spied Fyer diligently poaching eggs, whistling some off-key tune under his breath.

"Did you sleep well, miss? I didn't hear a peep out of you, unless master Link knows ways to keep you silent, heh heh."

Zelda glowered at him, very tempted to summon a fire ball to aim at his head. Noticing Link's smirk before he rubbed a hand over his jaw did not help matters in the slightest.

She wished she possessed the nerve to reply with something witty, but she would not demean herself like that, nor give Link the satisfaction of making her claim him to be good in bed either.

"I did, and I trust you did too?" She replied in fake interest, immediately wrapping her arms around her chest when Fyer turned to face her. His gaze unsurprisingly leered at her bosom. It wasn't the first time attention had been focused on her chest, and it probably wouldn't be the last, but that certainly did not make it any more comfortable to bear.

She wondered how shocked he would be if she were to slap him…

"Yes, yes, I did. Nice to know I was providing for such a lovely woman as yourself." He snickered, and she did not want to know anything else about what his night entailed. Though goodness, the way in which he was staring at her, it wasn't too hard to guess.

"Fyer," Link suddenly spoke up, very deliberately wrapping his arm around Zelda, "stare any harder at my girl, and I may be forced to remove your eyes." He finished, tone deathly serious.

"Hey, I wasn't -" Fyer trailed, gulping slightly at seeing Link's eyes narrow.

Hmm, implying they were together definitely had its advantages. Hehe!

"Now if you don't mind, we need you to load up the cannon."

"Right, of course, just give me ten minutes and I'll be right out!" The clown answered, noticeably more flustered.

Zelda was never more thankful to be away from him, even for a period so short. She practically bolted out of the house.

"Thank you," she said to Link as soon as they stepped out of the door, "I couldn't stand the way he was looking at me!"

"You looked ready to kill him, so I figured it was either have you suffer my arm around you, or have him continue leering at you, and possibly a great deal of violence." He said.

"I definitely preferred the former," she divulged, cheeks tinged pink much to her chagrin. It wasn't like it was a crime to enjoy the embrace of a man...

He nodded in agreement, "as I thought."

"So, what did you mean by 'loading the cannon.' Surely you don't mean literally?" Zelda asked, thinking of what he had said before, recalling his earlier words when discussing lodgings - 'or be shot out of a cannon'.

She had the sinking suspicion that he was serious. Gods, what was it with clowns and absurd means of travel…

He just smiled wolfishly, humour dancing in his eyes.

Fantastic, she thought sarcastically, just plain brilliant. Those stairs were going to be built, even if she had to do it herself.

She could warp… But the physical drain was exhausting when executing the action upon two people. The only time she had dared try it was teleporting both Link and herself from the Gerudo Mesa back to Hyrule field after Midna's departure. And without any potions to restore her magic afterward, it was an experience that she preferred not repeating.

Creating a temporal vortex that allowed for matter to pass through it without causing any lasting distortions was a strenuous affair to accomplish for one person, never mind two. There were easier methods that she knew of to help one teleport, such as using a Babylon candle, but getting her hands on one of those was nearly impossible.

Only once had she seen such an item, and that had been during her training. She had never used one herself, and the repercussions made them tricky things to master. Though anything was better than being shot out of a cannon…

"You'se ready to go?" Fyer shouted over to where they stood on the wooden bridge.

Link voiced that they were, whilst she felt sick.

She could do this, she had flown by a cuckoo; she could be fired from a cannon.

The comparison did nothing whatsoever to soother her nerves. There was a major difference between the two. And this time, she had no idea where they would be landing. She assumed it was back at Falbi's station, yet she had not seen any crash mats, or anything that bore a guarantee of a safe landing. '

Surely there was something… right?

"Good to go, Zelda?"

No, absolutely not. Not a bloody chance. "Sure," she said weakly. The squeeze he gave her hand only sending her pulse racing, the impulse being sent to her brain at 146mph did nothing to alleviate her nerves.

"Is it safe?" She found herself whispering, praying that just for her sake, he said yes.

"Of course, you've got nothing to worry about." Link said calmly, "I'll be right beside you."

"Okay…" she smiled feebly, unsure whether he was being truthful or not. Gods, she really needed to grow a backbone. Fighting Sheikah blindfolded with chain whips: no problem. Adrenaline rush activities? Just no. Her sympathetic nervous system could just not handle this.

Stepping into the cannon pit, her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, seeing nothing but four blank walls. Whether that was a good thing or not eluded her. Very softly, music began playing, and in the dark area, it only freaked her out more.

At least on the plus side, with her mind preoccupied with what to expect, she wasn't paying that much attention to Link's body incredibly close to her own, or that his arms were around her waist. Yet she could still feel her cheeks growing hot.

The cabin rocked slightly, almost imperceptibly, until the movements grew faster, rattling her teeth.

"Hold on!" She heard Fyer call out.

Onto what exactly?! She panicked. She barely had time to register any answers before she felt the small cabin lurch violently. She then felt herself being quite literally flung into the air. Gravity seemed to have no effect on their momentum.

She couldn't help it; she shrieked. Closing her eyes tightly, she clung onto Link for dear life.

She suddenly felt their bodies drop, and a feeling of motion sickness roiled in her stomach. Her eyes shot open in shock, another scream ripping out of her mouth as they descended, gathering speed…

They smacked right into some big, inflatable thing.

The air left her in a whoosh, her senses thoroughly exhilarated, nerves possibly frayed at the end. She barely heard Link's laugh, too caught up in thanking her lucky stars that she was alive. She rationalized that it would do her no good to strangle Link for letting her do such a thing - she did consent to it after all.

Very cautiously, she opened her eyelids once more, taking in her surroundings. They had fallen onto something that was between a pillow and a mattress, soft enough to have give, but firm enough to catch them.

She doesn't really care what it was, it could be a mutant sheep for all she gave a damn. It broke her fall – she was happy.

She did feel as though she were going to vomit at any second, and was pretty certain that if she attempted to stand - she would topple over… But happy. It was probably the adrenaline rush, and the increased blood flow to her organs that was making her feel this way. Yet she was alive, and had no broken bones. It was quite the accomplishment to be proud of.

"Where did this even come from?" Zelda asked him, poking the inflatable beneath her, slightly annoyed at how content he appeared. His hair was in a larger state of disarray than usual, but other than that, he could have quite simply woken up from a peaceful night's rest. Whereas she was one-hundred percent certain she looked like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards. She noticed then how far hitched up her dress was on her thighs…

"Falbi puts it out when he sees the cannon being loaded." Link replied, voice completely devoid of any breathlessness, unlike her own. Thankfully he was not looking her way as she yanked her dress back down.

"I've never seen it before."

"No, I didn't even know it existed until I crashed into it one day. No idea where he keeps it." Link shrugged, sliding down from their cushion and landing with a barely audible thud.

"Either way, I am glad it was here; I was fearful about our landing." She remarked, making sure to hold her dress between her legs as she jumped from her seat. She caught Link's waiting hand before she could fall, not wanting to repeat the other day. She was glad she did for her balance was greatly off.

A knowing smile reached his mouth, as he saw her stumble. "I had the exact same reaction when I first did this. It'll pass."

Zelda frowned softly, "I should hope so, or I will be a burden to you."

"Well, I'd offer to carry you, but getting down the ladders would be difficult." His smirk ruined the otherwise gentlemanly gesture.

"I'm sure it won't come to that." She announced, already sick of how many times she was blushing recently.

Link just smiled at seeing her flushed complexion, and headed back into Falbi's cabin. He nodded towards the ladders that peaked at the end of the balcony. "Ladies first, or are you too shaky?"

She was close to flattered that he asked, but his slight patronizing tone at her unbalanced posture left her fighting back a scowl. He surely knew better than to act in such a manner towards royalty - he had never dared to step out of line all those years ago…

She couldn't decide whether the boldness was comforting because he treated her like she assumed he did everyone else, or if she should be annoyed at his lack of respect.

"I'll let you go, then you can catch me if I should fall," she finally answered, finding herself feeling foolish as she realized that she had never climbed a ladder in her life.

Sure, it looked easy, but it would just be Sod's law that she would fail at the simplest of things.

He nodded, turning to face her and she expected was so that he could descend. Instead, he smiled and suddenly vaulted backward, executing a perfect back-flip.

"Such a show-off…" Zelda muttered irritably, knowing he was rubbing it in that she was experiencing motion sickness whilst he remained fine.

Well, if that was how he wanted to play, then it was her turn to bat.

Angling herself so that her back was to the ladder, she crouched slightly, giving the leverage to push off from the floor, arching her back and flipping her legs over in one sweeping movement. The wind she created worked in her favour and her dress remained in its correct position. She reveled in the moment of weightlessness, much more used to this feeling than what she had experienced when shot out of a cannon. She landed neatly on her feet on solid ground.

"You're not the only one who can do a back-flip." Zelda grinned exuberantly, overly amused at seeing his shocked face.

"Guess not. Where did you learn to do something like that?" He questioned, completely flummoxed.

Zelda continued to grin, tapping her nose. "Now that would be telling."

She watched his eyes roll, but the faintest smile tugged at his lips. "Fine, I guess that means you're okay then?"

"Suddenly being impulsive can have its advantages." She laughed, realising that her sickness had indeed passed.

Link nodded, heading towards the door, the position of the ladder allowing them to bypass any contact with the clown - something Zelda was thankful for. If she heard him say "missy" one more time, she could not be held accountable for her actions.

It was a relief to open the door to Hyrule field knowing that she wouldn't be facing any nonsensical activities out here. She had certainly had enough of testing the limits of her nerves for a while. As she stepped on the grassy plains, she was surprised to notice that neither horse was where they had been left. It seemed like Link had been right after all.

"Any idea where our steeds are?"

He smiled, eyes scanning the area. "I have some ideas, but nothing certain."

Zelda quirked a brow, still finding his calm disposition to be unusual. Did nothing bother him?

Link ignored her curiosity and instead he walked over to where a collection of oddly shaped plants grew, picking one off and blowing softly into it. The sound echoed around them and almost instantly Zelda heard a soft whickering and the thunderous beats of two horses.

"I thought you had a charm that allowed you to do that?"

At this, he raised his eyebrows. "I do, but the plants seemed easier than searching though my pockets. I'm surprised you recall the item."

Zelda smiled sheepishly, "It intrigued me, and so I'll admit I paid attention to its design whenever you used it."

"If I knew you liked it that much, I'd specifically have used it." He chuckled, stroking Epona's nose as the mare whinnied in greeting.

"How generous," she mocked. "But I thought it only worked for Epona," she added, having noticed that her steed trotting behind the other horse. She was grateful, but still curious as to why.

"I told you, Epona was like his tour guide. He knew to follow her wherever she went." Link called to her, lacing his fingers through the reins once seated in the saddle.

"Ah yes, your ability to commune with animals. It seems seeing is believing after all." Zelda mused, swinging up onto her own mount.

"For all your acclaimed wisdom; you're still quick to judge matters you deem odd." he replied, pulling on Epona's reins so that she followed behind Zelda.

"I do not judge that which I have little knowledge of, I am simply curious of its nature and question its validity. From experience, most of what I hear is lies formulated through boredom and desire for attention." She smiled at him, "Only in some cases am I slightly biased and wonder if the person is mad, such as with the idea of being able to commune with animals."

He just chuckled, drifting into an amicable silence with only the clatter of hooves against stone filling the air.

As they got closer to their destination, Zelda glanced behind her, noticing his calm expression. He didn't even look remotely intrigued about where she was taking him. It was fair enough as they were simply headed back through the same passage they had entered Lake Hylia through. But still, if it had been her, she would have been looking for any clues as to where she was being led.

Did he actually know of the hidden village concealed behind the stones?

Yes, she knew he was well traveled, but the village was hidden for a reason. It would be illogical to assume he knew it existed. Though knowing Link, he probably did. If he could discover the sewage passage into the castle as a wolf, then likely he could discover a village that wasn't on the map.

Being a short journey, it wasn't long before she pulled her steed to a stop. She heard Epona follow suit.

"The hidden village huh? I wouldn't have thought you knew this place existed." Link remarked, stepping up onto the ledge leading into the cavern, and holding his hand out for her to step up too.

"And yet, here I was thinking the same about you."

Link chuckled, "I know many things, including the existence of this place."

"So, you know everything about it?" She inquired, wondering of how much he actually knew it hid.

"No," he shook his head softly, "I have the suspicion there's something there I didn't see before."

Zelda smiled at his honesty, "What gives you that impression?"

"I doubt you've come this way just to see a derelict village and Impaz." He said simply, hitting the nail right on the head.

"Very true, but you don't know what I'm visiting then?" She asked, leading them to the far end of the village. She rested her hand against the stone wall, searching for something in particular.

"Well, logically thinking, we're here in Old Kakariko; where the Sheikah used to reside, and where Impaz still lives. And considering how you're running your hand across the wall, I'm guessing you're looking for a secret passage. So my guess would be the Sheikahs' secret lair."

She gasped lightly, truly astonished at his deductions. "You amaze me sometimes."

"I'm right then?" He grinned.

Zelda didn't answer, letting him see for himself as her hand slipped into one of the grooves, fingers locating the smallest hole. A sharp nick pierced her fingertip, drawing a drop of blood. As she pulled her finger back, the entire face of the wall shifted and the solid matter became amorphous.

"That's new," Link remarked, staring at the wall oddly.

"It's a simple glamour activated by a drop of a Sheikah's blood." She replied, also watching the particles of the wall shift to resemble liquid.

Not waiting for his reply, she stepped forward, accustomed to not meeting any physical resistance. It was as easy as walking through a slowly flowing waterfall, but without getting wet. She closed her eyes against the blurring of colors as the lighting changed from russet to a black softened by the glow of purple light.

When she no longer felt the atoms bouncing against her skin, she reopened her eyes. She immediately suppressed a laugh when she saw Link blink several times. That would teach him for making fun out of her for being motion sick.

"Are you quite alright there?" She inquired politely, biting back her smile.

"Just peachy." He rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing that was supposed to create the feeling of nausea?"

"Precisely. The Sheikah like to be thorough with their glamours." She answered.

His eyebrows rose, taking note of the plural. "There's more to come?"

This time she smiled, though it could easily be mistaken for a grimace. "As I said, they like to be thorough."


She knew that Link had not believed her when she said it would be a hassle to actually get into the main body of the Sheikahs home, but after the trek they had gone through - and were still going through- he seemed to believe her now. There was only one way to go from where they were now, and that was down. And of course, it was never a case of simply walking down stairs, oh no, that would be far too easy.

They had to jump down a well.

The entire area had been designed to constantly test all those who wished to traverse it. Fortitude and perseverance were paramount in the Sheikahs' eyes. That, and the ability to see what others could not. Thus in order to find them, one had to exemplify these traits, even if it was bloody annoying.

"We just jump? That's it?"

Zelda nodded, having already explained the basics. "Yes, it's a test of faith. To trust in your senses even when all else screams suicidal."

"How reassuring," Link remarked sarcastically. He walked to the base of the well, and looked over its rim, whistling lowly. "Quite a drop." He added, somewhat excitedly, as he swung his legs over the side.

"Were you this mad on your adventure?" She questioned, debating between being astonished and amused at his eagerness.

"Probably," he shrugged. "You said trust my senses, and I did that more times than I can count." Link replied easily, unfazed by the seemingly endless drop.

"Very well, it saves me from having to push you in." Zelda smiled wryly, also moving to sit on the well's edge. "After three?"

He smirked in her direction. "Scared?"

She snorted, and then realized she had not done that for ages, reveling in the ridiculousness of it. "Please," she scoffed, "this is like child's play," and she jumped.

She let the sensation of free falling take a hold of her, completely at ease with the feeling. This, she could handle, being treated like a cannonball, not so much.

Instead of her speed increasing as she met less air resistance, she found herself slowing down. She knew it was part of the magic within the area, and wondered if Link had felt the decreasing speed. Yet even with the gradual slowing, the tunnel became no less dark.

Some might consider it eerie to be suspended in unending blackness, but she quite liked it. She couldn't decide whether it was due to familiarity – for she knew that no harm could come to her – or because black was the colour of protection. Either way, it was rather peaceful, being surrounded by the shadows.

The black stretched on, giving no idea as to how far they had fallen, no inclination as to how close to the end they were. It was slightly disconcerting to have no spatial orientation, with absolutely no rush of air past her ears. Only by sensing her shifted center of gravity in her solar plexus could she feel that she was still falling, and not suspended in limitless darkness. She estimated that the end would come soon, however.

Almost immediately after having that thought she felt herself stop abruptly. Her limbs jerked as she was held inches above the ground, suspended for the smallest of seconds before being dropped. When she landed on the unforgiving floor an audible 'oof' escaped her lips. Rubbing down the tingling in her humerus from having landed roughly on her elbows, she looked to Link, who had already stood up and was brushing the dust from his trousers.

"Have the Sheikah not heard of stairs?"

Zelda laughed, having thought much the same thing her first experience with it. "Yes, but you need to remember it is a test. Many would blanch at seeing that fall."

"I've had worse." He responded nonchalantly, beginning to walk ahead once she was at his side.

Her eyebrow quirked, "falling from the Sky?"

"Precisely. After that; everything else is child's play," he recited, smirking at using her earlier words.

"Well, I hope that optimistic attitude continues. I wouldn't want you to back out now."

"Says the woman who couldn't jump off a platform holding a cuckoo…" he remarked, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me," she rebuked, holding her hand up in defiance, "not once have I ever felt the need to travel by poultry. My training did not include such ridiculous things."

"But falling down a well was included?"

Zelda sighed, not seeing the point in trying to explain that it was a measure of courage to take risks. "As a matter of fact, it was."

Link chuckled, "This training you speak of sounds fun."

She couldn't tell if he was truly being serious or not, then again, he was unaware of all that she had undergone when training under the Sheikah. She was certain that he didn't even know she had the skills of one of the shadow folk. "I honestly question your definition of fun."

He just laughed, venturing further into the catacombs. Their path was barely lit by very sparsely placed torches. The distance between each one increased with every turn they took until they found themselves submerged in complete blackness, much like what the well had been like. Even though both had a good sense of direction, they still found it difficult to navigate the labyrinth.

"Link, wait for a moment." Zelda called out to him, noticing the frown that was etching itself upon his features when he turned to face her. "I think we're lost," she admitted, looking at the crossroads at either end of the tunnel they resided in. Even though Zelda had come this way many times before with Serilda and Ailith; the journey was still strenuous and immensely difficult.

Without a Sheikah's eyes, the way was difficult to pinpoint in the limitless darkness. With the endless twists and turns in the path, a less educated eye would be unable to discern the path, and she feared they were becoming more lost every moment. There were inscriptions on the walls, she knew that for sure, but with her basic Hylian vision, she could not distinguish them from the darkness at all.

"What do you propose? I'm getting the feeling we're going round in circles…" he sighed agitatedly.

"The only possible method," she said, closing her eyes and whispering "vicissitudo" softly. It was an ancient word for change or alteration - exactly the process she was undergoing now. Instantly, the magic awakened in her blood, heating her core temperature from the average thirty-seven degrees to an almost deadly forty before dropping back to the optimum.

As the magic sizzled through her veins, she could feel her muscles contracting, strengthening, building themselves for speed and agility. Her hair lightened, then became a deep red - transformed from its usual auburn so that she was less recognizable. Her eyes were almost the exact same colour only brighter, more the colour of oxygen rich blood than the autumn red of leaves.

Her clothes shifted and tightened, and her dress molded around her figure, forming a tight cat-suit that gave the wearer enhanced abilities. It was decorated with runes that provided strength, wisdom, vigilance and even contained healing properties. No other material compared to it, and no other was better suited to the Sheikah.

Just before her transformation was complete, she felt the air close to her body shift, almost as if was expanding. Filing with shadows that she could control and manipulate to her needs and wants. The was no other way to explain it than by saying she was surrounded by shadows, only visible when she truly focused.

It had taken months to learn the skill, to draw only the "good" shadows to her, as though she was one of the Sheikah. The race specialised in shadows, and not all were good. It wasn't so much that the shadows themselves were at fault, no, it was what was concealed in them that caused true damage. Being in the Sheikah's land, they were mostly safe to use, to control, but still, she would not be so careless as to just draw any to her.

Inside the shadows resided sprites, small spirits that had no true form. Named 'sith' for their peaceful natures, most were harmless playful things willing to obey commands. Yet some were cruel, mischievous devils with malicious intentions.

Under the instruction of Ailith, she had called one to her many years ago. The Sheikah woman had told her that the best way she could learn how great the consequences could be if she were too hasty in her summoning was to call upon one.

Zelda could recall it well, seeing both Ailith and her mother watching her, and smiling at them as she called on the shadows. She remembered the terror that had gripped her as soon as she had felt it enter her aura. It paralyzed her movements like a toxin, obstructing all thoughts. She felt only the desire to murder, to feel blood on her hands overpowering all else.

She was only just able to banish it before collapsing in shakes, completely terrified of the thoughts that had not been her own. She could recall her mother taking her into her arms, offering words of comfort, yet Ailith had been smiling. It had been a test that had called forth on all her skills and knowledge: a way in which Ailith had judged if she was ready or not to become one of them.

Thankfully, she had passed, and undergone the rituals that one not born into the Sheikah underwent to be a part of their family. She followed directly in her mother's and grandmother's footsteps - both having been Sheikah themselves.

Though she knew she was stronger now, the physical drain of that day would remain imprinted in her mind. It was a reminder of the true terrors that lurked in the dark.

Still, even with the fear that she had faced, she couldn't deny how invaluable the trait was to own. The shadows listened to her every command, to separate from her body and investigate matters to report back to her. And, possibly one of the greatest things was that they acted like her personal carriers.

Each Sheikah had her own shadows, and much like the runes that decorated her garb, each individual had different requirements. She knew that Serida's carried her weapons, potions and useful material items, and Ailith's contained spell books and orbs that held extra magic. Hers had a bit of both.

The shadows were an extension of her in a sense, attracted to her form, her aura. After she had passed Ailith's test, she had been given her own personal 'set' of shadows. And now they responded to her call, wherever she may be, whenever she may need them. They carried her weapons, books, and numerous items to amplify her magic.

What more could a girl want?

Of course, the Sheikah training had been vigorous, demanding and both physically and mentally draining, but it had been one of the wisest choices she had ever made.

If not for that training, she would have died in the tower Zant had imprisoned her in, rotted in her own blood from her wrists, had the rats feed from her dead and bloated carcass from the deficiency of protein... No, that training had not only strengthened her body, but her mind too. It had been the only thing that had made her keep her sanity in that dank tower.

Not only that, but her training had been what had saved Midna too. She would never have honed her magic to be as powerful as it was now without Ailith's guidance. Serilda believed she had been useless in her imprisonment, when really she had helped to save Zelda.

Zelda opened her eyes, her transformation fully complete. "Now we're ready to go," she grinned, only visible through the lift of her scarf. It was an annoying garment to wear, because it rested just under her nose, obscuring her lower face. But it also reflected her own moist breath back at her, creating a sticky feeling that made her want to scratch her philtrum.

It was only after a few moments of starting that he said, 'Shall we?' in a voice that was noticeably strained.

They proceeded on into the caves, Zelda finding it far easier now that she could actually see where she was going. Her Sheikah eyes were far better equipped for the dark than her Hylian eyes. For starters, she could now see the different wavelengths of light, and therefore the numbers etched on the walls.

Written in a liquid that was only distinguishable with her amplified vision, Sumerian numerals decorated the walls. A number system with a sexagesimal system, there were only two actual numerals: something that resembled a wine glass which represented a "one", and the other that looked like the "less than" sign in maths for "ten".

To make matters decidedly more difficult, there was no zero mentioned anywhere. It did not exist at all, and was only represented by a space between the digits. Also, this meant that certain numbers were impossible to distinguish between values.

Though the Sheikah had used positional notation to fathom such confusion - in which a real number was represented by an ordered set of characteristics, there was still no clear method to find the correct answer, and remembering to read the sums from right to left made it all the more so confusing.

Though the Babylonians had created a symbol to represent zero, the Sheikah had preferred to keep the older version. Ailith claiming that not many would know the system, and if they somehow managed to defy the impossible, and get this far, she had made sure they would get no further. Even still, they had decided not to go past the number 59, as matters became a bit too confounding after that.

At the next junction that split into corridors left and right, Zelda traced the pattern on the left with her fingers, nine "wine glasses" as she liked to call them arranged into three rows, with one "less than" sign. "Nineteen," she murmured, looking at the other figures on the right side, and choosing the left. Link following the path she took.

She had watched Serilda or Ailith murmur numbers as they passed through the tunnels, more for her benefit than their own, speaking one word once finally through. Truthfully, she had never bore much thought to it. Assuming they knew their way through practise and familiarity. Not that they were reading the numbers off the walls, and creating a word whilst doing so.

Zelda continued to lead them further into the tunnels, softly whispering numbers under her breath. When they reached the end, she smiled. The numbers could be translated to the word "shadows" and was the very number the Sheikah females had declared when they had reached the end.

As the endless tunnels finally widened into an area glowing with light, she was all so very tempted to sigh with relief, but it wasn't over. Not quite yet.

"Let me guess, something to do with power now, right?" Link remarked, none too happily.

"What makes you make think that?" Zelda inquired, impressed at his ability to figure out the trials' purpose.

"The well tested our courage, those tunnels were designed to measure wisdom. By logic, power is the only one left." He shrugged, his smile giving away the fact that he knew she was amazed.

Zelda simply nodded with an audible "huh." Good to see the man used his brain.

This was the area she found the most trying. Not that it was difficult, it didn't require her to rely on her bravery, or exert her wisdom, but as Link had said, it required power: her least favorite trait. Everyone had power, it was how they used it that made them powerful. However this particular trial required strength of body: endurance, stamina, and muscle tone.

Before when she had been in the well, it had always been in the company of Serilda or Ailith. She had been able to rely on their familiarity with the place during the previous trials, but this one was always about each individual's physical strength.

She led them to the middle of a room where braided material was hanging down an opening in the ceiling. It was just the beginning.

"We climb a rope? That's it?" Link scoffed, noticing the same thing as her. He tugged on it to see if it would fall, not moving it one inch.

"Not quite…" she trailed.

"Because that would be too easy." Link finished with a half-hearted smile.

Zelda laughed, "exactly."

"Going first?" He asked, the slightest gleam of humour coming into his eyes.

She just rolled hers, sighing over dramatically. "Such a shame I'm not wearing a dress."

Link chuckled, wisely deciding not to reply.

The climb itself wasn't so bad, even if she was slightly more conscientious than usual knowing Link was watching her - probably focused on some areas more than others. It was just what came after.

She could see the handhold from where she was, but it made it no easier to reach. The rope was completely stationary. It was embedded in the ground at the bottom and attached to a wooden pole that hung suspended in the air, she didn't have a hope in all the sacred realm of propelling herself forward in a swing.

There was no other alternative but to either jump from the rope, or heave herself up onto the wooden pole. She chose the latter, securing one of her hands around it before hoisting her body up, crouching low to maintain her balance. The pole was a mere few inches thick, but had a length of at least two feet, allowing her to walk to the very edge and be roughly three feet away from the wall.

Coiling her muscles, she jumped, catching the handhold with her right hand, swinging precariously from it due to her momentum.

As Zelda, she would never be able to do this. Though she did do archery and horseback-riding, which built her core strength and stamina. The strain of climbing a rope suspended over 20ft in the air, then jumping to hang from a ledge would have been her breaking point. Yet as Sheik, she did not have this same limit. Her strength was far more enduring, and her perseverance had doubled. She knew it was not limitless, but tasks like these were almost easy. Not quite simple as all of them required some form of tolerance, but decidedly easier than if she had remained as just Zelda.

Relying completely on her upper body and arms to give her the force, she propelled herself up, jumping in such a way that she could grasp the second ledge, then the third. By the fourth time, her feet located holes that gave her added support, making the climb far less strenuous.

She was tempted to look down, to see where Link was, but in the limited light - the only source was from the glow above - it would take time to search. She didn't want to deplete the energy in her muscles by wasting precious seconds.

It would only be a matter of minutes before her cells began to do anaerobic respiration, and the production of lactic acid was something she didn't want as it would only tire her faster.

Eventually, she found the source of light emitted from a single torch, but the task was not yet over. Looking over her shoulder, she found the final apparatus - a metal pole suspended horizontally in mid air, its surface gleaming in the light, and the final ledge a distance away from it.

In this perspective, it looked unreachable, but experience had taught her that it was in-fact achievable. Pushing from the wall, she executed a perfect wall jump, hands closing firmly around the pole, wondering if perhaps she should have told Link about this part.

He's the hero, she thought, he'll know what he's doing. She realised what awful rationalising that was. But there was little she could do about it now.

Rocking her legs back and forth, she waited until her momentum was powerful enough before leaping from the pole, landing safely on the ledge in a crouch to absorb the shock in her feet. Every time she underestimated that jump, and every time she made it. That was probably why she hated this area so much: waiting in anticipation for that jump.

Barely five seconds passed before she heard a muffled landing beside her, Link rising from a similar position to hers.

"That was incredibly silent," she mused, having expected a much louder echo, and also thankful he was standing beside her.

"Years of practise." He replied nonchalantly, the slightest tilt coming to his mouth.

"And here was me hoping you would all be all hot and sweaty after that." She sarcastically mourned, her boldness invigorated from being Sheik. She knew her personality had not physically changed, but hiding behind the warrior persona gave her a new bout of confidence.

Link laughed loudly, "You sounded hopeful that I would be. With wanting me to change into a wolf, and now wanting me all hot and sweaty, I'm beginning to question your motives."

"I don't want to secretly have sex with you, Link." Even despite its discomfort, she was highly thankful for the cowl that hid her blush. Truthfully, she had just wanted to see him tired. After the crap he had given her for being scared of cuckoos, she wanted to find at least one weakness of his to get back at him. Apparently easier said than done.

He gave her a very slow deliberate sexy smile. "All you have to do is ask."

Her blush increased tenfold, but her voice remained steady, "Good to know that you're such a jingalo."

Link just laughed again, "I aim to please."

Zelda snorted, amazed at his arrogance. As she made to reply, a movement flickered in her vision. She knew they were close to the very heart of the Sheikah lair now, so it would not be surprising to see movement, yet when she saw it again, her eyes narrowed, and she instantly felt for the dagger secure at the base of her back.

She barely noticed how Link had sensed her wariness, as he too grasped the hilt of dagger through his belt, waiting for the signal to throw it.

Finally, a boot stepped from the darkness, the smooth leather just discernable from the blackness. Zelda held her hand up, halting Link's movements. She recognised the figure emerging from the shadows, a smile forming on her lips.

As the shadows dispersed, her figure becoming more solid with every moment, Zelda could easily tell who it was. From her bright scarlet eyes and silver hair, it could only be one person.

"Ailith."


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