Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the Zelda franchise.

Chapter IV: Companion

Link awoke alone in the large throne room, Navi was sitting on his chest fully alert.

"Oh, good morning!" The fairy starter floating around while he stood up "You slept so late I was afraid the wench had you drugged or something."

"She fell asleep before me" answered he as to defend the unknown girl.

"Anyhow, where is she?" They looked around and found nothing. A moment later the double doors burst open and the girl appeared carrying two silver trays full of food. She was received by a hero with sword and shield drawn and ready to attack.

"Jumpy, aren't we?" she left the two trays on chairs and approached the exit "Help yourselves, I'll bring the rest." Gave Link a big smile and wink and went singing back to the kitchens.

Leaving both Hero & Fairy bewildered.

"I think you hit her head too hard"

"No I didn't" he defended "She was just fine until we fell asleep."

"Could she be under a spell before… or perhaps she has split personalities… or maybe…" The fairy went on rambling as usual, as for Link, the smell of the food was so delicious that his stomach started grumbling; Looking side-ways to the fairy he approached the trays and took a byte off a healthy looking cucco.

…

The meat had been made so soft that it was as if it melted on his mouth. During his previous adventures he usually ate any and everything he found to be edible, some very good, some barely edible… but the one in front of him was so delicious that it left him standing, simply tasting it, wanting to preserve that moment forever.

It was then that the girls came back, with two more trays, glasses, wine and mantel. As if it were a picnic she places the mantel on the ground and every other thing on over it. She saw the fairy speaking to herself – something Nabooru had warned them about – and Link staring blackly into the food. Taking the tray beside him, she placed it also n the mantel; Only when everything was in place did she approached Link.

"Do you not like my food? I thought it tasted ok…" she said and tasted a byte of salad. The hero stood up so fast he startled her and almost made her drop the tray

"'OK?' You thing THIS is OK?" he shouted. She remained calm.

"Well yes… I couldn't find any good condiments for it… so I did my best with what was available" she glanced at him for a moment; Link thought she looked really sad. "…I guess… you didn't like it then…" She lowered her eyes utterly depressed.

"Are you kidding me?" He answered surprised to see how much he worried about her being sad. He took the tray from her hands "This is the best I've ever had!" and stuffed another cucco piece into his mouth. Again, she smiled sadly.

"You don't have to be polite to me" she took the tray from his hands, sat on the mantle and put the food on her lap "My older sister always told me I wouldn't make it out as a cook, she said that my food was too soft fro any man to like." Link couldn't believe his ears, the thought of someone actually not liking that food blew him out of his mind.

"That's not true!" He shouted exasperated, his tone dead-serious. She lifted her eyes and looked at him from below her beautiful long eye-lashes "there is simply no way ANYONE consider you food bad. Far from it. It's the most delicious I've ever found in all my travels… And that comes from a man who has traveled all around Hyrule" He sit in front of her and started eating as if there was no tomorrow.

She wanted to believe him, he was the first ever to say her food was delicious. "But my sister said-"

"Don't mind her" He started talking with his mouth full. "Everyone has different tastes, It's just that your sister likes her food much more spicy. I love them just the way it is." He took a byte from another dish and continued mumbling how delicious it was. "It's perfect for me".

The moment she smiled was as if she had suddenly started shining brightly. Link swore he saw her aura shining as strong as a star… All of a sudden he felt an almost irresistible urge to hold her in his arms.

"Hey! I told you not to touch that food!" Screamed the nearly forgotten fairy.

"Oh, Navi! You have to taste his, It's absolutely delicious"

"Really?"

"Really"

"Grab a piece now, before Mr. Hero here devours it all." The girl started eating with her hands, just as link was, glancing at him every other moment with dreamy eyes.

"I have a name, you know?" She became still and blushed furiously.

"A-A-And Wha-What is your na-na-name" Her voice was so small that Link barely heard her.

"The name is 'Link'." He looked at her curiously

"Hero of time and Peace-bringer of Hyrule" added the fairy in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"Nice to meet you, L-lord Link." She was looking at the floor, playing with the mantelpiece.

"Just call me 'Link'. 'Lord' sounds way to fancy for a peasant, besides I like it better that way." She blushed even further until steam came out of her ears. Storming outside the room she Left Link wondering, and Navi suspicious.

She didn't stop at all until she reached the gardens and got her head inside a stream of water.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" She was thinking as the water cooled off her face "I can't believe I asked his name… AND he gave it to me… And-and he doesn't want me to cal him 'Lord' or anything, Just Link… Oh god, I'm so embarrassed!" her mind flew to see them both laying on a comfy bed, while she called his name, and he kissed her all over.

She pulled out of the water just to put it in again to erase such thoughts.

When she was more calm, she pulled out of the water again. "What was all that about?" a small female voice asked.

Navi was flying just on top of her head.

"Wh-why nothing! I just fancied some cool water." Reb Tevye had instructed her about discretion.

"Really?" asked the fairy with sarcasm "I somehow got the impression you liked him" the girl blushed all over again "Perhaps I got that one wrong" The fairy stared…

Suddenly outflanked and weak, the girl told many things to the fairy.

Link had been sitting on the floor feeling too full to even move, just thinking about the last night.

When they were fighting he had felt so alive, so refreshed and happy that all he wanted was to keep battling her until exhaustion... but then he remembered she was an enemy aided by the fury of Zelda being taken prisoner in front of him, made him thrust for the kill… It was only when his sword was pointing to her neck that he realized he didn't want to kill her. He couldn't… he hadn't got the courage to kill her in cold blood… Funny, if he thought that the Triforce of courage rested on his right hand.

She had closed her eyes, fully accepting her punishment… whatever he had done, she wouldn't have protested.

The reason struck: "You can not kill her because she might be the only one who knows where to find Zelda and Ganondorf."

He had meant to ask her about it that morning, but the food, and her cute reactions had made him forget it all completely… until now.

Then when they had spoken, and she turned beet-red at his words… The urge to hug her had been so strong that it was only his iron will that had stopped him.

He didn't know what was with her and the names, but it must have been something quite shocking for her to run away like that.

At any rate, he had to get moving. He had to find Zelda and the Sages so they could seal Ganondorf again.

The only leads he had was that girl and that the Gerudo had been involved. Perhaps he could gain their cooperation again, as when he did when he freed all the carpenters from their fort.

He got to his feet and saw no sign of either the girl or the Fairy, across the deserted halls. "Uo-oh. Hope they are ok" A feeling of dread grabbed his hearth as he thought of the girl being attacked by a monster… "Even if she is as good fighter as I am, a girl is still a girl." He fastened his equipment and went out to search for his friends… and found them chit-chatting animatedly on the gardens.

Strangely enough, Navi was glowing pink instead of blue, and the girl started blushing again as their glances met.

"Come on Navi, we are going to the Gerudo Valley"

"Wait up! There is something we must do before leaving" she hovered to his side and whispered to his ear "Are you really going to take her dressed like that?" He looked at her intently… her black leather-like clothes sticking so tight to her skin that it left nothing for the imagination. A part of him wanted her to put something on, but something bigger told him to let her stay as she was… her body had some really marvelous curves… something he had never seen before (for him, Ruto being naked didn't count at all). She looked downwards as he kept staring, until Navi pulled his ear. "That's enough you perv! Quit staring!" Now it was time for Link to blush.

"Ok gall, You are coming with us!" Sentenced the fairy "But first you have to change your clothes"

"Why?" she asked innocently. "I'm perfectly comfortable as I am"

And Link repeated in a not so innocent way "Yeah, why?" the fairy pulled on his ear again.

"Perhaps you are, darling" Navi was talking to her as a mother would do "But o dress like that in this land is… well… a bit too much."

"But I don't care about fashion, besides If Link wear tights why can't I?" Link blushed even further, as the Fairy laughed her butt down to the floor.

"I-It-It's not tights, these are the latest fashion for adventurers! It's Kokiri-made fabric, resistant to damage and perfect for camouflaging in the woods!"

"And the fact that we are going to the desert makes no difference, huh?" Now it was the turn of the girl to stare. "If he's not wearing special clothes for the desert, neither will I." She gave her back to them.

Link was staring at her back when an idea came to him "Well, we're only worried because you'll go on a black suit to the desert. We don't want you to cook too soon" he ended with a joke, but when he had said 'cook' he was actually thinking about taking her as the main dish.

"Ok" she said, surprising the other two. Suddenly Link realized that she had only said yes when he had asked it of her… something that was worthy of further investigation…

She looked back at him, smiled and went back to the castle. "Give me a minute, ok?" Once she reached the doors, she looked back again "And no peeping" she winked as link turned bright red.

Few moments later a searing-bright light came out of the castle, illuminating everything far better than the sun.

As soon as the light subdued, the girl came out of the palace, dressed with clothes to match that of Link, just that they were white.

"What the?" said Link surprised "Where did you get that?" Instead of answering, she took his arm in hers and strolled to the exit

"No time for explanations. We need to catch up with the bad guys" she dragged him until they arrived to the bolted door. She observed the door for a moment "Ok Link, give me one of that explosives you have, We'll blow the whole thing to smithers." She started to look into his backpack

"Hey, wait up! There is an easier way." He got bit away from her, her hands still on his belt. "I'll teleport us to Kakariko's cementery, there we'll call Epona… she'll take us to the desert in no time."

She looked at him blankly "Teleport? Kakariko? Epona?"

"Here, I'll show you. You just hold on tight." He took Saria's ocarina from the bag as she closed in to hug him. He had meant for her to hold on to his belt strongly, but that was not bad at all.

Navi got inside his hat.

"All set?" he asked looking at the girl. She nodded as the fairy said 'ready as ever!'.

He played the Nocturne of Shadow.

They were surrounded by purple energy and disappeared from the place.