A/N: Thanks to anyone who has read this far! I hope you're enjoying my story :)

CHAPTER VII: THE GOLDEN CITY

Aqua had found them a small house to stay in for the night. It was located in the lower district of the Golden City, which was named Haurum. It meant golden sands – Link loudly complained about how unoriginal the name was. It was divided into three sections, each with their own purpose. In the centre of the city was the temple where everyone went to pay their respects to the Goddess Hylia. The district located below the temple was responsible for creating goods required for living, such as food and furniture. The one located to the left was responsible for the creative aspects of life in the city – music, sculptures and paintings. The district to the right was responsible for the wellbeing of the city. Located in it were the healers, as well as the homes of the Auris, the people who were in charge of keeping the peace, and writing laws. Scattered throughout the whole city were the Keepers, empty suits of golden armour that served the citizens, always keeping them safe. Gold topped every building, and there were many tall archways that led to other parts of the city that went on as far as the eye could see. When the sun began to rise, and the city began glow in the light, Zelda stirred in her bed.

She walked over to the window to look outside at the fountain. She suppressed a giggle as she remembered Epona pushing Link into the water. She was about to start preparing breakfast, when Aqua woke up too.

"Hungry?" asked Zelda, indicating towards the food she was preparing.

Aqua realised she hadn't eaten for a long time, and her stomach grumbled at the thought of breakfast. "Very."

They had found some sausages, eggs and bread to eat, and a large pitcher of a pinkish-red liquid.

"That's Goji juice. It's delicious."

By the time Link had woken up, the girls had already eaten and cleaned up after themselves.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Zelda, as she was already packing up Link's sleeping gear.

"Dunno. I was asleep."

Zelda sneered at Link, before resuming what she was doing. Link could hear Aqua laughing from outside the house. Link quickly ate the breakfast that girls had left him, and thanked them for the meal. It wasn't much, but given that he hadn't eaten a proper meal since leaving Impa in the forest, it was the best thing he'd ever tasted in his life. He poured the rest of the Goji juice into an empty bottle, and put it into his pack.

"Where to now, Aqua?" said Link, after taking one more look into the house for anything that may be of use. Once he was satisfied there was nothing, he closed the door.

"Well… I wanted to take a look around the other districts; there may be something we could use."

Zelda sensed there was another reason for looking around in Aqua's voice, but did not press the issue. "You're the expert on this city. Why don't you lead, and we'll follow."

"Is there any chance we could stop at a bath-house? I stink. Bad." Link's nose was creased as he spoke, showing his disgust.

"I think that will be possible. Let's go."

The group walked down the twisting streets of the city, and passed many different places. Link wanted to stop at every food shop he passed, but found that most of the goods had become spoiled, because there was nobody around to keep them fresh. That didn't stop him from going into every shop he saw, until at last he found a sandwich shop that had goods kept in a frozen lockbox. It was around lunchtime, so the group agreed to sit down to eat.

"This shop belonged to one of my friends…" said Aqua, her voice full of emotion. "Alnar's Sandwich Bar… We used to hang out here all the time. Alnar kept us entertained by playing the harp, which she was very good at. We'd sing and dance and…" Aqua's voice trailed off, and she took a deep breath as a single tear ran down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Link thought that Aqua was apologising to her friend for not being able to help her. "C'mon, we should go."

Zelda took Aqua outside, while Link cleaned up. Once he'd finished, they left and walked on in silence for a short while. Link could see the buildings beginning to part up ahead, and saw several large bridges leading across a stream.

Aqua stopped them at the start of the bridge.

"These bridges lead into the second district, where all our creative works were done. There is a huge library at the centre of it, and besides books, it hold many of the best pieces of art created by anyone in the city."

Aqua led them onwards, but Epona refused to step onto the bridge. She stamped her feet angrily.

"What's wrong, girl?" said Link, as he held Epona's head and looked into her eyes. Epona looked afraid, but Link couldn't see why. "There's nothing here, its okay."

Epona relaxed, and allowed Link to take her across the bridge. About halfway across the bridge, the horse suddenly reared up on her hind legs, and charged across to the other side. Before the group could react, a giant tentacle of water burst out from beneath the bridge, and smashed down onto it, forcing the group to jump out of the way. The tentacle sunk back into the water, and began to reform again.

"What is that?" shouted Link.

The tentacle slammed down again, this time hitting Zelda and sending her flying. The tentacle smashed through the bridge, separating Link from Aqua and Zelda.

"Link! I can see its weak point, you have to attack its nucleus, it's the only way you can hurt it!"

Link tried slashing at the tentacle, but he couldn't reach it.

Aqua summoned the Keyblade, and threw it at the nucleus of the tentacle. It hit home, and it knocked the nucleus out of the water, and it landed at Link's feet. He swung at it, and hit it a few times before it managed to skitter along the ground and back into the water. The creature shrieked in anger, and this time its attacks were more frenzied. Zelda charged up a light arrow, and let it loose. It stuck into the nucleus, and she hit it again with another arrow. It was sent flying straight at Link again, and he readied his sword for a big swing. He struck the creature with all his might, and the sword split the nucleus in two. The halves dissolved into purple-black globs, which carried a foul stench.

"Is everyone okay?" shouted Link.

"We're fine!"

"Aqua! Look out!" Link screamed, pointing behind her.

A group of heartless were running at them, several shadows accompanied by some Link had not yet seen. They were large, demonic looking creatures carrying large swords with ridges down the blade. They hovered just above the ground, with small black wings keeping them in the air. Attached to the tails of the creatures were wickedly sharp looking curved blades that scraped along the ground creating a shower of sparks.

Zelda quickly attacked with her arrows, taking out some of the shadows. Her arrows were easily dodged by the larger ones, which were lighting fast. The heartless made a sound that was like someone grinding shattered glass together, causing Zelda and Aqua, who were closest, to fall to their knees clutching their hands to their ears. Link raised his sword to the sky, and filled it with his energy. He swung at the heartless, and a beam of pure white light sliced through two of them, sending a shower of black goo everywhere. They were silenced for long enough to allow Zelda to take out another with her a couple of quick arrows, and for Aqua to deal with the remaining two. The area seemed clear, but the group still remained cautious.

Link whistled for Epona, and the horse ran to him. He mounted her, and together they jumped the gap in the bridge. They continued onwards, wary of any sound or movement they saw, for fear of being attacked again. This time, if Epona stopped, they would heed her warning.

Aqua took them to the bath-house, but they found it to be empty of water. Aqua guessed that no-one was around to tend to it, and re-fill the water. Link expressed his disappointment, which was met with a sharp remark from Navi, who told him to stop complaining. He reluctantly agreed, and they left.

On their way through the second district, Link and Zelda were constantly bewildered by the sheer volume and beauty of the many different artworks they saw. Link's personal favourite was a carving of the Goddess, intricately detailed and looking eerily reminiscent of Zelda. A while after Link found the carving, and just before they reached the third district, Zelda spotted a tiny music shop. Inside were little metal devices, that, when turned, played music. Zelda played many of them, and found one that had a melody that was beautiful and haunting at the same time. She fell in love with it instantly, and put it inside her pack.

"Aqua… This city is beautiful! There is so much to see and experience, it's nothing like Skyloft. Sure, we had music and dance, but none of it was nearly as beautiful as what I've seen here. I am truly sorry to see it like this…" said Zelda, her voice full of sorrow. "I just wish… I could have done something sooner."

"If only you could have seen the bustling streets, packed with people laughing and spreading joy around. This city may be beautiful, but it is the people who make it so. Now it is nothing but a shadow of what it used to be… The sooner we can be done here, the better. I want to stop the heartless, whatever it takes. I cannot let anything like this happen ever again." Aqua's voice was fierce with determination.

Zelda nodded. "Right."

Link stood up, and cleared his throat. "We will be with you, every step of the way. Our home was taken too, and now there is nothing left of it. I promise that I will stand by you."

"We must stick together. We cannot fail." Zelda added.

Aqua began to cry, and she pulled Link and Zelda into a tight hug. "Thank you."

Link broke away from the hug. "Let's get going. I wanna kick some heartless butt!"

The group entered the third district, and found themselves surrounded by buildings that had to have been the handiwork of master craftsmen. There were towers that met the sun, each topped with a golden pointed roof that spiralled downwards, giving the effect that the roof and buildings were cut from one piece of stone. Following the paths were small bushes with delicate flowers, each in varying colours. Link stooped down next to a bush with violet coloured flowers. Each petal looked as soft as a cloud, and on the inside, had a golden yellow pattern that reached out to the tip. He gently plucked one, and studied the flower. It reminded him of Zelda.

"Zelda, come here."

"What is it, Link?"

He reached up, and brushed her hair behind her ear. "This is for you." He tucked the flower into the spot he had just created, and stepped back to admire Zelda. She blushed heavily, and broke out into a fit of giggles.

Aqua was marching on ahead, when she stopped to tell them that they would be arriving at her home soon, and that they should stop for the night. Her words fell on deaf ears, however, as Link and Zelda were too busy staring into each other's eyes.

Aqua cleared her throat, causing the pair to snap out of their trance. They both blushed heavily and laughed awkwardly. She repeated her thoughts on stopping for the night, and they both agreed. The sky had just begun to darken when they were on the steps of Aqua's home.

"Here we are," she said, as she pushed the door open. It was very dark inside, so Aqua lit several lamps in the room by tapping them with her Keyblade.

"Your home is amazing!" shouted Link, as he ran to one of the soft and comfy looking couches. "May I?" he asked, before diving onto the biggest one. "Wow."

"Well, Link, since Zelda and I prepared breakfast this morning, I think it only fair that you make dinner."

Link frowned. "But it's hard…"

Zelda snuck up behind Link, and summoned a light arrow. She poked him in the thigh, and he jumped up off the couch.

"Okay, okay! I'll cook! Navi, you're with me."

"The kitchen is this way." Aqua led Link and Navi from the room, through a door in the back.

Zelda properly took in the details of the room, which was rectangular in shape. The walls were a deep red, and on them were many paintings of Aqua and her family. The furniture was all made of a dark wood, and the material on them was of the same colour as the walls. Zelda walked over to a bookcase, and flipped through a black notebook that was filled with sketches. Most of the drawings were of flowers, but occasionally she saw pictures of the city streets, or even just some of the smiling faces of the people that inhabited them. On one of the last pages was a picture of Aqua with two boys. One of them was tall, with broad shoulders and long dark hair. The other was roughly the same height as Aqua, but with short, spiky blond hair and a lean physique. They were drawn standing around a tree that had star shaped fruit. Beneath it was written 'Together, always.' Zelda quickly replaced the book in its spot as she heard footsteps, and wiped away the tear that had begun to form in her eye.

Aqua re-entered the room carrying a tray of drinks, which she set down on the table.

"I trust you like lemonade?" she said, as she handed Zelda a glass. The two quickly began chatting, sharing memories of their friends and families. Curiously, however, Zelda noticed that Aqua didn't mention anyone matching the description of the two boys she saw in the sketchbook.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Link was struggling with dinner.

"Navi! For the last time, I do not know how to 'al dente' this stuff! I don't even know what it is that we're trying to cook!"

"Spaghetti, Link! SPUH-GEH-TI! Got it memorised? First you've got to boil the water, you can't cook without it."

Link shuffled around in a cupboard for a few minutes before he found a pot that Navi approved of. He filled it with water, and placed it over the fire.

"Now you need to crush the tomatoes for the sauce. They're already pretty soft from being left out, so it might be a little difficult to do them quickly."

Link crushed the first few tomatoes, but grew angry when he found that most of the tomato was splattering everywhere except for where he wanted it to go. He soon hatched a devious plan to make short work of them. Link rummaged around in the cupboards again before he found a large pot with a lid that he could close. He propped it up against the wall, and put all of the tomatoes into it, then sealed the lid.

"Link, what are you doing?" asked Navi, nervously.

"Watch and learn!"

He summoned the master sword and raised it skyward. Link let his energy flow into the blade before he let it loose at the pot. The pot absorbed the strike, and soon the light faded. Link opened the lid, and peered inside. His face lit up with satisfaction as he scooped out the tomatoes, which had been reduced to a fine paste.

Navi found a few herbs for Link to use in the sauce, and told him to cut them finely. Link picked up the knife, and his Triforce mark flashed.

"Heartless?" he asked.

"No… I don't sense any."

Link looked out the door to check on the girls, and they were okay, chatting away. His gaze lingered for a while on Zelda, before Navi called him back.

"We've still got a dinner to cook, lover boy." She quipped.

Link pulled out a chopping board, and lined up the herbs. They were parsley, basil and rosemary, Navi told him. He picked up the knife again, and his Triforce mark flashed once more.

Link's hands moved as if he had had many years of experience in the kitchen. In mere seconds, the herbs were cut up perfectly, much to Navi's surprise.

"Link! Your mark! Remember what Impa said, about it giving you the ability to instantly master any weapon you touch? I guess that knife counts as a weapon."

"Oh… yeah! Wicked!" laughed Link, as he looked for more things to cut up.

"Just… try to use things we can cook, at least."

Link's cutting frenzy was stopped short, as the water had begun to boil. Navi ordered him to add a pinch of salt, and then the spaghetti. Once that was done, Link cut up some onion into a smaller, shallow pan, and let that simmer for a while. Then he added the tomato and herbs, which filled the room with delicious smells. Link found a jar of olives, as well as some long slender beans. He added them to the sauce mixture, for which Navi praised his creativity.

Once the meal was cooked, Link served it up in three exquisitely designed bowls. He placed them on a tray, along with a bottle of lemonade and the bottle of Goji juice he had saved from earlier. Link carried the tray out to the room with the girls, and Aqua led them to the dining room. Link put the tray down and sighed in relief.

"Link, the food looks amazing, but you look like hell!" giggled Zelda.

Link looked down at himself and saw that he was covered in tomato juice and bits of cut up herb. They all laughed, before their hunger took over them.

"This is amazing!" said Zelda.

Aqua giggled. "It is. But… beans? My mother used to sing me a song when I was a child. I think I can still remember it. Let's see… Beans, beans, the magical fruit! The more you eat, the more you toot!
The more you toot, the better you feel, so we have beans at every meal!" recited Aqua, with as much bravado as she could muster.

"That is quite possibly the worst thing I have ever heard. I like it!" said Navi, who was eating a single strand of spaghetti for herself.

They ate the rest of the meal happily, laughing while Navi told them how Link destroyed the tomatoes to make the sauce. With their bellies stuffed, they decided that they should wash up and get into bed. Link, being the most unclean, was the first to use the luxury tub. There were many soaps and oils that he could have used to fragrance the bath, and he found one that was scented with jasmine, which reminded him of his favourite tea that he drank in Skyloft.

Outside the bathroom door was Zelda, who was listening intently to Link singing in the tub. He was quite good. She pressed her ear to the door so that she could hear better.

"You really like him, don't you?" Aqua said into Zelda's ear.

Startled, she spun around to face Aqua.

"What! Haha, I uhh…"

"It's okay, you can tell me. It'll be our little secret." Said Aqua, with a sly wink. "So, how long have you two been a thing?"

"Oh! We're not… we aren't, at least not yet."

"Not yet? So you wish to be?"

Zelda sighed. "Very much so. I'm just waiting for him, to make his first move. He seems to get close every time, but then… nothing."

Suddenly, Link opened the door, wrapped in nothing but a towel, his body still covered in a few drops of water that glistened in the lamplight.

"Ah! Zelda, what are you doing… outside the bathroom door..?" said Link, his eyes narrow with suspicion.

Aqua smiled. "I was just showing her to the room you two will be sleeping in."

"Us two will be sleeping in?" Zelda's words were filled with shock.

"Yes. There's my room, where I'll be sleeping, and then there's my parents room, where you two will be."

Link laughed nervously. "What about the couch?"

"Don't be silly. You'll wreck the upholstery! My parent's bed it is. Zelda, you take your bath. Link, give me your clothes, and I will wash them and hang them up so they will be ready for tomorrow. Your room is down the hall, second door on the right!" with those words, Aqua snatched Link's clothes, and dashed around the corner.

Link turned to Zelda, but she had already entered the bathroom and shut the door. He had no choice but to retreat to the room Aqua had given him. Link felt the soft sheets under his hands, which caused him to realise how tired he was. In seconds, Link was between the sheets, his eyes wavering for a few seconds before they shut completely. He didn't notice Zelda slip into the room and into the bed. She curled up against him, and he put his arm around her.

Aqua had hung out all their clothes, and taken her own bath. Once she was done, she checked on Link and Zelda, and found them sleeping peacefully, wrapped in each other's arms. Aqua went into the main room, and picked up her sketch book. She flipped to the last page, and traced her finger over the faces of her old friends. Aqua tore out that page, and folded it neatly into her bag.

"Together… always."

A/N: The way Navi showed Link how to make spaghetti and the sauce is the same way my Nonna taught me. She is the cutest little old italian lady you ever did see. Love you Nonna!