Please read my other story, "Zelda: Skyward Sword- The Birth of Hyrule" if you haven't already! Thanks!

Thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites, my lovely readers! You inspire me to continue this story!

Song suggestions: Romance- "Romance Theme" (SS OST) and "Zelda's Theme" (SS OST) / Drama- "Forest Temple" (TP OST) / Zant's office scene- "The King of Light and Shadow" (TP OST) / Action- "Under Siege" (HW OST)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding The Legend of Zelda. I wish I did.


Chapter 9: A Matter of Time

0134 HOURS.

TEMPLE OF TIME RUINS, FARON PROVINCE.

45 DEGREES INSIDE.

The Lorulean convoy never arrived. Hilda and Ravio optimistically waited outside, but Zelda and I stayed inside the Temple of Time. I hadn't taken notice of the interior's beauty; the pale stone walls were lined with ivy and torches, illuminating the temple in romantic firelight. A faded red rug lay from the entrance to a large stone slab, inscribed with ancient Hylian text I couldn't read. Behind that stood a pile of bricks, some with engravings on them. The pile of bricks used to be a door, I guessed, because behind them was a large circular chamber with an empty pedestal in the center. I wondered if it once held the Master Sword like the legends told.

Doubtful, I thought. If this place ever held such a magnificent and evil-slaying artifact, then why is it in a pile of rubble? But if it ever did hold the Master Sword, where is it right now?

I lay on my side on the temple floor, my back against the wall. My arm was around Zelda's waist, who lay directly in front of me, sound asleep. I pulled her closer, the sweet aroma of her hair wafting up to my nose. I couldn't sleep; a lot was on my mind.

I just kissed Zelda… What did it mean? Is she my girlfriend now? Maybe it meant nothing, and she was just in a very vulnerable place last night.

Oh, goddesses, I hoped it meant something to her. It sure as hell meant a lot to me.

I lowered my head and rested it against Zelda's, enjoying her company. I shut my eyes and attempted to clear my mind.

Eventually, I let the crackling of the torches and Zelda's warmth lull me to sleep.

I awoke at the arrival of daylight; I figured it was approximately 0600 hours. I lifted my head and looked around, to which Zelda stirred. She turned her head to look at me, causing my heart to skip a beat. "Good morning," I hummed with a smile.

Zelda blushed and smiled nervously. "M-morning…" She propped herself up on one elbow and looked around the temple. "Where are Ravio and Hilda?"

"Last time I checked, they were outside." She nodded and looked at the floor. "Hey…" I grabbed Zelda's hand with the arm I had over her and rubbed it gently, causing her to look up at me. I took the opportunity to lean in slowly, and I kissed her lips affectionately. Heat emanated from her face and added to mine, and we sat up, not breaking away from each other. I cupped her face with one hand and deepened the kiss.

Finally. Finally, finally, finally.

I had only done it twice, but I loved kissing her. Zelda's warm lips were soft against mine, her fair skin silky against my fingertips.

After a while, our lips broke apart, and Zelda leaned her forehead against mine. She intertwined her fingers with mine and breathed softly, but as if she were out of breath. Her cheeks were bright red, and a small smile formed at the lips I had just kissed.

Yep, it meant something to her.

"Ahem."

I broke away from Zelda and looked to the source of the sound. Ravio stood in the doorway, glaring at us.

Why was he angry?

"Hilda wants to see us," Ravio said, maintaining his glare. He spun around and walked back outside the temple.

I returned my gaze to Zelda, my face red and eyes wide. She matched my expression. "Um, I guess we should…"

"Yeah," Zelda interrupted awkwardly.

I stood up and offered her my hand. She took it, and I pulled her up to her feet. We walked out of the temple and into the bright forest.

The sun beat down on the pale dirt of the clearing we were in, warming my skin. The trees and bushes were a vibrant green, the multicolored flowers and berries popping out in contrast. A small stream trickled nearby, reflecting the light in its sparkling ripples.

Hilda stood a few feet ahead of us, surveying the area. Zelda and I waited patiently in the doorway for her to speak, with Ravio separating us and Hilda. He stood a ways away, eyes at the ground. Every once in a while he'd shoot me a glare.

"The convoy had been intercepted," Hilda said in her powerful tone of voice. She turned around to face us, but looked down at the dirt as if she were shameful. "Our trackers back in Lorule have sent me a message, saying that they lost signal of the trucks. However, a soldier managed to report who was responsible for this: General Vaati."

I sighed and scratched my head. It seemed like we were fighting for a hopeless cause. And pretty soon, Ganondorf would learn of my treason and lock me up for life. I was beginning to think joining Zelda had been a mistake.

Hilda met our eyes finally. "…There were no survivors."

He killed them.

I was reminded of the evil that this kingdom was suffering from. No, joining Zelda was not a mistake. Could it be a hopeless cause? Maybe so, but that didn't mean I couldn't still fight.

Sure, the Lorulean soldiers were rebels, but that gave no excuse for murder. A just punishment would be to lock them up in prison; it's common courtesy.

Hilda turned back around. "I advise you two to return to your occupation. Your coworkers must be suspicious of your whereabouts." Hilda strode off to the path we entered in the bought before. She stopped and turned her head. "Farewell. We will meet again."

As Hilda walked along the path, Ravio turned to me and grabbed my shoulder. He brought me inside the temple and motioned for Zelda to stay outdoors.

Uh oh…

When we got inside he forcefully released my shoulder with a push. "Hey!" I protested. "Don't be acting all jealous, now!"

"Jealous? Bullshit." He walked up to me and jabbed a finger in my chest. In a low but forceful voice, he said, "Do not get involved with her. She is to be an ally, nothing more. If your little 'relationship' gets in the way of that, you could jeopardize the entire revolution. Do you understand!?" He progressively raised his voice until he yelled the last demand in my face.

I raised my chin and snarled, "I'm not to take orders from you." I straightened up my shoulders, obtaining confidence. "And your threats aren't going to stop me from being 'involved' with her."

Ravio's lip twitched into a malicious snarl. "Mind your words, rookie. You'd hate to have me as your enemy."

"I'm no rookie… So if you're so dangerous, prove me wrong," I shot back, raising my arms into the fighting positing.

I sneered at him as he took two steps back. He turned away and strode out of the temple, muttering, "Heed my warnings, Ordonia."

"Coward," I murmured under my breath.

After my doppelganger left, Zelda poked her head in from around the corner of the doorway, her expression worried. "L-Link? …Are you okay?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine." I joined Zelda at the temple entrance, and I grabbed her hand, intertwining our fingers. "Hilda's right; we should get back. It's nearly 0700."

Zelda's eyes lingered on our connected hands, her cheeks tinted pink. Then she met my eyes and nodded. "Okay."

Our walk from the temple was pleasant. The sun was warm and the scenery was beautiful, not to mention the beautiful girl I was walking with. At first Zelda nervously engaged in small talk, but eventually she warmed up to me and walked as close to me as possible.

It was 0720 hours when we exited the forest, and we had to take a wide turn, straying from the path that led to the toll booth on the borderline between provinces. It was broad daylight; we'd have to be extra careful to avoid being spotted sneaking over the province border.

A rickety fence cut off a Castle Town alley from the Faron Province, and it stood between two small businesses. I helped Zelda hop over it, and once she was on the other side, I leapt over it myself. We exited the alley, and continued down Skulltula Street toward the Zantland skyscraper looming in the distance.


0857 HOURS.

HBI HEADQUARTERS, CASTLE TOWN.

64 DEGREES INSIDE.

We got into the agency three minutes early. The room was empty, dark. As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, automatic lights flickered on. I looked at Zelda with a smile. She was blushing madly; I couldn't figure out why.

And then it hit me: we were alone.

I smiled again, and heat rose to my cheeks. I walked up to Zelda and wrapped my arms around her waist. She wrapped hers around my neck, and I slowly leaned in. I pressed my lips against hers, the warmth lulling me into a trance.

Zelda pulled away, her eyelids barely apart. "Wait…"

I looked questionably at her, disappointed about the interruption.

"Before they come, we should keep this… a secret."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

Flustered, Zelda quickly backpedaled. "Not that I'm embarrassed, of course!" I sighed with a light chuckle. "It's just… If we ever become their enemies, I don't want them to use one of us against each other."

I smiled. "That's smart. Okay, I'm in."

Her blush increased as a thought came over her. "But before then," she said softly, "we can continue."

I grinned and leaned in, kissing her soft lips once again. I poured as much affection and passion I could into this kiss, since we wouldn't be able to again until the end of our shift. She reciprocated, pulling my body closer to hers. I stroked her hair and held her waist tighter.

The ding of the elevator interrupted our kiss. Damn, I thought, it's already been three minutes?

I pulled away from Zelda and bolted to my desk, Zelda doing the same. In strode Groose, wearing his dark shades with a spring in his step. Chipper, as always. He wore an arrogant sneer that made me want to sock him right in the jaw. While removing the sunglasses from his eyes, Groose smoothed back his fiery pompadour with his free hand. "What's been going on in here?"

I turned to look at Zelda, who was blushing madly. I found it adorable, but now wasn't the moment to drool over her. That was Groose's moment, apparently, because he strode over to her and leaned his arms on her desk. She backed up in her chair and shot me a nervous glance.

"Might I say, you look beautiful." Groose snickered, towering over her. "Just like always," he added with a wink.

"…Um, thanks," Zelda said, annoyed. I could tell she was used to guys drooling over her; probably something she often got back at the orphanage.

"Any time. Oh! I just remembered!" He whipped out two slips of paper.

"You didn't just remember," I muttered under my breath; surely he had planned this. A deep anger welled within my soul, and I fought to subdue it. Was Groose going to ask her out? Truthfully, I couldn't blame Groose; after all he thought that she was fair game. He didn't know we were together now. But still, the anger was present, and showed no signs of going away as Groose kept hitting on Zelda.

"I've got two tickets to the Indigo-Go's concert. You in?"

Ah, hell no!

The Indigo-Go's were a very popular band made up of Zoras, often holding their concerts beside Lake Hylia. Their concerts were hot spots for dates, and sometimes when they weren't "rocking out" the Indigo-Go's would play their romantic songs.

"Uh, no," she rebuffed. Quickly, as if she had forgotten, Zelda added, "Sorry."

How brutal.

Groose, eyes wide in disbelief, shook his head madly. "Wait, wait, wait, what!? No!? You serious right now!?" Zelda simply nodded.

I chucked to myself and turned back to my desk.

Groose turned to me and glared furiously. "And what're you laughing about, Ordonia!? I'd like to see you score someone like Zelda!"

This time Zelda laughed, but not as quietly as I had. I joined her, and we began laughing uncontrollably. Groose whipped his head back and forth between us, face bright red in anger, nostrils flaring. "Screw this! I'm going home!"

He stormed off toward the elevator, which slid open with a ding at his arrival. Fledge and Pipit were inside, but Groose barged in and shoved the two boys out of the way. The elevator shut, and Groose was gone.

"What's got his pompadour in a ruffle?" Pipit asked, sticking a thumb in the direction of the elevator.

"He just got rejected," I said bluntly, a smile forming at my lips.

Zelda giggled. "Out of all the guys I had denied, his reaction was the funniest." She then sighed, the smile dropping. "But still, I feel kinda bad."

"Goddesses, don't," said Fledge, rubbing the back of his green hair. "He got what he deserved."

I nodded. "Yeah," I spun around in my chair to look at Zelda, "he's always been an arrogant jerk."

Zelda shrugged, offering me a cute smile. I smiled back.

"Speaking of rejections…" said Fledge, "Malon isn't coming in today." He looked accusingly at me, and I dropped my gaze to my lap.

I sighed, putting my hands to my face. "I'm sorry, okay? I never realized she liked me, and I never felt the same."

"Liked you?" questioned Pipit with air quotes. "Dude, she was in love with you."

"What!?" I exclaimed, as did Zelda.

Pipit's eyes lingered on Zelda, due to her outburst, for a moment, confused. Then he returned his gaze to me. "Yes. She loved you. Nothing less."

I returned my hands to my face, sighing. "I… can't believe it."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, she's heartbroken," Pipit said, patting my shoulder.

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"I've been trying my best to convince her to come back to work, but she won't," Fledge said sadly.

I felt awful; but what else could I have done? I couldn't say yes! I liked Zelda, not Malon.

After the uncomfortable conversation had ended, we returned to work. Pipit stood by the windows and addressed us, holding his laptop on his palm with one hand. "Now," he began, clicking on something we couldn't see, "I just sent you all General Vaati's orders."

A window popped up on my laptop screen. The text read:

TWO ROGUE LORULEANS, AIDED BY TWO UNIDENTIFIED HYLIANS.

SIGHTED IN ELDIN, FARON, AND CASTLE TOWN PROVINCES.

YOU HAVE AUTHORIZATION TO USE FORCE,

AS ORDERED BY GENERAL VAATI.

So, I thought, Vaati is trying to keep our treason hidden from everyone. After all, what would happen if the public found out that two HBI agents have gone rogue? Maybe he just sent this message as a way to scare us.

I turned around in my seat to look at Zelda, who had turned sickly pale. Her eyes met mine, her expression worried, fearful.

"These rogues," said Pipit, "have been a thorn in our side for far too long. General Vaati said he knew where their next target was: right here in Castle Town. Don't ask me why; he didn't offer an explanation. So, with that being said, Fledge and I will assemble soldiers along the perimeter of the province. This will prove to be difficult; as a result crime will rise inside the border."

"So what will we do?" I asked, motioning to Zelda.

Pipit rubbed his chin. "You two have been requested elsewhere. It was Mr. Zant, if I recall."

Damn.

I had an appointment with one of Ganondorf's generals.

My time was running out.


1010 HOURS.

GENERAL ZANT'S OFFICE, ZANTLAND, CASTLE TOWN.

65 DEGREES INSIDE.

There I was, in the twenty-second floor of the largest corporation in Hyrule. Next to me sat Zelda, the most beautiful girl in Hyrule, but sitting next to her didn't comfort me. No, because I was sitting across from the richest and one of the most dangerous (aside from King Ganondorf) guys in Hyrule: Mr. (a.k.a. "General") Zant.

I had never met with him in person before, aside from that time he contacted me with a hologram, and frankly, I never wanted to.

The Twili was a blue-skinned creature, his eyes bright yellow with no pupils and his mouth a tiny line on his long face. His nose didn't extend from his face; it merely lay there like a squished cucumber. The back of his head was covered by brown, maybe bronze, rings of some sort, which also made up his neck. A large, black robe with intricate green patterns was adorned by the general, a typical style among royal Twili. The sleeves covered his arms, and I couldn't see his hands. Tassels hung from the sleeves, dancing every time he moved his arms. The obsidian helmet sat on the edge of his desk, with intricate carvings etching out eyes and a long, curling tongue where the mouth would be.

Zant sat with his arms laying on the table in front of him, staring at me with those large but beady eyes. "So!" he squeaked in a high, raspy voice. "Agent Link, I assume you and your… partner here are familiar with my position, much unlike your fellow agents."

I nodded, unable to find my voice.

"Yes, I am a general." He paused, twitching oddly. "Who informed you of this?"

"Sheik," I said quietly.

"Ah, the elusive Sheikah…" Zant grumbled and grabbed at his head. "I must ask you that you do not pass on this information to your coworkers. I prefer to act 'undercover,' if you will."

I nodded. "Understood."

"Now…" Zant's eyes widened. "Let us get to the more important issue."

Oh, goddesses. Here come the soldiers to take us away.

Somehow I found Zelda's hand and took it, our joined hands obscured from the Twili's view. I rubbed it reassuringly and kept my eyes on Zant.

"General Ghirahim and General Vaati have always hated the prodigies. They feel that they are given too much power, and they themselves feel challenged."

We're only seventeen, I protested in my thoughts.

"That is why I do not find their claims to be truthful; their claims being that you stole the relics, which they had been trusted by the king to carry. Nay, I disagree!" Zant's tiny line of a mouth twitched into a miniscule smile. "I'm on your side here; clearly it was the Loruleans…"

Whoa, am I in the clear?

Zant's tiny smile dropped to a similarly-sized frown. "Those wretched Loruleans…" he muttered angrily. He then resumed his previous mood. "But, I must ask you… why were you present in the same provinces as they had been, at the same time?"

I grew pale and spat out the first excuse that came to mind. "We were tracking them. I know we didn't have the orders, but we wanted to catch these two as quickly as possible."

Zant leaned back in his chair, his yellow eyes darting from me to Zelda, who shifted uneasily in her seat. He returned his gaze to me, saying, "How honorable. Trying to get a little extra credit, I suppose."

I nodded, putting on a tiny, fake smile. My eyes wandered to the area behind Zant's tall, throne-like chair, and I saw a large safe with a keypad on it.

Two beeps sounding behind us alerted Zant's attention. "Ah! I am being summoned." And with that, Zant exited his office, leaving me and Zelda inside.

I was about to leave when Zelda grabbed my arm. I looked at her, and she pointed at the large window. Four glowing round objects attached Ravio's hands and feet to the glass. Ravio looked at me through the blue eyes of his bunny hood, then lurched his head forward at the glass. The white tooth dug into the window, cutting as if it were a razorblade. Once a decent-sized hole was cut out, Ravio stuck his arm through it and pressed a button on his round gadget, and red lasers were deployed, curving back towards the window. They moved in a circular motion, cutting a much larger hole for Ravio to fit through. He kicked in the circle of glass and hopped into Zant's office.

"Ravio!?" Zelda exclaimed.

Ravio smiled at Zelda, then looked at me. "Link," he said with a humored grin, "this will be your final mission before you join us."

"What the hell are you doing!?" I yelled. "When Zant sees this damage, he'll know that we were the culprits!"

"He will know you're the culprits when he finds the Triforce shard missing."

Shit. This would be my final mission as a double agent. From then on I'd be Lorulean. If only I could've done more!

"Check the safe. He must be hiding it in there." Ravio darted to the safe and studied the keypad, its keys glowing green. Above it was a round black object, most likely a scanner. "No need for this." He took the purple gadgets off from his foot and stuck them to the surface of the safe.

"What are those things?" Zelda asked.

"My own personal invention. I call it the hyper grapple. It does a lot more than just grappling. Exhibit A…" He motioned to the gadgets, backing up. They fell to the ground, leaving nothing but a black mark where they had been. "Damn! The safe is too strong…"

The doors to Zant's office were blocked off by an iron fence. An alarm sounded. The room flashed red.

"You set off the alarm!" I yelled, pushing Ravio out of the way.

"Link!" Zelda called. "Zant left his helmet!"

I turned around, and sure enough, there was Zant's helmet, lying on the table. I picked it up, and it was surprisingly heavy; I wondered how Zant carried that on his shoulders all day. I brought the helmet over to the scanner above the keypad and lifted it upward, showing the "face" to the scanner. A green light flashed and scanned up and down.

A monotonous voice said, "Access granted."

A deep rumbling emerged from within the safe, and we backed up. It swung open, and… it was empty.

The iron gate lifted. Soldiers poured in through the door, blasters drawn, all in their bulletproof uniforms. They pointed their guns at us.

I didn't think. I grabbed Zelda's hand, clinging to my FiPhone with the other, and ran to the window. When we got to it I hugged Zelda to me, and I jumped backwards, throwing my body against the glass. It shattered, and we were free falling through the skies of Castle Town, with lasers being fired toward us, eventually dissipating into nothingness due to the distance. I shouted out a command to my phone, praying to the goddesses that it'd work. Zelda was trembling, clinging to me with tears in her eyes. But she trusted me.

I just needed to trust myself.

"Teleport!" I screamed to my phone over the sound of the rushing wind.

The next thing I knew, Zelda and I landed softly on the sidewalk. Her hands clung to my tunic, and she retracted her head from my shoulder, eyes wide in horror. I looked up for a split second at the skyscraper above me, then back at Zelda. "We have to go!" I said, grabbing her hand.

We started down the street, but we stopped suddenly. Ravio landed hard on the ground, on one knee. The pavement caved in where he landed, and he grimaced. He stood up with a grunt and lifted up the hyper grapples. "They're… ugh... shock absorbers too."

I led Zelda down the road, sprinting at full speed. Ravio followed close behind with a slight limp. I darted in between the many pedestrians, shoving some out of the way. I stole a glance behind me, and I saw Ravio shoving through the crowds. But behind him, files of soldiers dashed after us in pursuit.

Soon we passed the Anju Apartments building. I looked inside the window at the lobby, seeing Kafei the bellhop staring at me in horror. Behind him stood a tall figure whom I couldn't name.

Increasing my speed, I carried on through the street. Zelda kept looking backward, and eventually she yelped.

"Ordonia!"

Before I could look back my back was slammed into by a huge oaf. I fell to the ground and tasted blood in my mouth. My FiPhone skidded across the sidewalk in the direction I was walking. I craned my neck to look at the guy who trampled me.

Groose.

"Link!" Zelda shrieked.

Ravio nearly passed by me. Then he stopped and looked back, noticing me on the ground underneath Groose, with tons of soldiers nearly upon us.

Groose looked up from holding me on the ground, right at Zelda. He looked back at the pursuing soldiers, then back at Zelda. "Go, Zelda! Save yourself!"

A tear ran down Zelda's cheek. "No! Let him go!"

Ravio snatched up my phone from the sidewalk, then grabbed Zelda's arm. "Let's go, girlie."

"No! No, I won't--"

Ravio dragged her away to the south, in the direction of Lorule.

That's all I remembered before the Hylian soldiers dragged me away.

My time had run out.


To be continued.

Until then, Review, Follow, Favorite, eat sausage, do whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it's legal.

~SausageLink43