Link's POV
Link's eyes felt so heavy, like a brick that weighs 1000 tons. He struggled to open them, and he only managed to barely crack one open before it shut on its own again.

Stupid eyelids he thought to himself as he tried again. The searing pain from his ankle that he had felt before had slowly subsided into a more durable state, but his eyelids completely refused to open .
Finally after many awkward moments of struggle, Link gave up trying to open his eyelids and instead just decided to listen to the world around him. He felt something or more preferablysomeone stir next to him and it alerted him for a quick second. He tried to speak but found that no sound would come out of his throat.

A loud bang on the door startled Link and the person next to him, prompting the person to move off the bed and towards the door. Link heard light footsteps and the door creak open ever so slightly and gently. "Stop all of your banging Brandon, you'll wake Link up!" he heard Zelda whisper to him.

"Zelda this is ridiculous, he's been sleeping long enough. Let me in." Brandon insisted. Link heard Zelda sigh and step out of the house to talk to Brandon alone, closing the door in the process. All Link could hear from that point forward was a bunch of muffled voices and a loud gasp followed by a loud smack.
Zelda entered a few seconds after and Brandon was right behind her.

At this point. Link's eyelids finally opened and he welcomed in the sweet light he had missed for so long, but only for a second. He saw Brandon grab Zelda by the waist and yank her towards him, forcing her to kiss him for the very first time. Link watched on with a twinge of jealousy developing in his heart, secretly wishing that he could stand up and punch Brandon in the face. He slightly laughed a bit when he saw Zelda pull away and slap him square across the face.

Brandon apologized and tried to make amends, but by this point, Zelda was fuming. She kicked him out without any hesitation and it left Link to wonder what they had talked about outside.

Zelda returned to Link's bedside and smiled when she saw that he was awake. "Hey Link, I'm glad you're not dead." she joked as she bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Zzellddaaaa." Link managed to whisper as he gazed into her eyes. "What is it, Link? Are you hungry? Do you need to take a nap? Would you like some water?" she said as she offered his glass of water to him.

Link raised one of his arms up and even though it felt like lead, he had to push through. He raised his arm up and gently grabbed Zelda's wrist, catching her off guard as she fell on the bed and into his arms.

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "I want you." he whispered against her neck, causing shivers down her spine.

Zelda knew that she needed to get some things done, but a couple more minutes with him wouldn't hurt. She relaxed under his touch and gently closed her eyes to take a light nap.

Her nap turned out to be way longer than she planned it to be. When she did wake up, she had to distangle herself from Link's arms gently without waking him. When she was done doing that, she changed into a different outfit, a lighter dress that would make traveling much easier, and quietly slipped out of his home.

Zelda's POV

Zelda swiftly jumped off the little ledge that lead into Link's home and headed towards Fado's home to ask him a favor. She gently knocked on his door and he sharply opened it, wearing nothing but his boxers. "Whaddaya want?" he asked her, obviously still half asleep from taking a very large nap.

"Hello sir, I understand that you are one of Link's closest friends, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to help him? He's injured and I need you to look after him while I'm away doing some errands. It'll only be for a little while, but would you mind? I can't leave him alone, he can't even stand up to go to the bathroom!"

"Well of course I'd be willing to help Link, after all he has done more favors for me than I could've ever wished for. Might I ask, who are you?" Fado asked.

Zelda slightly stood up a bit taller and slightly smiled. "My name is Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. Currently, Hyrule has run into some trouble, so Link is helping me solve the mystery of the evil threat that lurks about. He is my best friend, and he has always been there for me, so now it's my turn to repay him."

"THE Princess Zelda? Oh my goodness, where are my manners? My name is Fado, at your service my lady. I would be more than happy to assist you and watch Link for the day." Fado said as he bowed respectfully in front of her. He looked down and blushed as he realized what little clothing he was wearing and suggested to Zelda that he should get ready before departing. He gently closed the door and got dressed before coming out again and walking with her to Link's house.

"Now make sure he gets his water, because he likes to act like he's manly and he doesn't need it. And make sure to never let him stand up, because he may think he's cured enough to support his own weight but he's nowhere near being almost cured. Change his cast every three hours or else his ankle could get infected, and make sure to keep him company and entertain him because he will get bored. It's boring just laying there and doing nothing, so try to find ways to entertain him." Zelda instructed as she unlocked the door that lead into his home.

When Fado saw the state Link was in, he slightly turned pale and he looked really worried. He walked over to Link's bed and watched him sleep peacefully. "He looks so peaceful when he's asleep." Fado said out loud. Zelda held a finger to her lips and whispered in his ear "Don't wake Link up, let him wake up on his own. Be as quiet as you can and try not to make any noise. He's a light sleeper. Also, I'll give you this necklace so that we may communicate if you or I run into any trouble. It'll flash red if I'm in danger, and that way you will be alerted to seek help immediately."

Fado nodded and put the necklace around his neck while Zelda took her leave. She walked out of Ordon Village and into Faron Woods, continuing the tasks she had to complete by the end of the day.

Link's POV
Link woke up a couple of hours later with a slight crink in his neck. "Where am I?" he asked the shadow in the corner. The person moved and sighed, slightly snoring lightly. "Hello? Zelda, are you there?"

Fado opened his eyes and looked around after Link asked that question. He slightly laughed when he heard the question and he approached Link with a bright smile. "No Link, it's not Zelda. It's your best friend Fado! How have you been, buddy?"

"Well honestly, it's been kind of rough these past few days, but at least I got my instrument back from Grythan." Link's eyes widened as he revealed something he shouldn't of had.

"Who's Grythan?" Fado asked, curious to know what Link was talking about. "Oh, uh, just an old friend of mine, heh. He had something of mine so I asked for it back and he gave it back to me." Link lied straight through his teeth.

"You're lying Link, I can see it in your eyes. If you don't tell me the truth, I'll just get it from Princess Zelda." Fado warned him.

"What makes you think she would know? It's not like she's my girlfriend or anything, I don't tell hereverything that goes on in my life." Link snapped.

Fado sighed and slightly glanced away for a second."But she is your best friend, or at least that's what she told me. Maybe she was wrong, maybe you two don't have that close of a relationship. But that's besides the point, she knows you better than anyone else and I'm sure she knows the secrets you're trying to hide from me."

"I'm sorry Fado, I shouldn't of had snapped at you. I'm just a bit angry that she left me, I wanted her to stay and make me feel better. It's not that I don't enjoy your company, I do, it's just that her company is a bit more... she understands...you're not exactly... oh, I give up, I don't know how to exactly say it."

"It just that you're in love with her and you don't know how to admit it to her but you still adore her company more than anyone else's company anyway?" Fado stated, looking directly at Link. Link slightly blushed and looked away, not exactly knowing what to say. "How in the world did you know that?" he awkwardly asked, fiddling with his hands.

"My boy, I too know what it's like to be totally in love. But if you don't face your fears and tell her soon, you'll be stuck in the dreaded friend-zone forever." Fado advised.

"I'd hate to interrupt your little fantasy but there is no time for hand-holding and little cute romantic gestures. In case you didn't know, Hyrule is being under attack and there is much at stake here. I would rather save Zelda's life and be stuck in the friend zone forever than risk her life while having a romantic relationship. The sooner I heal the better, because then I can aid them in defeating the most notoriously evil villains this kingdom has ever seen." Link responded.

"Ah, but did you ever stop and think about your own heart? True you're in a hurry to save the kingdom, but what good will that do if you don't even know your own heart? Now I want you to reach down in that big heroic heart of yours and ask yourself what really matters here: Zelda, or Hyrule?"

"They both matter! I mean, Hyrule is important to Zelda, and it's important to me too! This is my home, this is the place where I belong, and I'm not about to let it fall under the hands of Phantom and Gan- I mean, the evil villains that threaten us. The fate of Hyrule rests in my hands as well as Zelda's hands and I'm not about to let it slip through my fingers."

"Wow, that was spoken like a true knight. I see, so you care for both the kingdom and Zelda equally?" he asked, looking down at his necklace and watching it flash red with worry. "So then, what would you say if I told you that Zelda was in grave danger?" Fado asked with worry.

"WHAT?!" Link roared. "How in the world would you know if she were in danger?" he asked, very confused.

"Well, right before she left she gave me this necklace that allows us to communicate, and she said that when it flashes red, that means she is in danger. Right now it's flashing red, so that can only mean one thing. Your lady is in dire need of saving, but you're not healthy enough to go. This is very bad." Fado explained.

"Well, maybe- suddenly, Link was interrupted by the necklace, which was emitting a weird sound that sounded like halfway between a scream and a gasp. "Fado!" he heard a woman's voice exclaim, and then it went away for a brief second before returning back- "Fado, I've run into a bit of trouble, some pesky moblins decided to show up and fight me so I've sent the mailman to give you what I picked up for Link in Kakariko. Just apply it to his ankle and he should be fully cured within the hour. It's a really rare medicine that only the shaman Renado knows how to make, so please try not to spill it. I'll be fine, I've just got to take care of these moblins and I'll be back soon from my errands so don't worry about me. I've got a good weapon to defend myself so I'm not any damsel in distress." Zelda joked.

"Alright Zelda, take care and good luck defeating the Moblins." Fado responded. The necklace's glowing light slowly faded out until it looked like a normal necklace again, and Fado turned his attention to the loud knock at the door.

The mailman stood at the door with a red bottle in his hand. He made that weird little noise he always does when making a delivery and handed Fado the capsule before turning around and running off. Fado returned back inside and immediately started tending to Link's wound.

He unwrapped the bandages and dabbed Link's ankle with a cool wet towel before applying the medicine to the wound. Link howled in pain as the medicine made it feel worse, but only for a quick second as it adjusted to being healed rather quickly. Within the next five minutes, Link could move his foot without major pain and he could even sit up a bit more.

Fado checked the time and realized that he had forgotten to close the gate before heading to his house last night. He had let his goats stay out for the night, and he realized that now they could be anywhere. His eyes widened at this, and he wanted to go rescue them, but he couldn't leave Link alone to fend for himself.

Just as he was debating to stay and wait for Zelda, another knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. When he opened the door, he came face to face with Brandon, who stormed past him and right to Link.

Link instinctively sat up a bit more and glared at Brandon with the biggest glare he had ever made in his entire life. "What do you want?" he rudely snapped at him, ready to defend himself against Brandon's snarky atitude at any second.

"Look, I'm not here to fight with you, I'm here to assist you. Zelda sent me because she has a couple more errands to run and she didn't want Fado to be stuck with you all day, so she sent me to help. I know we aren't the closest of friends, but would it kill you to be nice to me once in a while?" Brandon sighed.

"Sure, I'll be nice to you, when you stop casually flirting with Zelda and trying to sabotage our relationship." Link rudely growled in response.

Brandon snorted. "What relationship? You two are as close as they get to being strictly friends. Besides, I'm well aware that you don't have the time to commit to a relationship right now because of a certain threat to Hyrule."

Link stiffened back up and looked directly into Brandon's eyes. "Is that a challenge? Fine, I'll go back on what I said earlier, Fado. When Zelda returns I will confess my love and we will have a perfectly healthy relationship while also kicking some butt. I'll show you."

"Psh, what makes you think she'd accept your confession? Remember how she coldly rejected me earlier? She's not right in the mind." Brandon sneered.

"Um, guys? I'd hate to interrupt your little argument here but the necklace is flashing red again." Fado interrupted.

"Fado? Hey, it's Zelda again. I'm not actually in trouble, but I'm just letting you know that I'm on my way back. Tell Brandon he can leave now, and tell Link that I'm bringing a special visitor for him to visit with. That is all." Zelda said.

"Well, you heard the princess! Leave, Brandon. Fado, you can stay for as long as you'd like." Link offered.

"Oh no, I have to go rescue my goats because I accidentally left the gate open and they could be anywhere by now. See you later, Link!" Fado waved as he exited the house.

Zelda's POV
Zelda surprisingly had a very busy day after she had left Link's house. She visited Renado for the medicine, slayed the moblins who were bugging her to no end, and explored Castle Town to try and see if she could find out any secrets about Phantom and Ganondorf.

While she was in Castle Town, she happened to accidently run into a handsome stranger whom was admiring the happy villagers sing and dance. She apologized and continued on her way to Telma's bar, but not before the stranger could stop her. "Excuse me fair lady, but may I ask what your name is?" he politely asked, bowing respectfully in front of her with a small smile spread across his face.

"My name is Princess Zelda, ruler of Hyrule. Why, do I know you from somewhere?" she questioned. "Oh no, I am a prince visiting from a nearby kingdom and I'm here to aid you in your quest of defeating Ganondorf and Phantom."

Zelda's eyes widened as she stared at the stranger, he sure seemed to know a lot about Hyrule's distaster. "Well I would be honored to have you assist me, we need all the help we can get. There is one thing I must ask before we continue though, how did you know about this?"

"My dear princess, out where I live, everyone knows about Hyrule because we all love the kingdom as much as you do. Now I understand that there is a hero that aids you when Hyrule is in danger, where is that green cloaked boy?" the prince asked.

"Oh, Link? He's at his home in Ordon Village resting from a nasty fight he had to deal with earlier. Would you like to visit him? I'm about to go back and if you'd like to join me, you're certainly welcomed to."

"I would be honored." the prince responded, smiling brightly. "By the way, I never quite got your name, my good sir. What is it?" Zelda asked curiously.

"Oh my goodness, where are my manners? My name is Prince George, ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Arerama at your service, my dear lady." Prince George bowed.

Zelda giggled slightly and started to walk towards Hyrule Field with him. "You don't have to be so formal, this isn't a fancy event or anything. Just call me Zelda. I'm sure Link would be glad to see you, he hasn't had much company all day!"

When they arrived at Link's house, Zelda signaled to Prince George to wait outside for a moment before she stepped into Link's home. Link was standing up in the corner admiring a pictures of him and Zelda when the girl in question came through the door. He spun around and slightly smiled when he saw her, but the look on her face made him immediately regret his decision to stand up and get out of bed.

"Link, what in the name of Hyrule are you doing? You cant just spring up after you've had a bad blow to the ankle, get your little behind back in bed before it gets any worse!" Zelda exclaimed, walking over to him and making sure he got back in the bed first before continuing.

"Anyway, there's someone here to see you. He's a prince from a nearby kingdom and he has come to aid us in defeating Phantom and Ganondorf! Isn't that wonderful news?" Zelda asked, hopeful that Link would be cheerful about it.

"A prince you say? Hmm, sounds interesting. We need all the help we can get, so this is good news. What I don't understand though is why I can't stand up yet. Isn't the expensive medicine supposed to completely heal my wound?" Link questioned.

"Well yes it is, but it takes a full day to completely heal it. It takes an hour to make the pain go away, but you don't want to risk getting it infected or hurting it again before it has the chance to heal completely. Anyway, Prince George is right outside, I'll go get him and introduce him to you. Be right back." Zelda stated as she slipped back outside.

A couple of seconds later, she came back inside with an extremely handsome stranger by her side. "Link, I'd like you to meet Prince George. Prince George, this is Link, the savior of Hyrule."

Prince George shook Link's hand and smiled brightly at him, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hello sir, my name is Prince George and I am delighted to meet your acquaintance." he formally said. "The pleasures all mine." Link responded back with a fake smile as well. Zelda watched as the two secretly tried to size each other up, and the atmosphere suddenly became very heated.

"So Princess Zelda, may I ask what you plan to do to defeat Phantom and Ganondorf?" Prince George casually asked, never once adverting his stare from Link. "Well, not exactly, but we discovered these mysterious instruments that somehow link to something that will aid us in our quest to defeat them. And I know a bit about Ganondorf's past and how he came to be a villain, so I'm working on summoning his mother from the dead and asking her to convince him not to fight against us."

"That's a good plan. What about you, Link?" "Well, while Zelda's gone to do that, I'm going to figure out the mystery behind these instruments and see what they can do when combined. We'll have to call Midna and Brandon back so that we can all play together, but for now I just want to relax."

"Well, I should probably head back then, I'm going to alert my army about this and we'll aid you for as long as you need us, Princess Zelda." Prince George respectfully bowed once more before exiting the place.

"Wait! Let me escort you home, good sir. Besides, it's probably a little ways back and I'm sure you could use some company." Zelda convinced Prince George. "Alright, but do you have a steed to ride on?" Prince George asked. "I'm rather tired and I don't feel like walking back.

"Well of course, we can use Epona." Zelda said as she walked over to Link's horse, who was currently grazing happily on the grass. "Hey Epona, would you mind giving my friend and I here a lift?" Zelda sweetly asked the horse. Epona neighed in response and Zelda took that as a yes.

Zelda mounted on Epona and then helped Prince George mount up as well. They cantered through Faron Woods and into Hyrule Field to get to his kingdom, but they were abruptly stopped by a mysterious person on an evil looking horse.

Epona reared up and tried to race back to Link's home, but the phantom stallion was too fast for her. He caught up to her in mere seconds, giving the man plenty of time to snatch Zelda off of Epona's back and ride towards the castle. Zelda put up quite the fight, she kicked out and tried to beat the man up but he was too strong for her. He firmly grasped an arm around her waist and used the other hand to cover her mouth. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered "Looks like you're finally mine, sweetheart. I can't wait to use you and turn you against your own little friends to ensure our victory." Zelda shivered at the thought, how could he turn her against her own friends? She would never fall for his tricks! She squirmed and tried to distangle herself from his grip, but ended up failing miserably. She prayed to the goddesses that Link wouldn't get captured as well. That's the last thought she had before he took out a bottle and sprayed her with sleeping gas. Within seconds, Zelda went limp in his arms, and she was fast asleep.

Epona let out a scared cry as she tried to catch up to the mysterious man, but his steed was much too quick for her. Prince George realized this, and he tried to get Epona to go faster, but there was no way they would catch him. So instead, Epona turned around and raced back to Link's home with Prince George cursing under his breath that he would get his revenge.

Prince George jumped off Epona when the house came in sight, climbed up the ladder as fast as he could, and bursted the door open. He came over to Link's beside to deliver the bad news, which he was extremely reluctant to do.

"Link, I have some terrible news. Zelda was kidnapped by Phantom, and I have no idea why he did it but I overheard him say something about turning her against her own friends. This is really bad, we need Zelda on our side to help aid us in defeating them! What are we going to do?" Prince George asked as his voice slightly faltered. Link could see the worry in his eyes and he realized that he wasn't lying.

Complete shock and horror soon found themselves written across Link's face as he tried to take in what he was just told. He looked completely terrified, which was perfectly understandable considering the fact that Phantom and Ganondorf could easily overpower a small thing like Zelda.

And it was in that moment of complete shock that Link decided his confession of love would have to wait. For if they were to be successful in defeating Phantom and Ganondorf once and for all, they had to rescue Zelda from complete disaster before it became too late.