"Keep your defenses up! Stay alert!" Rauru barked, hurling several fireballs at Zelda with unnerving accuracy.

She spun on her heel, gathering the necessary magic to cast the teleportation spell Farore's Wind. With a pop, she vanished and reappeared directly behind Rauru, successfully evading the latter's attack. He reacted unbelievably fast, turning to face her before she had even begun to get her footing.

Trying desperately to stay on even ground with the sage, she conjured a hasty Din's Fire onto the old man. The small orb of fire in her hand seemed pitiful in size compared to Rauru's, but she shot it anyways, hoping at least for a distraction.

The fiery marble flew through the air at a dizzying speed, impacting violently with Rauru. There was a cloud of smoke as he was completely enveloped by the spell, and hot flames licked the floor of the Inner Sanctum. For one heart-stopping moment, Zelda caught her breath, afraid that she might have accidentally killed him.

"After three weeks of training, I would have thought that you'd have known me a bit better," the old man chuckled from somewhere within the smoke cloud. The wisps of dust cleared, leaving Rauru standing and completely unscathed. A semi-transparent globe of blue surrounded him, completely shielding him from harm. That wily little…

"Let's see how well you've learned to cast Nayru's Love," he said, raising his hands ominously. Zelda felt her Triforce burn in stress as she quickly attempted to shield herself from the incoming attack. She was exhausted, and felt that her stamina for spell casting was running dangerously low.

A small blue orb flickered to life in front of her, shimmering erratically compared to Rauru's own solid enchantment. It would have to do. She screwed her eyes shut as the sage's attack slammed into the shield, jarring her body uncomfortably. She strained to keep the barrier alive, trying to feed it more energy even as her Triforce protested.

The air around her was growing extremely hot, and even through her closed eyelids all she could see was red light. She felt herself physically pushed back by the force of Rauru's spell, her feet sliding roughly over the Inner Sanctum's stone floor. Any second now, she'd lose control of the spell and be engulfed in flames…

An audible crack, and a sudden lick of heat. Zelda felt all the concentration desert her mind, only to be replaced by a feeling of utter panic. She gasped, only inhaling dry air, then screamed as another burning tongue of fire grazed her. The shield collapsed, as terror overwhelmed her, and the hungry flames rushed in to consume her.

She didn't know how she had fallen to the ground, only knew that any second she would die. And she was so tired, so worn out from all the training, maybe death would be a welcome respite… She waited, and waited, eyes closed tightly, waiting for the inevitable searing heat to overcome her. She waited, and a second trickled by. She opened her eyes cautiously.

Rauru was standing over her, a concerned expression brushing his features. The flames and heat were completely gone, leaving no evidence of their existence but for the burn marks on the Sanctum floor. She tried to sit up, but her muscles groaned painfully in protest. Giving in, she lay back down on the floor, taking deep gasps of the room's stale air.

A different man would have at least asked her if she was alright. Not Rauru. He was a strict disciplinarian, as Zelda had learned painfully. Kind, and wise, but as unforgiving and rigid as the Great Deku Tree itself.

"I knew that you were at the breaking point, and so I ended my spell prematurely," he rattled off, still standing over her. "You were never in any real danger, despite how… deadly it may have seemed."

"I know," she muttered, not really caring. Of course, something in the back of her mind always reminded her that Rauru had enough control over his magic to prevent unintentional harm. But she could never shake off the nagging worry that eventually one of their "training sessions" would go horribly wrong.

It didn't help her morale that Rauru had soundly defeated her every time. Each day she felt completely burned out, muscles screaming in agony as she forced herself to practice the monotonous routine of memorizing and casting magic. And that was the restful part of her training, too. The magical duels against Rauru were absolutely devastating.

"I know that you hate doing this," Rauru said sympathetically, "But fighting against me is the best way to simulate the real thing. Not to mention, it builds endurance and helps build familiarity with your magical repertoire-,"

"I know, Rauru," she groaned, closing her eyes. "I know, I know." He had told her this so many times before. The truth was, she didn't really care anymore. She was always moving in an exhausted daze, as if half of her mind was asleep, going through the motions like a re-dead. "Just… let me rest for a moment, please?"

"I think we can call it a day," he said. "We've been practicing for nearly thirteen hours of real-time, and keeping time stopped is severely taxing my magical abilities." She snorted at that. If anything, their little duel had proven that the sage was packing a lot more power than he let on.

Faintly, she heard him chant the counter-incantation that would end the time-stop spell. She felt the eerie chill leave her bones as time was restored to the world, and everything began to flow normally once more. Warmth spread back into her body, and Zelda sighed in contentment as she simply rested on the floor, easing her weary joints for several blessed seconds.

"It's close to midnight," Rauru said, from somewhere above her. "I suggest you head back to your dormitory and get some rest."

"Not now," she mumbled thickly, feeling completely numb from exhaustion. "I'm trying to sleep here."

He chuckled. "You're doing well, Zelda. Only about a month of these lessons left, and then you can have a week to rest yourself before… well, you know."

She groaned aloud. Damn. An entire month? How, in the name of the Goddesses, was she going to survive this ordeal?

"Look on the bright side," Rauru said. "Only four weeks to go."

Zelda grit her teeth, repeating it like a mantra in her head. "Only four weeks to go…"

Only four weeks to go.

Only four weeks to go.

As the Door of Time ground shut behind her, Zelda stumbled sleepily into the main chamber of the Temple of Time. The area was completely deserted, of course: Rauru was always careful to ensure that no one would discover their secret existence, and at midnight, who would be hanging around at the Temple anyways?

She briefly contemplated lying down on one of the pews and falling asleep. It was an awfully tempting thought. But then, she realized she had classes at seven in the morning- damn the University!- and groaned loudly, giving the cushioned pews a last, wistful look as she walked away.

As she headed towards the main doors, she jumped in surprise as they banged open on their own accord. A figure, darkened against the night sky outside, strode into the Temple, shivering from the frigid temperature.

"Link?" Zelda asked timidly.

He looked up, a small frown on his face. She hadn't seen him for awhile, because of Rauru's training schedule. He looked haggard and tired, although his eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Hey Zelda," he smiled, carefully setting down the objects he was carrying. She caught a brief glimpse of them: a finely honed, gold-trimmed sword, and a small bottle with a red fairy hovering inside.

"You look terrible," she said, noting multiple tears in his clothing and a nasty, but partially healed gash on his face.

"So do you," he grinned. "I can see that Rauru is pushing you to the limits. How're you feeling?"

"Exhausted," she replied, sitting down on a nearby chair. "I don't know how I'm going to survive the next month…"

His smile faded slightly, replaced by a worried crease on his forehead. "I'm sorry, Zelda. I should have told you earlier what to expect..."

She faintly smiled. "It's not your fault, Link. I'm just being pessimistic," she muttered. "You've got it just as badly as I do, by the looks of it."

Link chuckled. "This isn't really too terrible. Nothing serious enough to require a red fairy, anyways," he said, motioning towards the bottle. "But, going twilight a few times a day is pretty taxing."

"Going twilight?"

"It's when a monster threatens to materialize in an area where other people might see it. In order to prevent that from happening, we have to travel to the twilight realm and banish the creature there."

"Sounds like a television show," Zelda muttered.

"It is pretty crazy, isn't it? But then again, everything we do is." He paused, a brief shadow passing over his face. "I wonder what it would be like to have a normal life?"

"Don't worry, it's overrated," she assured, much to his amusement. "Although, having a good night's sleep is a luxury that I'll eagerly look forward to in a couple months."

"Rauru's done with you for today, then?" Link asked.

She nodded. "Thank the Goddesses for that, because my arms feel like they're about to fall off."

He noticed the strain in her voice. "You want me to drive you home? It looks like you could use some rest."

She would have leapt into his arms in thankfulness, if she had the energy. As it was, she had to content herself with a brief smile. "I would love that, Link."

"Let me put this stuff away, then," he said, scooping up his items. "And I'll be back in a minute or two."

The two minutes stretched into ten, and Zelda didn't quite know when she had fallen asleep. One moment, she had been watching Link head towards the Door of Time, and the next, sweet oblivion. But she was rudely awakened from her dreamless slumber by Link poking her gently on the side.

"You know, I was nice and comfortable too," she grumbled, trying to sit up. Her muscles screamed, and she slumped back down.

"Sorry, I had a chat with Rauru," he laughed. "Need some help getting up?"

"I'm quite alright," she said in a dignified manner, gritting her teeth and trying (unsuccessfully) to rise from her chair once more. Her body had completely locked up from fatigue.

"Maybe I should carry you to the car?" He muttered tauntingly, his hot breath tingling her ears. She felt her cheeks blaze crimson at his light touch. Although, she did admit it felt rather nice… she wanted to preserve at least a shred of her dignity.

Ignoring the screaming protests of her muscles, she forced herself to her feet. It was a close-fought battle: she almost collapsed in agony, but her stubborn pride refused to yield. A sudden wave of dizziness passed over her, but she fought it off, balancing unsteadily for several seconds. She smirked in triumph at Link.

"Your loss," he shrugged, smiling at her handsomely. Nevertheless, he extended his arm gallantly and forced her to lean on his shoulder, a simple gesture which she appreciated immensely.

"I'm assuming you drove here?" He asked, as they stood outside the Temple a minute later. The cold wind slapped harshly on her exposed flesh, and small snowflakes drifted lazily down from the moonlight sky. Winter was coming, definitely.

She fished her car keys out of her pocket, handing them to Link numbly. "It's the red convertible," she muttered. He quickly spotted it, briskly leading her to the parking spot, head bowed against the wind and snow.

"Nice car," he said conversationally, easing her into the passenger seat. She slumped gratefully into the cushioned seat, watching through glazed eyes as Link jumped in the other side and revved up the engine.

"Goddesses, you're really out of it, aren't you?" He said in concern, pulling out of the parking lot. "What kind of magic is the old man teaching you?"

"All sorts," she mumbled faintly. "I'm getting better at casting spells, I think. But it's just so tiring all the time, you know? Can you do any magic?"

"Some rudimentary enchantments," Link said. "Nothing too major. Rauru said that I didn't have the proper magical affinity, or something like that."

She chuckled. "Lucky."

"Just be glad you don't have Impa teaching you," he retorted. "She personally trained me in combat up until a couple years ago…" He seemed to shiver at the less-than-fond memories.

"She creeps me out, a bit," Zelda admitted.

"Impa does that to everyone. It's because she's a Sheikah, I think. They… see a lot of things, you know. They've got a dark and bloody history, which gave them a sinister reputation."

"But she's the last one, isn't she? I thought they were only a legend… 'course, I thought a lot of things were only myths until you came along." Link only laughed in response.

They lapsed into comfortable silence, Zelda really feeling too tired to say much. She contented herself with watching the hypnotic city lights as they drove by, at the crowds of people milling about in the streets at such a late hour. Would she be one of them when this was all over? The thought that she might survive this ordeal, and even return back to a normal life, seemed almost surreal.

On a whim, she decided to ask Link. "What will happen after all of this?"

"After all of what?"

"You know… when we defeat the Dark King. What then?"

"Well, I suppose you can go back to living how you're supposed to," he replied carefully. "The threat will be gone forever. You won't have to bother with any of this crazy stuff again."

She remained silent for a moment, noting the hesitation in his voice. "What about you, Link?" She urged softly. "What will you do when this is all over?"

"I dunno," he said quietly. "This is what I've been trained all my life to do. I suppose you can say that my only purpose in life is to vanquish the Dark King, or die trying. I haven't really given much thought to life after that."

"Link…"

"It's true," he laughed harshly. "Maybe I'll wander aimlessly. An explorer or a vagrant? Who knows? After everything… everything I've gone through… I'm not really sure." For a second, he seemed lost, confused, even hesitant.

"I'd like it," Zelda said boldly, "If we at least kept in touch, once this is done. Even if we go on our separate paths…"

Link smiled, genuinely. "I made a promise," he said. "I promised you that I'd always be there for you. No matter what may happen in the future."

She sighed, feeling a pleasant warmth spread across her chest. He gazed at her, and there was something strange in his look that stirred the deepest emotions in her heart. Passion, and valor, and fierce loyalty all smoldered in his eyes. Her breath caught in her chest at his attentions, and she returned it fervently, hoping that her soul might reach out to Link's…

He seemed as if he was on the verge of saying something: he even opened his mouth, but abruptly shut it, returning his focus abashedly to steering the car. And yet, in that moment, Zelda knew without a doubt that this was the man who would protect her. Who cared for her. Whom she loved with every fiber of her being. Link Hylia.

Link remained unaware of the inner emotions that overwhelmed her, but as she drifted off into sleep, lulled by the car's rhythmic movement, a small smile crept onto her face. Everything would be alright as long as Link, her own Hero, was there for her.

And he had promised her, hadn't he?

"You alright, Zel?"

Malon was looking at her funnily, over the top of a history textbook and a steaming mug of Cremia's Premium. Zelda failed to stifle a yawn, glancing at their room clock. It was almost seven, which meant that she needed to leave for her first class of the day soon. Her stomach growled in hunger, but recently she had been deciding to sleep in rather than allot time for breakfast. She desperately needed the rest, and yet, it seemed as if her body was in more pain than it had been the night before.

"I'm fine, Malon," she muttered, lounging on their couch in exhaustion. Her muscles, in fact her entire body, still ached all over, despite getting a fairly restful night's sleep. And she now had a splitting headache, which didn't help matters.

"What's up with you anyways?" Malon asked in concern, shutting her book and leaning forward. "Zelda? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, massaging her temple and wincing gingerly in pain.

"Yes, there is! Any idiot can see that," the red-head cried, throwing aside her books. "You can tell me, Zelda. I'm your friend, I can help!"

"No you can't," Zelda moaned faintly, closing her eyes. As much as she wanted to confide in her friend what was happening, she knew that it would only exacerbate matters further. "I'm alright, Malon. Really."

"You've been staying out later and later for the past month! I practically never see you anymore. As soon as your classes are over, you head off somewhere and don't come back for hours! And you expect me to believe that you're alright?"

Zelda groaned. She should have known that Malon would suspect something sooner or later. Although, right now she was much too tired to create a plausible excuse.

"It's nothing, Mal. Please, don't worry… I'm fine."

"I am worried about you, Zel!" Malon suddenly yelled, standing up. Her sudden change in behavior slightly alarmed Zelda, or would have, if she had any energy left to really care.

"You haven't been completing any of your coursework; in fact, you can't even stay awake during classes! You're too tired to even talk to me, and every day you stagger into our dormitory at midnight, completely exhausted!"

Zelda felt like breaking down as she listened to Malon's harsh speech. Everything that she had to deal with for the past month just kept building up. When she had agreed to aid the Sages in their battle against the Dark King, she never expected that the training would be so rigorous and tiring. Or that her once-stellar grades in college would drop so steeply. Or that her best friend would get so pissed at her for something that she couldn't help. Goddesses, what had she gotten herself into?

"Look, Malon," Zelda said exhaustedly. "Please just drop it, okay? I'm fine, I really am!" The agonized look on her face completely undermined the statement, but it was the best she could do.

"Zelda," she practically screamed, ignoring her protests. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

"I told you! Nothing! I'm telling the truth, I'm okay!"

"YOU ARE NOT. FUCKING. OKAY!" Malon yelled, grabbing her shoulders firmly. "You're a mess, Zelda! Look at yourself! Are you trying to get kicked out of college? Do you even care anymore? What the hell is wrong with you, anyways? Pull your act together!"

It was the last straw. Something inside her finally cracked under the enormous pressure. Zelda began to cry hysterically, her body wracked with uncontrollable sobs. Torrents of tears flooded down her face, as she vented all of the exhausting emotions garnered over a month of agony.

For two long minutes, she bawled incessantly. She knew that she should feel ashamed, but it just felt so… good to release all of her raw feelings that had built up inside of her for so long. She couldn't talk to anyone about it, so this seemed like the next best way to relieve all of her stress.

"… Zelda?" Malon eventually asked, now gently, the previously fierce expression on her face replaced by one of guiltiness. She hugged Zelda awkwardly, letting her friend's tears quickly dampen her shirt.

"I… I c-can't t-tell you, Malon!" Zelda choked, trying unsuccessfully to stem her turbulent emotions.

"Why can't you tell me?" The red-head asked softly. "I'm your best friend, Zel. You can tell me everything."

"N-not this," she cried, still feeling ashamed at herself for the sudden collapse. But each tear shed seemed to carry off a little bit of her burden, lightening her pain with each sob…

"Please tell me," Malon begged. "I can help you. Your secret is safe with me."

"It's n-not my secret to give," Zelda whispered. "I made a promise, and I… I'm going to keep it."

"Even if it kills you?" Malon asked incredulously. Zelda involuntarily winced: the statement had more merit to it than her friend realized. "This is stupid, Zelda! What could be so important that you'll throw everything away for it?"

Zelda didn't respond, only slumping back into the couch, still sniffling. Tears still leaked out of her eyes, although at a noticeably reduced rate.

"Please, Mal, just let it be," Zelda murmured. "It shouldn't even concern you."

"If it's hurting you, then it'll concern me no matter what you say!"

"You can't do anything about it," she said, "And neither can I."

"Do anything about what?" Malon demanded, leaning forward. "What is it, Zel?" But Zelda only shook her head, trying to keep her raging emotions in check. The red-head growled in frustration.

"You're a student, Zelda. University should be your priority. Your future should be your priority. Not… this."

"I have to go," Zelda said suddenly, tearing herself away and standing up, her desperation overpowering her protesting muscles. She needed to get away. Even from her best friend, who couldn't understand, who couldn't help at all. Goddesses, everything was changing so fast! Why was this happening to her?

She grabbed her textbooks, ignoring Malon's shouts. One of them slipped from her numb fingers, crashing on the floor, but she neglected to pick it up. She scrabbled for the room keys, heading to the door, trying to escape…

"Wait! Zelda!"

She wanted to keep going, to leave her best friend behind and not look back, but she consented to pause, her hand resting on the door knob. Malon stood across the room in an agitated manner, as if unsure whether to stay where she was or rush towards her.

"Let me talk to you…," the red-head pleaded.

"Promise me something, Malon," Zelda interrupted.

"Promise what?"

"That you won't tell anyone. I… I need to do this, myself."

Her friend's eyebrows were knitted together in confusion and frustration. "You know I won't agree to that, Zel. This is hurting you, whatever it is. And I'm going to help, whether you like it or not."

"Malon, promise me!" She cried desperately. "I need to hear you say it! You're my best friend, I need you to support me. Please."

"I don't understand, Zel!" Malon cried. "Support you with what? Ruining your life?"

"I'm sorry, Mal," she replied, feeling a heavy weight sag inside of her. The realization that she would be alienating her best friend tore at her heart, causing her to weep fresh tears: but she knew where her duty lay.

"I'll see you later, maybe," she mumbled, opening the door and running outside before Malon could say anything. She ran blindly, unseeing, unsure of whether or not her best friend had followed. For some reason, it didn't really matter anymore.

The sun was already beginning to set as Zelda walked numbly into the Temple of Time, feeling exhausted, sore, and utterly defeated. She had slept through most of her classes, forcing her way through the day in some sort off trance-like state. She and Malon had several classes together, but with the exception of her friend's worried looks and anxious glances, no further communications between them had occurred.

She was physically and emotionally stretched to the limit already, and now she found herself moving forward like an automaton, her feet carrying her towards the Door of Time where, inevitably, Rauru waited to begin another grueling training session…

The very thought of spending twelve hours real-time casting magic non-stop made Zelda's muscles quake in anticipation, and that was only one night's worth. She still had four more weeks to go, a sobering thought that filled her with mingled dread and hopelessness.

Absent-mindedly muttering the enchantment that would open the Door of Time, Zelda felt her Triforce whine in protest. Rauru had explained to her that every spell cast would sap a little bit of magical strength from her Triforce. She knew it was a bad sign that the Triforce was struggling to provide enough power to open the Door of Time, which required a relatively simple spell. She grit her teeth and ignored the fatigue rattling her bones, watching in a detached manner as the Door of Time slowly ground open, her feet pushing her forwards against her will.

Entering the Inner Sanctum, she was vaguely surprised to see that Rauru was not alone. It took her wearied mind a brief second to realize that Link stood next to the old sage, chatting earnestly together. He looked up as he heard Zelda's footsteps, smiling brightly.

"Evening, Zelda," he called.

"Evening," she replied in a monotone voice, lacking the energy to make a more enthusiastic greeting. His grin slid off of his face, replaced by a worried look. She felt slightly guilty at her indifferent response, and tried to make up for it with some small talk.

"What're you doing here?"

"Things have changed a bit, for tonight," Rauru interrupted, stepping forward before Link could speak. You've been practicing magic for several weeks without rest, and the strain is beginning to show. Last night, Link suggested a… different approach."

She raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "And what's that?"

"He suggested that he might take you on a little… 'field exercise.'" Rauru glanced at Link, who quickly elaborated further.

"There are a few hotspots tonight, all over Hyrule. The Sages have most of them already covered, although there's a breach not far from here that I need to seal." He smiled encouragingly at Zelda. "I thought you might want to get some hands-on experience. It'll be a nice break from all your training, right?"

Zelda broke into a weak smile at his words. Doing anything with Link would probably be infinitely better than training with Rauru. Even if it was only for a night, she would be grateful of the reprieve. Especially after… everything that had happened during the day. A painful image of Malon flashed in her mind, which she grudgingly forced away. She needed to stay focused…

"When do we get started?"

Link broke into a wide grin at her response. "Right now."

With this Chapter, I have broken the 100 page mark on Microsoft Word, making Old Legends Die Hard the longest piece of work that I have ever written! And at this point in time, I'm guessing that the final version of my story will have around 20 chapters, give or take a few, so there's plenty more for me to write!

A huge thanks to all of my reviewers and readers, 60 reviews and 3,500+ hits thus far is awesome! Thanks so much for all the support!

Chapter 11 will be up soon, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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