Author's Note: First off, I really appreciate the support thus far! It means everything! Anyways, I'm SO, SO sorry about the ridiculous wait. I work like six days a week and I'm just so tired. Ugh. Therefore, I apologize in advance if this chapter doesn't live up to the standard.

Also, on another note, I think SS Zelda is more emotional and willing to display what she feels than the other Zeldas, therefore I think she would be more open to crying in front of people. I know, that seems random, but once you read this chapter you'll understand why I included this brief explanation.

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Chapter Nine: Deprived

...

The first kill had been the most difficult for Zelda. She had readied an arrow in her ivory bow with shaky hands, her breath hitched in her throat all while the beasts advanced beyond the small gate surrounding the only nearby shelter, some slowly, others nearing a pace equivalent to a brisk jog, trails of blood contaminating the soil and grass beneath them, soft and loud groans escaping their throats, funneled by their gaping mouths. Tears had welled in her eyes as she held the bow up, slightly tilted, her trembling body obscuring her aim.

Time and her surroundings seemed to come to a standstill as she pulled the arrow back tight, her heart-beat pounding in her ears, pupils dilating as they strained to peer through the veil of darkness cast by the impending night. "They're not themselves." she reminded herself internally, a long, deep breath drying her lips as she finally stilled her hands and released the arrow. It shot through the air silently, the string on the bow whooping and wiggling back and forth from the release, stilling just as the arrow pierced one of the monster's skulls, instantly dropping it to the ground.

After that everything became instinct. She readied another arrow and slaughtered the oncoming mass, arrow-after-arrow, slipping into her other persona, Hylia, to numb her emotions to make it through and survive. Killed or be killed. They dropped like flies in their tracks, liquid the color of roses splattering everywhere, staining the dirt, their bodies becoming even emptier heaps as they fell.

"-lya! Watch out!" rang loud in her ears, successfully bringing her out of her thoughts just in time for her to turn sharp on her heels to see one of those things behind her, head lolled to the side, pearly eyes lackluster, hands outreached towards her. Her heart thudded in her chest as it gripped her shoulders, taking her breath and yanking her forwards. A shrill shriek escaped her mouth followed shortly by a glowing blade of a sword that pierced through the creature's head, sending blood to sprawl across her clothes and face, much to her horror.

"Are you okay?" a gentle, masculine voice inquired as the now non-threatening being was kicked to the side, releasing the Master Sword from its skull's clutches. "They're all gone now." Zelda could only stare wide-eyed, mortified at the stench and that blood threatened to leak into her mouth. Not to mention the brutal scene she just witnessed. At least thirty bodies littered the ground around them. All slain by either her or her companion. The thought numbed her. She had killed humans. Mentally distorted, ill humans.

Finally Link came into view, his clothes and skin covered in a thin, red substance just as she was, while the tips of his golden blonde hair was stained a light maroon color as if they had been dipped in paint. But what stood out was his eyes. Two bright, blue irises brimming with a fire she had only saw twice before. They were the same eyes that her Link and the first bore. In that moment, gazing into those familiar eyes, she felt safe and immediately calmed. And in that moment, she allowed the shock of everything to hit her, her emotions pouring out of her like a raging storm.

She flung herself into Link's chest, clinging to his damp tunic and burrowing her face into his neck, tears flowing silently from her eyes. Link stiffened in her grasp before relaxing enough to put an arm around her. "It's going to be okay, Zel." he said softly.

"No! I-It's not, Link. Can't you see that?!" she snapped, pulling away and wiping furiously at her eyes. "I killed them! What if they could have been saved?! I've considered that since the beginning, but I still put an arrow in their head!" she wailed, "I threw their lives away - as if I had the right to!"

Zelda was silenced by Link's hands firmly gripping both of her shoulders, holding her in place. Once she quit ranting, Link glared into her eyes and took a deep breath. "Honestly, I've thought the exact same things before, Zel. But then I realized something: these people were good people and that they would rather be dead then out there harming others - especially their own special people. And if I was ever in the same situation, that I would want someone to deal with me the same way to protect others."

The young Spirit Maiden blinked, taken back by his comforting - and truthful - words. She pulled away and turned around, eyes glazed over with a thin veil of mist as she gazed over the bodies of the deceased. Their appearances were all inhuman. They bore sickly pale skin the color of white paste, most with gaping gashes that looked moist and withered, their eyes, open and wide, milky in hue, and their jaws slacked. Suddenly she came to a conclusion.

"I want you to promise me something, Link." she announced, voice cracked. Link shifted behind her, obviously uncomfortable with the direction of their current conversation.

"What is it?" he asked after a moment of hesitation. She wiped at the blood on one of her cheeks, pushing the undeniable feelings of revulsion to the deepest recesses of her mind where there was a slim chance she could ignore it along with the putrid scent of death that lingered about.

"If I ever become one of those things, that you will kill me before I can hurt anyone." she stated, turning on her heels to see a look of relief and seriousness both on Link's face. A soft smirk followed soon thereafter.

"I'll make it a promise only if you would do the same for me." he retorted with an approving nod. Zelda sagged her shoulders, clasped her hands over her breasts, and gave a weak smile.

"You betcha."

"Good." Link said while averting his attention towards the carnage. He immediately became more serious and forlorn, a scowl forming itself on his face as if in a swift subconscious decision, his baby blue gaze narrowed in deep concentration. "I'll move the bodies. Will you lock up the gate and make sure it's secure?"

"Um, yeah." Zelda replied softly, unquestioningly. After all, she knew he would be more suited to dealing with the bodies of the deceased. Not only would she more than likely mentally and emotionally crack, her body wasn't as physically fit as Link's honed one - she would exhaust sooner.

"Thanks." Link muttered before setting out to complete the task before him without a moment's hesitation. Zelda watched him until he disappeared into the small, abandoned inn before she too decided to begin her own task of securing the metal gate a few feet away from her.

Once in reach she noticed that there was a thick chain that laid on the ground, a golden, unlocked lock hanging on one end of the ten foot bind. She stooped over and scooped the chain and lock up into her hands, a frown on her face. Had one of those things managed to unlatch the lock themselves? If so then the things were much more intelligent and threatening than she previously thought. However, considering - based on appearance - that they couldn't get outside of an unlocked house there was a low chance that they could actually unlock a metal lock - something much more complicated.

Zelda turned the lock and chain over in her hands, looking for any scratches, cracks, or breaks that could have possibly shown any indications of strain on the objects. She sighed with relief. None were to be found. More than likely the owner of the lock or someone whom had either stolen or found the key let themselves out and attempted to flee the inn. Whether or not they survived she couldn't be certain.

With that well-educated guess in mind, she pinched the gate shut with the chain and triple wrapped it. She then latched the lock, knowing good and well that one swipe of the Master Sword's hardened and blessed blade would free them when they decided to leave. Once done she placed a hand on either side of the gate and roughly shook it. When the chain didn't give or even seem fazed she gave a pleased bob of her blonde head and stepped back, wiping a small sheet of sweat and blood from her forehead with the back of her hand.

"It's secure!" Zelda chirped to Link, turning on her heels and heading in his direction where he was gathering a group of bodies in one corner of the yard. She winced at the scene and forced herself to ignore what was actually happening to the best of her ability. Link dropped another body on top of the growing pile before he shifted his attention towards her.

"Alright, you can go inside and clean up if you want." he said, "There might still be running water."

"Okay, um, are you sure you don't need help?" she inquired, albeit hesitantly, rubbing her left bicep with her right hand. Link gave a sloppy grin and nodded.

"I'm sure. I've already had to deal with this kind of situation before, with . . . Jaggle." he elaborated, "I was in shock then. I can only imagine how you feel having to . . . take out so many your first time." Zelda looked down at the ground and slightly hugged herself as if she were cold, massaging her shoulders and upper arms.

"Thank you for being so understanding."

...

Chirping. That was the sound Zelda awoke to. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes, feeling groggy and more exhausted than should be possible for having just woke up. She blinked and groaned, kicking away the comforter her body was tangled in, before she realized just exactly where she was. She immediately got to her feet and took in the room. Stone walls and floors, a wooden divider on the right where a wooden frame bed sat with white sheets and a rosy colored quilt - all familiar to her eyes. She cuffed her hands over her mouth.

She was in her room at the Knight Academy in Skyloft! Had everything been a dream? She sprinted towards the door without another thought, not even minding that she was scantily clad in nothing but a simple white nightgown that barely flowed passed the middle of her thighs, her heart fluttering happily in her chest. She took a right down the hall before coming to a set of wooden, spiral stairs that led to the bottom floor of the academy, her thoughts centered around the young man that was her closest friend.

"Link!" she croaked, pounding her hand against the thick wooden door of Link's room the moment she was in reach, tears budding in the corners of her eyes. She leaned her head against the door when he didn't answer after the passage of five seconds, her stomach contracting in despair. She took a deep breath, her shoulders heaving in an upward motion, her icy blue stare drifting down to the lone door knob. Should she? She bit her bottom lip. She wasn't too fond of invading someone's personal space. She always had been an advocate for manners. For the most part.

But this is a completely appropriate situation! She reasoned, giving herself a motivational internal nod before gripping the knob in her left hand. She then twisted the door knob and threw the door open only to come face-to-face with a sleepy looking nineteen-year-old with mussed, shaggy dark golden hair on top of a cute, handsome face with a glazed over stormy blue gaze. H-He's -

"Link!" Zelda squeaked plowing herself into her best friend's unsuspecting chest, her arms snaking around his neck, her face nuzzling itself into the nape of his neck, a feeling of contentment and relief and pure joy flooding her chest. "Thank the goddesses!" she added in a sob, while Link laced his arms around the small of her waist, his chin settling on top of her head.

"Whas a' matter?" he murmured sleepily, his eyes slanted. Zelda pulled back and gave a genuine, caring smile. Link blinked away his sleepiness, a look of confusion replacing the expression of exhaustion. "Is . . . something on my face?" She tapped her chin before a thought came to mind.

"Yes." she finally said, standing on her tiptoes and leaning her face towards his. Link looked startled, but remained unmoving as she neared.

"W-What?" he choked out and wiped at his face in a manner that was irresistibly cute in Zelda's eyes. She smirked and leaned even closer, their faces centimeters apart. He gulped and dropped his hands to his sides, eyes going wide.

"My lips." she answered confidently, planting her mouth against his in a sweat, chaste kiss that - hopefully - expressed all the feelings she had kept locked away from the male for so long, her arms making their away around his neck once more, a fresh batch of salty drops leaking out of the corners of her eyes and burning her cheeks as they trailed down to her chin. The time for being shy was over.

When she pulled away she could only giggle at the dumbfounded expression upon Link's face, a hand flying over her mouth. "Ah, wow." he muttered, blushing. Zelda sucked her bottom lip in-between her teeth as blood rushed to her cheeks, her giggles completely ceased.

"I love you, Link." was her meek response, her cheeks turning an attractive shade of pink. Her hero gave her a look of surprise that changed to one akin to pure happiness, his own cheeks gaining a rosy hue, his lips quirking up into a lopsided smile and his stormy azure gaze softening and sparking.

When a few short moments passed and Link didn't even open his mouth to speak a single syllable in response to her confession, Zelda became frustrated, impatient, and to top it all off: humiliated. And when Zelda was humiliated that only meant destruction - or in other words, a chewing out. However, just as her lips parted to begin her self-defensive rant, Link's hand was cuffing her chin while the other rested on the smallest part of her back, urging her closer to his body while tilting her face upward, their eyes meeting.

"L-Link?" she stammered, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she got lost in his gaze, her heart fluttering in her chest. Link smirked before gently smashing their bodies together in such a way that contradicted the young man's usually bashful demeanor that Zelda was baffled and questioning whether or not that this was exactly the boy she had fallen in love with. He dipped his head down suddenly, leaning his forehead against her own.

"I've been waiting so long to hear those words." he announced, turning them around while kicking his door shut. "I love you too, Zel." he added, pressing his lips firmly against hers, his hand moving from her chin to the back of her head, his fingers becoming twisted in her lemon hued hair, while the other grasped her rear resulting in a shy squeak from the depths of the young woman's throat.

The sound lead Link to further his actions, sliding his hand up between Zelda's shoulder blades and tilt her entire body back, his mouth leaving her lips and skillfully trailing down to the sensitive flesh of her throat in a line of soft kisses that left her flustered. Zelda moaned from the action and allowed her heroic lover to nip at her skin all while she squirmed and nodded in approval.

Until she realized something. It's all moving too fast. "L-Link -"

"Zel, I'm alive." he interrupted without warning, his lustful demeanor completely diminished. The Spirit Maiden blinked, tilted her chin towards her chest so that she could scan her hero's face, waiting for an answer.

"I know that, silly." she stated as he eased her back into an upright position. Link stepped away and sighed, his signature, sheepish facial expression in tact. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I wanted you to know that." he said softly, "You'll find me, Zel."

"What do you mean?! You're right in front of me -" she paused in mid-sentence, her eyes trailing to Link's hands. They were transparent, almost as if he was fading away into nothingness. She pinched her eyebrows together. "W-What's happening?" Was her initial response, though she already knew the answer. She was in a dream.

"It's going to be okay, Zel." Link answered, nearing her once more, their faces inches apart in a portion of a second. "I hate this."

"Link, I'm so confused. I'm lost . . ." Zelda retorted, shaking her head, hands quivering at her sides. "Please don't go!" she added, lunging at the young man, only to go through his body. Confused and horrified, she whipped back around on her heels with teary eyes, only to see a remorseful gaze looking back at her. "Please!" she plead all while the surroundings began to be devoured by darkness.

"Zel . . . " Link trailed off, extending a hand out to her. Zelda didn't hesitate to reach out for him in an attempt to entwine their fingers if just to feel his warmth, only for him to vanish the moment they made contact. But then his voice lingered in her head, saying, "It's time to wake up."

Zelda shot up in bed, her breathing hitched, throat parched, eyes wide and bearing all-too-familiar salty drops blooming underneath her azure irises, one hand planted firmly upon her chest where her heart laid just beneath her rib-cage while the other was burrowed into the hard mattress beneath her, supporting her upper body. Sweat was beaded across the plane of her forehead, dampening her short, lemon blonde fringe and causing a few strands to stick to her temples. She gulped and clamped her eyes shut, forcing herself into a state of calmness that was short lived by a soft pounding on the wooden door of the room she had chose to sleep in.

"Y-Yeah?" she choked out, her blue gaze going across the overall bare and bland room, stopping on the door as if she could see the person on the other side. Link noisily shifted outside the door, his belt buckle rattling against the wooden frame.

"Is everything alright? I heard you scream." he stated, an undertone of concern laced into his husky voice. Zelda took a deep breath through her nostrils and nodded, as if reassuring herself that she was, in fact, 'okay'.

"Um, yeah." she said, standing up from the bed, her feet landing on the blankets and sheets that were once neatly on the bed but must have been kicked off during her slumber. "I was just dreaming is all." she elaborated, heading towards the backpack she had left near the foot of the bed with the intentions of grabbing a fresh change of garb for the day's undoubtedly stressful events.

"Okay." Link remarked after a pregnant pause of silence. "Get ready and eat a little something, then we'll leave. Kakariko is still a good distance from here." he added in dismay. Zelda stiffened, her backpack in her hands, a startled expression flaring across her soft features.

"How much longer will it take us to get there?" she inquired, wedging her bottom lip in-between her teeth in anticipation. Link shifted once again, his silence thoughtful and calculating.

"If we travel eight hours today we should make it there by night fall." his calm answer carried into the room. Zelda groaned and plopped back down on the bed, her knees and the bottoms of her feet dully aching from the realization that they would have to endure another day of non-stop, quick pace walking for eight hours where they had to support her weight the entirety of the time. Again.

"Alright . . ." she murmured in defeat while pulling out the single towel she brought. "I'm going to take a shower. It won't take me long to get ready."

"I thought you took one last night?"

Zelda rolled her eyes at her Chosen Hero's inquiry, the smallest of smirks tugging at her chapped pink lips. "That's besides the point," she said, "I'm sure I'll be all sweaty and gross by night time."

She heard a murmur of 'women' out in the hall way to which she giggled softly into one of her hands as Link's footsteps became audible before disappearing further down the hall. With a feeling of being lighter, she flitted across the creaky floor and into the equally bare bathroom.

About fifteen minutes later she reemerged, damp and darkened blonde hair matted and clinging to the contours of her back, ending just above her rounded rump, her vanilla colored skin tinted a light pink from the heat of the bath water. She sighed contentedly as she made her way back to the single bed centered in the room, her eyes set on the backpack propped against one of its wooden legs.

Zelda plopped down on the bed and snatched the bag up from the floor, searching through its contents until she came across what she was looking for with a 'aha!'. The item - more specifically, items - she just so happened to be hunting for was a pink lacy bra along with a matching pair of panties. They seemed a little too extravagant for such an adventure as she was traversing, but they just so happened to be one of the only pairs she had bought from Sera back in Ordon.

Lingerie making and selling was a side business that Sera ran exclusively for the women of the village. Apparently she had been doing so for years according to Ilia. Sera claimed that she had wanted to 'put her sewing skills and undeniable taste in fashion' to good use. Zelda was thankful for the business or else she would have been currently running around commando - an idea which was completely inappropriate and unappealing to the Spirit Maiden.

...

It turned out that the Eldin Province was just as hot as ever - despite the autumn season. Zelda huffed and puffed, dragging her feet behind her as she trailed on wobbly legs behind Link whom acted as if it wasn't over one-hundred degrees outside, walking at a quick pace, unwavering. Zelda sighed and licked her cracked lips. Sweat had collected on her skin, annoyingly enough, and left her feeling even more uncomfortable. Not that that should even be possible.

If she had the courage she would have stopped and demanded a break to cool off to prevent her from dying from hyperthermia. Zelda tugged at her tunic top, irritated that the soft cloth insisted on clinging to her damp flesh like a second skin. "It's ridiculously hot." she finally announced as they began a trudge up a short, barren slope, the soil beneath her boots hard and cracked. Link turned his head to the side, his azure irises landing on her figure.

"I know." he quipped with a nod. "There's an oasis up ahead. We can refill our canteens and take a short breather."

"Thank the Goddesses!" Zelda moaned, her posture suddenly straightening, her feet no longer being dragged behind her out of anxiety. She could already feel the sensation of cool water flooding her parched mouth and slithering down her tensed throat, settling in a satisfied mass of liquid in her belly. The thought made her lick her lips once more and swallow hard.

"We'll have to be quiet though." Link pointed out, "Splashing water or anything may alert nearby hostiles."

"Yeah. I figured as much." she muttered, dropping her gaze momentarily.

About ten minutes later they wound through a rocky pass and were greeted by the sight of a small pond surrounded by cacti and stones. The water itself was as a clear as a mirror, shimmery and inviting. Zelda let out a sigh of relief and broke out into a run, removing her important gear and equipment before diving into the pond once in reach. A moment later she reemerged, soaked and cooled. Link shook his head and let a small smile break out across his face as he reached the water's edge and crouched down.

"Ah, this feels amazing. I don't even care that I ruined my hair." Zelda mumbled, floating across the water on her back, its icy edges lapping at her skin.

"I hope you don't mind drinking sweaty water." Link remarked, dipping his empty canteen into the liquid. The water bubbled as it was swallowed by the metal container. Zelda rolled her eyes and up righted herself.

"I'm sure there has been worse in this water." she said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Link shot back with a teasing smirk making itself known on his lips. Zelda narrowed her eyes into a glare and huffed. "That's what I thought, Zel." he added, attaching his canteen back on his side before standing and going to fetch Zelda's own from a pocket on the side of her backpack.

"Jerk." she grumbled while Link unscrewed the lid off the top of her canteen and crouched once more, dipping it in the water.

"I can't help that I'm right." he retorted, placing Zelda's canteen back in its proper place. Zelda huffed and splashed water onto Link, causing him to jump in surprise. She covered her mouth and giggled at his response. "Hey!"

"I couldn't help - eek!" Zelda yelped when something hard wrapped around one of her ankles and jerked her deeper into the water. She kicked against the offender's grip and gave Link a frantic expression. "Help!" she squeaked just as she was drug underneath the water's surface, her breath taken away.

Underneath the surface Zelda struggled and kicked, her lack of air sending her body into panic mode. It was as if a vine was wrapped around her throat, her lungs burning and tightening with each passing second. Through the haze she forced her eyes open and was horrified to see a bony hand with peeling, discolored flesh wrapped securely around her ankle, its nails digging into her flesh.

In a last attempt to free herself, Zelda scrunched up and clenched the hand, trying her best to pry its fingers off of her ankle. It only resulted in her peeling back more loose flesh and muscle. The next thing she knew was its hideous face came into view, its blank, pearly irises followed by its slack jaw with jagged, stained teeth. As her vision darkened she clamped her eyes shut and awaited the pain that was bound to follow.

Just as its teeth skimmed her calf, the hand clamped around her ankle was jerked away and another, more fleshy, hand grabbed her upper arm and yanked her to the surface. Her eyes flew open as the warm air hit her skin and her lungs were filled with precious oxygen. She immediately pulled away from her savior and kicked to the edge of the oasis and clambered out. The moment she was completely out of the water she collapsed and gulped down air, her back heaving up and down, her mind completely blank with fear.

...

Fear had obviously taken its toll on Zelya.

After what occurred at the oasis they had packed up their things, changed clothes, and discarded the old, along with their canteens, fearful of the water being contaminated. During the entire process Zelya kept to herself with her head tucked close to her chest, her eyes downcast the whole time. When Link inquired about her well being she just shrugged and went on.

Now, a mile away from Kakariko, she was still silent, clearly wrapped up in her own thoughts, head bowed, shoulders slumped as if she just suffered a loss. And perhaps, in a way, Zelya had. Link had survived many near-death experiences, and each time they opened his eyes to the fragility of life and molded him into the very warrior that he was currently. Perhaps she was accepting what had transcended and needed a moment by herself? He gulped. Or what if she desired comfort?

He sighed and glanced down a moment before lifting his eyes back skyward.

Limestone crunched beneath his boots and dirt lapped at his heels, a gentle breeze carrying dust across the rocky terrain. In the distance a small, wooden bridge came into view, and out from it were two towering, red stoned cliffs that were split down the center where a reinforced metal and wooden gate stood, sealed shut by a thick metal chain, that due to weight, hung almost to the ground. Instantly Link recognized the set up.

"Just beyond that gate is Kaka - " he began, pausing when Zelya stopped walking and turned towards him, a tight, serious expression in-tact. He blinked and allowed her to near him.

"How do you do it? Huh?" she questioned weakly. "How do you go through much and never get scared?" Link gave a soft smirk and shook his head.

"I do get scared. But there's some things you've got to do. I would rather risk my own life than to see others get hurt." he said, then glanced down at his left hand. He removed his glove to reveal the Triforce symbol that stained the flesh on the backside of his palm. "I know that a lot assume that it's a burden to be the supposed 'chosen one' - the one destined to save Hyrule. But I never looked at it that way. I always saw it as a way to make a difference. To get others out of harm's way." Zelya placed a hand over her chest.

"Thank you, Link. That's what I needed to hear." she said then turned her attention towards the gate in the distance, a determined expression replacing the once forlorn one on her visage. "Now, let's get to Kakariko." Link put his glove back on and nodded.

"Yeah, but . . . things might get harder from here on out." he pointed out, eyeing her with concern. "Do you think you're up for that?" She grinned deviously.

"Yeah. Bring it on." It's about time I tried harder to get you back, sleepyhead.

...

Sorry that that absolutely sucked! Ugh. Hardest chapter to write to date. It's probably where I haven't updated in so long and am focused on saving up for college that I've lost interest slightly. But I'm going to try my hardest on the next chapter. I feel like this one is a disappointment of sorts. -_- Plus I almost rushed it to get it updated. Which is bad.

Anyways, please tell me what you thought and give suggestions on scenes you would like to see happen at some point!