What's In A Dream

by LadyUni

Legacy of an Angel - 1: In search of a greater purpose, Autumn discovers that she has what it takes to change her life. However, nothing could prepare her for what her destiny had in store. She travels to Hyrule on what she thought was a self-ordained mission...

10. A Day Off

††††

Chapter X

A Day Off

"This place…it looks…" Link started, looking around at the familiar, yet somewhat different Temple of Time.

"…Darker," I said, finishing for him.

Link suddenly looked back to me and blinked a moment out of surprise.

When I gave him a questioning glance he said, "Y'know that's the first word you've said to me in seven years. Couldn't you have at least said something like 'Isn't this cool' or 'Wow, Link, you've changed'?" His tone was only a joking one, but I wasn't too amused.

"Sorry…I just…well, it's because it IS darker. And things now aren't as they should be," I replied.

Apparently, age has turned me into a cynic... I thought.

"That's no surprise, all things considered. Well, come on, I want to see how this world's changed." Link motioned for me to follow as he headed down the steps away from the pedestal, which I did.

He's not going to like this...

We'd almost reached the adjoining corridor, when we heard faint footsteps behind us. Link instinctively reached back, and his hand clasped around the hilt of his new blade. Drawing it from its sheath, he whirled around to defend against whomever was there.

But, instead of seeing an enemy, he beheld a poised ninja warrior, about our age, standing in front of the pedestal.

"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time," the boy started.

"Who are you…?" Link questioned.

"I am Sheik, a survivor of the Sheikah tribe," was the reply.

That person…that's the one I need to look out for. Well, we'll get one thing straight right now… Calmly, I pushed passed Link and headed back up the steps. I drew in very close to the boy, and carefully whispered into his ear, "You don't have to worry about explaining anything to him. I don't intend to let a traitor coach the Hero of Time, Princess. Leave him to me."

The 'boy' flinched, and bore down on me with a glare that could kill. "You…"

I didn't let him speak, but instead walked away from him to join Link and Navi again as we continued out of the temple.

"What did you say to him?" the Hylian asked.

"Just gave him a bit of advice…that's all."

"What advice…?"

At that, I was silent.

††††

Finally, making it outside to the marketplace, there was no doubt that things 'weren't as they should've been.' Everything was different. The place was deserted by life and had been taken over by re-deads…the undead mummies of Hyrule.

"What…happened?" Link gasped.

"Oh, it stinks so bad!" Navi choked, and flew under Link's hat.

My brow furrowed as I examined our surroundings. "It's the smell of death. Link, when you took the Master Sword from its resting place, Ganondorf used the opportunity to snatch the Triforce."

"D-Don't tell me he actually…got his filthy hands on it!"

"Not…completely…you see, when he tried to obtain it, the Triforce split up into three parts. He only got one piece, thankfully, which was the Triforce of Power. And since he has the power, he used it to cast an evil spell over your world. And this is only one of the many results," I explained as best I could.

"How do you know all this…?" he asked me, suspiciously.

I rolled my eyes at him. "How many times must I tell you?" I asked, hinting at my 'dream' explanation I'd given his as a child.

Link's grip tightened on his sword as he scanned the market. "Damn it all…and the reason you couldn't warn me so we could prevent it all was because...why?"

"It's never a good idea to tamper with fate like that..." was my quick response. I'd thought it over time and time again, and made a solid decision to let everything play out naturally as they should. The fact that I was even there was risky, but my alter ego had highly encouraged the journey, nonetheless.

Before he could say another word, we heard a deafening screech coming from behind us, chilling us to the bone. Spinning around we saw a re-dead heading straight for us, its arms extended, and ready to lunge at any moment.

"Let's get outta here…now," Link practically ordered.

And then, without further hesitation, we booked it out of the deserted market as fast as our new legs could carry us. It had been so long I'd just about forgotten how to fly. Even so, I wouldn't have left Link behind anyways.

††††

Back out in the openness of Hyrule Field, we were able to stop and catch our breaths.

"Heh…close call. Those things are absolutely disgusting…" Link panted.

I nodded in agreement, but then suddenly winced in pain.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I lowered my hand to my ankle and let out an irritated moan. "For crying out loud…it must've healed the wrong way when we were sealed away all those years…!" I complained.

Link sighed and shook his head. "We should've done something about it back then."

"Ya think?!" I snapped.

But there was nothing to be done about it. Link made up his mind to head back to Kokiri Forest. He felt it was best since he hadn't been back home in so long. I made no objections and silently walked…or more like limped along beside him.

"So um…I'm seventeen now, I guess…" he mused.

I nodded without turning to face him. "And I'm eighteen." Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could sense his confusion. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I could see him counting on his fingers.

After only a moment of his silent calculations, I was confronted with, "Ha! Your mind's going, Auttie! Twelve plus seven is nineteen! So there…" Link felt quite proud of himself then, I could tell. His hands were on his hips, and his head was high.

But I was the one to laugh that time, shaking my head as I did so. And, for some reason, that threw him off.

"You smiled…" the Hylian looked at me in disbelief.

That quieted me, and I felt a flush cross my cheek. "Anyways…I know I should be nineteen, but fate has given me a mission that requires youth. Somehow, I can feel it…my physical age has ceased," I explained.

A distant memory filtered back through my mind in the voice of my alter ego, which...I suppose was mine,

'As you grow, so will the warrior...until it's fully developed inside of an eighteen year old body.'

There's no developing past this...it's so strange. And perhaps this warrior inside me is also why I've grown so tall.

Link was silent for a moment. "Kind of…hard to imagine…" he said after a while.

Finally, I looked up to him, disregarding the sudden fluttering I felt in my gut when I did. It had been that way ever since I'd seen him for the first time in the Chamber of Sages. Looking at him was almost painful, yet I didn't quite know why. "Maybe…maybe yours will stop too once you reach my age. We'll see." I said, breaking the awkward silence. There was no reason to believe that was true, but I had no idea what else to say.

Once we'd crossed the larger portion of the field, the entrance to the forest came into view at last. I recognized our current location as the spot where Link and I first met as kids. Images of the moment flew by in my head that I quickly dismissed.

In sheer excitement, Link made to run down the slope towards his childhood home, when something went wrong. All of a sudden, he felt completely weak and lightheaded. In confusion, he fell to his knees, trying catch the breath he'd had only a moment earlier.

When I knelt beside him to ask what was wrong, he started coughing the same way I had back in the Chamber of Sages. "What happened?!" I asked.

But Link couldn't answer.

This must be what I went through back there…he just had one hell of a delayed reaction! I thought. I looked around frantically for a way I could help him, but nothing came to mind except… Well…it's worth a shot… I swiftly lifted his arm over my shoulders, holding it with one hand while the other grasped his waist. I closed my eyes and silently counted to three before attempting to bring my energy out and lift up. Thankfully, I began hovering despite the extra weight, and without another thought, I flew for the forest opening as fast as I could with Link's consciousness beginning to fade.

††††

As I rounded a final turn into the main clearing of Kokiri Forest, something lashed out at me, causing me to jump and almost spin out of control. Looking behind me I could see my attacker. The giant deku baba hissed at me from its anchored spot near the edge of the clearing.

I totally forgot about that…Oh, this is just great… I thought.

My recollection of the timeframe was interrupted by a flying deku nut passing straight in front of me. Letting a clipped sound of surprise escape my lips, I quickly swerved out of harm's way, holding tightly to Link, and made for a lone tree house not too far off.

They're everywhere!

Finally, landing on the outside balcony of Link's home, I pushed through the curtain separating me from the inside and stumbled onto the floor, nearly breathless. But I knew I couldn't stop just then.

Tugging at Link, still draped over my shoulders, I managed to get him over to the bed on the opposite side of the room and lay him down on it as gently as I could. Placing a hand on his forehead, I checked his temperature. It didn't feel abnormal, but maybe that was because my own blood was still racing.

I hurried over to the only little sink in the small home and snatched a cup from the counter. It took me a bit to figure out the water system, but soon realized it was a simple pump-like faucet. I quickly filled the cup almost to the brim with cool liquid, and turned back to Link. I heard him groan in pain, and hurried over to kneel by the small bed.

Navi was hovering over him and worriedly looked over at me. "What's going on?" she asked.

I didn't answer her, but instead slipped my free hand under Link's shoulders to lift him up a bit. "Drink this, it'll calm you a little." I told him, and placed the cup to his lips.

They parted ever so slightly and I took the chance to get some of the water into his mouth. A moment past, and I heard him swallow. Evidently, it had begun to work, for he reached up and took the cup from me, still without opening his eyes. Tilting his head back, he finished the rest of it off, gratefully letting it sooth his throat.

When he'd finished, I took the cup back and helped him remove his sword and shield before laying him gently down again. His breathing calmed, and, finally, I could hear the slow breaths of rest coming from him.

I stood up again to go place the cup back on the vanity, when I heard his voice, "…What about you?" His tone was quiet and frail…yet there was something strong and determined about it.

I lowered my head and smiled a smile that he would never see. "Never mind me…"

Turning around, I observed the rest of the small home. Everything was miniature...kid sized, and originally designed for a Kokiri resident who, typically, never grew up. Walking over to a set of cabinets, I opened their doors to reveal some preserved Hyrulean foods that were stored away. Grabbing a plate from the small, wooden table beside me, I didn't hesitate in making a large dish out of the dried meats in there and set it back on the table as if preparing a legitimate meal.

Finding a crate on the floor filled with some sort of fruit, I grabbed a handful and examined them. They were very similar to the oranges back on Earth, yet much smaller and lighter both in color and in weight. Five of them were able to easily fit in just one of my hands. I set most of them in a bowl sitting on the table and attempted to peel the last one left in my hand.

I had just gotten a strip of the skin off of it when a sudden cloud of orange 'smoke' puffed out at me. I coughed and rubbed my eyes, not knowing if I'd have some crazy allergic reaction. When I settled back down, I thought I heard the sound of an amused chuckle coming from behind me. Whirling around I almost ran smack into Link, who had been standing there watching over my shoulder.

"You're…up?" I questioned, not knowing he'd be able to recover so quickly.

"What…? You take me for some sort of weakling?" he shot back, and snatched the fruit away from me.

I crossed my arms and glared up at him. Well jeez, you're welcome; it was absolutely no problem at all dragging you to safety and attempting to nurse you back to health…jerk… I mentally accused him of my troubles.

"These are crammers…named after the Kokiris' habits of constantly cramming them into their mouths due to their sweetness. These don't look like they've been sitting around for years…someone may have been using my home for something while I was gone," he explained.

"That's weird…" I mumbled.

"Just watch out for that puff when you first open it up…that's where its seeds are, and every time a crammer is opened it releases them. We sometimes use these in celebrations in the forest…or…y'know…we used to…" Link's face grew serious again as he finished peeling the crammer.

I was silent. There was nothing I could say to make him feel better about the changes in the world. Last time I tried that…he…

Turning quickly from him, I picked up a few mushrooms from a side cabinet and tossed them onto the plate of various meats. I didn't even know what they all were, but if they were in Link's food cabinets, then they must have been edible.

Sifting through some other crates, I found a spare plate and a fork that I placed on the side of the table opposite of me. Then, with that done, I plopped down on the bench on my side and leaned my head back against the wall.

Link had finished peeling the fruit and was staring at me blankly. I shot him a glance and he quickly sat down on the other side. He broke off a piece of the crammer and I noticed it tore apart like a soft cheese. He handed the chunk to me, motioning me to try it.

Hesitantly, I took it and brought it up to smell it first. I thought maybe my nose was stuffed up at first because I couldn't smell anything.

"Funny thing is: it doesn't have a smell. Just eat it, it's good," Link reassured, seeing my curiosity.

Slowly, I parted my lips and touched the fruit to them. It had a squishy, smooth texture…almost like a nasty odango I'd had once. But I still bit into it, nonetheless. After chewing on it for a few moments, trying to get a taste, it finally came to me, and it was indeed very sweet. I came to the conclusion that it would taste something like a ripened peach mixed with a banana back on earth.

I quickly stuffed the rest in my mouth, and finished it off - it was of small size anyways.

"And therefore, it's called a crammer," Link repeated with a small chuckle in his voice.

I looked up to him and our gazes locked once more. He was smiling at me, and the feeling I got caused me to turn away again. "You gonna eat or what…?" I asked, almost coldly.

With a slight smirk, Link picked up his fork, and skewered a mushroom and a slab of jerky in a single thrust and placed them on his plate. Then, without further hesitation, he began eating his first meal in seven years.

I said nothing - only sat and waited.

Link looked up after a while and noticed my stillness. "Not hungry?" he asked, a bit worried.

I ran my finger along the edge of the table, tracing its ridges with my nail. "No," I said, plainly.

Link put the fork down and stared at me even though I refused to look up at him. "You really need to eat something, Auttie. You've been acting so depressed ever since we left that chamber. Just tell me what the hell is wrong with you!" he demanded.

My hand stopped moving, and my nail slightly dug into the wood. "So…you are still mad at me…" I stated, almost afraid to speak the fact.

"What…?" he asked confused.

I turned my head to the doorway, and my hair hid my face. I could hardly muffle the on-coming whimper I was trying so desperately to fight. There was a long, tense pause in our already awkward conversation before Link decided to speak again.

"What are you talking about?" he asked again, leaning over the table.

That time, my head shot up, and he backed off at seeing the anger written all over my expression. Though I'd tried so very hard, I couldn't keep myself from all out yelling at him right then and there.

"'Your life?! YOUR life?! You should have been able to save your OWN life while I saved my princess!'" I quoted, and then caught my breath in a shaky gasp. Immediately feeling guilty for having brought it up, I hid my face with a hand interlaced through my bangs.

"Damn it…!" Link cursed, and quickly shot up from his seat, knocking the bench over. In an instant, he was beside me on my bench. Before I could protest to anything, I felt his arms pull me tightly against him in the first embrace he'd ever given me. "I can't believe you remember that…" he said through his teeth.

I kept my face hidden, rendering my inward cries as softly as I could. But the jerkiness of my breathing gave me away, and the Hylian gently squeezed my arm.

"Of course I do…" I whispered, "It was the last thing you said to me as kids..." There was a long pause once more, and the only noise to be heard was my desperate attempts to stop crying. I'd strictly told myself to be strong in front of him, and I hated myself so much for stumbling again.

Then, Link said something I wasn't expecting at all, "You stupid girl...it was never my intention to hurt you..." His tone was softer than before, and it was hard to believe he was actually trying to console me on a certain level. What had happened? Why had he changed so much? I briefly recalled the look he gave me back in the Chamber of Sages, but it didn't answer any of the questions.

I took deep, long breaths, and waited to see if he'd say more.

Which he did, "Listen, back then I was all caught up in everything. Surely you understand. I was stressed, and my anger towards Ganondorf pushed me over the edge. But I want you to hear me...I'm going to take care of you from now on. I don't know why or how...but you remind me of someone I once held precious to me...and I won't lose you like I did her."

'Her'...?

It took all I had to hold back the tears, but, finally, I succeeded right when he positioned me to look at him. My expression was one of shock and confusion. He'd never mentioned this before, let alone opened up in such a way. Who was this person he spoke of?

"You mean…Saria?" I felt the need to ask.

He shook his head. It still bothered him how I knew so much in the first place, but he'd learned to go with it for the most part. "No. And I don't want you to ask me about it, actually. It's not something I'm willing to share. For now, just tell me you'll forgive me..."

"That's enough…" I told him.

He removed his hands from my shoulders. "Is that your way of saying I'm in trouble?" he asked.

I could sense the nervousness behind his voice, and shook my head. "You were just blabbering…that's all," I said, and looked away. "I guess…I forgive you, though…" I wasn't even too sure myself if that's really what I meant to say, but if it stopped him from groveling, then why not.

Sure enough, he settled down enough to calm the atmosphere once again. "May I…ask a favor of you?" he questioned.

"Depends…" I answered.

In a seemingly annoyed fashion, Link lifted his hand and grasped my down-turned chin between his thumb and index finger. Then, to my surprise, he turned my head towards him so I had no choice but to stare straight at him. Either that or look like a fool. He stared at me for a quiet moment with those bright eyes of his that seemed to say something...as if a cry from a distant past...

And then, "Just...look at me when I'm talking to you. That's all I request." He let go, and stood from the bench. "Got it?" he asked.

I nodded, completely shocked.

Did he just…demand that of me? I thought.

Navi's jaw hung wide open as she watched Link cross to the other side of the room with his emptied plate. "That was…interesting…" she said to herself.

But Link heard her comment. "What's so interesting about it?" he asked, while rinsing his dish in the sink.

The little fairy chuckled, "Ooooh, nothing! Well, I'll be off now. Want to check on the other forest fairies, it's been a while. Ok well, see you guys, it's been nice, be back tomorrow! Goodnight!" And with that, she zipped off out of the tree house as fast as she could.

We stared after her, both knowing that was an odd scenario right there, even for Navi.

"Weird," Link stated, and made his way over to the cabinets to put the plate away.

"You've never asked a favor quite like that one before, have you…" I said as more of a statement than a question.

"No, guess I haven't…" was his reply as he slowly shut the cabinet door.

I gave him an odd look, but then finally…a smile graced my lips again. That time, not because I was laughing at him…but a real smile. It was only a small one…but it was there. "So…do you forgive…me?" I asked softly.

He turned back to me on his way over to the window to shut it. "For…?"

I could see he plainly had no idea why I'd asked that. "For being such a drag ever since we left the chamber," I answered.

He turned and shut the single window over his bed before facing me again. But when he did, I saw he wore a genuine grin on his face as well as he eagerly nodded. "Of course I do."

I sighed in relief. Then, standing up from the table, I began clearing the rest of the dishes as my mood slowly rose out of the ditch it'd been stuck in. As I was putting them away, I saw the rest of the crammer still left on the table.

Link saw me pick it up and look at it. "You can finish it if you want," he told me.

I nodded gratefully, and popped the big piece into my mouth.

This is so good… I thought to myself.

Link looked around the room, seeming to be deep in thought. I noticed he was about to say something, but then he changed his mind and started pacing a little.

I watched him curiously as I swallowed the fruit with a sound gulp. "Something bothering you?" I asked, putting the remaining jerky back into its cupboard.

"This house…it's so…small," was his reply.

Having no idea what he was getting at, I simply finished cleaning up, and waited to see if he'd tell me anything else.

"Where are you going to sleep?" he asked suddenly.

Immediately very wary of the situation, I spun around and stared at him in disbelief. "You…" I pointed to him, "…want me…to sleep in your house…" I pointed to myself and then at him again, making sure I was hearing him clearly.

"Uh…you had something else in mind?" he questioned.

Realizing I hadn't even thought about it, I found myself in quite an awkward position. It would be cruel to throw Link out of his own bed just because I was a girl. And it'd be downright wrong of me to share it with him since we had gotten older. I may have missed out on most of my teen years, but it was obvious we could no longer huddle together under a tree like the old days. Even the physical way I felt around him had changed significantly.

I walked over to his bed and carefully lifted the corner of each sheet, counting them. There were three thin ones over the mattress, and I swiftly took the top one off. Then, walking over to the huge tree stump in the middle of the room, I flung the sheet out over the surface of it and stood back.

"That's where I'm sleeping," I said pointing to the stump.

Link's expression portrayed his thoughts perfectly. "…Are you insane?! That stump's hard as a rock!" he said.

I nodded and shrugged, pretending it didn't matter. I folded the sheet over twice for extra padding to see if he would be satisfied. But he wasn't…not in the least.

"Autumn…" he muttered in an almost scolding tone.

I sighed and turned from him. "There's only so much that can be done about it," I reminded him.

The bag that I had packed as a kid was still draped over my shoulder. It had been there the whole time and I'd grown so accustomed to it that I'd forgotten it was there completely. I quickly swung it off my body and set it down on the table. As I began to dig through it, I found that almost everything had been ruined, including my extra outfits and hygiene supplies.

"Goddamn it!" I cursed aloud.

Link rushed over to see what I was fussing about, and when he saw me pull out a shirt ruined by the elements, he figured it out on his own.

"So, let me get this straight…you took a fabric sack with you through all of those missions without even thinking of the consequences…"

"Would you just shut your mouth? It all just slipped my mind, for Din's sake!" I immediately quieted after those last few words had escaped my lips.

Link stared at me, obviously surprised as well. Despite the fact that I had ridiculed him for speaking in thick Hylian terms as kids, for some reason I'd just turned right around and used some of the vocabulary myself. He couldn't help but laugh, though I simply ignored him, and focused once more on my bigger problem.

Slamming the ruined shirt down on the table, a light flashed across it as my anger channeled through my arm in the form of a spark.

Link silenced when he saw this.

It wasn't anything new to me, though, so I continued ranting on. Throwing my hands in the air, I whipped around, and practically stomped across the room in a fit. "Yeah. Oh yeah, this is just great! Just when I thought everything was going to be alright, and everything was in place and working according to plan, I have to go and lose the only things I needed to practically stay civilized out here!"

During my pity-party, I heard Link say my name as if trying to get my attention.

"Uh…A-Autumn…?"

But I ignored him still. "Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this; I mean seriously it's like I was never MEANT to be in a good mood, I just wasn't!"

"Auttie, I think you better…"

"Shut up! Can't you see I'm in the middle of a crisis?! This is BAD! This is VERY bad! I'm now stuck in this strange place with only one outfit that's ripped to hell! And even if the other stuff didn't get ruined, it certainly didn't grow to fit my new size along with me. This sucks!"

"Will you pay attention?!"

"No! Just leave me to mourn my ruined life in peace…" I plopped down on the floor only to have Link march across the room, drag me back across the floor by my arm, and force me to look at the shirt a second time.

My sharp gasp resounded throughout the small room, and I snatched the garment out of his hands to stare at it. I turned it over and over, making sure that what I was seeing was real.

"It…it's completely restored…" I stated, thoroughly mortified.

"It kind of looks like it fits you now too, doesn't it…?" Link was equally shocked.

Suddenly, I remembered back to the day I'd left for Hyrule. My alter ego…she…she totally repaired our clothes after our duel. Could I have finally…figured out the secret?

I jumped up, surprising the Hylian a bit. He saw the expression on my face, and couldn't quite tell if I was sad or…happy. Truth be told, I was simply excited to the point of shedding 'happy tears', but I refrained. "Link, do you know what this means…?"

"That…you…have more freaky powers now…?"

"YES!" I threw my arms around his neck and lifted my feet off the ground in a happy spring.

"Agghh…!" Link, however, wasn't prepared for it and almost fell completely over.

Letting go of him, I passively apologized and returned focus to the matter at hand. "So…by placing my hand on these objects and thrusting energy into them, it somehow creates a link to my mind…maybe…" I began, and gently rested my free hand on my bag while the other held my shirt.

"And that's just plain weird…y'know, you sure do change moods rather quickly…" Link coughed.

"Shh…! I'm concentrating…" I said and closed my eyes.

Link felt his body wince as another surge of light sifted into my little bag and through all of its contents. Even though he himself couldn't create such a wave, he could certainly feel its effects.

A slightly brighter light flashed over the sack for only a split second before disappearing into nothing. Then, taking a deep breath, I slowly reached into the bag and brought out my only hairbrush. Nothing was wrong with it whatsoever. The water damage was gone, it wasn't melted, the fish smell was absent, and all the bristles were in place.

Right then, I could've exploded with excitement, but decided it was best to contain myself for another moment. Even though I was happy, I was beginning to feel unusually weak. My eyelids grew heavy, and I found myself needing to use the table for support.

"Hey…what's wrong?" Link asked, placing a hand over my shoulder.

I kept my eyes on the bag as I attempted to answer, "Guess it looks like…I need quite a bit of energy in order to make it all work…" There was a slight hint of amusement in my voice even though I had begun to tire. The feat I'd just accomplished was incomparable. I wasn't entirely certain how the process worked, but perhaps it was something I could force my alter ego to explain when I saw her again.

Reaching back into the bag, I pulled out a bottle of sorts...and then instantly regained my previous vigor. "Yes...yes...YES! YEESS!"

The Hylian backed off again. "What?!" He wasn't sure how much more of the outbursts he could take. I'd transformed from doom and gloom, to anger and rage, to happy go lucky all in under half an hour. Would it ever end?

I whirled around and pressed the plastic container onto his chest to make him look at it as closely as possible. "SHAMPOOOO!"

"Auttie...I don't even know what the hell that is."

"Doesn't matter!" I exclaimed, turning to put it back in the bag. "I love my younger self right now."

And right when he thought he was finally off the hook, a blinding light flashed in his face as I brought out the flashlight. "OKAY. I don't know what in the name of Din that is either, but it's time to find you a place to sleep, missy."

Before I could protest, he grabbed my wrist, and pried the light from my hand, putting it back in the bag.

"No, no, wait - you have to turn in off!" I quickly reached in with my free hand, and pushed the button again to save the batteries.

"Are you finished?" he asked.

A smile told him I was.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how I was going to sleep that night. When I wanted to master something new, I'd stick with it day and night until I'd reached a goal - even if it meant limited rest, just like I'd done before I reached Hyrule. But I wasn't about to let him know that.

"So then…uh, shall we hit the hay for the night?" I asked, changing the subject suddenly to avert attention away from me and my spastic tendencies.

Link nodded slightly, a bit confused, but then noticed I'd started to glance around as if looking for something and couldn't find it. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Well, I'm trying to find some sort of place to change, but it doesn't look like there's anywhere in here I could…" my voice trailed off as I continued to search.

Link thought for a brief moment. "I'll just…go outside while you change in here…besides, I need some fresh air anyway." Then, with a deep breath, he nodded to me and walked out the door to the small balcony, pulling the thick curtains closed behind him.

Shrugging in satisfaction, I snatched a set of restored, blue pajamas from my bag. Peeling the worn garments from my figure, I took sudden note of just how much my body had changed. There I stood…just staring for the longest moment.

"Wow…" I suddenly breathed.

My right hand subconsciously moved to examine the new aspects I was thoroughly unfamiliar with. I briefly wondered what all I would need to do to compensate for the change, and looked around to maybe find a solution. Tiptoeing over to a pile of supplies stacked by the doorway, I began rummaging through until I came upon what looked like a medicine box. Opening it up, I did indeed find some dried herbs and a roll of bandaging, much to my relief. I removed the entire roll of white fabric and returned the box to its spot on the floor.

Very carefully, I began wrapping the soft strip around my upper torso again and again, doubling up just under my chest, and then covering the rest with single passes, ensuring enough room was left to breathe. I used the entire roll and secured the end tightly into the folds when I was through.

That should do it… I thought proudly to myself.

I wadded up the old clothes and threw them in a corner to be fixed up later, and then got changed into the bed clothes with a fresh pair of underwear as quickly as I could. So comfortable...I can't even describe the absolute bliss I was in at feeling those loose, clean clothes against my skin after so long. As soon as I was decent again, I called Link back in.

When he came stumbling back through the curtain, he was visibly shivering.

"What the heck happened?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing…it's just…freezing out there…that's all," he answered.

"Heh, sorry…" I took another sheet from his bed and placed it on his back to try and warm him a little. "Alright, let's try to get some sleep now. I've got a feeling it'll be one of the only times we even get to rest in a bed of some sort. Seeing as how there are numerous sages and… " I sighed and made my way over to my bag again.

After whipping out a tooth brush and some toothpaste, I sauntered over to the sink to brush my teeth while Link quietly sat on his bed and watched. Via the mirror over the sink, I could see him staring at my attire, and the toothbrush. After spitting into the sink, I turned slightly and told him, "Twenty-first century first world luxuries...perhaps you'll become personally acquainted with them someday." My smile afterward caused him to turn away, brow raised, and shaking his head.

"Straaange world you come from..." He stared at his sword and shield leaning against the wall and sighed heavily. Then, kicking off his boots, he pulled his feet up onto the bed with the rest of his body and covered himself with the remaining sheet.

Finishing up with my final rinse, I spit the cold water out into the sink one more time and wiped my mouth with my sleeve. Glancing back at the Hylian, I intended on asking him if he wanted to change as well when I surprisingly saw he'd already fallen asleep.

Wow…he must be exhausted… I thought. Oh well. I'll get him to clean up eventually.

Tiptoeing quietly over to the table, stuffed my hygiene supplies back inside, and then a slight shimmer of light caught my attention when I went to close the bag back up. Reaching into the sack, my fingers slid across a familiar smooth surface. Quickly clutching it, I took it out of the bag and held it at my side. Then, I leaned down and blew out the single lantern on the table that had been lighting the room. I hadn't even noticed when Link had lit it, but it sure was a powerful little thing.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I plopped onto my hard, makeshift bed. I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep…not on that thing. It'd make no difference than if I slept on the floor. It was sad really. You'd think that after a long day I'd deserve better. But my fate decided other wise.

Tiredly, I raised my hand up to glance at the object I held. Running a finger down its sleek surface, I admired the wand in utter fascination. It brilliantly flashed in my hand as I turned it over to see it in the slight moonlight that came into the room from the doorway.

Universe... I mentally whispered, ...it's almost time. I can feel you... And it was true. Ever since I'd awoken in the Chamber of Sages, there had been new energy pulsing through my whole being. It was just as my alter ego had stated. The soldier...had developed immensely.

A quiet prayer was issued to thank the Lord for all he'd done for me thus far. Even though I was in a distant land, I knew He still heard me, and that gave me comfort.

I glanced over at Link as he slept. Such a soft face…it didn't look like that of an experienced fighter.

Right then, I made a silent promise to him. I vowed never to let him fall victim to the cruel lifestyle of a battle-stricken hero. I wouldn't let him fight alone…and I would make sure he remained a content, pure-hearted individual.

Feeling satisfied with my mental commitment, I quickly reached over and slipped the wand back into my bag.

It's now time to test my limits once again… I thought in a slight giddiness.

However, I had to go about it as quietly as possible. If Link found out what I was up to, he'd kill me himself. I stripped the sheet off of the stump, and stared at the bare surface for a moment. Then, slowly, I placed my index finger about four inches from the edge, and thrust my energy through my arm again, concentrating it into a single point on my fingertip. The stream of energy pierced the wood. A few shavings flew up accompanied by a light buzzing sound, but no substantial disturbance. I began to trace around the stump's circumference, keeping the same distance from the edge all the way around. The power I'd attained was incredible, and I found it hard to believe that being asleep for seven years could really have made such a difference for the senshi.

When I'd completed the sphere, I moved my hand, and placed my palm flat it in the center. With another jolt of energy, the circle I'd created suddenly moved downward, cracking as it did so.

I suddenly stopped, and looked over to Link. He was still sleeping soundly…as if nothing had happened.

Right…he's a sound sleeper. Who else could sleep through Navi's squeals and the shrieks of stalchildren…

Giving a sigh of relief, I turned back to my work, and continued.

I placed my other hand on the stump as well, and began pouring my energy out into it, causing it to go down again, driving it further and further into the soft soil far below the tree. The wood snapped and cracked as it slowly gave way due to my outer incision. Soon, I was inside of a circular wall that I had created from the stump's outer ring.

But I wasn't finished. I was aiming to make Link's little house juuust a bit bigger. And, to do that, I would have to extend it underground. What a crazy thought! I was already feeling exceedingly weak, so I would have to use my energy wisely.

Down, down, down I pushed the inside of the stump until it had sunk far enough into the dirt along with the tree's roots. And then, suddenly, I felt the soil around me.

I stopped a moment, and took a breather. Looking up, I could see the room far above me, subtly lit with the moonlight. Then, I looked down to the spot in front of me. It was nothing but dirt.

Finally, I was underground and could start the real job.

††††

Link woke up the next morning to an odd smell in the air.

He looked over to the stump but I was gone, only the sheet was left covering it.

Getting up out of bed, he glanced around a bit to find the source of the strange smell. When he found nothing, he tiredly made his way over to the sink to rinse his mouth out. As he did so, he noticed my hairbrush and decided to try using it.

He discovered that it worked better than any of the brushes the Kokiri ever made. His hair became smooth and flawless in no time. Finishing at the sink, Link walked back over to the stump.

"I wonder…where she could have gone."

With a deep sigh, he turned around, and sat on the large platform…or…he tried to. Suddenly, the sheet gave way under him and he found himself falling into what he thought was a solid piece of matter.

"YAAHHH!" he screamed as he flew to the bottom of the pit. He landed hard on his rear and let out a sharp cry of pain.

"I'm still sleeping…this has got to be a nightmare… But…that felt so...damn real…!" He slowly stood and looked around, rubbing his backside. He noticed he was surrounded by dirt and tree roots, but it wasn't at all loose. It was packed in tight, and seemed to be glazed over with some sort of sealant.

He raised an eyebrow, and turned a bit to see a narrow opening that led into the soil. He ducked a bit to get into it and realized that all of the dirt was packed in and sealed.

"What the hell is going on?" he questioned, noticing that the smell was stronger down there.

He found himself in a dark passageway, but noticed it was only a short one. For there was a light not too far up ahead, and he pushed forward to get to it. Suddenly, the small hallway opened up into one big room, about fifty square feet, which was lit with two, bright lanterns. One lantern was hung by the walkway Link had just emerged from, and the other hung on a wall on the far side of the room.

Then, his eyes grew wide as they fell upon my knelt figure. I was hovering over a little controlled campfire that was contained on a large, leveled rock facing away from him. He noticed I was holding an iron pan over the flame with a cloth on the handle as a heat reducer. He silently walked over to me and peered over my shoulder to see what I was doing.

"What the…?" he started, with one eyebrow still raised.

I jumped slightly, almost dropping the pan. "Woah…! Jeez don't ever sneak up on me like that…" I said.

Link only shrugged. "Oh, well I'm sorry you didn't hear me crash land into your massive booby trap of a...whatever this place is. But seriously…what is that stuff?" he asked.

"Don't you recognize it? It's those mushrooms you had in your cabinets. I added some vegetable oil and seasonings I found to them to make them taste better. Sorry, I couldn't think of anything better to make for breakfast…" I told him.

"I've never eaten cooked mushrooms before. So this is all you could think of?" he asked.

"Got a better idea?"

"Hm…" Link moved over to the crates and started to dig through them, wondering why he hadn't known they were missing from the main room.

I watched as he did so while still keeping an eye on my pan. After a moment, he returned to me with two small crammers and a couple apples. "Will these work?" he asked.

I smiled at him and nodded gratefully. "This should be done in a minute. Would you mind getting plates for me?" I asked.

He nodded and went searching for the plates I had supposedly brought down. He found them next to a small barrel of forest nuts. Picking up the plates, he also grabbed a few of the hard fruits and brought them back over to where I was.

Feeling that my experimental meal was ready, I took the pan off the fire and set it down on the stone floor. Then, grabbing a spoon, I dished the mushrooms out onto the plates equally. I saw him sit on the floor across from me next to his plate, but he didn't touch anything. I continued to serve the both of us by giving each of us a crammer, an apple, along with a small amount of nuts from the amount Link had brought over to me. When I'd finished, I looked up at him to find that he was simply...just staring at me. "…What is it?" I asked awkwardly.

"Is this real?" he suddenly asked.

All of a sudden, I began to laugh uncontrollably to the point that my stomach started aching.

He gave me a questioning look and tilted his head to the side a bit. "I'm serious, Autumn, what the heck is going on here? How is all this underground stuff possible? What…did you do?"

I could tell he was being sincere and decided to explain myself then. "I'm sorry, Link…really…I couldn't help but test something out last night. I've been curious about what I've become. My Pulsar Blade attack came in real handy. I went out and found tons of river rocks in that creek just outside your house. I cut them all with the disk, and it made doing the floor really easy. And the walls and such…were made simply by applying a great amount of heat, which wasn't hard to do…it just took a fair deal of energy. I cut the room out with the energy attacks, too. The excess soil is packed into the floors...and some is also in piles behind your tree."

Link listened with interest, but still felt the need to say, "You dealt a lot with dirt…but, you're completely clean."

"Oh, I went back to that little creek to bathe and wash up. I used my shampoo..." I beamed.

"And...how long did it take you to do all this?"

"All night. And it's still not done. I plan to get furniture in here someday," I smiled up at him.

"You're moving in- I mean…you didn't sleep?" he asked.

I could sense the concern in his voice, but I didn't answer. I looked down at my plate and silently began eating a crammer.

Link shook his head at my stubbornness, but still followed my lead and began eating as well. His expression at tasting the mushrooms was hard to read at first. He appeared to be analyzing the flavor, but couldn't quite come to a conclusion. After he'd swallowed, he glanced up at me with raised eyebrows. Then, pointing to my plate, he asked, "Have you tried those?"

I glanced at my mushrooms, and slowly brought one up to my mouth. When I, too, had downed one, I slightly chuckled and nodded. "Not bad." Then, I picked up one of the nuts and examined it. "So…what are these?" I asked, turning it over in my hand.

"They're wild tree nuts that we call sanji. The Kokiri usually ate it as a mid-afternoon snack. You open it by snapping its stem off," Link answered without looking up.

"Oh…" I worked at the little red shell until the stiff stem at the top finally broke off. The hard, outer piece fell off to reveal a little green nut inside. Upon tasting it, I found it had a sweet and salty flavor that appealed to me quite nicely. "You have some interesting food in your world, Link…some of it I have back home though." I said, grabbing my apple.

The Hylian looked up at me finally while finishing off a sanji nut. "Someday, when we have time, I should take you out into the forest to pick some of the shouka," he said with a slight smile.

I recognized the name as a term for sweet berries. I inwardly laughed at the thought of me picking berries. That'll sure pierce the tough exterior…

As we continued eating, I glanced back up at Link after a moment. It was obvious that he was enjoying every last bit of my new recipe which brought on a satisfaction I'd never experienced before. It's kind of fun to make a meal for someone who enjoys it. I'm just glad those mushrooms turned out ok, I thought. Then, I noticed something else.

"Did...did you use my brush?" I asked upon observing his orderly bangs.

He looked up at me briefly with a teasing grin as though he was answering positively while leaving me hanging at the same time.

I left my spot on the floor to crawl over to where he was sitting. He merely watched as I reached up to feel the sleek strands of strawberry blonde hair that cascaded down the side of his face. "You clean up nice," I mused, "just imagine what we could do with you in my world..."

Before he could respond to that, his sense of smell picked up yet another strange scent. "Did you bring flowers down here?" he asked.

"No?" I responded, giving him a confused look.

"Where in Hyrule is that sweet smell coming from...?"

I joined him in looking around for a moment before it dawned on me. "Could it be...my hair?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, really! See?" I scooped up a lock of my ridiculously long hair, and held it up for him to smell. During our time in the Chamber of Sages, it had grown so long that it reached my knees by that point, and was nearly completely straight due to its weight, save for a few, rebellious curls toward the ends.

Link hesitated a moment, and then leaned in to take in a quick whiff of the dark, auburn strands. To his surprise, it was scented exactly like blooming spring flowers. "Gods...how did you get it like that?!" he asked in awe.

I chuckled, and leaned in closer to his ear before repeating, "...Shampoooo!"

As I made to move away again, his arm caught my shoulders suddenly, and my back was pulled into his chest where he held me firmly. I nearly lost my breath when he put his lips to my ear that time.

"You know, I think I want to enjoy this a little longer. It's not every day you run into people who smell like paradise."

I had no idea what to say. The process of trying to regain my composure after his most unexpected gesture was a definite struggle.

"So, explain this 'shampoo' stuff to me now," he said, examining another lock of my hair with his free hand.

"It...it cleans your hair...and your scalp. It's like a...an advanced kind of soap that is made with appealing scents infused into it..." I did my best to explain it to him, but my face was hot, and my heart was beating so hard, I could barely hear myself think. I attempted scooting away again, but he reaffirmed his grip on me. "Link, please..." I begged, not entirely sure why I was so desperate.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm not that girl," I replied starkly. "Whoever she was, I'm not her. Let me go."

He didn't have to be told again after that. I was released, and moved back over to my plate to continue eating in silence.

††††

When we'd finished our breakfasts, I collected the dishes and put them in a stack that would later be carried back up to the tree house to wash. I decided to finally break the awkward silence by striking up conversation. "So, you said you crash landed down here?" I asked as I put out the fire.

"That's about right, yup," he replied, "I'm not sure how you didn't hear that."

I chuckled. I had heard him fall, but was too busy tending to the fire to turn and see him walk in. Then, after about a minute, I shivered and looked at him oddly. "So, um…when was the last time you bathed?" I asked, a bit hesitantly.

Link scratched his head and then with a nervous tone replied, "S-Seven years ago?"

"Alright, come on, we're outta here," I announced while shoving him back over to the hollow stump.

"Wait, where are we going? How are we gonna get back up there?"

"Just shut up and pay attention." I grabbed Link by the wrist and flew up the shaft as fast as I could.

Once we were out of the tunnel, I set him gently back on the floor, and grabbed my shampoo on my way outside.

Link had to stand still for a moment just to grasp what had just happened before joining me. He burst through the curtains to the outdoor balcony where I was waiting patiently. He saw the disgusted look on my face and tried to figure it out. "I…uh…what exactly is this all about?" he asked.

"It's your turn." Then, motioning him to follow, I jumped off the terrace and landed on the ground as gracefully as I was able.

Link rolled his eyes, but followed me anyway. "She can be so hard to deal with sometimes…" he mumbled.

I heard and shot him a 'watch-your-mouth' glare.

Link was suddenly thrown off guard by a flying deku nut passing by in between us.

"Hurry!" I shouted, and made a run for the creek.

Confused though he was, Link quickly pursued me as to not get caught in the crossfire. We made it to the brook in no time, but only to be met by a stray octorok. Once again we found ourselves dodging the flying debris and waiting for an opening to attack. Link had left his sword behind for he hadn't realized the evil that had settled in his own hometown. After all, he was close to blacking out the first time he'd returned to the place.

With a swift movement of my hand, I tossed one of my trusty CD-sized energy disks at the annoyance of a creature, causing it to erupt in the explosion. Finally, there seemed to be no more immediate disturbances. I looked back to see Link with a horrified expression on his face.

"Why…are there…monsters in my village?" he asked with a shaken voice.

"Ganondorf…" was my reply. I refrained from saying much, however. I knew he was a bit traumatized, and the whole thing would just have to sink in somehow. But I hoped my next statement would give him confidence. "We'll destroy him and his chaos in due time, Link. Please, try to understand how the times have changed though…" I told him. I saw him wince and shut his eyes tightly. Then, after a long sigh he made his way over to me.

"You'd better be right about that," he said firmly. "In the meantime…how the heck did you bathe with all these enemies out here?"

"It helps to be able to obliterate such nuisances at will," I smirked, letting a little, white spark dance around my fingertip. I saw the slightest trace of a similar smirk appear on his face before he turned away from me.

"I trust you'll stand guard, then, as I take care of my own business?" he asked.

"Of course," I replied, as I handed him the shampoo. "Only use a little bit, it doesn't take much. Wet your hair, then scrub this stuff into it until the bubbles are all over. After that, rinse thoroughly."

Link was quick to cleanse himself, I noted. What took me ten minutes only took him five. It was incredibly amusing listening to all his reactions to the shampoo, though. To say he was fascinated is an understatement.

In due time, I heard the water slosh behind me as Link hoisted himself out of the creek. I was about to turn around when he suddenly shouted, "Stop!" I froze instantly, but still wondered what the problem was. I could feel his stare on me, unmoving. To be honest, it was making me nervous, but surely he had some reason for it.

"What's wrong?" I asked after a few moments, keeping my back turned away from him.

"Well…" he started, "It'd be kind of pointless if I put my filthy clothes back on, wouldn't it?"

I began fuming. "You mean you didn't think about this ahead of time?!" I yelled.

"To be fair, neither did you, Miss rush-out-the-door..."

My brow twitched in frustration. The thought of running back to the house to get something to cover him was quickly dismissed. He'd become a target for enemies, and I wasn't cruel enough to put his martial art skills to the test like that…not when he was…well…anyway.

"Put just your tunic on for now, just so we can get back to the house," I ordered.

"But it's dirty," he reiterated.

"Flippin' hell, Link, just do it. Or so help me, I will turn around and dress you myself." We didn't have time for prissy little details right then, and I couldn't believe he was actually fussing about it.

Not long after that, he was at my side with nothing but his long, green shirt draped over the larger part of his body, clinging to his wet skin. He nodded to me, and then we were off.

Skillfully, we maneuvered our way through the small field to the tree house, running the whole time. Flying projectiles, such as deku nuts and rocks, were hurled at us by the many enemy creatures infesting the area. I glanced over at Link to see if he was having any trouble, but he wasn't.

Instead, there was a look of satisfaction in his expression. And it actually seemed like he was having an easier time than me. But…maybe I was just seeing things.

Barging into the small home once again, I let myself plop onto the floor and let out a relieved sigh. "We will definitely have to get rid of those soon…" I breathed.

Link glanced down at me before walking past my limp figure and tossing his belt and white under-suit onto his bed. "By 'we'…you mean me, right?" he asked, and slightly turned to look at me.

My head snapped up to meet his gaze, and my eyes were sure to display the shock I felt just then. "What…do you mean by that?" I inquired, my voice filled with wonder. I watched as his left hand rested on his hip, and his lips curl upward in a smirk.

"You were having trouble just now…weren't you…" It wasn't really a question.

He noticed…?!

For a moment, I panicked. Why had I seemed to be struggling? As far as I knew, I surpassed him in...

Wait…

I sat there debating what could have possibly happened back there for a little longer. I stared at the floor, feeling that steady gaze of his on me again. It was nerve-wracking. But…I had to come up with an explanation. "I…I guess…I simply can't move as fast…especially when I'm sleep deprived," came my soft reply. I heard Link make a noise in this throat that sounded somewhat like a 'hn'. I figured he was thinking, but still didn't look up at him.

"It makes sense, I guess," he said after a moment, "But...I think I noticed it before, even when you were fully alert."

I began tracing the wooden grooves on his floor in slight anxiety. I really…really didn't want to bring up any sort of weakness I may have had. But it seemed I couldn't escape his intent look for the life of me, nor the fact that he was still talking about the very thing I didn't want him to notice about me.

"That time when we met Zelda…for the first time in the market…I had wondered why you didn't jump to defend her like I did when those Gerudo guards showed up."

A clipped gasp escaped my lips as I recalled the incident. There was silence in the room. I kept my eyes on the floor, way too ashamed to return his steady gaze. So...I wasn't as quick as I thought I was. He didn't have to rub it in. The truth was, I had jumped up. He was just so quick, I couldn't compare with him.

I abruptly heard muffled footsteps advancing towards me as Link's bare feet connected with the wood floor. Not wanting to appear fazed, I dug a nail into one of the crevices in the floor and forcefully dragged my finger along its length.

But, suddenly, a bigger hand came down and ceased my previous motion. I hadn't even blinked when another hand firmly, but gently, grasped the edge of my chin. My head was forced up again, and I found myself staring at the blonde in a familiar stance.

"Did you forget already? I told you to look at me when I'm talking to you." That was all he said before taking my wrist and hauling me up off the floor. Then, as he turned around, I heard him quietly curse about not having another change of clothes.

Goddamn it…why does he have to be such a prick?! I mentally yelled, but then calmed myself, realizing he probably couldn't care less about me being weak in a certain area. He'd mentioned only wanting to protect me. I was relieved a bit. But then that brought my original concern to mind again. "Link," I said, making him glance back at me again with a questioning look in his eyes. "Just because…I can't move as fast as you…doesn't mean I can't help you on your missions," I stated plainly, yet seriously. To my surprise, he chuckled.

"I know that."

"Then why'd you bring it up?!"

He didn't answer.

"Link!" I shouted.

"It doesn't matter."

"What?"

"Forget I said anything."

There was silence once more as I stood, dumbfounded, watching him rummage through the cabinet by his sink. "You're afraid of me getting in the way of something, aren't you…" I said in a low tone.

"No! Don't even think that." I saw his eyes shoot me a warning glance before continuing his search for something else to wear.

Suddenly, another incident of my so-called 'disability' appeared in my mind.

The fight with Barinade…and those horrifying jellyfish. I'd been so…so incredibly incapable of dodging the offenses; it was painful just remembering it. My fist clenched, and I opened my mouth to speak again, "Just...don't leave me behind!"

He looked over at me, and I immediately regretted saying such a thing.

It really did sound like I was holding him back then. I quickly tried to cover the mistake, "I mean, don't leave me out of your quest. That would defeat the purpose of me even being here. I promise, I won't get in the way!" Somehow, I was still bent on believing that was the problem.

I heard him give a long, heavy sigh before shutting the cabinet and walking over to me. "I told you that wasn't the issue."

"I bet you're lying."

"So tell me, Autumn, why should I bring you along? Eh? Besides the fact that you have a few explosives and psycho dreams up your sleeve."

"Because…" I started, a sly grin beginning to play at my lips. "because I could still kick your ass in a fight even without impressive speed."

"Whoa, back up. Is that a challenge?"

"Heh…not really since fighting you wouldn't even prove to be that difficult." I knew then that I'd struck a cord in him.

"Take it back…" he demanded through his teeth.

"If you want to prove me wrong, I'd be happy to duel you," I teased, feeling very satisfied with his reaction by that point.

He looked as if he was about to punch me right then and there. "Fine," he said sharply, "We'll take this out to the field later. Last one remaining conscious wins." He extended his right hand, his eyes daring me to shake on the bet.

His somehow educated use of the handshake aside, the deal actually rattled me a bit. The thought of loosing consciousness at his hands was a bit unnerving, to say the least. Yet, even so, with the smirk still plastered on my face, I didn't hesitate a second to bring up my own hand and firmly grasp his. It was a dangerous bet, but I was ready for it.

When he pulled away he said, "But y'know I can't fight you without something decent to wear. It's just not going to happen. And why I don't have an extra set of clothes lying around is beyond me."

I thought for a moment. Then, eyeing his usual outfit I told him, "Bring me your undergarment…and take off your shirt." Not a second afterward, I nearly fell over from the force of my hairbrush hitting the side of my head. "Good God Almighty! What the hell was that for?!" I screamed, looking back over to him, and vigorously rubbing my head.

Link's face was red enough to put a tomato to shame. "I didn't know you were THAT kind of girl, jeez!" he shouted from across the room.

It took a while for the sudden accusation to register…and then, "Fool! I didn't say I was going to look while you did so!"

"Oh?! Then why'd you threaten to do it at the creek? Huh?!"

"You were being stubborn!"

"Exactly! I don't trust you!"

"Well, you didn't have to chuck the damn brush at me!"

We were both panting by then, frustrated with not being able to get a break from arguing.

Then, to Link's surprise, I began to walk towards him, a glare still sharp across my face. He backed up a few steps, and put his hands up in front of him, getting ready to block anything I threw his way, specifically a fist. And then, his eyes grew wide, signaling that he knew he'd just backed up into a wall. But I was still advancing.

"Have it your way…" I growled, "if you won't take it off then I'll have to go about this a different way. Prepare yourself."

And with that, I slammed my palm onto his chest, pinning him to the wall. Link's hands instinctively raised up to grab my offending arm with lightning speed. "What the hell are you-"

But before he could finish his sentence, I sent a visible wave of energy through my arm into my splayed hand. It channeled out through my palm and fingertips, and into the fabric I was touching. I could feel Link tense. His hands were gripping my arm like a lifeline, and I honestly wondered how he felt with my energy surging out over him like that.

Only a few moments passed before I pulled away and moved over to the bed where his white undergarment lay.

He watched silently as I went through the same procedure. He then glanced down at his tunic. "You…you cleaned it…" he said quietly as if he regretted something.

"Moron. What did you think I would do?" I put my hands on my hips and shot him an annoyed glance. Then, I saw him smile...just a little…but I knew it was there.

He silently sauntered over to me, and his smile considerably widened. I looked up at him, confused at what he was so happy about. Suddenly, I felt a pat on my head as if I was some kind of dog when he said, "Aww, look! You actually ARE good at something other than making balls of light explode!"

There was a sound 'thwack' that resounded throughout the house as my hand made contact with the side of his face. "Don't go getting any ideas, you jerk! I'm not your stupid maid, so you can just forget it! I was just being nice, that's all! And I'm good at lots of other things like cooking, cleaning, and…"

Well, shit. Now there was a hole I couldn't get out of.

I suddenly felt like pouting all over again. What WAS I good at other than the tasks of a blasted servant and making balls of light explode? I could fly, yes, and I could kind of draw too. But it's not like that really assisted other people.

My arms fell limp at my sides, and my eyes averted to the floor. I didn't realize until just then…how utterly…useless I was. What the hell was my purpose? What was the meaning of life? ...Okay, so maybe I wasn't going that far in that moment.

"Hey," I heard him say, his voice soft, "you forgot about your dream predictions that help me on my quests."

Oh, you mean my memories from when I beat a bloody video game?!

I felt so horrible right then. I truly wasn't that great of a person despite my efforts. "I'm not that great, Link. You had a good point before. Maybe I should just stick with being your stupid assistant. I don't deserve to be your partn-" I hadn't finished when a strong hand clasped my mouth shut.

"Don't say that," he told me firmly.

I looked up at him and took his hand away from my face, irritated that he persisted in telling me what to do. When I went to let go of his hand, I realized it didn't go anywhere…and neither did mine. That's when I noticed he was holding onto it. "You can let go now," I said plainly, eying him dully.

He didn't say anything, only placed my hand back against his chest, earning a confused look from me. "Can you do that energy thing again? It was warm…felt good actually," he said with a playful smile.

Suddenly, a pain struck at my insides again, just like it had before in the room below, Hyrule Field, and when I'd first seen him in the Chamber of Sages. It was so strange. I had not the slightest clue what it was, and it worried me. I felt my face flush a hot crimson, why…I couldn't explain. "Please, let go," I ordered. I heard him let out a little noise of disappointment before releasing my hand.

"Alright, just asking," he said with a shrug. "So, where are you going to sleep now that you busted a giant hole in your fake bed, huh? I mean…not that it matters now since it's only about noon…" he asked.

The word 'sleep' sent a shiver down my spine as I realized I was still running on no sleep. I'd had a seriously bad habit of that since arriving in Hyrule.

Well, that's not cool… I mentally stated.

Walking over to the hollow stump, I jumped down into it and reappeared a few seconds later with the sheet that had fallen when Link had dropped into the chute that morning. It was all I had. And it was a thin sheet at that.

I was about to say something when suddenly…my vision blurred. Shortly after, I felt unusually light-headed.

Link noticed as I began to rock back and forth, trying to catch myself from falling. "Hey! What's going on?! Auttie? C'mon, snap out of it!"

But, before he knew it, I was gone. The room went dark on me, and the last thing I remembered was falling into a much-desired rest.

††††

"What happened to her, eh, Link?" asked a high-pitched feminine voice.

"How should I know…she just fell," came the reply.

That's when I realized I was awake. My muscles felt stiff, and I moaned slightly as I attempted to stretch them out, my eyes still closed.

"Hey, hey! I think she's finally up!" the high voice piped up again.

As I stretched, I could feel my limbs brushing up against something soft underneath them. I definitely wasn't on the floor. With a gasp, I sat up straight, allowing my eyes to snap open in the process. It took awhile to adjust to the lighting in the small room, but I managed after a bit.

"Feeling ok?" I heard from beside me.

Glancing over, I saw him sitting on the floor next to the bed, his ice blue eyes staring back up at me. They seemed brighter than I remembered, but I thought nothing of it. I brought my hands up to rub my temples, and tried to rid myself of the massive headache that was forming.

"What…happened…?" I asked, groggily.

Link shrugged. "You tell me. You blacked out, that's all I know," he answered plainly.

I had to think for a moment. Everything seemed so blurry right then, and it was pissing me off because I hated being less than alert at all times. "You said the word sleep…" I finally said after a minute or two.

Link raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, what of it?"

I chuckled faintly and swung my legs off the side of the bed to rest my feet gently on the wooden floor. "I guess it reminded me that I really needed it," I sighed.

Link nodded, seeming to understand. But I could still see a slight hint of confusion still written on his face. I'm sure it wasn't everyday he saw someone pass out at the sound of a word. I was just weird like that.

"What time is it?" I asked, hoping I hadn't kept them waiting long.

"Dusk," was Link's only reply.

I sighed, relieved that I hadn't slept into the next day at least.

"Well, now that you've got that out of your system, can we go figure out how to exterminate the beastie problem we've got going on outside?" the familiar little voice asked.

I turned to Navi who had obviously returned to her normal floating spot over Link's head. I mentally groaned for I didn't want to have to do any world saving after just having woken up. But, to my surprise, Link was the one that spoke up in my defense,

"Actually, Navi, there's still some things that need to be taken care of first…like the duel Autumn promised me," Correction…what I thought was in my defense.

That time, I visibly rolled my eyes, and silently wished I could just go back to sleep.

But again, Navi piped up, "Oooh, ok. So I'm gone for half a day and you two decide to play games now instead of fulfill your duty as Hero of Time and partner!"

"It's not quite like that. You see…" Link was cut off.

"Don't wanna hear it."

"Ok well, we're doing it anyway because I'm going to prove to her that I'm as much of a man as I say I am, and make her stop mouthing off like a brat," Link shot a smirk at me.

Ehehehe…wow, if I beat him now, that'll be really embarrassing…on both ends… I thought. Before I had time to verbally extend my thoughts, I was yanked up out of bed to my feet where I stood to face the Hylian.

"As a matter of fact, let's go do that right now," the blonde said cheerfully.

"R-Right…now?" I asked, still feeling a little drowsy from sleep.

"Yep! Tell you what, I'll even escort you out to the field so you don't have to worry about the enemies getting to you before I do," he grinned, knowing that was the ultimate taunt for the situation.

Oh, you son of a… That time, I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself. I moved to get my wrist from out of his grasp in order to knock him one, but he didn't let go.

Instead, he darted for the door with me in tow.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Escorting you, slow-poke!"

Needless to say…all traces of sleep were then gone and replaced with an anger that would very soon become the cause of his downfall.

††††

Once we were out far enough in Hyrule Field to prevent any cultural damage, Navi volunteered to be the referee out of sheer boredom. If we weren't going to do as she said and go fight evil, then she might as well do something we wanted to do to pass the time.

Link and I got into place, and took our separate fighter stances. It was silent for a long moment as we simply stood and stared each other down. Our expressions were serious…and neither of us could tell what the other was thinking. The only thing we knew was that we were about to go at it with all we had.

Navi waited until we were situated, and then started us off, "Ready…? Fight!"

In an instant, we darted towards each other.

Link instinctively drew his sword and positioned it for impact.

HOOOJEEZ! I totally forgot about THE pointy object! Smooth, Auttie! I thought. But then, I smirked. It was definitely about to get interesting.

Right before we reached each other, I suddenly jumped into the air and vanished into the descending sunlight.

Link skidded to a stop and searched the skies, ready to dodge an attack at any moment. If he was freaked out at the stunt I just pulled, he didn't show it.

I reappeared directly behind him, and, before he could turn around, I successfully landed a sharp kick to his lower back. Link stumbled forward a few feet, but didn't fall.

"Alright then…" I mumbled, and popped a few knuckles. Link spun to face me and quickly put up his sword.

Why isn't he putting up his shield? I thought, slightly amused. I ran towards him once again with an arm extended to the side of me. A trademark disk appeared in all its bright glory. "Pulsar Blade!" I voiced my attack and flung the energy disk towards my opponent.

In a swift movement that even I had trouble tracking, he brought his sword back and sliced it through the air to meet the offense just before it reached him.

The whole damn thing deflected right off of the Master Sword and came hurling back at me at lightning speed.

I gasped, becoming almost afraid as it came at me. I'd not expected it, and it was going too fast for me to dodge, I knew. But just because I wasn't physically fast, didn't mean my brain wasn't.

I concluded to block the blast instead, right at the last second. Putting my arms in front of my face in an X-like formation, I infused them with my own deflective energy and braced myself. My own attack rammed into me with such an impactful force that I couldn't even hold my ground.

It's gained so much power…jeez! It was as though the Master Sword had actually boosted the attack's energy, but I had no idea how that was possible.

I fell back, and struggled to stay standing. With a little shout of frustration, I flung my arms outward, sending the disk into the air. To make sure it would be of no more trouble, I shot an energy orb up to it, causing both to explode above me. I stood there a moment for a quick breath. I knew I had to be a little more careful knowing what Link could do to my chi.

When I finally looked back over at the young man, he was already running toward me with his blade at his side, ready to swing. He's just filled with determination. Too bad I won't let him touch me, I thought. Although, the sword still worried me.

He reached me and slashed with his weapon only to be reminded in utter disappointment that I could fly.

"What now, Link?" I smirked down at him from the air just above his reach. I saw a scowl cross his face that only added to my triumph. But I knew I couldn't stay up there all day. I had to hit him somehow in order to knock him out. So, with that thought in mind, I used all the speed I could gather in such a short distance and raced to the ground behind him.

Link swung his sword horizontally backwards to hit me. I crouched, and he missed. I used the opportunity to bring out my leg and take his feet out from under him. It worked, and as he was stumbling, I bolted up and connected a satisfyingly hard punch with his shoulder blade.

Link was knocked about ten feet forward, and he landed on the ground, face first.

I heard him grunt, but I still knew I couldn't stop there. Darting after him, I quickly grabbed part of the handle of the Master Sword that he wasn't holding onto.

I've got to get this away from him, I thought. Standing over him, I tried to pry it from his grasp, but he wouldn't have it.

"No, you don't…!" he yelled.

In the next moment, I felt a boot in my gut, and I went flying backwards into a stone wall sitting in the field, perhaps ruins of a building. I coughed and winced from both impacts, and looked back over to him while holding my stomach. Much to my dismay he had already risen to his feet again and was again advancing towards me with a smirk on his face. My breathing rate increased, and I could feel my heart pounding against its bloody prison.

"This is-"

"Not over!" I cut him off.

In a flash, I was standing behind him once again. And that time, I roughly brought my arm around to pull him down into a headlock. "Now…I'll give you a chance to surrender…" I started, but silenced once he began laughing.

"So you can be fast if you want to," he chuckled.

I tightened my grip. "Watch it, buddy, I don't take provocation too smoothly…"

"I can tell."

Why is he so calm...?

In the next instant, I felt even more pain as his elbow connected with my ribs. I was forced to let go, and he used that time to whip around and bring down his blade on me.

Finally, blood was shed.

I stared down at my right arm that had come up to defend almost vainly. There was a fine, bloody gash running down the length of the forearm, and to say it hurt like hell hardly described the pain. I had never been injured in such a way before, and part of me hadn't even thought he would actually do it. Yet alas...the first blood the Master Sword claimed was not that of an enemy...but the hero's own partner.

Thankfully, he'd backed off to give me time to recuperate. Whether it was out of shock that I'd gotten hit, or pity, I didn't care. But right then, all I felt like doing was screaming. Seeing all that blood coupled with the agony was something almost as terrifying as when I'd nearly been blown to bits on Death Mountain. I slowly looked back up at my attacker. His expression was mixed and hard to read. He looked relieved…yet confused at the same time. He watched as I slowly began to stand from where I'd fallen after the blow. My breath was clipped, and I felt energy draining away with the blood.

Then I heard him speak, "Y'know, if you don't feel like continuing, I'll understand. I wasn't expecting you to let yourself-"

"And have you win by default?! Bullshit!" I think I was even more surprised than Link at my reaction. I realized then that I was definitely angry at that point, and I guessed it was because I hated…absolutely hated losing.

Then, suddenly, it felt like the control I had over myself vanished. Instantly, I was on him, disregarding the blade and throwing punches and kicks with an ever-growing fury. With the Master Sword in his left hand, Link only had his right one to defend with. And he wasn't about to try and cut me again, for fear something worse would happen.

But that only angered me more. "What's wrong?! Aren't you going to swing at me again?!" I yelled.

"We're...supposed to…knock each other out…! Not...kill each other!" he replied quickly in between my punches.

If that was the case, why had he bothered to use his sword in the first place? It was a weapon meant to kill, wasn't it?

"Then drop the sword!" I practically ordered as blood from my arm splattered onto his face.

Surprisingly, he complied, and then it was an all out sparing match. And somehow, I found it much more satisfying than using energy attacks. I supposed close-range combat was more my thing. Blood flung everywhere as my arm screamed in burning pain, trying to keep up with my harsh demands for movement. I crammed as much life force into it as I could muster to keep it functional during the fight.

Finally, I found an opening in Link's defense. Putting all my strength into one punch, I brought my fist up to meet his chest. The impact threw Link into a flying spin, and the next thing I knew, his face had become intimately acquainted with the dirt once again.

When I saw that he made no movement after a while, I allowed myself to fall to my knees and catch my breath. My arm hurt so horrifically that I just wanted to rip it off. And what made things worse was that it was my right arm…the one I used most…the one I needed to protect the most.

Guess I learned something today… I thought.

I caught sight of the little blue fairy as she floated her way over to Link to check on him. She hovered over him for just a moment before she hollered over to me, "Autumn! I think he's out!"

I glanced over at her in disbelief. There's no way that punch could have done that much damage. But crawling over to his limp form on the ground only proved the fairy had been correct. I plopped back on my rear with a sigh.

"I guess that makes you the winner then?" Navi asked.

I raised an eyebrow at her. Why the referee was asking me a question like that was beyond me. But then, I kind of figured she didn't really care about her job anyway. "…I guess," I answered. And yet, somehow, I didn't feel accomplished. He hadn't used his weapon because he knew it would cause considerable damage after my first miscalculation. And that technically made him more powerful. But…then again…was it really fair that he had a weapon and I didn't?

Who knew…but as I was pondering those things in my mind, I heard a voice next to me, "Great, so now we can go back and rest up before we set out on our new quest tomorrow."

Navi and I looked over, completely shocked to see a pair of blue eyes staring back at us.

"You're…you're awake!" I exclaimed, once again in disbelief.

Link slightly raised himself up on one elbow, "Yeah…I never actually passed out," he admitted.

"What…?!" was all I could say.

Then, sitting up, Link brushed himself off and turned his focus back to me. "After you got hurt, I really didn't want to continue anyway, so I figured I should just let you win," he explained.

I felt the blood that was left in me start to boil. Oh. No. He. DIDN'T… "So how are we supposed to know who's stronger?!" I asked.

"We don't." Link leaned forward, causing me to lean back. Without another word he pushed himself to his feet, and sauntered off to go pick up his sword.

I stared after him, a slight glare of hatred burned in my eyes. "We shook on it," I growled.

Link heard and glanced over his shoulder to look at me after re-sheathing his blade. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see who fairs better in actual battles, now won't we?" he said, and I thought I saw a slight smile on his face.

I turned away from him to stare irritated at the ground. But, surprisingly, I could hardly even see it.

The sun had set during our duel, and we were left in the silvery light of the full moon. The moon was always full in Hyrule. I guessed it was a good thing since it would really suck if we were stuck in the pitch black of Hyrule Field, unable to find our way back.

A gloved hand was suddenly extended in front of me. With my eyes, I followed it up to the body it was attached to, and then up to his face. His eyes matched the night perfectly, and I couldn't help but stare a moment.

"Ready to go? We should get that wound cleaned up…" his voice shook me from my trance.

I looked away again, and slightly shook my head. His hand retracted, sending an odd and unexpected pain through my chest. Silently, I had wanted to take it, but my proud ego wouldn't allow me to budge.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I took a deep breath, "I…just don't want to go yet, that's all. You can go ahead if you want."

"But you really need to get that wound taken care of. It'll be bad news later if you don't. Don't you remember what happened with your ankle?"

Like hell I know! It's been hurting me this whole time! I thought, but didn't say anything out loud. I then silently wondered when I had started cursing so much.

"Well, I'm not just going to leave you out here by yourself," he stated.

I scoffed at him. "Oh, don't start telling me you actually care."

"Are you mad at me or something?"

My glare gave him my answer. I heard him give a slight grunt of frustration before he started pacing. My inner self told me to watch it, even though he really was on my bad side. I knew I shouldn't be pushing it, because a bad relationship with Link would lead to my utter ruin. I quickly got to my feet and faced him. I was glad when I saw my action had gotten his attention. "So you're willing to stay out here with me?" I asked.

Link blinked for a moment before slightly nodding his head. "But I still think we should get that wrapped first somehow," he said nodding at my arm.

The bleeding had slowed significantly due to my energy reinforcement, but it was still open to infection. I looked down at the gash and gave a heavy sigh. "It can hold on for a little longer," I told him. Even though the pain was so immense that I was getting a severe headache to go along with it, I forced myself to be calm about it.

Link shook his head. "If you insist…but…why do you want to stay out here anyway? We've got a long day ahead of us and-"

"Do you want to learn how to use energy attacks?"

There was an agonizingly long pause in our conversation as Link stared at me in utter disbelief. And then, "You mean…I can…you would…how?" he stuttered.

My lips curled up into a slight smirk, and I took a step closer to him. "Yes or no, Link…" I said, in a serious tone as I watched, amused, as he fiddled with his fingers.

"Uh…s-sure…" he finally said.

I celebrated in my mind, for all I wanted was to spend a little more time in the beautiful moonlight of Hyrule. It was soothing. And…somehow…being with that boy, even though he pissed me off to no end, was strangely comforting, and dare I say…familiar? I had no idea why, but I wasn't about to question my thoughts at that moment. I wanted to enjoy the night. I needed to in order relieve the stress of the day.

"So, shall we begin?" I asked, my smirk turning into more of a smile.

Link nodded, and I began to teach.

---

ehe...yyyeah so that chapter was pretty fricken long. Thanks if you're still with me!