I'm SO SORRY for the late update. I know I promised I'd update once a week, but I've been so busy lately. Once again, I'm sorry.

Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! Everything is appreciated!

Song suggestions: Action/Beginning- "Death Mountain" or "Hidden Village" (TP OST) / Romance- "Zelda's Theme" (SS OST) / Drama- "Forest Temple" (TP OST) and "Dragon Theme" (SS OST) / Misc.- "The Sky Fields Island" (SS OST)

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

Chapter 14: The Mask Thief

2045 HOURS.

ROOM 1C, LORULE HOSPITAL, CLOCK TOWN.

DOMAIN: LORULE.

67 DEGREES INSIDE.

It was the second day since I'd been diagnosed with the plague. That meant I had, proceeding this day, twenty-four remaining hours to live. My ears were alerted to a sound of shuffling feet outside my door, and I immediately stood up, battling a head rush. I made my way to the door and pressed my ear to it.

Light footsteps were in the lead, followed by five other pairs. If they were just passing by or coming to visit me, I didn't know; so, I called out, "Who's there?"

I heard someone shush the others. "…Link?"

"Sheik?"

"Yeah, it's me." A pause. "We got you the--"

"Hey!" a faint voice interrupted, coming from the other direction of Sheik and his comrades.

"Oh, you fucking kidding me!?" Sheik screamed. The door clicked, and I backed up quickly as Sheik kicked it inward. He was carrying a large crate, and five others stood behind him. Impa, three Sheikah, and…

"Fledge?" I asked. His wrists were bound behind his back, and he looked oddly calm.

"No time!" Sheik said. He dropped the crate in my room, then spun around to look at the oncoming threat.

I peeked out the door and was surprised to see Ravio striding through the hall, gun drawn and pointed straight at Sheik. Behind him followed ten soldiers, all heavily armed. "Lay down your weapons and surrender!" Ravio commanded, stopping just feet away from the Sheikah.

"Nah, I've been arrested way too many times," Sheik muttered. "Look, bunny boy…"

Ravio fumed at the name.

"…We brought Link the cure. If you arrest me for saving his life, everyone's gonna think you wanted him to die." Smirking, Sheik knew he had outplayed the general.

Ravio lifted up his rabbit hood and stared intensely at Sheik with his dark maroon eyes. He lowered his gun, murmuring to his soldiers, "Fall back."

As I looked more closely at Ravio's soldiers, I noticed something peculiar. For a very brief moment, the whites of their eyes were black, their irises and pupils an intense red. But then they returned to normal, and they followed Ravio down the hall.

What just happened?

Sheik sighed and relaxed his shoulders, turning to face me. "It wasn't easy, but we got the cures."

A relieved smile appeared on my face. "Thank you so much." I looked down at the crate for awhile as a lingering silence settled in the air. Then, not sure if I should or not, I asked, "What did Ravio have a problem with…?"

Sheik bit his bottom lip. "Y'know, I think it was because we kidnapped ol' green hair, here," he said, patting an uncomfortable Fledge's back. "Because he's an HBI agent."

I narrowed my eyes accusingly. "Then why did you say that Ravio was going to arrest you for saving my life?"

Stumped, Sheik sighed and tapped the toes of his boot on the floor. "Okay, fine. I think he may…" he said, then paused, taking in a deep breath. I could tell he was about to tell me something, the actual truth; instead he made up a quick lie, which I could see right through. "We actually hijacked a helicopter. Apparently that's 'against the rules,' or whatever. If bunny boy arrested me immediately after I saved your life, the public would think he wanted you dead. That's all."

I pretended like I believed his obvious lie. However, I knew what Sheik was really going to tell me.

Did Ravio want me dead?

Zelda stood by the large window inside the Clock Tower's agency. The window was actually the clock; however, it was a one-way window. Anyone outside the tower just saw the clock, and everyone inside the agency could see through it, despite the clock's numerals and hands. She looked down upon the city, noticing the passersby absent-mindedly carrying out their duties. The lights of Clock Town struck her as the most beautiful feature the city had to offer; they were golden for the most part, and gave the city a warm feeling. Which, in fact, contradicted greatly from the dull, white lights of Castle Town; the city always made her feel on-edge. Living there in Clock Town made Zelda feel at home. Whether it was the fact that her long-lost father was there or that she was surrounded by people who shared her beliefs about Hyrule, she did not know why.

A bird flew by, a dark, majestic one. It was large, bold, and it flapped its large wings with such grace that Zelda's eyes followed it wherever it went, until it was obscured from her vision behind a skyscraper. She sighed, realizing how such a wonderful thing could be so fleeting. Much like another thing-- or person-- she knew.

Zelda's ocean-blue eyes welled up with tears as she watched the bird fly away. It had left her there, and she felt incomplete, hopeless, dead inside.

Link, she thought, please don't leave me...

The sound of shuffling feet alerted her. She turned around to see her father, followed by the doctor who had tended to Link, Impa, and unexpectedly, Fledge.

Daphnes looked up at Zelda. "Ah, my daughter, I have some news for you."

Interested, Zelda cocked her head, but her previous emotional state refrained from letting her speak.

Impa crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her head upward in pride. "We have retrieved the cure," she said.

A sudden relief broke over Zelda, and she smiled hopefully. "R-really?" She couldn't help but look at Fledge, feeling a little confused. But she couldn't focus on that at the moment. A subtle screeching noise alerted her, and she turned her head a tad to see the source. The large bird had come back from behind the building, flapping its wings majestically. It swooped around in a circle, then hovered by the window. Zelda knew the bird couldn't see her, since anyone on the outside would only see a clock; but this bird seemed to look straight at her, maybe with powers of clairvoyance.

Daphnes nodded. "I had ordered Dr. Don Gero to inject it, and the process is now complete." The doctor nodded at Daphnes' statement.

Sheik stepped forward, looking quite angry. "We stationed guards outside his door, too."

Zelda turned back to look at the group. "Guards? Why?"

Sheik proceeded to inform Zelda about his encounter with Ravio just before he delivered the cure. "We're worried about Ravio," he said finally. "And maybe Hilda; they seem to work together."

"Affirmative," Daphnes stated. "Hilda has similar intentions; she had directed orders, unbeknownst to me."

"What does this mean?" Impa asked, her intense red eyes growing larger.

Daphnes sighed, closing his eyes, immersed in thought. "…It means that we have a misunderstanding."

"A 'misunderstanding,' huh?" Sheik mocked sarcastically with air quotes.

"Yes," Daphnes replied. "This behavior is highly rare for our generals Hilda and Ravio. They are both fully devoted to our cause. Whatever the problem is, we will solve it."

Sheik scoffed. "That's a load of shit."

"Sheik!" Impa scolded. She glared furiously at him.

"I don't care," he said to Impa. "He's the leader? Big deal. I don't need to be respectful; I just need to kick Ganon's ass." He turned back to Daphnes, who appeared surprisingly calm. "You're in denial. Ravio and Hilda are traitors, and they need to be locked up."

Daphnes looked at the ground. "No." He sighed. "I know my generals. I will interrogate them, and for now, that will be all."

Zelda refrained from speaking; it was not her place. Even though she agreed with Sheik, she thought it'd be quite unpleasant to disagree with her father.

Daphnes ended the conversation with a quick "Good day." He turned around and walked swiftly out of the room, head held high.

A silence settled in among the room, and Zelda's eyes averted to Fledge. He looked straight at the floor, avoiding her gaze. "Fledge," Zelda finally called.

He looked up. "…H-hey."

"Why are you here?"

Fledge motioned to the two Sheikah standing next to him. "They brought me." Sheik lifted his head quickly and proudly, then returned his gaze to the floor. Fledge continued speaking. "I was guarding the plague cures with Groose. I think…," he looked uneasily at Sheik and Impa, "…he might be dead."

Zelda fought a gasp as Sheik quickly shook his head. "No," he said, "he was just knocked out. I hit him in the back of the head." Sheik tapped the back of his head with his taped fingers.

A great weight was lifted off Fledge's shoulders, and he sighed, relieved. "I never liked that guy, but it's good to know he's alive."

Zelda dropped her gaze to the ground and said softly, "He's the reason Link was imprisoned."

Fledge didn't seem to hear. "Anyway, Ganondorf ordered us to guard the medical facility, but he said it had to do with the deaths of Loruleans in the Haunted Wasteland. I don't know why, though."

"We know why," Sheik said.

"Really?"

"Yep." Sheik nodded. "Did you, perchance, see the 'weapon' that Ganondorf has?"

Fledge shuddered at the thought. "Those… demons?"

"Yes. Those demons-- Shadow Beasts, they're called-- are the manifestation of the plague itself." And Sheik proceeded to inform Fledge about the horror of Hyrule-- the deep, dark secret that Ganondorf had kept from the public for years, all to maintain his dominance over the kingdom.

And Fledge was horrified. "…Let me join you."

2200 HOURS.

APT. 10A, ANUBIS COMPLEX, CLOCK TOWN.

DOMAIN: LORULE.

66 DEGREES INSIDE.

The doctor said I was okay to leave the hospital. So I departed without delay. When I arrived in my apartment, I felt a sudden relief break over me. I was back home. Everything was the same, untouched from how I'd left it. But the best part of returning home was seeing a familiar person laying asleep in the bed in the corner.

I smiled with great joy, removing all my uncomfortable attire: my hat, gauntlets, boots, sunglasses, vest, and tunic. In my white undershirt and pants alone, I slid underneath the covers next to Zelda. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, and she stirred, opening her eyes to look at me. I was entranced; her eyes were beautiful. Bright blue, like two oceans. Without anything to say, I simply pressed my lips to hers gently. A tear steamed down her cheek, and she tightened her grip around my back as she kissed me. I felt all of her emotions from when I was sick, pouring into my mind from her lips: anguish, despair, hopelessness.

She finally pulled away, wiping the tear away from her beautiful face. "Link," she sobbed, a smile gradually growing, "I'm so glad you're okay…"

"Zel," I whispered, kissing her lips for a short while, "I promised that I wouldn't leave you. I will keep that promise."

"I love you, Link…"

I smiled and pulled her close to me, her head resting against my chest. I stroked her blonde hair and said softly, "I love you too, Zel." I kissed the top of her head, then shut my eyes. The warmth of Zelda's body lulled me to a deep sleep.

0900 HOURS.

CLOCK TOWER, CLOCK TOWN.

DOMAIN: LORULE.

70 DEGREES INSIDE.

"And now that we're all back together," Daphnes said, giving a nod in my direction, "let us get to the task at hand."

Daphnes sat at the head of the roundtable, his back to the gigantic clock. Sheik, Impa, Midna, Zelda, and I sat around his chair.

"Zelda, my lovely daughter…" Daphnes continued. I looked at Zelda, who cringed subtly at Daphnes' word choice. Something had to be bothering her; I'd ask her later. "You have collected three golden shards, correct?"

Zelda nodded and lifted the golden chain above her head, showing the pendant with three golden relics bound together by divine power.

Daphnes hummed. "As you most likely know, that is the incomplete Triforce of Wisdom." Everyone nodded, except Midna, who cocked her head subtly and sat back in her chair, squinting her yellow eyes a bit. Daphnes cleared his throat and continued. "Again, as you most likely know, Link bears the completed Triforce of Courage."

As if on cue, my right hand glowed more brightly. I removed my hand from the table top and put it in my lap.

"With two pieces of the Triforce on our side, Lorule will be unstoppable. But we must first gather the remaining four shards scattered across Hyrule…" He paused and looked at all of us, as if checking to see if we were listening. "…From there, we must defeat Ganondorf and claim the Triforce of Power. With the completed relic, we shall wish for the liberation of the golden kingdom of Hyrule."

Everyone couldn't help but smile at the thought; that is, except for Midna. She kept a blank face, sitting back in her chair and observing each person's reaction. It was rather creepy.

"But let us not get ahead of ourselves," the former king said solemnly, raising a finger. "That matter will be taken care of in the future. For now, I must propose a mission. Link, Sheik, and Midna, you three are to search for another shard in Hyrule--"

"Ahem," Zelda interrupted. "Why not me?"

Daphnes took in a breath. "I am sorry, Zelda, but it is too dangerous for--"

"I'm going." Zelda's voice took on a commanding tone.

Daphnes sighed. "…Fine. You four should take into account any rumors you hear or any research you can find. Any information is vital. Do not disregard anything remotely suspicious."

"And what about Ravio and Hilda?" Sheik asked with a smirk. "Isn't a general going to accompany us, like always?"

Daphnes sighed again, sagging back further in his chair. "Ravio and Hilda are being confined for interrogation." Sheik maintained his smirk, seeming satisfied with the answer he'd gotten. "Until we know their intentions, they will stay put. Besides," his eyes moved to Midna, who nodded, and he returned his gaze to Sheik, "you are accompanied by a general. Agents, say hello to General Midna."

Everyone eyed each other, confused and suspicious. No one knew this mysterious Twili, so everyone wondered why Daphnes trusted her to be a general. And if she was the princess of the Twilight Realm, why would she be devoted to a kingdom in the world of light?

"Ahem," Daphnes said, "you are all dismissed until tonight; be here at 1700 hours."

We all backed out of our chairs and stood up. Zelda immediately turned around and strode out of the room with a frown. "Zelda," I called. She kept going, walking toward the left elevator, one of three on the southern wall. "Zelda, wait up," I called again, following after her. As the elevator opened she stepped inside, and I barely caught up before the doors shut again. I gave her a confused look, but she averted her eyes to the floor. "Zel?"

She looked up at me and sighed. "My 'father'," she said with air quotes, "is already telling me what to do. The man who abandoned me and left me in Hyrule… I don't know him at all, and he doesn't know me; I will not call him 'Dad' or 'Father'… because he isn't my father."

I pressed the elevator button that read "1L" and we slowly descended through the Clock Tower toward the lobby. I sighed and wrapped my arms around Zelda's shoulders, bringing her in to a hug. "Zel," I said softly, "he is your father. It wasn't his fault that he had to leave to Lorule-- at least, that's what I think. I don't know exactly what happened, but I do know that Daphnes is trying to make it up to you. He wants to be a part of your life."

Zelda shook her head against my chest. "No, Link. He easily could have taken me with him-- this is inexcusable. I… can't bring myself to… to forgive him… I can't ever talk to my father again."

I sighed and pulled her away to look into her blue eyes. "No, Zelda, I can't ever talk to my father again." Her eyes widened a bit with sorrow, and she took in a shaky breath. "If I had the chance, I'd spend every waking moment with him… But I don't have that chance." I paused, then rubbed her shoulders reassuringly with my thumbs. "But you have that chance, Zel. Don't miss it."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. I looked out to see the gold-painted lobby bathed in the morning light. Looking back at Zelda, I took her hand in mine. I raised my eyebrows at her, silently asking if we should leave. Zelda nodded, and I led her out of the Clock Tower. After exiting through the revolving door, we emerged into the bustling city of Clock Town, Termina.

Finally Zelda broke the silence that lingered between us. "Let's go visit Robin," she said. "He's only about an hour away, and he probably knows where another shard is located."

I nodded, but I didn't meet her eyes. I was staring ahead, out into the street. A large crowd stood blocking off traffic, circling something. A person. Squinting my eyes, I focused on the figure amid the yelling crowd. A male. Thin build. Across from him stood a smaller figure, adorned with bright clothes and some sort of hat.

"Link?"

I turned my head back to Zelda. "Hold on." I pointed to the crowd. "I'm going to check that out. Stay behind me, and don't let go of my hand."

"Okay," she replied. "Just don't do anything stupid."

"Not sure if I can make that promise."

We made our way past the backed-up cars and came upon the roaring crowd. They placed bets with each other, snickering devilishly while waiting for some sort of fight to start. Once I pushed past the crowd, making my way to the near front, I peered out at the two centers of attention.

The smaller one looked like just a boy-- a scarecrow boy, that is. He had dark skin, almost pitch-black, and bright, beady eyes that were fixated on his opponent in front of him. A large straw hat sat atop his head, orange with a green strap around it. The boy wore straw clothing, also orange, but with green sleeves and pants, a golden buckle, and brown, elven shoes. I had never seen anything like this being before.

The thinly-built man had purple clothes and orange hair parted over to one side. His eyes were nearly shut as he squinted at the boy in front of him, and his lips were curved into a jubilant, though rather creepy, grin. He clasped his hands together and rubbed them, leaning forward to balance out the weight of a giant backpack on his back, overstuffed with masks of different kinds. This man was Rupin, the hologram I'd met in Castle Town. Rupin, the "Happy Mask Salesman," as he called himself. The guy who burned my hands.

Rupin laughed at the boy, then bowed down in mockery. He jerked his head quickly back upward, wearing a freaky Redead mask and even screeching like one. The boy jumped in fear as Rupin removed the mask from his face, laughing hysterically. "I've finally got you, little imp!"

The boy snickered. "I just thought I'd have a little fun with you." He kicked a rock impatiently, then snickered again. Rupin withdrew a brown Goron mask and silently threatened to put it on his face. "Oh," the boy said, "come now, do you really think you can beat me? Fool!" The boy snapped his brown fingers.

Rupin's face morphed into that of the Redead mask's. It was freaky, horrifying; it made a few betters recoil at the sight. Rupin walked up to the laughing boy and picked him up by the shoulders, shaking him violently. "What have you done to me!?"

"Hee hee! Now that's a good look for you!" the boy shouted triumphantly.

"Hey," I muttered to a large man next to me.

He looked down at me with a frown. "What ya want, kid?" He eyed Zelda for a bit, then looked back at me.

"What's going on between these two?"

"I dunno, kid. I'm just here to bet." The man returned his attention to the center of the crowd.

The boy snapped his fingers again, returning Rupin's face to normal. "You put me down, or you'll be looking that way forever!" Rupin lowered the boy to his feet with a grumble. "Good. Now listen. I only got rid of that mask because it's evil. And I stole those other ones 'cause it is wrong to kill creatures for their souls. That Deku mask you had? Yeah, that was my friend."

The boy turned around, but before he could push through the crowd, Rupin swung his fist at the boy. It smacked his dark head so hard that he fell to the ground, knocked out. Rupin shook his fist to rid himself of the pain in his knuckles, the smile wiped clean off his face. Then, eyes pointed at the pavement, Rupin turned and left the center of the crowd, while the betters exchanged winnings.

I tightened my grip around Zelda's hand and led her out of the crowd toward Rupin. "Link, why are you following him?" Zelda asked, trying to keep up with my fast pace.

"He's the guy who burned my hands."

She didn't respond. We finally caught up to the guy just past the Clock Tower, and I tapped his shoulder forcefully.

"What!?" Rupin whipped around, fists clenched. Then, he recognized me, and his crept grin returned to his face. "The lovely HBI agent has joined our side! Aha, this is just grand!"

I glared at him. "No, it isn't. You're the--"

"Damn right, it isn't!" he shouted, the grin gone again. "You stole my job!"

I squinted at him, confused. "What?"

"I'm jobless because of you! They fired me because there would be too many agents after the 'legendary hero' showed up! Since then, I've been a nomad, traveling, searching for even more masks, but then I wind up getting them stolen by little imps!"

I scoffed. "And this is all my fault," I said sarcastically.

"Yes."

Zelda and I shared a confused look. "Why are you here, then?"

The Happy Mask Salesman grinned yet again, saying, "Because, hero. I've come to take your job." He rubbed his hands together devilishly. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

"Nope."

"Eh… what?" Rupin asked.

"No terrible fate."

He stammered, "But-- there's a rumor-- what about the plague!?"

"Cured," I said simply.

"So, technically, you have met with a terrible fate…" Rupin grumbled. "My timing is just a little off."

Well, here's another guy who wants me dead.

Zelda held back a giggle at my blunt, simple replies. She asked, "Why are you so obsessed with worthless masks?"

"Aha! Worthless! Poppycock!" he shouted, laughing hysterically.

"Poppycock?" I mouthed to Zelda. She shrugged her shoulders.

Rupin cleared his throat. "You see… I travel far and wide in search for masks. During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods. He got rid of it, but I do not know where it rests. I went to great lengths to get that legendary mask. When I finally had it... I could sense the doom of a dark omen brewing. It was that unwelcome feeling that makes your hair stand on end... Perhaps it is better that the mask is gone. Admittedly, the imp was trying to rid the world of its dark magic. But it would have been safer in my possession; and now… anyone or anything can find it… use it…" His eyes drifted off to the ground.

"Well, great," I grumbled to Zelda. "Something else we have to worry about."

Once again, I am very sorry for the late update. I'll do my best to update more frequently for you readers.

BTW: Rupin/Happy Mask Salesman had the appearance of the character from Majora's Mask (not the shopkeeper from Skyward Sword).

To be continued.

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

~SausageLink43