Surprise! An update in one week! This is the second to last chapter in this part of the story. Which means last chapter will end Part II. I was going to have this up two days ago, but the Doc Uploader was down. :( But here it is!

Principessa Dell'Opera: Thanks! Yeah, since they're fourteen, I tried to incorporate the emotions that come with that age. Thanks for reviewing!

Andor1: Yes, I did enjoy the holidays! I hope you did, too! Thanks for the review!

Legend of Zelda 4 Life: lol Ricky and Malon could be miserable together, right? Thanks for the review!

And thanks so much to , ShadowVDP, LinkandZel, Zeph the Mage, and GreenTriforceLuvr for your reviews!

Disclaimer: Didn't own it last week, don't own it this week either.

Rated T for violence, torture, and sensuality

"A kiss is a lovely trick, designed by nature, to stop words when speech becomes superfluous." -anonymous

CH. 25

Link sat on the edge of his bed, glaring at the wall across from him. He'd tried to dust himself off as best he could from fighting on the ground with Ricky. That memory made him clench his teeth. He couldn't believe Impa was going to "discuss" it with him. What had he done wrong? Ricky had yelled first and had attacked first.

The room was brightly lit by the sunlight coming through the windows, casting shadows behind his bed and furniture and carrying the scent of the gardens. Navi hovered silently beside him.

Impa walked into the room, disapproval thick on her face. "Link, what were you thinking?"

He jumped to his feet. "How am I at fault? He attacked me first!"

"And that gave you the right to fight him?"

"I wasn't going to stand there and let him hit me!"

Impa narrowed her eyes. "I expect more maturity from the Hero of Time."

Link glared at her, feeling guilt prick at his stomach, but just slightly. "Why isn't he getting in trouble?"

"He is. And that's none of your business. You need to acknowledge your end of what happened."

"Okay. Fine. I got angry. Satisfied?" He crossed his arms, meeting her eyes heatedly.

The sheikah sighed, shaking her head. "What were you trying to prove by fighting him?"

Link flung his arms wide. "It was in self-defense! What would you have me do?"

"Act your age," she snapped.

"I'm fourteen!" he spat back. "Do I not have the right to get angry at someone? He's jealous of my girlfriend, of Zelda, and was looking for a fight the moment I walked into the stables. I tried to calm him down. And I'll admit my temper got the best of me, but when it comes to Zelda, I'm sorry , but, I get emotional."

Impa held his steady gaze, contemplating his words. Slowly she felt the anger ease out of her and her shoulders slumped. She leaned back against the door frame. "I apologize, Link. Sometimes I forget how young you are. You and Zelda both. It's unfair of me to hold you to a higher standard just because you're our hero. It doesn't mean that you can't experience feelings everyone does at your age."

Seeing Impa relent made Link calm down, the guilt now catching up to him. "No, Impa, I'm sorry. It wasn't just self-defense, I was trying to beat him." He glanced down at the thick carpet, then off to the side. "And as Hyrule's hero, I should be better than that."

Impa walked over to him, quickly crushing him in an embrace. "Don't hold yourself to a higher standard, either. All too often we end up disappointing ourselves. Trust me, I was very competitive in sheikah training. And Touchstone is, too, in every aspect of his life." She pulled back, holding him at arms' length. "And you see how happy he is."

Link laughed, his eyes lighting up with joy again. "True."

The door opened, revealing a smiling Zelda. "Hey, Link, I was looking-" She pulled up short, her eyes going back and forth between the two. "What's going on?"

Impa stood straight. "Ricky and Link got into a fight. I was discussing it with him." She smiled at him. "I'll leave you two alone." She started to walk out, then turned back to the princess. "Did you finish the poetry book?"

Zelda shrugged. "More or less."

Sighing heavily, the woman went out into the hall, closing the door behind her.

"What happened?" Zelda asked, brow bent in concern.

Link sat back on the bed, running his fingers through his thick blonde hair. "When I went to get Epona, Ricky and I got into an argument, and then . . . it got kind of physical."

Her eyes snapped wide. "You got into a fight?"

"Yeah . . ."

Zelda shook her head, eyes narrowing. "I'm going to kill that stable boy."

He stood up, grabbing her arm. "Zelda, no, it's fine. We both lost our tempers. Besides, I can take a couple of hits."

Zelda sat down on the bed, crossing her arms as he mirrored her. She raised an eyebrow. "Did he say mean things to you?"

He let his eyes drift over to the window, the warm sunlight pouring through and pooling on the carpet. "He . . .It's fine."

"No, it's not. What did he say?"

He reluctantly met her gaze. "That I thought I was better than him. And that . . ." He dropped his eyes. "That you just took pity on me because I don't have money and I'm an orphan."

The princess felt hot anger burn inside her. She shook her head. "That's rich coming from him."

He looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Ricky's an orphan."

Link's jaw fell open, stunned. He blinked in shock, struggling to get the words out of his mouth. "He-He-What?"

She nodded. "Ricky's an orphan. Someone left him on the castle steps when he was a baby and my father felt sorry for him. He gave him to the man who worked at the stables to watch over and take care of." She sighed. "Maybe he was projecting his feelings onto you."

Link rubbed his forehead. "Wow. I had no idea."

She put her hand on his face. "I'm so sorry he said those things. You know they're not true."

"Actually my parents are dead. And I don't have any money."

She smiled. "You know what I mean, Link."

"I know," he sighed. "And I shouldn't let that hurt me, but . . .it kind of does."

She hugged him tightly and then pulled back to kiss his mouth. "I love you."

He smiled, those words seeming to make everything better. He hoped that, no matter what happened in the future, that those three words would always possess that power to drive away the darkness. "I love you, too."

"So," she sat back. "I came to find you because I have a job for you, Hero."

"Oh, really?" He cocked a grin. "What is it?"

"I'm nervous about not hearing from Cervantes since the incident with the poe. The King of Wolves," she grinned, "Roofy, said that a lot of poes have been spotted in the woods. And, well, the woods do connect with the shore and Cervantes is a pirate. It might be helpful if his wolves could keep a lookout for us. And I also want you to ask him that if trouble does arise, can we count on each others' mutual support? Did you get that, Link?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Okay. If you still have studies to do, I can leave now. I'd hate for something to happen before I get a chance to talk to him."

She nodded. "Unfortunately, I have arithmetic. Tell Roofy I send my regards. I'd much rather be going with you."

He grinned. "But you're slowly forming into a proper lady."

Laughing, she grabbed a pillow and knocked him the head with it. "I resist all I can. Now go on, I'll see you soon."

Giving her a kiss, Link grabbed his boots and headed out.

The woods were shaded and cool, the thick branches blocking any direct light from the bright sun. Link took a deep breath, relishing the earthy scented air. It reminded him of Kokiri Forest. Although he hadn't been there in years, the memories of his first ten years of life were still very strong. He guessed he'd always remember his own small home, running around the Lost Woods, and playing with his friends. Mido's taunting, which had seemed so terrible then, faded into the background. There had been so much that was great about Kokiri, Mido was just an annoyance.

Link glanced around the thick trees, their roots crawling over the cool soil. Ferns and weeds clogged some areas, and bugs buzzed high overhead, their sound mixing with the rustle of leaves and calls of birds.

"It's peaceful in here," Navi commented. "The first time we were here was to investigate a poe sighting, the second time was rescuing you from a poe. Hopefully this time will be pleasant."

He grinned. "I'm sure it will be."

He walked forward, looking about. "Roofy! Roofy! Oh, great and powerful King of Wolves! It's me, Link! I need to talk to you!"

Navi sighed. "Dogs. Shouldn't he be able to smell us?"

Link jogged forward, his boots thudding against the ground. "Roofy! Roofy! I need to talk to you!"

He went a few more yards before slowing to a stop. He glanced around. "Well, where were we the last time when-"

A black blur slammed into him, knocking him to the ground and instantly pinning him down. Link gasped for breath, his head throbbing. He looked up to see a set of sharp teeth and beady black eyes staring him down. A growl emitted from the huge black wolf's throat.

"Who are you?" the wolf snarled, his voice deep and raspy.

"Link," the Hylian gasped. "I'm a friend of Roofy's."

The wolf chuckled. "Are you now? Just stopping by for a visit?"

Link gritted his teeth, the weight of the animal crushing on him. He couldn't move. "I'm bringing a message from the princess."

The wolf narrowed his eyes. "We don't like humans here."

Link strained his muscles, but couldn't make the animal budge. "Roofy didn't seem to mind!"

"Maybe not, but you happen to have met me today, and I really don't like your kind."

Link started to panic, and he could see Navi in his peripheral vision, flying frenetically. "Please just let me talk to Roofy, we're friends and he'll tell you!"

The wolf grinned. "Too bad. It's been a few hours since I've killed something, and I'm getting restless." He licked his teeth and opened his mouth, leaning closer.

"Slasher!" a female voice barked sternly. "Get off of him."

The wolf stopped, his mouth still open. He abruptly closed it, pulling his head back and looking to the side. "Says who?"

"I do."

The black wolf, Slasher, got off and Link took a deep breath of the air that had been denied to him, Navi darting close. He slowly sat up, his ribs, shoulders, and legs tender. Deciding he was all in one piece, he looked to see who had called Slasher off.

A slender, white wolf stood a few feet away, her head held high and blue eyes shining. She looked over at him. "Are you all right, Link?"

"Yeah . . . how do you know my name?"

She smiled kindly. "Roofy has spoken about you and Princess Zelda. He also mentioned some sort of shirtless, blonde man with nunchuks, but he mostly talked about you. We figured you might come back." As she said this, wolves started to come from the trees behind her, all large like Roofy, but none quite as big as Slasher. Now that Link got a good look at the black wolf, he was bulky and thick, certainly a threatening sight. The wolves behind the white female were of all shades of brown and gray.

Link stood up, dusting himself off. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you."

She smiled. "My name is Angel. I am Roofy's mate."

Link nodded, now understanding why Slasher had obeyed her command. The said black wolf snapped, "And where is our glorious king? He's late."

Angel glared at him, about to reply when Roofy came bounding into the area, his charcoal fur ruffled from a palpable long run.

"Sorry I'm late," Roofy winked. "I see the pack has already been introduced to Link." As he passed by Angel, they nuzzled faces. Then he turned to Link. "What brings you back here?"

"I was coming to deliver a message from Princess Zelda when-"

"You ran into Slasher?" Roofy interjected. He turned to the black wolf. "You know the Hylian is a friend."

Slasher seemed undaunted, his teeth bared. "I don't like humans, you know that."

"We're trying to have good relations, please don't ruin it."

Slasher growled. "It's hardly my fault that you're slower than me."

Roofy held his eyes, glaring, then turned back to Link. He sat back. "So, what did you come to tell me?"

Link straightened. "Zel- The Princess sends her regards, and was hoping that, since these woods connect with the ocean, if your pack could help us lookout for Cervantes. She was also hoping that if trouble does arise, we could have mutual support."

Slasher scoffed. "Typical human to get others to fight for them."

"He didn't say that," Angel scolded. "And if this Cervantes does come in from our shores, I believe we'd want help, also."

"We don't need help," Slasher muttered, but was obviously giving up the argument.

Roofy paused, considering as he stared at the trees. He turned back to the hero. "You can tell her that I agree. We'll keep watch, and help each other until this problem is solved."

"Thank you," Link smiled. Then, trying to think of something Zelda would say, added, "Let's hope we can avert this crisis before anyone gets hurt."

Angel nodded. "I hope so, too."

Link stared up at Zelda's ceiling, cast in blue shadow. He had his hands behind his head, the covers and pillows warm and comfortable around him. The glass doors to the balcony were open, letting in a crisp breeze and silver moonlight. Night had just fallen, and all of Hyrule was settling down.

Zelda emerged from the restroom, tying her hair back, a pink nightgown swishing around her knees. "Long day, huh?"

"Definitely."

She plopped herself into the bed, pulling the covers up. "So, how'd it go with Roofy?"

He smirked. "Interesting enough. I got to see his pack and I met his mate, Angel, a really pretty wolf. And this other big, black wolf that was kind of vicious."

"Oh, really? Did Roofy agree to my proposal?"

"Yeah, he thought it was a good idea."

Zelda smiled. "Great." She settled back into the bed, gazing past the ceiling. "When I get a chance to do things like that, to be diplomatic and have messages sent to other groups . . . it feels good. It makes me feel like I'll be a good queen."

He looked over at her, her eyes shining and a soft smile on her face. "You'll be a great queen, Zelda. You care so much about your people."

"I use to resent it when I was little. Because I was different than everybody else and I had to always look nice, and go to meetings, and learn all these ridiculous things. But now, honestly, even if I do hate to do all those things, I know it's necessary to be a good ruler. And I can't help but feel protective of my country. I don't want anyone to hurt it."

Link raised up on one elbow, turning fully to her. "That won't happen. We defeated Ganondorf, we can stop anyone."

She looked at him, eyes full of affection. "I like it when you say 'we'."

He grinned. "We're a package deal."

He leaned down and they met lips, Zelda bringing one hand up to stroke his face. He pulled back, winking, and then flopped onto his back.

"We got our shipment of eggs from Lon Lon Ranch today," the princess said. "No Malon this time, either."

He sighed. "I wish she would come so we could talk to her and try to get her to calm down."

"Me too, but you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped."

"Do you think Ricky wants to be helped?"

She sighed. "I don't know. He's a good guy, I hope he goes back to that. I value his friendship, but anyone who is mean to my boyfriend is not a friend of mine."

He laughed. "Same here. My girlfriend, that is."

Just then Impa opened the door, her brow furrowed. "Zelda, Link, you need to come outside. There are two talking wolves here wanting to see you."

Both sat upright in the bed, gasping.

"Roofy's here?!" Zelda exclaimed.

"He called himself the King of Wolves," Impa responded. "You better hurry, the guards down there are panicking and it's starting to get the castle in an uproar."

The princess and hero jumped out of bed, pulling on shoes and jackets. Zelda yanked her hair from its ponytail as they followed Impa into the hall, jogging down the stairs and out the entrance.

Guards stood all around two wolves, obviously frightened because the animals' backs came to their stomachs. They had their spears out, standing tensely. Dahnes was there, his hair a mess and a bathrobe on over his pajamas. Touchstone stood beside him, wearing light armor that was evidently thrown on. Maxi was slumped behind them, no shoes or scarf, his hair spiked up and bags under his brown eyes.

"Roofy," Zelda stated as they hurried down to the group.

"Princess," the wolf smiled. He had a smaller, brown beast next to him, obviously for protection. "Sorry to get all of you humans out of bed at this time."

"It's fine."

Touchstone mumbled under his breath.

Roofy said, "I came to inform you that we've spotted Cervantes' ship off the coast. Big, scary one with The Phantom on the side. It had two witches flying around it and a mass of poes on deck. It won't be long until it reaches the shore."

They all exchanged worried glances, thinking over the situation.

"How much time do we have?" Zelda asked.

Roofy shrugged. "An hour?"

"Right," Touchstone straightened. "I'll go wake up the army."

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