Author's Note: Ugh. Did I mention how much I hate the Water Temple? Hating something makes it way harder to write about.

But besides that...Oh man, oh man. This was the best E3 since the one where Twilight Princess was revealed. I was sad that the demo didn't go so well for Miyamoto on stage, but I was happy to find out Skyward Sword worked fine on the show floor. The graphics look incredible (go find some high-quality screenshots and I bet you'll agree with me), and the story sounds really interesting. Not to mention the field-dungeon-field formula is being changed up.

I've already pre-ordered a copy. :3

Reviews:

bmp112: Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying reading it. ^_^

Midna Hytwilian: I'm trying to portray these two guys and accuarate as possible and it just seems to me like they wouldn't get along. It's really fun to write for them. xD Midna is a great character, too, so I'm glad you think I'm getting her right!

BlackRose-FlowerofDeath: Dark Link? Maybe. :3

ano170: Thank you. Even though Link x Amanda won't happen, it's still fun to hint at it. I'm still strictly Zelda x Link, though.

DamnBlackHeart: Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm trying to keep things interesting without straying too far, so I hope you'll keep reading!

why: No, I'm still continuing. I said I wouldn't abandon it and I meant it. There might be times I get stuck or am busy and it takes a while, though. I even have plans for a possible sequel after Skyward Sword comes out and I'm not too busy. Maybe. I'm glad you like it!

There was a ton of people who read this even when I wasn't updating, so I want to thank you guys for being patient. I'm slow, I know. I try not to be. xD;

Chapter Twenty-Six: Switched

I was dressing the next morning when there was a knock on my bedroom door. I finished tying my wrap-around black shirt and answered. "Come in!"

I pulled on the white and gold tunic that Jillian had given me. It was thinner material than my Ordon dress, so it wouldn't weigh me down in the water. With a glance in the mirror, I saw it hung on my frame even better than the Kakariko clothes.

It was strange, though. I hadn't remembered bringing them with me yesterday. But I decided not to worry about it. The new clothes didn't do anything to make me look less frail. It made me look even more girlish than before. Darn it. One of these days, I will find a way to refute Telma's comment. I tugged on the material to straighten it a bit and spun around to see who had knocked.

The door was still shut and no one was there.

"Well, that was weird." I mumbled to myself. As I moved towards the door, I noticed a folded piece of paper on the floor. "Huh? What's this?..."

When I reached for it, I felt a sort of heat emanating from the parchment and I hesitated. Heat? It wasn't like it was on fire. There were no singed edges to suggest it'd been burned, either. As soon as my fingers touched the paper, it exploded in a burst of light, sending me onto the floor. Blue and red smoke filtered up from it, almost like it was alive. Within seconds, it began to take form.

I carefully stood and stepped back. This couldn't be good, could I it? Whatever it was, it was slithering towards me. I slowly moved further back, until I could reach for something. My hand gripped a water pitcher. It wasn't the best idea, but it would have to do.

Wrapping my fingers around the handle, I swung it around and flung the water at it.

Of course it did absolutely no good. There was no fire, just smoke.

"Miss Amanda?" I heard the Princess knock at my door. "May I come in for a moment?"

At the sound of her voice, the weird magical smoke dissipated and the room returned to normal. I laid the pitcher back in its place, bewildered, and went to open the door.

"Good morning, your Highness." I said. "Please, come in".

"Thank you." She swept in gracefully, dressed differently than normal. Her royal crown and jewelry were gone, and her pale blond hair was braided simply. She wore plain black pants and a common embroidered tunic in a shade of blue that reminded me of the blue flowers that grew in the fields near the ranch back in Ordon village.

"What can I do for you?" I asked.

"If you would permit me to, I'd like to accompany you to the temple." She said. "I have a few things I'd like to investigate myself."

I felt immediate relief. I wouldn't be alone in this, after all. But the relief quickly gave way to another thought. "I'd be happy if you went with me. But what about Link? Won't he protest?"

"Oh, I have no doubt he will. But that's the wonderful thing about being Princess," There was a sparkle of attitude in Zelda's eyes and in the air now, and I couldn't help but laugh a little as she said, "He has to go along with what I ask of him."

I laughed outright now. "Y-your Highness!"

She laughed, too. "Don't worry. I don't ever abuse my power over him. We've known each other forever it seems, so he understands me better than that. And I know it's just because he's worried about me." She took a deep breath and regained her composure. " Well, shall we head out?"

I knew he was there before he tapped on the doorframe. "Of course. But could you give us a minute?" I asked, meeting Link's eyes as I spoke.

The princess gave me a knowing look. The same kind Maya and Jillian seemed to like to shoot in my direction all the time when he was around. "Of course." She said, moving out the door as gracefully as she had come through it. "Come to the temple when you're ready."

"Okay."

"What was that all about?" Link asked, shutting the door behind her.

I took it he didn't know what she was planning, which meant the Hero of Time didn't either. Was it bad that I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when she went with me back to the village? "Oh, nothing much. She was just stopping by to say good luck and all that."

"I see." He didn't look like he believed me, but he didn't say anything more about it.

In fact, he didn't say anything else at all. He just stood there, like he was wondering what to say, if anything at all. For the first time since he walked in, I noticed how stressed out he looked. He'd seemed fine when he left the night before.

Of course, I was still reeling from the kiss on the hand thing, so I hadn't been paying attention to much of anything.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Didn't you sleep?"

"Yeah, but..."

"...Did you have another dream again?"

Link sighed. "I–"

There was yet another knock on the door. The Hero of Time poked his head in. "Are you two coming?"

I frowned. "Can you just give us a second?"

"No...forget it." Link said. He brushed past him and went out the door.

He stared after him and jerked a thumb in the direction he'd gone. "...Is he always like that?"

"No...And that's got me worried."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." The hero held the door open for me expectantly. "Come on. Don't want to get left behind."

I resisted the urge to do something immature like rolling my eyes. "Considering you practically ordered me to do this, I don't think that'll happen." I picked up my things, following him out anyway.

"I'd refute that, but I suppose it's true." He sighed.

I didn't say any more as I walked ahead of him. I tried my hardest to remember the way out, but in the end, he had to guide me out. He didn't seem annoyed in the least, but rather he seemed to be in a pretty good mood as we walked along the dirt road into the castle town. He called out to the residents as he passed by their homes and they waved or answered cheerfully back.

"You sure are popular." I said.

"Nah. I've just spent most of my life here. I'm just familiar is all."

"You say that, but..." I paused and waited as he greeted a shopkeeper. "It seems like you know everyone."

"Almost." He agreed.

I know you'd probably never get the chance to see the Temple of Time for real, but you should. The place looks amazing when you take the time to admire it. The cathedral's towers rose up high and it's stained-glass windows were really beautiful and sparkled in the daylight like jewels.

Link and the princess were both waiting inside and speaking quietly about something. I thought I heard her murmur "remember what I said", but she was already turning and smiling with ocarina in hand, so I must've imagined it.

The swordsman came over to me and took my hand. "Actually, just give us a second, would you?" Zelda nodded and he pulled me to the side so we'd have a bit of privacy.

"What's the matter?" I asked. "You've looked stressed all morning. You sort of just stormed out a little while ago, too."

"I'm sorry, Amanda..."

"Don't apologize. I'm just worried about you. I've never seen you like this before."

Link sighed, though it came out more as a huff. "Yeah, well I've never had to deal with something like this before."

He seemed to be avoiding looking at me. Something was really wrong. But we didn't have time to talk about it, so I did the only thing I could think of. "Hey...remember when you asked me to trust you?"

"Yeah?"

"Now I need you to trust me just the same. I'm not going to screw anything up."

"You messing up is the least of my worries. Really." Link hugged me quickly "Just...promise me you'll be careful."

I knew I wasn't going to find out what was bugging him at that moment, so I just hugged him back and gave a reassuring smile. "I promise. Besides, we'll both be in the same place. Just...a few hundred years apart."

"I can't tell if you're trying to make me feel better or worse..."

"Miss Amanda?" The princess interjected softly. "Are you ready?"

I looked back at him and then nodded. "Yeah." I said, slipping away and towards the pedistal where she was standing.

"I'm going to put you back from where you came from yesterday."

"That might not be the best idea. It was in the middle of a kitchen."

Zelda chuckled. "It won't drop you exactly there, but nearby. I know warping feels strange, but bear with it and try to stand still. It will only be for a little while."

"Okay."

She didn't waste a moment and moved closer to me, bringing the ocarina to her lips to play the familiar tune I'd heard yesterday. I finally recognized it as the Song of Soaring from Majora's Mask. I could feel myself being lifted from the ground. The sounds and fast music surrounded me and it took everything I had not to move.

Faster and faster everything spun, until something hit me full force again. But this time it wasn't something. It was someone.

The light faded and the Hero of Time appeared, crashing into me.

"What the?"

"Whoa!"

We dropped into the spring with a loud splash. Cold water swirled around me as I tried to regain my bearings and surface. I kicked furiously and broke the surface with a loud gasp, swimming over to the shallow edge. I heard splashing and him swimming up next to me.

"What the heck was that for?" I said, flicking some water in his direction. "It was a little unnecessary, don't you think?"

"Unnecessary?" He flicked some water back at me. "Didn't you see that...thing behind you?"

"What are you talking about? I couldn't hear anything. And what happened to–"

There was a crackling sound and he grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the way, pressing both of us against the wall near the cave opening. A large tree from the top of the canyon wall fell down into the water creating even a giant wave. I winced as the water hit. The storm was full force, but the spring water was ten times colder than that.

"You okay?" The hero asked, giving me a little space to move now.

"Yeah. But let's get out of this water." I turned and reached for a vine that had snaked it's way around the cliff's edge. It was sturdy enough to pull me up. I reached down and offered him a hand and we both ducked into the cave. He wrung out his clothes as much as he could, but it didn't seem to do any good.

"What a storm. Where are we, anyway?"

"Kakariko Village." I frowned as I stared out at the dark skies. "It was like this last night, but it seems like it has gotten worse."

"If it's anything like back home, this isn't normal."

"You think it could be something other than just horrible weather?"

"Yeah. I have a bad feeling about it." He turned to me. "I know this is sudden, but...would you let me come with you? I know Zelda wanted to, and that you and I haven't exactly been on good terms, but–"

Well, well. He did know her as well as she claimed. "You knew what she was going to do the whole time, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you don't have a problem with it?"

The Hero of Time shrugged. "Of course I do, but unless there's immediate danger, all I can do is advise her not to do it."

I'd think the twilight would be immediate danger, but I didn't say anything about it. I had to get going, and I really would feel better if someone was with me, even if it was someone that got on my nerves. "Fine. But let's split up and check on the villagers before we leave. I'm worried about them. You take one side, I'll take the other. Meet me in the barn when you're done. It shouldn't take too long."

I was surprised when he didn't argue and just nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

I suppose the two Links were completely different (even if they did look almost exactly the same), but it was nice to be trusted for once and not be second-guessed. "Jillian is the owner of the inn. She'll give you anything you think you need."

"Okay. I'll pick up your things when I'm in there, as well."

"They should be in the cabinet upstairs."

"Gotcha."

We ducked back out into the storm. I ran up the right side of the village to the first house and banged on the door. I waited, but no one answered, and the door was locked, so I continued down the line. But they all were empty and locked.

Satisfied they were probably at the inn, I ran up to the bomb shop and had to use all my strength to pull open the door. I slipped inside just as the wind yanked the doorknob out of my hand and slammed the door open wide open and then shut behind me.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Again, no answer. I ran up the small winding staircase, but the top floor was empty, too. Strange that all the lights were still on, but this was Barnes we were talking about. He probably ran as fast as he could to safety. I did a check around the store, closing the windows and shutters before leaving.

The last place was the barn, but I knew all the workers would probably have gotten to safety with everyone else. Still, it didn't hurt to check.

The barn's doors were wide open. It was dark inside and all the stalls were shut tight against the rain, but I had an uneasy feeling. My boots bumped against a fallen lantern on the floor. To my surprise, it was still partially lit. Picking it up, I held it out to light my way. There was a small figure huddled in the corner, and I immediately thought of Siri. But getting closer with my lantern, I saw it was dark-haired and human.

Luda peered at me from behind a large wooden beam. Her normally composed face was twisted in pain and she looked like she was going to cry. Her ankle and foot were caught underneath and she was getting soaked as rain poured in from a hole in the roof.

"Luda! What are you doing in here?" I ran over and knelt down next to her. "Let me see your foot."

"I was looking...for dad..." She said through clenched teeth. "He didn't come back to the inn."

"Renado? What do you mean?"

"Hane and my father got all of the villagers to the inn just to be safe and wait out the storm. After Hane left to go help in the castle town, there was a loud noise outside and my father went to go investigate."

I sat back on my heels to examine the beam. "And he didn't come back."

"Yeah...I was getting worried, so when Jillian wasn't looking I came out here to check..."

I patted her shoulder. "I understand how you feel, but it's dangerous out here right now. And Jillian is probably really worried about you."

"I know..."

"Amanda? Are you in here?" I heard the hero calling from the stable doors.

"I need help back here!" I said. Link quickly ran over and I stood. "We've got to get this beam off of her foot. It's crushed pretty bad."

He examined the wood and shot a quick glance around the stable. "Is there anything that we could use to cut this into smaller pieces? It's too heavy as it is now, even for both of us."

Luda pointed to a shelf towards the front. "There should be a large axe or saw on one of the shelves."

He retrieved it and made quick work of the beam. It was impressive how strong he was without any power gauntlets or anything. "Here, come help me move the pieces." I took one end and he took another and we heaved two of the end pieces onto the main isle.

"When we get this off of you, try not to move, okay Luda?" I said.

She nodded. We were more careful with the last one, gently easing it off of her foot. Tossing the last one, he reached down and handed me something, which turned out to be my bag. Thank goodness. It had medical supplies in it. I found bandages and antiseptic for cuts.

"I'm going to poke your ankle a little, so it might hurt, but I need to know if it's broken. That way I know how to wrap it." It was swollen black and blue already, but I had seen sprained ankles like that, too. I poked it and Luda yelped in pain, grabbing her leg. I sighed. "It's broken. Give me some small twigs or even a stack of papers. Anything you can find to use for a splint."

"Impressive." He said, finding and handing me both.

"Not really. It was required to learn these things in school. And my mom was also a nurse." I used the procedures I remembered from my first aid classes and had her leg set in a temporary splint in no time. "Okay, done. Come on, we need to get you inside where you can rest."

"But what about my dad?"

Link bent down and picked her up with ease. "We'll find your dad and bring him back, but first we need to get you back to the inn."

We tried to make the trip back to the inn quick so Luda wouldn't get soaked.

"Amanda! Link!" Jillian gasped as we burst in the front door. We must've looked horrible, hair and clothes completely soaked through and plastered to our bodies. Not to mention it was muddier than I'd ever seen it.

"No time for that, Jillian. Where is Renado?" He asked.

"He went to the graveyard. That's where the noise seemed to be coming from."

"Let's go."

"Wait!" A voice called from above. I looked up to see Maya at the top of the stairs. She tossed me my halberd. "Catch!"

It landed in my waiting hand. "Thanks, Maya!"

"Be careful, you two!"

However dry we'd gotten in the few minutes inside, it didn't matter as we were instantly soaked the instant we stepped outside. Giant puddles that looked like lakes filled the wasn't any place it seemed like that wasn't full of water. Sandbags went around the spring to keep it from flooding.

The hill to the graveyard had turned into one big mudslide. The ground up there wasn't solid. I doubt anyone had worried about it because it hardly ever rained enough here for a mudslide, but right now it was blocking our way.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" I sidestepped as more mud came my way.

"I have a way if you'll trust me enough not to drop you." Link said.

"What is it?"

A moment later he had put on what I knew where the Iron Boots and scooped me up, starting the trek up the hill. The Hero of Time was amazingly strong. He was walking through the mud with no problem, even with the extra weight of me and the boots. It didn't take long at that pace to get to the top.

"See anything?" He asked, moving over to the top of a grave so he wouldn't slide backwards.

I shielded my eyes from the rain and tried to scan the area as best I could. "Ah! There he is!" I pointed to the very back of the graveyard on top of the hill.

There was a small part of the cliff back there that made for a simple cover. Renado was huddled underneath it next to a little girl that I recognized as one of the children from the village. She was clutching a few small flowers in her hands.

"Okay. Hang on." He jumped back down into the mud and trudged towards the hill. It was high enough and not quite as muddy. "We won't be able to get them out of here until the rain stops, so we'll just make sure they're safe for now."

He set me on the higher piece of ground and I called to Renado.

The shaman lifted his head. "What are you two doing up here? It's much too dangerous."

"We're all right. We just wanted to check on you. Luda was worried." I deliberately left out the part where she'd gone out and broken her arm. I'd let her explain that herself when the storm was over. I smiled reassuringly at the little girl. "Are either of you hurt?"

She let go of her flowers long enough to point at Renado's hand. "He got scratched when he was helping me."

"Don't worry, child. I'm fine. Any bandage would get soaked and ruined out here in the storm. I promise you I'll get it looked at when the rain stops." He said.

I reached back into my bag and handed him a small bottle of antiseptic and some bandages nonetheless. "At least clean it up so it doesn't get infected, okay?"

"That I will. Thank you."

Satisfied that they'd be okay until the storm blew over, I returned to him.

"Are they okay?" Link asked.

"Yeah. They'll be fine where they are."

"We should get going, then. They're probably already far ahead of us." He used the hill to just slide on the mud and we got down faster than we got up. He set me on my feet and we headed for the barn.

When I pulled open the doors again, there were a few villagers in the stalls, running back and forth between Zale and Epona's stalls.

"What are you all doing out here? You should be back in the inn." I tried not to sound bossy, but didn't they know how dangerous it was out here?

One of the young men came out with Zale. "We were getting the horses ready for you. We know you have somewhere important to go and can't waste any more time."

"We'll go back now." Another said, leading Epona out. "We just wanted to do something for you since you two are always helping our village. We also wanted to let you know Hane asked you to stop by Telma's Bar on the way."

"...Thank you." I said. They waved and ducked back out into the rain. It never ceases to amaze me how well the people here get along and are willing to help. I turned back to Zale. "We should get go–Link?"

He was standing there patting Epona's nose softly. He seemed almost in awe. "What's her name?..."

I suppose she did look exactly like his horse. "Epona. After the horse the Hero of Time himself rode. Of course, Ilia is the one that named her, from what I heard."

He was quiet for a while, just stroking her soft brown nose, almost as if offering a quiet apology that he wasn't her owner. Then he slipped a foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up. "You lead the way since I don't know my way around."

It was weird considering this was exactly the same place, but I supposed the terrain had changed over the years. I nodded. "We'll have to take the southern exit and go around because the bridge to town in the east was destroyed."

The muddy ground flew everywhere under the horse's hooves and the rain came down harder than ever. It made it hard to see anything, but I knew where I was going. It was times like this I was glad I had the routes memorized at least. Even if the distance between places was incredible.

A shriek came out of the dark afternoon storm. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I pulled Zale to a halt.

The hero stopped a few feet ahead of me. "What was that noise?"

I'd heard that kind of shriek before. It couldn't be what Renado heard, could it? Just thinking about it made me nervous. "It's not good. We should hurry to town."

He didn't ask questions. We increased the horse's pace and it wasn't long before we were clattering across the bridge into town. Lucky for us, Hane had left word at the stables in town and Zale and Epona would be dry for the time being.

The town was quieter than usual because of the storm and it left me unsettled. Oh I knew it was just because it was raining, but it was usually such a busy place that it was strange to see it quiet.

I led the way through the back streets to the bar. I wondered if Telma had come back yet. I wasn't really too ready to face Livius again. Not that I disliked him, but I'd surely get teased. Maybe he'd behave himself if Telma was around.

A smooth as silk female voice greeted us as Link pushed the door open. "Good afternoon. Welcome to Telma's Bar." We walked in just in time to see a gorgeous red-headed woman swing around with a tray full of drinks in her hand. "I'll be with you in just a moment."

I recognized Livius' voice and turned to see him come around the bar. "Telma is back, little sister. "I'm going to go help her unload whatever she has." Whoa, talk about good timing.

"Okay. Just make it quick, Livius. We're busy today." She replied, setting a few drinks down at another table.

Ah, this must be his twin sister, Siena, that Hane had mentioned. She had curly hair like exactly her brother that flowed down her back and emphasized her feminine and soft features. Her dark amber eyes were lifted at the corners, giving her an exotic look. I was starting to feel plain again in comparison. Was everyone in his family perfect-looking?

"Amanda! Back here!" I saw Hane waving at us from a table towards the back of the bar. He looked different today, dressed in his full uniform. A long sword hung from the back of the chair he pushed back as he stood to greet us.

The knight waited until we sat down to sit back down himself. I opened my mouth to ask him what he wanted us here for but before I could, he did.

"You're not Link." Hane said, calmly and quietly. "You've got a different air about you."

Um, was this bad? We didn't exactly discuss not telling who he was, but I decided to explain anyway. "Hane–" I started.

"It's all right, Amanda." Link said. He seemed impressed. "You are a knight?"

"I am. And my father and grandfather before me. They taught me well to notice the little details." Hane leaned back, draping his arm over the back of his chair. "So I'll ask you again. Who are you?"

He wordlessly took something out of his pocket and set it in front of Hane. The knight slipped the velvet cover off slightly and glanced at it. I didn't have to look to know what it was, though I did catch a glimpse of blue and the royal crest. He probably carried it around most of the time.

"I see. And just how did you end up here?" Hane glanced in my direction when he asked the question.

I sighed. "It's a...long story."

"One that can be saved for another time, I suppose. I know this was short, but I'm afraid I must get back to my duties. I only stopped by to give you this." He reached into his pocket and handed me a dark-colored box.

"What is it?"

"Siri left it for you. She and Ralis had to go back home for the time being. But she wants you to visit her when you have the chance."

"How do you...?" I paused when I saw Hane smiling. "She spoke? Really? That's great!"

"She only speaks a few sentences at a time, but that's a major improvement over a few days ago."

"I'll say! I'll definitely go and see her soon."

"Good. I'm sure she'd like that." He stood up, sword in hand. "It was an honor to meet you. I hope we'll meet again."

"Same here."

"Amanda." I felt his free hand clamp down on my shoulder. "Whatever you're about to run off and do...come back safe. Besides, you wouldn't want to miss the birthday party Jillian is planning for you."

I looked up and smiled as I patted his hand. "I promise."

"You two seem pretty close." He said as we watched him speak with Telma for a few moments and slip out the door.

"Yeah. He's really looked out for me since I got here." I stood and stretched. "We probably should get going, too."

"Good idea."

"Going so soon, pourquita?" Livius asked.

"Yeah. We have things to do." I said, trying my hardest not to get flustered. It wasn't easy around this guy.

"That's too bad. I'm all done here in an hour. You asked where some shops were, I thought I'd help you out."

The idea was tempting (and I mean really tempting), but I knew better. Before I could politely decline, the hero stepped between us. "We thank you, but there are other things that need to be done." He replied charmingly, with what I was pretty sure was ice dripping from his words.

Livius just flashed his own smile, seemingly unaffected. "Maybe next time, then." Maybe it was just me, but it seemed like the two were having a competition for who could be the most polite without revealing how wary they were of the other.

I was about to say something when there was a loud crash. The ground rumbled, making glasses tip over, and a few men who were drunk fall out of their chairs. I held onto the table to keep from falling backwards. Siena came out from the back, hair all tousled.

"What the?...What was that?"

"It sounds like it came from the direction of the lake!" One of the customers towards the back called out.

"And that's our cue to leave." Link said, picking up his things.

"Right behind you." I grabbed my halberd and the box Hane hand given me, and ran out the door behind him.

The marketplace was in chaos as we ran up the stairs from the alley and onto the main roads. People were standing around, chattering and glancing up at a plume of smoke that was rising in the distance. Several knights rushed past us and towards the western exit. We followed them down the road and managed to slip out the giant doors before they shut tight behind us.

Zale jittered in place nervously as the ground shook again. I gently grabbed his reins to calm him. "Shh...It's okay. Nothing to be afraid of." I whispered, stroking his soft nose.

"How good are you with that halberd?"

"Good enough. I suppose. Why?"

"I have a feeling you'll need to use it."

I did, too. If I was right about that noise, then we were in big trouble.

I know it took a long time to get this up, but...review please? =D;