Update schedule has changed-Sundays and Thursdays. Mondays will be too difficult to update on because of school. What with homework and school club meetings, Mondays are just not ideal days for updates. Sunday, on the other hand, is a great day. It's the weekend, so I have the whole day to add any last minute changes and I just have time in general. So starting right now, updates are Sundays and Thursdays. Happy Sunday.

If there were any complaints, he promptly ignored them. After spending so much time with two whiners, he was getting pretty good at drowning things out.

They exited the chamber and Rayeh was waiting for them. She asked if everyone was alright because she heard a bunch of noise, other girl stuff… Not important… Goddesses, Haizea was rubbing off on him-and he was pretty sure it was a bad thing!

So distracted by the contamination in his brain everyone looked at him funny.

Rayeh had a concerned expression. "Are you okay…?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah… fine." he said unconvincingly.

Everyone shrugged it off.

Rayeh went ahead and led them from the basement to the stairs to the upper basements. They eventually ended up in the kitchen, which was empty. It was probably still the middle of the night but it couldn't have worked out better. They managed to get out of the castle without any problems.

"So, you're going to the forest now?" Rayeh asked them when they were out in the deserted streets of the town.

Link nodded. "Yeah. There's something I need there." he paused for a moment, "I think…"

"I guess you lost your job didn't you?" Nabooru said to the maid.

She nodded sadly in return. "Those guards saw my face… If I wasn't fired then, I will be tomorrow." she said. She tried to appear okay with it, but it wasn't a very convincing performance.

"Sorry…" It was Haizea who said the comment, and for a second, it looked like he actually meant it. But only for a second.

"No, it's fine. If it means it'll save the princess then I am sure I will manage." she said, perking up a bit. She still didn't look totally okay with the situation.

And so, they left the maid after she assured them she would be fine. Link wasn't quite sure if that was true. He was pretty sure all the maids in the castle lived there. If she really was out of a job, then where did she have to go?

"Don't think about it." Haizea told them as they kept walking. "She's an adult, she can handle herself."

Link frowned. He never really understood why everyone said that… that adults could handle themselves… Maybe it was because he was a kid and not an adult, but he just couldn't see how anyone could handle themselves after a situation like the one Rayeh had been through.

The boy took the lead again, heading outside of town. He could hear Nabooru asking where exactly the forest was, but Haizea told her to shut up and just follow them. Another fight broke out but he didn't bother to try and stop them. It really wasn't worth it anymore to try and stop their fighting. He just kept walking, only knowing that two hadn't killed each other yet by hearing them bicker behind him. To pass his own time while walking towards the forest… well, Link didn't really do anything. He didn't even really think. Somehow, he just wasn't in the mood to think… or do anything really. He just felt bad for leaving Rayeh without a job and most likely a place to live as well… Earlier, Haizea had warned him about that, that he would be willing to sacrifice her job for this… He was sure he could do it then but now… He didn't think it would weigh so heavily on his conscience.

A flicker of blue light popped out from the forest's edge and flitted towards them.

"What's that?" Nabooru asked warily.

It took a second for Link to recognize it. "Navi?"

The fairy came and circled around Link happily. "It's good to see you again!" she said as she kept flitting about the boy.

Haizea just watched the fairy in annoyance. "What do you want?" he asked it coarsely.

"You have no people skills…" Nabooru said to him. He ignored her.

"Oh, the Great Deku Tree told me to come and lead Link to the gatepost!" the fairy said, ignoring the pale man's bitter attitude. She flitted in front of Link. "He says that it's time and you need what's in the gate."

"Um, time for what?" Link asked.

The fairy paused. "I don't know, but I have a good guess… Anyways, follow me!" And then she sped a bit ahead.

"Wait!" Nabooru called to the small, flying creature. Navi turned and looked back at the pirate. "Can we come too or do we have to wait here?"

Once again, the fairy paused. "The Deku Tree said Link specifically…" she stared, "But he didn't no one else couldn't come."

"That sounds like a yes." Haizea said.

"Then everyone keep up!" said the fairy. And then she sped off into the forest. She wasn't going that fast so the most everyone had to do was speed walk to catch up with her.

It wasn't that far into the forest, but all the winding that Navi did to get there made it very confusing. He was really hoping that she'd be there to lead them out. He also wondered why she was winding around too but he had a good guess. The way her wings fluttered, her jitterier than normal movement, she was nervous about something. Did she think they were being followed? He shuddered at the thought. He wouldn't put it past Ganondorf to somehow be watching them… He took a cursory look back tat his two companions. He had a feeling that Haizea was thinking what he was thinking judging from the serious look he had. Nabooru, on the other hand, was looking at her pants frustratingly, probably upset about the grass stains. He guessed he could understand why she was so unconcerned. She wasn't with them the first time around so she really had no idea what was going on.

Navi had finally led them into a clearing and fluttered on ahead towards a large gate. It had thick looking doors and appeared to be made of black stone. The doors had an insignia engraved into it. Link recognized it as the crest of the Royal Family. The pillars that held the doors also had something engraved in them. It was any kind of insignia, though. They were more like decorative carvings of people… but not people. It was strange. Some of the carvings reminded Link of fairies like Navi, while some of the other carvings reminded Link of Leanan. He shuddered at the remembrance of the delusional Great Fairy. What was weird about this gate was the fact that it was the only thing there. There was no fence blocking attached to the posts, one could just walk around it. The boy walked on over and took a look behind the gates. Nothing there. Weird, what so important about this place, then?

He went back to where the others were. Nabooru seemed mildly intrigued by the place; no doubt the strange sense of peace the forest gave off was something she wasn't used to. Haizea looked quite different, however. Link couldn't help but remember the first Siren Temple and how anxious the slave had looked while in there. He looked the same now, except he was staring straight at the gate doors. The boy would be lying if he said he wasn't confused. He was sure that door was made of stone, not metal, and there was nothing behind it either. Brushing it to the back of his mind, he looked back at the dark doors. Navi was flitting around them in a panic. Link walked over curiously.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

The blue fairy turned to him, shaking around erratically. "The gate's not open! The magic that powered it is gone!" she said frantically.

"But there's nothing behind the gate." the boy pointed out.

"No, no, no! Listen!" the fairy said, sounding a little angry. "The gate is magical! It doesn't lead there, it leads somewhere else! But without its magic, you can't even make the doors budge!"

Nabooru jumped into the conversation. "Then what about pale face? He knows magic."

"He's just a human, he doesn't have nearly enough power to charge the gates!" Navi said.

Haizea shot a look at her. "As much as she underestimates me, she's right." He muttered, still keeping his venomous gaze on the fairy. After a short moment he looked back at the gate. "And even if I could, I wouldn't."

"Why not?" Link asked.

The slave looked at him angrily for a second and then transferred to the black doors. "The feeling I am getting from behind that gate… I hate it."

"I already like what's behind there." Nabooru said with a smirk. "But how are we going to get whatever it is if we can't open it?"

"It can be opened." Navi said. "But the only one who can open it hasn't been seen in years…"

"Who is it?" the boy asked.

The fairy paused a moment, as if she was thinking if it was okay to tell. "Venus," she said when she was done thinking it over. "The Fairy Queen."

"Fairy… Queen?" Nabooru said awkwardly. Even though she had just repeated it, it looked like she hadn't quite registered it.

Well, he'd said it before. After all he'd seen on this trip, he was willing to believe just about anything. "How do we find her?"

"I don't know…" the fairy said sadly. "Like I said, no one has seen her in years. It was rumored that she'd been killed by a fairy called Leanan, but since she hasn't been replaced…"

He grimaced. Even in death the Great Fairy still managed to mess things up more for Link. "If she's missing then how can we find her?" he thought out loud.

That was when Haizea took his attention off of the gate and fidgeted while muttering, "There is someone who might know where she is…"

"Who?!" Link asked quickly.

The slave mumbled something inaudible.

Nabooru rolled her eyes. "Speak up, pale face, we can't hear you." she told him.

The pale man gritted his teeth. "Dietrich…"

The boy didn't think he'd hear that name again. He didn't really take too much of a liking to the man. Maybe it was because the guy was a sadist or because something about him just seemed off… whatever the reason was, seeing that man again wasn't exactly anywhere in Link's plans… well, if he had any plans. He really just made everything up as he went along.

"Who's that?" the pirate asked, interrupting the child's train of thought.

Haizea used a particularly foul word to answer the woman's question.

"Sounds like a great guy." She said with a smile. The slave just scowled.

"This Dietrich fellow…" Navi said to Link. "Do you think he can help?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"He can." Haizea assured. "I spent a good deal of time with that man and I hardly found out anything about him. One of the few things I did manage to find out about him is that he's quite knowledgeable when it comes to fairies."

Navi still seemed uneasy.

"Well, we don't really have any other leads and you did say I had to get whatever is through that gate… We might as well go." Link said.

"I'm fine with that. Anyone who can make pale face cringe is good in my book." Nabooru said.

The blue fae thought for a moment more and then said, "Okay then… I'll lead you back out." And she fluttered on back into the forest.

The trip out seemed easier than the trip in and Link noticed that the sky was getting lighter. He guessed that the trip back to Dietrich's island was a good thing. It wasn't that far away but it was far enough so that when they got back onto the ship he could get a little bit of sleep. He had just spent a night without sleep, something which he wasn't exactly used to. When they had reached the edge of the forest, Navi left them saying she couldn't leave but she would wait for them.

They headed back into town towards the harbor and Link noticed that a few people were already up and walking around town despite the hour. He didn't really understand how some people could just love the morning so much.

"Looking so glum, pale face." He heard Nabooru taunt Haizea. "This Dietrich guy must really get on your nerves, huh?"

"Dietrich? Did you say Dietrich?" Link heard the voice come from behind them and he immediately recognized it.

"Evan?" he asked as he turned to see the young man standing there looking a bit rattled. So rattled, in fact, that he dropped the large bag he normally lugged around with him.

"Did she just say Dietrich?" he asked Link.

Nabooru seemed a bit creeped out but she nodded. "Yeah… what's it to you?"

Evan tore his glasses off. "Does he look anything like me?" he asked quickly.

It was then that Link understood why Evan had looked so familiar when they first met. He and Dietrich looked exactly alike. The only difference was that Evan's hair was shorter and his face was younger. Other than that, they could've been twins.

"Hmph, no wonder I didn't like him." Haizea muttered.

"So I do look like him?" Evan asked.

Link just nodded blankly.

Them the furry eared young man jumped up and screamed, "Yes! I've found him! I've finally found him! Oh happy day!" Upon landing he fell on his face. Everyone stared at the book collector pitifully. He quickly scrambled up and put his glasses back on. "I know it's very forward of me to say this, but you must take me to where he is!"

"And why should we do that?" Haizea spat.

Evan cringed at the pale man's tone. He looked down at Link. "Remember when I told you I was looking for someone-my teacher?"

"Dietrich is your teacher?" Link asked skeptically.

Evan nodded happily. "Yes! You see, I was practicing a spell when I… accidentally sent him here…" he said quietly. "Oh I'm such a hopeless case…"

"What's he talking about?" Nabooru whispered to the boy.

"I'll tell you later…" he told her. So Evan was a magician too (Well, not anymore if he was from the same place as Dietrich). Link sighed. When his quest to save Zelda was over, he was going to make it a point to stop hanging around magical people. "I guess you can come…"

"Thank you!" Evan cried happily. "Oh, I hope Lord Dietrich can find it in his heart to forgive me…"

Lord? Link thought. He remembered Dietrich saying something about hating formalities yet Evan addressed as lord?

"Bah, he's as much of a lord as I am a toad." Haizea spat.

The young book collector gave the pale man a harsh stare but said nothing.

"I really need to meet this guy now if he can make pale face react so badly." Nabooru said, smiling evilly.

Oh yay! Evan's back! Squee, I wanna hug him! X3 He's very huggable, you know. Nothing like Dietrich, his polar opposite! DX And in case some of you are wondering, yes Evan and Dietrich are related. Evan just has hero-worship issues... and if you squint really hard maybe even a crush. That could just be my inner yaoicest fangirl speaking, because Evan does have a girlfriend and Dietrich is hideously homophobic (and afraid of sex in general but whatev).

So yeah... my favorite chapter is next! Because it's so special, I'm going to update later tomorrow!