Zelda Hime was just as heavy as she had been when Link was carrying her to this place. So, either she had gained weight, or, despite his healing, he was weaker than before. He fervently prayed the truth was the former, not the latter.

With the princess on his back, and his hands very carefully placed so he wouldn't be called a pervert, Link trekked through the undergrowth, determined to find his friend and comrades. The going was rather tough, since he had to dodge low hanging branches and jabbing shrubs, instead of being able to duck beneath them, as he could the last time through. The sun was well on his downward trek, the sky a lavish violet, before Link finally stumbled to a stop, unable to continue.

Gently, so as not to cause her any harm, Link lay the princess on the soft grasses and flowers, rearranging her dress and hair as she lay silent and still beneath the canopy. The day had been long, and Link feared he was lost. Never had the boy imagined the gardens surrounding Sahasrahla's house would be so large.

"I think I put us in a bind, Zelda Hime. It's dark, and getting colder… Wish I had thought to bring a blanket…" He leaned back on his elbows beside the sleeping girl. "Although, can you even tell if it's cold or not? You show no signs of life… Impa worries all the time. I do too, I suppose. I mean, I didn't save Hyrule and you from Ganondorf for nothing, now did I?" Link sighed and let his small smile fade. He hated thinking of that time. It was so dark, and…it didn't feel right. If the Master Sword could only be used by an adult, why not get an adult to wield it, instead of a ten-year-old child? Link made a nasty face as he stared from the corner of his eye to the shadows beyond. "Why do I always think of that if I hate it so? Not that you can even hear me… Ergh. I'm sorry. That was rather rude of me to say. But…it doesn't feel like you're even here anymore, Zelda…Hime. I almost forgot again."

The silence around the small pair closed in with the darkness, and Link made himself be quiet. He liked to talk to the princess, even if he wasn't sure she could hear. It was almost calming. But with night upon them, Link wasn't sure what type of creatures were prowling the shadows, waiting for any chance to strike.

Rustling in the leaves behind him was the only warning Link had before the wolfos burst out, claws extended and ready to kill. Link jumped to his feet as he moved away from the princess, and reached for his Kokiri sword, only to realise with horror that he didn't have it. The wolfos took advantage of his moment of shocked immobility and attacked, jumping the boy and pinning him to the ground. The attack knocked the wind out of the small boy, and a dizzy splash of light passed before his eyes as his head smashed into the hard forest floor. Still, Link struggled beneath the weight of the larger beast, trying to both push the large forepaws off his chest and keep the gaping maw from his throat. The brownish-yellow fangs were inches from the soft flesh of his neck.

Link couldn't pry the paws off his chest, and the weight was slowly suffocating him. His ribs flamed in pain as the weight of the beast pushed down, nearly cracking the protective bones. The only choice he had was to fight the beast off. Using his right arm, pressed against the wolfos' throat, Link searched with his left arm to find something that could be used as a weapon. His hand reached blindly, passing over leaves and small patches of grass, but finding nothing within reach. Needing time to find a suitable weapon, the small boy did the only thing he could think of. Balling his left hand into a fist, he swung with all the force he could and drove his fist into the wolfos' temple. Howling in rage and pain, the beast lifted up onto his hind legs, holding his paws to his head. Link took the chance, and rolled out from the shadow of the giant wolf, landing on his haunches and then leaping to his feet. He didn't have much time to nurse his wounded ribs or take in the missing air from his lungs.

Dashing around the still wounded monster, still away from the princess, Link slid to the ground, searching for something that could be used as a weapon. His fingers found nothing, however, as the beast regained control, and advanced, eyes crimson with bloodlust. Searching frantically now, for he was moving nearer to the princess in his search, Link's hands found a sharp edged rock, about the size of his fist. Grabbing it tightly, Link stood and faced the advancing creature.

The wolfos paused, staring hard at this small boy's determined eyes. Link stared back, challenging the creature. Suddenly, the maw widened into a feral grin, and with a howl, the wolfos accepted the challenge, and charged the Kokiri-child. Link was ready, and when the monster was close enough to grab him, Link pulled back his left hand, then brought it forward—so fast—and smashed the creature in the eye. The wolfos reared backwards, it's right eye nothing more than mangled flesh, and fled into the night, a trail of blood following.

Link dropped the broken and bloodied rock to the ground, then followed after it when his knees gave out. He was sweating, but shivering as well. His bangs fell before his eyes, sticking to his skin, and his chest burned as he breathed in deeply. Checking with nervous fingers, Link felt his ribcage. Luckily, none of his ribs were broken, but at least three were bruised. His left arm throbbed slightly, but was still undamaged. Sahasrahla had done well with the healing; the wound had not reopened.

He crouched like that a while, breathing deeply and nursing his wounds, gathering his energy and his wildly dancing thoughts, until he could stand without feeling fire course through his chest. Limping over to where Zelda Hime lay, oblivious to what happened, Link collapsed beside her. Taking a deep breath, he released it loudly, then knelt and lifted the inert form into his arms, even though his entire body screamed with pain. It would appear that they still had walking to do.

Sighing, Link trudged on, the moon hanging low over the canopy. The fire in his chest had dulled; he couldn't tell whether from natural healing or some worsening in his condition. He wasn't sure how long, but he was sure at least an hour had passed by the time he heard a rustling in the bushes off to his right. Sighing, he hid the princess away. No need to put her in any unnecessary danger, should it be that wolfos and his pack, back for revenge.

Link found a stout branch and held it before him like the Kokiri sword, ready for battle. His arms shook slightly as the weight of the wood strained already deadly tired muscles. He was surprised, however, to find, not a wolfos pack, but a very old man and a very angry looking female warrior. With them was the small faerie, Navi, her glow at full brightness.

"Link-kun!" The faerie stopped her mad rush towards him when she noticed the glaze to his eyes. Link's usually shining blue eyes were glazed with weariness, but the heat of battle still managed to shine through. It was a scary combination. "Link-kun? Are you all right? What happened?"

Her companion blinked, and his eyes only shown with weariness. The red heat of battle had drained away at the sight of his friend "Huh? Oh…we had some trouble…" he dropped the branch from nerveless fingers and gestured slightly behind him, as if that small movement would explain the entire event.

"We?" Sahasrahla spoke from behind the small orb of light that was Navi. He was walking towards the small boy, his dark eyes full of kindness.

Impa nodded as she lifted the princess into her arms. "So, at least he didn't leave her behind."

Link swayed slightly. "I'm sorry. I went to find you all, because I was worried, because I couldn't find you at all, and then Navi-chan was gone for such a long time, so I decided to bring Zelda with me so she wouldn't be unprotected but then I got lost and then a wolfos attacked and pinned me but I managed to drive it off—Navi-chan, without the Kokiri Sword—and then we started moving again and then I heard the bushes moving and hid Zelda Hime—I only said Zelda earlier, didn't I, sorry Impa, but I keep forgetting and she did ask me to just call her Zelda—and then it was only you and then it turned to this and—" Link collapsed to his knees, out of breath and dizzy. Sahasrahla smiled warmly.

"Child, you never cease to amuse me, or amaze me. You survived this well."

Link smiled weakly, but couldn't bring up enough air to say anything.

"I think we need to get these children to the house, and fetch this one a bath. He stinks." Impa smiled at the stunned look on Link's face. "Navi told us that you were looking for a bathing area." Link blushed slightly. "There should be a tub at the house; we'll get you cleaned up there."

Not half an hour later, Link was lounging in steaming water up to his chin, his eyes closed as he drifted into slumber. He could hear Sahasrahla and Impa talking in the other room, but paid them no mind until he heard his own name.

"What was that all about, him apologizing to me?" Impa didn't sound angry; that was a good thing, at least.

He could hear the old man chuckle. "Just a small conversation I had with him, nothing too important. I just think he's beginning to accept himself, is all."

"Accept himself?"

"Yes." The old man didn't seem to be continuing, until: "He doesn't accept who he is, or what he thinks. It's as though he tries not to think about it." Link opened his eyes as his ears pricked up. He blushed slightly. Why would the Hero of Time eavesdrop?

"I understand. But can you blame him, Old One? He is only a child."

Link heard scraping and figured someone must be standing. The muffled sound of shuffling feet confirmed his suspicions. "He may be a child, yes, but he still has a responsibility. It's cruel, I know, but we can't all have the life we want. He needs to realise this, and accept it. Then, and only then, can he fight for and protect this land and people."

Said boy closed his eyes again and sank deeper into the water, till only above his nose was visible. He had to accept his fate, huh? Accept the burden most adults couldn't carry, and with him going slowly insane? He was sure he was—going insane, that is. Although he hadn't heard that voice in a while, he could feel…something, affecting him. Something inside seemed to be splitting, and he was confused more than anything now. That's why he refused to call Zelda Hime anything but Zelda Hime. If he held onto that one thing, even something as small as that, he could hold onto something that was him. When he had met her, he called her Hime, and, although it didn't sound right anymore, he would continue to, even against her own wishes. It was a silly thing to hold on to, but that was the only thing he could think of to do.

Sighing into the water, Link made himself get up and get dressed. Sahasrahla had given him another long white shirt to wear, since his other clothes were dirty from his fight with the wolfos. Donning the cloth, Link's stomach rumbled, and he blushed slightly. He hadn't realised he was hungry.

Outside the door, his bare feet made no noise against the cold wooden floor. Shutting the door as quietly as possible, he made his way into the main room, where he found Navi sitting on the table, eating a tiny piece of bread. Pulling up a chair, he sat beside her.

"Hey, Navi-chan, where did you get that bread? I'm hungry."

Navi made an indiscriminate motion off to her left. "Over there somewhere. In a cupboard, I think. Are you feeling ok, Link-kun? You looked rather beat up after that fight."

Link smiled encouragingly and lightly touched his chest. "They still hurt a bit, but Sahasrahla says no ribs were broken. I'm just bruised, I guess. Some sleep and food will make me better, don't worry. And the wound on my arm is fine, as well. I just wish I had brought the Kokiri sword with me when I left the forest. It would have helped, but that's their sword, I could never take it from them." He fell silent, then stood to walk to the cupboard. Sure enough, there was some fresh bread in there, and Link grabbed it up and brought it to the table. Picking at it, the boy ate slowly, his thoughts elsewhere.

Navi studied her charge for a while, her glow hiding the small body almost no one knew she had. She had watched over this boy since the Deku Tree had summoned her to do so, but in her heart, she knew she had always been meant to watch him. She had told Link she was born for his sake, and there had been no lie in her words. But right now, she felt helpless. She could feel him pulling farther into himself, hiding from everyone, and it worried her. He wasn't the carefree boy she had travelled through Hyrule with two years ago. In truth, Navi missed that boy more than anything.

"Hey, Link-kun…Sahasrahla was saying he wanted to show you something tomorrow. He said it was something you needed to see to complete this quest. Do you feel up to it? I mean, if you don't feel well, you don't have to go. He said it took a while to reach…" She trailed off, not knowing anything else to say. Link just picked at his food, ignoring her.

"Navi-chan, do I still seem the same to you? Because, I don't know…I just, feel different, and I can't explain it. It's silly, I know, and I'm sorry to bother you with it. It's just, I've been thinking, and I don't feel like I'm me. But maybe that's just because of this journey." He didn't look at her, but kept picking at his food.

"I don't think you're not you, Link-kun." He turned to look at her, a question in his eyes. "You have been different, but I think it's just you growing up. It seems strange, to me, because I'm a faerie, and we never change, just like the Kokiri never change. But you're a Hylian, and that's what you have to do. You have to change, or you die. But neither of us are used to that, or understand it, so it makes us feel strange, and we get confused. But I still think you are you, you'll always be Link-kun, you'll just not be the Link-kun you were two years ago." Although she wanted to tell him she missed that boy, it wouldn't help right now. And she had to accept what she had just told him, as well.

Link just sat and looked at her, his expression a mystery. Then, to her relief, he smiled and nodded.

"Be myself, huh? I guess you're right Navi-chan. I'm so used to the idea of the Kokiri, of never changing, that I guess I didn't want to understand."

"Huh?"

"I've known I was different ever since I freed Saria from the Temple…ever since I originally left, actually. But, I never wanted to understand why. I just thought 'I grew up with the Kokiri, so I can be like them.' It was just one more thing to make me different than them, and separate me and Saria and everyone else…" He trailed off. "I'm sorry to bother you with all this, Navi-chan. I really don't know why I'm even saying it. Maybe all this traveling, this new threat, maybe it's just making me reminisce."

Navi shook her head. "I think you're hiding something from me, Link- kun." He blinked and refused to look her in the eye, so she smiled warmly. "But don't worry, I won't ask. I'm happy that you're telling me this, because you think I can help. I'm sure, if you want to talk about anything else, you will eventually." She chuckled. "We all know how much you enjoy speaking. We can never shut you up."

Link smiled back as she laughed. "Yeah, us boys, you can never make us quiet. But I guess the same can be said of faeries, huh?" Navi puffed out her cheeks in displeasure, but couldn't keep it up and began giggling again. Once her fit of laughter ended, she took to the air and settled beside Link, picking pieces off his bread.

"It's good to see you smiling again, Link-kun. Shall I tell Sahasrahla that you want to go with him tomorrow?"

"Yeah, pleesh do," he said, his mouth full. Navi tilted her head in a really cute way, then fluttered off, looking happier than she had in a while. Link smiled after her, but once she was gone, he looked down at the bread in his hands, suddenly not hungry anymore. His smile faded.

Had he been wrong then? What Navi said made sense, more sense than anything he had heard in a while. Maybe that splitting feeling was only him refusing to accept that he was growing up. No, that wasn't right. But what else could account for it?

Finishing his food quickly, Link stood and walked down the corridor to his room, stopping only to peak into Zelda Hime's room. His damp hair brushed his forehead as he titled his head to see Impa sitting beside the inert princess, feeding her.

Link sighed, seeing both women like that. He remember Zelda Hime as being full of life, cheerful even in the face of such evil as Ganondorf, and Impa he remembered as a great warrior, refusing to give in to any defeat. But now, the princess was nearly a lifeless husk, and her guardian reduced to a worrying nanny. He would set it right, he promised. Somehow, he would set it right.







LINK NO MIKO'S LITTLE CORNER OF TALKINGNESS



Hiyo, peeps. Sorry this one came out so late. I've had it done--since the last chapter, actually--but I didn't want to upload them so close together. And then, even though it's a stupid excuse and nothing else, I've been busy/lazy. School IS a bitch, and it takes any writing ability from me—you know who you are, damn Freshman Writing. I hate that class… Also, there's this other thing, called GENSO SUIKODEN II, and it's eaten my time. ^-^x I love this game though. I mean LOVE it. It's just so FUN. I loved the first one too, though, so I'm partial…



Anywho, this is the second part of chapter seven, commonly called chapter eight. Chapter nine, also known as the real ending to chapter seven (confused yet?) is still in progress, mainly because everything I try to write looks like crap. Another excuse, I know, and I'm truly sorry for all of you who read and enjoy this ficcie. At least, I'd hope you'd enjoy it. *looks at the reviews* Thank you all for reviewing; words of encouragement do well. And please don't hate me cause of cliffhangers… *cowers in fear*



And also, Holy God in Heaven, there was some action! I mean, really, action in a fic based off an action RPG. How could I? *ducks as people scream due to unneeded sarcasm* Wow, lots o' action text… Anywho, till, um, next chapter.