I'm BACK!!!

A/N!:

I'm So so so so so so sooo sorry for the lack of updates. The thing is I was sick at first then right after I got better, damn hurricane Frances came, which left me powerless for a whole week because I didn't evacuate like I thought I would. I was truly suffering without AC. TT…PLUS I'm trying to update all my stories right now because an even worse hurricane is coming. Ivan…neway I truly did NOT intend for you people to be waiting for soooo long. Plz forgive me! T T

SO NOW….I will have an EXTRA long chappie for your reading enjoyment…or I will juss do two in one day okay???

Chapter 17

Mark of the Mystery Man

"Wake up sleepy head"….

"Mhhmmm…" Zelda rolled over on the bed, covering her head. Someone was nudging at her side. "What?", she asked lazily.

"Open your eyes.", Whispered Link. She smiled, feeling his warmth right next to her.

"What If I don't wanna?", she teased, tightening her eyes shut. He moved on top of her, not letting her move.

He grinned. "Or you will suffer the consequences.", he said devilishly.

"NO.", she played, sounding like a small child, her eyes still closed. This was a mistake.

In a split second, he started full "tickle mode". She laughed, trying to squeeze from his grasp and at the same time, keep her eyelids shut. "OKAY! Okay!", she giggled, opening her eyes. She gasped.

"Link!", she exclaimed happily. He held out a breathtaking ring in front of him. He moved, and she sat up with her hand over her mouth looking at the diamond. "Where did you get it?"

"That's why I went to go visit the Gorons. What? Did you think you'd be ring-less the day you get married?", he said, slipping it onto her finger.

She smiled wide, and hugged him tightly. "Link, it's wonderful!", she exclaimed, kissing him passionately. "I love you."

"I love you too.", he replied.

"I missed you yesterday. I want to spend the whole day with you today.", she said, getting off of the bed.

"Okay.", he grinned. He sat on the bed, waiting for her to get dressed. "So what did you do without me?"

She wondered if she should say exactly what she was thinking. She wanted to scream out about the incident she went through and the mysterious figure that followed her last night. But she didn't. "I went to visit Cremia. She's such a great friend."

"That's cool.", he said. "What do you want to do today?"

Zelda smiled widely. "Is there snow in those mountains to the east of here?", she asked. "I haven't seen snow for the longest time. You know in Hyrule, the only place it snows is in the Zora's Fountain."

"Sure. That's what I love about Termina. You can go to the beach and play in the snow on the same day.", he said. Zelda was fully dressed now. "Think you should bring a coat too." He pointed to the closet.

She was so ready. The two sprinted down the stairs, laughing like children. Zelda raced towards the door, beating Link by a second. She opened the door, but stopped dead in her tacks, looking down to the item that laid before them.

Link glanced over her shoulder and immediately stopped laughing. The two stared at the object for a moment in total silence. Zelda's eyes welled up as she buried her head onto Link's chest.

Shaken, he walked around it, and the two went on their way.

The innkeeper watched as the two left the inn. Curious, she walked outside to see what they had been so scared of. She raised an eyebrow, looking down at the small item. She smiled, bending down to pick up a single, perfect, red rose. She lifted it to her nose, taking in the floral scent. Turning around and closing the door, she walked back to her desk, placing the rose in a glass vase.

"When did you come to the inn?", she asked.

"Last night. About midnight.", said Link.

"And it wasn't there when you came in?", she asked.

"No. Nothing unusual was there."

"Link, I think someone's after me."

"Not if I have something to do with it." He wrapped a protective arm around her.

"I'm scared.", she whispered.

"Don't be. I'm here to protect you. Just try to forget about it. We're going to have a good time today. Don't worry."

"OW!" she laughed, rubbing the snow off the side of her head. "I'll get you for that Link!" She scrambled around gathering as much snow as she could, and hurled it at her love.

He ducked just in time. "HA!", he yelled pointing only to be hit square in the face by the next one she threw.

She got up to run when he started to chase her. She screamed playfully, running as fast as she could. She stopped, bumping into the snowman they had made an hour ago. Her collision had knocked both the snowman, and her down.

She laughed, not being able to get up, she started to roll down the hill. Anything to get away from Link. He grinned, diving to his stomach to slide after her. At the end of the hill was an iced over lake.

Zelda rolled into the middle of the lake, laughing. Soon the two found they were both unable to get back to the shore.

"It's too slippery.", wined Zelda. She tried to stand up, but only slipped. Link laid on his back, staring up to the sky, totally relaxed. She sighed, giving up. "It's cold.", she said, rubbing her shoulders.

He motioned for her to come close. She did so, resting her head on his chest. He was nice and warm. He put his arms around her. "I think we should warm things up", he whispered in her ear.

She giggled. "As long as we don't go too far.", she warned.

"I promise.", he said. She smiled, then started kissing him. Things, as expected, did warm up, and it wasn't long until they got carried away.

Link moved his hands down her curves. She racked her fingers through his hair. She stopped, knowing that if she didn't now, things would go further. "Less than a month. That's all you have to wait.", she breathed.

"It's so long", he groaned. She nodded.

"I can't wait either."

"Then why should we?", he grinned.

She rolled her eyes, and playfully hit him. "Because it's indecent.", she replied.

He stuck out his lower lip, giving a puppy dog appearance. She sighed. "Come on. We have to get off this ice soon or we'll freeze to death."

She gabbed his arms and forced him to sit up. "Okay, here's what we're goanna do. We'll use each other as supports and make our way back.", said Zelda.

The two held on to each others arms, pushing themselves up on the slippery surface. "Okay, now what?", asked Link.

"Push me.", she instructed.

Link raised an eyebrow. "And where will that leave me?"

"Well how do you suppose we get back?"

He stood there for a minute in deep concentration. "….I have no idea.", he stated finally.

The two burst out laughing. "Great plan.", she remarked with a grin. For some reason, the two could not stop from laughing. It must have been the cold weather, or maybe they didn't get a good nights rest.

They had also been too caught up in the ridiculousness of their situation that they didn't heat a men calling to them from the shore. Thankfully, Zelda's sensitive ears finally picked up on the sound.

Her head shot in the direction of the yelling. "Hey!", yelled the man. "Do you need any help?" The two silenced.

Zelda smiled happily. "Yes! That would be wonderful!" Her words came out of her mouth in puffs of warm air that could be seen due to the cold.

"Hold on! I'll get a rope!", yelled the man. He walked inside for a moment and came out with a long rope dangled in his hand.

Luckily the man could throw. On the first try, he had got the rope right where they were standing.

Zelda and Link held tight on the rope, while the man pulled them to shore. She was gracious to be able to stand on her feet again.

"Thank you kind sir.", exclaimed Zelda. "We wouldn't have gotten back without you."

"Lucky I did come along too. You were very close to thin ice out there.", he replied.

"My name is Zelda.", she said reaching out a hand to introduce herself.

"Paul.", said the man. Paul was tall and thin. Looked like he was in his twenties or so. He had short brown hair and green, green eyes.

Link reached out his hand now. "Nice to meet you. I'm Link."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both. Why'd you two go out there anyway?", he said, pointing to a sign that read "thin ice".

Neither could come up with an explainable answer. They hadn't actually intended on doing it.

"I sort of slid into the middle. Link had to come get me, but we both got stuck.", she lied. Not like she was about to tell a stranger that him and her were playing around. Plus it sounded very immature for a couple that was going to be wed anytime soon.

The man nodded in understanding. "It's great to see a happy couple enjoying the mountain. Makes you forget how cold it is out here. Warms your heart." He smiled.

"Yes, actually we are getting married too.", said Zelda.

Both the man's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Really?"

"Yup, one month away.", said Link.

"How old are you two?", asked the man. "Must be still in your teens."

Zelda wrapped an arm around Link's waist. "I'm sixteen, and Link's seventeen. I'll be seventeen in three months." This was the first time age was really brought up, besides when Toby taunted her. It made her sound sort of stupid.

"Wow, you guys are getting at it at a young start.", he said. "Not that there's a problem with that or anything." Zelda and Link smiled. At least someone approved.

"brrrr. It's getting cold out here. Would you like to come in and have some coco?", asked Paul.

"No, thanks. It'll be late soon, we better get going.", said Link. "But thanks for the offer anyway." Paul nodded and waved.

Zelda and Link made their way out of the mountain and onto their horses. Just then, Link remembered something.

"Oh, I got to get Epona and Anne some horse feed. Do you think we could go stop by at Creamia's before we go home?"

"Sure, a horse does have to eat." She patted Anne's neck.

Zelda and Link rode into the ranch, stopping in front of Cremia's house.

"Hi!", she said when she opened the door. "I didn't expect you. Come in."

"We're just here to get some food for Epona and Anne.", explained Link. "Won't be too long."

"Oh Okay. I'll get Romani to open the barn for you. We store it there.", said Cremia. She turned her head inside the house to call for her sister. "Romani! Link needs your help for a sec."

Turning back to them, she grabbed Zelda by the wrist and dragged her upstairs for some girl talk. "Did you tell him?", was what she asked when the closed the door behind them.

"Tell him what?", asked Zelda.

Cremia rolled her eyes. "Tell him about the memories."

Zelda bit her lip, looking guilty.

"Your marrying him in a month! You have to get it out now or there'll be trouble.", she explained.

"I know. I just don't know how to explain it. It's so confusing. Once I get the right ingredients, everything will be better."

"Speaking of that, when do you want to go look for them?"

"Tomorrow sounds good. Hey, why do you look so happy?"

Cremia blushed. "I do?"

"Do you have something to tell me?", Zelda grinned. She happened to look at the window to see if Link was outside. Her grin turned into a frown upon seeing a vase on the sill. In it was a rose.

A red rose.

Zelda got up from sitting on the bed to go over to it. She picked it up with a shaky hand. "Who gave you this?"

And to my lovely reviewers who have patients with me. i thank you so much:

Milo Fairy: Thanx! im so sorry. as you can see i deff would've updated if i had the choice.

Gigglegirl13: i have been sick, and then without power. i appologize. hopefully Ivan won't come my way.

Hyrule Master: Um...hehe? lol...if it makes you happy then it makes me happy to!

K-Mage: thankyou!

meyojojo: sorry...hope ur not mad

Kelenariel Khelekkir: thanks! i feel flattered!

jade04: thanx for the names. ur probably right. and yeah, i guess i am making it a bit long, thanx for that, i appericate constructive critism. it helps me so much! plus its better than peeps just say "good! update now!"

Silver-Sanity: lol...no! he's not kidnapped, but good guess. Yeah i have to say your kinda close. thats all im saying...

Bvv: lol...sorry to get u so worked up.

Gigglegirl13: yup...and now i have another awful cliffy! hehe. i guess Zelda's afraid of his reaction. i'll have to think bout that one. lol

potter29vo: awww thanx! im a sucker for romance too. i love it! hmmm...italics? good idea, maybe i'll try it

Fury: thanx! yes, i am starting time troubles up agian! yay! so look forward to that...

BluSakura: thanx!

Kat: thanktyou!

Sesshoumaru's wife: you'll find out soon. i promise!

Gohan-Chan: hope i didn;t take to long to update!

Snowyflakes: lol...ur reviews always make me laugh...

dan heron: i'm back! you'll see soon!

Sakura of the Ninjitsu: lol. i guess its just talent. yes i have read ordinary story. i love it!

LadyAkki45: haha. yeah right. Kokou an angel? ewww no i wouldn't be that mean! lol

okay thanx now review!