A/N: woot woot!! another chapter of this story! just so you all know, a new character is introduced here ... even though I think this is ending soon...!

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The next morning, the Princess awoke to the sound of swords clashing and loud voices screaming battle cries. She sat up with a start when she heard the sound of a canon blasting through the air.

"What the--"

Her question was cut short when she saw a complete stranger slip into her bedroom and dive into the closet. Zelda could hear the woman's heavy breathing and could almost feel her heart beat.

"Um...excuse me?" Zelda asked timidly, getting out of bed in only a skimpy pink night gown.

The woman stuck her head out of the closet and gasped. "Beggin' your pardon, madam. Oh dear, you must be the Princess that Flynn was talkin' about, aren't you? I can tell because he gave you this bedroom." She inhaled deeply. "The bedroom he used to give ME!! The filthy sewer rat!!"

"I'm sorry, I'm only a prisoner on this ship," Zelda said quietly, pushing loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Now I'm at a disadvantage--you know my name, but I do not know yours."

"Oh, sorry," the woman said, stepping out of the closet completely. She extended a thin hand and said, "My name's Nabooru."

"Nabooru?" Zelda repeated, shaking her hand briefly. "You look like a .... are you a Gerudo?"

"Ugh, I am, and not proud of it," Nabooru sighed. "You'll notice that's why I decided to convert to pirating. I couldn't stand being constantly compared to that Ganondorf fellow, so I thought I could get my own nasty reputation by becoming a pirate. Good thinking, eh?"

"Yes, um...what exactly are you doing here?" Zelda asked.

"I wanted to come check up on Flynn, he's an old friend of mine," Nabooru answered. "Then what do I find out? He's gone and kidnapped a member of the royal family, and for what? For the Triforce, no less! I mean really, how ridiculous is that? We pirates don't need a Triforce when we can scare the living daylights out of any rational being. So that's my band out there, battling Flynn's. Most likely this will be something we look back on and laugh at; but it's a pretty heated fight out there now. I came in here to hide, if you don't mind."

"Oh, uh, no," Zelda stammered.

"Thank you," Nabooru said with a gracious bow. Then she stole away back into the closet.

Zelda then turned her attention to the door as she heard a knock. "Princess?" came Flynn's recognizable voice. "Are you decent?"

"Uh--"

"Good; this is terribly important," Flynn said, stepping inside even though Zelda had never answered him. He stopped dead at the sight of her. She stared back at him and blushed deeply, not realizing until a moment later that she was hardly wearing anything.

The Princess was about to dive back into her bed, when she saw Nabooru's arm sticking out of the closet, a cerulean dress in her hand. Zelda clenched her teeth and took it, then turned around and put it on (all this was done with Flynn watching her, wearing a rather odd expression on his face).

"Thank you," Zelda said to the closet.

Nabooru's hand gave her a thumb's up, then went back into the closet.

"I see you, you wench!" Flynn roared, getting out his blade and wrenching open the closet door. "What're you doing in the Princess's room?!"

"I was looking for a place to hide, you fool!" Nabooru snarled, blocking Flynn's sword with her own. "Unlike SOME people I could mention, her highness happens to be a tad bit understanding!!"

"Um...I would appreciate it if you could just leave me out of this," Zelda said in a diminutive voice.

"No way!" Nabooru and Flynn said in unison, turning their attention towards her briefly. Then they went back to yelling at each other.

"Pssst! Princess! Down here!" came a quiet voice. Zelda looked down and saw Malon motioning to her from a door in the floor. "C'mere!"

Uneasily, Zelda stepped towards the trap door and followed Malon down a ladder. She suddenly found herself in a bar that she had never seen on the ship before (of course, she had never been below docks, so this wasn't surprising).

"Gimme a whiskey," Malon told their bartender. "Gingerale on the side." She slapped his arm gently. "And don't be stingy, baby."

Zelda stared at Malon (who had been randomly speaking in a Swedish accent), then waited for her to say something.

"I cannot believe that Nabooru had to show up now, of all times," Malon sighed.

"Uh, who exactly is she?" Zelda asked. "I mean, I know she's an ex-Gerudo and a pirate, and I know she knew Flynn previously .... but what else? I mean, were she and Flynn ever just more than friends?"

"Were they!" Malon laughed hoarsley. "You ain't never seen a more devoted pair than those two. But then there was the day she went to him and told him she was seeing another guy, he got ticked, and they broke up and have been in a rather tumultuos relationship ever since."

"Oh my," Zelda said, putting a hand to her lips. For a moment she had felt a pang of jealousy, then felt it pass. What was she thinking, anyway? She had Link!

"Yeah, you said it," Malon snorted, as the bartender gave her her drink. "As for me, personally, I think the old flame's still there. Otherwise they wouldn't get into such heated arguments. Saria, however, thinks they were destined for break up. And, uh, speaking of Saria..." She nodded her head to the left. "Look over there."

Zelda saw Saria standing with her elbow resting on an old piano. A one legged man sat at the instrument, and was plunking away.

"I know a man named the Black bandit / he's smooth, and strong, and quick," Saria sang.

"I'm going to take out your lungs, your lungs, and fry them up on a stick," Malon muttered, stirring her drink. Zelda stifled a laugh and tried not to make eye contact with Saria through the rest of her song.

"Did you like the ditty? I wrote it myself," Saria informed Zelda and Malon, joining them at the bar.

"It was very original," Zelda said lamely, feigning a serious look. "I'm sure that the Black Bandit would love that ode."

"That reminds me," Malon said. "Flynn was talking to Saria and I the other day about a certain man he thinks you fancy."

"Oh...really?"

"Yup," Saria answered. "So we're just going to ask you straight out what he's like, if you don't mind."

"As a matter of fact, I think I do mind," Zelda sniffed. "You people are constantly barging into my private life, asking me things that I..." She cut off when Malon calmly took a dagger from its place on her belt. Zelda stared at her a moment, then said, "Well, I guess if you really want to know..."

"Oh, we do," Malon assured her, putting the weapon back in place. "What with Saria's singing and Redbeard's 'faerie tales,' I'd say a Princess's love life would make far better entertainment."

"Hey, you just insulted me!" Saria cried.

"Shut up, let the Princess start," Malon said. "Do tell us about this guy."

"Um .... well... I don't really know where to start--"

"Would you say he's handsome beyond all reason?" Saria asked her.

"Well, yes."

"Braver than what's good for him?" Malon inquired.

"I guess you could say that, yes."

"Blue eyes that remind you of the ocean every time you look into them?" the female pirates questioned simultaneously.

"You know, this is getting a little creepy," Zelda said, trying to look at them both at the same time (she was sitting inbetween them). "How is it you know him so well?"

"Let's just say we have a hunch as to who you're talking about," Malon said before ordering another drink.

"You do?"

"Yeah, Flynn gave us his guess the other night," Saria told her. "He thinks you're in love with the Black Bandit."

"The..."

"Yes, the Black Bandit," Malon said. "You'll remember us talking about him, I'm sure. He's the most famous pirate of the seven seas, woman! Dashing and daring, courageous and caring, blah blah blah. Flynn apparently asked you and then us for a description of our dream man, and we all sort of came up with the same answer. In conclusion I would like to state that you do indeed have a thing for our Black Bandit."

"This is just a tad hard to comprehend," Zelda said, putting her head in her hands.

"Don't worry, it could just be a hangover," Saria said, patting the Princess on the back.

"Saria, I don't drink."

"Oh. Well, never mind, then." Saria turned around when she saw a bit of light come in from the ceiling. She grinned and tapped Malon, saying, "Look who it is."

Flynn and Nabooru had come down through the "trap" door and were now walking towards the three of them.

"So, you two kissed and made up yet?" Malon joked.

"Made up, yes," Nabooru said. "Kissed, not on your life."

"Hey Nabooru, since you're here, could you tell your ruffians to leave my piano alone?!" Saria asked. "They're destroying it, and at the rate they're going, we'll have to get a new one soon! And I don't know if you knew this already, but it's tiring to lug a piano onto a ship after you've looted a town!"

"All right," Nabooru sighed, walking over to her crewmates.

"So Captain, what exactly did you two talk about up there?" Saria asked.

"You don't need to know," Flynn growled. "But if you two don't mind, I would like a word with the Princess alone."

"Fine," Malon muttered as she and Saria got off their seats. They walked over towards the piano and began to start arguing with Nabooru's men.

"I've a confession to make, your highness," Flynn whispered in a strangely uncharacteristically quiet tone. "During the past few days, I have forgotten the reason why I brought you upon this ship."

"You--you did?" Zelda asked in disbelief. For the entire time she had been on the ship, she had always thought of the Triforce, and wondered when he would demand the information of its whereabouts. But then she realized he had never even brought it up since the night she'd been kidnapped.

"It wasn't until I was talking with Nabooru just now that I realized what a fool I have been," the pirate continued. "The Triforce, I feel, could bring me no further power than I already have. You see, being a pirate, my desire is not to rule the world. I only derive pleasure from scaring people half to death and stealing treasure from their cities. I could see before that the Triforce was a treasure of Hyrule, and that was the only reason I desired it."

Zelda stared at Flynn as he thought; thought of what he should say next. The Princess was not really sure she could piece together everything he was saying.

Flynn sighed. "I've made a terrible mistake, highness. I've taken something I never should have; hoping for something I shall never get. Hyrule without its Princess is like an oyster shell without an oyster in it," he said. He glanced at Zelda for a moment, then said, "but I can see it is that gypsy Link who has the pearl."

Zelda gulped quietly and looked away. Did he expect her her to say something? Nothing was coming to mind ... and how was she supposed to respond to a comment like that, anyway? She took a lame stab, however and began, "I .... uh, you ..."

"Your fate now lies in my hands," Flynn said in the same calm voice. "If I so wished, I could have you. Easily. But if I feel I am chasing after nothing but a dream and lust for riches, I shall return you home." He stood awkwardly and looked down at her. "Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to spend the rest of the day in my quarters thinking it over. Please do not come knocking, for I wish not to be disturbed." He made a genteel bow, then clambered back up the steps and through the trap door.

The Princess watched him leave. Over the ruckus of the bar, she could hear his footsteps treading across the floor above her. After a few moments of staring silently at the ceiling, small tears stung her eyes. Zelda rested her face in her arms, laying them on the bar's counter.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, miss," the bartender advised her, wiping out a glass. "You don't know what could be on there."

"Leave me alone!!" she sobbed, apparently not caring about the disgustingly dirty surface she was on. "I want to be alone!"

"Oh, no you don't," laughed Malon, coming back to her. "Geez, Princess, what's got you so worked up? I ain't never seen a royal cry before."

"It's my love life, if you must know!" Zelda answered. "I'm all in a confused mess right now, so if you don't mind, I'd like to be left al--"

"Hey, Saria!" Malon yelled. "C'mere for another fantastic episode of the private life of Princess Zelda!" She turned back to the princess, who had lifted her head and was glaring at Malon darkly. "Go on, don't be shy. Tell us what Flynn just said."

"That is between he and I," Zelda told her roughly. "And I am not going to repeat it, because I don't think he'd want me to."

"Well, all I know for sure is that he really likes you," Malon said. "But you are feeling guilty because you're not sure if you really like him or not. I mean, he's a pirate, so you shouldn't like him--and besides that, you feel a deep love for this 'other guy' and you feel terribly ashamed that you think you might like Flynn. Then of course, there's your fiancee, who could walk off a bridge for all you care. So the final decision you must make is whether or not you want to stay with the gypsy or with the Captain."

Zelda stared at her. "You read me just like a book!"

"Yeah, I've been around," Malon laughed. "But if you'd like, I'll give you some woman-to-woman advice: whatever you do, don't stick with Flynn."

"To be honest, I really wasn't considering it," Zelda said semi-honestly.

"Mmm, okay," Malon said, not really believing her. "But I'll tell you anyway, let you sleep on it. Flynn becomes insanely jealous or angry pretty easily. I shouldn't be telling you this, but I want to to know about this girl Marin he used to be in love with. One night he found her drunk, and she was necking with his first mate. So the first mate gets thrown overboard. Marin, on the other hand, had her head cut off by Flynn himself. If you've ever wondered what the red stain is on the deck railing on starboard side--it's her blood."

"That's horrible!" Zelda cried, remembering the stain clearly in her mind. "He killed her? He chopped off her head??"

"Yup," Malon sighed. "That was no happy day. But then of course, if the woman's a natural-born fighter, she won't go as easy. Flynn's spent time with some lady pirates, but they usually escape his wrath. But in some cases, being with Flynn can just turn you into a first-rate kook."

Malon and Zelda both glanced over at Nabooru, who was busy trying to balance her sword on her tongue and play the piano with her elbows at the same time.

"I see what you mean," Zelda said.

"Yeah. So if I were you, just be careful around Flynn when you're alone together, okay? I don't want anyone getting hurt, ok?"

"Um... all right..." Zelda said nervously. Malon patted her on the shoulder and then walked away. 'Oh, my dear Link!' Zelda thought to herself. How could I have betrayed you for even just a moment? I feel so awful...so guilty! If I ever see him again, he must know how much I still love him.

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A/N: yeah, thats it so far. please review and let moi know what you think!