A/N: Well, here it is folks, the final chapter. It's been fun, really. Sorry it took such a hideously long time to update, but for weeks I was studying for finals, then taking my finals (stupid biology regents!), then went unexpectedly to Houston for my uncle's funeral. Anyway, I finally managed to write this, and I hope you aren't too disappointed.

&-

"Shiver me timbers, they're almost upon us," remarked one of Nabooru's men. "Your highness, go quickly into that cabin there—Bandit, you'd better go as well. Keep as silent as possible, and we'll handle this sea dog."

"Wow…thanks," Link said before he and Zelda ran quickly into Flynn's cabin and slammed the doors.

"They can be so unpredictable sometimes," Zelda commented, once they were safely out of sight. "Nabooru's men, I mean."

"Yeah," Link agreed. "Listen, Zel…if that Prince takes you away from here… I mean, away from me, I don't think I could—"

"Excuse me!" Zelda interrupted. "I have no intention of--!"

"Shhh, quiet," Link hushed her. "We're supposed to be being silent, remember?"

"Do not presume to tell me what I will and will not do!" Zelda hissed as softly as she could. "But as I was saying, I have no intention of leaving with Kishik, no matter how much he wants me or—or what he tries, or anything! I would never…"

He silenced her with a small "shhh." She bit her lip and looked expectantly at him, waiting for him to speak. "Zel, there's been something on my mind… bothering me."

"What is it?" the Princess breathed.

Link didn't answer her right away. "Did you…did you really love Flynn?" She opened her mouth to respond, but he continued. "I know you already gave me an explanation. But now that we're alone I really want to now the whole truth. Did you love him?"

Zelda swallowed something down her throat and tried not look Link in the eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "I—I couldn't help it; he was being so kind, I had to love him. But we never had an—an affair, I mean, not the kind those girls were talking about."

He nodded. "I trust you," Link said.

Then why'd we have to go over this twice? Zelda thought to herself bitterly.

"Do you love me?" he asked.

"You know I do," Zelda answered after thinking what an idiotic question it was. "Only you weren't there when I need you and we didn't have any time together—but I know that wasn't your fault, and I don't blame you for it… it's a terrible excuse, I know."

Sighing, Link went over to Zelda and hugged her. Rocking her gently against his shoulder, he said, "Don't worry. We're going to get out of this scrape. Some day we're going to be together and we're going to have a marvelous future. Don't you worry."

"I won't, Link."

He subconsciously stroked her cheek with his thumb. He was doing it so hard that it almost hurt, but at the same time, it felt strangely romantic …Link pressed forward and brought his lips to Zelda's, thrusting gently but deeply into her awaiting mouth. The familiar feeling of her eyes closing automatically came once again, and the Princess found it unbelievable that one person could elicit so much emotion from her.

"It is almost inconceivable that somebody could have such a hold over a Princess," Zelda remarked quietly, her eyes still closed and Link still kissing her.

"And what such a hold is that, highness?" Link asked.

She pulled herself somewhat away from him, and looked him in the eye. "I would swim that ocean out there for you, Link. That's a strong hold."

Link smiled, but the two of them were interrupted before he could reply:

The door to the room burst suddenly open, causing Link and Zelda to both stare in that direction. There, of course, stood Prince Kishik, his mouth and eyes wide open in shock. Behind him stood a large crew of his men; Darunia and Nabooru's posse were no where to be seen (at least for the moment).

"What in the name of Elizabeth I is going on in here!" the Prince gasped in horror upon seeing Zelda being held tightly in Link's arms (the Link that had no shirt on at the moment, may I remind you). "You savage! Get your hands off of the Princess this very second, or I'll have you murdered on the spot!"

"You won't!" Zelda countered back. She stood protectively in front of Link, and stared her fiancé hard in the eyes. "You would do wisely to listen to me for once, Kishik! Link and I are in—"

"I know you!" Kishik interrupted her suddenly, as if he hadn't been hearing a word she'd said. He was addressing Link. "YOU'RE that scurvy sewer rat that I found under the table on the night my engagement to Princess Zelda was to be announced! How dare you take advantage of the Princess again!"

"LISTEN TO ME, YOU INSIGNIFICANT SELF-CENTERED HOG!" Zelda roared.

She now had the full attention of everyone present.

Taking a deep breath, the Princess continued. "Kishik, I don't love you. I never will love you. Ever. I'm in love with somebody else."

"What—you mean him?" Kishik asked in disgust, pointing at Link with his sword.

Zelda merely smiled and said, "The Black Bandit, yes."

Kishik gasped melodramatically once more. "You ARE the Black Bandit! You're the scum who promised me the ship of your friend Jack Sparrow!"

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Link muttered under his breath.

"Ship? He didn't have a ship! He was completely useless and we had to tie him in the basement of a cat house just to make him shut up!" Kishik stopped to take a deep breath. "Which reminds me! Zelda was not on that island, your incorrigible liar!"

"No I was not on any island," Zelda said. "I was with Flynn."

"FLYNN! Where is he?" Kishik demanded.

"Look out on deck; did you not see him?"

Immediately, the Prince and his men dashed out of the room to see Flynn. Over shouts of "he's gone at last" and such, Zelda turned to Link and said, "We were too busy telling of our immortal love for each other that we didn't have time to come up with a plan!"

"…oops."

Both of them looked down when they suddenly heard a voice beckoning them from the floor. Link came across another trap door, and opened it. "Darunia?"

"Link, listen quick—we're stationed in hiding places all over the ship and we're going to take on Kishik and his men as soon as the time is right."

"Who's we?" Zelda asked.

Darunia grinned. "Me and Nabooru's men."

"You mean they're going to help us?" the two elves asked, rather surprised.

"They said it would be their pleasure—I think they're looking for a new leader."

The conversation was interrupted when they heard Kishik shout, "Zelda, come out here and bring that sea dog with you!"

"Get going," Darunia said, waving his hand. "It'll be fine, don't worry."

He shut the door on himself and Zelda turned to Link. Taking his hand, she said, "Well, if I ever felt like entrusting my life to a group of a Gerudo's men and a living rock, it would be now … Link?"

"Let's go," he said confidently. She nodded and the two of them walked hand in hand onto the deck.

"Who killed Flynn?" Kishik asked them shortly, pretending not to notice that Link and Zelda were being so intimate. "And who killed Nabooru?"

"They killed each other," Zelda replied. "Only they—wait, hold on a second, you know about Nabooru?"

"Know about her? Of course I do," Kishik said. "You underestimate me, Zelda. I've devoted my life to studying pirates and figuring out how to dispose of them. Nabooru was one of the most elusive—looks like someone's done my work for me already, though."

"If you're so good at 'disposing of' pirates, why haven't you killed any yet?" Link asked, pretty sure that Kishik had indeed not shed pirate blood.

The Prince grinned smugly. "Ever hear about old Bootstrap Bill meeting his end?"

Link's eyes narrowed (A/N: sorry, I can't remember how Bill really died. But just go with it and humor me). His hand brushed against his sword. "You monster…"

"Who are you to call someone a monster, my good man?" Kishik asked. When Link didn't respond, the Prince smirked. "Crew… kill him."

But he was not awarded the satisfaction of hearing his group of burly men run forward and kill Link. In fact, he didn't hear anything. All Kishik saw was Link and Zelda, both wearing expressions of clear astonishment. He swiveled around was alas too much in shock to give another of his famous gasps.

Each of his own men had been leapt upon and gagged by one of Nabooru's, who had apparently flown in from no where and attacked from behind. The Naciremans struggled relentlessly against the Gerudos', but it seemed to be of no avail.

"That was too easy," Link said.

"That's amazing."

"Whoa, what in the good name of Scott is goin' on here?" Malon asked, appearing suddenly with Saria. She nodded at Kishik. "'O's he?"

"I, madam, am the Prince Kishik, heir to the throne in Nacierma," the man answered very proudly.

"Yes, and his men have just been royally thwarted by Nabooru's," Link added.

"Sweet mother of pearl!" Saria gasped. "Flynn—Nabooru—th-they're—"

"They're really most sincerely dead," Malon finished for her, checking the pulses. "Who done gone and killed our Captain?" She eyed Kishik suspiciously. "Was it you?"

"My word, of course not!" Kishik scoffed. "They did each other in!"

"Is that true?" Malon asked, turning to Link and Zelda.

"Unfortunately yes," Zelda sighed. "Poor things."

"Poor things? Zelda, these two are criminals! Just like that Black Bandit fellow! They deserved exactly what they got!"

"But—"

"Zelda! They had it coming! … really, they only had themselves to blame."

"…."

"Well sir, now that you've made your remarks," Malon said through her teeth, "I'd appreciate it if you left my ship."

"This is not your ship," Kishik snorted. "Which reminds me—I had to take the one I arrived in off a drunken pirate on that ruddy island."

"It IS my ship," Malon growled. "Now that Flynn's dead." Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute… Kishik… of Nacirema?"

"Yes, that's it."

A low, guttural growl was soon heard coming from Malon's throat. Her eyebrows were slanted down so heavily that they almost touched, and she said, "I… hate… YOU!" She took a dagger out from her boot and threw it angrily at the Prince.

Unfortunately for her, he had quick reflexes, and the dagger only clipped his arm as he ducked out of the way. "What are you--!"

"Do you have any idea what it's like living under you?" Saria yelled. "You never cared a bit whether your countrymen were alive or dead! Whether or not their well-being was secure! You only cared for yourself and your own selfish needs!"

"…well of course, what d'you expect a royal to do?" Kishik asked.

"I don't know for Princes, but I'm sure that Princess Zelda never treated her own people like dog crap!" Malon hissed.

"Your people tried to overthrow us once!" Kishik said. "Did you ever know that? My father was almost killed by commoners! It was my duty to make sure such a rising never came up again!"

"By how, keeping us all in poverty?"

"Giving us no say in any political manners whatsoever?"

"No matter you two became pirates," Zelda said.

"I guess that's our misfortune for being born in Nacirema and not Hyrul," Malon said. She walked a small bit around Kishik and stopped by Nabooru's corpse. She looked up in the Prince's eyes as she bent down and took the dead woman's sword out of Flynn's body. "Draw."

"What did you say?" Kishik snorted, his mouth forming another smirk.

Malon lifted the sword up. "I told you to draw. Your sword."

"I'm sorry, milady, but I've never been one to believe in fighting against women," Kishik said. "I find it most unfair."

If anything, this statement only upset her more. Malon thrust her sword at Kishik, but her maneuver was blocked—albeit rather badly and hastily. "Never underestimate a lady pirate, your highness."

"Okay…" Kishik fought back, but in such a way that Link could tell something was up.

"Something is up, here," Link said to himself.

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked.

"He's not fighting to his true abilities," Link replied. "Maybe he feels insulted fighting against a woman underclass."

Zelda jumped when Kishik's sword hit Malon full-on at the waist. She fell down in shock, and her hand immediately went to the wounded area. "Ah…"

"I won't kill you," Kishik decided. "I don't believe in killing women."

"At least not in person," Saria mumbled.

"But that should teach you a lesson," the Prince went on, ignoring Saria. "Better brush up on your swordsmanship."

"All right, you've had your fun," Link said. "Now it's my turn. Fight me, O brave one."

"It would be my pleasure," Kishik said, an evil grin forming on his face.

"Just a moment," Malon said through her staggered breathing. Saria helped her to her feet, and the red-head limped her way towards Kishik. With her bloodied hand, she slapped him hard across the face, leaving a handmark of red there. "That's so you can remember the time you shed woman's blood."

"After my battle with this gypsy, you'll wish you hadn't done that," was the most threatening thing Kishik could come up with.

Muttering something like, "bah-humbug", Malon allowed Saria to carry her off and bandage her up.

"Link my friend, you have no idea how much this challenge means to me," Kishik said. "A bandit… a gypsy… and um…"

"Your fiance's lover," Link supplied. Zelda blushed lightly and the infuriated Prince lunged at "the dog."

"Oh, imagine how glad everyone will be once you're dead," Kishik said.

"Pretty confident, aren't you?" Link asked knocking the Prince's hat off with his sword.

"I've never been defeated in battle," Kishik replied, brandishing his weapon with even more vigor.

"Well, get ready to chalk up one for my side," Link said casually. "… can you swim?"

"Wouldn't I be a fine man if I couldn't swim!" Kishik said. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering," Link said.

A moment later, he was wondering how Kishik had managed to get him up against the ship's railing, in a position that held the Prince rather in favor.

"Any last words?" Kishik asked politely.

"Um…"

"Good try, Prince Kishik!" everyone suddenly heard Darunia shout. "But he is not left-handed! Ha, ha!"

"Hey Rock man," one of Nabooru's men said. "He hasn't been fighting left-handed."

"Oh…no."

"Go on, say something, just to humor me," Kishik said.

"Kishik, don't!" Zelda protested. She ran towards him and threw her arms around his neck. "I should be so devastated if you were to shed blood on my account."

"Wh—wh—"

She quickly brought the Prince's face down nearer to hers and kissed up on the mouth. Link stood there numbly in shock, and the thought that he'd just been dumped for a Prince flew across his mind. At least, it did, until Zelda swiftly grabbed Kishik's sword from his own hand and whacked him with the side of it.

"What a brilliant ruse!" Darunia cheered.

Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, Zelda said to Kishik, "You now see the danger in fighting against a woman."

Leering at the Prince, Link grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and held him over the side of the ship. "Now you claim you can swim, so I won't kill you… I don't believe in killing women, either. Any last words, chap, before I send you into the ocean blue down below?"

"I c-can't swim!" he breathed.

"Whoops, can't hear you," Link said. He dropped the Prince, and his loud screams as he plummeted downwards did not go unnoticed.

"What's happened?" Saria asked, stepping out of the captain's quarters. "Who just screamed like that?"

"Kishik," Zelda responded.

"Good Goddesses! Has he died?" Malon had to know.

"HELP! HELP! SOMEONE COME DOWN HERE AND HELP ME!" Apparently, he had not. Poo.

"Darunia, free his men," Link ordered.

"But sir, we just finished tying 'em up," a Nabooru follower said.

"Untie them now."

"Link, what are you doing?" Zelda asked. "Now they're going to go down there and save that useless idiot!"

"Don't even joke," said the first sailor who'd been freed. "I mean, that water… it has to be freezing."

"Yeah, not to mention a very long… way down," another man said.

"The Prince can fare for himself," added a third.

"You mean you… want him dead, too?" Malon asked.

"Of course we do! You think it's fun bein' on his crew? None of us had the guts to do him in, but…" The man went to Link and bowed before him, kissing his boots. "You, sir, have saved our unworthy lives!"

"Yeah, he's finally been done in!"

"In like Flynn."

"Well, aren't you quite the hero?" Zelda laughed, as the sailors went on to praise the gypsy. "I have a question for you, Link."

"Yeah?"

"Well… you know you're always talking about helping the underprivileged, and how a lot of upper class people are corrupt, but that you can't go about helping it decently?"

"Yes…"

Zelda blushed and smiled impishly. "How'd you like to fix all that …by becoming a Prince? Of Hyrule?"

He stared at her. "You want to marry a bandit? A gypsy?"

"Link, you know what those words are code for, and I do too," Zelda said. "You just want to help people. Think of all we could do together for everybody if you had the power. So—so will you, Link?"

Darunia elbowed him hard in the stomach. "Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing from where I was eavesdropping, and I had to throw in my two cents—Link, if you don't do this, I swear you are the craziest man I've ever met. Kiss her, lad!"

"Oh, all right."

"Holy Din, Saria, you know what this means?" Malon asked, as Link ardently kissed the Princess and agreed to marry her.

"Uh… that Link is going to marry Zelda?"

"You twit, it means the Black Bandit will be a married man! Our fantasies must end!"

"I dunno," Saria said with a shrug. "A wedding ring has never stopped you before."

"You lying wench!" Malon shouted. "If it weren't for my wound, I'd get you good!"

"Say, you two," Zelda said. "How would you fancy coming back with us?"

"Uh… you mean to Hyrule? With you?" Saria asked.

"Nah, I don't think so," Malon said. "We're pirates. Kishik has corrupted us. We belong out here on the seven seas! Ar, ar, ar, ar!"

"But we promise never to loot Hyrule again," Saria said, patting them both on the hand.

"That reminds me," Malon said. "I'd best go below deck and tell the rest of the crew what's been goin' on all day, huh?"

"Probably a good idea," Saria said, following her. "Good-bye!"

"Au revoir!" Zelda said, waving.

"What language is that?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's the language of looove, Link," Zelda answered. "Get used to it."

"Hmmm, okay… Darunia, lift the anchor and get this ship back to Hyrule!" Link said.

"Aye aye, um… your highness," Darunia said with a smirk, going off to follow order.

"See how good you are at taking charge?" Zelda asked. "You'll make an absolutely lovely Prince."

"Ah, l'amour," one of Kishik's sailors sighed. "Tou jours l'amour!"

The End

------

A/N: Well, it's finally over. Hope you liked it. If anyone would like to do me a fantastic favor, they could go to my profile and see my new story ideas. Email me if you think any of them are all right. Thanks, and please review, cuz I LOVE YOU!