Sorry this took so long, it seems I had less time on my hands than I thought. Now that finals are done with and I've had some time to map some chapters out, I should hopefully be updating a bit more quickly. Enjoy.

Wings of Time

Soul in Transit

/begin/

Time and space seemed to have about as much relevance here as they did in the darkness. Now, however, there was movement as the Hero of Time found himself hurtling through endless light, on the journey to being reborn. Well, not precisely reborn, but returning to the mortal plane all the same.

So far, the trip was enjoyable. Arms spread wide, Link felt like he was flying, soaring at unimaginable speeds. Whether or not he actually possessed arms at this particular moment wasn't something he felt like considering. Ignorance was bliss, after all.

As exhilarating as the experience was, he couldn't but help feel wary about the situation waiting for him when he arrived at the castle. The goddesses had been their usual cryptic selves, something which never reassured the swordsman. They'd told him precious little about what he was supposed to be doing. Nayru almost let some things slip at a few points, but unfortunately Din had quickly silenced her. Damnable fire goddess always did have an impish streak; she loved to see him sweat. Or so Link thought, what did a mere mortal know anyway.

So mere that they have to keep reincarnating me in order to keep their noses clean.

Link quickly suppressed the rebellious thought, after all, he was going back and that was all that mattered now. Better to be surprised than the goddesses to change their minds. Maybe.

From what he had gleaned, there were a few core facts for him to formulate a plan around. It had shocked Link to learn that he'd been dead for roughly seven months; time had no meaning to the dead. Evidently though, in the short time he'd been deceased the neighboring kingdoms had wasted little time in pressuring Princess Zelda. Most often for an alliance resulting from marriage. So far none had many any overt threats, but some were bolder than others. One such group had gone so far as to move into Hyrule Castle, taking advantage of the royal family's mourning to establish some slight command. Link wasn't sure these actions evoked a divine intervention, but all the same he knew he didn't like it.

He'd also been reassured that the Triforce of Courage would be waiting for him in a safe location upon his return. The piece couldn't leave Hyrule, on the technicality that the blessings it bestowed on the land would be withdrawn. Therefore Link had been forced to part ways with it when that bolt hit him in the chest. However, the goddesses decided to hide it for safe keeping when the hero returned. It was necessary that he find it as soon as possible, Farore had cautioned that Zelda might not recognize him without it. If he possessed it though, she would be able to communicate with him through their bond as holders of the Triforce.

This was the part that worried Link.

His soul raced on in the silence around him as he pondered the implications of that warning. He'd been told that in the interest of haste he wouldn't be literally reborn, as growing up required more time than they had the luxury of in this situation. Rather, his spirit would be placed into a vessel the goddesses had prepared for him. Why would he need the Triforce to talk to Zelda, though?

Link had originally assumed that he would be reincarnated into his old body, but this twist seemed to imply he wouldn't be. That much was understandable; he couldn't exactly be inconspicuous as a hero from beyond the grave. It also gave some insight, (although very little,) as to what he was expected to do. If all the goddesses wanted was for him to chop something's head off, there wouldn't be much need for secrecy. The prospect of the unknown made the hero grimace. After all, stabbing things with a sword until they stopped moving was his forte, not…well, he wasn't sure what precisely he was expected to accomplish.

"Keep Zelda and Hyrule safe," had been the command. Much more open ended than Link preferred. Then again, had his orders ever been too different? Go see the Great Deku Tree, meet with the princess, collect the jewels, awaken the sages, kill Ganondorf. Don't die. His entire life, he'd been told the end results it was his duty to obtain. For the most part, Link had to figure out the means to those ends on his own.

One last dungeon to navigate.

Only problem being that this dungeon would be his own home. In all likelihood he'd need that bond with Zelda simply to gain access to the castle. He'd made sure to step up security during his lifetime so that no more ten-year-old boys could sneak in anymore. A private audience with the princess and her father would be no easy task for an ordinary person with no history to his name. Oh, Zelda listened to the complaints of suppliants enough, or at least she used to, but how would he explain his mission in a room full of people? Besides, poor Zel would probably think it a cruel joke that someone would say such a thing to her, and he'd most likely be tossed into the jail for dishonoring Link the Hero's memory.

Suddenly that Triforce bond was sounding better and better. However, finding it would be no easy task. Going by the locations and traps of the Sages' Temples, when the goddesses said "a secure location," they meant secure. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to know what obstacle course from hell the three had cooked up this time to "test his worthiness."

"Haven't you ever been told not to bite the hand that feeds you?"

Link whirled around in search of the impish voice, to the best of his ability at any rate, but was met only with the echoes of giggles wherever he twisted. As foolish as he knew the sudden urge was, he desperately began to wish for a weapon.

"What, did I upset you?" the voice taunted, and suddenly a whorl of light sparkled in front of the hero, who had at some point become stationary without his noticing. This display continued for a brief moment until it ended in a bright flash that somehow blinded Link despite the luminescent sea surrounding him. Lowering the arm he had instinctively raised to protect his face and eyes, he grimaced slightly and rolled his eyes.

Before him, floating at eye level, was a fairy. Usual size, but Link had to frown briefly at the coloring. He'd never seen a black fairy before; generally they were more…colorful. Come to think of it, he'd never seen one with a definable body before either. Generally the light those tiny pixies emitted was so bright it left anyone looking at them with only an image of a round ball of fuzzy light with wings. Link had heard in his travels that some believed fairies had an extremely close spiritual relationship with the goddesses, and so therefore their auras were so intense that anyone could plainly see them. Navi had never confirmed or denied this, so he wasn't sure.

Snapping out of his internal thought patterns, Link suddenly realized that he'd been staring. Oddly enough, the fairy didn't flit about investigating him from every angle as well, she merely observed him. The fairy was decidedly female. Even her posture named her feminine, from her crossed legs with one foot tapping in the air to her arms folded below her…

Maintain eye contact!

"You know, if there was a floor here your jaw would probably be on it," she quipped, her amusement evidently beginning to fade.

"Erm, sorry," Link tried, "And you would be?"

"Not as big of a freak as you seem to think I am," she returned. This was going to be aggravating.

"If you must know, and I suppose you must since we'll be working together-" somehow she managed to ignore Link's sudden attack of sputtering and continued, "The name's Cove. Don't you worry about my aura, it's perfectly fine. It's just a bit too bright here for it to show up. And don't even think about asking why I'm this color either.'

Touchy.

"I heard that."

/end/

What obstacles will Link soon face upon rebirth? Why has this fairy suddenly appeared, and what are her motives? Guess you'll just have to guess.