A/N: Hello, my adoring fans! (coughyeahrightcough) This chapter's more just a filler chapter that pushes events along to the next chapter. However, there will be few fillers soon enough, so be prepared for several rather meaty chapters.

Chapter Twenty-two - The Aftermath

"I thought people would be neater at the castle," Link said, surveying the damage that was the ballroom.

"Oh really? I figured they'd be messier due to the fact that they don't have to clean up," Sarah replied, picking up plates and other associated trash.

"You both are right. They're messier because they don't have to clean up, but they know this is the Castle of Hyrule, so it balances out." Zelda collapsed the tables Sarah had just finished cleaning off.

"The first thing on my agenda now is to re-invent the vacuum cleaner," Link joked as he swept up the debris on the floor.

"Good luck with that, seeing as how you have no idea how one works," Sarah retorted.

"Yes I do! You push the button and the hose makes the dust vanish!"

Zelda turned to him. "You are joking, right? I mean, you do know that there's more to it, yes?"

"Of course. There's the power cord too!" he stated with a straight face, which didn't last long. The three of them started laughing, then one by one started cleaning up once more.

"You know, you'd get more work done if you'd joke less," a voice said as the door opened. Ruo strode in, her long blue dress seemingly floating behind her.

"Yeah, well, we'd get even more work done if you'd help," Sarah replied, tossing a bag at her.

"Oh, and after you get done, tell me how you do that floating trick with the back of your dress," Zelda added.

Ruo laughed. "It's simple! Grow a tail." She lifted the back up enough to reveal a long, blue, mermaid-like tail.

"Well, that's a little out of the question. Thanks anyway."

"Are you all gonna stand here or help clean?"

Sarah stood there for a moment, as if in deep thought. "Hmm... That's a good question. Should we help the poor little elf-boy, or go do anything else we may want to do?"

"Hey! I'm not an elf!"

Zelda grabbed Link's ears and rubbed the pointy tips that had developed recently. Link jerked away and held his ears protectively.

"My ears, not yours. Besides, looks as if I'm not the only one with a pointy-eared head."

Sarah turned to Zelda and looked at her closely. "He's right! Your ears are pointy too!"

Ruo coughed innocently, but Link could've sworn he had heard the word 'elf-girl' somewhere in there.

"Watch it, fish-girl," Zelda growled.

"Like you have room to talk, elf-girl!" Ruo fired back.

"Will you two stop fighting?" Sarah asked.

"Shush, you midget sprite," Ruo remarked.

"At least I don't have a tail!"

"Yeah, well, at least I don't glow under a blacklight."

"Luckily, I still have my hair to glow!"

Ruo, who had just finished her 'transformation' into a Zora, had been mortally upset about the fact that Zora had no hair. Link thought that Sarah had hit below the belt there for a moment, but Ruo merely smiled.

"Luckily, I'm not gonna say what I could say," she merely said with a glance toward Link.

Sarah froze up for a half a second, then shrugged. Link had no idea what the comment truly meant however, so he continued picking up the junk lying about.

"Hey, I have an idea."

"Do tell, Zelda."

"How about I talk to my father and get him to let you stay for a day or two?"

"I'd love to, but the Domain calls, and my father wont let me ignore it," Ruo responded.

"What's he gonna do, send troops to the doorstep and haul you back?"

"I wouldn't test him. He spoils me bad. Luckily, very few of my pre-curse memories have come back."

Link nodded and threw a large trash bag at Zelda. Right before coming in contact with her head, it vanished in a flash of blue light. She turned to Link. "Interesting, isn't it? The Protection of the Goddesses, as Impa put it."

Link growled and turned to the tables, continuing to clean.

-

Sarah headed toward her room to dump her stuff off. The King had given his agreements, and Link and Zelda had wandered off somewhere. With Ruo gone, she was gonna go hang out in her room for a while. Passing one of the abandoned rooms that were scattered everywhere, she was surprised to hear Link and Zelda's voices coming from inside. Sarah leaned against the door to hear better.

"Link, you know I get nervous about this."

"Don't be. You've got nothing to worry about."

"But what if-"

"No what-if. You're not going to hurt anyone, so long as you're careful. Come here."

"Hey! Be careful with that! That's not a toy, you know."

"Give me your hand."

"Why?"

"Just give me your hand."

"Ok..."

"Feel how smooth it is? That's the sign of a master. Only ones who are good at their arts can prevent marks and dents. Besides, who'd teach you besides me?"

"Well, I figured that I'd badger one of the Knights until he gave in."

"I'm ten times as good as any Knight you can find."

"I know that, but you helping me with this makes me even more nervous. I mean, you know how I feel about us."

"I do, yes, and that is why I'm helping you with this. I would take much more care not to hurt you."

"I know you wouldn't hurt me, Link."

"And I won't, although I might cause a few bruises. You know me and you know how I am when I get into it."

"Yes, which is why I hadn't asked sooner. Now, am I done feeling the smoothness?"

"Oh, sorry! Alright, ready?"

"As ready as I can be."

"Alright then! Let's do it!"

At that particular moment, Sarah flung open the door. "Hold on a second!"

Link froze, his left hand in midair, his right clutching his usual sword. Zelda, too, also stopped, a slender blade clutched in her hand as well.

"Sarah! You can't say a word of this to anyone!" Zelda blurted.

"You...I...thought...but not...wait, swords, Zelda?"

"I've always wanted to be able to defend myself with a weapon, and I asked Link to teach me swordplay."

Sarah sighed. "Ok."

Link looked back to Zelda. "Well, I guess we'll continue later. Remember, a sword is an extension of your arm, and is used as such. It is not a stick, it is not a fork, it is a delicate, balanced killing machine, and should be treated as such. Besides, if in doubt, just stick 'em with the pointy end."

Zelda laughed. "I'll be sure to remember that. I guess I'll go wander the castle for a while. See you two at lunch."

Sarah nodded as she left. Before leaving herself, she turned to Link. "Well, sorry to interrupt your lesson."

Link nodded and Sarah noticed that he seemed nervous, wary even. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you later," he said as he bolted out the door.

"Peculiar," Sarah remarked before leaving toward her room.

-

Several hours later, Link was hanging out in the stair junction, that part where there are tons of stairs leading everywhere. "What's upsetting you, Zelda?" he asked as she stormed down a set of stairs.

"Those stuck-up so-called Knights!" she shouted.

"Can I be filled in?" Link responded.

"I was down at the training area, looking at the flowers-"

"Flowers, sure. Only if by flower you mean giant, spiky, steel ball-on-a-chain formerly known as the flail."

"Alright, alright, I was admiring the craftsmanship-"

"Craftsmanship, sure. Only if by craftsmanship you mean imagining riding around swing it wildly around your head."

"I get the point! Either way, I was down at the training field when a Knight did a move with a sword I'd never seen before. I asked him how he did it, and he first refused to teach me. When he learned that I was the princess, he told me he'd see if my father'd let me. He only gave in to get me to go away and the only reason he was even talking to me was because I'm the princess, can you believe them? Rude little horse-riding brats!"

Link nodded. "Oh well. Only a few things you can do, but right now, let's just talk about something happier," he replied, taking her hand in his and strolling out into the courtyard.

"You know, I'd forgotten how peaceful the courtyard is," Zelda said, gazing around at the many plants.

"I know. The statues are impressive too." Link walked up to the largest one, an angel with wings spread, as if ready to fly, its head upturned to the heavens. "The sculptor must have been the top of his skill. Look at the detail." Link brushed away some vines growing at the bottom. Wary of the spiderweb of cracks here and there, he wiped some of the dust off.

"An angel, fallen from the grace of the Goddesses, frozen in concrete. Her face reflects deep sadness, as if she was heartbroken. Do you know who the model for this was?"

"Nope," Link answered.

"It was made to look like my great-grandmother. Before she became Queen, she was just like any carefree little girl in Hyrule, but she was forced into marrying the prince of Hyrule. She never had a choice. There were also rumors of a young boy that she had fallen in love with that vanished the day she was wed. She was also the first Queen never to have any boys, thus her daughter became the first blood Queen of Hyrule."

"I'm sure that caused a commotion."

"Of course. It almost tore the country apart." Zelda sighed, then looked up at the statue. "It's funny, you know."

"What is?"

"Even after her husband died, she refused to marry again. After he died, she gave up the crown to her daughter and became an advisor. Never once did she look for a new husband, nor did she let a suitor into the castle for the rest of her days. She was the nicest person anyone could have met, too."

"A true angel, then. It seems, though, that she still had a bit of grace, though."

"Why do you say that?" Zelda asked.

"Look at her great-granddaughter," he replied, smiling.

She smiled. "The mother of the first Queen of the blood. Honored above all, she was a great woman." Zelda walked from the statue as the sun's rays fell on its wings, leaving two silhouetted wings trailing after her.

"So, who's this?" Link asked, pointing to another statue, this one of a woman with armor on, a sword in her hand.

"That's my grandmother, the Queen of Fire. When she ascended to the throne, her cousin, Richard, gathered an army and proclaimed the throne his, due to the fact that he was the last male of the Hyrule family. She gathered up her own army, donned her own armor, and met Richard face-to-face on Hyrule Field. The greatest war in history happened soon after, the Civil War of Hyrule. The country was almost split in two, but she managed to defeat Richard and reclaim his lands, restoring the land."

"Why was she called the Queen of Fire?"

"She was the first woman ever to lead a charge in battle. That, and she was the best archer that the lands had seen. She invented the flaming arrow. The flaming arrow that didn't involve magic, that is."

Link bent down and dusted off the plaque below the statue. "Zelda Hyrule, The Queen of Fire."

"My namesake. She eventually married a man from another country. He refused to become King. They had one child, which they named Daphnes."

"And a few decades of rulership led to the birth of you, I presume?"

"Yep."

Zelda and Link walked around the area, Link pointing to this or that, and Zelda explaining them. They went through several more statues and tapestries before Link nodded.

"Well, it's been fun walking through history with you, but I have a sudden urge for something to eat. Unless you would like to join me, I'm off to the kitchens."

"If thou dost not mind the burden of my company, I shall join thee."

"Then I guess that means off to the kitchens!"


A/N: Half the chapter is pointless background stuff, and the other half is pointless hilarity (the best kind, eh?). Next chapter, however, is a bittersweet chapter, and, as much as it will pain me to post it, there's only a few errors I gotta fix and it's ready. I must trudge on!