Hey everyone!

Sorry about the late post. I have only one word for it... school.

Anywho, I've just a few A/N's that I think are pretty important before starting this chapter:

Since TP was released for both Game Cube and Wii, the geography of my story will follow the original Game Cube layout- i.e. Gerudo Desert to the west, Kakariko Village to the east, etc.

However, when I play the game its for the Wii, so the inner structure of places will be the Wii version as that's how I've envisioned everything. (Sorry if its confusing. Its just how my mind works for this story).

Also, I decided to use the name Ganon rather than Ganondorf because when you go through your childhood calling him Ganon-dork, the name kinda loses its edge... ;)

Disclaimer: I have no ownership of LoZ- just my OC's and plot.

The field was massive.

Everywhere I looked were flatlands and rolling hills, rocky cliff faces and the seemingly never-ending treeline that ran for miles, disappearing into the horizon. Far off in the distance to the right, a hazy mountain stood sentinel; a ring of thick smoke just visible at its peak.

There was something… off about this landscape. My stomach clenched.

How far from home are we?

'Larper' Hanch said something to 'larper' Rusl and then disappeared into the trees.

"So, where exactly are we going?" I heard Charlie ask 'larper' Bo.

"We are taking you to our camp," 'larper' Bo grumbled in a tone that said you aren't getting any more information out of me. The dark shadows that casted over his features as he faced away from the noonday sun only made the distrust he felt towards us more prominent.

"Okay…" Charlie said, also picking up on the tone of 'larper' Bo's voice, "but you guys have a phone there, right? We need to call somebody who can come and bring us home."

'Larper' Bo started to look at Charlie in a very confused way, as if something he said didn't make any sense.

I came to stand next to Charlie- whose perplexed eyes were wide as he stared at 'larper' Bo- and asked, "How far away is your camp?"

"A little less than a quarter of a day's walk," 'larper' Rusl answered from his spot at the forest's edge.

"What? Your- your camp is almost six hours away?" Parker spluttered.

I gave a snort and a disbelieving chuckle, "Yeah, right. You're joking, aren't you?"

Maybe ten minutes represented six hours for their game?

'Larper' Rusl looked at us, puzzled. "I do not know wh-" but he was interrupted as 'larper' Hanch came bursting around a bend at the edge of the trees, followed by a shaggy horse pulling a large wooden cart. He stopped in front of 'larper' Rusl, hands on his knees and panting, while 'larper' Bo rushed over to the horse to calm it down.

Something had spooked both the horse and little man.

"Boko…blin tracks…close…need to go…now," 'larper' Hanch wheezed.

"You heard the man. Go, go!" 'larper' Bo boomed. He took the horse's reins in one hand and picked up 'larper' Hanch with his other. 'Larper' Hanch gave a small squeal of surprise as he was tucked under 'larper' Bo's arm while the large man started to run towards the open field.

All of us started talking at once. Calli wanting to know what the hell was going on; Charlie shaking his head in bewilderment and mumbling something about "crazy people"; Parker trying to get an answer from Rusl about the six hour walk to their camp; and me laughing as I watched 'larper' Bo running, causing 'larper' Hanch's little legs to swing wildly back and forth, while the wooden cart bumped and swerved behind the horse.

I saw a quick flash of movement out of the corner of my eye and I turned to see 'larper' Rusl run over to Calli- who was standing closest to the trees- and grabbed her upper arm, leading her away. But then he froze, head cocked to the side as if listening to something in the woods.

"Hey! Listen!" he yelled, over the din of our voices. Everyone shut up, and I had to throw my hands over my mouth to stifle another laugh.

Did he seriously just say that?!

He slowly turned to face the trees, and that's when I heard it: an odd cry, like the mix between a growl and a squawk. There was a rustling sound as the leaves on the forest floor were being disturbed. Something glinted as a figure moved among the shadows of the trees.

'Larper' Rusl took a few steps back, causing Calli to stumble slightly by his quick movements. He turned sharply, whirling Calli with him, yelling "RUN!" Then the two of them whizzed past me, Charlie following behind, trying to save his girlfriend from literally being dragged across the ground.

I looked over at Parker, who was walking towards me. "What is going-" he started, but stopped speaking as the figure in the shadows emerged from the woods.

The first thing that I noticed was that it was tall. At least a head taller than Parker, and he is five foot ten. The second thing that I noticed was that its entire body was a dark and sickly shade of purple. And third was the giant sword in its hand (that looked like an elongated cleaver), glinting in the sunlight.

This costume was awesome!

Whoever this was really outdid themselves. The details were amazing: the coarse, thick-braided white hair; the long pointed ears and lengthy jaw; they even had potato sack pants covered with tar-like stains, and grubby shoes.

I looked at Parker, who gave an impressed nod, then I smiled at the 'larper' bokoblin. "I just have to say, your costume is absolutely amazing!"

"I totally agree," Parker said stepping closer to the larper. "It looks so life-like. How-"

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING? GET AWAY FROM IT!"

We both jumped as 'larper' Bo's voice roared in the distance behind us.

The 'larper' bokoblin seemed to spring to life, letting out a high pitched screech as it swung its blade at Parker. Startled, Parker leaped out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough. He let out a cry of pain where the blade hit his arm, watching in horrified disbelief as blood started to flow from a long cut.

"What the fuck is your problem? You cut his arm!" I screamed, my own fear and confusion taking over.

What kind of a game are these people playing?

The larper turned towards me and with a burst of speed charged straight at me. I was caught off guard and tripped over my own feet as I tried to run away from this thing. I landed with a jarring thud on my tail bone, and I let out a cry as pain shot up my spine.

The larper was standing over me, cleaver raised high above its head. It let out another screech and what I saw made my blood turn to ice.

Inside the giant mouth there was no human face hiding behind a mask. No human eyes letting me know that this was a joke- all part of the game. There was nothing but rippling flesh dripping with saliva, rows of sharp pointed teeth and a lashing, bloated purple tongue.

All of a sudden there was a low pitched sound, a whoosh of air passing my head, and then a dull, wet thunk. I was suddenly staring at an arrow embedded deep into the creature's chest.

The creature froze, its cleaver still raised in the air until the weapon fell backwards and out of its grip, thudding loudly as it hit the ground. Its eyes were bulging out of their sockets and then they rolled back into its head as it toppled forward. I scrambled back but the side of its head ended up landing on my foot, its long grotesque ear touching the bare skin of my calf.

My stomach started churning. I didn't dare twitch a muscle in fear that this thing wasn't truly dead; that it would spring back to life and chop me to bits.

Then it started to move.

I held my breath as it began to shift; but it never made a move to get up. Instead, its body started collapsing into itself, sinking further and further until, with a sound like a soft gust of air, the body exploded into a cloud of black dust that dissolved into nothing on the wind.

I let out the breath that I was holding and screamed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sun was starting to set as we neared a bridge that rested over a narrow, but deep gorge. This had to be Kakariko Gorge (it certainly looked like the one in the game) that Rusl mentioned a while ago- the first marker to the entrance of their camp at Kakariko Village.

Parker, Calli, and Charlie were in the back of the wooden cart, all of them sleeping- or at least pretending to be- after all the chaos that happened a few hours ago…

After that creature (I still couldn't get my mind to wrap around bokoblin) turned to dust right in front of me, 'larper' Rusl ran over, bow in hand and dragged me to my feet. I remember hearing his voice, but it seemed so far away; too far to make sense of what he was saying.

That thing almost killed me…

That thing was killed right in front of me…

That thing turned to dust…

A cry of pain filled the air, and somewhere in the back of my befuddled mind I realized that it sounded like Parker. That thought snapped me out of my daze. Blinking a few times, I whipped my head around looking for him.

I found him standing far behind me and my heart constricted when I saw how pale and sweaty his face looked. I ran over to him on shaky legs and saw his left arm covered in blood. The cut was long but not deep- it started just under the sleeve of his t-shirt and ran to just above his elbow. 'Larper' Bo grumbled about having some bandages, but we needed to get back to the camp so that Renado could take a proper look at it.

Renado? Right, another Twilight Princess character…

My fear turned to anger and frustration and I snapped.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" I screamed. "This isn't a game anymore. Parker needs to see a doctor, and whatever the hell that was could've killed us! You guys have to stop this stupid nonsense and please just help us."

My face felt cold as a small breeze blew pass and I realized that I was crying.

The three men stared at me with shocked expressions. 'Larper' Bo was the first to compose himself and strode up to me, his whole body taking up my view as I shrunk back. His face hardened and his eyes closed as he jabbed a finger into my chest.

"I do not know who you think you are, missy, but we are not playing around. If you would have ran when we told you to, this," he took his finger off my chest and pointed to towards Parker's injured arm, "would not have happened." His voice took on a dark edge as he continued. "Now, I have no idea where you are really from or how you got here, but this is Hyrule. People die if they are not careful."

I stood frozen as he walked away from me and back towards the horse. He grabbed 'larper' Hanch by the collar of his tunic with one hand and tossed him onto the saddle. He then went to the cart and grabbed a thick blanket that was rolled-up in the corner, and laid it across the floor. Then he motioned for Parker to sit in the back, and then to Charlie, who was holding onto a shaking Calli. As the three of them settled onto the blanket ('larper' Bo pulling out some bandages to wrap Parker's arm), 'larper' Rusl walked over to me.

Hyrule? This can't be… This can't be real…

"I'm dreaming, aren't I? This has to be a dream. A really weird…life-like…dream," I said as 'larper'- uh… as Rusl stood next to me.

He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I refused to look at him. I couldn't! He was a character in a video game, for fuck's sake!

And yet…

…here he was.

His hand was solid and warm on my shoulder, while the tip of the bow he wore around his was poking at my ribs. I still even felt the pressure from where Bo's finger jabbed into my chest.

I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths, then stepped away from Rusl and walked over to the back of the cart.

The others wouldn't look at me (whether they were just in shock or were angry at me, I couldn't tell) and didn't move to make room so I could join them. But I didn't really care.

Rusl nodded at Hanch, and with a flick of the reins the horse and cart started to move.

My legs were numb and I felt as if I could collapse at any second, but I wouldn't complain and sit. I needed to keep myself moving, because I was afraid that if I stopped I'd never want to move again.

We walked away from the forest, heading in the direction of the mountain. Death Mountain a voice said in the back of my mind. I shivered.

Somehow- whether it was my fault or not; whether I could truly believe it or not- I had led us all to the land of Hyrule.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

On our journey, Rusl mentioned that they were taking us to their refugee camp situated at Kakariko Village. I asked him why we weren't going to Ordon but Bo grumbled that it was not safe anymore, and they left it at that. And beside a few mumblings passed between the three men, the trek was relatively quiet.

For once I was okay with the silence; it gave me time to try and wrap my head around what was happening.

I still wouldn't allow myself to fully believe that we were in Hyrule (I was tossing around the notion that I got such bad heat stroke from our hike that I was suffering from hallucinations). But I couldn't get rid of the feeling of that creature on my leg, and the image of it just disappearing in a cloud of dust right in front of my eyes. There were even remnants of black, glittery specks stuck to my yoga top and running shorts. It wouldn't go away no matter how hard I brushed at my clothes. It was stubborn proof that something unnatural- well, unnatural in my world- just happened.

I don't really know how long we walked for, but by the time we reached the gorge the sun was low in the sky. Rusl and Bo were sweating, and their horse was panting, its huge nostrils blowing air out in sharp gusts. They must have picked up the pace at some point to get us back to their camp faster. I guess I didn't notice; my body was still too numb to register much feeling.

I heard Bo let out a deep, relieving breath and then I saw him smile. His whole appearance changed as he started to relax. He looked kinder, like he was the type of man who enjoyed a good laugh. He went over the bridge first, followed by the horse and cart, then by Rusl, and then me. Once I reached the other side I noticed that the dirt road we had been following just disappeared. The ground was covered in nothing but thick grass that seemed to hide the fact that an inhabited village was close by.

A low mountain range stood before us, and I expected that we would follow along the base of it until we reached the opening to the village. But the men kept walking straight. The horse started to trot towards the wall, obviously excited to be back to safety, and moved ahead of the rest of us. But the horse didn't turn; it kept bee-lining straight for the mountain side.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized that the horse wasn't stopping- and Hanch wasn't doing anything to stop it! I turned to look at both Bo and Rusl, who just watched nonchalantly, letting all this happen.

"Oh my god, stop!" I yelled, chasing after the cart. "You're going to crash!"

Charlie sat up at hearing me yell, looked over his shoulder and started to scramble to the front to grab the reins from Hanch. The horse got closer and closer to the wall and then... disappeared right through it!

I skidded to a stop, not believing what I just saw. "Wh…what…?" was all I could get out as I stared at Bo and Rusl.

Bo let out a howl of laughter and started pointing and saying that I looked like a keese caught in a net. I glared at him and turned to Rusl. He just gave me a patient smile- which made me glare even more- and said, "That is one of Princess Zelda's protection spells. It is meant to confuse the enemy. This mountain range is long but there is only one entrance to the village from this side. The barrier makes the opening look like part of the mountain, and gives us the opportunity of the upper hand if an enemy ever comes too close to discovering it."

I stared at the mountain wall trying to let that information sink in. If I didn't just see my friends vanish through it I would have laughed in Rusl's face.

"You said this is one of Zelda's spells. There are others?"

"She has placed many spells to protect her people here, decoy barriers being one of them."

"Decoy barriers?" I asked curious, still staring at the spot where the cart went through the mountain.

"The enemy knows that our camp is hidden behind a barrier that mirrors the mountain," Bo answered. "Princess Zelda has created decoy barriers all along the range so that if anything is stupid enough to walk through one, they are spat out through another barrier far away from the village. Defence mechanism, you see. Makes it harder for Ganon and his goons to find us."

"Ganon?"

He's here already?

"Ganon is an evil-"

"No, I know who Ganon is," I said, cutting Rusl off midsentence.

He looked taken aback, and then his eyes narrowed. "How do you know so much about us if you are not from this place?"

I was about to tell them that this world and everyone in it were from nothing more than a video game when I stopped. I looked at Rusl and Bo- really looked at them- and realized that these two men standing in front of me were made of flesh and blood, not codes and pixels.

My breath caught in my chest and my head became a little dizzy at the revelation of this thought; and something in my gut said that now wasn't the right time to try and explain the truth. So I gave them a half-truth.

"Let's just say that where I'm from there are stories of this place and its people," I said as I started to make my way towards the false wall. "You could say they're almost like legends."

I came face-to-face with the barrier, and stopped. I know I saw Hanch take the cart through, but did you need speed to get pass? Was this like a Harry Potter run-at-the-brick-wall sort of deal?

I took a few steps back, bent my knees slightly to give myself a good running start and… watched as Bo and Rusl walked right past me, dissolving into the mountain.

Well…that was embarrassing.

I straightened myself up and walked ahead, placing my hands in front of me just in case I met any resistance. I slid right through the barrier as if walking through a curtain of fog.

That was so cool!

I turned around to see what the barrier looked like from this side. It was as if the wall never existed! I could still see the fields, and the hills, and a thin, dark line of forest far away in the distance. I understood what Rusl meant by having the upper hand- the barrier acted like a one way mirror! They could see out, but no one could see in.

As I turned to follow the others I saw their long, thin shadows disappearing around a bend in the tall, narrow passage that I remembered led into the village. I took my time as I walked after them, watching as the rocky walls started to widen until they opened into a massive crater within the mountain range.

My heart started to pound wildly.

It looked exactly as I remembered from the Twilight Princess game. The Eldin Spring was off to my left; its water twinkling in the growing shadows of dusk. And just beyond the spring was the shaman's tall, circular hut, carved from mountain stone and situated just before the entrance to the village.

I walked past the hut to get a better look at the houses in the village. All of them were built into the cliff sides of the crater. The sight of this place took my breath away as the last of the sun touched the buildings on the right, causing their tin-like roofs to flare with golden light. My eyes started to water as I watched the light blaze brightly, then start to dim as the day faded away to twilight.

Blinking away the moisture, I suddenly noticed an old man hobbling down the road, stopping to light the oil lamps that were hanging on posts in front of every building. He froze when he saw me standing at the entrance, next to the hut. He looked me up and down, taking in my appearance with wide eyes. I gave him a shy smile and a small wave. He blinked and then shuffled quickly to the lamp post closest to him, lit it, and then scurried away into the shadows, leaving the remaining lamps unlit.

I frowned and shook my head.

Paranoid old geezer...

"Del?" I looked over my shoulder and saw Rusl's head poking out from the stone hut's front door. "Everyone is inside. Come in before it gets too cold."

As soon as he mentioned the cold, I started to shiver.

I took another look at the houses on the cliff; at the illuminated oil lamps casting a warm, welcoming glow on everything they touched; and I couldn't help but smile as I turned and made my way inside.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

As I entered into the mountainside hut, I notice that it looked a little different from what I could remember of the game. The room of the main floor seemed the same: large and round, with a grand tapestry of Hylian symbols on the back wall, hanging over a set of double doors. However, the rest of the hut didn't match with my memory.

A large fire pit was ablaze in the center of the floor, surrounded by four cushioned benches. And while there were still the two staircases lining each side of the house, the stairs on the left lead to a door carved into the rock. The door was opened and it looked as if there was a hallway leading further into the mountain. The stairs to the right went a bit higher than the left and connected to a balcony that wrapped around the circumference of the hut. Bookshelves and tiny windows lined the walls, and on the far left side was a large, rocky alcove. A desk- stacked high with books- and a chair was pushed snugly into it.

I smiled at the new sight, surprised that I didn't see Parker already up there, tearing through the pages.

Parker! His wound! Where…?

I switched my focus from the scenery to the people within the hut. Rusl and Bo were standing close the back doors, talking to a man in armor. I couldn't see what he looked like as he kept his helmet on with the visor down, which casted shadows along the lower half of his face.

He looks like a Hylian soldier.

I couldn't see Hanch anywhere- but then again, he was so tiny that I wouldn't be surprise if he was sitting right in front of me and I just didn't notice.

Charlie and Calli were sitting on a bench to the right; his arm wrapped around her waist, each of them holding a cup that had steam rising from it. Opposite them was Parker with two new faces that I was able to recognize right away.

The first was a middle aged man with dark olive skin and long black hair, held in sections by thick copper bands. His nose was broad, and his lips were wide and full. He wore shaman robes with a thick leather overlay that had the same Hylian pattern on the front as the tapestry on the wall.

Renado.

He sat on the bench while tending to Parker's arm, applying ointments and bandages.

The second person was standing, observing the shaman's handiwork with admiration in her eyes.

Telma- she'd be recognizable anywhere with her copper skin, dark-red braided hair, long elf-like ears, and breasts busting out of her dark grey top, revealing a yellow lacy bra.

Parker seemed to be really focused on what Renado was saying to him, so I walked over to check on Calli and Charlie first.

"Hey," I said tentatively. "How are you two doing?"

"Okay," Calli said meekly, not lifting her eyes from her steaming cup.

"Yeah, okay," Charlie said looking at me. I looked back at him. He didn't look angry or scared. Just tired and concerned. "You okay?" he asked.

I gave him a soft smile, and nodded. Then I turned and walked over to Parker.

"... and your wound will be healed in a day or two, but you will be left with quite the scar," I heard Renado say to Parker. His voice was smooth and thick like honey. It was the type of voice that had the ability to soothe your soul.

"Well, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?" Parker said shyly, laughing a little under his breath.

"HA!" Telma's voice boomed across the hut and made everyone jump. "That is a great line there! Mind if I take it?" she asked Parker, giving him a wink.

"Sur- sure," Parker stammered.

Renado and Telma's attention turned to me as I approached them. They both smiled and Renado stood from his spot next to Parker and extended his hand. "You must be Del. It is a pleasure to meet you," he said as I placed my hand in his. "I am Renado, shaman of Kakariko Village." (Knew that). "And this is Telma, owner of the bar located in Castle Town," (knew that too). She then took my outstretched hand and gave it a quick, firm shake.

"Nice to me you, sweets." Her smile was warm and gentle, unlike her hard, bone-crushing hand shake.

"Let me grab the both of you some hot tea," Renado said, gathering his supplies and walked around the bench, heading towards an opening just under the stairs on the left that I didn't notice before.

"Let me help you, Ren," Telma said following after him. Renado stopped for a moment, sighed slightly and continued walking towards the opening with Telma trailing him.

I sat down next to Parker, the fire nice and warm on my face and legs, and took his right hand. "How's your arm?" I asked.

"It's not sore anymore. I think the ointment has a numbing agent in it," he said.

"I'm glad that you're okay," I said, squeezing his hand tight in mine.

"I'm glad you're okay. I thought… At one point… I thought I was going to lose you." His voice was soft and cracked a little as he spoke.

I gave him the cockiest smile I could and bumped his good shoulder lightly. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. It'll take a lot more than a stupid, video game creature to take me out," I said with a laugh to try and hide the fact that my heart was pounding hard against my chest at the memory of that cleaver glinting high above my head.

Parker smiled at me. "So, Hyrule huh?" he said, looking around the hut.

"I don't know if I can believe it," I said staring at the giant flames of the fire.

"Theories?" Parker inquired.

I smiled. "I'm jumping back and forth between severe heat stroke that's causing hallucinations, or I'm having a lucid dream while dying in a ditch. You?"

"My water was poisoned with hallucinogens, or I'm having some sort of psychotic break with reality."

"Damn. I like your psychotic break theory better. Mind if I take it?" I asked and winked at him, mimicking Telma moments before. We both laughed at that, and I noticed that we caught the attention of the soldier standing with Rusl and Bo.

I stopped laughing and sighed. "Hyrule… So, you believe we're actually here?"

Parker sighed too. "My head tells me no, but the pain that I felt today, and the scar that I'll have tomorrow tells me that somehow… God, it's crazy, but somehow we must have found a portal that brought us here."

"Portal?"

"I… I think it may have been when we fell through that tree," he said turning to look at me.

The tree!

Everything that happened prior to Parker being attacked by the… bokoblin (might as well call it what it is, now) was such a blur that I'd actually forgotten about the tree... and the voice.

"I'm sorry, Parker," I said lowering my gaze to my hands.

"Sorry for what?"

"For all of this." I waved my hands in circles to emphasize everything.

"Listen, I know the other two are probably blaming you for this," (I winced a little at that), "but this is in no way really your fault. We're in a different world for fuck's sake! You couldn't have done this." He grabbed my hand and squeezed it for reassurance.

I had to tell him. He had to know.

"Parker, earlier today when I said that I heard a voice, I- I wasn't lying. There was something in the woods back home that wanted me…" I shook my head, "no, needed me to go into that tree. And I listened, and now we're all here. I'm so sorry." I didn't realize that I was shaking until Parker had me in a half-hug, his injured arm still hanging loose at his side.

"You're not mad at me?" I asked.

He let out a deep sigh. "Being mad isn't going to get us home," he said softly, resting his cheek on the top of my head. "I am concerned about your mental health though…"

I laughed at that. His tone was light and joking, but it couldn't disguise the layer of worry- one that reflected my own at the thought of my mental state.

He hugged me a little tighter, and said, "Del, we need to find a way home."

I nodded my head, and just as I was about to ask Parker about how we should start Renado came up from behind us, holding a tray with a pot and two cups. Telma was only a step behind him and I smiled lightly at the sight.

Renado set the tray down on the edge of the bench and poured a cup of hot tea for Parker and myself. Then he took the tray over to Calli and Charlie to see if they wanted more.

The tea was odd tasting at first, like a strong mix of jasmine and mint. It was sweet and bitter at the same time. After a few more sips of the hot liquid, the taste evened out nicely and I could feel the tension in my muscles start to relax as I let my eyes close.

I allowed the warm tug of sleep to take over my body- vaguely aware that I still had hot tea in my loosening grip- when my eyes snapped opened at the sound of a loud squeak coming from the front door. Hanch stuck his head inside, scanned the room, and finding who he was looking for, made a bee-line towards the soldier.

"Report," the soldier commanded as Hanch walked up to him.

"There have been no sightings of the enemy following us on our way back from the South Field. And a few bulblins were seen close to Upper Eldin, but were quickly eradicated." The soldier nodded his head, as if this news was acceptable. Hanch continued his report. "We have nothing new to report about Ganon, or his plans for Hyrule."

The soldier frowned at this, but then cleared his throat. "And what of the princess?"

"She is still on her patrol with Ashei. The first group back said that she plans on staying out there until morning."

The soldier sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose under his visor. "Very well, I'll go join her. Hanch, go and find Link. Tell him I want to see him." Hanch nodded, and scurried out the front door.

I froze, then all my senses went into overdrive.

Link? I'm… I'm actually going to meet Link!

My eyes were glued to the front door, my back straight as a board, my hands gripping the cup so tightly that the heat was burning my palms. I didn't care. I was about to meet one of my most favourite characters, in the flesh! Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that Parker's attention was turned towards the front door as well.

The door started to open and I swore my heart skipped a beat or two, before going off in a frenzy. Thank God for rib cages because my heart would be at my feet right now, it was beating so hard.

And then, there he was.

A young man around Parker's height walked into the hut and strode towards the soldier. He looked to be my age, or possibly a year older. His hair was a dark golden blond in the firelight, his elf-like ears protruding out from the messy mop, and his eyes were even bluer than the games made them appear to be. His clothes covered a lean body, but even hidden under the layers it was easy to see that he had definite muscles. To say he was attractive would be an insult. He was gorgeous!

But I noticed that he was wearing his clothing from Ordon village. No green tunic, no Hylian Shield, and no Master Sword.

Odd… They must be in the early stages of the game- I mean battle, or war, or… something.

He walked right past us and straight up to the soldier.

"Link, it seems that the princess is adamant to take on a full patrol tonight, and it's my duty to join her. As you are the Chosen Hero, I leave you the job of keeping an eye on these interlopers (Interlopers?), as well as leaving the safety of Kakariko Village in your care."

The soldier marched over to the back doors and placed a hand on one of the handles, but turned and faced Link once more as if he was waiting for something.

Link let out a puff of air (Oh my god!), scratched the bridge of his nose (Oh. My. God!), crossed his arms over his chest (This is happening!) and said-

"Whatever," and shrugged his shoulders.

The soldier stood there for a moment, his shadowed mouth a grim line, and then swiftly turned and exited through the door and closed it behind him.

Link turned on his heel and headed for the staircase on the left, took the stairs two at a time and walked through the open door leading into the mountain. I assumed that there were bedrooms through that hall as a second later I heard a door close.

It was a good thing that he never looked at me once, because I was a hundred percent sure that my jaw was on the floor in utter shock.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

The idea for Link's introduction was one of the first scenes that floated around in my head at the beginning of this project. It made me laugh, and I hope it made you laugh too.

So, leave me a review if you'd like. I'd love to know what you think so far.

Until next week. (... I hope)

~lavender phoenix~