The Legend of Zelda: Glaive of Souls

by lavender phoenix

AU. Nothing was as it should be. That's what Del thought after her and her friends were suddenly transported to the land of Hyrule. Since day one she's running from bokoblins, arguing with heroes, pursued by an unseen force, and searching for a legendary weapon that doesn't even exist in the games. Everything she thought she knew about The Legend of Zelda will be put to the test.

11. The Celebration

HELLO EVERYONE!

Just a heads up, this A/N will be a smidgen longer than normal. Understandable if you skip; appreciated if you don't ;)

First, I have to apologize a million times for the unbelievable lateness of this chapter. I've known the general outline of this one for a long time and wanted it finished about two months ago, but I kept getting stuck with the details, which frustrated me to no end. So the chapter's delay is a mix of busy life, writer's block, and minimal motivation.

However, when I did get my bouts of motivation it came from all of you. *Sappiness alert ahead*

The overwhelmingly positive response to my last chapter and all the amazing comments I've received for this story are incredible! I knew going in to this fandom that OC fanfics aren't the most popular (can't lie, Link and Zelda pairings are my favourite too), but the fact that you all enjoy my ship (so far...) and my story is more than I could dream of.

With that being said, I hope this chapter delivers. It's more relaxed than the last (haha), and even though it gave me problems I think it turned out well.

Thank you all again and again for being the best readers I could ask for!

So enough with the yapping and on with the story :)

Disclaimer: I don't own LoZ; only my OC's and plot

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The moment Link raised the Master Sword high into the air a rush of sound emerged from among the trees- a sound that was both soft and deafening at the same time.

It was almost as if the land exhaled a deep sigh of relief.

As if Hyrule knew it was going to be saved.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

With the Master Sword in hand, Link and I made our way back to the crumbling atrium of the Temple of Time, both of us grinning from ear to ear. We walked down the fractured stone path to the ancient archway, one step away from passing through, when Link stopped abruptly and shot out his arm in front of me. I slammed into it and stumbled back a few steps.

"Hey! What the-"

"Shh… He's still out there," Link whispered; his eyes narrowing as he searched the shadows of the grove beyond.

I swallowed nervously as I remembered the grin the Skull Kid gave me before disappearing- that ghastly smile which had me desperately hoping to never see the reason behind it. But from the intense look on Link's face I knew that my hope was pointless. I gave myself a mental shake, pushing back the tingling of fear that I felt crawling over my skin, and took a deep, steadying breath, now ready to run at Link's say-so. I watched as he adjusted his grip on the Master Sword, take a deep breath himself, then with a curt nod that said "go" we bolted from the safety of the archway.

We ran no more than ten feet when the shadows sprang to life, the Skull Kid's skeleton puppets circling and converging around us. With lightning speed, Link grabbed my arm and pulled me to his side just as a dark object fell from the sky to land right where I was standing.

With wide eyes, I stared as the object emitted a high pitched giggle as it unfurled itself from the ground. Gleaming orbs bled crimson as its round face flashed us that terrible grin- a grin that would now be the blueprint of my nightmares.

"What should we play next?" the Skull Kid asked, his awful smile betraying the innocence of his voice.

"No more games," Link said sternly. "We have what we came for, and now we're leaving."

The Skull Kid shook his head and sighed- a deep, sad sounding sigh. "You won't go. I won't let you go."

My body chilled as the Skull Kid raised a tiny hand and snapped his fingers. The skeleton puppets jerked towards us, one moving faster than the rest, its claw-like fingers splayed and thrashing for Link's head.

A heartbeat passed; then Link was releasing my arm and stepping away, the Master Sword held tightly in both hands as he swung the long blade at the puppet.

The world slowed as I watched the sword hit its target; the floating skeleton splintering then exploding into a shower of a thousand irreparable pieces.

Seconds passed in stunned silence; however, the sound the skeleton made upon its destruction still reverberated within my bones- loud and shocking.

Another heartbeat as Link stared in astonishment at what his sword managed to do- at the power it was capable of.

Another beat and Link reined in his focus, shifting his body to take out another puppet when a horrible cry filled the air. I whipped around to see the Skull Kid on his knees, his round face contorted with both anguish and rage as large tears spilled from his enormous eyes. He raised both hands and clenched his fingers, twisting them as if he was grabbing something tangible in the air, then quickly yanked his hands back. The puppets rattled, then, as if pulled by invisible string, sailed through the air and into the shadows of twilight.

"NOT MY FRIENDS!" the Skull Kid roared. Then he lowered his head and whimpered, picking up the shards of broken bone that landed near him, cradling each piece carefully in his hand. "Not my friends…"

I watched as the Skull Kid started rocking back and forth, his little hands pressed gently to his chest as he sniffed wetly every now and again.

And I surprised myself by how sorry I felt for him.

Everything that he put us through was momentarily forgotten as I continued to stare at this sad, pitiful little creature.

… He must be so lonely.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I jumped slightly when I felt something touch my arm. I turned to see Link beside me, concern in his eyes. I gave him a soft smile, letting him know I was okay.

He nodded then let his gaze fall from mine, landing on the Skull Kid in front of us. I continued to stare at his eyes, which were focused and guarded. However, I watched as they soften slightly at the edges, and I knew that he felt sorry for the Skull Kid too.

Link looked back to me, and without saying a word the both of us turned, leaving the grove and the Skull Kid behind us.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It wasn't until we made it back to the bridge that I felt like I was able to breathe properly again.

The air was significantly cooler out of the canopied confines of the grove, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with crisp, cool air. As I exhaled my breath shook slightly and I shivered. Whether the shiver came from the cold or from my relief at being out of that grove, I wasn't sure.

The light was dimmer than before and I looked up to see that the sky was now blotches of light pinks and golds, its edges dark blue bleeding into black. Dusk was approaching.

"We should hurry. It'll be dark soon," I said to Link as I walked over to the bridge.

"Dark?" Link asked, and I turned to see him looking at me, puzzled.

I raised my eyebrows and returned the puzzled look. "Sunset," I said and pointed to the sky.

The corners of his mouth rose into a smirk and he shook his head. "Sunrise," he said.

"Sunrise? No way," I laughed.

Still smirking, Link pivoted and pointed to the lightest part of the sky. "That's east. You can tell because the peak of Death Mountain is visible over the treeline."

I followed the line of his finger and saw the flat tip of the mountain just barely poking above the tree tops; the normally thick ring of smoke a thin band that reflected the pinks and golds of the sky.

"Oh," I breathed, rather embarrassed. But then I blinked in astonishment as I remembered what he had said earlier. "Oh… You weren't kidding when you said time gets lost in that grove?"

He shook his head again.

"Wow…"

He laughed. "Let's go."

Our trek back to the clearing where the Forest Temple stood was a bit easier this time. The morning was still dim, but enough light was given that the shadows were thin and steadily disappearing. However, we still took it slow, climbing up the long length of roots and traversing the thin ledge of the rock wall.

Once we hit solid ground I took a look around and noticed that the clearing was empty.

"Link, were are Ai and Epona?" I asked as I moved away from the boulder we just climbed off of.

"They can't be far," he said as he came up next to me. His face was smooth and calm, his blue eyes sharp as he scanned the area. However, I could see that his shoulders were a little tense and that his left hand was twitching by his side, as if he was trying to restrain it from reaching for the Master Sword now placed securely in his belt.

Eyes wide, I scanned the area, hoping that the dread forming in the pit of my stomach was nothing to take seriously.

Suddenly a loud, piercing sound filled the air. I flinched and turned to see that Link was lowering his fingers away from his mouth. A moment passed and nothing happened. Link whistled again, this time closing his eyes and moving his head slightly from side to side, listening. I watched as his face could no longer hide his worry and my heart started to pound. I was just about to ask him to try whistling again when he exhaled a sigh of relief then smiled.

In the distance I heard the echo of a whinny and then the pounding of hooves as both horses raced into the clearing, slowing to a stop in front of us. Neither of them looked harmed and I was so relieved that I ran over to Ai and wrapped my arms around his thick, solid neck.

"Thank god you're okay," I breathed into his coarse indigo hair. Ai snorted and shook his head before nudging my shoulder softly with his muzzle. I remained where I was, resting against Ai and running my fingers through his mane when a shadow fell over my face and my cheek was suddenly being nipped by large, velvety lips. "I'm glad you're okay too," I laughed as I scratched under Epona's chin.

"Okay, seriously. What did you do to my horse?"

I looked over my shoulder at Link. His arms were crossed and his eyes were narrowed as he stared at me and then Epona.

"I think we're making your master jealous," I stage whispered to Epona as I tickled her nose.

"Pfft," Link snorted as he looked away, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink.

I giggled as Epona walked away from me and up to Link. She started to nip at his ear but he stood his ground, arms still crossed, eyes averted. When he paid no attention to her she started to nudge his chest, pushing harder and harder until he had to take a few steps back so as not to fall over.

"Alright, alright! Knock it off," he chastised with a laugh. Then he placed both his hands behind her chin and laid his forehead against hers with a sigh.

It's at times like these that I wished I had an eye for photography- a visual talent to capture the beauty of a moment, and the aura of emotions behind it. Because this… this was one of those moments: seeing the absolute love of a boy for his horse.

My heart stuttered as something tender and warm swirled in my chest while I watched Link.

He gave Epona a soft pat on her neck then moved away, walking to the satchel attached to her saddle. He reached into the bag and pulled out something that clinked like glass.

"Del," he said, holding out his hand and offering me whatever was in his palm.

I untangled my fingers from Ai's mane and pulled away from his solid warmth, curious. I walked up to Link and took a tiny glass vial filled with a red liquid. "Red Chu jelly," I said as he uncorked a vial for himself and downed the gelatinous stuff in one go.

He made a face and shuddered. "To help with small injuries," he explained, not knowing that I already knew that.

"Are you hurt?" I asked concerned, my eyes raking over his body until they landed on the large, dark patch on his sleeve. Oh my god, right! "Your arm…"

"It'll be fine," he said as he removed his gauntlet and rolled up his sleeve. The entire underside of his forearm was covered in dark, flaky blood, and he had two gashes that were wide and oozy and- but wait… they weren't oozing anymore, but dry and shiny… "The Red Chu jelly won't heal them completely, but it'll stop the bleeding."

Even though I saw- and felt- the effects of the Chu jelly before, I was still amazed. "Crazy," I smiled.

Link smiled back. "Drink yours."

"I don't think I'm hurt," I said more to myself as I ran a mental finger over my body. My legs did feel a little heavy from all the hard running, and my right hand had a bit of a warm pulse (a small reminder that magic was used), but only when I concentrated on it. But I kept up with my inner examination, the finger moving its way down my chest and across my stomach- and my breath hitched slightly as that phantom appendage found a large area of sensitive flesh over my abdomen, right where that puppet slammed into me and sent me flying.

"Or, maybe I am," I said with a weak smile. My body must've been numb from the strain it went through that I didn't register any pain until I was consciously looking for it.

"I'd drink that quick," Link urged, nodding to the vial in my hand, "before it doesn't work."

"Does this stuff have a time limit?" I asked as I opened my vial and drank. The intense bitterness hit the back of my throat hard and it took everything in me not to gag. I swallowed a few extra times to rid my mouth of the fine particles left behind; then took a deep, relaxing breath as the Chu jelly worked its magic, warming and healing me from the inside out.

"In a way. Red Chu jelly works best on fresh injuries. But the older the injury gets, the less effective the jelly is at healing it."

"So would your arm have been completely healed if you drank the jelly right away?"

"Nah," he shook his head then reached for the vial in my hand. "The cuts are too big. But if I drank the jelly sooner then they would've shrunk and Ilia would've been able to fade the scars."

My eyebrows shot up, intrigued. "Oh yeah?"

He nodded as he walked back to the satchel. "Ilia's a master when it comes to fading scars. I'd be covered in them if it wasn't for her," he chuckled. "But these are too large not to leave a mark," he said with a casual lift of his injured arm.

"Ah, and now you'll be branded forever with the memory of this messed up little adventure of ours," I said with a pitiful laugh as he dropped the two empty vials into the bag.

He chuckled again as he turned his gaze to me. "I'm okay with that," he said, eyes shining with amusement and… something I couldn't quite put my finger on. I felt my cheeks warm as he went back to the satchel and started rummaging around inside it until he pulled out the wooden canteen and another loaf of bread, which he snapped in two.

The bread was hard and the water was warm, but it curved the hunger and thirst that I didn't realize I had until the food and liquid were in my sight. We ate fast and drank deep; and when our stomachs were full enough to tide us over Link took Epona's reins and threw them over her head, me doing the same with Ai's.

We led the horses away from the clearing and through the giant opening within the rocky wall, turning to walk alongside it. As we made our way back towards the game trail Link turned to me.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me find the Master Sword," he said with a crooked smile.

I smiled up at him and shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Nothing?!" he exclaimed, eyes wide. He rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a puff of air. "I never would have found it without your help. Hell, I'd still be moping around Kakariko Village if it wasn't for you. So, thank you."

My smile suddenly turned shy as I stared at the gratitude written all over his face; his dark blue eyes bright and warm as they stared into mine. "You're welcome," I said, my voice meek.

We entered into the forest where the shadows were still thick and deep. However, the breaks in the trees were large and in almost no time the shadows started to slowly spread, their inkiness beading with the morning dew to leave the woods in a state of muted grey.

Again, Link sent Epona ahead on the trail, choosing to walk beside me once more. I took a quick glance at him- grin ablaze on his face, right hand wrapped comfortably around the hilt of the Master Sword at his hip- then retreated into my thoughts.

So Nobu was right? I did manage to persuade Link to go after the Master Sword? ...How?

I wanted to ask.

I wanted to know what I said or what I did that could've possibly changed Link's mind.

…However, I had another, more pressing thought that took precedence at the moment.

Link would have never found the Master Sword without me… But why?

I thought back to the stone with the Triforce and "Zelda's Lullaby", how I summoned the Skull Kid in the grove and awakened the guardians… Link was given so little information that I practically had to guide him through all this.

And then it was as if something clicked and I heard the Great Fairy's voice echoing in my ears: "Your given destiny does not reflect that of the Chosen Hero's; however, your paths must intertwine for yours to be fulfilled."

Maybe… Maybe that's the reason why I'm here? To guide Link…?

"Del?"

There's no Midna; no Navi; no Fi…

"Del…?"

No one was given the task to help the Chosen Hero on his quest to save Hyrule…

Something warm wrapped around my upper arm and I blinked to see Link saying my name.

Except, perhaps me…

"Del, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, why?" I asked, curious.

"You haven't talked for almost ten minutes," he answered, trying to suppress a grin and failing miserably.

I rolled my eyes and was about to retort when I stopped short. For a moment I just stared at Link unblinking, then furrowed my brows before blurting, "You never would have found the sword without me…" The words left my mouth in a soft rush as the thought still had me feeling a little dazed.

His grin fell slightly and his eyebrow rose. "I think we already established that. Or was my thanks not enough, and you would prefer that I grovel my gratitude at your feet?" he said, his tone light but sarcastic.

"What? No, of course not. What I meant was that I think you… I think you were on the right track- about me being here for a reason."

Both of Link's eyebrows rose in shock. "Yeah? And that reason is…?"

I scratched the side of my head. "I… have an idea, but I don't know if it's right. I'll let you know when I know for sure."

His face fell in disappointment. But when I blinked it was gone, vanishing so quick that I believed I imagined it. "But you will tell me, right?" he asked.

"I'll tell you," I promised.

He gave me a charming smile. "Okay."

We walked for another ten minutes, in a silence that I was really quite comfortable with, when we entered into a small, familiar clearing. It was brighter here as large shafts of light beamed down through the trees, ranging from pale yellow to sunny gold that saturated the area with a morning glow. Once again I stopped to stare at the cliff- our one-way entrance to this world- and for the billionth time wondered why.

Why did the Great Fairy think it was necessary to magic me- someone not from this world, not even from this realm- and give me a destiny?

I had my "companion" theory; and in a way it did make sense. I had the knowledge, and Link needed the guidance.

However… did it only make sense because it was the first tangible idea I've had that could possibly explain my role here in Hyrule?

The more I thought about this the more the muscles behind my eyes began to pinch. My brain felt trampled. It was almost like I could feel every battered and bruised neuron as I tried to clear my mind of these confusing and frustrating questions.

With one last look I turned from the cliff.

I resumed walking towards the edge of the forest, seeing the South Field stretch wide beyond the pillar of trees, consuming my vision with patches of ochers, golds, and greens.

Once we emerged from the treeline Link took a moment to make sure that all the equipment was secure: Our satchel; Ai's reins; the Hylian Shield and Master Sword strapped tightly to Epona's saddle (but still within easy grabbing distance). He then took Ai's reins and tied it to Epona's pommel before lithely pulling himself onto the saddle.

"Hop on," he said as he offered me his hand.

I wasn't going to argue this time. From the moment I stepped outside of the grove it was as if my body was trying to catch up with the time lost to us, and I started to feel an exhaustion settle deep into my bones.

Riding with Link was safest. If I happened to fall asleep he'd catch me before I slipped off.

…Hopefully.

I took his arm, set my foot in the stirrup and pushed up, swinging my leg over and settling myself behind him.

"Hold on tight. We're going to go fast," he said over his shoulder then leaned forward to scratch Epona's ear. "Okay girl, let's go."

I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist; and with a loud "Hyah!" he whipped the reins and Epona launched towards the sunrise.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The sun was bright and blazing when we crossed Kakariko Bridge.

Once again, both horses did not falter on our journey back. We stopped only once, next to a small stream that snaked its way through the field, where Link filled the canteen and Epona and Ai filled their bellies. We stayed for no more than ten minutes, but Link took that time to test the Master Sword, swinging and slashing it through the air, testing its weight in his hand. Then we were riding again; the crisp air and my tight grip around Link's waist the only things keeping me upright.

At some point I must have zoned out because the next thing I knew I was brought back to my surroundings when I heard the echoing sound of hooves clicking on wood. I breathed a sigh of exhausted relief as we made our way to the village's barrier and passed through.

"Oh… Ohhh… You are back! You are back!" a voice squeaked from above us. I looked up to see that Hanch was standing at the edge of the left-side lookout point; his tiny eyebrows raised high with excitement. "Wait until I tell everyone! Everyone!" he cried, and then quick like lightning he scampered off and out of sight.

I giggled. "Well, he seems excited."

Link snorted softly before urging Epona into a trot. We continued swiftly down the rest of the mountain pass, turning into the narrow passageway and entering into the circular space of the Kakariko Stables.

Suna and Aveil were racing each other around the pen, while Roan, Blitz and Eos were nowhere to be seen. Talon, however, was sorting through a bale of hay when he looked our way.

"Well, now! Welcome back," he boomed as he stood and walked over to open the fence, but paused before releasing the latch. "Why is Del not riding Ai?" he asked, his eyes blinking widely.

"She doesn't know how to ride," Link answered casually as he started to untie Ai's reins from the pommel.

Talon blinked. "I thought that was a joke?"

Link chuckled. "No, she really doesn't know how to ride."

Talon blinked again then threw his head back and laughed.

"Hey! It's not funny!" I cried indignantly from around Link's shoulder.

"Sorry, my dear," Talon apologized as he wiped away a tear. "Such an absurd idea- not knowing how to ride," I heard him mumble as he opened the fence gate.

I rolled my eyes.

Talon took hold of both Ai and Epona's reins, keeping them still as Link dismounted. He quickly placed the Hylian Shield over one shoulder and replaced the Master Sword at his hip before turning to help me down. Once my feet touched the ground Talon pulled both horses away.

Link closed and re-latched the gate behind Talon before resting his arms on the fence as he watched his horse walk into the stable. I copied him, and we stood side-by-side in comfortable silence until I was hit by an unexpected yawn.

"Tired?" he smiled.

I nodded. "Very. And you?"

"I think I could sleep for a week," he answered, stretching his arms high above his head.

"Me too," I laughed softly.

Link lowered his arms then opened his mouth as if to say something else, when he paused and sighed. "Here they come."

"Who?"

"Everyone," he said, wincing slightly.

I turned towards the passageway upon hearing the pounding echo of many feet, soon followed by a horde of Hyrulean bodies. Nobu and Ashei led the charge; the village children right on their heels. Everyone else was close behind.

"You did it…?" Nobu breathed as he stopped in front of Link, eyes wide as he stared down at the Master Sword. "By the Gods, you did it!" he beamed as he placed both hands on Link's shoulders and gave them a firm squeeze.

As I watched Nobu I realized that I've never seen him smile. (And from the odd look on Link's face, I'd say that he hasn't either). His lips were tight, as if the muscles weren't use to the upward position, and one corner rose higher than the other. However, for as awkward as it looked, his smile gave his plain features a charming quirkiness.

He needs to smile more, I thought as chants of "He did it! He did it! He did it!" were yelled into the air by the village children.

As the rest of the Hyruleans gathered around Link to get a better look at the Master Sword, someone shrieked his name. Suddenly, a flash of red burst through the crowd and Malon made a bee-lined for Link, flinging herself into his arms.

"I'm so happy you're back! I was so worried," she cried into his shoulder.

"Hi Malon," Link said and loosely placed one arm across her back.

She sighed deeply at the contact, turning her cheek to rest against his chest. Her eyes flitted to me, narrowing slightly before closing softly and smiling.

My eyes found their way back to Link's and his gaze met mine. I had to bite my tongue from laughing. His cheeks were lined with pink and his eyes looked slightly perturbed, as if Malon being in his arms was the last thing he wanted.

I raised my eyebrows at him, looked at his arm draped around her back then gave him a you-only-have-yourself-to-blame shrug.

His annoyance quickly turned to guilt and he moved in a way that suggested he was about to push Malon off of him; however, I never got to see if he did because I was suddenly bombarded by a pair of slim arms and light blonde hair.

"Del!" Calli squealed into my ear as she slammed the breath from my chest. "You're okay!"

"Sure," I wheezed as I tried to loosen her iron grip.

She pulled back with a huge smile and I breathed in relief- until I was hit from both sides as Parker and Charlie embraced me at the same time.

"You're back!" Charlie cheered.

"Tell me everything!" Parker demanded.

"Guys…can't breathe…" I puffed.

They let me go and I coughed a few times to open my airways. I took a few deep breaths then smiled at them. "Well, we did it. We got the Master Sword. That's one step closer to getting home."

Calli clapped gleefully like a little kid, while Charlie punched the air a few times. Parker, however, was glancing at the Master Sword, now being passed among the Hyruleans. I laughed lightly as I put an arm around his shoulders. "You know, all you have to do is ask Link to see the sword," I said matter-of-factly.

"You think he'll let me?"

"He's letting everyone else hold it. Go live your childhood fantasy," I urged.

Parker smiled wide then walked to the large crowd. As he vanished into the Hyrulean mass, one body broke away and headed towards me.

"Congratulations, sweets. I knew the goddesses would guide you well," Telma said with a proud smile.

"Thanks," I smiled back and she wrapped me into a warm hug. She pulled away, but not before placing a kiss on my forehead, then walked back to the others.

I watched as she disappeared into the jovial crowd of Hyruleans; all of them grinning from ear to ear as they laughed and joked with one another. My chest swelled with warmth upon seeing how much their spirits were lifting; how hope seemed to be returning to each of them.

Just then, I heard my name being called and my gaze found Parker bee-lining straight for me, Master Sword in hand.

"Del, I have it! Here, take my picture!" he said as he handed me his phone, then started to walk away from the crowd and towards the rocky wall next to the passageway entrance. Calli, Charlie and I followed behind.

Once Parker chose his photo spot I pressed the home button but the screen remained black. "Uh, Parker… I think your phone is dead."

His eyes went wide. "Huh? Oh... no, it's just turned off."

I turned it on, and once the lock screen appeared I swiped for the camera. "Okay, ready?" I asked him as I held up the phone.

"I was born ready," Parker said, taking a fighting stance with the sword in both hands.

"Dude, did you seriously just say that?" Charlie laughed.

"Shut up…" Parker said, his cheeks turning a slight shade of red.

I chuckled under my breath as I zoomed in the picture, only to notice that something was missing. "Hang on a sec," I said and handed Calli the phone. "I need to grab something."

I jogged back to the mass of people and walked up to Link. Malon was no longer molded to his chest, but was standing beside him, hands wrapped tightly around his upper arm as she leaned against him. She eyed me as I approached.

"Link, can I borrow your shield for a minute?"

"Sure. What fo-?"

But I didn't wait for him to finish as I quickly pulled the shield from his- thankfully Malon free- arm. "Thanks!" I yelled as I ran back to Parker.

"You can't be a hero without your shield," I said as I handed Parker the Hylian Shield.

If his eyes weren't connected to his head they would have fallen out and rolled away- that's how big they opened. For a minute I almost thought he was going to cry. But he slipped one hand through the bands and held the sword with the other. "Ready," he said.

I took the phone back from Calli and started snapping away.

"What are you doing?"

I jumped- almost dropping Parker's phone- at the voice next to my ear. I turned to scowl at Link. He gave me an apologetic smile then looked back at the phone's screen.

"I'm taking pictures of Parker."

"Oh, you are making instant portraits again!" I heard someone exclaim and turned my head to see Luda walking towards us. "May I watch?"

"Of course," I smiled.

"Instant portraits?" Link asked, curious.

"Yes! It allows you to take as many portraits as you want, right at that moment. No need for hours of painting!" Luda explained.

"What's the point of having so many?"

"To preserve memories," Calli answered from beside me. "You take them during the best, most important moments in your life."

"Huh. Like finding the Master Sword?" Link questioned.

"Like finding the Master Sword," I confirmed, changing the angle of the camera. Charlie had joined Parker, taking the shield from him so the two of them could mock fight. I managed to take a few pictures before Link grabbed my wrist.

"Come with me," he said as he pulled me over to the boys. He stopped in front of them, took the phone from my hand and gave it to Parker. "Can you take an instant portrait for me?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure. Okay," Parker nodded, eyes wide. He took the phone from Link while Link took back the Master Sword, and the two of them switched places.

"Del, come here," Link motioned.

"Why?" I laughed, confused.

"Calli said that these portraits are for important moments, right? Well, getting the Master Sword is definitely one. And I wouldn't have it if it wasn't for you, so I want you in this portrait."

I felt a small bloom of warmth rise from my chest to my cheeks as I smiled. "Okay," I said and went to stand next to him. I turned to face Parker, ready to take the picture when Link held out the Master Sword in front of me.

"Here," he said.

Since we got the sword from the Sacred Grove I still had yet to hold it myself. So when Link offered it to me I beamed at him and took the handle. The instant my hand touched the cool leather I felt a hum rush up my arm; a similar sensation that brought me back to when the Great Fairy bestowed me with magic. My breath hitched a little as the feeling disappeared as quickly as it came.

"You okay?" Link asked, concerned.

"Do you feel it? The power the Master Sword carries?" I breathed.

Link gave me a soft smile and nodded.

Then Parker said to get ready.

I turned back to Parker, sword in hand and resting between me and Link. I smiled and waited for the picture to be taken when I suddenly felt Link wrap his hand around mine, then raised the Master Sword as high as my arm would allow.

I started laughing from the shock of it.

"Got it," Parker chuckled and walked over. He turned the phone screen towards us and I laughed again.

The picture was priceless. Link and I side-by-side, hands overlapping as we held the Master Sword in the air; a look of pure surprise on my face while Link had a wide-toothed grin, just like a little boy.

"Wow…" Link awed. "And you'll have that forever?" he asked Parker.

"Pretty much," Parker smiled.

As I handed Link back his sword (and Charlie his shield) the village children all came running up asking to hear the story of our adventure. Link let out a tired chuckle and smiled, promising that he'll tell them after he's rested. Talo and Beth started whining, but immediately stopped and lowered their heads as Zelda approached us.

"Children, please do not pester Link anymore," she chastised with a smile. "We will all be entertained by the daring tale later tonight."

The children all nodded and then ran back to the others.

"Del. Link," Zelda addressed us. "Congratulations on your success. With the Master Sword on our side, we finally have a fighting chance. On behalf of myself and all of Hyrule, we thank you," she smiled.

Link bowed, and I followed suit.

"Now, I think it is time that the two of you got some rest," she ordered before turning back to address the Hyrulean crowd. "Come; let us all head back into the village." Then she walked away, taking the lead as the mass of people started to exit the stable grounds.

The moment Zelda said "rest" I was hit by a tidal wave of exhaustion. I almost considered asking Charlie for another piggy back, but fought the urge to do so. I looked at Link and was pretty sure he wasn't doing much better. He yawned widely and seemed to struggle re-opening his eyes.

"Come on, we can make it," I said as I lightly punched his arm.

His eyes opened fully and he gave me a sheepish smile. Then something caught his attention and he perked up a little.

"Rusl!" Link shouted over the din of the crowd, jogging over when Rusl broke away.

I saw Link hand Rusl the Master Sword, say something that I couldn't hear over the echo of voices, and watch as Rusl walked away with the weapon.

"How come you gave Rusl the sword?" I asked as I came up to him.

"So he can make a sheath," Link said, matter-of-factly.

"Wait, the sheath didn't appear when you got the Master Sword?" Parker asked from beside me.

Link raised an eyebrow. "Appear? What are you talking about?"

"Absolutely nothing," Parker backpedaled nonchalantly as he realized what he said. He gave me an apologetic look as I stared wide-eyed at him.

I snuck a glance at Link, only to see him eyeing me and Parker with confusion. I just smiled at him and then walked ahead, not giving him the chance to question me. I figured he wouldn't ask Parker what that was all about, but me… Well, that's why I was walking away.

As the crowd swayed back and forth I spotted Uli and Colin not too far ahead. I pushed my way up to them and walked next to Colin.

"Hi," I said to get his attention.

"Hi!" he beamed.

"Thank you for lending me your sword."

"Did it help? Did you get to use it on the bad guys?" he asked excitedly as he mimicked stabbing and slashing into the air.

I thought back to the first time I drew the sword- and how it flew out of my hand because of a skeleton puppet, and how I didn't get the chance to try again. But I couldn't tell him that, so I fibbed. "Uh, yeah."

"Wow," he said, impressed then looked at his mom who smiled sweetly.

"Would you like it back?" I asked as I started to unbuckle the belt.

"No," he shook his head. "You still don't have your own sword yet, so I want you to use mine."

I smiled and held out my hand, which he took. "Thank you, Colin."

The three of us walked hand-in-hand as we exited the passageway and rounded the bend to the Eldin Spring.

Uli and I talked mostly. She mentioned that she had Red Chu jelly and ointment waiting at the inn for us if we needed them; and I told her of my abdomen and Link's arm. I was just about to explain what we took for our injuries when the echo of giggling children interrupted me.

"Ooo! Look, Colin has a girlfriend! Colin has a girlfriend!" Talo chanted as he skipped backwards, pointing at Colin.

"No I don't!" Colin growled.

"Yeah, she's too old to be Colin's girlfriend! Right, Colin?" Beth asked in a tone that sounded rather close to jealousy.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Why are you holding her hand?" Malo accused.

I blinked at the kid, still weirded out at how old he sounded for how young he actually was.

"I'm not! Shut up!" Colin yelled as he let go of my hand, then chased after his friends, all of them screaming and yelling.

"Oh dear," Uli sighed. "That Talo really knows how to get under Colin's skin."

"I wouldn't worry about it," I said with a casual wave of my hand. "I'd worry about Talo getting his ass handed to him the moment Colin realizes he's the stronger of the two."

"Del!" Uli chastised, placing a hand on her chest.

I laughed. "Come on, you know it's true."

Uli's eyebrow rose in an attempt to make herself look stern. However, the effect didn't work as she couldn't stop the smile that was creeping onto her lips. I laughed again and her smile released.

"Well, just between you and me, if that day does ever come, I cannot say that I would not be proud," she whispered.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Once we entered the village everyone split up and went their separate ways. Nobu, Zelda, and Ashei went for a short patrol up the mountain; Renado (relieved from medical duty by Uli) and Shad went back to the hut. All the other villagers went this way and that, and I could only assume to do something productive for the safety of the village.

Parker, Calli, Charlie and I made our way to the inn, followed by Uli and Telma. Rusl walked next to his wife, talking to Link about the sheath he was going to make, while Malon and Ilia tagged behind. Before we walked up the ramp to the inn Rusl kissed Uli then broke away, heading to the blacksmith's house.

"Del, Link, if the two of you can sit by the fire, I will go and grab the medical supplies," Uli said as we entered the inn.

"And I will see if the chef will whip something up for you two since lunch is still about half an hour away," Telma smiled as she headed for the dining hall.

Link and I sat in opposite chairs as Malon took the center one and pulled it next to Link's.

"Alright. Link let me look at your arm, please. Del told me what happened and I want to make sure it is not infected."

Link did as Uli asked and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the two cuts, now puckered and shiny pink.

Malon gasped then grabbed his arm, pulling it towards her. "Oh Link! Does it hurt?"

"It does now," Link winced.

Shocked, Malon quickly let go of his arm; her hairline turning as red as her hair.

Uli stepped in and gently examined his arm. "It does not look infected, but it will leave a scar," she concluded, then started to wipe an ointment that smelled strongly of tree sap across the wounds.

"I can try and fade the scars if you'd like?" I heard Ilia say as she walked past my chair to stand in front of Link.

Link looked down at the cuts, then up at me and smiled. "Nah, I'm okay with having these."

I smiled back.

"But Link… Are you sure you don't want Ilia to fade them? They're so ugly," Malon said as she wrinkled her nose.

"I think they're pretty badass," I interjected casually.

Link laughed and Malon… Malon looked as if she wanted to claw my eyes out.

Internally, I was laughing; externally, I gave her a doe-like expression.

"Del, you mentioned it was your abdomen that was hurt?" Uli asked.

"M-hm," I confirmed.

"Okay, let us head up to your room then. I will need you to remove your clothes so that I can rub your belly with salve."

I nodded, excited to finally be heading back to my bed.

As Uli started to gather up the medical supplies Telma reappeared.

"Were you able to convince the chef to prepare meals for Link and Del?" Uli asked her.

Telma snorted and crossed her arms. "Of course not. (My stomach pinched painfully). The damned fool kept going on about preparing lunch and dinner and food for the celebration that he could not spare a minute to make something else. I even took a risk, asking him if he would make lunch earlier, only to have him swipe a pan at my head." She sighed. "I am afraid it is just a piece of fruit for right now." And she tossed an apple-kiwi to both Link and I.

I devoured it in three bites; Link in two.

"Did you say there's going to be a party?" Calli asked with a blazing smile.

"Yes, my dear, there is. Retrieving the Master Sword is cause for celebration," Telma answered.

"That sounds so fun!" Calli squealed.

Uli chuckled. "Link, I would like you to head straight to bed and rest. I can have Rusl wake you for lunch if you would like?"

"No thank you, Uli. I think I'm going to sleep until dinner," Link said as he stood up; Malon quickly following.

"Very well," she smiled. "Del, let us get this salve on you so you can rest too."

I nodded and walked with her to the staircase. I paused before going up, turning to face the entrance doors where Link, Ilia and Malon were about to exit. "Link?" I called and he looked at me. "Sleep well."

He gave me a crooked smile that made my heart beat a little faster then said, "Sleep well," and left the inn.

Uli and Calli followed me upstairs while the boys remained downstairs with Telma. Once we got to our room I quickly excused myself to the bathroom, taking my toothbrush and paste, and a clean washcloth from my shower basket.

After locking the bathroom door behind me, I took a quick glance in the tiny mirror. My face had a bit of a sheen from oil and sweat, and I had a few dirt smudges along my left temple and cheek. But other than that, I thought I looked pretty okay, considering what I went through.

I quickly used the toilet then washed my face and brushed my teeth. I took down my hair and tried running my fingers through the knots as I headed back upstairs. When I entered into the room Uli had my bed cover turned down and an opened jar of strong smelling salve sitting on the bed-side table.

"Let us remove that armor, shall we?" Uli said softly. I nodded and allowed her to untie the strings lacing the back. Once she was done she had me raise my arms and pulled the corset up over my head. "Now, if you could change out of your clothes."

I tugged off the Faron leather gloves then slipped out of my red tunic and—"Holy shit!" I exclaimed as I looked down. There, resting on the top half of my stomach was the biggest bruise I had ever seen in my life. It was purple and blue and surrounded by a ring of green, with spidery veins of angry pink creeping over my flesh.

"Oh my god, Del," Calli said, and I looked up to see her eyes wide and horrified.

"It doesn't hurt," I reassured her quickly.

"Let us get this salve on you," Uli prompted.

I still didn't have a new pair of pajamas so my sports bra (which I was already wearing) and running shorts would have to do for another day. I removed my pants, pulled on my shorts (which I found halfway under Calli's bed) and crawled onto my bed. I laid down, shivering a little in the cool air.

Uli must've taken notice because she said, "This salve will feel cold at first, I am afraid; however, it will warm up over time."

I nodded and watched as she gleaned a copious amount of ointment then started to distribute it all over my bruise. My breath hitched at the cold and I started to shiver more as the cool air took the opportunity to run soft, icy tendrils over my chilly flesh.

However, the more Uli rubbed the salve into my skin the more it warmed. Her soft ministrations were relaxing and I closed my eyes, instantly falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Del, it is time to wake up… I heard a sweet voice say, coaxing my sleep laden mind to stir. Soft fingers brushed at my hair and across my forehead, the careful touch causing my eyes to flitter open. My room was filled with the bright golden light of early evening and it took a moment for my sight to adjust. As I blinked away the sleep I noticed that Uli was sitting next to me, and I looked at her with mild surprise. Usually it was Telma who came to wake us up.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked as I sat up.

"Yeah, I think so," I said, feeling pretty rested as I stretched my arms above my head. However, I was suddenly hit by a deep yawn and I felt exhausted all over again. "Or maybe not," I chuckled as my eyelids turned to lead.

Uli smiled. "Well, you would have been able to sleep a little longer, but our chef decided that dinner should be served earlier tonight so he has time to prepare for the celebration."

Stupid chef… I thought as I yawn widely again. "So when's dinner?"

"In about five minutes."

And that did it. My stomach pinched so hard and roared with raw hunger that all notions of wanting to go back to sleep completely evaporated.

"Oh, you must be so hungry," Uli said, eyes round as my stomach continued to roar loudly.

I felt my cheeks colour as the gurgling noises continued to emit from my body. "Just a little," I laughed, embarrassed.

"Allow me to quickly check your bruise and then you can dress and head to the dining hall."

I nodded and leaned back so she could examine my bruise. It had shrunk tremendously since this afternoon. What once covered the entire top of my abdomen was now the size of my palm. The green edging and pink veins were no more, and all that was left was a light purple blob.

"Good. It is healing quite nicely," she smiled. "One more application of the salve before bed and it should be completely healed by tomorrow."

"Wow. Thank you, Uli."

"It is the least I can do, after what you did for my Colin." Her eyes started to glisten as she grabbed my hand and squeezed. "Rusl and I are forever in your debt."

"No, please, you're not. You don't owe me anything," I urged, slightly uncomfortable with the idea of someone wanting to repay me for an act of instinct.

Uli gave me a watery smile, squeezing my hand once more before releasing it and standing up. "Well, I will let you get dressed. I have told Telma that I will help her with some preparations for tonight, so I will see you at the celebration."

"Okay," I nodded.

Uli walked to the door as I climbed out of bed and waved before closing it behind her. I did a quick scan of the floor, looking for my clothes and frowned when I didn't see them. Then I looked around the room and found them neatly folded on top of my dresser. I smiled, knowing full well that that wasn't Calli's doing.

My stomach gurgled again, causing a small bout of acid to bubble up my throat. I hauled on my clothes as fast as I could and raced out of the room. I practically flew down the stairs, elated with the prospect of eating a large meal. I jumped the last two steps and was about to head for the dining room when I heard the front door swing open. I paused to look at who it was then stopped. It was Link.

I put up a hand in greeting. "Hey."

"Hey," he smiled then yawned.

I didn't know whether to laugh at him or pity him as he slowly ambled his way towards me. His shoulders were hunched and his chin was drooping very close to his chest. It was pretty clear that he could've used a few more hours of sleep.

"Sleep okay?" I asked.

"Could've slept longer," he answered, stretching.

I chuckled. "Yeah, me too," I agreed, stifling a small yawn. Then my stomach growled again.

Link smiled. "Shall we?"

I nodded, looking away as my cheeks warmed once more with embarrassment.

We walked towards the dining hall together; however, our pace was slower than I would've like. I groaned.

"If you don't walk a bit faster I'm going to ditch-" but I paused as I looked up at him. His eyes were closed, head cocked to the side, mouth hanging slightly open. "Are you sleeping?" I cried, stunned.

"I'm multitasking," Link said, eyes still closed.

"Multitasking?"

"Yes. I'm sleeping while walking," he smirked in my general direction.

"Right…" I drawled; then I smiled. "Well, you're about to multitask your way into a wall," I warned him.

"What?" he cried as he stopped abruptly, eyes snapping open and hands flying up to cushion him from hitting—nothing.

I snickered as I passed him, earning quite the glare.

"That wasn't funny," he grumbled as he jogged up to me.

I smiled cheekily at him. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," I confessed as we made our way into the dining hall.

He sighed and shook his head, seemingly miffed; however, I caught the corner of his mouth twitch upwards and I started to chuckle. It wasn't long before he cracked and the two of us were snickering as we walked up to the service window.

However, my high spirits quickly plummeted once I looked down at my tray. Dinner was small tonight: a single scoop of mixed veggies and a half scoop of pink rice. With where my hunger level was sitting right now I could've eaten ten times this much.

Swallowing my disappointment, I walked over to the corner table where I was greeted by the smiling faces of my friends. I smiled half-heartedly back as I took a seat next to Parker, picked up my fork- ready to inhale my dinner in one go- when I noticed that Link was standing at the head of our table.

"Would you like to eat with us?" Parker asked, barely containing the trill of excitement in his voice.

I smiled and Link smiled back. "I'd-" he started but was interrupted when Malon called for his attention from across the room, waving her hand frantically for him to join her and Ilia. "-better go and sit with them," he said with an apologetic smile. "I'll see you all at the celebration?" He asked.

"Definitely!" Calli answered in delight, while Parker, Charlie and myself all nodded.

"Good. I'll see you later, then," he said before turning and heading over to the other table.

Even though his statement was directed to all of us, I couldn't help but notice that his eyes lingered on mine. I felt a flutter in my stomach and I smiled softly to myself.

"Okay Del, tell us everything that happened!" Parker demanded.

"Eat first, talk later," I mumbled through mouthfuls of hot veggies. Parker groaned but left me alone as I scarfed down my food.

It took me two minutes to finish my dinner, and thirty seconds to realize that I was still hungry.

"What's with the face?" Charlie asked as I pouted at my empty plate.

"I'm still really hungry," I admitted, and all three of them pushed their half-eaten plates towards me. My eyes lit up. "Are you sure?"

"Yup," Calli said. "We had a big lunch. And I don't know about you two," she pointed to the guys, "but I'm still pretty full from it."

"That was a good meal," Charlie said with a dreamy look on his face.

I stared at my bland dinner and decided to spare my taste buds from disappointment and not ask what they had for lunch. I pulled over Parker's tray and started to dig into my second helping.

"Okay, slow down or you're going to choke," Parker chided.

"You just want me to tell you about the Master Sword quest," I accused as I poured myself a glass of water.

"Yes I do," Parker agreed. "But I also don't want to have to perform the Heimlich tonight."

"Fine," I said as I poked his arm with my fork. I told them what happened; all of them remaining quiet as I talked (and ate, much to Parker's annoyance). It was only when I started to tell them about the Sacred Grove and the Skull Kid that Parker's annoyance switched from him to me. I could hardly get a sentence out without him exclaiming "That's not right…!" or "Holy shit, are you serious…?" or "What the f-," that I finally had to wrap my arm around his neck and cover his mouth so I could finish my story.

"That kid sounds so creepy," Calli said after I was done. "Were you scared?"

"A little. But I was with Link, so I wasn't as scared as I could've been," I admitted, taking a quick glance at Link. He was sitting next to Malon at the furthest table from ours- and even though he was at the opposite end of the dining hall, I still managed to catch that small, cocky smile gracing his lips as he glanced at me too.

I raised my eyebrows at him before giving him a playful look as I said "Eavesdropper" softly.

He grinned unabashed.

"Who's eavesdropping?" Parker asked.

"Link. He can hear everything that we're saying," I explained as Parker, Calli and Charlie's heads all whipped in his direction. I smirked, watching Link's cheeks become pink as his eyes quickly shifted to Ilia- who was sitting directly across from him.

"No way," Charlie laughed.

"It's true. It's his ears." I placed my pointer fingers next to mine for emphasis.

Calli gasped gleefully. "That's amazing!"

"Insane kids who control skeleton people; guys who can hear across rooms; purple goblins that swing giant butcher knives… This place is messed up," Charlie concluded.

We all had a good laugh at that.

"So what did you guys do when I was gone?" I asked.

"Nothing much," Charlie answered. "Parker hit the books again; Calli hung around Renado; and I wandered the grounds."

"Wandered the grounds?" Calli laughed. "You were hiding from Telma."

I laughed too. "How come?"

"Because I was taking up Renado's time," Calli answered. Before I could ask why she continued. "I wanted to learn about the medicines they use here."

That wasn't an answer I was expecting, and I stared at her wide-eyed and impressed. "That's actually really cool, Calli."

She beamed proudly. "After watching the handprint around my neck disappear in less than a day, and seeing Parker's arm healed within three- it just amazed me. I wanted to know more. So I asked Renado a few questions and we ended up spending hours going over different herbs and their medicinal properties."

"Listen to you! Talking about 'medicinal properties'," I chuckled.

Her cheeks blushed a dusty pink as she giggled.

"What's Renado going to teach you?" Parker asked, curious.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. But he said that he'll teach me everything that he can for as long as we stay here. I think he's pretty excited about it," she said cheerfully to me. "He said that Luda never really had any desire to study healing- always being at the stables and such."

I nodded, remembering the joy on her face as she talked about taking care of the horses.

"So, is anyone else excited about this party?" Calli asked, eyes lighting up.

I suppressed a laugh, amused at how quickly she changed the subject. "It should be fun. I'm curious to see what a Hyrulean party is like," I said to Parker.

He nodded in agreement. "Well, until then I'm going to go back to Renado's. Shad may have found another lead about the glaive and could use my help. I'll see you later." He stood up, grabbed all four trays- now empty of all food- and dropped them off at the service window before leaving the hall.

"So ladies, what would you like to do?" Charlie asked.

"Well, Del and I need to get ready for the party," Calli said matter-of-factly.

"We do?" I asked, confused.

"Yes. We're going to bathe, and change, and do our hair-"

"We are?"

"But the party probably won't be for another couple of hours!" Charlie cried, exasperated.

"Babe, we may be in another world, but that doesn't mean it'll take any less time to get ready," Calli explained.

"It doesn't?" I said flatly.

"Fine. Then what am I supposed to do in the mean time?" he huffed.

"Help Parker," Calli suggested.

Charlie shook his head. "I'm no help there. Besides, Telma likes to lurk around Renado's." He shuddered.

"Then stay here," Calli sighed, becoming annoyed.

Charlie grumbled something about 'boring' under his breath, and then I had an idea.

"Why don't you go to the stables? I'm sure Talon and Luda wouldn't mind some extra help."

"Yeah, I guess," he shrugged half-heartedly. Then he stood up, saying that he'd meet up with us later and walked away.

"Okay, let's grab our stuff," Calli said, and I followed her out of the dining hall and back up to our room. We grabbed our bathrobes, towels, and soaps then headed back down and exited the inn.

I was about to take the left-side ramp down to the path leading to the hot spring when I noticed that Calli wasn't behind me, but walking down the opposite side.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"We are going to the storage house to pick out new outfits for tonight. Then we'll head to the hot springs," Calli answered over her shoulder.

"New outfits? What's wrong with the ones we have?" I questioned as I ran up beside her.

"Del, it's a party! Have to dress to impress," she smiled.

I laughed. "Impress who?"

A second passed before she responded. "People," she defended; however, there was something off in the undercurrent of her tone.

"Alright, what's up?" I questioned, eyes searching hers.

"It's nothing," she shrugged.

I just stared at her.

"Okay, but don't laugh."

I shook my head. "Never."

She sighed softly. "We've been here almost a week and this place is still so confusing to me. This party, it's… like having something normal and familiar in a world that makes no sense."

Even though there are elements of this Hyrule that are confusing to me too, at the end of the day, I understood how this world works; and I felt my heart sink a little for her. But I just gave her a smile and said, "Okay, let's find some outfits."

"Good," she nodded then linked her arm with mine as we walked down the dirt path into the village.

The sun hung low in the sky; however, dusk was still a few hours away, giving us enough time to find clothes and bathe before the light went out.

When we walked into the storage house it was like walking into a dry sauna. The heat from the evening sun made the tiny house stuffy, while the scent of grains and hay and old leather assaulted my nose. Calli found an old metal bucket which she used to prop open the door, allowing a simple stream of cool air to waft in and alleviate some of the swelter.

We made our way to the crates of clothes and threw open both lids. We rummaged through the garments, pulling out different textures and colours, saving the ones we liked and discarding the ones we didn't. After I'd gone through all the clothes once (Calli twice), I had two outfits to choose from. I went to the dingy mirror and tried on my first choice: a nice, off-white tank top, paired with a long black skirt that sat at my waist. I thought it looked good so I turned to Calli to ask her opinion.

"It's pretty," she said with barely a glance as she held up one of her choices, inspecting the details in the light.

I sighed. I grabbed my second choice and quickly changed into it. It was the soft, dark purple dress that I was originally looking at when Telma first brought us here. The neckline was low and cut straight across, attaching to sleeves that went to the middle of my upper arm. The body of the dress fit me well; the length ending a little below my mid-thigh where it flared out the tiniest bit. "Okay, what about this?"

Calli's eyes flickered up and she smiled. "You look sexy."

"Not really the look I was going for," I admitted.

"Screw that, you look great and you're wearing it," Calli affirmed.

I kept my mouth shut as I turned back to face the mirror. It was best not to argue with her when it came to clothes.

"It's missing something though," she said, looking at my reflection. She stood and went back to the crates.

"Like what?"

"Umm, like a large belt, or a short jacket," she answered as she rummaged through the clothes once more.

"You mean something like this?" I asked, pulling out a long strip of black velvety material and wrapping it around my waist.

Calli looked up and her eyes widened. "Actually yes, that's perfect!"

My eyebrows rose. "I was joking," I said flatly as I looked down at myself. The black material covered my entire middle and the tail ends hung so low they almost touched the ground.

"I'm not. Give it," she said, holding out her hand. Once I gave it to her she dragged me back to the mirror. I watched her spotty reflection as she folded the black material lengthwise once, wrapped it around my waist twice before securing it with a neat knot at my back. The tail ends still hung low; however, with Calli's wrapping skills they reached the back of my knees rather than the ground. "Now, just wear your black boots and your outfit is complete," she smiled.

I smiled back, becoming pretty excited to wear this tonight as I gave myself a once over in the mirror. "What are you going to wear?" I asked as I started to change back into my previous clothes.

"I don't know…" she pouted, going back to her pile of choices. "Everything I've chosen is nice, but I keep thinking about that white tunic!"

"What white tunic?"

"The men's one," she sighed.

I chuckled as I remembered which one she was talking about. "Oh right."

Calli quickly tried on each of the five outfits she chose. One of them looked like a night gown and that reminded me that I needed another one. I looked through a crate one more time, pulling out a long, navy blue shirt with long sleeves. I couldn't tell if it was sleep wear or not, but I didn't care. The material was soft and the length was long enough to cover my lower half.

"You know what, screw it!" Calli said in a huff, flinging the last outfit onto the ground and marching over to the crates in nothing but her bra and underwear. "I'm going to wear that tunic, and if anyone has a problem with it then they can just fuck off," she mumbled as she pawed through the clothes.

I laughed. "Well, make sure you say that to their faces. They appreciate that," I stated matter-of-factly.

Calli lifted her head to look at me confused. "What?"

"Uh… never mind," I sighed, brushing off her stare with a wave of my hand.

She rolled her eyes, rummaged some more, then smiled when she found what she was looking for. She slipped into the tunic and headed for the mirror. The neckline was scooped and hung low, the straps thick on her shoulders. The body of the tunic was straight on her tiny frame and the hem sat about an inch above her knees. She was holding onto a piece of green ribbon, and before I could ask what she was going to do with it she tied it around her waist, tugging the tunic upwards and folding the extra material down to cover the ribbon. She swiveled from side-to-side, checking the outfit from all angles, causing the silver embroidery to shine in the glowing light.

"So?" she asked.

"It looks beautiful," I said honestly. Leave it to Calli to turn something plain into something spectacular.

She smiled, satisfied. "Good. Now let's go to the hot spring."

When we got to the spring there was no one around, and I sighed inwardly with relief as I didn't feel like making the trek to Rux's pool today. We both stripped and jumped in, the fresh smell of cinnamon a welcome change from the stifling scent of hay. Calli washed quicker than I did as the dirt and grime decided to embed itself into my skin. After about ten minutes of scrubbing I finally felt clean, and Calli and I left the hot spring and headed back to the inn.

Once again the inn seemed to be void of any activity, allowing the quiet to creep in from the growing shadows along the walls. The one comfort was the fire within the fireplace; its crackling and popping disrupting the silence, its light pushing away the dark.

Calli dragged me back upstairs to our room, sat me down on my bed then opened the top drawer of the dresser and pulled out a small square box.

"What's that?"

"Hair pins and ties," she answered taking off the lid.

"Where'd you get hair pins and ties?" I asked, astonished.

"Luda," she said, placing the box on the bedside table before she started to run her fingers through my hair. "I was complaining about my hair yesterday at Renado's, so Luda offered me these since she doesn't use them anymore. She used to have hair down to her waist, you know, before she cut it all off."

"Really?"

"M-hm," Calli voiced as she stepped in front of me, furrowed her brows for a moment then took a section of hair from the base of my neck and started to braid it. She tied off the end with a strip of material that looked like suede, then wrapped the braid over the top of my head and secured it behind my ear with a few hair pins. She ran her fingers through my hair again, pulling and twisting and adjusting the strands until she was satisfied.

"I wish there was a mirror up here," she said with a sigh. "I really hate doing my hair on feel alone."

I would've offered to do her hair in return, but her skills were far better than mine- and she knew it.

Then the lightbulb of my memory clicked on. "Oh, the bathroom has a mirror," I said.

"Of course!" Calli exclaimed, grabbing the small box before we left for the bathroom.

Calli got to the door first, pushed on it, only to have it stop abruptly with a metallic clang.

"Occupied!" I gruff voice cried out from inside.

"Sorry!" Calli called back and the two of us took a few steps away from the door to wait.

A minute later the door swung open and a stout woman with a long face and stern expression walked out, eyeing us before she descended the stairs. Calli and I looked at each other then snickered as we headed into the bathroom and locked the door behind us.

"Take a look," she said, offering me the tiny mirror as she placed some pins and ties on the rim of the water basin.

I did and smiled. The majority of my hair was left down (waving lightly as it air dried) except for the single braid she wrapped over my head like a headband. She gave the front sections of my hair a light twist and framed my face with a few wisps of loose strands. Simple, but very pretty.

"Thanks," I said.

She gave me a wink then shooed me away from the mirror where she began her own hair. I took a seat on the edge of the rock ledge that was the toilet, and watched as she parted her hair in two then braided each side, tying them off and wrapping both around her head, creating a crown. She pinned the ends then started pulling at the braids, making them bigger and fuller until she was happy with the result.

"Okay, done. Whaddaya think?"

"You look amazing," I smiled.

"Perfect," she purred, turning back to look into the mirror. "Okay, let's change then head to Renado's. We can wait there until the party starts."

I nodded and followed her out the bathroom door and back to our room once more. I changed into the dark purple dress (Calli tying the black material around my waist) and put on my black boots. Calli smiled her approval then changed into her outfit before slipping into her dark strappy sandals. As she was adjusting her tunic over the ribbon around her waist I couldn't help but notice how much she looked just like a Grecian princess in that outfit.

Charlie's going to flip when he sees her, I thought, smiling.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yup."

"Let's go."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

There was a lot of activity around Renado's.

Apparently, the open space between the hut and the Eldin Spring was where the celebration was going to take place. Within the center of this area was a giant ring made of stones, which encompassed a large stack of logs. Wooden benches and stools were placed all around the makeshift fire pit, and a few villagers were placing tables close by.

Calli grabbed my wrist and silently pulled me to the side door of the hut, saying something about 'not wanting to be seen and made to move furniture'. I rolled my eyes, but allowed her to drag me along and into the hut.

The activity wasn't much less in here.

Renado was walking back and forth between his kitchen and the small table in the main room, bringing out various herbs and items for making tea. Calli made her way towards him, asking if she could help. Renado smiled and the two of them walked into the kitchen, talking. A part of me wanted to follow; however, a bigger part of me wanted to stay and listen to the conversation happening out here.

Telma was arguing with Shad over the use of Parker. She wanted him to help her with stuff for the celebration, while Shad wanted Parker to continue searching the books for information on the glaive- to which she responded that Shad should be helping set up as well.

I couldn't see Parker anywhere on the main floor or on the balcony library when I looked up. However, I did see Luda sitting on the left-side stairs, her cheeks in her palms and a sullen look on her face.

"Hi," I said as I walked over to her. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"Please!" she said, perking up a little.

I climbed a few steps and sat one above her, letting my feet dangle off the edge. She copied me and gave me a smile.

"So where's Parker? They're fighting over him but he's not even here," I chuckled.

Luda let out a small snort. "Telma asked him to get Link and Charlie from the stables; Shad got mad, and they've been arguing ever since."

"Have they been arguing long?"

"Long enough," Luda replied, rolling her eyes.

I chuckled again. "So how come you're not at the stables?"

Her face became sullen again. "Nothing to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Talon was almost done his tasks for the day, and Link was around taking care of Epona. Then Charlie showed up and… uh-"

"And he took over everything, didn't he," I assumed.

The corner of Luda's lip twitched upwards. "Yeah, a little."

I sighed. "Sorry about him. Charlie's a great guy, but he can be a bit pretentious sometimes. He likes to think that he's all knowing when it comes to farming and livestock."

Luda surprised me by laughing. "Talon's like that too. Come to think of it, as I was leaving I think him and Charlie were fighting over the best way to clean the tack. Guess I should've stayed because that argument would've been more entertaining than this one," she said, nodding her head towards Telma and Shad, who were still bickering.

Just then, the front door opened and in walked Parker, followed by Charlie and Link who seemed to be in deep conversation. Parker spotted me on the stairs and bee-lined right over.

"They're still arguing over me?" he half-whispered as he came to stand next to me then leaned against the stairs.

"Seems like it," I smiled. Then I turned my attention to Link and Charlie. "Hey, what are they talking about?"

Parker rolled his eyes. "Cars. Can you believe it? Charlie is trying to explain them to Link."

"You're kidding?!" I blurted with a laugh. It must have been pretty loud because all conversations stopped and everyone was looking my way.

"Oh wonderful, you boys are here!" Telma exclaimed, walking away from Shad. "I need all your help. Charlie, be a dear and help Parker move the benches outside. Link, you can help Bo chop the wood for the fire. And Luda, if you can help Uli with the children, please?"

Luda nodded, slipped off the stairs (me doing the same), and headed out the back doors.

As Parker and Charlie made their way to the closest bench someone came up next to me.

"You changed your clothes," I heard as I turned to face Link.

I snorted softly in amusement. "Yeah. It was Calli's idea. She wanted us to have new clothes for tonight."

Link was about to respond when we heard a crash. I whipped my head to see that Charlie had dropped his end of the bench (causing Parker to stumble slightly) as he was staring at something in front of him. I followed his line of sight and saw that Calli was standing in the kitchen doorway, smiling.

"Whoa…" Charlie said, his mouth hanging slightly open as he stared wide-eyed at her.

"You like it?" Calli asked, holding out the skirt of the tunic.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered, his smile going goofy.

She smiled, pleased. "Help me take these outside?" she asked him, pointing to the multiple stacks of herbs on the table.

Charlie nodded, walking away from the bench and gathering as many stacks as he could carry. Then he followed Calli out the doors, tailing her like a little puppy.

"Hey! Charlie, you're supposed to help me with the benches!" Parker yelled as the doors swung closed.

"I'll help," I offered, walking over and picking up the fallen end. The bench was heavier than I expected and it took Parker and I a moment to adjust our grip. Once we got a firm hold I started to move backward towards the double doors. Link walked past us to open them before lending a hand, holding the bench in the middle as we made our way to the fire pit. After we set the bench down we headed back to grab another.

"I should go and help Bo with the firewood," Link said, stopping at the double doors.

"Oh right," I said. "Thanks for the hand."

"You're welcome," he said then opened the door for me and Parker.

Parker went through first and I was about to follow when Link said my name. I stopped to look at him.

He rubbed the back of his neck then gave me a soft smile. "You look really nice."

I blinked. "Um, thank you," I said, slightly astounded. I felt a blush creep across my cheeks as my heart beat a little harder than usual.

He waited until I was through the door before walking away; and I watched his retreating form until the door closed shut.

"You okay?" Parker asked as I approached the next bench we were to carry.

"Yeah. Yes, I'm good," I replied with a grin. "Let's get these out."

Once Parker and I placed all the benches outside we took a seat to rest for a moment. I watched as the villagers moved around, all of them smiling, excited for the celebration. After a couple minutes passed I heard the rusty squeak of wheels, and I turned to see a cart billowing steam being pushed towards us by a middle-aged bald man, followed by another cart pushed by Telma.

The chef and Telma parked their carts next to a long table and started to unload them. Various foods and desserts were placed all along the wooden surface, and my mouth started to water at the sight of it. Suddenly, the sound of clinking glass filled the air and I turned to see Fado and the piggy-faced villager heading to a smaller table, where they placed multiple liquor bottles and empty glasses atop.

The amount of people started to grow as the villagers made their way to the fire pit. Zelda, Nobu, Ashei and Rusl were walking together from the village, meeting up with Uli, Luda and the Ordon children as they exited the inn. Once they reached Renado's hut, Ashei made a detour and walked in, emerging a moment later with a slumped Shad.

I heard the sound of falling logs fill the air and I swivelled on the bench to see that Hanch was stacking pieces of wood in the fire pit. Not long after Hanch finished pilling the logs, Bo and Link emerged from the mountain pass, Bo pushing a wheelbarrow filled with chopped wood.

Everyone was doing their last minute tasks: Renado and Calli setting up a table for tea; the chef placing the last of the food before moving the carts out of the way; and Telma situating herself behind the liquor table, uncapping bottles and pouring drinks.

And as the sun left nothing but a dark halo of molten light over the mountain range, the fire pit was lit and the celebration began.

At first there was nothing but talking and laughing as we all ate and drank. The chef prepared an array of foods ranging from salty meats and chewy pastries to candied fruits and thick creams. I had never tasted anything this amazing before, and I was extremely happy to be stuffing my face.

And speaking of tasting amazing... Telma was a whiz at making drinks. Her variety of cocktails seemed to be endless, going from sweet and floral to savoury and earthy. Since the four of us had never tried a Hyrulean drink before, Telma whipped up a few for us to test. The first was a cocktail that had a distinctly peppery flavour, which gave the drink a kick; the second reminded me of a dry white wine with notes of pine. And the third was nice and sweet with a citrus like taste. Parker and Calli both chose the one resembling white wine, Charlie chose the peppery one, and I chose the sweet citrus.

Bellies full and drinks in hand, everyone started to gather around the fire pit, filling up the benches. Parker, Calli, Charlie and I took up the bench that was right next Rusl and Uli.

Uli called for her son to come join them, to which Colin listened. However, before he got to his parents he walked over to Link, said a few words, then grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bench. Colin crawled onto the seat next to his mom and Link sat next to him.

I smiled to myself as I watched Colin beamed at Link, then took a moment to look around. It seemed as if everyone was seated, all of them smiling or laughing- except for Malon. She sat in-between Talon and Ilia with a miffed expression on her face as she stared at Link.

I laughed inwardly.

"Link? Del?" Zelda called from across the blazing fire, "I believe it is time you told us of your journey. I know that everyone is eager to hear of it."

A chorus of excited confirmation circled around the fire. Link chuckled lightly then looked at me with a soft smile. "Very well," he said then started to tell our story. And he told it well. So well in fact, that I barely had to say a word- only interjecting a sly remark here and there when the story poked fun at my expense. The villagers were enthralled as Link recounted what happened when we entered to grove. He told them about how he was looking for another path when I realized that we needed a guide to find the sword, how I found the stone with the Triforce symbol, and how I summoned the Skull Kid using "Zelda's Lullaby"—and I froze. My eyes became independent of my brain and I found Zelda's from across the large flames. She raised a curious brow, the glint in her eyes telling me that 'this will definitely be a topic of conversation for another day'. I gave her a shy smile and nodded my head slightly, to which she smiled gently before returning her attention to Link's story. I did the same, coming into the part where Link and I had to play hide and seek with the Skull Kid. Another ten minutes of regaling the villagers with the tale of our adventure, and the story was concluded with the awakening of the sentinel guardians and the removal of the Master Sword from the pedestal.

Everyone remained quiet, eyes wide as they soaked up every word.

Then Parker broke the silence. "Wow…" he breathed then turned to me. "Your version sucked compared to that!"

The air erupted with echoing laughter; the sound joyful and contagious that I couldn't help but laugh too. However, that didn't stop me from punching Parker in the arm.

"Alright, I believe it is time for some music!" Bo boomed over the din of snickering voices. He pulled out an instrument that closely resembled a lute then started to pluck at the strings. The sound was deep and twangy, like the guitars from home. As he played a few bars the noise faded away, only to be elevated again as others joined in. Hanch was holding a small harp and Renado played what looked like a giant wooden recorder that sounded like the wind. The music was soft at first; each musician finding their harmony with the other. Then the tempo changed to something fast and upbeat. The children got up from their seats and started to dance, giggling as they all jumped and twirled, around and around.

"Hey guys?" Calli said. Parker and I turned to face her. "Me and Charlie are going to go for a walk. We'll be back soon."

"Okay, sure," I said and watched as the two of them stood up and started to walk towards the village, hand in hand.

"You know, I think I'm going to take a walk too," Parker said, standing.

"You want some company?" I asked.

He paused for a moment then said, "Yeah."

We walked in the opposite direction from the other two, heading towards the Eldin Spring. The air became chilly as we left the fire behind, and I shivered a little as we approached the water.

"So, I wanted to tell you," Parker started as we walked along the water's edge, "that my school confirmation date was yesterday."

I blinked. "Oh… right. Did- did you finally choose a school?"

A shadow of sadness ghosted his eyes and a small piece of me shattered, knowing which school he chose.

"Yeah… But it doesn't really matter now, does it? London would've given up my spot already."

"For this semester, maybe. But I've read your acceptance letter, and if that school wants you as bad as they say they do, then they'll still take you. We just have to make sure that we're home before the next semester."

Parker let out a short laugh. "Well, with the way things are progressing, I'm not too sure about that."

"Not finding anything new about the glaive?"

He shook his head. "Shad still has a lot of books to go through, but it's not looking too good right now." Parker crossed his arms and sighed. "Did the Great Fairy mention anything about the glaive?"

I shook my head. "No, nothing about that."

"Damn," he said as we reached the end of the spring, only to turn and walk back the other way.

Guilt and curiosity started to swirl in the pit of my stomach. The guilt stemming from the fact that the Great Fairy gave me a purpose here in Hyrule- something that I hadn't shared with the others yet- and the curiosity coming from what Parker would think about the idea of me being Link's companion.

"Uh, Parker? There's something I've been meaning to tell you guys about that day when I met the Great Fairy. She told me… She told me that there is a reason that we're here."

Parker abruptly stopped walking, his eyes bulging as he looked at me. "Okay, and that reason is?"

"Well, the truth is she said that I'm here for a reason; that I've been given a destiny that I need to fulfill before going home. And that you, Calli, and Charlie are only here because… well, because you all were at the wrong place at the wrong time," I confessed quietly.

Parker remained motionless. Then he said, "Well… that's a bit of a slap in the face."

I wasn't expecting that remark and I burst out laughing. "So, you're not mad at me? For not saying something sooner?"

"No, I am mad," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh…," I winced. "Parker, you have to know. I tried. I tried to get you three back home but she said the magic that brought us here was gone, and only the Triforce can send us back," I explained, almost pleading with him to understand.

He took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Okay. But no more secrets, alright? You may have a "destiny" here, but the four of us are in this together."

I hugged him tightly, making a mental promise to tell Charlie and Calli everything I've kept from them tomorrow.

"God, a destiny," he breathed as we broke away from our embrace. His dark eyes were wide as he looked down at me. "Any idea what it is?"

"Not really," I confessed, "but I have this theory and I wanted your opinion on it."

"Shoot," Parker said as we resumed our walk along the water's edge.

"Well, yesterday at the Sacred Grove I practically had to guide Link through everything: finding the stone, using "Zelda's Lullaby",the Skull Kid, even showing the guardians that Link is the Chosen Hero. And then it dawned on me that maybe that's the reason I'm here? I guide Link like his companions did in the games. I mean think about it. There's no Mid-"

"No Midna…" Parker interrupted. "Not even a companion from another game."

I nodded. "So, what do you think?"

"I think, as of right now, that makes the most sense," he confirmed. "But why choose someone from our world?"

"I think that's a headache for another day," I said with a grin.

"Yeah, you're probably right. No use in assuming too much until we get more information."

"Quite right, Mr. Watson," I said in my best British accent.

Parker groaned then lifted his face to look at the sky. He remained quiet for a moment, then said, "The stars are so different here. Ever notice that?"

"Yeah. On our first night, actually," I said looking up as well. Then I chuckled, "I was about to have a meltdown because of it when I was at the hot spring, but then Rux scared the crap outta me and-"

"Who's Rux?" Parker asked, now looking at me.

"Oh my god, right! He's the Goron I met up at-"

"You met a Goron?!"

"Okay, you seriously have to stop interrupting me," I said, annoyed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he cried indignantly.

I crossed my arms at him. "Because you were drunk outta your mind that night, and then the whirlwind of craziness that is everything-that's-happened-over-the-past-couple-of-days came about, and it just didn't seem to be an important fact at the time."

He gave me a pointed look, but then relented with a puff of air. "Fine. Fine, but no more secrets, okay?"

"Technically, meeting Rux wasn't a secret, and-" he stared at me again "-okay, no more secrets," I promised with a huff. And even though it was a heated promise, it was one I wasn't willing to break.

"Good," Parker said, giving me a curt nod.

I gave him a small hip check and smirked. "Alright mom, let's get back to the party."

He snorted softly as the two of us walked away from the spring.

We took a few steps before Parker turned to me. "Hey, Del? Do you- Do you think that I can meet him sometime? Rux, that is," he asked. His eyes looked a little strained, as if he was trying to rein in his excitement; as if he didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Of course," I said with a laugh. "I can take you up there tomorrow if you'd like? See if he's there."

"Yeah! That'll be great," he beamed. "It'll be nice to take a break from reading for a while," he chuckled.

"Shad working you hard?"

"Yes and no. He's really eager to find more information on the glaive and pushes more books my way than I can read. But I've also chosen to help him out, so I really shouldn't complain too much."

"Well, we have to respect his dedication with wanting to help us get home," I said, staring at Shad as we got closer to the fire. He was sitting on a short bench next to Ashei, discreetly hunched over a small tome, turning the text ever so slightly to catch the light from the flames. However, not everyone was impressed with his dedication to finding the glaive, as evident from Ashei's countenance. When she wasn't shooting glares in his direction, she looked as if she could die of boredom.

"I think he's just looking for the glory," Parker said quietly.

"Oh yeah?"

"I asked him the other day if he knew anyone else that might know of what we're looking for. He got kinda mad, as if I offended him or something. Didn't talk to me for the rest of the day."

"Wow," I mouthed as we walked into the ring of light cast by the fire.

The two of us remained silent as we sat back down at our bench, listening to the jaunty music that Bo, Hanch and Renado were currently playing. When the song ended everyone clapped, to which the performers stood and took small bows. Hanch and Renado sat back down, but Bo remained standing. Then his voice rumbled our way.

"Parker! Del! Play something for us. Something from your world," he smiled. It was weird seeing him smile…

All the Hyruleans chorused their excitement at the request.

"Uh… no-"

"Parker can sing," I blurted, cutting off the refusal he was about to make. "He can play the guitar, too." (I got a couple of confused looks at that).

"Del…" he hissed through his teeth.

"What?" I asked, giving him an innocent look. He just glared in response. "Oh, come on! You're a great singer. Just one song? Please?" I pleaded.

"I don't even know if I can play that instrument," he argued.

"Sure you can."

He took a deep breath then said, "One. I'll play one song," then stood up and walked over to take a seat next to Bo. Parker pointed to the lute-like instrument and Bo handed it to him. He plucked a few strings, tuning them until they sounded right, then stopped and looked at me. "What should I play?" he asked.

Without a second thought I said, ""Hallelujah"."

Parker smiled knowingly then started to play.

From the first lyric every Hyrulean was enraptured, and by the chorus there were very few who had a dry eye. Telma was blubbering softly on Renado's shoulder; Uli silently wiping away tears as she held Colin on her lap. Zelda held a hand to her chest as she watched Parker, while Luda's (and even Ashei's) eyes were misting.

And Parker's singing didn't affect only the women as Hanch started to weep; Bo sniffed every now and again; and Shad actually pulled his nose away from his book to listen.

I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming pride for my cousin and his ability to enchant others with just his voice.

I felt someone take a seat next to me and I turned to see that Link was beside me.

"Hi," I said, smiling.

"Hi," he smiled back.

"Enjoying the party?"

"So far," he said. "And you?"

I nodded before returning my attention to Parker.

"That song Parker's singing, is it your favourite?"

I smiled, still looking at my cousin. "It was both our dad's favourite song," I said softly. "Parker used to sing it to them every year for their birthdays, before they died."

"It's beautiful," Link said.

I turned to look back at him and my eyes locked with his. The fire made the blue of his eyes shine like dark sapphires. I wasn't sure how long I was staring at them- a second, a minute, a year- but the moment Link blinked I was released from the spell. I quickly turned my face back towards Parker to hide the bright flush of my cheeks. "Yeah, it is," I said in response.

Link and I sat in comfortable silence as Parker finished playing. As soon as the last note faded into the air he was met with the most exuberant applause from the Hyruleans. Cheers and whistles pierced the night, mixing with the thunder of clapping hands and stomping feet. Over the din I yelled "One more song! One more song!" to which everyone else copied until it was a droning chant.

Parker gave a shy smile then nodded much to everyone's delight. He strummed the strings and the noise died away. Then he started to play "Kiss from a Rose".

"Can I ask you a question?" I said, turning back to face Link.

"Sure."

"Why did you change your mind about going after the Master Sword?" I finally asked. "You had seven months to try again but didn't until now."

He gave me a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you had a big part in that."

"I did?" I asked, still shocked that I actually had any influence at all.

He gave me a crooked smile. "After you shouted your disappointment at me, I started to realize that you were right. I guess I was so lost in my insecurity that I wasn't meant to be the Chosen Hero that it took a complete stranger to snap me out of it. I don't think anyone would've had the guts to shout at me the way that you did."

I laughed. "Well I'm glad I could be of help."

He chuckled. "Hey, did you want to go-"

"Link?" Malon interrupted as she walked up to him.

Now, I didn't have great hearing like Link, but I could've sworn I heard an exasperated sigh escape his lips. But if he was annoyed he hid it well as he addressed her. "Yes Malon?"

"Come with me," she demanded with a sweet smile. "We haven't talked all night." And before Link had a chance to respond she grabbed his arm (the injured one I might add) and pulled him away.

Link looked back at me with guilty eyes as Malon guided him passed my bench and towards Renado's hut; and I just shook my head with mild incredulity. It seemed that even Link wasn't immune to saying no to a pretty face. But I shrugged it off and went back to watching the Hyruleans. Parker was now playing music with Renado and Hanch, the three of them playing off each other while the village children danced and laughed around them. I looked away and my gaze landed on Zelda sitting next to Nobu- who was talking rather animatedly. Her hand was covering her mouth and her shoulders were shaking slightly. At first I thought something was wrong with her but then she let her hand fall and I saw that she was laughing. If I didn't see Princess Zelda laughing with my own two eyes, I would've guessed that Nobu's ability for humour was just a one-time thing. I smiled as I continued to watch them for another minute, then pulled my gaze away only to find Ilia, sitting alone. I got up at walked over to her.

"Can I sit with you?" I asked, smiling.

She smile shyly and nodded her head. I took a seat and was about to say something when she sighed heavily.

"Not having fun?" I asked, curious.

"Hmm? Oh no, I'm having a great time," she smiled, but then her smile fell the slightest bit. "It's just…" she trailed off, focusing on something ahead of her.

Or I should say someone as I followed her line of sight to Link and Malon standing in front of Renado's. Malon was leaning up against the hut, her hair reflecting the light from the fire as she twirled a large strand around her finger. She was smiling softly then laughed at something Link said. Link was standing at an angle, but his head was turned away so I couldn't see the expression on his face.

I turned my gaze back to Ilia, and she must've noticed because she turned to look at me, her eyes wide.

"Never mind," she said with an embarrassed laugh, her cheeks going dark in the firelight. "Are- are you having fun?" she asked, her voice almost a squeak.

"I am, thanks," I said.

I wonder if Ilia has feelings for Link? I thought.

But I didn't have long to think more on that when Ilia said, "Parker is an amazing singer. Does he sing like this where you're from?"

"You mean in large group settings?"

She nodded.

"No," I laughed. "He only sings when he's at home, and even then it's rare."

"Oh," she said. "That's a little sad. He has such a gift for music."

"Tell me about it," I groaned with a smile. "What about you? Did you do stuff like this in Ordon?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, all the time. My father loves playing music and would find any occasion just to have a night full of it." Then she laughed. "One time he had us celebrate because Fado's goats didn't break their pen for a whole week."

I laughed too, but stopped when I saw the faraway look to her eyes. "You miss Ordon, don't you?" I asked, softly.

Her green eyes glistened in the flickering light as she looked at me. "Yes, very much. I miss the green of the forest, the cool air, the Ordon Spring, my home. I guess I'm having a harder time adjusting to life here than the others-" then she looked away and down at her hands. "Listen to me, complaining. I sound so selfish, don't I?"

"Missing your home isn't selfish," I reassured her.

"I'm thankful that everyone is safe. I really am," she said with a watery sniff. She swiped furiously at her eyes then laughed lightly. "It's not all bad here, really. There are some good parts…" and her gaze went back to the hut. To Link. "How are you and your friends doing?" she asked after a moment. "I can't imagine what it must be like, being trapped in another world."

"It's not easy," I confessed, "but we're managing. Taking it day by day, you know?"

Ilia nodded.

"Mind if we join you?" I heard Calli's voice say and I turned to see her and Charlie standing behind us.

"Sure," I said and they sat down. "Where did you two go?"

"On the roof of the inn," Charlie said, pointing. "It has a great view."

"Was that Parker singing before?" Calli asked.

"Yup."

"Wow… You weren't lying when you said he was a beautiful singer," she said in awe, allowing her eyes to linger on him for a moment.

"If you like his singing so much why don't you date him instead," Charlie grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Seriously?" Calli said flatly. "Did you seriously just say that? What are you, a child? How many drinks have you had?"

"I don't have to tell you-"

"Ohh-kay," I interrupted before they had a shouting match. "Apparently we're not 'happy drunk' just yet. Charlie, help me grabbed some more drinks," I said, standing up. Before I followed Charlie to the makeshift bar I asked if Ilia wanted a drink too.

"Yes, please," she smiled.

Telma was nowhere in sight, which frustrated Charlie because the one time he wanted her to be around, she wasn't. However, that didn't stop us from mixing our own drink; our concoction becoming more disgusting the harder we tried to fix it. But we brought the large pitcher of alcohol back to the others and drank it anyways.

The four of us were having a great time together, listening to Ilia tell funny stories from home. It seemed to cheer her up greatly, recounting some of her happiest memories. It wasn't long before Link joined us, followed reluctantly by Malon. Link started adding his own stories to the mix; and when Malon realized that she was no longer the center of Link's attention she mentioned that she was going to bed. Ilia decided to go with her, and I was sad to see her leave.

Parker eventually joined us; and that's when things got really fun.

Charlie and I mixed up some more of our awful cocktail, making it even more disgusting than before, and the five of us decided to play a drinking game. We tried to think of a game that Link could easily play, but we were coming up short. Luckily Charlie had a nickel in his pocket (for some odd reason that I wasn't listening too) and we decided that a heads-or-tails rule was easiest to follow.

"Let's play Flip, Sip, or Strip!" Charlie suggested.

"We are not playing a game with stripping," I told him sternly.

"I'm okay with it," Link said nonchalantly.

I snapped my gaze to Link's and gave him a sly smile. "You know, I think the alcohol is turning you into a pervert, Mr. Chosen Hero."

His eyes changed as they held mine, the dark pools of blue becoming almost molten in the light of the fire. His lips twitched upwards and my breath hitched in my chest as my body started to tingle with warmth.

"We're not stripping," Parker said, his tone serious. "I don't want to see my cousin naked," he added with a shiver.

I tore my gaze away from Link's and looked at Parker. "Yeah, the feelings mutual," I agreed, making a face.

"Fine," Charlie groaned. "We'll play a simple game of heads-or-tails. One person flips, one calls. Call wrong, you drink. Call right, you're spared. We'll go around the circle. The buzzkill can call first," he stated, pointing to Parker.

Parker flipped Charlie off, Link laughed hysterically, then Parker called "heads" and the game began. Every time we called wrong it got harder and harder to drink that nasty cocktail. And every time one of us did we couldn't stop laughing.

At some point our game ended and our group disbanded. I think I remember seeing Calli join the children in their dancing, twirling and jumping as if she was a kid again. And I'm pretty sure that Parker and Charlie wanted to play another drinking game, and I remember seeing them start a round of Thumb War: loser chugs, winner boasts.

But I wasn't paying much attention to them as I was trying to focus on counting.

I was lying on my back, Link lying beside me, both of us staring at the stars when Link wondered how many there were in the sky.

"I don't know," I answered. "But I bet I can count them faster than you."

"I don't think so," he said, accepting my challenge and we both lifted our fingers and started counting.

We laughed way too much as we battled for counting space; both of us messing up as we kept pushing each other's hands out of the way, causing us to restart our individual counts over and over again.

As our laughter started to die down, I turned to look at Link, his shadowed silhouette blurred and blotchy from the tears of mirth still glazing my eyes. I watched as his head turned to face mine, his lips breaking into a bright smile.

At that moment I wasn't sure if it was the influence of all the alcohol I consumed, but all I can remember thinking as I smiled back at Link- before the rest of the evening faded to black- was how incredibly happy I was to be in Hyrule.

---

Alright! Another lengthy chapter complete.

I'm actually really happy that a lot of you enjoy the long chapters, because I literally cannot write something short, unless I want to end it as a cliffhanger...

As always, if you like what you're reading please review, follow and fave :)

~lavender phoenix~