"How's everything going with the wedding planning, Aziz?" I asked after making small talk with the others for some time. We, along with Sheik, broke away from the group forming near the throne with Aqua and some of her sisters.

"The wedding is scheduled for a week from today," Aziz answered back.

I turned to face him and stared. "What? A week from today?" I questioned. I didn't have a ton of experience with weddings, but weren't they supposed to take longer to plan?

Aziz nodded tiredly. "Yup. No clue how we're going to pull it off, though. I don't really like these people," he grumbled. "They won't let me talk to Nabs and insist that I need to be fitted for my suit."

Sheik shrugged. "Well, at least you got it out of the way. Now, you're no longer needed for anything. They'll make your suit, Nabs will plan the wedding with Zelda's help, and then you two will get married."

"I suppose," Aziz agreed wearily.

"Was it really that draining?" I asked, chuckling to myself. I never would have thought that I would see Aziz, whom I had thought of as a second father or older brother, marry my older sister. This was going to take some getting used to, but I was glad that he would be joining my small family, which pretty much consisted of me, Nabs, and, in some ways, Nabila.

The little girl had made some friends during the few hours we had been at the Domain and was content to sit with them, watching Nabs and Zelda planning and preparing for the wedding.

"Yes!" Aziz replied quickly. "The only reason I stood there is because of my undying love for Nabs!" he added, throwing his hands in the air.

I rolled my eyes, laughing along with Sheik. "You're so dramatic," I stated.

Aziz glared in my direction. "How droll," he answered sarcastically, reminding me of Cove.

"Have you met that guy, Cove?" I asked out of curiosity.

"That guy that was with you and Marine on your tour of the Domain?" Aziz questioned, and I nodded. He merely continued, not waiting for a verbal answer, "You do realize that I've spent the past million years getting fitted for this stupid suit, and you've been with them this entire time."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that," I chuckled awkwardly.

"What do you think about Ganondorf, Link?" Sheik asked abruptly, his voice shattering the comfortable silence that had settled over us for a few seconds.

I turned my attention over to him. "What do you mean? I'm not going back. I can't go back."

"I know, Link," Sheik agreed, "But you do realize that he will come for you. He and Ren will hunt you down. They won't stop at anything until they get what they want, which is to destroy you. Ganondorf for reasons unknown; Ren for revenge and personal gain."

We walked away from the throne room, wandering through a stone passage. I watched torches' flames flicker in their sconces and focused my attention on those blazing tongues of fire reflectively. "Ren and Ganondorf are both like those torches. They hold so much power and potential, but while they're in their sconces, the damage and havoc they could wreak is contained.

"But," I continued, lifting a torch out of its sconce, "Once they're taken out and thrown, the damage is exponential. I won't give an example, but we can't let them get out of control."

"How do we do that?" Aziz asked skeptically. "You do remember who you're talking about, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I do, Aziz. He's my adoptive father, remember? I know him which is why we have to stop him – as soon as possible."

"I thought you just said that you couldn't go back, Link," Aziz responded.

I nodded. "I can't. But as I said, I know them. They're not going to stop pursuing me until they find, catch, and kill me. Trust me, we'll have the opportunity to stop them."

"I just don't want Zelda to be hurt again. Those jerks – hurting my sister. She's never going to be the same again. She curls up at night and cries. She's so traumatized from my father, my brother, Ganondorf, and Ren," Sheik shook his head.

"What did they do to her?" I asked, not even wanting to think about what they were capable of. My hands curled up into fists.

"They just beat her; it's still shook her up, but they haven't done anything really bad to her," Sheik answered. I furrowed a brow, conveying an unspoken question, and Sheik shook his head. "They haven't done anything like that."

Both Aziz and I sighed in relief. "Good," I stated. "She doesn't deserve any of this. I think, after your wedding, Aziz, Sheik and I should leave the Domain." A plan began formulating in my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

"What do you mean, Link?" Aziz questioned.

We came to a halt in the middle of the passage. I continued to carry the torch because it had suddenly grown very dark. "I think you should stay here at the Domain, Aziz. Stay here with Nabs, Zelda, and Nabila and protect them. Sheik and I should go. I'm the one Ganondorf and Ren wants. I shouldn't put the whole Domain in danger, and I would feel more comfortable with Sheik because I'm pretty inexperienced when it comes to all this warfare and stuff."

"I think I'm starting to like this idea, Link. But where would we go?" Sheik asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we could go to Death Mountain or the Lost Woods or something," I chuckled. No one ever ventured into the Lost Woods or attempted to scale Death Mountain.

Sheik nodded in agreement. "I like that. I have some friends at Death Mountain."

"Wait – I was just joking!" I exclaimed quickly. Was he serious? "What do you mean you have friends at Death Mountain? No one ever goes to Death Mountain!"

"Being a Prince of Hyrule does have some perks, Link," Sheik chuckled. "The Gorons aren't just a myth."

"So you two will leave after the wedding?" Aziz questioned.

"Yes, we will," another voice stated. Several shadows appeared on the wall, and I turned around to face Aqua, Marine, and Cove.

"I don't want to take you away from your family, you guys. Besides, you all just got back," I protested quickly.

Aqua shook her head. "We're ready; Ganondorf will pay for doing this to you and for refusing us shelter. Besides, we're born wanderers. We can't be rooted down somewhere. We need to be ever moving or else we'll get bored."

"We came back here for you guys," Marine added in her sweet voice.

"If you say so," Sheik relented. "Then there will be five of us."

"I do say so," Aqua proclaimed proudly. She took the torch from me.

I watched her in amusement. She was a very assertive girl. "We should probably head back now," I motioned for us to go.

We left; our plans were made, and our minds were set.

The week flew by with all the wedding preparation, and Sheik, Aqua, Marine, Cove, and I continued making plans for our departure. Then, the day came. I found myself in Nabs's quarters, speaking with my soon-to-be-married sister. I would be walking her down the aisle as well as giving her away.

I felt a lump lodge itself in the back of my throat, and I suddenly felt very emotional. I mean, my older sister was getting married! "Nabs," I stated, enveloping her in a huge bear hug. I pulled her close, careful so that I wouldn't crush her fancy wedding dress. "I love you, big sis; don't forget about me, you hear?"

Nabs laughed heartily, "Aw, Link. There's no need to be worried about me forgetting about you. How could I forget about you, little brother? Even when I'm old and married for fifty years with kids all grown up, I will never forget about you. By then, you'll probably be married to Zelda ruling at the Fortress," she teased.

I rolled my eyes, unamused. "Haha, Nabs. You've had your laugh, but seriously, I'm leaving the Domain after the wedding," I stated softly, knowing that Zelda was in the adjoining room. I wanted to break the news to her after the wedding before we actually left. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving her and wanted to leave the hard part for last.

"What?! Link!" Nabs exclaimed. "What're you talking about?! You can't leave the Domain!"

"Nabs! Not so loud!" my eyes shifted to where the room Zelda was in meaningfully.

Nabs's eyes widened. "You haven't even told her yet?!" she whispered loudly and urgently.

I face-palmed. "Nabs! Sh!" My eyes once more darted to the other room, and I slammed a hand on top of Nabs's mouth, getting lipstick all over my hands – Great… I glared at Nabs, and she removed my hands from atop her mouth.

"Link!" she hissed, this time much quieter. "What was that for?!"

"I'm sorry, Nabs. You – you look gorgeous; you really do," I fumbled and stumbled over my words clumsily as I tried to fix my mistake.

"I don't care about the lipstick! Although the lady's gonna blow a fuse when she sees it's messed up –" Nabs's brows drew together, and she didn't look too happy. "I care about you and Zelda! If you don't speak to her, she'll think everything's hunky dory until you do tell her, and then everything will fall apart!" her voice raised and then lowered as she continued. "Trust me, Link. A girl's emotions aren't something to be played with. She cares about you."

I sighed, not sure what to say. "I – I don't know what to do, Nabs. I keep telling myself that I'll talk to her after the wedding."

"You mean wait until the very last possible moment?" Nabs didn't think that plan was all that great. She smacked my arm – hard. "Link – You have to speak to her."

I suddenly felt very sick to my stomach. "Nabs – I – I can't. I'm not good with words, especially when talking to her!"

"And why is that, Link?" Nabs questioned, raising a brow. She placed a hand on her hip as she normally did when she was annoyed or in what I liked to call "lecture mode." And, in my opinion, she was in both.

I began stuttering, "Be – Because! She's Zelda!" I finally exclaimed softly.

"And?" Nabs asked, waiting for more. She looked pretty intimidating standing in her pose.

"And…" I thought quickly, analyzing my options. "I'm gonna crush that dress of yours giving you a hug!" I stated playfully, growling a bit. I began to start chasing her around the room.

"Link!" she responded, holding the skirt of her she ran.

I caught her anyways, throwing my arms around her. I pulled her into a soft hug, being careful of her dress. "You really do look pretty, sis," I laughed into her ear.

She stepped away from me, quirking a brow and placing her hands on her hips in her default position. "Really?" she questioned jestingly. Her red hair was curled at the tips, and her makeup was done a tad heavily in typical Gerudo fashion. Her dress was pretty extravagant while still being simple – I don't know how that's possible, considering the two words together are an oxymoron. She wore a pair of silver heels, and the skirt of her dress was draped in a way so that it exposed her legs from the knees down. She really looked beautiful.

"Really," I confirmed in the same teasing tone. I would miss her when I left, but I was relieved that she dropped the whole Zelda issue for now.

"Link," her tone changed suddenly. In just one second, she went from looking so excited to looking almost – scared. She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed down at the floor. "I'm so scared, Link," she admitted, her eyes still downcast.

"Nabs," I whispered, opening my arms again. She ran into my arms, not caring about her dress. "Don't be scared – I'm gonna be right next to you the whole time. You're gonna marry the man of your dreams and be happy. You'll be fine."

"Link – You know me; I'm loud; I'm bossy; I'm not –" Nabs struggled for a word, "desirable. What if Aziz decides that – he doesn't want me anymore?"

I hugged her tightly, "Aziz loves you; he's going to promise that he loves you and will never leave – That's why we're having this wedding, right?" Not caring about the possibility of messing everything up, I stroked her soft red hair.

"I guess – But what if I screw everything up? Honestly, you know I always do," Nabs wiped her eyes, messing up all of her maquillage.

I smiled down at her, "OK, I admit it – You do always screw everything up." My straight face was maintained, and Nabs looked over at me with shock and horror.

"Link!" she exclaimed, smacking my arm hard – again…

I shrugged, "You said that I know you always screw everything up – I was just stating the truth." Nabs was always so fun to tease – except when she got mad in the end.

Nabs glared at me, unamused as always at my simple joke. "Link," she hissed.

I shrugged once more. "I was telling the truth! You always told me that it's wrong to lie!" I protested with my hands as Nabs began approaching me, her eyes narrowing scarily.

"It is!" Nabs agreed. "Then why don't you tell Zelda that you and Sheik are leaving?!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, frustrated.

"That's not fair, Nabs," I shook my head. How could she just say that? It was so hypocritical, and so was she! But, what was I? I shook off the feeling of slight guilt at the thought of Zelda, when said person poked her head in the room, beaming.

"Nabs! Link! You guys ready?" she looked so beautiful; in fact, dare I say it, she was even more beautiful than Nabs. Her layered golden blonde hair swung down to the small of her back, curled to, as girls would say, "perfection." She wore an ankle-length bright red dress; you could definitely see the Gerudo influence in the rest of her ensemble as well. Huge hoops hung from her ears, and she wore tons of jewelry – I didn't really like that addition. In my opinion, they marred her natural beauty.

Shaking myself of my reverie, I turned to face her with a smile. "Uh, yeah?" That feeling of guilt returned as I saw her cheerful smile. I didn't want to leave her, but I had to. In order to protect her, Sheik, the rest, and I had to leave.

"Oh, no!" she exclaimed, "Nabs! What happened to your makeup?" she motioned for an attendant to fix Nabs's ruined maquillage. The attendant redid all of her hard work quickly before nodding when she was finished. "Alright – We have to head to the chapel. Oh, we're already late as it is," Zelda's brows drew together prettily as she talked quickly, checking items off a list she held. She pushed a sliver of blonde hair back behind her ear, concentrating.

Swallowing a lump in the back of my throat, I suppressed an urge to tell her right then and there that I was leaving. I cleared my throat, "Should we go?"

Zelda nodded quickly, her head bobbing up and down rapidly. "Yes, we should. Are you ready, Nabs?"

Nabs shot me a meaningful look, and I gulped once more. "I'm ready, Zel. I knew I picked the right person to coordinate my wedding," she stated proudly, smiling.

Zelda practically beamed at the compliment. "Aw, thanks, Nabs! Now, we need to go."

Taking my proffered arm, Nabs shot me another look. "Alright, Zelda." She smirked as I glared at her.

Attempting to calm myself down, I took in several deep breaths. We followed Zelda through a series of passages to the chapel. I was to play two parts; I had to give Nabs away, and I was Aziz's best man. I would give Nabs away and join the rest of the groomsmen. When the happy couple would be announced for the first time, they would walk up the aisle, followed by me and Zelda as well as the rest of the bridal party.

Thankfully, I would be walking up with Zelda, the maid of honor. Sheik would walk with Aqua, and Cove would walk with Marine. My heart clenched at the thought of my older sister getting married – I couldn't believe it. It was crazy.

We arrived at the door to the chapel, where the bridal party, with the exception of Aziz, was waiting for us. Aqua handed Zelda's bouquet back after Zelda gave her list to an attendant. Nabs and I stepped a little to the side so no one would be able to see us before the given time. Inhaling deeply, I turned to my sister. "Ready, Nabs?"

"Link! Stop! Everyone's gonna psych me out before I even step onto the aisle!" she exclaimed, half in jest and half in earnest. She held her bouquet tightly, like a lifesaver, and I could tell she was extremely nervous.

Chuckling, I raised a brow teasingly. "Nervous, are we?"

I expected Nabs to deny it, but she instead nodded feverishly. "Yes!"

The door opened, music began to play, and Zelda stepped onto the aisle confidently, her curls bouncing slightly. She made her way down the aisle, smiling widely. Next came Sheik and Aqua, then Cove and Marine. The door closed once more, and I watched my sister with interest. She shuddered slightly, her brows furrowing.

I nudged her a bit, and she looked up at me. Grinning, I nudged her again. She finally cracked a smile as well, laughing a bit. "I can't believe this day is here," Nabs stated joyfully. Our arms were linked, and her bouquet was held in her right hand.

It was a sweet picture, and I nudged her one last time. "Me either."

The door opened once more, and we stepped onto the aisle. I felt so many eyes upon us, and it was slightly unnerving. Nabs bore all the attention bravely, actually laughing a little in anticipation. We arrived at the front of the chapel, and the pastor asked me who would give away Nabs to Aziz.

Clearing my throat and standing up straighter, I stated boldly, "I do." I placed Nabs's hand in Aziz's, smiling encouragingly at Nabs. I went to join Sheik and Cove at the side. The rest was all a blur. There wasn't a dry eye in the whole chapter – Even my fierce older sister was crying unashamedly. Before I knew it, Nabs and Aziz were pronounced husband and wife, and I almost whooped with joy. Wearing a grin I couldn't contain, I linked arms with Zelda.

"That was a beautiful ceremony," Zelda stated as we walked down the aisle, following Nabs and Aziz.

"It was," I agreed, nodding. We joined the happy couple, excited. Then, my heart sank once more as I thought about Zelda…

"Um, Zelda?" voice shaking, I gazed into her ocean blue orbs. "Can we talk?"

"Is something wrong?" Zelda asked, her eyes flashing with worry. "You know you can tell me anything, Link."

I leaned against the stone wall next to me. "Zelda," I breathed, "Sheik, Aqua, Marine, Cove, and I have to leave the Domain for now."

She opened her mouth in protest, but I motioned for her to remain silent. "Zelda – Ganondorf and Ren want me. By staying here, I'm putting everyone at the Domain in danger – including you. You're – you're very – precious to me, Zelda. I can't lose you."

"But, Link," she began, "You can't just leave. Aren't you at least going to stay for Nabooru and Aziz's reception?"

Shaking my head, my heart broke even more. "I can't. We've already prolonged our departure for too long."

"Do Aziz and Nabs know?" she questioned.

Reluctantly, I nodded wordlessly.

Zelda looked away, crestfallen. "And I'm the last to know." It wasn't a question – It was a statement. She looked so hurt.

I gathered her lithe form in my toned arms. "Zel – I just didn't know what to say – I still don't. I'm sorry," my voice cracked, and I hated it.

"Link – I can't lose you or Sheik. You guys are my support system. Without you two, I majorly mess up. You guys don't know how much you mean to me. I – I don't know what I would do without you both," her own voice cracked as well. "I need you guys."

Without speaking, I hugged her closer. She continued, "I care about you deeply, Link. Although we've only spent a short amount of time together, I can't imagine what my life was like without you." The floodgates opened, and tears flowed down her cheeks freely, similar to our moment together last week.

I traced the tear trails, holding her closely. Kissing the top of her head gently, I released her. "Go say goodbye to Sheik," I motioned to her brother watching our scene closely.

Upset, she gulped, dashing the tears away. "Sheik!" she cried, running into her brother's arms. He held her close, similar to how I had held Zelda previously.

I felt myself locked in a group hug. Nabs and Aziz had locked their arms around me, and I turned to embrace them both – My family.

"You did the right thing, Link," Nabs stated, her eyes still teary.

I sighed, watching Zelda and Sheik still. "It doesn't feel like it."

"The right thing?" Aziz scoffed. "The last possible second?"

Nabs shrugged, still in our embrace. "Had I not convinced him otherwise, he probably would have just tried to sneak away without saying goodbye to her."

"Thanks, you guys, for all the support; I love you both a ton," I stated softly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aqua and Marine embracing their father and sisters. We weren't the only ones saying goodbye.

"We're family now, Link," Aziz agreed, tousling my blonde hair.

"Love you, little brother," Nabs whispered, breaking away. She and Aziz stood apart from me, still in their own hug.

"Love you too," I responded with a nod.

"Be safe, Link," Aziz added, and he and Nabs stood, watching us prepare for our departure.

I turned to face Zelda one last time as she broke away from Sheik. "Goodbye, Zelda," I whispered softly.

She snuggled into my arms once more – for one last time. "Goodbye, Link." She avoided eye contact and stepped away from me. She murmured something under her breath, but I couldn't understand.

Aqua handed me my crossbow and quiver of arrows. Dozens of small knives and daggers were concealed and hidden in different articles of my clothing. Marine passed me my own bag of provisions, and I glanced at Zelda one more time, sighing.

"C'mon, Link," Sheik stated, motioning me forward. We began to walk away, joined by the twins and Cove.

We were the Wanderers. We left the Domain, and I could only say to more words, although they were more to myself than anyone else, "Goodbye, Zelda…"

Wow... I think I just depressed myself... That last part was so hard to write! I would have posted earlier but wasn't satisfied with the chapter, so I kept on nit-picking it... Well, it is done, and I am relieved. I'm not completely content, and I'll probably go back and edit, but I wanted to just finished it. LOL ;)

Anyways, so I have this thing called a "song obsession," and that is basically a song/songs I listen to over and over while writing a chapter. So, this chapter's song obsession is "To Love You Back" by Jamie Grace. You may hear more of those in the near future, btw.

Oh, and I hope you enjoyed Nabs and Aziz's wedding, AnriMia24. :)

Um... That's about it... My writing schedule may become more erratic, so I may transfer to only publishing on Sundays from now on, but we'll see. So, thanks for reading, voting, and subscribing. Love and *smiles* ;D

~Elsie

Total Word Count (excluding Author's Notes):

3,902