Squinting my eyes as I gazed around the long table we were sitting, I took in the current situation. The table was prepared for a huge feast – Long cloths in bright colors hung from the table, and a wide variety of foods were placed strategically according to where we were sitting.

For Darron, there was a large selection of various rocks, and for mostly everyone else, there was – food. There were huge platters of both meat and vegetables. Apparently the Kokiri had never heard of different courses because there were also pastries, cakes, and a number of satisfying desserts – Huge, towering cheesecakes dribbling with warm strawberry sauce were sights to behold from the grand table; delicious pies made from different fruits native to the Kokiri Forest were eaten quite quickly; there was also this type of pastry made from soft dough and honey.

Freshly picked fruit, bitter coffee, sweet tea, and more were served once the meal was over. Lights from cook stoves and campfires flickered and burned long into the night, and the sound of merry laughter and chatter could be heard throughout the whole forest. Smiling, I listened to a petty fight between the twins, Aqua and Marine. They were both terribly stubborn and wouldn't submit to anyone or admit defeat. It was a shame that they were so much alike – Or maybe not. I had to admit, their fights were quite entertaining.

Saria and Mido talked amiably across the table, catching up on everything that had gone on since Saria had gone to the Forest Temple. I wasn't sure why she had gone to the Forest Temple in the first place but chose not to ask. The Kokiri were fascinated with Darron, marveling at his body structure and the way he could scarf down tons of rock.

The three true Sheikah (Impa, Kron, and Zilla) were all speaking seriously with completely straight faces. I had learned that both Impa and Kron were very serious while Zilla was the more relaxed and playful of the three. Sheik was speaking with Cove, a forkful of that cheesecake in one hand.

I was once again the only one that felt totally alone. Sitting here with all these friends yet feeling isolated. The mark on my hand glowed comfortingly, and I attempted to smile. "Hey, Link!" one of the Kokiri exclaimed, gesturing to Darron who was currently eating a particularly large rock. "Look at him! He's like a freak of nature or something!"

I cracked a very fake grin and nodded in acknowledgement. "I know, right?" Bringing my homemade mug to my lips, I drank the bitter coffee. A million thoughts were running through my head a mile a minute, and I had had no time to process what had happened in the past few days – or was it weeks? – Or months? I had lost track of time since we had left the Fortress, and now, all I wanted to do was lie in the sand, bask in the sunshine, and be with my family. Scratch that, I didn't want to be with my family if that meant Ganondorf. I could live without seeing him for a while that's for sure.

Sighing to myself, I forced myself to think of happier thoughts. Unfortunately, that didn't help because thinking of happier thoughts caused me to become sadder. Happier thoughts to me were Zelda, Aziz, Nabs, Nabila, sand, the Fortress, Relena, my friends back home, and familiar sights. I wanted to go home – now.

I glanced down at my feet; I had been wearing the same boots for however long we had been gone from the Fortress. Scuffed and worn down, these boots had been all over Hyrule by now – the Fortress and the Gerudo Desert, the Zora Domain, Death Mountain and Goron City, Kakariko Village, and now the Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest. Note to self – Never ever mess with cuccos again.

Standing, I pushed my wooden chair in, leaving the large table and the warmth and joy that surrounded it. The forest seemed welcoming, and I began walking around, seeing as no one had noticed that I was gone. My eyes blurred and kept track of all the shadows dancing in their spotlight. The sunlight had stopped streaming through the trees because the sun had since gone down. It wasn't the day anymore, but it wasn't just quite the night either – It was that mystical time that Sheik had called twilight.

Twilight.

Taking out my Ocarina, I glanced back at where the gathering of Kokiri and the Wanderers was situated. Pressing the holes of the Ocarina, I made out the notes that created the song Sheik had been playing at twilight on the Death Mountain. I had left the Megaton Hammer back at my seat, not feeling up to lugging it over here, especially since I was still within the vicinity of the gathering. I also highly doubted that someone would steal it.

A twinkling sound was heard in the distance, but I knew better than to pursue it. I was totally not going to have a repeat of last time. It persisted in coming nearer and nearer, yet I didn't stop my playing. Whatever it was, I was positive that I would be able to take it on.

A shimmering ball of light flew in my face. "Hello, Link."

I stumbled backwards slightly, taken by surprise.

A fairy?

I supposed that it made sense; the fairy had made the twinkling noise – But what did it want? Against my instincts, I didn't swat it away, instead choosing to watch it curiously as it flew, frenzied. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything back?" the fairy asked impatiently.

"What do you want me to say?" I questioned, brow raised. I then froze. "Wait – How did you know my name?"

The fairy giggled a little like the chiming of bells. "I know you, Link. My name's Rota."

"Um… Hi, Rota. Do you need something?" I asked.

Rota giggled again. "Yes, silly! I'm your fairy!"

I froze once more. "What did you just say?" my blue eyes swiveled to her in record time, and I shifted my feet awkwardly.

"I'm your fairy," Rota responded proudly. She hummed happily, flying in circles around my head. She was an extremely content creature, wasn't she? Wait – She said that she was my fairy – What was that supposed to mean? I had never even seen this little fairy before – This couldn't be.

"You're my what?" I spat out quickly.

Rota laughed once more. "I'm your fairy!" she declared for the second time.

"Um… OK?" my brows furrowed as I began walking away. Twilight had faded into night, and shadows were eerie and subtle. My path was illuminated by the little ball of light that was following me. "What are you doing?" I questioned. She wasn't serious, was she?

"I told you that I'm your fairy!" Rota exclaimed.

I froze in my tracks. "Telepathy?"

"Yup – All guardian fairies have a mental link so to speak with their charges," Rota answered. She seemed set on both following me and insisting that she was my fairy. What an interesting turn of events.

Sighing, I continued walking, not acknowledging the fairy trailing behind me.

"Link!" she shrieked in my head.

"What?!" I responded, annoyed. I still refused to believe that she was my fairy, though. She wasn't. She couldn't be.

Rota gave an audible shriek as I found myself crashing into a huge tree. My world went black.

I awoke to the feeling of pain – pain shot throughout my body, and I went stiff as I felt the muscles in my leg contract. Slowly, my eyes opened, and I took in my surroundings groggily. Breathing hurt, and it was a fight to regain my focus. My mind began wandering, and I struggled, trying to sit up in the soft bed I was laying on.

After several miserable failures, I felt a gentle hand touch my back, pushing me upward. I went rigid once more at the feeling of the touch. Zilla. She stood by my bedside, concerned. She held a wet rag in one hand and a glass of water in the other; Kron stood beside her along with Sheik and Saria.

"We couldn't allow the son of fire within these walls," Saria stated, sounding extremely wise and mature for someone her age. But she was a Kokiri, wasn't she? And Kokiri were called the "eternal children" because they never seemed to age externally. That was the only possible reason, unless, of course, she was a child with the maturity of a grown adult. The thing was, though, her words weren't something profound. It was her intonation and the quality of her voice. It simply had an air of maturity about it which I found oddly curious.

I then tried to recall who the son of fire was. "You mean Darron?" I asked.

Saria nodded sagely. "Yes."

Taking notice of the fairy on the bedside table next to me, I groaned. Rota – the fairy that insisted she was mine. "Rota?" I questioned weakly. "What do you want?"

Rota rolled her eyes – at least I think she would have if I could see her expression. "I'm your fairy – What do I keep on telling you? I'm. Your. Fairy. I have no choice but to follow you; do you understand?" the fairy snapped, huffing.

Wincing, I placed a hand on my head, falling back on the bed. Rolling over, my face was smashed into my pillow, and I waved for everyone else to leave. "Go."

"Link," Rota threatened. Who was she? My mother? A pain coursed through me at that thought, although it wasn't a physical pain; it was emotional. I didn't know what having a mother was like. Sure I had Nabs, Aziz, and Nabila, but they played more of a sibling role in my life. There was Zelda, and she had the… Zelda role in my life. Sheik was a mentor and a friend; in fact, he had become someone I heavily relied on in the past few weeks(?), months(?). I had completely lost track of time during our time away from the Fortress, and apparently, so had my face. I had grown a beard from my time away from the razor.

Jokes aside, though, I signaled for everyone to leave once more, becoming annoyed. "Go!"

"Link!" Rota protested once more.

I growled inwardly, hoping she would hear it. I was able to do something like that, and Sheik could hear it from within my shadow; I wondered if Rota and I had the same communication ability – But no. She was not my fairy. "Be quiet, Rota," I hissed, knowing that she could hear that. "Go," I commanded her. "You say you're my fairy – If you're really my fairy, you would be listening to what I'm saying."

Rota made a pained noise, and I knew that I was the only one that could hear. She sounded hurt. I had hurt her. She flew out of the room without protest, disappearing down the ladder leading to the tree house. Through our mental link, I could hear her sobs. At that moment, I felt like a monster.

Although I couldn't see them, I knew that Saria, Sheik, Zilla, and Kron had remained, watching me, scrutinizing my every toss and turn. "Just go," was my pained command. Sheik and Kron left, climbing back down the tree house ladder, yet Saria and Zilla remained put, instead moving closer to my bedside. I sobbed into my pillow, hoping no one could see.

The two girls pulled up chairs near the middle of the bed, and Zilla adjusted my sheets. "Link," she stated softly. "Are you OK? Well, I mean, I know that you're not OK, but I just supposed that you might be upset, not just sick so I wanted –" she began to ramble.

I breathed in hoarsely, cutting her off while not saying a word.

Zilla took my silence as her cue to leave, disappearing down the rickety wooden ladder as well. "Feel better, Link," she said softly.

A painful silence followed afterward, and I drifted to sleep before I knew it, forgetting that Saria was present at all. The mellow melody playing lulled me to bliss; Zelda's Lullaby.

Awaking with a jolt, I sat up. A thick, hazy mist enveloped the area I was in, and I struggled to see. There were trees, tall and majestic, but that was about all I could gather from my surroundings with my limited vision. I wore a green tunic and heavy duty chainmail, different compared to the Goron Tunic I had been wearing for some time since we had left Death Mountain. My boots were polished and no longer dusty, and my breeches were clean as well. A green hat was placed on the top of my head, and a sword and sheath were strapped to my back. I held a bow in one hand, a quiver full of arrows slung over my shoulder.

The pain had somehow disappeared, yet my legs felt like jelly. Spotting a mysterious light glowing in the distance, I took a shaky step forward, and my eyes were trained on the elusive light ahead of me. Unused to the new ensemble I was wearing, I felt weighted down slightly by the chainmail. Was chainmail supposed to feel this heavy? I could hear the faint chirping of crickets and the howling of wolves. The howls only added to my unease while the chirping was surprisingly soothing.

A harp was playing in the distance. Zelda's Lullaby. Where was I? The Lost Woods? The trees then transformed into swirling columns of sand; holding my free hand over my eyes, I did my best to block out the incredible amounts of sand blowing into my face. The unnerving laughter of Skull Kids echoed within my mind, and I struggled on against the fierce gales of wind and the never-ending piles of sand. I tripped then fell; I could barely hear the lightest of strains of Zelda's Lullaby, and I stood, spurred on by the song.

Stumbling, I struggled, trying to make it to the song – my comfort. Dropping my bow and quiver, I broke into a run, becoming accustomed to the weight of the chainmail and the weapons I still possessed. Turning back around for a few seconds, I watched as both the bow and the quiver disappeared into the sandstorm.

The golden sand blew in my face relentlessly, and it was both a comfort and an annoyance. It felt like home, yet it became an obstacle, doing anything to prevent me from reaching that harp. Silhouettes were projected from beyond a curtain of sand, and mirages were present, trying to play with my mind. My vision blurred, and I continued to make my way through the ferocious amounts of sand and fierce gales of wind.

A huge swirl of sand wrapped itself around me, and I was thrown to the floor violently. The light. I was so close – so close. The music came – closer and closer – as did the light, and I didn't have to move a muscle.

"Link," the sweet voice I knew so well stated. The image of Zelda blurred in my sight, and I thought I was hallucinating for a few moments – There had been so many mirages so far that I was wary at this point. She held out her hand, holding her harp precariously with the other. I accepted readily, and she helped me stand once more.

She made as though to pull her hand away, but I held onto it firmly. This was the closest I had been to Zelda for a long time. The days had blurred together, just like my vision, and I still didn't know how long we had been apart. Her blue eyes flickered to mine for the longest of moments, and our gazes were locked.

"Zelda," my voice broke, and I whispered her name hoarsely.

Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she motioned to the ball of light beside her. "Here's my gift to you, Link."

Guilt washed over me as Rota fluttered by Zelda. "Rota?" I questioned uncertainly.

Zelda nodded. "She's yours – yours, Link. Your fairy. She'll remind you of me when I'm gone."

"You're going to leave me again?" I asked, hating how broken I sounded. I hadn't even had to fight or kill anything as of yet.

Zelda nodded once more, her brows furrowing sorrowfully. "She'll watch over you for me – make sure you won't get into any trouble." She smiled a bit; however, her tones lacked the mirth that matched her words.

I swallowed the lump at the back of my throat. "Don't be gone too long."

She set her harp on the ground beside her and held her arms out. I didn't need a second invitation, closing the short gap between us. The floodgates opened, and I wept openly in her arms. "Don't be gone too long," I repeated over and over, cradling her close to me. "Don't be gone too long."

Zelda sobbed as well and didn't even attempt to keep her tears at a minimum. She took off a silver chain and slipped it over my head gently. "I won't, Link," she whispered softly into my ear. "I won't."

"Don't be gone too long," I murmured one last time. The scenery behind us began fading, and I struggled, trying to figure out what was going on. Zelda was no longer in my arms, and my head was spinning.

"Link. Link. Link. Link," Zelda's voice repeated over and over. My world went black once more.

"Link," someone called, shaking me.

Jarred, I was roughly woken from my sleep. Greeted by several worried faces, I assumed that everything was just a dream – That is, until I saw the chain still on my neck. Could it have been real? "What happened?"

Anxious, Saria bit her lip. "I got help as quickly as I could, Link. You were sleeping, and I was playing my ocarina. Then, you began shouting and tossing in your bed. You kept on saying something, but I couldn't tell what it was. I got everyone else as quickly as I could."

My vision blurred, and I fell back on the bed. "Rota," I croaked.

A ball of light flew over hesitantly. "Link?"

"I understand now," I spoke. "I understand."

"You do?" her voice lifted with both excitement and hope.

Sighing, I nodded. "Don't you remember?" I questioned.

"Yes," Rota responded. "Zelda instructed me to be your fairy. Who am I to disobey my mistress? I will obey her – even if it means keeping you out of trouble."

Those were roughly Zelda's words in my dream – So it had happened. Everything was hazy, yet I knew things would be alright.

"OK, so, Link – We'll be leaving to LLR as soon as you recover. We can't go now because you're obviously not in the best state – both physically and emotionally," Sheik stated. "So do your best to feel better, OK? When we find my sis again, we want you to be as healthy as possible, you hear?"

Smiling a bit, I nodded slowly. "But what is LLR?"

"Lon Lon Ranch," Impa answered, standing on the platform jutting out just outside the tree house. "We need to get some horses, don't you think?"

"Why?" I raised a brow. Pain spread throughout my body, and I winced.

Darron guffawed while Zilla wiggled her brows, speaking coyly. "Because you need to save your princess, of course."

"And we'll be here to help!" Marine exclaimed.

Sheik sent death glares at everyone else. "Hey! That's my sister you're talking about! That's disgusting!"

"Aw, you love it," Kron punched his shoulder playfully.

Sheik just maintained his stern poker face while everyone else laughed. Rest – That definitely sounded good to me.

GAH! OK, I've been trying to finish this for FOREVER. I mean – How did it take me a whole WEEK to write one chapter?! D: I'm so sorry by the way, guys. I just lacked inspiration for a bit, and my writing lagged a bit…

Anywaaaaaaays… Is Sheik Zelinking? D: That was for you, Flik! ;) And – for my guest reviewers – Thank you so much! I literally forget to thank you EVERY SINGLE TIME, but I remembered this time! YAY!

James Birdsong – Thanks! ; Deku Scrub – xD Cuccos – They were fun, I have to admit. A bit annoying, but they were fun nonetheless. Thanks! I'm glad that everything is coming into play nicely and that you're liking it! Thanks for the review, and I will keep on writing! ; AnriMia24 – I'm back! Thanks! I'm glad Saria has been accepted. ;) I know, right? Link only has the Megaton Hammer – How's he gonna kill Ganondorf with that? Don't worry – Our hero will be pickin' up more weapons throughout his journey… :D

Song Obsession: SMG, OoT, and SS Soundtrack (& the Pokémon theme song. xD)

Anyways… Thanks to those that have faved/followed this story. You guys are my inspiration. If you feel so inclined, please drop a review down below. I try to reply to every single one, but if I don't, know that I read it and smiled. *smiles* :D and LOVE! 3

~Zelda {Elsie}

Total Word Count (excluding AN's):

3,306