So much for two weeks... Blame my summer job. And my family. And my obssessive Wind Waker playing. And Caramelldansen. And the Hare Hare Yukai dance. But most of all, blame me, 'cause I'm just making up excuses here. Sorry, y'all. But hey, at least it's not a really short chapter you had to wait forever for. Without all my babbling here, it's 6,393 words.

Anyway, now for the real babbling. In an attempt to get more people reviewing, I'm gonna have a contesty-thingy! The rules are simple, and you pick what you wanna do. Here are your options! 1) There are multiple songs in this story. I want you to tell me what they're from and/or who performs them. 2) There are four OCs in this chapter who will appear again in the next. Their names, which came from other things, have been scrambled. Unscramble 'em for me. It's not hard if you're paying any attention to this A/N. Or, there's always 3) The story at the very beginning of this chapter and the one near the very end. What are they? And, just because I feel like seeing if anyone else knows, what video game is Lynna Village from?

And what, you ask, is your prize for answering these questions? You get... Drumroll please!... A CAMEO! That's right, my dear readers. I need another OC, but I'm fresh out of ideas. So I wanna snag your ideas! And don't worry, I need multiple people, so if you feel up to it, answer those questions and send me the description on your people! (Appearance, personality, etc.) And I may end up using your character in another fic, 'cause I have a couple of oneshot ideas... And yes, they're Zelda fics. Speaking of Zelda oneshots, I wrote one a little while back that I hoped you readers would find and read. Apparently you didn't... Anywho, it's called Veteran of the Psychic Wars, and it's rather dark... Please feel free to check it out; I've gotten a couple of positive reviews for it, and I'd love to have more! *hint hint nudge nudge*

Alright, I'm done talking now. Please enjoy the chapter that you've waited so long for. ^^ Oh! I almost forgot! Thank you as always to Kiarra-Chan! Thanks also go out to the delightfully demented akatsukikat1, who so enjoys all my crazy fics and wants to kidnap The Random Book of Randomness, the notebook in which I write many of the mentioned stories. Kat, if you're reading this like I know you are, remember to send me your Werewolf thing so I can beta it for you, 'kay?


"She wanted so badly to turn back, to catch one last glimpse of Haku. She almost gave in, but she pushed herself foward, clinging to her mother once again as they went through the tunnel. When they emerged, they found that the path had grown up; it looked like a jungle out there. While her poor, clueless parents tried to figure out what had happened, she stared into the dark passage, trying to picture his face in her mind.

'Come on,' her mother called, and she clambered into the backseat.

'A new home, a new school... It is kind of scary,' her father said, trying to make her feel better about the move.

She smiled a little. They had no clue what she'd been through, but as she couldn't exactly tell them all that, she simply said, 'I think I can handle it.' "

Ari's eyes shone with tears. She had been moved by this, the latest story. Link had as well, but he was used to - and quite good at - hiding his emotions.

"That was incredible," Ari said in a hushed voice.

Angel looked at Link, who shrugged, an apathetic expression on his face. "It was alright," he said. The russet-haired girl rolled her eyes; by this time, she had learned how to decipher what she referred to as 'Link's secret code,' and knew that he had enjoyed it as well.

Smiling, Angel yawned and looked at Ari. "Bedtime, squirt," she said, pointing to the door. The little girl whined, but stood up and shuffled off to her temporary bedroom.

"Good night," she said miserably, a pitiful look on her face.

Link chuckled. "That's not going to get you anywhere, Ari. You know that."

She shrugged, all traces of the plaintive expression gone. "Well, it can't hurt to try. 'Night." The little girl waved and dissapeared through the doorway.

~Angel's POV~

Have you ever felt like your tongue was going to fall out of your mouth if you said another word? ...Yeah, me neither. Or at least, I hadn't felt that way until now. Link and Ari were driving me crazy with their constant story requests. We were stuck inside almost all winter (I went outside despite the snow; I had to keep practicing with all those fancy weapons I'd borrowed), and if I wasn't preoccupied - or rather, if Ari wasn't - I was telling tales. Unless of course I was singing songs for Link; he was quite taken with my vocal abilities. I can't imagine why; it's not like I'm any good or anything...

But anyway, that's pretty much how the winter passed. Every now and then I'd bring people out of the snow and let them spend the night by the fire with a full stomach. ...What? I couldn't let 'em go hungry! It wasn't always such a good a idea to do this good deed, though. Once I'd brought in a group of travelers, and though it was mostly kids (Ari had fun that night), the mother and father were with them, like parents should be. I didn't think the guy was any threat, but Link spent the entire night in the corner with his arms crossed, trying to look intimidating to make sure I wouldn't be bothered. ...It was a sweet gesture. I mean, at least he cared enough to try and protect me, although the man was harmless. Anyway... I'll never forget when I found Mellcara, Sendan, Ahre and Kaiyu wandering around like lost puppies in that knee-deep blanket of white! That was right before I killed my voice singing Part of Your World. See... Actually, this would make more sense if I just had destinykeyblade tell you what happened.

~No One's POV~

"And where do you think you're going?" Link asked. It was purely out of habit that he made this inquiry, as he already knew the answer and the conversation that would follow by heart.

Angel paused, her hand on the doorknob, and turned to look at him. Over the course of her time in Hyrule, her hair had grown even longer, coming to rest at her hips now rather than her lower back. She flipped this lengthy curtain out of her line of vision. Normally she'd have let it stay where it was and peered through it, but today she wanted to see the blonde that questioned her. Despite the fact that the two of them, along with Ari, were holed up with one another until spring and had already been here for about three and a half weeks, it had been a good while since Angel had seen the Hylian's face. Lost in her fantasy worlds as she nigh always was, she saw the features of those she spoke about, not those who listened to her fables.

A smile began to spread across her face as she regarded him. She had almost forgotten how attractive he was... "Outside."

Link began to grin as well. "And why are you going outside?"

The girl put her hands on her hips and gave her famous smart-alecky look before speaking again. "Last I checked, people don't like to be left in snowstor-" She cut off when Link took a step toward her. "What's up?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Want some help in your search today?"

For a moment, Angel didn't know what to say. She glanced into the other room where Ari was looking out the window at the snowflakes drifting to the ground. "Thanks for the offer, Link, but somebody's got to stay and watch her."

She thought she saw a flicker of dissapointment on Link's face, but it passed so quickly that she couldn't be sure if she had imagined it or not. He nodded in understanding, told her to be careful, and walked out of the room, leaving Angel to her own devices. The fourteen year-old stood there for a moment. Then, she put the preceding events out of her mind and exited the dwelling.


Angel shivered. If anyone's out here, they're probably frozen solid by now, she thought to herself. I'll look for a few more minutes, but after that I'm going back so I don't become a popsicle myself.

Just as she had made up her mind to get herself back inside, Angel heard a desperate-sounding voice. "No, Mellcara! You can't go to sleep!"

"But Ahre, I'm tired..." another, quieter voice protested.

They must be close by if I can hear them over this wind... I have to find them.

The Earthling (who was becoming more like a Hylian with each passing day) began trudging through the deep snow to locate the no doubt weary travelers. After a few moments of seeing nothing but white, she sighed and turned around, finding herself face-to-face with...

"Link?!" she shrieked.

The Hylian smiled at her, relief evident on his face.

"What are you doing out here?" Angel demanded.

"I got worried. You were taking too long, and this snowstorm's on its way to becoming a blizzard," Link replied, unabashed.

The short girl began to speak, but someone else beat her to it. "Umm... excuse me?"

Link and Angel turned to see a small group of children looking at them hopefully. Three were supporting a fourth, who seemed to be injured. Leaning heavily on the others, the wounded child stepped foward.

"I am very sorry to trouble you," she began, for it was obviously a girl speaking, nevermind the fact that the two teens could hardly see through the swirls of white. "But my siblings and I appear to be lost. I-I was j-just wondering if..." The way she was stammering, she seemed to have lost her nerve, but perhaps it was just the cold getting to her. The girl gave them an imploring look, forgetting that they couldn't see her. "Do you maybe... have a place that we could stay for the night?"

Angel turned to Link. "Well, what do you know? Your coming out here to look for me wasn't as stupid as I thought." Facing the children, she smiled as brightly and warmly as possible, also failing to remember that she wasn't visible. "Of course you can stay!"


Ari's eyes widened when she saw Angel come through the door with half-frozen children clinging to her. Link was two steps behind them, the little girl who'd spoken to them in his arms. She watched the floor more nervously with every step he took. Apparently she didn't like heights very much, and being off the ground was NOT making her happy. However, it was decidedly better to be carried than to walk on a bleeding and throbbing leg.

"How did you get hurt, anyway?" Angel inquired as she examined the gash, wondering how best to bandage it.

The girl, who had shoulder-length, chocolate brown hair and appeared to be about twelve years old, cut her eyes at one of the two boys that had accompanied her. "Mr. Look-What-I-Can-Do-With-My-Pathetic-Excuse-For-A-Sword over there was showing off and cut me."

He looked at the ground guiltily, his face flushing scarlet. "I said I was sorry..." he mumbled.

Angel raised an eyebrow at him. "A sword?" she asked.

The little brunette shook her head. "It's not really a sword," she explained. "It's more like a little dagger that's no good for anything."

"Would you please stop insulting my weapon?" the boy begged. "I've told you a million times that every time you say something bad about it, you say something bad about me."

"Little dagger that's no good for anything," the girl said icily, and the boy hung his head. Angel, thinking that sound like something she would have said, couldn't help but giggle. Link rolled his eyes at her.

"So, what are all of your names?" Ari asked, bouncing up and down out of hyperness.

The chocolate-haired girl apologized for not introducing herself sooner. "My name is Mellcara," she said, then began pointing at the other children. "The one with the dagger," she said, putting emphasis on that it wasn't a real sword, "is my brother Sendan. The goofy-looking half-brown half-blonde-haired girl over there is my sister, Ahre, and the one hiding in the corner is our half-brother Kaiyu."

"Hello," the three of them chorused. "Nice to meet you."

Angel smiled brightly. "Nice to meet all of you, too!" she exclaimed, then set about bandaging the laceration on Mellcara's calf. Once this was done, the twelve year-old thanked her multiple times before curling up next to the fire and drifting off to dreamland. Yawning, the rest of the children followed suit - including Ari, who instead of shuffling off to her bedroom, lay down on the floor next to the others.

Another smile, much smaller and more sincere this time, spread across Angel's face. She turned to Link, who had been standing behind her almost the entire time. "I know what a hassle they can be, but don't you just love kids?" she asked him. He nodded, and she looked back at the children, Ari in particular. Quietly, she began to sing.

Your baby blues
So full of wonder
Your curlicues
Your contagious smile

And as I watch
You start to grow up
All I can do
Is hold you tight

Knowing

Clouds will rage and
Storms will race in
But you will be safe
In my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe
In my arms

Storybooks
Are full of fairy tales
Of kings and queens
And the bluest skies
My heart is torn
Just in knowing
You'll someday see
The truth from lies

When the

Clouds will rage and
Storms will race in
But you will be safe
In my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe
In my arms

Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come true
But you are never all alone
'Cause I will always
Always love you

Hey, I
Hey, I

When the
Clouds will rage and
Storms will race in
But you will be safe
In my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash around
But you will be safe
In my arms
In my arms...

Angel finished the song on a wavering note, and when she turned around, Link saw that her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly, alarmed.

She simply smiled at him again. Then, with a yawn and after quickly embracing the blonde (Link felt himself blush), she too curled into a ball on the hard, wood floor and boarded the train to dreamworld.

Over the next few days, as Mellcara waited for her wound to heal, her siblings each chose someone to spend time with. Ari and Ahre found best friends in eachother; you never saw one without the other. The two were always running around with smiles on their faces, most of the time laughing and shouting gleefully.

Sendan, his good for nothing dagger hanging at his waist, followed Link around like a lost puppy, begging to learn from the swordsman, who, while he had at first refused to teach the child, caved within the first thirty minutes.

Kaiyu, meanwhile, sat by himeslf in a corner... That is, until Angel informed him that it was her nook and that he'd have to find another. The dark-haired boy had glared at her, which made her laugh. So she sat down in the corner with him and talked his ear off, giggling the whole time at the expressions on his face.

One of these nights, instead of telling a story, Angel (to Link's delight) sang songs instead. Most of them had something to do with love; she was a hopeless romantic at heart. Some of them, though, were about other topics, such as running away from reality. As she began this one, Angel shot Link a glance, and he understood what it meant. He knew that somehow she had escaped her reality and entered his.

"In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I'd lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me..."

Hyrule was Angel's field of paper flowers. They both knew it. And they both knew that it felt like home to her.

After about a week, Mellcara said she was feeling well enough to travel again. Although her siblings whined and pouted, her mind was made up; they were leaving. Ahre and Ari clung to one another, crying their eyes out, and Sendan latched onto Link, sniffling. Kaiyu gave a cheer and ran to his sister's side, eager to get away from the talkative Angel, who crossed her arms and gave a playful "Hmph!"

"Be careful, now," she called as the children made their way to the door. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

Mellcara nodded. "Yes, we're sure. The village is just a short distance away from here. We should be there in a few days if we travel quickly."

Angel looked at Link. "D'you think we should get going too?" she asked.

"No," he answered sharply. Angel shrank away from him, looking hurt. Link softened his tone before speaking again. "No, I don't think we should leave just yet. Winter weather is completely unpredictable here. Blizzards are bad to appear out of nowhere, especially at this time of year. It would be safer to wait until spring," he explained.

Ari looked fearfully at her new friends. "Did you hear that?" she asked. "Maybe you should all stay, too!"

"We'll be alright," Mellcara assured her. "And don't worry. We'll be heading to Lynna Village as soon as winter's over, so we'll see you there, right?"

The black-haired girl nodded. "Yeah!" she said happily. "I'll see you in Lynna." Seeing the confused look on Angel and Link's faces, she whispered behind her hand, "That's where my grandmother lives." They nodded in understanding, and the three of them waved to the group of small travelers as they set out for their destination.


That night, it was chaos. Link and Ari were shouting back and forth at one another, unable to agree. "Stories!" "Songs!" "Stories!" "Songs!" "Stories!" "So-"

"SHUT UP!!!!!" Angel thundered, unable to take it anymore. She smacked them both. "Grow up already! Honestly, you two act like five year-olds!" she complained. The Hylians looked at the floor, not saying a word. "Thank you! Now, what would you say if I told you I could make both of you happy at the same time?"

She didn't get any replies, so Angel got herself settled and began telling a story about the sea and the wondrous creatures that lived beneath its surface. Ari clapped, happy now that she was getting her stories told to her again. Link just sat there sullenly. Then Angel started to sing the melodies that accompanied her tale, and he brightened considerably. At the urging of her audience, Angel finished the story that very night, although it should have taken two. Also at their urging, she sang one of the songs again, pushing her voice to its limit to try and make it her best performance ever. As you may have assumed, this was not intelligent.

"Look at this stuff
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl
The girl who has
Everything?

Look at this trove
Treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Lookin' around here you think,
"Sure, she's got everything."
I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty
I've got whozits and whatsits galore
You want thing-a-ma-bobs?
I got twenty.

But who cares?
No big deal.
I want more....

I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see
Wanna see 'em dancin'
Walking around on those...
What d'you call 'em?
...Oh, feet.

Flippin' your fins, you don't get too far
Legs are required
For jumpin', dancin'
Strollin' along down a-
What's that word again...?
Street!

Up where they walk, up where they run
Up where they stay all the day in the sun
Wanderin' free
Wish I could be
Part of that world

What would I give
If I could live outta these waters?
What would I pay
To spend a day
Warm on the sand?

Betcha on land
They understand
Bet they don't
Reprimand their daughters
Bright young women
Sick of swimmin'
Ready to stand

And ready to know what the people know
Ask 'em my questions and get some answers!
What's a fire
And why does it
What's the word...?
Burn!

When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love
Love to explore that shore up above...!"

Angel felt her voice begin to crack at the end of the note, so she cut it short, hoping that Ari and Link wouldn't notice. Her throat hurt now, very much so. But she couldn't just stop. She pushed it harder, straining to finish the song before her vocal chords gave out on her. She wouldn't be able to talk for days now, she just knew it...

"Out of the sea
Wish I
Could be...
Part of that world..."

Almost immediately after finishing her song, Angel shooed her listeners off to bed, telling them as she went to the door that she would be right back; she was just getting a little wood for the fire. Link looked at her suspiciously. What was she really doing? After a moment though, he shrugged and went on.

Angel did indeed bring more wood inside, but once she had (and once she was sure her companions were snoring), the russet-locked teen crept outside to the stable, shushing Shadow when he nickered at her. She led the stallion away from the house, into the middle of the dark woods, praying that there were no hungry wolves prowling about. About ten minutes into this, she decided she'd gone far enough and mounted the horse. From out of her pocket she pulled a small, bluish wind instrument that hadn't been used in quite a while. It was, of course, the Ocarina of Time. The Prelude of Light rang out through the silent forest, leaving behind nothing but a faint echo and two sets of prints in the snow, one human, one equine.

Morning came quickly, or so it seemed. Sunlight began to stream through the stained glass windows in the Temple of Time, creating strange patterns on the tile floor. Yawning and stretching, Angel made her way out of the Master Sword's chamber, casting a curious glance at the pedestal it should have rested in.

"I wonder what would happen if I dropped it in there?" she asked Shadow, who had warped into the temple with her. The horse simply looked at her, and she took that to mean 'don't you dare'. With a shrug, the Earthling left the temple, telling Shadow to stay put while she was in the market.

The cold outside air came at Angel in a rush when she opened the large wooden doors that closed the temple off from the rest of the town. She gasped, and the wind chilled her throat, making her cough. "Darn it," she croaked, her throat throbbing as she spoke. "Now I really won't be able to talk!" She coughed again and shut her mouth, hoping her mission wouldn't be too hard to accomplish.

Despite the frigid temperatures, there was an unbelievable crowd in the marketplace. Angel milled around, trying her best not to run into the people scurrying to and fro in front of her. She scanned the tables the merchants had set up to display their wares on, getting discouraged after searching for quite a while and finding nothing she had come here looking for. The girl was about to give up when she heard a rustling sound from behind her. She turned around quickly, hoping to see what she wanted. Her hopes were not in vain.

"Hello," she tried to say to the man running the stall, but her voice wouldn't cooperate with her. It came out as a strangled noise, and she had to clear her throat to make a burning sensation go away. "Sorry," she mouthed, and the merchant nodded in understanding.

"I've been hearing that all morning," he said with a little smile. "There's obviously something going around." Quite suddenly, the tone of his voice changed, becoming much more business-like. "You, my dear, have happened upon the only merchant in this part of Hyrule that sells..."

Angel listened with a widening grin, happily handing over the large amount of rupees in exchange for her items. It was only after she had made this purchase that she stopped to think about Link's reaction. He probably wasn't going to be very pleased with her...

~With Link and Ari~

"Where is she?" Ari asked.

"I don't know," Link said.

Five minutes later... "Where is she?!" Ari demanded.

"I don't know!" Link answered.

Five more minutes later... "WHERE IS SHE?!" Ari shrieked.

"I DON'T KNOW!!" Link bellowed.

Everything was quiet for about ten minutes. Then, with tears glistening in her big blue eyes, Ari whispered, "Where is she?"

"...I wish I knew," Link said softly, gazing out the window at the snow covered ground.

Around nightfall the following day, Ari sat silently by herself. Link had gone outside to cut more wood for the fire, even though they already had plenty. She supposed that was how he kept himself from worrying about... no, don't think the name. Whatever you do, don't.

Ari sighed and looked into the dancing flames, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. "When destiny calls you, you must be strong. I may not be with you, but you got to hold on..." she sang quietly, remembering the line from one of... her melodies. She wouldn't let herself think the name.

A creaking sound met the child's pointy ears. She assumed it was Link coming back inside, and listened for the familiar sound of his boots coming down on the floor.

....

.....

.......

Something was wrong. It wasn't the same. Oh, Ari heard shoes, alright, but not Link's. He walked loudly, even when he tried to be quiet and step lightly. These footsteps, very nearly noiseless, were most certainly not his.

Fright gripped the child. Who had entered? Why had they come? Why hadn't Link stopped them? She considered running and hiding, but whoever had come in would know just where she was then because of the noise she'd make tearing through the house. Not knowing what else to do, Ari crawled to a corner of the room untouched by the firelight and pressed herself against the wall, hoping the invader wouldn't see her.

A yawn came from the doorframe - a very rough sounding yawn, as though the person's throat was hurt. Even as afraid as she was, Ari couldn't resist sneaking a peek at her unwelcome visitor. She waited for the trespasser to step into the light.... and gave a cry, jumping to her feet and rushing at her previously missing friend.

"Angel!" Ari exclaimed, squeezing the fourteen year-old tightly. Tears filled her eyes. "Where did you go?" she asked, trying not to cry.

"Nowhere," the elder girl attempted to answer.

Ari shuddered when she spoke. "You sound terrible! What happened?"

"I think I killed my voice when I sang you that song the other day," Angel replied unconcernedly, and the ten year-old shivered again. When her arm was poked, she released her companion, remembering that in the secret code, as Angel called it, a nudge like that meant "lemme go".

The youngster watched curiously as Angel began pulling papers out a bag she had slung over her shoulder, wondering what they were for. She tried to repress a gasp when she saw that the papers had drawings on them.

"What-"

"This is your story tonight," Angel informed her once she had finished setting all the sketches out in the right order. She cleared her throat loudly in an effort to make her voice sound a little less raspy. As a result, she didn't hear the quiet creeeeeeeak of the door opening.

~Link's POV~

It didn't make sense. I had no idea where Angel could have dissapeared to, or why she had left us. Was she upset because I snapped at her? Was she tired of me arguing with Ari and couldn't take anymore of our squabbling? Had she decided that we were taking too long and gone to save Lily herself, right now? ....Or was it something entirely different?

I sighed and sat down on log I'd intended to hack into little pieces, my head in my hands.

"Where are you?" I mumbled to the air.

I couldn't tell you how long I sat there, but it was long enough for me to get cold and decide I'd better start moving again before I froze. Right as I picked up the axe, I heard Ari squeal from inside. A very unpleasant feeling came over me. I just knew someone had snuck in there and attacked her. Images of Ari lying in a puddle of blood planted themselves in my mind, and I couldn't get them out. Dropping the axe to almost the exact spot it had been in a moment ago, I started running toward the house, wondering what I would find and praying that Ari wasn't... well, you know.

A loud whinny came from inside the stable as I dashed past it. It was Shadow, neighing at me. Wait... Shadow? I stopped in my tracks. And speaking of tracks, I noticed some in the snow. They were fresh, and there were two sets. One belonged to Shadow, who hadn't been there this morning. The other.... I sprinted to the door and opened it cautiously, hardly daring to hope...

"What-" I heard Ari start to ask. She was cut off by another voice. It was almost unrecognizable, but I still knew who it belonged to, and I'd never been happier to hear it, regardless of how awful it sounded at the moment.

"This is your story tonight," Angel told the child.

Curiosity took control of me for a moment. I stepped quietly to the entrance of the living room, stopping at and leaning on the doorframe.

Angel cleared her throat and picked up one of the items, which I saw was a piece of paper. Where in the world did she find that?? ...How did she get it? I glanced over at the table I had left my rupee pouch on the other day. It wasn't there.

That explains it.

Shaking my head, I looked back at the paper. She was holding it up in front of the fire, likely so that Ari could see the images drawn onto it better.

"This is but one of the legends of which the people speak... Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden," Angel began.

I felt myself smile. A picture of the Triforce was etched onto the paper. The story of Hyrule... That was the last thing I'd expect her to tell Ari! But why was she telling it in past tense like that...?

"It was a prosperous land blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace. But one day a man of great evil found the power and took it for himself... With it at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom."

My smile faded a little. The very thought of Ganon turned my stomach. How could she mention him without shuddering in disgust? I shook my head again, trying to get Ganon's face out my mind. I smiled again when I heard the next part.

"But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand... ...a young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time."

Traveled through time, fought countless monsters, nearly got killed multiple times, put up with Zelda, aka Princess Obnoxious... I did a lot for Hyrule.

"The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend..."

Generations? Legend? What the heck is she talking about?? It's only been... not even a year yet! She's lost her mind.

"But then... a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thougt had beemn forever sealed away by the hero... once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs. The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them. ...But the hero did not appear."

....................

"Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the goddesses. In their final hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their future in the hands of fate."

Ari's voice was quiet and shaky, as though she were trembling. Perhaps this had been a bit too dark for her.

"What became of that kingdom...?" she asked tentatively.

"None remain who know," Angel answered. "The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind's breath."

My stomach gave a sickening lurch. What kind of twisted tale was this? Hyrule, gone? That was impossible! I-

"On a certain island, it became customary to garb boys in green when they came of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspired to find heroic blades and cast down evil. The elders wished only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend..."

Not a sound could be heard after Angel finished speaking, but even if there had been, I wouldn't have been able to hear it over the pounding of my heart. At first I had to wonder what was the matter with me. Then, after a moment, I knew. It was fear.

I was afraid. Scared to death. What if things were really going to happen like she said? Hyrule would dissapear... and all because I hadn't been there when I was needed. But why not?! I was always there! Always! What could have happened to keep me from coming to their aid?

Yes, I was afraid. Not just for Hyrule, though. For the first time, I was afraid of what would happen to me. And also for the first time, I did what a normal person would do: I ran from my fears like a coward. I grabbed the door and pulled it shut behind me as I ran out into the snow. Once outside, the back of my left hand started to burn. The Triforce of Courage was glowing. I suppose that was Farore's way of telling me I needed to get over it and start acting like the Hero of Time again. But I didn't. I couldn't. Not after that.

~No One's POV~

The door slammed shut, breaking the silence that had followed Angel's story. Ari jumped and screamed at the top of her lungs, frightened by the sudden noise. "W-w-what was that?" she stammered, latching onto Angel.

The elder girl looked toward the exit, noticing two wet spots on the floor. They were in the doorway of the living room, and they looked a lot like snow that had melted. Instantly she knew what had happened.

"Oh no..." she murmured, and pushed Ari off of her. "Stay here," she instructed the child in a desperate tone. Ari nodded, and Angel ran out the door herself, following the trail of footprints and the continued sound of snow crunching underfoot.

What have I done?

~Link's POV~

"Link!"

I didn't stop running. What in the world made her think I would want to listen to anything she had to say to me?

"Link!" she called again. The sound of her footsteps came closer. Darn it... she was catching up to me. "Link, stop!"

She grabbed my arm and pulled on it, succeeding in slowing me down. I tried to get away from her, and she yelled at me again.

"Stop it!" Angel commanded. I ceased struggling, but I turned my back on her, not wanting to see her face.

She lowered her voice a little, softening it as well. "Link, I'm sorry. You... you weren't supposed to hear that."

"Oh, really? I wonder why!" I said loudly and sarcastically. I could practically feel her wilting.

"Link..."

"Why wasn't I there?"

She didn't say anything, and I envisioned a look of confusion on her face.

"I've always been there to help Hyrule... Why don't I come to their aid again? ...What... What happens to me? Am I... dead?"

Angel's voice was the quietest whisper. "I don't know."

"Whaddaya mean you don't know?!" I hollered. "Why not?!"

"That story came from the opening of another Zelda game, one that came after the Ocarina of Time. I... I never played that one. I watched the intro video, saw that you weren't in it, and put it away to never see the light of day again. So even if it explains in the game why you weren't there, I wouldn't know."

She was starting to cry, I could hear it.

"I'm sorry..... It was stupid of me to tell that. I should never have..."

Angel broke off and started back in song. "Everywhere I turn, I hurt someone. But there's nothing I can do to change the things I've done. Of all the things I hid from you, I cannot hide the shame, and I pray someone, something will come take away the pain... There's no way out of this dark place. No hope, no future. I know I can be free, but I can't see another way and I can't face another day..."

She relinquished her grip on my arm and succumbed to her tears. I felt so terrible. I'd seen her when she was inside. There were dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn't slept much, and she was clearly exhausted. And of course, I'd heard her speak. Her voice was completely shot. I wasn't sure how she was still able to talk; it had to have been painful.

And here I was, keeping her from resting, making her shout at me (or attempt to), and freezing her to death by making her chase me out into the snow. I clenched my fist. This was no way for a hero to act. Vowing never to be this way again, no matter what happened, I turned to apologize to her... and found that she had passed out, most likely from fatigue.

Wordlessly, I bent down and picked her up, holding her tightly to me as I trudged back to the house.

"EEP!" Ari cried out when she saw Angel. "Link, what h-"

"Go to bed, Ari."

"But-"

"Bed. Now."

"But-"

"She's alright, okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now get."

"....Okay."

She dissapeared through the door, and I sighed. I really needed to stop arguing with her. ...And I needed to focus! Annoyed by my getting sidetracked, I hastened to put Angel down by the fire so hopefully she wouldn't get frostbite or something.

A yawn escaped me. Even though I would very much have liked to go to sleep, I didn't. I sat down on the floor next to Angel and prepared myself to stay awake for the remainder of the night. I was determined to be there in the morning, to try and make up for my foolishness as soon as I possibly could.

~No One's POV~

Link maintained his vigil all night, just as he had intended. When Angel woke in the morning, he immdeiately launched into an apology. Or tried to, anyway. Angel held up her hand, silencing him. Then she embraced the Hylian, telling him that everything was alright without ever saying a word.

Deep inside of Link, the unseen force that had been working tirelessly stood back and admired its work. It hadn't a long time to do, as it hadn't been very good at using its tools yet. Now, however, it had mastered the hammer and chisel, and though the first two had taken quite some time to complete, it was sure that the other three would come quickly. The door in Link's heart now had two letters engraved in it. Yes, the other three would follow very soon.

AN...