A/N: Sorry about the chapter mix-up with the story alerts. I didn't like my author's note anymore... especially since it occurred to me that maybe yelling at my reviewers isn't such a good idea. XD Do be sure and go check out Chapter 8, though, if you haven't already. BTW, I feel I should alert old fans that I have changed Ruadh's name to Radwan because I can't figure out how to pronounce Ruadh and I don't really like it all that much anyway. :P I tried to keep the name fairly similar, though, to eliminate confusion.

Also: I figured the rupee thing could get really confusing so since the Deku Shield cost 40 rupees in Kokiri village and I figure a wooden shield in America could cost... hmm... taking into account the fact that it's a small town filled with children (who usually don't have much money) and not a Ren faire or Disneyworld... probably around fifteen dollars, but we'll simplify that to ten, so... a rupee is equal to about a quarter in American currency. Five rupees still makes sense because they don't have the dollar to combine their rupees into. For any of you who don't live in America... I'm afraid I can't really help you. :(

And now, on to the next chapter. I swear I will finish this fanfic or die trying! ...Well, maybe not die. Suffer extreme embarrassment, maybe...

Not Your Average Fairytale

Elizabeth remembered well the day her grandparents took her and her older sister to a Renaissance festival in a nearby county. It rained so furiously on the way up that they had to pull over at a nearby McDonald's and wait for the storm to pass ,but the sun shone brightly on their rain-splattered windshield as they pulled in at the festival, promising a beautiful summer's day.

And a beautiful day it was. Although some of the people on the crowded, packed-dirt "streets" wore ordinary clothes, as Elizabeth and her family did, many more wore cloaks, tunics, corsets, and more in such fascinating array, Elizabeth found herself wishing she had worn her broom-skirt. They watched from the sidelines as two "knights" pretended their banter would eventually end in a joust; petted the knights' indifferent steeds; and feasted on barbarically messy legs of lamb that were much too large for anyone to finish. Elizabeth remembered her fascination with the dazzling array of goods displayed by their hopeful makers in various tents and kiosks, and the toy wooden sword and shield she eventually settled on. It had been a dream-come-true to a fantasy nerd like her.

That festival was nothing compared to this.

Elizabeth stared in gape-mouthed fascination at the hustle and bustle of Hyrule Castle Town. There was not a flip-flop or a visor in sight; no actors chased each other down the street, waving tin swords at each other in mock anger. Just like a modern city, everyone had somewhere to go and something to do, and no time for unnecessary drama. Jewelry there was, and some clothing, too, but as she and Link crossed the market square, Elizabeth noticed that most of the vendors here sold more practical wares: fruit, bread, pottery, and tools far outnumbered the sorts of trinkets she had admired at the Renaissance fair.

Elizabeth was startled out of her thoughts as a chicken burst across her and Link's path; then she felt her mind spin around and set off down a different track as a small child raced by in pursuit of the bird. Now that she thought about it, the group of women clustered around the vendor's stall a little ways away seemed awfully familiar, and when she concentrated, Elizabeth found that she could hear the old, familiar marketplace tune being played by a minstrel group somewhere. How did the game-writers even know about these things? They weren't even very far off when it came to clothing. Although the blockish cartoons shown on the game obviously wore very simplified versions of what people seemed to wear around here, the basic idea was just about right, right down to the blazingly bright colors. Where do they get that kind of dye? Elizabeth wondered. If she remembered correctly, dye had not come cheap in Earth's middle ages. Then again, she reminded herself, this was not Earth.

Between the colors, the sounds, the smells, and the chaos of her own mind, it wasn't long before Elizabeth felt as if she had been spinning around in circles in the same direction for a quarter of an hour. Soon, she gave up on thinking and just stared wide-eyed at all the chaos, trying not to be overwhelmed by sensory experiences. It was a good think Link had a firm grip on her hand, or Elizabeth would have been lost in a second.

Finally, they were through. Once the two of them were safely down the path to the castle, Link released Elizabeth's hand and turned to her, grinning.

"So what did you think?" he asked. Elizabeth blinked a few times, trying to reorient herself.

"I, um..." Elizabeth raised a hand to her head, as that would stop it from spinning. "I almost feel like I'm going to be sick."

Link's face fell slightly. "Not a great first impression then, I'd guess."

"Oh, no, that's not -- it was just a little..." Elizabeth trailed off, still searching for words.

"Overwhelming?" Link offered.

"Yeah," Elizabeth agreed, relieved that he understood. "I think I actually might like to go back there... but probably not for a long time," she confessed.

Link nodded. "I know the feeling. Don't worry; you'll get used to it."

"I sure hope so," Elizabeth muttered; she still felt a little dazed. Link just laughed at her and set off up the path, motioning for her to follow.

The biggest difference between Hyrule and the Ren faire, Elizabeth decided as she hurried to catch up, was that Hyrule was not there for her entertainment. The people there were not actors, trying to create a fairytale environment so that people like her could escape reality for a little while. This was reality, even if it wasn't her reality. The people Elizabeth had just seen on the streets were just ordinary people, trying to get through the day in one piece. It gave Hyrule a special feeling of substance that Elizabeth knew no Renaissance festival could ever match.

It was unnerving, that was for sure, but in a way, she couldn't help but be a little excited. After all, wasn't this what she had been hoping for all along?

A/N: Well, the bad news is, I missed my deadline. :( I'm sorry guys! I really thought I could do it. The good news is, the next chapter is already like, half-written! Hopefully I can get it in before I head out to California to visit my mom.