Hmm... Not sure how soon I can get another chapter up. Exams next week. So don't be surprised if you don't see me around for a while!

"Where is he?" Zelda complained, plucking out angry chords on her harp. "It's been the three weeks. Get that Kokiri idiot back here."

"Relax, princess," Impa smiled. "It's been three weeks to the day. Give him a few days more."

"But… what if he strikes right at this moment?" the blonde girl demanded, looking behind her shoulder nervously, as if Ganondorf was taking over the castle right behind her back.

"There's just as much chance today as there was the rest of the time the kid's been gone," Impa replied. Princess Zelda was getting impatient and uneasy, and, though it was hard for anyone but her to see, scared. "Besides. Even if Ganondorf does attack, I will not let him hurt you."

"Good," she replied, looking out the window. However, everything was peaceful, with no sign of evil anywhere. "Do the Kokiri know about evil? Link seemed as if evil was an actual creature that killed his tree."

"Hard to say. Not much is known about them," Impa frowned.

"Why?"

"Because no one can enter their forest. It's forbidden," the nanny replied. "I also heard tales that if a Kokiri leaves the forest, he or she will die."

"Then why is he running around Hyrule!" Zelda demanded. "What if he's dead? Do Kokiri die the instant they leave or is it like a disease that waits a week and then kills you?"

"I have no idea!" Impa snapped. "However, his fairy would probably have been trying to get him back rather than watching him to talk to you. I have a feeling he's alive."

"He better be," Zelda muttered. "Anyway, have you contacted that Swan yet about my eyes?"

"I tried," Impa admitted hesitantly. "I would have thought Mara would have been able to get us in, but the Council sends their regrets."

"That's stupid!" the girl snapped. "I'm the princess of Hyrule! They should do what we say!"

"No one controls the Sheikahs," Impa replied in a deadly tone that surprised Zelda.

"What?"

"The Sheikah are a completely different race of beings, much like how the Zoras are ruled by their own king, and the Goron's look up to their own leader. The Gerudos are governed by the red haired man from the desert, not the Royal Family."

This shut Zelda up, who knew of whom Impa spoke.

"I, however, choose to work here, because the pay is good, it is close to Kakriko, and the princess is worth sticking around for," the older woman forced a smile. Zelda smiled weakly, still dazed from Impa's words.

"Will we ever find out about my eyes?" Zelda asked nervously, not wanting to anger her nanny even further.

"I'm sure we will, princess," came the forgiving reply.

"Wake up!" Impa's hurried whisper woke the sleeping princess a couple nights later. Zelda growled, and aimed a kick at her nanny, who blocked it with her hand easily. "It's happening!"

Zelda sat up, rubbing her eyes. She smelled smoke. "What?" she asked groggily.

"Get dressed!" Impa ordered in a hoarse whisper. She was covered with burns and scratches. In her hands was the Ocarina of Time.

"Oh, Nayru!" Zelda said in a scared whisper. "Ganondorf is taking over the castle, isn't he?" She dove into her dress quickly, shaking. "How's Papa?"

The Sheikah woman made no reply, but threw the harp, a couple books – one written by Camor – and some of Zelda's peasant clothes into a sack. The girl shoved her blonde locks into her headdress and grabbed Impa's arm.

"Where's Link?" she asked fearfully.

Impa held tightly onto the princess as they left her room and ran down the long hallway. Gerudo warriors and monsters patrolled the long hallways, all of whom didn't see the princess and Sheikah running through the hallways. Zelda didn't know if it was due to pure luck or magic, but she honestly didn't care.

Upon arriving at the stables, Zelda screamed. Frinz lay belly down, surrounded by a pool of blood, close to two dead guards. Impa held her hand against Zelda's mouth. "Do you want to get us killed?" she demanded to the silenced princess. Zelda couldn't meet Impa's eyes.

The nanny took her hand away, and handed Zelda the sack and the Ocarina. She saddled up the calmest looking horse – a white one – as Zelda lost herself in thought. She stared at the blue Ocarina in her hands. It was time to pass this magical instrument on to Link… where ever he was.

"Time to go, princess," Impa said when she was done, and lifted the princess up onto the horse. "Hold on to him tightly." The Sheikah leapt onto the horse, made sure that Zelda was holding on tightly, and they bolted out the broken door.

"Stop," a commanding voice said to them. Zelda looked behind her, and saw Ganondorf leap onto his black beast. She whimpered, and Impa urged the horse faster. The gate leading to the castle was open, Zelda also noticed. Probably Ganondorf's work to get his minions inside the castle.

Impa and Zelda, followed by Ganondorf, raced down through the castle town market. Two soldiers stood at the entrance, and one looked surprised at the princess.

"What-? Lord Ganondorf-?" he stuttered as the other guard backed away.

"Get him!" Zelda screamed shrilly as they galloped past. The guard who spoke looked at Ganondorf, closed his eyes, and threw himself at the black horse with his spear in front. Impa didn't wait to see what happened, though Zelda was sure she heard the inhuman noise of magic as they made it across the bridge into the Hylian Fields.

Zelda looked around at the night sky. Dark clouds were billowing over the castle. The princess shivered, then gasped. A green-clad figure got out of the way of the horse.

"Link!" she yelled. Without thinking, Zelda threw the Ocarina toward him, but it missed, landing in the moat. Impa turned enough to catch a glimpse of the Kokiri boy, but turned back to face where she was going.

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. Link should know what to do from there. "Where are we going?" she asked Impa.

"I promised you I'd take you to Lon Lon Ranch some day," Impa replied. Zelda gaped at her nanny.

"But Malon will recognize my face!"

"That's why you're dressing up as Sheikora," Impa replied with a smile.

"And you?"

"I can disguise myself as your mother with my magic," she replied. "It would be fitting, seeing as your friends are convinced that you are a Sheikah. However, my name will not be Impa. Ganondorf knows that name. I'll go by Iora."

"Okay," Zelda whimpered.

"There, I'll train you in the martial arts and magic, and you can keep practicing your harp. If you're going to be a Sheikah, you'll need to act like one," Impa said. "Once Link gets to the Triforce, we can come out of hiding."

"What if he doesn't?" Zelda asked. "What if he's too stupid to figure it out?"

"Then we'll keep on hiding, and leave Lon Lon the moment Ganondorf arrives," Impa replied without emotion.

"Oh, Nayru," Zelda closed her eyes, but opened them again. "How will we know if Link has the Triforce?"

"There is one more key beyond the Door of Time, you know," Impa replied. "It is called the Master Sword. If Link can pull it out of the Pedestal of Time, he'll be able to get to it. We'll go check on it if nothing obvious happens soon. But not until you are comfortable with being a Sheikah."

"I am comfortable," Sheikora replied, her eyes turning a blazing red. "I've been more comfortable as a Sheikah than a princess. If comfort is possible with Ganondorf around. I will kill him."

"Your eyes," Impa commented. "They're red again."

Sheikora blinked, and closed them. "Then so be it."