Chapter Sixteen doesn't have as much action and adventure as some of the other chapters, but I really hope you guys like it! :D

Chapter Sixteen: Footsteps Upstairs

"They're both asleep." Zelda stated when she walked back down to Telma.

"Oh, good. Hopefully they'll stay that way for at least a few hours!" The bar-owner laughed heartily and winked, flashing Zelda a crooked smile. The princess chuckled quietly and took a seat at the counter, quietly pondering. She leaned her chin on her hand and, with her other hand, drummed her fingers against the counter.

She couldn't stop thinking about the danger that threatened Hyrule, and she was yearning for more information. All she wanted to do was get to the library and sit all day, reading and learning… well, that, and spend all of her time with Link. As she thought about him, she sighed heavily and found herself smiling inwardly. Everything about him made her go crazy, and he was the only one who had the power to make her heart pound. Before she realized it, Telma was leaning forward toward her with a sly smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Princess," She began. Zelda blinked from her trance and straightened up as she looked at Telma. "You seem deep in thought."

"Uh, yes." She avoided eye contact. "There's a lot on my mind."

"I can tell." Telma then lowered her voice. "Does it have anything to do with…?" Then, she discreetly tilted her head toward the stairs.

"Excuse me?" She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Sweet pea," Telma rolled her eyes. "The only time I've ever seen someone look like you was when they were in love." Zelda took on a blank expression and was silent.

"The sighing, the zoning out…" Telma continued. "I know a love-struck girl when I see one, honey." She winked mischievously.

"Has it ever happened to you?" Zelda gave in, leaning her head in her hand again. Zelda found herself fully trusting the bar-owner, and she needed someone to talk to anyway.

"Of course it has, dear." Telma then glanced upwards toward the second floor. "But I doubt he is as special to me as Link is to you."

"Uh," Zelda was at yet another loss for words. Telma could practically read her mind.

"I knew it!" She whispered to herself triumphantly. "That handsome young man is a keeper, for sure."

"Everything about him is just wonderful," Zelda sighed longingly.

"He is quite courageous." Telma added.

"There's nothing about him I don't love." The princess admitted.

"Me neither sweet pea. He does have great eyes, like a feral beast." Telma paused. "Tell him how you feel."

"What?" Zelda cried.

"Why is that so hard to do?" Telma laughed at her reaction.

"B-because, I just can't." Zelda shrugged.

"Come on, honey! What's the worst that can happen? And what if he feels the same way?" Telma raised her eyebrows. Zelda shook her head, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering crazily.

"I just—"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and the two women whirled around to face the entrance of the bar. Zelda's heart raced with the worry of being caught outside the castle, so she turned to hide just as she saw the shadows entering.

"Zelda, wait," Telma touched her shoulder. "You can trust these people."

Then, four people filed into the room, laughing joyously and chatting amongst themselves. The one leading them was a tall, tan Hylian with graying hair and a small goatee. He wore a bronze and purple suit that covered his entire body, and he had a sense of authority about him. Behind him was a human, with rounded ears just like Ilia's. He had blond hair and a black mustache with blue eyes, and he was laughing the loudest and acting the friendliest. He was wearing common clothes. There was another human behind that man, and she was a woman. She had silky black hair tied into two pigtails and interesting bangs on her forehead; she had a blunt look in her black eyes, but she was smiling along with the rest of the group. The clothes she was sporting were quite puzzling to Zelda: her arms, torso, and legs were covered in armor, but she wore red pants and a blue shirt. She seemed manly, even compared to the other three men.

Finally, another Hylian bounced in looking quite scholarly. He was a bit older than Zelda, maybe in his early twenties. Red hair shined in the light, and he wore glasses around his smiling, dark blue eyes. In fact, they were almost black. He held a book in one hand, and was gesturing animatedly to the girl with his other. Zelda found him very handsome and sophisticated with his black jacket and tan pants.

"Welcome back, gang!" Telma walked around the counter, hands on her hips.

"Nice to be back, Telma!" The gray-haired man nodded, crossing his gloved arms across his chest. Suddenly, all eyes moved to Zelda. "And who might this young lady be?" Just from the look on his face, Zelda could tell that he already knew who she was.

"I am Princess Zelda," She smiled and curtsied, keeping her head low politely. "Pleasure to meet you all."

"I'm Auru," The man nodded with a sweet smile, and reached his hand out. Zelda shook it gently. "It's incredible to finally meet the Princess of Hyrule." She chuckled modestly.

"My name is Rusl." The blond man said, extending his arm. "I'm a swordsman from Ordon."

"So you must know Link?" Zelda raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, I do. In fact, I trained him to use a sword." Rusl smiled.

"Well, you did a wonderful job." She replied, curtsying one more time. Then, the beautiful girl moved up.

"It's Ashei." She introduced herself. Zelda thought that she spotted a look of slight disdain in Ashei's eyes as the bluff young girl examined her. Though she wasn't feminine in personality or composure, she was undeniably lovely.

"Forgive me if I come off a bit rude, yeah? I grew up in the mountains with my father. He raised me pretty much as a son." She explained.

"Nice to meet you, Ashei." Zelda smiled. Finally, the handsome young red-haired man took his turn, shoving his book in his back pocket as he did.

"Wonderful to meet you, Princess," He began. Then, he took Zelda's dainty hand and kissed it gently. "I am Shad."

"The pleasure's all mine."

"I must tell you, your Highness," Shad pushed his glasses higher onto his nose. "I've simply been dying to meet you!"

"Well, I'm very flattered," She chuckled.

"Now that we're all introduced, why don't you all take your seats?" Telma suggested, and everyone began talking to each other as they made their way to the table in the back. "Princess, why don't you come sit with us? We'd love to get to know you more!" Rusl suggested kindly, gesturing towards an empty seat across from him.

"Thank you," Zelda sat down at the table with the rest, somewhat excited to meet everybody.

"Let me just tell you, you're doing a wonderful job with your kingdom, Princess." Auru began, leaning back in his chair.

"Except for those soldiers," Ashei snorted with a roll of her eyes. "I've never seen such cowardly men."

"I'll be sure to look into that." Zelda said. She'd never really been involved with the Royal Guard before; her advisors and the other members of the Royal Council had always worried about that. Obviously, that was a mistake.

"So, Zelda," Rusl leaned across the table, staring into her eyes. "Tell us something about yourself."

"I'm sure you all know more about me than I do about myself." She laughed. "I want to know about you."

All six of them fell into deep conversation, and Zelda truly enjoyed it. She heard all about Auru's fascinating interests in the Gerudo Desert. Even more infatuating were Ashei's descriptions of her life in the mountains, being raised like a knight, and the wonders of Snowpeak. Rusl told her stories of his life back in Ordon, and Zelda learned even more about Link's past. She never knew that he'd been an orphan since birth, or that he was actually a ranch hand.

Shad's extensive knowledge about Hyrule really impressed her, and she was completely immersed in what he said to her. Though what he told her about the City in the Sky, the Oocca, and the creation of Hyrule was incredible, Zelda couldn't help admire his clean-cut look and mesmerizing eyes. He was such a scholarly, intelligent, sophisticated man, and she was very attracted by that. However, he couldn't compare to Link; nobody could do that for Zelda. Link was most definitely the only one for her.

"Did you know that it is said the Oocca are the ones who created Hylians?" Shad continued. "They are supposedly the closest beings to the gods."

"In the name of Farore, Shad!" Ashei cut him off. "When are you going to stop talking about the Oocca and the City in the Sky? You don't even know if it actually exists!"

"Of course it does! According to my father's notes, it—"

"Forget your father's notes, Shad." Ashei touched his shoulder, and there was sarcastic comfort in her voice. "He's gone." Shad became silent, and Zelda felt a pang of sympathy.

"Don't worry, Shad." Zelda instinctively reached over and grabbed his hand reassuringly. "You shouldn't give up on your dreams."

"He's only going to be discouraged when he finds out it's all a myth," Ashei mumbled, rolling her eyes. Zelda ignored the comment and gave Shad one last encouraging smile. Suddenly, they all heard small footsteps pattering on the second floor, and they looked up.

"It's probably just Louise." Telma sighed. Everyone seemed to accept that explanation. Zelda, however, was on edge, unwilling to believe that it was simply the cat. The footsteps seemed too light to be those of a slightly chubby Persian cat.

The footsteps continued, and while everybody else was conversing, Zelda was listening intently.

"I think I'll go check on Louise. She seems distressed." Zelda stood up.

"Um… all right, sweet pea." Telma replied, a perplexed look on her face.

"It was wonderful to meet you all." She said, and then began walking up the stairs. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her.

"Link? Ilia?" Zelda called quietly as she stepped onto the second floor. "Louise?" She walked past the bedrooms, searching for the source of the footsteps. Peeking into Link's room, she saw that he was still fast asleep. He was completely out, and Zelda didn't blame him. Out of instinct, Zelda looked to the knapsack to see if that pair of eyes was actually there. Just as she suspected, there was nothing.

Next, she peeked into Ilia's room. She was also asleep, awaiting the doctor's assistance with her wounded arm. There was nothing suspicious to be found. Zelda sighed in frustration and moved down the hallway. The footsteps had stopped altogether, and she now had no idea what she was looking for.

"Louise?" She called the cat's name one more time. She heard a meow, but it wasn't coming from anywhere in the hallway. The princess peeked over the railing, and saw Louise looking up at her from atop the bar counter.

I knew it wasn't the cat, she thought to herself cleverly. But then what is it…?

"Phew, at last! We found somebody to help us." A shrill, female voice said behind her. Zelda, with her heart racing, jerked around and leaned back against the rail. Then, she saw it: the small, bird-like creature staring up at her with a kind smile and twinkling eyes.

"Oh, my goddesses…" Zelda said. But instead of a look of fear on her face, she took on a broad smile and gasped in absolute delight. "In books, in the library, I've seen you." She knelt down. "You're an Oocca."

"Why yes I am!" The Oocca smiled. "My name is Ooccoo. And you are…?"

"Princess Zelda, ruler of Hyrule. It's such an honor to meet you!" She continued.

"The pleasure's all mine, dear! This is my son, Ooccoo Jr." Just then, Zelda noticed the small creature floating around Ooccoo's head.

"Hello," Zelda reached her palm out, and the baby Oocca happily rested in it. "You two are so incredible."

"Well thank you! We're just happy that we finally found somebody to help us! You see, our fellow adventurers both seem to be busy, so we decided to come out and look for somebody ourselves. Good thing we found you!" Ooccoo explained.

"Um, pardon me for asking." Zelda began as Ooccoo Jr. floated from her palm. "But what exactly do you need help with?"

"You see, up in the City in the Sky, things aren't going so well." Ooccoo sighed, and shook her head. "Gracious, no. And word is that here, down in Hyrule, there's an expert that might be able to help us!"

"What's going on up there?" Zelda ventured to inquire.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this, but we'd like to keep that information for the expert himself. Do you know where he is?" Ooccoo replied.

"Me and Mama have been looking everywhere for him!" Ooccoo Jr. added. For a moment, Zelda didn't know what to say. But then, her thoughts turned to Shad, the expert on the Oocca and the history of their kind.

"I don't know if he's the expert you're looking for," Zelda smiled. "But I know of someone who can be of assistance."

"Really? Really? What's his name?" Ooccoo hopped up and down, flapping her tiny yellow wings excitedly.

"His name is Shad, and he knows almost everything about your race and the City in the Sky." Zelda explained.

"SHAD!" Ooccoo and Ooccoo Jr. screamed, smiling broadly. "He's the one we've been looking for!"

"I found the source of the footsteps," Zelda stated as she appeared at the table again, interrupting another fight between Ashei and Shad. "It wasn't Louise."

"What was it?" All five people stood up, anxious to hear the news. Zelda was hiding her hands behind her back, and only she knew what was there. Nobody else could see Ooccoo standing lightly on her palm.

"I'd like you all to meet…" Then, Zelda slowly revealed the birds. "Ooccoo and Ooccoo Jr."

"B-but… t-those… a-are…" Shad stuttered, at a complete loss for words. Everyone else simply stared, jaws dropped and eyes wide.

"You must be Shad! We've heard all about you up in the City in the Sky!" Ooccoo began.

"Oh, dear Nayru," Shad swayed dangerously, and then, he fainted. Ashei caught him, a smile on her glum face.

"Well what do ya know," She chuckled. "It really does exist."

Well, there you go. Yet another cliffhanger. Again, I'm open for constructive criticism! Please let me know what you guys think! Chapter seventeen's coming soon! Thanks for making this worthwhile for me :DDD