Author's Note: I AM SOOOOO SORRY!!! o I can't think of any other way to make this up to you guys! I'm sorry! Life just suddenly got more complicated for me! Teachers assigned multiple projects at once, one of my computers is starting to get screwed up, and rooms in my house are being remodeled! And I've been going to funerals a lot more often... So, again, I'm sorry for not updating any sooner! Please forgive me! And thank you to those faithful readers that stick with my story to the very end. ;w; You make me very happy.

And so, I finally managed to find some time to finish this chapter. Hope you like it!

Chapter 10 - The Start of a New Adventure

Wind blew furiously at a great speed and forced my eyes open. My hair was dancing wildly, and I had to hold down my dress even if nobody was really behind me. It's just a habit, I guess, to hold it down whenever there's an opportunity for the wind to reveal my underwear. Well, ALL women should make it a habit anyway. I blinked a couple of times, but whenever I closed them I shut them tightly; after all, I was just waking up from a nap. What's going on? Oh, right...

I'm riding Niro.

Niro is a dragon. You know, the dragon that tried to kill me in the previous Forbidden Gate. Honestly, I thought it was a strange name for a dragon, and I really thought that I had to just call it "Dragon" or something, like how I call the Kappa "Kappa." Speaking of which... I turned my head to get the best view of my backpack, or at least try to look at it.

"Kappa! You okay?" I yelled through the air. Even though we're pretty much gliding through the air, the wind was still pretty rough and loud. Kappa still hasn't been able to retrieve any water, and has been immobilized ever since that battle. Geez, it must suck to not be able to move for a while... I tried to have it return to my soul with Sepherene (I recently learned it could do that), but it was desperate for water. The only reply was a small grunt. Eh, I'll take that as a "yes"?

I tried not to look down below Niro. We were pretty high up, that's for sure. Because of my fear of heights and the trauma that that Kargaroc caused me in the beginning of my journey, I've now grown a deathly fear of heights! Now normally, I would've just stuck to walking back to Hyrule Castle. But as I thought about it more and more, I realized how much of a workout that would be. Yes, I know I received some sort of energy from Niro that allowed me to break the chains that bounded the soul, but laziness is an automatic thing for me. And besides, I don't have that much stamina! I'm not like one of those Olympic athletes.

I was hugging Niro's warm, warm neck as we flew above Hyrule, and my legs were tight around his waist. Well, it wasn't exactly around his waist, I was just trying to hang on. I don't even know if it's his waist or his chest... In fact, at the moment I cared more for hanging on than worrying if the end of my dress was fluttering madly. I wouldn't risk my life just to cover my panties!

"Niro! Are we there yet?!" Haha, typical of every traveling teenager... His head turned slightly towards me, his sharp eyes looking back.

"We are very near, mistress..." he replied, focusing once more on reaching our destination. I'm glad that his voice wasn't as loud anymore. Apparently, back at the Forbidden Gate, he was at his largest size. Meaning, he can change his size to whatever he wants! When he mentioned that, my inner "girliness" came out and I wanted him to change to his smallest size. He looked so adorable! Niro looked just like a baby, or chibi, dragon would! I would've cuddled him, but I wanted to keep my dignity as a tomboy (or at least that's what my friends think I act like). He changed his size to a sort of medium size. It was definitely bigger than me, yet it was very convenient for travel and for my eardrums.

Anyway, we were headed for Hyrule Castle. I have no idea how far The Hidden Village was from the castle, but it was far enough for me to take a nap on Niro's back. Seriously, I was tired from that experience! I just hope I get more athletic from going through Forbidden Gates. Closing my eyes, I prepared for another nap, when Niro's voice came again.

"Mistress, we are close," he started, stopping in midair and flying in place, "However, I fear that many of the townspeople shall think me an enemy if I reveal myself." I felt so, so lazy and exhausted. The energy he gave me probably wore off, somehow. I mean, how else would I feel this tired? I thought for a moment; well... Niro is a vicious-looking, dangerous, size-changeable dragon that can breathe fire. Of course he looks like an enemy! If he were in my world, I'm pretty sure someone would call in the army!

"Alright, set me down close to the gates, though." I answered, "Oh! And by the way, you don't need to call me 'Mistress.' 'Theresa' is just fine." Being called "Mistress" was making me uncomfortable. I was okay with Kappa since he never really called me that anyway. Nodding, he began to descend, which was giving me a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. In a matter of seconds, he gently landed just before a stone set of stairs.

I slowly jumped off his back and landed on grass; hey, he's pretty tall even if he's at his "medium" size! Looking around, I recognized this place as the part of Castle Town where you had to deliver Hot Spring Water to the Goron. You know, the Goron trying to break through those big boulders? The sunlight made this place more beautiful than the game could ever portray; everything was so vivid! I would've enjoyed it more, though, if it weren't for my exhaustion. Really, my knees were shaking, and I looked like a huge mess: I was missing my jacket and my right shoe, I was covered in dust and dirt, and some random parts of the end of my dress were slightly burned. I looked like a bum.

"Okay, Niro, you can go now." The red dragon nodded its head and began to glow as it closed its eyes. In a matter of seconds, it faded into light and went towards me. I absorbed it easily. Yeah, I wasn't completely sure of what it just did. He explained it to me earlier, but being the lazy daydreamer I am, I didn't get everything. Something like a Summoning thing? Walking up the steps, I gently lowered my backpack and opened it up. Kappa had its eyes closed and remained shut while I carried it to a large fountain. It had a large, intricate sculpture in the center of it, holding the Triforce at its peak. It looked pretty cool, but I focused on revitalizing Kappa. I lowered it into the fountain and let it float there. I didn't feel like waking it up myself anyway. Its dark, almond-shaped eyes shot open as it sat up, its basin-like head filled up with water once more. It looked pretty happy, jumping around and swimming like a speeding bullet. Obviously it was glad to come in contact with the cool liquid; after facing a dragon in a hot, rocky place, I expected it to be dried up by now. I'm actually rather surprised that it lasted that long!

"Come on, Kappa," I said, "We gotta get back to Link and the Princess now." It raised its head from the fountain water, looking at me with sad, pleading eyes. And for a moment, I thought I heard it whimper. Normally, I would feel a tad sorry for it and let it swim a little longer, but... Well, I was still in the middle of trying to control the soul I just collected. As a result, I looked at Kappa with stern eyes and irritatedly ordered it to return inside my bag. I had no idea how furious I looked, but apparently enough to make Kappa flinch! It hesitantly dried itself up and came inside the bag, adding more weight to my back again. I sighed. I didn't expect this soul to have that much effect on me! I didn't want to feel angry almost all the time!

Slowly, I began to make my way to Hyrule Castle Town. Strange... It was like every step I took made my body heavier and heavier despite the fact that I just took a nap. It might not have been enough sleep, after all I had no idea how long it was in the first place. As I passed through the busy streets, I could feel, or sense, some people staring at me. I didn't care, though; I just wanted to get to the castle. Geez, Niro's power really isn't long-lasting, is it? That's pretty lame, I'm gonna have to talk to him about that later.

I reached the large doors of the castle. Oh wait, I forgot: there's construction there. Big, burly Hylians, humans, and even Gorons looked in my direction, wondering why I was there in the first place. A couple of them stared at me sternly as though he was trying to tell me that this place was off limits. But I wanted to take a look at how far they've gotten. Um, how long did Link say it was since his adventure? Oh right, about six months. Wow, Hyrule Castle was far from finished! Well, not that I expected that it would be half-way done in six months... Okay, yeah, I did expect it to have more progress. In a world where magic exists, it would be okay to believe that it wouldn't take that long, right? But still, even if it needed a longer time to finish, it stood much taller than my puny stature. I could only imagine what its true height is. An excited feeling erupted in my stomach at the thought of seeing the completed building. Well... That is, if I stay here long enough to see it finished. But what are the chances of that?

Turning around, I headed for the correct destination.

"Uuum, now where was it...?" I thought. As certain people stared at me, I noticed something different. Were they... glowing? It must have been my imagination, but as I rubbed my eyes and looked again, I found that it was true:

All of the citizens were glowing.

"H-Hey, Sepherene." I thought. I felt a tad more comfortable talking with her. We seemed to grow friendly towards each other quickly, unlike the new soul I collected. Seriously, he hasn't spoken to me or even thanked me yet! Maybe he'll talk once I see the Princess.

"Yes?" she replied. I recognized her gentle voice in my head. I was actually surprised that she didn't know what I was thinking. Maybe she's actually obeying me about my thoughts! Or maybe she does know and is just acting it out... Whatever...

"Why are the people around me glowing?" I asked. Now that I noticed, almost everyone was glowing with different colors. This was starting to hurt my eyes, also because I strained to see them in the sunlight. It would probably be best to see it in the dark... A small gasp echoed in my head.

"This must be the first stage!"

"Wha--- Wha?! What do you mean 'first stage'?!" Although I sounded angry and confused, I was actually fascinated. Maybe... Maybe this is the inherited magic from my great grandfather! Oh, how excited I was!

"Well, if you can collect souls, then of course that means that you can see them as well!" Woah, woah, so all this that I'm seeing is the peoples' SOULS?! But wait, I didn't see any floating orb or anything similar to when I met Sepherene or the creepy red one. Sepherene continued, "Since this is the 'first stage,' as I call it, you can't see it as clearly as you should. Oooooh, your power must be growing with every soul you collect! This is so great!"

In fact, even I smiled to myself. I was happy. Happy to know that magic is indeed real, and I can rub it in my family's faces! Or do I have to hide it? I'll have to answer that question later. Just by hearing Sepherene's answer, I felt more energetic. I didn't continue the conversation, however, as I decided to tell all of this to Princess Zelda. I looked around, excited at the discovery of my new power. My eyes turned to the direction of where Princess Zelda was residing in. I had hoped to find the souls of Zelda and Link (if he was still there) and see what color they glow, but sadly, my sight seemed limited. I was rather disappointed, but I guessed that I would have to be a bit more patient with this...

In a few moments, I found myself at the great Princess's door. I knocked as loud as I could, but without hurting my knuckle; I didn't want to add more pain to what I already went through. The door slightly opened, and the maid that answered it was the same one that opened it for me and Link before. She had a strange look about her eye, that same suspicious look that she had when we first met. However, it disappeared as she recognized my face, and it changed to one of shock and distress. Along with that, her hand was brought up to her mouth to stifle a gasp, and her eyes began to water. I was surprised, as well as confused. What was going on? She pointed a finger to my face.

"You! You did this to the Princess!" she shrieked. My mouth was left hung open; uh-oh, that did not sound good! As the maid continued to scream and throw names at me, it began to cause a ruckus among the people passing by. This caused murmurs and MORE strange looks towards me. Well, only one thing to do...

I did the first thing that came onto my mind and shoved myself through the door. Meaning, I pretty much forced myself past the screaming lady, who was beginning to hurt my ears. Afterwards, I quickly forced the door to close and locked it, the maid stepping back in shock.

"You... You stay away from the Princess!!" I began to stutter and wave my hands desperately in front of me in order to get her to calm down and explain, but instead, she did the totally stereotypically thing that I would've expected out of a maid: she grabbed a broom from a nearby closet, and got into a strange stance, but it definitely meant trouble!

"W-Wai---" But the crazy lady wouldn't listen to me; she only whacked me repeatedly while I protected myself with my arms. As she did this, she kept screaming, "Guards! Guards!" My eyes enlarged in alarm and fear... Oh God, I could even hear the heavy clattering of armor approaching! But... They were cowardly in the game. Would there be a way for me to scare them? No! Heck no! I don't wanna take a chance with armed men! So I took a tight hold of the maid's broom and wrenched it out of her grip. She seemed shocked and backed away, but held her ground. Of course, the only reason she would do that is because she knew guards were coming. I didn't waste time; I ran straight up the stairs leading to the large hallway with many doors, one of them leading to the Princess' room. I had a feeling there would be a soldier there at her door. Thankfully, it was only one.

"Halt!" he cried. He began to draw his sword, but it was only halfway when I got the end part of the broom (the end of the stick) and thrust it towards his helmet. Although it only hit him at the top of his head, I put all my strength into it; maybe I overdid it a little... It threw him completely off balance and made him trip backwards.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" I repeated as I opened and shut the door to Zelda's room. Honestly, my heart was beating fast. I didn't want to hurt to poor guy, moreover I didn't think it'd be that easy. Well, soldiers were always minor characters in the game, so I suppose the game creators never really made them that strong... I locked the door, but just to make sure, I put a chair up against it as well, like I would usually see in the movies. Turning quick and taking a deep breath, I sank down to the floor. Everything was stressing me out... Coming to a new world, surviving the Forbidden Gates, and now I'm being hunted for something I don't even know about! But I was about to find out as I heard a weak voice.

"T... Theresa? Is that you...?" I recognized it as the Princess's voice.

"Princess!" I gasped. She was lying on her bed with thick covers over her. A wet rag was folded above her forehead, and her breathing seemed a bit weaker. I had no idea what was going on... "What happened to you?" I walked to her bedside. I was distressed to see this, but the elegant woman merely chuckled.

"It seems... I overestimated my power, and used too much during the attempt to return you home..." Just then, the door banged loudly as the soldiers tried to enter. In fact, I think the door even curved a little each time they tried to break in. Alarmed, I went into a strange position, holding the broom in front of me. The soldiers grunted noisily every time they tried to break in, and I was getting scared with each moment.

"SILENCE!!" roared a voice behind me: Princess Zelda?! The attempt of breaking in immediately stopped. "Return to your posts IMMEDIATELY!" Then the confused shuffle of feet were heard, eventually leading to silence. I turned, shivering. Geez, she can be scary! But I returned to the main problem.

"I... I'm sorry..." I felt my eyes filling with tears; I never meant for this to happen to her. I never wanted to see her in such a terrible state. I raised my hand to wipe my eyes as the Princess gave me a reassuring smile; however, I noticed I was glowing red, and the red light around me was getting brighter. Soon, it streamed out of me to form a figure kneeling beside the Princess: Dyten is his name. My tears instantly disappeared, and my facial expression turned into a disgusted one.

"D-DYTEN?! What are you doing?!" He ignored me and focused on Zelda.

"My dear, what terrible thing has come upon you?" he asked gently. Dyten is a member of the Shiekah tribe. If he had been alive, he would probably be the only one in all of Hyrule! After all, I never saw any while playing Twilight Princess, except maybe for Impaz. But the Shiekah are proud, strong, and silent, and they served under the Royal Family for many years, or so I've learned from playing Ocarina of Time. But, there's a problem with this one... Very wrong...

Dyten is a pervert.

Yes, even now as he expressed his "concern" for Zelda's well being, he was staring right at her chest! My face burned at this realization, and even the Princess herself seemed taken aback. The white-haired, red-eyed man turned to me with cold eyes.

"This is your fault, isn't it?" I wasn't worried, nor was I affected by his stare in any way. What prevented me from being scared was his ridiculous personality.

"Please, Theresa did not wish harm upon me. It was merely an accident we could not foresee..." the Princess vouched. Dyten instantly turned his head to her with a gentle smile.

"Understood, miss..."

"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!" I screamed, doing a spin kick right at his head. But because he's a dead spirit, it only went through him and his head dissipated like a mist, which returned to its original form afterwards. But even if it didn't hurt him, he seemed surprised.

"What the hell was that for?!" he demanded, standing and staring down at me with a bloodlust in his eyes.

"What do you mean, 'What the hell was that for'?! You're hitting on the Princess while she's weak! Not only that, but you're being disrespectful and you're invading her privacy!!"

"I swear on the Shiekah clan that I was not! I was only... checking on any other wounds!"

"'Swear' my ass!"

"Enough!" demanded the Princess. Dyten and I immediately shut our mouths. Even in her current state, she was able to express control over others. Amazing... But it didn't take long for her to look worn out once more.

"Tsundere lecher..." I muttered, glaring at him with the corner of my eye.

"Flat-chested child..." he muttered back. Really, I was ashamed to have the mark of Fire on my hand; it was next to the upside down triangle of Water. Fire was shown as a triangle pointing upwards. Although I believed Fire would be a powerful asset in protection and/or fighting, did the Godesses really have to choose such a man?

"Theresa, I have something important to tell you. The fact that you are still here in Hyrule already endangers you." My heart skipped a beat; oh God, what now? I nodded slowly and went closer to listen. She slowly sat up and took off the small rag on her forehead. She began.

"Right after you disappeared, I did begin to lose power, yes... However, once I was taken into medical care, I was out cold for some time. During that period, I believe the Godesses - the deities we believe who created this world and Hyrule - sent me a vision. The world was dark... I only stood in silence and void for a few moments. It was cold, however, and I felt like I was freezing slowly. But soon, a light appeared from behind me. It burned with warmth, but as I drew closer to it, I realized that it was a large, yellow sphere. It even looked like it was in flames! But I recognized it easily, and it formed into the head of someone who has been threatening Hyrule since ancient times... His name is Ganondorf."

I was shocked. Oh no, now I'm caught up in the middle of a main storyline! Sure, this is what I wanted, but I didn't want to get involved with Ganondorf in any way! That big yellow thing she saw... It reminded me of when I beat Ganon (in the game) as a beast, and after Zelda regained her soul or whatever, Ganon erupted into yellow flames. This happened before Midna sacrificed herself; I figured that's what Zelda saw in her vision. She continued.

"I awoke a few hours after the teleportation spell, and notified Link of the vision, or dream if you will... Since this is a dire warning, I sent him on a journey to retrieve the only weapon that will defeat Ganondorf. It's a holy blade known as the Master Sword."

Her voice was drowned out momentarily as my inner game fan took over my thoughts. I'm gonna see the Master Sword?! The sword that's been kicking Ganon's ass for the longest time?! I'm really surprised it hasn't rusted away or anything... Must be some sort of magic or something...

"So... Should I go after him?" I asked, trying to hide my eagerness.

"What's so special about going to him? Or is it for the sword?" Dyten asked sternly; why does he always sound a little pissed off when talking to me? Anyway, since he's technically a part of my soul now, he'd know my true intents... Geez, I'm gonna have to explain the rules of staying in my soul to him too! I'm gonna die of repetitiveness.

"No!" the princess said, "It is a dangerous route; there are many obstacles there that won't allow you to pass!" Just then, I remembered how Link needed that weird golden Cucco and the Gale Boomerang to get through... Then an idea came to mind, along with a huge smile on my face.

"Don't worry, I can fly now!" She seemed confused by what I meant. I reminded her of how I can "collect" souls now, and introduced her to Dyten, the soul of Fire. Along with him was the Elemental Animal of Fire, Niro the Dragon. Well, I wasn't sure of whether it was "Elemental Animal" anymore; Dyten corrected me and Sepherene during our first encounter and called it "the entity of his soul." Something about it always being there and being awoken with the help of the Godesses. I dunno, I daydream during long lectures such as those. I'll have to ask another time.

The Princess held her chin in thought, then spoke once more.

"No matter, I will not allow you to go..."

"WHAT?!"

"It is dangerous, Theresa, you must understand that! We must leave this to Link. He must do this alone."

"Theresa, listen to those above you!" I knew Dyten was only supporting her for her breasts though... I began to shake as I lowered my head and my hands turned into fists; I didn't want Link to carry this big responsibility on his shoulders again. Not that I wanted to replace him, I'd probably lose my life instantly! But to have him sent on a mission so soon after his return didn't seem fair... I wanted to do something to help...

"Theresa, please---"

"I CAN'T JUST LEAVE HIM LIKE THAT!!" Tears slowly rolled down my red cheeks. Really, he's done so much for me now, I had to repay him somehow. Both the Princess and Dyten looked stunned at my sudden outburst. I sighed and wiped my face. Regaining control of myself, I did my best to answer again. "Link has done a lot for me, and made an effort to help return me home... And I... overheard something while in Ordon Village. Apparently, something like this has happened before, and he just returned. For him to do this again doesn't seem fair, even if it's necessary." I looked at both of them with a determined face. "I don't know how I have this power, or even why I have it. But I can't just stand around and see Link have to do all of this again; I will use this power to help in any way I can!"

The Princess looked stressed, but deep in thought. It didn't take long for her to finally say something.

"I understand your concern for Link; in fact, I feel the same way, as well. I feel like I ask too much of Link, and I don't do my part well as the ruler of Hyrule..."

"Well... If I go with Link and help him with confirming your vision, maybe I'll find a way back home in the process. You know how much that means to me! This might be my only opportunity!" Pretty much, I was pressuring her and finding any possible way to get her to accept my request. Looking up at me after a few moments, she nodded.

"Very well, Theresa. You may go with Link. I believe he went to Faron's Woods. I shall provide you with a map and supplies before you leave."

"Thank you... Princess..." I said, bowing slightly.

"However!" she continued, "You... I'm sorry... You look... terrible..." I slumped a little and realized how messy I appeared in front of her. I expected her to stare at me in disgust, but instead she giggled. "You'll have to get a change of clothes soon, one suited well for traveling. And you look very tired! You should rest for a bit before heading out."

Now that I thought about it, I was famished and parched. My stomach growled slightly, but I held it to stifle it.

"Would you like a meal?"

"Yes, please..." I chuckled. Soon enough, I was taking a nice bath in a marble bathtub and with nice scents all around me. All my stress faded away. Afterwards, I wore a soft robe and ate a feast like a pig; I couldn't help it! I was starving! After I finished my meal, I could've sworn my stomach was about to burst, but it was a nice feeling. I was asked to return to Zelda's room as soon as I was done. She continued to lie down on her bed, but sat up as I approached. She smiled kindly towards me.

"Satisfied?" she giggled.

"Very!" I replied.

Being around the Princess made me feel... girly, as well as royal. But I didn't want to get stuck-up or anything; the point is that she felt like an older sister to me... Then again, more like a mom considering how she was preventing me from helping Link. But nobody can ever replace my Mom! Ever!

"My guards are filling your bag with proper supplies at the moment, and my maid should return with your change of clothes any minute now." I just realized that Kappa was still inside the bag, but was relieved as I felt something hug my leg very tightly. Of course, it was the one and only sea monkey... I still wonder why it doesn't return to my soul like Niro does... But I was a tad confused.

"You don't have anything in your closet that fits me?"

"Well, not that anything in my wardrobe would be suitable for journeys."

"Besides, your chest would never be able to fit into her dresses!" Dyten said in my head.

"Shut up..." I retorted. A knock from the door interrupted our little quarrel, and the Princess allowed that person to enter: it was the crazy maid. She still looked at me with uncertainty and suspicion, but I didn't mind; I have Zelda on my side!

"I hope you like your new clothing," Zelda said, smiling brightly. Even in her tired condition, her smile could brighten up anyone's day! The maid lowered a bag that had two "M"s on it as an insignia; it must me Malo Mart!! Whatever she got from there, it was probably good! The maid lifted up the outfit carefully for the both of us to see.

I gasped.

Phew! Glad that's over! w Okay, I suddenly came up with this idea last minute, but YOU, my lovely readers, can help me design this new outfit for Theresa! Of course, I have a backup plan if nobody ends up participating, but whoever comes up with the best design gets the Super Special Cookie of Awesomeness!! :D It'll be awesome to see all of your creative ideas! And if I don't end up putting up your design in the next chapter, you still get a nice cookie of your choice for participating. :3

So come up with awesomely awesome ideas! I eagerly await!

Please review despite my long disappearance. D: