I tried to keep this chapter a little shorter because its not so action packed...

Heh, well I tried.

Lots of important notes here though! Enjoy, drop a review, all that jazz!

"Don't forget to be back for supper tonight, hon!"

Link couldn't help but cringed at the sugared voice, but his own didn't give that away as he walked through the door. "Thank you, Telma. If anything comes up-"

"Don't you worry. I'll have that little bunny of a postman hunt you down," her long lashes winked playfully.

Stepping out of the bar and into the ginger sunlight streaming through the rooftops, Link took a deep breath of the morning air. Being it was too early to make his trip to the castle and he couldn't take much more of the dark bar atmosphere, he had decided to wander the town before it busied. His feet knew each street exceedingly well, for nothing had changed- save the gossip. It bothered him that the people lived ignorant to what had happened, but he supposed it was for the best. Had Ganon been given a few more days..

A sudden scream from over his shoulder quickly derailed his chain of thought.

"THERE HE IS!"

He didn't waste time looking back; the chase was on. As fast as his feet could move, he was dodging round corners and alleys, jumping over cats and even children playing. As he jumped the last corner by the west gate he peered around, assuming he had lost them. But to his dismay, those crazed girls were keeping up faster than usual.

"I guess some things have changed around here." Looking around for anyway out before they caught sight of him again, he bolted into doctor's office.

The hazy, dry atmosphere of the clinic greeted him. Although his entrance had been anything but quiet, the doctor's hearing was waning and so he didn't notice the doors open and slam. Conviently, he was already talking with someone else, although his back was to them. Their voice was too quiet to make out over the doctor's howl.

"…that you're serious? Do you know what you're asking of me?" His hands were flailing pointlessly as he looked over something on the desk, half ignoring the patient behind him.

"Perhaps this is more of an argument than a talk," Link observed. "I don't suppose anyone really ever does much else with the old squirrel, though." As he crept by the office, he noted the hooded figure conversing with him.

"Doctor, I-"

Seeing the green clothed stranger watching them suspiciously, the quiet voice of the client ceased all together. Link wasn't sure why he had let himself eavesdrop so obviously, but he was rather unnerved that whoever was looking at him from within the cloak could see him while they remained shadowed. As Link's feet picked up from underneath him and continued toward the boxes at the back, the voice of the doctor impatiently rose again.

"Spit it out already!" was the last thing he heard before he walked out of earshot onto the balcony outside. Below, the girls who had been chasing him were nowhere in sight. The streets were quiet again. He sighed in relief.

"Heehee… Close call there, mister."

A little girl sat with her legs between the rails of the small platform, nibbling on a loaf of bread and some cheese, speaking between mouthfuls and smirks. "But I thought you liked the attention? That's what I've heard anyway."

His eyebrows furrowed. "…Who told you that?" Deciding he would rather stay out of sight, he sat down beside her. That was when he realized her small form was shaking. "Hey… what's wrong?"

She huffed. "Oh, I've got some sort of sickness. You probably shouldn't sit too close, you know. Everyone says I rub off, like a poison or something." Her little legs swung in the warm breeze while her hands vibrated.

Slowly, his lips pursed and he sat his back against the wall, deciding maintaining a healthy distance wasn't such a bad idea. "Why don't you go to the doctor then?"

"Hah. I don't have enough money. No one usually does for this doctor. But my friend is talking with him right now and trying to work something out." A loud clash erupted almost on cue from the medical building.

Link jolted forward.

"I think she's pretty good at convincing," the child spoke, unfazed. "I know you're a hero and stuff, but don't worry- she won't hurt him. She kept me from swingin' punches and knockin' him out cold… Heehee."

He smiled a little. Somehow, this wily girl reminded him of Midna- just the slightest.

Eventually his back returned to the wall. He had considered rushing down to see what had happened in case the hooded figure had done something to harm the doctor, but he figured the crooked man could use whatever sort of talking to he was now suffering. He didn't sense the client as being a threat, anyways. Just… suspicious. Folding his arms over his chest, he relaxed again.

There they sat in silence, the little girl shaking and eating, Link staring off into the clouds, silently enjoying each other's company. Finally, the cloaked figure appeared at the doorway.

Delighted, the child jumped up, the shaking worsening. "What did he say?"

In silent reply, the figure nodded for her to walk through the office door.

"Yeah! You're the best!" She turned back with a twinkle in her eyes. "Heehee, see you later, mister hero. Watch out for those girls."

His eyebrows furrowed at the hooded figure's barely seen countenance as he nodded. The girl ran through the door and the figure followed. With a sigh, he brushed off the strange feeling. Finding himself feeling rather lonely again and dearly missing Midna, he stood.

"I didn't even ask the girl's name..."

On the streets below, the fast moving cloaked figure caught his eyes. He watched them for a moment, trying to let reason out rule his folly, but he couldn't help his natural suspicions. With curiosity getting the best of him, Link silently jumped from the balcony and followed behind at a slow pace until the cramped alleyways gave way to the town's square. The figure stopped hesitantly at the fountain, knowing they were being followed. Feeling a bit uncertain himself, Link stepped forward, finally deciding to approach the person when he was grabbed from behind.

"I got him! I-I got him!" Looking back to see an astonished young girl holding him with all the might she could muster, he tensed. Behind her, a group of girls were running towards him gleefully.

"Great," he groaned inwardly. Looking back to the fountain, the hooded figure had vanished. His eye twitched. "Should have just stayed where I was."

Before the other group of girls could pounce, he was running up the castle stairs with the bewildered fan girl still clinging to his back. Hearing the Castletown guards snicker as he ran past them made him pray all the more that those at the gate would take pity on him, and to his relief, they were a bit more professional. One stepped up to him, trying his best to hide his smirk as he spoke.

"Sorry Link, but she can't come with you unless she has permission."

His eyes pleaded for them to help, cheeks glowing red, his usual calm gone. The girl's incessant giggling and fondling were driving him mad. The guards looked at each other and tried to contain their laughter. While one pried the swooning girl away, the other patted his arm.

"I guess you can fight off almost everything, bud."

-.-

The rich, red apple quenched the princess' parched throat as she climbed the rooftops with practiced ease. Strong, spontaneous gusts of wind threatened to send her tumbling down into the gutters, but her well developed sense of balance held her. She found a place out of sight from the patrolling guards in the distance, for not only would they consider her highly in danger if they saw her, but it would be shameful for them to lay eyes on her current attire. The sheer layer of dark material was formed into the equivalent of the guard's wear over her thin body, spare the armor. She had made it herself, and took great pride in it. Although it was hardly considered lady like, it gave her a break from consistent dresses when no one was looking.

Cold winds tore at her pale skin, and there was no temptation for her to turn back to the castle walls.

With the morning mist, the clouds had cleared giving a beautiful view of the lake surrounding the castle, the distant desert to the west and smoldering mountain to the east. The breath taking panorama gave her a long sought sensation; a serene, stilling moment, taking away the haunting memories. Her morning solitude was the nourishment to persevere her through the long, procedural and busy days within the palace. Almost every morning she found herself here for the sake of her own sanity.

At the last bite of her treasured fruit, she began to stretch and relax her whole being. As the inward apprehension evaporated, a pulsating golden light on her hand caught her eyes.

In silence, she watched it.

In silence, she stood. A deep breath of the clean air filled her lungs.

-.-

Upon entering the castle grounds, Link had been wandering around gardens. It was still early enough that the princess would not yet take her place in the throne room. She may not even be awake, for all he knew. With a friendly nod to the patrolling guards, he placed himself beside a still pond, unloaded and pulled out his breakfast. The weight of his own weapons along with the extra set had been an awkward burden he was glad to have off of his back, helping him to relax again.

At least here, he wouldn't be hassled.

He let the cool morning breeze set his mind adrift. Often times his mind would wander to Midna, where worry about her own welfare ate away at him. Was her kingdom being well restored? How was she herself doing? He had to admit that her demanding behavior irked him terribly until the moment Zant had stripped her of her element, and nearly her life. He owed her so much…

"Dues…"

His thoughts trailed back to Ordon with a groan; he was almost dreading going back. Bo would be talking to him soon about the future, about becoming the next mayor of their village. As much as he loved his home, he no longer felt like he could properly remain in one place. His restlessness drove him all over Hyrule and even so it remained unsatisfied. He knew it was expected of him to take his place of leadership but…

A sigh protruded. "Perhaps Midna was right, and I do worry too much."

A glint of light in the sky caught his attention. To the west of the castle, something was falling from extremely high up. A small object, it seemed, until a second glance revealed that it perhaps was not so small. Straining his eyes farther, he realized that it was a person and they weren't just falling. They were…

"…diving?" Reaching for his tucked away hawk eye, he zoomed in just as their feet disappeared behind the towering walls. He looked to the guards to see if they had noticed it, but they remained neutral as ever. Turning back to where the incident had taken place with his lenses, it concluded that they had jumped from the rooftops. Shivers flew down his spine as he recalled his shaky encounters while among the castle tops.

"Did someone just… kill themselves?" his heart thumped. "Maybe it was one of the young guards? Or it was an accident…" A sick feeling ran his blood cold. "What if it was a murder?"

He wasn't looking forward to report he would have to give the princess.

-.-

"Excuse me,"

The throne room had a light air to it as Links stood in the doorway waiting to be announced. From far away he could see the princess speaking with an older man in lush, ruby colored robes, so he took the opportunity to quietly catch the door guard's attention.

"Yes, sir?' It sounded more like a statement than a question coming from the stern guard.

Link fumbled with his words, unsure of exactly what to tell him or even if he should alert others yet. But before he had an answer for the guard, he realized that the princess was already half way across the long, maroon carpet. He bowed along with the rest of the room, somewhat caught off guard and clumsy.

"Link," in her collected voice there was a hint of shame. "Please, stand." He did so with a nod, but upon looking her in the eyes he hesitated to speak. His mouth suddenly wasn't functioning properly and he felt like he could only blankly look at her as his Triforce throbbed. Whether she noted his behavior or not, a smile graced her pale cheeks as she broke the silence.

"May I ask what gives us the honor of being in your presence this morning?" She eyed the strange package on his back with particular interest.

Reaching to his back, he pulled out the wrapped shield and sword, a forest green fabric Uli had sewn concealing both. Remembering why he had come, his words also came.

"As a representative of the province of Ordon, on behalf of the mayor and the entire village, we wish to bring the best of our loyalty to you, your Majesty." He unwrapped the weapons and held the Ordon sword to the enthralled Zelda. "They dim in comparison to the royal weaponry…" he trailed off, for the princess had taken the sword into her own hands and was admiring it with shining eyes. He smiled softly to himself and let her absorb them, glad they were more than meaningless relics. The sick feeling slowly seeped from him.

"These are a copy of the originals?" Link nodded, trying to hide his quizzical brow at how exactly she would know that, and how exactly she handled the weapon so well. "I am honored. This loyalty has been more than a blessing to the whole of the kingdom." Not forgetting where she was, she denied the urge to spin the sword in her hands; she had always wished to properly wield and use a sword. Handing the weapons to the door guard and whispering instructions which led him out of the room, she turned back to her guest.

"Please, come. There is much I wish to discuss with you while you are in town."

Taking a nervous breath, he followed her through a door so flush with the wall that he had never noticed it before. From the echoing, giant throne room it led to a small and quiet hallway where the princess continued guiding them. He found it incredibly outlandish to be walking so casually through the castle with the most important person in the land, but he wouldn't dare deny her request. They walked in silence, Link patiently waiting for her to speak. Sure enough, she did, though it was not what he had been expecting.

"Who are you exactly, Link?" the surprise on his face was not well hidden. "You have done so much to help correct my terrible failure. I owe you my own life and yet I hardly know a thing about you."

His dark blue eyes shifted to her hesitantly. "What do you wish to know, your maj-"

"Please. Just Zelda," she quickly interrupted. He simply dipped his head, waiting for her to answer his half spoken question. She remained thoughtful, trying to find the right words.

"What was your life like before the invasion?"

"…" he scratched the back of his head, his eyes following the wall. This definitely had not been how he had expected to spend his morning. "It was normal one of any farmer and herder. I spent my days in fields, working with animals and helping sustain my village…" Although this felt terribly unexciting for him to relay to someone like the princess, she nodded in interest and waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she had another question ready.

"What about your family?"

He remained silent, tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth. Out of the corner of her eyes, Zelda saw him squinting at one of the abstract paintings lining the wall before he finally answered. "My village is my family."

As much as her curiosity pressed, she decided against asking more on the subject. "How is your village doing? I believe it was the only area which escaped the boundaries of the expanding twilight realm, yes?"

He was glad he was no longer the subject of their conversation. "Yes, we were the only ones who survived it, although the monsters took the children and my friend. We… we were very close. But we didn't lose anyone."

Her smile was heartfelt. "I'm glad to hear that. The other provinces were not as blessed to have you as their immediate protector, I'm afraid." When they came to the end of the hallway, the princess stopped. "Link, I'm sorry to trouble you longer, but could I ask that you would stay for lunch at the castle? I have some important matters I would like to speak with you about."

He didn't feel that it would be particularly acceptable for him to decline her invitation, so he nodded for what felt like the thousandth time.

"I'm afraid I will be detained for the next hour or so. I will meet you out in the gardens at noon. I'm sure you are a busy man, so I appreciate this."

Her feet echoed as she turned the corner, and when he was sure she was out of ear shot, he sighed. The portraits of many people he assumed to be highly important held somber poses on the walls, all looking into the distance. Too bad he didn't recognize any of them.

"Busy," he laughed.

-.-

It was a perfect garden, he thought. If it hadn't been for the swarm of guards patrolling the area, he would have gladly strolled through, admiring each petal of each plant, the hedges and the statues, the fountain and cobblestone. It reminded him of his home.

But for now, he forced his body to crawl over the fragile beams housing vines, soaked from crawling through the small and only entrance. Below him, an anxious guard patrolled around the beam, seeming to eye the randomly placed rupees more than anything else. Link's gaze also caught the sparkling currency eagerly. Distracted, his foot slipped and with it, the rest of him came down with a thud, landing right in front of the guard.

"H-Hey!" The sharp spear was pointed in his face as the guard whirled around. "Stop right there!"

Link groaned, annoyed with himself. This was the second time.

Realizing the boy wasn't going to put up a fight, he sighed and lowered his weapon, grabbing him by the shoulder. "How does a kid sneak past all the castle security, anyway?"

But it had been worth it, just to hear her voice; to crawl back through the watergate, over that beam, through the hedges, silent over the cobblestone, into an open terrace. Overhead, the husky, blue sky blurred.

"Link..?" her voice was as golden the strand of hair peeking out from her head wrap. It made her taller than him. "Strange.. It sounds somehow.. familiar."

He blinked slowly, a smile across his face.

"Link, you believe me, don't you?"

"Link?"

His attention snapped from his day dreaming gaze to the princess. He had found himself rather enjoying the outside patio, surrounded by trees and ponds and hadn't even realized he had drifted off. His plate of bread and cheese sat almost untouched due to his lack of focus. Finally realizing he hadn't given a response, he nodded for her to go on.

"I need your help locating a group of people. I believe you know them fairly well. They met regularly during our crisis at a bar…"

"Temla's?"

"Yes…" her eyes twinkled. "Then you know who I speak of. Do they still meet? Or are they disbanded throughout the country?"

"Rusl is in Ordon… the rest I am unsure of. They do still meet occasionally though." He felt rude being so casual with her, but he couldn't help his own curiosity. "What services does her maj-" he cleared his throat as her eyebrows rose, "do you require of them?"

"While there is much work to be done in the process of rebuilding this land, there are also prevention methods I wish to instigate. Hyrule's weakness lies in our lack of protection. Each vast province is a gateway for trouble with the weakened state of each tribe; we cannot risk more loss." Her eyes had not left him once. It would have made him uncomfortable had he not shared the worry with equal passion. "This group could help. They seem to be experts in varying provinces, and if each can keep accountable to their region, reporting any suspicions to me, I would feel much safer."

Link nodded slowly. He had never considered that.

She stiffened as her eyes shifted to the men standing guard at the doors. "I have a letter I would like you to deliver to them discussing means of a meeting. Please, take this."

Not entirely sure where it had suddenly come from and not feeling that it was his place to ask, he took the letter. As he was about to slip it in his pocket, he noted that the envelope had not been sealed but merely folded under the lip to give the illusion of closure. His intention of asking if it should be properly sealed quickly changed when he met the strange look the princess gave. His mouth opened and shut again before he finally decided against asking.

"It will be delivered tonight," was all he spoke.

The smallest, sly smile lit her pastel features. "Perfect. I cannot thank you enough." Before another word was spoken, she was standing and smoothing her dress. "You presence here has been invaluable to me, Link. I do wish to visit longer, but unfortunately I must attend another arid afternoon meeting."

"Thank you for taking the time out of your day, Maj-m," he caught himself. She was eyeing him.

"…Zelda."

It caused strange, warm silence between them for a moment- not uncomfortable as the others had been. It was familiarly pleasant, letting her name roll from his tongue. She smiled, bowing with perfect charisma before she turned. Quiet footsteps bounced off the foliage.

Alone again, he turned the suspicious letter in his hand. It was addressed to him. Confused, he slowly opened it.

Link,

Town square, 11:00pm tonight.

Come alone.

His brows furrowed only more, but seeing the curious guards eyeing him read what they assumed not to be his own, he casually placed the letter back in the envelope and stood to leave. What in the good world was this about?

"And not even an autograph."

It rang through his mind like a joke he didn't understand.

For those of you who have played OoT understand the frustration of HOW MANY TIMES I GOTTA FAIL THIS PLATFORM TO GET TO THE PRINCESSSSSSS!

... that stupid beam in Hyrule Castle you have to crawl across in the courtyard... got me every time. Stupid 2D moments of the game. Despite my anger issues, I thought that would be a funny sub-conscious memory. Also, the autograph bit is a reference to when Zelda gives Link the letter with her signature to get him past the guard to Death Mountain, OoT.