Chapter 9

Link heard low mutterings, as the haze surrounding his mind began to vanish, he identified one as a very irritated Sheik. The other as a very small child.

Link blinked, rolled over and pulled off his blankets. Pulling a shirt over his head, Zelda had not specified how long her errand would be. He got the impression it would only take her a few hours. He glanced blearily at the clock; he had been asleep for almost two days.

Two days? Zelda would be worried. He raced down the stairs. He entered the kitchen still feeling a bit sore, and his left arm throbbed, searching for Zelda's familiar form. The conversation broke off suddenly, when he entered. Sheik was standing next to the stove arms crossed and looking for all the world like he was ready to strangle someone. The girl opposite looked irritated, the mop of unnatural bright green hair bouncing with her shaking head. Both caught site of him, then glanced at each other worried.

Link smiled warmly, "Hey Sheik, did Zelda get back yet? Who's this?"

The girl shot a warning glance at Sheik, "Greetings hero. I am Saira. Naryu sends her apologies but Zelda will be unavailable for an undetermined amount of time."

Link just stared, Sheik glowered at Saira. Link barely registered the next sentence, "I will be your new guardian angel."

Link sat down heavily, "Did did I do some thing wrong? Is she mad at me? Is this my fault?"

Saira blinked, "I do not understand the question."

Sheik sighed, "I'm sorry Link but I can't get any more information out of her."

Saira glared, "My name is Saira. Mr. Indigo."

Sheik shivered, "Please don't call me that I feel colorful. Link just wants to know if it's his fault that Zelda left."

"To my understanding Zelda made her report with registration. But later went to speak with Lady Naryu."

"And you can't tell us anything else?" Sheik questioned.

Saira's small face was puzzled, "Mr Shade was indirectly responable for the incident. But I believe the problem was with Zelda. Lady Naryu did not explain any other orders to express to me from Nabooru."

"I think we might have to go as near the source as we can." He turned to Link who was concentrating, repeating Zelda's name over and over. "That won't do you any good Link. If Zelda's been grounded she wouldn't be able to even hear you depending on the severity of Nabooru's sequestering."

Saria was looking at Sheik her child-like eyes conveying a troubled feeling.

Sheik smiled roguishly, "Don't worry, I think I better ask my darling estranged mommy to help us out."

Link continued to call Zelda, ignoring Sheik's unheard statement.

Zelda continued to sob hearing Link call her with increasing frustration and worry. Nabooru decided that it was unnecessary to subject Zelda to any further torment and blocked out his frantic calls. Zelda then threw herself against Nabooru pleading to hear his agonizing voice.

"Hush Zelda. In a few days it won't hurt so much."

"Please Nabooru, let me beg Nayru. I beg you." Zelda pleaded anguish radiating across her face.

"No Zelda. That will just make it worse."

"Let me hear him! Please!"

Nabooru blinked, "Why?"

"I need him."

Nabooru's face turned hard, "Why?"

"I have to hear him."

"You were sobbing hysterically, when he started calling."

"Please! I can't bear this silence, my hearts being torn to shreds!"

"All the more reason to forget him."

"I can't, I close my eyes and I see him."

"Zelda if you were to stay with him wouldn't it hurt more to see him grow old and die?"

"When he dies I will join him."

"Why?"

"Without Link, my life isn't worth living. I love him so much."

"How much do you love him Zelda? What if when you were with him he found someone else? Someone closer to his own age? What if he forgot about you?"

"I would still cherish him and do my utmost to protect him. I just want him to be happy. I don't care what happens to me as long as I am by his side."

Nabooru felt a sudden curiosity. Zelda was behaving a bit calmer; Nabooru guided Zelda to sit on the bed, summoning two cups of tea.

"Let's suspend reality for a moment and say I let you go back. Do you think you'll get married like Impa did?"

"I hope so. We could live like a normal Hylian couple would."

"But does that not mean that normal hyland couples would eventually have children? Impa proved that angels can have children."

"I love children! I hadn't thought about that part of the marriage." Zelda blushed.

Nabooru nodded but pressed her attack, "But even if you were living like that you would still be an angel. Impa had that same problem, she outlived her husband, and she wasn't there to raise her son."

Zelda nodded thinking.

"Not only that but any children you had would outlive him. Could you bring yourself to inflict that one them? I know you said earlier that you would die right after he did, but then your children would be orphans."

Zelda answered confidently, "I would never abandon any child. I would raise them myself."

"Even with the loneliness of Link not being able to see his children grow? Could you deny him that?"

Zelda bit her lip.

Nabooru seemingly disinterred, "Not only that but with the life span of half angels you would outlive your children. Could you bear that? Would your children have children of their own and outlive them? Would they see their own spouses die? Could you live with yourself if they all died in loneliness? Grieving for their loved ones who died before? This is all theoretical of course, but I seem to have gone off on a tangent."

Zelda thought in gloomy silence.

"But coming back to the point, If I let you go back you wouldn't be able to use any of your powers. You would be defenseless. Don't you think that one of the reasons he's so nice to you is because of your powers? If you lost that you would lose your usefulness to him. Let's face it, you wouldn't last a day as a mortal."

"He loves me. He would not abandon me. I would help him as much as I could, no matter if I could only help a little."

"What if he got you pregnant and left? What would you do then?"

"Link would never do such a thing!" Zelda exclaimed incensed, defending her dearest friend. "I would even consider the possibility." Zelda added amendmently.

"What if when you went back you couldn't find him? That he had already moved on was married and had children? What then?"

"I would help any way I could. If Link was happy without me I would stay."

"What if his wife didn't like you? What if none of her and his children liked you and they wanted you to go away?"

"I would leave."

"And go where?"

"I would stay as close as I could helping him without being seen and helping his family."

"What if you go back and he hates you for leaving him? That you were only using him to kill someone?"

"I would explain as best I could to him. Then try to make up for all the hardships he has been through on my account."

"You seem to like him an awful lot. What makes you so sure that he likes you just as much in the same way?"

Zelda smiled, "I just do. I can feel it."

"How do you know you can trust him?"

"I love him, I know he feels the same way."

"But how do you know you can trust it?"

Naryu watched the continuing barrage of questions specifically aimed at all the weak points of Zelda's blind love.

If Zelda could not prove her unconditional love she would stand no chance. This interrogation served duel purposes, if there was the slightest doubt it would be exposed.

Forore moved next to her. Both continued to watch in silence. Both were consumed with their own thoughts.

Din promptly crashed down the staircase. Neither turned, Forore then glanced back, "Are you alright? That is the 5234th time that you tripped on that."

"I'm fine. I just found another way to not trip over the staircase. So how is Zelda holding up?"

Naryu tilted her head slightly, "Zelda appears to be concerned pertaining to the future. She held up remarkably against any question of the hero's internal structure."

Forore smiled smugly, "Did you expect anything else? I keep telling you it's destiny."

Nayru regarded such a statement calmly, "It could also be coincidence." She warned.

Din blinked, "So what are we here to discuss again?"

"Weather or not Zelda shall be permitted to reunite with the hero." Naryu replied expansively.

Forore frowned, "He has a name you know. It's Link, why am I the only one to call him by his name?"

All three sat down in their own chairs, with refreshments being served.

"It doesn't make much sense." Nayru began the debate. "There is a very slim chance that happiness will outweigh the tragedy."

Forore shook her head disagreeing, "Isn't the slim chance worth the tragedy? Even if there is so little a chance that they will be happy I believe that that particular couple will find it."

"I disagree. Even with the most compatible hylands most relationships do not last. Some do not even start."

"Why don't we examine all the evidence? Do you concede that the reason Zelda is holding up so well to Nabooru's interrogation is because of her love for Link?"

"I concede that she believes they are very close friends. But there is a severe age gap."

"They seem to have overcome that. Both Link and Zelda have been remarkably close. The final battle is your proof. If either had been another Gannon would not have been defeated."

"That is still a matter of debate. One that has no pretence to this discussion."

"All right, all right. So I guess this just winds up being who can bribe who?"

"What are you implying Forore?"

"Simply put neither of us will convince the other is such a short period of time. I therefore propose that since we will both lose a warrior. No offence Nayru." Seeing Naryu's glare. "I was merely deciding that if Zelda were to have children they would be powerful. She would only have a chance at having children with Link right?"

"Easily verified."

"Can we both agree that Link would wind up having children after sometime without Zelda?"

Nayru nodded acquiescence. Forore brightened. "Then doesn't it make sense in the long run to get them tighter anyway? Since both are quite powerful and relatively equal in terms of strength?"

"They have a different types of strength. So you are bring the discussion to their children if they were to have any?"

"Yes. They would be able to raise any children much more easily than anyone else would."

"You're forgetting the possibility of something highly probable. With such a condensation of power we would run a high probability of resurrection another Gannon like personality. Link would never kill his own son. Nor would Zelda. Why are you so adamant about their union Forore?"

"Would they not get the cutest couple of the millennia award?"

"That serves no logical purpose Forore."

"Do you honestly believe that someone from under your personal tutelage would have the slightest chance of raising a tyrant of evil?"

"Never the less, the probability is still high."

"Link would balance that out." Forore argued, "What Zelda could not address Link could with ease."

"But there is no defininate assurance of that."

"If such a powerful birth would take place would you not have as much control over the child and you can? Any child from that union would be under indirect control. We would have direct control through their parents. You from Zelda, myself from Link."

"I will not rule out such an appealing option. However since you suggested it I would add a quandary. What even through all these percussions their child turns into Gannon Link and Zelda must be obligated to kill him. To answer to the aid of the goddess, I will not consider this proper action without this condition."

"Anything else Nayru?"

Nayru tilled her head deep in though, "If any child of this line is male, he does not inherent magic. Nor can give magic to any descendent."

"Agreed. Now to balance that out Zelda will obviously outlive Link."

Nayru devious, "I have a plan concerning that. With your agreement of course."

"What is this plan?"

Sheik refused to even stay in the same room as Link. He winced as Link alternately cried then broke several more things. He had rescued several things of value before Link had the chance to smash them. Most were small, a picture of Zelda, another of his parents. Odd trinkets, Sheik then removed all sharp objects from the house. Then resolutely strengthen the defenses of his kitchen fortress.

Saria was no help what so ever, inadvertently driving Link further into his berserk mode. Sheik wished that his mother would come; at least she could help him tackle Link to the ground and beat some sense into his emotionally spent head.

Then Sheik heard the incoming teleporting, then a crash; Sheik cracked the door open to find Link had tackled his mother.

Sheik smiled, "Should I let you children continue? Don't let me interrupt."

Impa threw Link backward into a wall, denting it, while she raced to hug her son. "Hi mom, How was your teleporting?"

"Quite well. I'm so sorry that I'm late but I couldn't get the chance to come down to see you until now. What with heaven in an uproar."

"What? Can you tell us anything about Zelda? Link here has been changing from comatose to a human wrecking ball."

Impa glanced at the barricaded kiction, "You boys had fun laying siege did you?"

"I can assure you mother it was entirely his idea."