HELLO EVERYONE! It's been about ehhh... 3 months? Gawd I'm so sorry. With school ending, me getting a wonderful boyfriend, my birthday, prom, planning for college, and not to mention all the summertime excitement, I just haven't been motivated to read or write. But I haven't abandoned my wonderful readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I've literally been writing it for months. -_-

CAUTION! VULGAR LANGUAGE IS USED IN THIS CHAPTER.

I do not own Legend of Zelda, but I do own this story! :3

Chapter 14

"Princess Zelda, Link. I was hoping you'd get my message from Gaebora," Farore said, delicately stepping off of the small plateau and approaching the two gaping teenagers.

Link stepped in front of Zelda, pushing her gently back towards the door. "Don't come any closer, Farore. We don't trust you."

The girl's eyes widened and her lips wobbled slightly. "I understand why, but please, you must help me. You must help everyone. If you don't listen, history itself could be rewritten and the Royal Family could be reduced to nothing more than a distant legend."

Zelda clutched Link's muscular arm and took a small step around him. "What do you know about the Royal Family?"

Farore's soft green gaze swept from the blonde man to the petite woman beside him. "I know many things, Zelda. I'm an oracle, remember? The Oracle of Secrets, for Hylia's sake," she then turned and climbed back onto the plateau and began shuffling through the ancient leather bound book placed on the pedestal in the center. "Will you listen, or will you not?"

Zelda glanced up at Link, who hesitated slightly before nodding. "We'll listen."

Farore turned abruptly, smiling a small grateful smile. The smile, however, melted away quickly and was replaced by a grim line. "You have noticed the weather, haven't you?"

Zelda caught on quickly. "It's Din, isn't it? She's on their side, just like Nayru."

Farore sadly shook her head. "Nayru is acting on her own free will, but I think Din was taken by Ganondorf's henchman, Onox. We could tell they weren't on the side of the Goddess, and decided not to follow Nayru, although she is the most powerful out of all of us."

Zelda approached the pedestal defiantly, Link shadowing behind her. "If Din isn't on their side, then why is she influencing the weather for them? What purpose is there for an early winter?"

Farore glared at her then, her emerald gaze turning stormy. "You obviously don't know Din very well. Although she can control the seasons, her emotions are what mostly influences freak weather like this. The happier she is, the warmer, and the more depressed she is…"

"…the colder it gets. She's being held by Onox, possibly tortured so the campus will freeze over so the students will stay in their dorms," Link said, calculating the situation with a grimace.

"You're probably right, Link, but there is an even more significant reason as to why Ganondorf wants the campus to freeze. That's why I brought you here, to tell you how to find the Sacred Realm and release the Sages from their imprisonment."

Link blanched slightly and Zelda gasped, "You know where the Sacred Realm is?"

Farore nodded, turning towards the book once again. "The entrance to the Sacred Realm has been hidden from evil for centuries in a place that nobody would suspect… Unless you have an extensive knowledge of history, which I happen to have." She placed the tips of her fingers on the old book and closed her eyes as if she was concentrating. Without opening her eyes, she continued, "I'm sure you're aware of the large pond on campus. Centuries ago, that pond was actually the great Lake Hylia. It is a place of symbolism and power of the Goddess, one of the reasons campus was built around it. At the very bottom of the pond, there are the ruins of the Gate of Time. What is left of it is merely a large stone archway, a ghost of it's former glory. This is the entrance." Farore opened her eyes and hoped off the plateau once more, walking towards another shelf of books. While skimming the shelves, she continued her explanation. "There's a catch though. You won't be able to just walk through the Gate of Time and suddenly be in the Sacred Realm. Our ancestors were sure to make it a lot trickier than that."

She plucked a small black book off of the shelf and hurried back towards the couple, who were standing attentively. Farore placed her fingers on this book and once again closed her eyes. "In order to truly enter the Sacred Realm, you must first be sent into the Twilight Realm. Sadly though, the Twilight Realm can only be accessed by a royal Twili, so I'll leave that to you to figure out."

Zelda leaned into her boyfriend while trying to absorb all of the information that had been handed to her. Din was being tortured by Onox so Ganon could freeze the Sacred Realm off, even though it sounded totally impossible to reach in the first place. She chewed her lip as her mental breakdown continued until she felt a strong hand running through her long locks in comforting strokes. "You're going to worry yourself into a panic attack, Zel. We can do this. I know we can," Link said, smiling softly at her.

She returned the smile for a split second, until Farore had opened her big, knowledgeable mouth again. "Oh, one more thing. The only way to open the Gate of Time is to play the Song of Time on the Goddess Harp in front of it. In the Twilight Realm, the Gate of Time is on dry land, whereas in this realm it's underwater, which is why you have to be in the Twilight Realm to access the Sacred Realm."

"Sounds like too many damn realms to me," Link grumbled, running his fingers through his own hair.

"What in the hell is a Goddess Harp and where do I find one?" Zelda asked, ignoring her boyfriend's slight bickering.

"The Goddess Harp is actually on campus. It's a magical harp used by powerful beings. I've seen it myself."

"Really?" Zelda beamed. Finally, something easy to get a hold of. "Where is it?"

Farore laughed nervously and shuffled her feet beneath her robes. "Welllll… that's the thing. Nayru has it."

Zelda's heart sank into her stomach. She'd spoken (or thought?) too soon. Then, a tiny light bulb mentally appeared over her head.

"Well, Nayru is my roommate, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get ahold of. It's got to be somewhere in our dorm room."

"It's just not that simple, Zelda," Farore said, shaking her head, "Nayru has it locked away in a special box that won't open unless you sing to it."

"Why would she sing to a box?" she asked, puzzled.

"She hasn't been here for very long," Link explained.

"Nayru is the best singer in all of Hyrule. Literally," Farore said, "And besides that, you have to be good at singing. Like, immaculate."

Zelda flushed. She might be a princess, but there was no damn way she'd ever make it as a singer. She had enough problems singing the 'Happy Birthday' song as it was.

Instead of voicing this though, all she said was, "Uh, yeah. I probably shouldn't try."

"Well, you'll need to find someone who can. And fast. Nayru usually leaves around late evening to consult with Ganon. Try it then." Farore closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, flashing the couple a dangerous look. "You need to leave. Someone is coming."

Link opened his mouth to say something, but Farore raised her hand, fingers outstretched, and began chanting in a foreign language. The walls shuddered and creaked, and the round entrance began closing. "Come on!" he said, glancing around quickly and taking Zelda's hand. The darted through the door, but before it closed completely, Zelda turned back to Farore.

"Thank you!"

The door, with a great thud, closed just then, and the two were again left on the cool basement floor, its phosphoric glow providing the only light.

"Come on," Link repeated, gently pushing her to the ladder, "she said someone's coming. Better not get caught down here."

Zelda climbed up the ladder quickly, trying to process everything Farore had just told them. Soon, she was emerging into the quiet library office again, Link following closely behind her.

After he had secured the door and placed the rug back over it, Link turned to Zelda. "Babe, are you sure you can't sing? You look like a singer."

"Trust me when I tell you this, but there is no way I'd be able to open that box." She tapped a finger to her chin. "I do know how to play the harp though."

Link sighed and pulled her into his arms. "I hope you're not too stressed out about this. It feels right to be going on an adventure though. I guess, with all my past experiences, this was always meant to happen." He pulled away slightly, keeping her at arms length and looking into her calm eyes. "We were always meant to happen."

Zelda felt it then, a feeling that had been tugging at her heart for a while before that moment. It felt as if a wave suddenly crashed around her and sent her soaring into the air. The man holding her now was her soul mate. They had always been together, in every life. He was the absolute one, all the way down to his very core.

"I love you," she said softly.

Link's eyes darkened, and he leaned down towards her. Before their lips met, slowly, he whispered, "I love you, too." Zelda poured every ounce of love she had into that kiss, and let Link experience her true feelings for him. No matter what they would come to face, they would face it together, and they would win.

"Link? What are you doing in here?"

The couple ripped apart and turned towards the voice of Shad, who was standing in the doorway of the office, blushing and adjusting his glasses.

Link relaxed and sighed a breath of relief. "Shad, it's you. Thank goddess."

"I hope you two know that just because this place is frozen over, doesn't mean you can just come and canoodle whenever you please. How did you get in here anyways? And what are you doing…with the rug?" Shad raised his eyebrows at Link and jerked slightly towards Zelda.

"She knows," he said, pulling her back into his arms, "There's something serious going on, Shad."

The professor's eyes darkened. "Yes, I'm aware of it, Link. For someone like me, there's not much I can do. But for you two…" he approached them then, and put a hand on Link's shoulder. "We're counting on you two."

Link stared intently into the eyes of his favorite professor, and after a moment, nodded. "We have to go. Be careful, Shad."

Shad nodded briefly. "And you as well, both of you."

Without another word, Link grasped the princess's hand and lead her out of the office.

As Zelda and Link approached the girls' dorms at a jog, Zelda couldn't help but notice a fresh layer of ice covering the doors. Without stopping, she outstretched her hand and shouted "Din's Fire!" This time, she didn't close her eyes. She watched as a hot beam of energy zoomed towards the doors and encase them in a giant ball of fire that didn't seem to actually burn anything but the ice. Link whistled beside her as they came to the doors. "Remind me to never piss you off, Princess."

"Princess has a nice ring to it," she smirked, "I could definitely get used to it."

She grabbed the door handle and swung it open, only to come face to face with her favorite red-eyed people.

"Sheik, Midna! Just who I wanted to see!" She shouted, throwing herself towards the pair. They enveloped her in a tight hug as Link rushed to catch up.

"Zelda! Oh my sweet Hylia, did you just do some freaky magic again? Because I surely thought we were all about to die," Midna said, gesturing her hands wildly. Most of the girls who had been waiting to escape through the doors had given up and presumably gone back to their dorms, but a few still remained in the lobby, who were now staring at Zelda with wide eyes.

"Uh, yeah, that happens sometimes," Zelda said, then shifted her attention to Sheik, "How did you get in here, anyways?"

Sheik smirked. He wore his usual dark Levi's, black v-neck and triforce necklace, along with a black leather jacket, gloves, and boots. "You're not the only one in this family with special abilities, Sis."

"We shouldn't talk about this here," Link said, becoming increasingly aware of the listening ears.

Sheik nodded. "You're right. Let's get back up to your dorm, Zelda."

They began the long journey back to her room, and for the millionth time Zelda wished she had gotten a room a little closer, although being high in the sky felt somehow safe.

They made it to the room without seeing very much activity. A few girls Zelda had never talked to passed by them, giving her looks of awe. "Okay, maybe I can't get used to this whole 'powerful princess' thing" she thought.

Nayru was no where to be found in the dorm room, of course. Midna threw herself down on the bed and stretched. "Alright Zel, what's up? What did you find out?"

Zelda took in a shaky breath and got right to work. "A lot. I can explain everything later. Right now, we need to find a box of some sort."

Midna sat up, and Sheik gave his sister and Link a puzzled look as they began to tear through the room.

"Uh, box? What kind of box?" Midna asked, slowly picking over Nayru's things. "What is going on?"

"The professors have been sealed on the inside of the Sacred Realm, and the only way we can access it is with the Goddess Harp, which for some crazy reason Nayru has in a box only she can open somewhere around here."

Midna perked up. "Well, any chance I had to trash Nayru's stuff, I'll take," she said as she darted over to the dresser and tore the drawers out. Sheik began to look through the clothes in the drawers, grimacing as he pulled out a pair of lacy, lime green panties.

"Nayru has got to be a freak," Link whispered to him. He nodded subtly in return, tossing the lingerie on the ground and plunging into another drawer.

As Zelda began to go through the vanity cabinet in the bathroom, she heard Midna shriek slightly and Link say, "Zelda…"

She rushed out of the bathroom, towel in one hand, and looked at the dresser. Midna stood beside it with the bottom drawer in her arms, looking at the small cubby hole in the wall behind the dresser. Inside, a softly glowing, blue and gold chest sat, with rune like symbols pressed into the gold lock. Link grabbed the chest and slowly dragged it out of the cubby hole.

"How did I never notice that?" Zelda muttered, falling to her knees in front of the chest. It was captivatingly beautiful and oddly familiar. She ran her slender fingers over the delicate carvings on the lock.

"It's all you, Zelda," Link said, eyeing her carefully. Sheik and Midna sat beside her, watching intently.

"But I can't sing, Link, I'm no good at it," she said, not moving her eyes from the box.

"Nonsense," Sheik said, "you sang constantly as a child. Don't you remember that lullaby Mother used to sing to you, and you were always tinkling around, singing it? Wasn't it some sort of important song?"

"The Ballad of the Goddess," Zelda said, closing her eyes and nodding, "I remember it."

"So sing it," Sheik urged quietly. Link placed his hand on her leg as she took a deep breath and lifted her chin. After a moment, her angelic voice filled the eager silence like an invisible, healing tonic, washing all around them.

Ne dashabu

Nobe jundu

De shu'tu

Kerenu Sarei

With every note she sang, the runes lit up in correspondence, and the lock began to click, turning in on itself until finally, on the last note, the chest popped open excitedly, like a child eager to impress his mother.

The four of them stared at the golden instrument gleaming inside of the chest. After a moment, Zelda picked it up gingerly, cradling it to her chest.

"We have a lot of work to do tonight. Link, do you mind us staying in your dorm?"

"I don't care how safe you think it is, and I don't if you think they'll never find it, you will retrieve the Goddess Harp and bring it to me. Immediately."

Nayru winced as Ganondorf leered at her from behind his desk. Behind him, Ghirahim stood, snickering silently. "Yes, Lord Ganondorf. I will go immediately."

"Get out of my sight," he commanded, waving the girl off.

Nayru turned on her heels and walked out gracefully, only to storm away as soon as the thick oak door closed behind her. How could Ganon treat her like some sort of minion, after all she'd done for him? She gave him the princess, wiped her memories, and helped him take control of her sniveling friends as a bonus. And yet it was never good enough.

Nayru snorted as she muttered under her breath. "He'd be powerless without me. He couldn't do this without me. Shit, I don't even need that oaf. I can take care of the Princess by myself." She waved her hand in front of her and opened a portal in the middle of the lobby. No way would she be seen wandering vulnerably around campus.

"Ah, the perks of being able to travel time and space," she said happily as she stepped into the glowing blue portal. A second later, she was in her dorm room.

Her absolutely destroyed dorm room.

The blood drained from Nayru's face as she took in the damage. All of her sheets had been tossed on the floor, her bed slightly pushed away from the wall. Her perfume bottles and picture frames had been knocked off the build-in shelves of her bed, some broken and drenching the room in a sickly sweet peach scent. But worst of all were the dresser drawers and all her clothes strewn about the room, the cubby hole behind her dresser completely void and empty.

"The chest… my harp… it's… gone!" She rasped, her hands flying to her mouth. She let out a single choked sob before the air began to quiver around her, and her sadness turned to fury. She slowly moved her hands to her side, clenched her fists, narrowed her eyes, and let out a piercing, dramatic scream.

"That… that bitch!" She cried. "Zelda Harkinian, you will fucking pay for this!"

YAY FOR MOTIVATION! I'M SO SORRY TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS, PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Also, review please! It fuels my story-writing abilities! Also x2, imagine Nayru screaming the way Regina George did when she found out she was eating those bars that make you gain weight. Okay, until next time! *kisses*