Chapter 4

Shea really couldn't be more excited. He was finally going to be able to leave the walls of the castle. He was finally going to be able to have a part in the saving of Hyrule. What that was, exactly, he hadn't figured out yet. But his mother had told him to meet her in the library packed and ready to leave.

Stuffing the last of his things into the pack, Shea clasped the sword-sheath over his chest, and shouldered the pack. He picked up the steel sword, looking at it once more.

It was... well, it just didn't feel right. It wasn't like when he had first held Rhairu's sword for the first time, when he knew that the blade was supposed to be in his hands. This sword was just... there. He sheathed it, and walked out of his room.

He shut the door behind him, before making his way down the hallway. He rounded a corner, only to stop when there were sounds of struggle from an open room.

Looking in the room, Shea refrained from a laugh, "Claire?"

"What!?" She yelped as she was startled to her feet. She brushed away a strand of red hair, grinning at him. "Oh, hi, Shea!"

Shea arched an eyebrow at the contents sprawled over her bed and an already bulging pack. She really didn't own that much... "You... need some help?" he offered.

Claire looked at him, confused before looking over her shoulder. "Oh. This? Nah. I'm fine." She grunted as she turned around and began to shove a blanket into the pack.

After some struggling, she straightened, turned and put her hands on her hips. "Yeah. I need help."

Shea laughed, setting down his pack and entering Claire's room. He emptied the girl's pack completely, and unrolled the blanket. "You gotta fold the blanket, not roll it." He folded it and laid it in the pack first, which was then followed by everything else.

Claire watched silently as Shea expertly stuffed her things into the pack. When the pack was tied off, she muttered, "Thank you."

Shea smiled. "No problem." He held out her pack, helping her slip the straps over her shoulders.

They both exited the room, walking side by side down the hall. Claire asked, "What do you think Zelda needs us to do?"

Shea shrugged. "I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. I just need to get out of here."

Here, Claire almost frowned. "Feeling restless again...?"

"Not like I had been." Shea answered, "But when you've been stuck somewhere for too long... you know? You just need to get out."

Claire nodded, grinning. "Yeah. I was just worried that Rhairu's barriers weren't working."

They walked in silence once more. Shea looked at Claire through the corner of his eye, and remembered the dream he had had only a week or so ago. One false cut... Was Rhairu warning him about hurting Claire in some way, shape, or form? Shea thought that was impossible... how could he ever hurt someone like her? He and Claire had never fought before, after all. Well.. once. But that didn't count.

Before they knew it, they were turning into the library, where Emri was already waiting with Zelda and Link. Shea thought he saw something move; something shimmer behind his mother.

Zelda smiled, before becoming stern. "It's been a week since the Triforce was taken from this world."

The three teenagers nodded.

"And someone wants it for himself."

Shea's eyebrows came together. "The Exelians?"

Zelda shrugged, "Them too, but we've just gotten word of someone else, someone probably much more powerful."

"Why do you say that?" Emri asked, worriedly.

"Because he's been able to capture a Great Fairy on his own." The way Link said this gave them all goose bumps, intentionally or not.

"So," Claire started, "we now have to worry about the Exelians, and this new guy?"

"Precisely." Zelda nodded, grimly.

Shea stared at the ground, contemplating what was being said. "Wait, wait, wait. So, in order to keep this new guy from obtaining the Triforce... we need to go find it?"

The silence was his answer. "So, where is it?"

Zelda bit her lip, "I... I'm not sure." She watched as her son's face fell, before speaking up again, "But I found a guide for you

Shea arched an eyebrow, and looked at his father. Link grinned and shook his head. "Not this time." Link looked at Zelda, "Yasl, you can come out now."

The little fairy timidly floated out from behind the princess, settling down on her shoulder. There was a jingle as he seemed to shiver. "H-hello!" He squeaked.

Claire bounded up, and poked the fairy. There was a squeak as Yasl rolled back off of Zelda's shoulder. Claire watched the wings flutter rapidly to regain balance. "...what is it?"

"A fire-fly?" Shea offered.

"He's a fairy!" Emri exclaimed in exasperation.

"A fairy?" Shea and Claire asked simultaneously.

Much to Emri's relief, Link spoke, "Fairies are the closest things we know of that are directly related to the Supreme Beings. Before today, we had all thought that each individual goddess created their Great Fairy, the most powerful fairies in the fairy kingdom. Those three then spawned the other three, who subsequently have just as much power, but lack the directness that their 'mothers' have. Yasl is, more or less, the son of one of these six Great Fairies-"

"No, no, no! Rhairu created the original thr-"

Zelda clamped a hand around Yasl's sphere-like body, muffling the squeaking noises he was making as Link continued.

"-but, as Yasl just now exclaimed, we learned that the individual goddesses did not create the fairies on their own. The original three are, in fact, Rhairu's own daughters- figuratively speaking, of course. He gave some of his power to them to keep order in Hyrule and the world."

"And this man wants the power that the Great Fairies have." Shea stated, understanding now.

Emri threw her hands in the air, letting out a disgruntled moan. "Again with the power! I'm guessing this guy's an Exelian?" She growled out the name.

Yasl managed to wrestle free from Zelda's grip, zooming around in frantic circles. "No! Not the Great Fairy of Power! Mother! The Great Fairy of Balance! She's the one in charge of taking care of the nature's balance in the world. The meanie came and asked her where Rhairu had hidden the Triforce; she refused, telling him that only Rhairu's Messenger may know, and then he… he…" Yasl made a hiccup-like sound as he zoomed behind a bookshelf.

Link's eyebrows came together. "You mean that there is another Great Fairy that we don't know about? Balance?"

"Yes."

Shea gave the fairy-behind-the-bookcase an annoyed look. "And you tell us this now?"

"…I just remembered." The poor fairy muttered as he poked part of his ball-shaped body out from behind a book.

Zelda gave her son an apologetic look. "Yasl suffers from short-term memory loss."

Shea arched an eyebrow. "Short… term… memory loss? And he's supposed to be our guide?"

Suddenly, the yellow bauble was right in his face, shaking with fury; Shea leaned back, wide eyed. "I, sir, am perfectly capable of guiding you throughout Hyrule!" The little fairy squeaked indignantly. "Mother wouldn't have chosen me other wise! And I am related to the greatest Guardian fairy in history!"

"And who would that be?" Claire asked.

"Navi, of course!"

No one noticed Link's wince.

Yasl rotated back to face Shea. "Does that not convince you?"

"…sure? Please back away from me, now."

As Shea gave Yasl a wary look through the corner of his eye, Emri perked up. "So, where do we start looking?"

---------------

"Shea doesn't seem to get along with Yasl." Zelda commented to Link as they walked down the empty path. The evening breeze was barely enough to rustle the leaves on the trees, and it made her shiver. This had been her favorite place to walk alone... outside of the castle walls, where the grass did seem greener, and the trees lusher, and the flowers much more vibrant.

Link shrugged and grinned, "Remind you of anyone?"

"You?" She teasingly replied back.

Link rolled his eyes.

Zelda let out a contented sigh, hooking her arm through Link's. And then he pointed off to their right. "Look over there."

She did, before giving him an odd expression.

He gave a coy smile. "Remember that night, hiding from the guards...?"

Zelda's face flushed with blood. "How could I forget? My lips were swollen for days after that..."

Vaguely in the distance, they could hear the calls of commands over the slight tramping of their own feet as they ran. He had snuck in -again- and had taken Zelda out through her window. For the young princess, it was like a knight-in-shining armor coming to her rescue.

"Over here." He whispered, gently pulling on her hand towards a large patch of thick-trunked trees. Zelda bit her lip in effort to keep the excitement of the escape in as she followed the dark clothed man.

Link pushed past low branches and plants, guiding her over logs and rocks. His eyes sparkeled against the night air as he squeezed her hand gently. "What now?" He asked, "We've scaled the outer wall of the castle, successfully escaped the ever watchful eye of the guards; had enough adventure for today?"

Zelda put a finger to her lips in thought. "Hmm... not quite." She giggled when he exaggerated rolling his eyes, the extra effort of his exhasperation making the princess clap a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Princesses aren't supposed to enjoy getting their skirts dirty! They're supposed to be having little garden parties, sipping tea and talking about silly little things like the shortage of lace in the last few weeks...Why are you laughing at me?"

"Because," she managed to say, "you have the funniest habit of using your hands when you talk."

At this, Link couldn't help but relinquish a small grin, but looked over his shoulder when he heard voices and footsteps trudging through the grass and shrubs. Grabbing Zelda's hand again, he dove into the underbrush of the area, pulling the princess down with him.

He felt the breath leave his lungs when Zelda seemed to flop down on top of him. Zelda opened her mouth to say something, but he put a hand over it as the footsteps drew closer, the voices right above them...

"I could've sworn I heard something."

"Check the area. They couldn't have gotten far."

"Damnit, I don' think I know anyone who's safely gotten out of these woods alive... especially if they went deeper in."

"Which is why I'm telling you to check the area around us now!"

Link held his breath when a light directly above the area they were hiding. He could hear the pulse in his ears as he watched the guard scan around him... Please don't look down, please don't look down... he prayed, feeling Zelda's hand squeeze his as she felt his heart speed up.

An eternity seemed to pass before the guard turned away. "I don't see any sign of passing. Let's check somewhere else... I don't like this forest."

"Aye, I second that..."

When the soldiers were gone, the two hiding let out their breath in unison.

Link shook his head. "That was too close. We need to get you back."

Zelda furrowed her eyebrows. "You mean you're not tempted?"

At the question, Link blinked, "I... what?"

Zelda looked around nonchalantly. "I don't know. Thrill of the chase, close proximity, sexual tension... you're not tempted?"

"Oh." Link felt his face warm. "Um... well, kind of..."

Zelda grinned, thoroughly amused at the situation she managed to stick the man beneath her in, and pushed herself up, propping herself up on his chest with her elbows. "What do you think about when you're alone at night?"

Link laughed, running a hand through the princess's hair. "I think of my day, of the things I did during. But I think about how lonely I am. Ever since you reset time and all that... I've been lonely, thinking about how I might never be able to see the woman I love again."

Zelda leaned forward to touch her nose to his. "I do believe I find that odd that a young child was in love." She teased.

Link closed his eyes when he felt the slight brush of her velvet lips in his skin. "Those feelings were forgotten of course, but were later remembered..."

"You still hadn't answered my question."

"I think about you." Link kissed her petal-like lips. "What do you think about?"

Zelda hummed softly. "I think about the future. A future family... with you as my..." she trailed off as Link raised his head to take her lips in his. He wrapped his arms around her delicate torso, pulling her down closer to him. Her long hair fell over, tickling his face as her hands wound into his own hair.

They broke contact to regain their lost breath. Link gently ran his thumb under her eye, and gave a coy smile before saying, "I'm definitely breaking a few laws right now, aren't I?"

Zelda laughed. "Only a few. But that's okay. I'm breaking them, too."

Link grinned before kissing the princess again, moving along her jawbone and under her ear.

Zelda sighed at the lingering feeling of the featherlight kisses as they traversed down her neck. "I love you, Link." She felt the vibrations in his chest as he spoke in a low tone that made her want to melt.

"And I you, my dear Zelda."

Then all self-conscience and sense seemed to fade away from their minds...

"And then you were called away..." Zelda said off-handedly, head lying on Link's shoulder.

Link chuckled, stroking her hair. "And I come back four months later only to get the living daylights scared right out of me."

"How was I supposed to know?" She defended herself, raising her head from his shoulder to stare into his eyes. "It's not like I'd ever had a child before then. I didn't know what to expect."

Hugging her close, her whispered into her ear, "I honestly can't give you an answer for that one."

"I don't need an answer," she muttered as she closed her eyes, nestling into his chest, "I already got him right here. And he is mine. I officially claim this hero as mine." She declared to the night, grinning when he kissed her on the top of her head.

"I belonged to you from the very start... only as long as you are mine."

"I think we've already established that."

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Shea yawned, and stretched. It was four hours until dawn. Four hours. Now, he wasn't complaining or anything but... this was a time when he supposed to be asleep.

Looking over at the two girls, he told himself to not make either of them angry. It was a well known fact that Emri never liked getting up early... but Claire looked like she was going to rip someone's arm off with her own teeth if they so much as even talked to her.

All they were waiting for was Yasl, and his parents.

A few minutes later, the yellow fairy's humming reached Shea's ears before the light was actually visible. Nonchalantly floating around a corner, the fairy abruptly halted, and tingled. "Oh! We're supposed to be leaving!"

Shea's jaw dropped. "You forgot!?"

The normal yellow glow seemed to gain a redish tint. "...yes." he muttered sheepishly.

Shea felt the desperate need to slap his hand to his forehead multiple times.

"Oh, good. You're all already here."

His mother and father coming around the corner pulled Shea from his day dreaming on all the ways one could mysteriously dispose of an annoying fairy.

Zelda quickly looked the four of them over, nodding her head when she came to look on the three packs. "You ready?"

Shea gave a thumbs up. "More than."

His mother gave a weary smile, before frowning. "This journey will be harder than anything you have ever faced. We don't know for certain where the Triforce is hidden, and there will be Exelians following you, no doubt, as well as this new force. As we do not know what he can do, I suggest not getting in his way."

The three teenagers shouldered their packs, solemn expressions masking their tiredness and worry. Zelda raised her hands, which began to glow blue. "Do not try to make contact with me save during emergencies. With the Balance shifted, Rhairu has made it harder for his sisters' powers on this world to be used with ease. If you absolutely must speak with me, I find water to be an easy transmitter," she closed her eyes, "Claire, be cautious with your words; you have a habit of speaking before you think. It can get you and your friends into trouble. Emri, your wisdom is the most powerful thing you posess; think things through, and go with your first instinct… Shea…" the princess opened her violet eyes as her hands glowed with a stronger intensity, "stay in control. The barrier cannot hold all emotion. When in doubt, listen to Emri and your logic."

Shea nodded, and looked over at the spastically bobbing form of Yasl. The adrenaline of the magic that was circulating throughout the room was getting to him…

Zelda inhaled, "The only thing I can do to aid your journey is to send you off to the first place one would start in their search for the Triforce… the Great Fairy of Balance."

Behind him, Shea heard Claire grumble, "Teleportation… great."

Almost as if on cue, Shea felt an uncomfortable pull on his stomach, and he felt lightheaded as the room suddenly disappeared. The last image he saw before completely blacking out was a rocky field and the girls landing beside him.

Back at the castle, Zelda collapsed with a gasp into Link's arms. Taking multiple deep breaths, she looked up into Link's questioning eyes, her own wild with sudden fear. "We never should have sent them."

Link's eyebrows furrowed.

"Only three of them are going to return."

-------

First of all, there was something sharp under his head. Second of all, he felt like he was going to throw up.

Shea rolled over, feeling the relief of the sharp-object leaving his head. Looking at it, he scowled. A rock. He had landed on a rock bed.

Raising his head, he found that the rocks surrounded them… rust colored dust flew in miniature whirlwinds on a wasteland that seemed to stretch for miles.

Standing, Shea blinked. "Where are we?"