[Throws the computer and runs]

Louise purred and stretched out her front legs, her back arching comfortably as she let out a long, much needed yawn. Telma's inn was impossibly quiet this morning and she took the opportunity to curl up on the bar's surface, reveling in the cool, smooth wood against the pillow of her fur. She yawned again and nestled her face into her paws. Finally. Some peace and quiet.

The entire bar shook as the door was suddenly thrown open. Louise jumped up, alert, and then hissed as a crowd entered. So much for a little relaxation.

She glared at the door, and realized suddenly that she recognized the newcomers. The first to enter was the orange one with the glasses. Oh, she hated him.

And following him was the soft one, the small one. The sweet one with the little curl in her short hair. Louise loved her.

And then came that loud, boisterous one. The one with the shock of black hair who frowned a lot and yelled at people. Louise couldn't stand that girl.

Close behind was the tall, fatherly one. The one with the deep-set eyes and the dark mustache framing the wide mouth. Louise loved him. He was always so kind to everybody.

Next came the other tall one, the old, wise one, with the gray hair framing his old, withered face. Louise had no opinion on him.

And finally, last to enter, was the fair-haired, handsome one garbed in green. Louise pitied him. He was the sad one, the sad one that had smiled a lot to fool the others. The humans had fallen for it; humans always fell for what was on the surface. But Louise had known better. She was a cat, and cats could tell when a human was bluffing.

"Yoo-hooo!" called the sweet, soft girl in a sing-song voice. "Telma, are you here?"

Bottles rattled on the shelves as a door slammed upstairs and Louise's favorite, Telma (that was the only name she cared about) came thundering down the stairs. She materialized at the other end of the bar, stared wide-eyed for a moment, and then hurried across the clearing, taking everybody into her arms at once.

"Shad, honey! Ashei, honey! Ilia, honey! Link, honey! Rusl, Auru, honeys!" The crowd smiled weakly as Telma squeezed and kissed them one by one. "Oh, how I've missed the lot of you! All together again, I see! Come, come, sit down and tell me about your trip!"

The gang followed Telma into the back room, and Louise watched them go until Telma drew the curtain behind them, closing off the back room completely.

The seven found wooden chairs and stools and dragged them around the thick wooden table. Sitting down, they leaned against the tabletop, and all began speaking at once.

"It's come to my attention-"

"-Need to talk now-"

"-Thinking of a plan-"

"-Only so much time-"

"Stop! Stop it, quiet, all of you!" Telma interrupted, frowning at the seriousness of the group. Once silence had fallen, she spoke very quietly. "Now, tell me what's going on."

"It's Crevan," said Link immediately, and Telma bit her lip.

"I should have known," she said, her chin falling into her palm thoughtfully. "Tell me what you've learned," she commanded urgently.

"You must have heard that Princess Zelda's having a ball next week," Rusl began.

Telma hesitated. "Yes. I've heard."

"There's a... well, a plot. Against her, I mean," Rusl began. Telma was pensive.

"I see... but how're you sure?"

"One of Crevan's soldiers told us," Shad admitted.

Telma shook her head. "Didn't you ever stop to think that-"

"That he might be setting us up?" Link interrupted. When Telma didn't answer, Link continued, "Yeah, I've been thinking of that the whole trip here. But you know what? I don't care if he's setting us up. Whether or not Crevan plans to strike doesn't matter to me. I want to strike. I want Crevan off of that throne as soon as possible. For Zelda's sake," he added.

Telma's face had clouded over during Link's speech. One he had finished, she turned to the rest of the group. "Do you all have the same... ambitions?"

Ashei spoke up. "I do," she said, firmly placing a hand on Link's shoulder. For a second, there was silence, and then the group murmured in agreement. Telma wondered what she had missed in Ordon.

"Well, then," she said, "I guess it's going to be just like the old days. I hope you're all prepared for whatever this might entail."

She realized, as she watched their expressions, that they'd never been more prepared in their lives. The teenagers from two months ago were long gone. These weren't kids anymore- they were men and women, fully grown and matured, very much different than they had been during those early months in the bar.

And yet, she thought to herself, very much the same.

The meeting was cut short as the curtain parted and Mildred bolted into the room.

"MASTER LINK!" she cried. "YOU HAVE RETURNED!" She bowed so low that her nose rubbed against the paneled floor, and when she stood up her face fell suddenly, and she said solemnly, "Master Link, your eyes," which didn't make much sense to anybody.

Unsure of how to reply, Link just gave the same halfhearted smile that one would give to an animal or a young child.

"Yes, I'm here," he said awkwardly.

"Shall I fetch the group something to eat? Your journey must have-"

"No, Mildred," Link said quickly. "You can't help us with anything." Mildred's expression was hurt. After a minute, she turned and dragged her heels as she ventured off silently.

Telma eyed him sternly. "Now, shame on you! The poor girl's been waiting weeks for you to come home. Have mercy on the poor thing!"

"I did have mercy on her!" Link cried. "That's why I got stuck with her in the first place!"

There was a small wail from behind the curtain, and Ilia gasped slightly.

"Go apologize!" the girl demanded.

"What- no!"

"Go apologize!" Ashei now stressed. Link squeaked slightly.

"Yes, okay- going!" He stood up and disappeared through the flap in the curtain cutting off the back room from the rest of the bar.

Telma gave the group an odd look. "He seems different."

"He's been better," Ashei said quickly.

A muffled cry of, "Mildred, wait!" came through the curtains, and then Link's footsteps peeled off as he followed the bulbin upstairs.

Telma raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?"

"He's totally focused on this mission," Shad cut in. "He hasn't talked about anything else. Gosh, I don't think he's thought of anything else."

"Doubt that," Ashei countered sarcastically.

"And that means?" Shad pressed.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"What-"

"It means shut your ginger mouth, that's what it means!"

"Well, pardon me-"

"Pardon you-"

"Enough, enough," said Telma, fighting back a smile. It was nice to know that at least Ashei and Shad hadn't changed all that much. "Now, Ashei, honey, if you could kindly explain..."

"Link was alright, then he got worse, then he got better, then he got way worse, then he got waaaaay worse, and then he killed some people and got slightly better, yeah?"

Although the tone suggested humor, there was none to be found in the statement, and Ashei's expression was solemn in spite of her blunt recollection.

"Killed some people?" Telma repeated quietly.

"There were soldiers occupying Ordon," Rusl explained. Ilia hung her head and Rusl placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "They dealt quite a bit of damage to our town and townspeople."

"A lot went down in Ordon," Ashei said quickly. "It would take too long to explain."

Telma shot a glance at Auru, who was similarly confused, and then cleared her throat. "It sounds like you're planning a counterattack on the chancellor," she said, reverting to the original conversation. "Is that right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Rusl said, and turned to Auru. "Now you see why we're going to need your help."

Auru bowed his head and cleared his throat. Then he peered up, clear, pale eyes sharp with the wisdom of his age. "I knew from the very beginning that this day would come. The roots of the situation trace back to the time shortly after Link's victory. Princess Zelda had recently regained her throne, but her rule was unstable at best. She was... unsure of herself. She didn't admit it, but I could sense that her grasp was, well, tentative. Experimental. She often sought comfort in strange places..."

Ashei spoke up. "I keep hearing that the princess has been acting inappropriately-"

Shad cleared his throat loudly and Ashei quieted down. Auru regarded her statement nonetheless.

"There have been... well, rumors, yes. But they do not tie back to her politically, and it would be therefore unnecessary to bring them to light. Although," Auru added, "you must understand that Princess Zelda is human, too, and we must remember this in our analysis of her. Zelda is my distant cousin, and she has wisdom far beyond her years, but she is uncertain in her execution of it. While Her Highness may have a stiff outer shell, she has been at war with herself for months, now. Her solicitude toward her position is her weakness; the council could sense it right away, so they suggested a chancellor be put in place to share Zelda's power. Crevan had had his sights set on Hyrule for months at that point, and it was his perfect chance to strike. The council fell for his oily ways, but he was headstrong; he had power where Zelda found her weakness, and quickly took full control of Hyrule. The princess remains but a mere figurehead," Auru finally lamented, slumping forward slightly and taking his old, withered face into his hands. He stretched out the skin near his eyes and appeared incredibly old and tired in that moment. The others pretended not to notice.

"But if Princess Zelda is powerless, why would Crevan even bother to dethrone her?" Shad cut in. "After all, isn't the princess the perfect tool? If he forced the princess to give orders, then nobody would protest. Princess Zelda is a favorite- everybody loves her."

"You're right, Shad, and as a matter of fact, he's been using that tactic for awhile now. Zelda is all but Crevan's puppet; she sits on the throne day after day because Crevan has ordered her to. The people would never go to Crevan for support. Zelda is warm and noble in spirit, but alas; in spirit and disposition, the princess is nothing more than Crevan's slave."

"What?"

The entire company quieted and turned their heads. Link had reappeared, the curtain slightly parted on either side of him, one hand suspending the fabric gently in the air, the other hanging limply at his side. His eyes were wide and earnest, but wrought with bewilderment, and his shoulders had gone tense. He repeated, quietly as he had done before, "What did you say about the princess?"

Auru gave a long sigh. "Take a seat, Master Link."

Link hovered across the room and sat gingerly beside Ashei, whose hand returned immediately to its spot on his shoulder. Link reached up to clasp it absentmindedly.

"The princess has no power anymore. The last of her power vanished when Crevan dismissed her entire army. The only power she has left is the power of the mind; Hyrulians are entranced by her. Her beauty and kindness compel them, which is the reason Crevan has allowed her to remain princess for this long. But she is just weak enough in spirit to have fallen victim to his chancellor, by removing all of the town leaders and replacing Zelda's army with his own, has secured his power fully. He no longer needs her; she will be the last to go."

Link's hands clenched into fists. "I guess we'll just have to show him what we've got, then, because if he lays even a finger on Zelda, he'll have me to answer to."

He was different, Telma realized, far different than he had been months ago. Something had changed him. But what?

Auru cleared his throat, and said gruffly, "We haven't got much time to plan if we plan on striking at next week's ball."

"We don't need much time," Link answered. "We just need people who will comply. People who love Zelda and will fight for her."

"That would require a lot of talking," Shad mused.

"I'm good at that, yeah?" Ashei cut in. There was a pause, and then, "What? I am!"

"But who would listen to us?" Shad argued. "The chancellor's in charge of everything at this point, Auru said it himself. He's got control over the press; how do we know that people aren't devoted to him already?"

"We would need a group that suffered at his hands," Rusl explained, gazing thoughtfully at the group before him. "A group of people that lost something significant... that would fight to have it back."

"But who fits that description?" countered an aggravated Shad.

Ilia glanced up suddenly. "The knights."

Faces lit up as Ilia's suggestion became clear in each mind.

"That's right," Auru said, "The princess' entire army was dismissed a mere few weeks ago... they know the castle in and out. An alliance with them would be supreme."

"I don't know," Link said, catching Telma's eye. "I mean, we've seen their true nature. There's not much to them."

"All they need is a little kick in the pants," Ashei said quickly. "After all, they've got nothing left for them, yeah? Sure, they've suffered a pretty big blow to their morale, but there's got to be something left to them. There's got to be. And I'll extract it from them if it takes all day. I swear, Link, I'll do it. Don't you worry about a thing."

Ashei didn't know whether she was addressing the group as a whole or just Link. She'd been noticing a strange feeling in her gut in the past 24 hours, and she couldn't quite figure out what it was. She knew that it had something to do with Link because she squirmed when he came to mind, but every time the feeling shot through her she would lock the hero out of her thoughts until it went away. But there it was again, and just like that the feeling of Link's arms locked around her dying body as he carried her away from the battlefield danced over her skin, and she trembled at the thought.

"The idea of rallying all of those soldiers under one banner seems too good to be true, but if you insist that you can do it, Ashei..." Telma pondered, and then stopped short. "Never mind, honey. I know you've got it in you."

"And as for the rest of us?" Shad asked.

"Well, think about it," Ilia said, whose eyes had lit up as an idea struck her. "We're not all fighters. Gods know I'm not, and neither are you, Shad." (Shad blushed.) "But still," she added, "we've each got our own strengths. We should use them... do what we can to help out, right?"

"Right," said Telma with a smile.

Another moment passed, and then Link stood up suddenly, stepping off to the side.

"Does that conclude our agenda?" asked Telma, but Link just shook his head.

"No way," he answered. "The agenda has only just begun."

And begin it did, and it went full-throttle from that point onward. Ashei was the first to perform, and she rocketed so rapidly and brilliantly into action that even the mere idea of consultation was put behind her. She spoke to no one, requested nothing; as for advice, she restrained from it, and relied only on herself to do what she needed to get done. It was strange for the world to see her make such a transition into solitude, and yet solitude was something that had defined her for much of her life.

As a young woman, Ashei had spent a lot of time working alone. After the falling-out with her father, she'd entertained the idea that if she worked for no one, then no one would be disappointed in her. But there was still a sense of pain that lingered in the pit of her stomach. Those days had been awfully lonely. She'd wandered from city to city, and in her teenage years had joined various groups, even cults, in an attempt to find a home. She'd sold weapons on the black market, had smuggled drugs from the apothecary, and had even hired herself out as an assassin once or twice. She'd left her home at thirteen; five years had passed before she'd found a home with Telma. And now, pushing twenty- or maybe she was twenty at this point- Ashei was firm in her position in life. She'd wandered alone for too long, had spent too much time trying to find people who were like her. And then she'd found the people who were more unlike her than anyone else in the world, and they had become her home. Undoubtedly and wholly, she belonged to them.

But those years... they were behind her. She'd pushed the memories of the last decade so far into the back of her mind that even now, as she crossed the town square, they seemed foggy. The solitary and moody girl of her youth was long gone. Far in the past was the angst that had shaped her. Now she was purpose, now she was strength, now she was unity.

It was pouring rain that day. Typical, but still. Did it have to?

There was a passage off of the town square that led to a darker, more cramped end of town. Here the houses were shabbier, the people dirtier. Here lay the hoards of dismissed soldiers- soldiers who had sacrificed everything during the dark days, soldiers with war-drawn faces, soldiers who had done time in hell, and now, having returned to the world of the living, had been cast to the side to watch it fall back into shambles. Ashei knew that some soldiers were valiant and others weren't. She knew that cowardice had claimed those whom death had not, and yet there was still a spark- however small- that gave her faith. Faith that, maybe, there was still a chance of rallying them into action.

Most were in their homes to avoid the rain, but some stood out under overhangs, watching it cascade down off of the roofs and into puddles near their feet. Ashei grimaced as the rain caused the hair to stick to her forehead, and even as she sloshed through the cold, dark alleyway, thunder booming, rain crashing, even then, she stood her ground. She found a box- a nice, decently-sized box; wooden, and dark- and slid it out into the middle of the street. A few torches were burning bright on either side of her, and in the fading light she was no more than a silhouette against them. But still she stood, and shouted, shouted so the whole street could here:

"GET OUT HERE, YEAH?"

For seconds, there was nothing. The rain continued to pour and the torches continued to flicker, and Ashei stood ramrod straight in the pouring rain. And then there was something.

Shutters opened and men peered out. Dark, whiskered men with bottles in their hands. Ashei was reminded of Link; a lump formed in her throat, but she suppressed it. The men peered at her, and she glared back, the firelight reflected in her eyes.

"I said get out here!" she repeated. "If you've got any heart in you, get out here! This is about Hyrule; the welfare of Hyrule, if you've got any heart in you, get out here, yeah?!"

Rain poured on that still, frozen street. Nothing.

"GET OUT HERE!"

And again, something. Movement. Shuffling as shutters closed and doors opened and tall, dark men moved silently out into the streets. Cold rain washed over their quiet, suppressed forms as they pushed forward.

"Haven't any of you got something to say?" Ashei now pressed. "You were all soldiers once; you were all Zelda's soldiers. If Crevan hadn't dismissed you, you know where you'd all be?! You'd be guarding castle walls, or pacing castle corridors. You'd be standing outside the princess' study to keep out pests. But here you are, wronged, with nothing else to do."

Silence.

"Didn't you FIGHT?!" she cried. "Didn't you give time and shed blood? When the twilight hit, didn't you disagree? When Ganondorf took over, didn't you try to dethrone him? And now, when another intruder takes over castle walls, you're just going to sit here? Sounds pretty depressing, yeah?"

One ex-soldier broke free of the throng. "Hold your tongue, woman!"

"Hold my tongue?!" Ashei cried. "Fine, then. Wallow here! But you all know that the chancellor's got something up his sleeve. He's taken over the throne; he's going to dethrone the princess!"

"Who are you?" a soldier cried. "What would you know about any of this?!"

"My name is Ashei of Snowpeak, and I've heard it from one of Crevan's troops myself."

"Have you, now?" he argued.

"I have! I know what's going to happen!" The soldiers shook their heads and began to depart. "Please!" Ashei cried as the crowd dispersed. "Listen to me!"

But there was nothing.

"HEY!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "JUST BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'LL BE SILENCED!"

And then again, something.

They turned. Slowly at first, and then all the way. And they looked at her, eyes almost alight, but still dull. Almost there, she thought.

"On the night of Zelda's ball, Chancellor Crevan's troops are going to strike!" she called. "Zelda's going to be dethroned; she's going to be thrown out into the streets like the rest of you! And then a usurper will be on the throne, and the town will fall apart! We need to stop him!"

The group mumbled collectively, and then a gruff, dark-shouldered man shouted out, "HAVEN'T YOU GOT ANY SENSE?!"

Ashei snarled. "Come again?"

"Have you ever met Crevan?!" he now cried, and Ashei fell silent.

"Well-"

"He's not just another bad guy!" the man cried, and the crowd murmured in agreement. The man stepped forward. "He's not like Zant, not like Ganondorf. He doesn't just waltz in and take over by force. That's not his style!"

Ashei narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

"It means he's got a head on his shoulders! He's twisted, though; twisted like a snake. He plays with your mind, scares you into doing things that'd never cross your mind. I've seen him talk men into hurting themselves and smiling through it!"

"I've seen him whisper things that have made men and women cry!" another man cut in.

"And he's put Princess Zelda under his spell; she's terrified of him! And not terrified of his forces; terrified of him. He only needs to go near her, and suddenly she's weak in the knees!"

Ashei took a deep breath. "I'm sure you're all exaggerating-"

"Exaggerating?!" a man cried. "You think we're exaggerating?! You've never met Crevan, that's why you're not scared!"

"Maybe it's because I'm not a coward!"

"I wasn't a coward until I met him," someone said calmly, and a cloaked man stepped forward. He was elderly, with a long, gray beard and cold, disheartened eyes. "I thought I could brave anything, so I confronted him. I told him I didn't trust him, and then he started... talking."

Ashei was quiet. "Talking?"

"Oh, he talked. It was like hypnosis, except... it wasn't. And he talked and talked, and I followed along, and his voice was smooth... oily. I was entranced. And he talked me into giving myself this." The old man's cloak fell to the wet pavement and he revealed a deep, twisted scar across his withered chest. Ashei's instincts forced her to recoil at the sight, and yet she fought them. Don't act frightened now.

"How...?"

"I tried to kill myself, Miss Ashei. All from a little talking."

Ashei pressed her lips together. "Very well," she said, which was untrue, as this was very unwell, and Ashei's confidence was sinking by the second. "I see. However-" her voice cracked as she spoke- "however, we can't lose hope now! If he's as awful as you all say, then all the more reason to get rid of him, yeah?!" The noise in the crowd increased as they began to agree.

"I suppose you're right," they all said one by one.

"I am right! Listen, we've only got so much time before Crevan strikes and everything's over. But if we can catch him at the right moment, then there's hope! You all risked your lives during the dark days for Hyrule! What makes this time any different? Crevan is just as dangerous as Ganondorf, just as terrifying, just as powerful- why cower away now?!" Her voice quieted. "A group of freedom fighters and I plan to strike whether you're with us or not. But you're the ones with the armor, the weapons, and the knowledge about the castle. We need you. You were all Princess Zelda's soldiers once, and you still are, yeah?!"

"Yeah!" they cried.

"Great!" Now, a hush fell over her voice. "There's a planning meeting at Telma's bar tonight. Tell no one, except for those you can trust to help us. This is a cause- a real cause- and I know we've got the means to do this. You have to trust me. You have to trust me."

And, assuredly, they did.

"I just don't see why they have to come over tonight," Shad complained, dragging a stick of charcoal across thick, stiff parchment. "I mean, really. She could have at least warned us, but no, she had to do it all by- shit." He grimaced as the charcoal slipped and left a foul mark. "For Nayru's sake," he muttered, grabbing a piece of rubber and smudging the stray mark instead of erasing it. "What- gods- dammit!" Having given up, he threw the charcoal on the ground and crossed his arms with a pout.

Auru, who had been leaning on the wooden table next to Shad, chuckled. "Next time, mate."

Footsteps descended the staircase, and Ilia's form materialized in the doorway. She shuffled over next to Shad and sat right on the table, leaning flirtatiously into his line of vision. "What're you boys up to?"

"D-drawing d-d-diagrams," Shad said, blushing very, very furiously. Did she have to sit like that?!

"Of what?"

"Of the castle," Auru grunted with a roll of the eyes. "No offense, girl, but you should leave. Shad's brain is practically melting, and we need that brain."

Ilia smirked. "All right, then, but give me a moment. I haven't seen him in almost half an hour." She twirled a finger around Shad's floppy bow tie. "I miss him."

Shad's blush deepened. "I- I think that-"

"All right, all right," Auru groaned. "Enough with the games, you two. We have work to do."

Ilia sighed dramatically. "Fine," she mumbled, and slid back onto the soles of her sandals. She stopped and blew a kiss before turning the corner with a giggle.

"What's gotten into her?" Auru mumbled.

"I haven't the foggiest," Shad answered. The scholar pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I need a nap," he muttered, and returned to his castle diagram. "Now... Where were we?"

"We were discussing the outer passage connecting the second story and the third-story hall."

"Ah," Shad answered with a grunt, replacing his glasses. "That's right."

Auru gave him a strange look. "Good gods, you're exhausted. What happened?"

"Well," Shad answered weakly, "since we returned here yesterday morning, I'm Link's roommate again."

"And that is a bad thing?"

"He talks to himself," Shad answered bluntly.

"I'm not that bad." Link had appeared at the bottom of the staircase.

"Speak of the devil..." Shad muttered.

"Ah, Master Link," greeted Auru. "Perhaps you can be of some help. Are you familiar with the outer passage connecting the second-story corridor and the third-story hall?"

Link's face darkened for a split second. The look vanished after only moments. "Of course I am," he answered. "I've combed the entire building."

"Spectacular! Now, come and take a look at Shad's mediocre map."

"Hey!"

"I see what you mean," said Link with a grimace.

"What- I'd like to see you do better-"

"Give that to me," Link said gruffly, snatching the charcoal from Shad's grasp.

"Link!" the scholar cried.

"Shad!" the hero mocked, and turned immediately to the overhead diagram of the castle. "First of all," he said calmly, "you've got the two hallways switched around. They're on the wrong side. This hallway should stretch into the eastern wing."

Shad rolled his eyes. "Know-it-all."

"You'll have soldiers meeting at the wrong place if you don't know what you're doing, Shad. It's crucial that we all understand the layout. ...Where's Ashei? She should hear this."

"Upstairs, probably polishing those antlers," Shad grumbled.

"Eh," said Link. "Hold on. I'll get her."

But instead of going upstairs, Link found a nice, heavy book, moseyed over to a very approximate spot on the carpet, and after a moment of analysis, threw the book at the ceiling as hard as he could. The resulting BANG shook the entire building.

"OY!" a muffled voice shouted from upstairs.

"She's on her way," Link said simply, and dragged over a chair. "Now, you'll probably want to situate soldiers by these two exits," he explained. "That's because the entrances in the north wing are more concealed than the ones in the south, and we don't want to be noticed right away."

"Understandable," said Auru, "though- if I may- it is important to keep in mind the location of the chancellor during this time. So far, he has hidden behind a mask of anonymity. Everyone has heard his name, but only a few of us know who he is. It will be difficult for the majority of the troops to recognize him when he eventually does show himself."

The young men at the table remained quiet.

"I see," Link finally stated.

"We won't want our army to be recognizable," Shad added. "We want anonymity, too, or at least until we strike."

"Yes, yes, of course..." Auru was agreeing. heavy footsteps rattled overhead as Ashei descended the steps two at a time.

"Here I am, what'd I miss?" she muttered, standing next to Link and leaning on her elbows against the tabletop.

Her thick, matt black hair, which she'd kept down for once, cascaded down into Link's face, and he was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that this was her. This was Ashei, and Ashei was warm beside him, and she smelled like rain on pavement (had she always smelled like that?!) and this was her. This was Ashei, the only Ashei, with the deep, murky eyes and the long lashes and the pale face, Ashei, the torch that was constantly burning, Ashei the beacon, Ashei the lighthouse that cut through the fog with a single golden beam. Something turned in his stomach; all of a sudden he felt strangely hollow, and he didn't know why.

And for the next few splendid moments, all that Link could register was a sort of heat rushing through his body and an irresistible urge to reach out and brush the long, dense lock of hair over her shoulder and away from her face. That was all he wanted. Just that, just the brush of his fingers against her cheek, and that would have been quite enough.

"...Liiiiink... earth to Link..."

Link blinked a couple of times. Was something happening?

"...Dear gods... someone call a doctor, he's finally lost it... Liiiiiiiiiiiiink..."

He snapped his eyes up to meet three inquisitive faces.

"Sorry," he said. "I was just... thinking."

"Thinking," Shad repeated blankly.

"Yeah."

A soft chuckle sounded beside him, and Link whipped his head over to see Ashei laughing to herself.

"Well, isn't that the truth," she said blatantly, which seemed to be funny to everyone but Link. And Link just didn't know why.

"LINK! ASHEI!" Telma shouted, pressing through an incredibly dense crowd. "WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!"

She eventually found them in a heated discussion at the back of the bar.

"Link!" Telma shouted. "Ashei, what on earth-"

"I think umbrellas are a wonderful substitute for swords!" Link was shouting. Ashei's fingers were knotted in her hair.

"That's not funny! What's gotten into you, anyway?!"

"HEY! You two!" Telma addressed. "Enough with the kidding around. There are dozens of soldiers in this bar and you haven't told me why!"

Ashei bit her lip. "Oops."

"Oops? What do you mean, oops?!" Telma cried. "Don't oops me, young lady! What on earth- oh, no, Link, don't you dare give me that face-"

Link's expression had contorted into one that clearly said I-know-that-we-are-idiots-and-you-can-reprimand-us -for-it-later-but-right-now-we've-got-a-princess-t o-save-so-if-you-would-kindly-shove-off.

With a roll of the eyes, Telma turned on her heel. "Fine. But no free drinks this time. Whoever drinks, pays." And with that, she disappeared behind the bar, arms crossed.

"All right, all right, so I may have forgotten to let Telma know our plans," Ashei said. "But relax! I've got it under control. Watch. Watch me, Link, yeah?"

"Yeah, okay, Ashei," Link muttered. A moment later, they grinned at each other.

Ashei burst forward and parted the crowd, leaping up onto a circular table in the middle of the room. The crowd swarmed about her, falling silent as she shouted, "HEADS UP!"

All eyes turned on her, and Link found a place right up next to Ashei. He was surrounded by a plethora of worn, hardy ex-soldiers, all of whom had shown up at the bar due to Ashei's bidding. The door had shut behind them, and from Link's spot in the crowd, he could see Auru standing guard over the door. He craned his neck. Shad and Ilia were watching from where they were sitting beside one another on the staircase. Glancing over his shoulder, Link noticed Rusl wading through the crowd to join him.

Once they were side-by-side, Rusl said, "Now try not to get too doe-eyed during her speech."

Link frowned. "Wh-what?!" he stuttered, and Rusl cracked a grin.

"Proximity is bad for you, Link. It makes your brain go haywire."

Ashei cleared her throat again, and, glancing up at her, Link decided that Rusl was absolutely correct.

Once the bar had fallen silent, Ashei raised her voice again.

"Hey- welcome, all of you, first of all. I'm... pleased, at least, by the turnout. I didn't think- never mind. All right! First thing's first, you all know what you're doing here, yeah?"

There was a murmur from the crowd, and Ashei rolled her eyes.

"Come on! You've got to have more soul than that! Someone tell me why you're all here!"

"For the free drinks!" someone shouted from the back. Ashei turned and her face fell.

"You're not funny, Shad!" she shouted, and the scholar grinned. Ashei rolled her eyes. "There're no free drinks tonight, so if that's why you're here, you might as well get out."

A large, hairy man who had been using one of the tables as a stool stood up and began shamefully walking toward the door.

"Excuse me," he said politely in an ironically gruff voice. Having reached the door, he opened it and ducked through, hitting his head on the way out, and accidentally slamming it shut behind him. Ashei frowned at the silence.

"Whatever!" she said. "We don't need that guy, anyway."

"Well, that guy knew how to man the bazooka..." someone was saying.

"You'll be quiet!" Ashei instructed, fully aware that her second attempt to rally support wasn't going as swimmingly as she had initially hoped.

"But-"

"ANYWAY!" Ashei said loudly, "We've got work to do! We already know that Crevan's a low-life, creepy piece of shit, so I suggest we skip over that portion of the conversation and start planning, yeah? Yeah! All right, let's go..." She glanced around hopelessly. Noticing that she was eliciting no reaction whatsoever from the crowd, she narrowed her eyes. "Very well, then," she said. "Be that way." She frowned. "May I ask what the matter is?"

For a second, there was silence. Finally, somebody spoke up.

"Nobody's listening to you because you haven't got any credibility," a man stated.

Ashei bit her cheek. "What?!"

"You're a woman! What do you know about any of this?!" the same man shouted. "We've never seen you in our lives! We want to hear from the hero!"

Ashei's eyes widened and she glanced down at Link. He was wearing a similar expression.

"I, uh- I'm afraid that that's not... going to happen," Ashei stuttered. "You see, he can't-"

"Ashei."

She glanced down. Link was eyeing her with a piercing and determined gaze. "Ashei. If they want to hear me speak, then let me speak."

Her face fell. "But... but I wanted to..."

With a sigh, she slipped down from the table. Link pulled her close.

"You're a phenomenal person," he whispered, "and I would follow you to the ends of the earth. But these guys are idiots, and if it's me they want to hear, then we've got no choice. Let me speak. I can handle it; I promise."

Ashei gazed at the floor. "...Very well," she finally muttered. Link placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"Thank you, Ashei."

He clambered up onto the table and the crowd around him cheered. Immediately, the tension in the room evaporated as the small throng of soldiers glorified him. He smiled nervously.

"Stop it, stop- settle down!" he shouted. Slowly, the room fell silent, but there were still whispers that flitted across the scene. "I'd like to speak," he continued. There was a slight sweat building up on the back of his neck, but he ignored it.

"Speak, then," someone finally said. So he spoke.

"I know that you're all... reluctant to do this. Believe me, I understand. And if you think that I'm just running into this blindly, well, you're totally wrong. I'm not doing that. Wouldn't do it in a million years. But you have to... you have to understand what it will mean if we don't do this. It will mean another dictator on the throne. Just like Zant. Just like Ganondorf. And if that wasn't hell for all of us, then I don't know what is. This man is just as corrupt, just as power-hungry, just as... well, just as evil. When I was a kid, I refused to believe that evil existed. I thought that everyone had good and bad in them. I'm a perfect example of that. But I've since learned that I was wrong. Evil is real. Evil exists. You know how I know? Because I've felt it, festering within me like a disease. It lurks there, like a... like a beast in a pit. And the only way to combat it is with guts."

"But you're the hero!" someone cried. Link smirked.

"Yup. Listen, I don't want to shock you, but the thing is... well, I'm human. Just like the rest of you. Believe it or not, I've got emotions. I've got memories. My own deeds are like scars; they'll always be there. For as long as I live, I'll remember the piece of my soul that was ripped apart with each swing of my blade. So if you think that fighting for your life and for your country is glorious, then you can leave this room right now."

There was complete silence. Nobody moved; they were captivated.

"Dear gods," a man finally spoke up. "But you're just a kid!"

"Glad you noticed," Link answered, his tone bitter. "It would have been nice for you to have noticed back during the dark days."

It was the first time that Link had ever called anyone out for their faults during the dark days. He'd spent a lot of time blaming himself for his troubles, but never until now had he directly addressed someone for what they may have done to hurt him. Never until now had he glared at a potential ally with so much contempt.

"Listen," he finally said, and his voice was low. "It doesn't matter who I am. It doesn't matter how I feel or what I think or what I went through. It matters who you are. It matters who you are going to be. If you're going to be a bunch of do-nothing cowards, then that's up to you. But if you're going to help, then step forward now. Because we need to make plans. We need to be ready for whatever happens. You need to be ready. You're the ones with wives and families to protect. Me? Well, I'm just me. Whether I make it out of this doesn't matter."

He frowned at the soft gasps that littered the crowd.

"Hey, I mean it! I don't care. I don't. I don't care if-" his voice cracked, and he gulped, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with rage. "I owe Zelda a debt beyond anything that the lot of you could ever comprehend. She is the only other person in the world that understands the true meaning of that debt. And before you ask me what it is, know one thing: I will fight for her. I will slay every last scoundrel that I have to for Princess Zelda; I am that heavily indebted. I will fight until I die for her and even that will not be enough. ...Now do you understand?"

He glanced down at Ashei, whose face was dumbstruck. He turned back to the crowd.

"If you're half the men you ought to be, then you will undertake this task! You will undertake this task for your friends, for your family, for your country, and for your monarch. Are you with me?!"

A pause.

"ARE YOU WITH ME?!"

The cheer that emanated from the crowd nearly blew the roof off of the building. Link turned slowly back to Ashei, and then reached down, pulling her up onto the table beside him.

"That was amazing," she whispered despite the roaring crowd. "That was... wow. I mean, Link, I am just... blown away. I didn't know you could speak like that... didn't know anyone could speak like that. How did you know-"

"I didn't," Link interrupted. "I just... did. I said what I thought... meant all of it. Hey- stop making that face- listen to me-"

But Ashei wasn't listening. She was too caught up in the moment, was too emotional- something that she often avoided. All she could sense was the noise and the warmth and the moment. And with a smile of disbelief, she ducked her head.

"You never cease to amaze me," she said.

"ASTOUNDING!" cried Shad once the meeting had concluded. When nearly sixty soldiers and a group of rowdy freedom-fighters were all crammed into one bar planning a military coup-d'etat, the atmosphere was, needless to say, difficult to keep up with.

The planning of the siege itself had taken a long time to get across- meet here, march there, weapons and armor are available down the hall- but it had worked. It had really worked, and now they had an actual army at their disposal- one that understood the workings of the military and, more importantly, understood the layout of the castle itself. Diagrams had been hung up all around the room, and now, as the group was running on enough coffee to fill a bathtub, the only thing that mattered was winning.

"This will require massive preparation," Rusl lamented that morning.

And he was right.

He and Ashei worked tirelessly to gather all of the weapons and armor that they could. Auru spent the next few days spying inside the castle, paying attention to every detail that went into planning the ball. Shad and Link continued sketching diagrams and illustrating plans of action that would later be executed.

Telma and Ilia worked together on health preparations. Satchels of medicines, concealed weapons, and extra food were stored in old flour sacks to distribute among the soldiers. While they were behind the bar stuffing sacks one evening, Ilia consulted Telma.

"Telma..." she began.

"Yes, honey?"

"You... you must understand that I'm, well..." she glanced over. "That I'm battling a bit of... self depreciation."

Telma glanced over, her face falling. "What?"

Ilia sighed, her shoulders slanting downward as she spoke. "Link, Ashei, and Rusl are all preparing to march into 's got his own plan of action to strike from the inside. Auru's overseeing the whole thing, even if he's a little old. And I'm here... stuffing sacks."

Telma's brow furrowed. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"I want to go with them!" she said quickly. Telma shook her head almost immediately.

"Stay here," she instructed. "You haven't got a clue how to fight, honey, and I won't risk you. Not ever. You're too precious."

Ilia's face darkened. "But that's not who I want to be!" she cried, and looked away. "Even Shad is going in, and he can't even pick up a sword!"

"Yes, but Shad has been in a resistance group for almost two years, now. He knows how these things work. You're a farm girl... you do not."

Tears brimmed on Ilia's lashes. "If you say so..."

"Let her go."

The voice came weakly from the other side. It was getting late, now, and Telma could tell that the newcomer was tired. Zelda's ball was occurring the next night; they would need to be well-rested.

"No, Rusl," Telma instructed. "I stand firm on this subject."

But Rusl shook his head. "I've known Ilia since she was a little girl, and I know what she's capable of. Let her go with Shad. She won't have to fight that way."

Ilia glanced over hopefully. "Rusl, you'd really let me go?"

"Of course," he answered, and walked over to face her. Noticing that her head was bowed, he put his fingers under her chin and tilted her soft, feminine face upwards. He noticed that her eyes were pink with tears.

"Rusl! Shame on you!" Telma argued. "The poor girl is risking injury! She wasn't built to fight!"

Rusl turned to face Telma. "Telma, of all people, you're the last person in Hyrule I'd expect to doubt her. llia is brave and strong of heart; don't tell me you disagree."

Telma pressed her lips together. "Of course I don't disagree. She has more courage in her than in all of the Hylian soldiers combined... I've said it many times, and..." she turned to face Ilia. "Oh, my. I didn't notice how you've grown in the past year. I suppose I just kept putting it off because I didn't want to face it, but... you're not a girl anymore, are you, Ilia? No, not at all." She rested her hands on either of Ilia's shoulders. "You... you are a woman, fully grown. You're all men and women. And it's not up to me, nor is it up to Rusl, what you choose to do."

Ilia bit her lip and smiled. "Thank you, Telma. Thank you for believing in me."

When she ascended the staircase that morning, her stomach was turning with worry. The mere notion of rushing into a battlefield was unnerving, to be sure, but at the same time, she wouldn't sit at home while her friends rushed into war. And it would be a war; there would be fighting and bloodshed. Link had said it himself. A ballroom battlefield. It seemed like something out of a fantasy, but at the same time, Ilia reminded herself, this wasn't a fantasy.

If this were a fantasy, then Link would be the valiant hero who was proud of his deeds, and he would have wed Zelda long ago. In a fantasy, Ashei would be the woman to masculine to ever be loved. In a fantasy, Shad would be the wise wizard, and Ilia the forest nymph. In a fantasy, good would prevail and evil would be conquered. In a fantasy, there would be no inner evils. In a fantasy, everything would be black and white. Good. Evil. There would be no in-between.

When she reached the top of the staircase, she stalled. She could see Shad's silhouette at the end of the hall. She took a deep breath and moseyed over in his direction.

"Hey, you."

Shad glanced up and the hint of a smile crossed his features. He really is handsome when he smiles, Ilia thought.

"Ilia," he greeted stiffly.

"Something the matter?"

Shad rolled his eyes. "Ashei's in my room. She and Link are having a heart-to-heart. Something tells me she's not coming out till morning." He glanced at her. "You look pale."

"I'm-" she halted. "I'm frightened," she admitted.

"Frightened? But you're not-" Shad stopped short at the expression on Ilia's countenance, and his face fell. "No... Ilia, please tell me you're not..."

"I am, and you can't stop me," she said stiffly.

"No! Ilia, I won't allow it, I won't allow you to get hurt!"

"I don't care!" she argued. "I don't care what you say. I told you once that everyone's in charge of their own fate, and I'm not letting anyone else take control of mine!" She exhaled heavily. "I am not the person I was when I met you, Shad. I am not that girl. Two months ago, I was carefree and full of smiles. But Shad, I see now. I understand. Shad." She reached forward and grabbed his hands. "Listen to me, Shad."

He was shaking his head. "Please don't do this, Ilia," he insisted. "Please don't go and get yourself killed tomorrow. I won't be able to handle it. Ilia, if you got hurt, I don't know what I'd do. I don't know how I'd live. I'd rather die, Ilia, than lose you, I'd rather die..."

Now he was crying, and he stumbled forward into Ilia's arms when she opened them.

"You and I have been through everything together," she whispered into his neck, inhaling that funny scent of leather and books that she loved so much. "I won't die tomorrow, and neither will you. Cross my heart. Now come and lay with me. I don't want to be alone tonight."

And so they returned to Ilia's room, where they crawled under the covers of Ilia's bed without even bothering to change. All Shad did was shed his jacket and then he stretched out his skinny arms to encase the girl he loved. She snuggled into him, and there in the dark, there in the quiet, everything was alright. There was no tomorrow. There was no yesterday, either. It was only them; somewhere along the line they'd become a unit, and in her heart, Ilia couldn't imagine the rest of her life if Shad wasn't there.

Not now.

Not ever.

The shower nozzle turned and suddenly hot water was streaming down onto the tile, the excess dripping down the drain. Link pulled back the curtain and stepped underneath the scalding hot water, letting his entire body relax as he inhaled the steam. He closed his eyes and let the water run over his face, through his hair, down his neck, his shoulder blades, his back, his waist, his thighs, his calves his heels, and down the drain. He let the water run, and his thoughts ran with it; it had been too long since he'd bathed in something besides a river.

When he exited the shower, he dried his skin, his thoughts loud as they echoed against the drip, drip, drip of what remained on the nozzle. He blew out the candle lighting the incense and, once he had dressed into a cotton shirt and pants to sleep in, exited the bathroom.

To his surprise, Ashei was sitting on the end of his bed. Shad was nowhere in sight. With a sigh, Link crossed the room and sat by her side, the springs of the mattress groaning underneath his weight.

Ashei glanced at the floor. "I guess this is it, yeah?" she mumbled.

"Guess so," he answered.

She was quiet. "Are you ready?"

He shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be. You?"

"I'm always ready," she answered with a small smile. With a sigh, she threw her weight back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Link?"

"Mhm?" he said, laying down next to her.

"I've been thinking."

"I knew you had it in you," he deadpanned, earning him a swat on the shoulder.

"Listen, Link, I've been thinking. When this is over with, I want to go somewhere. Just you and me. To the mountains, maybe. Somewhere we've never been. It will be an adventure."

Link smiled to himself. "I haven't had one of those in a long time," he admitted.

She hesitated. "Really?" she asked. "You don't think these past few months have been an adventure?"

Link turned to her. "Depends what kind of adventure you're talking about..."

And it had been an adventure- an adventure of discovery, if that meant anything. And there she was, her face inches from his, looking so tired and strong and pretty in the candlelight... again, he had that urge to brush the hair from her face...

She sat up suddenly, brushing herself off and getting to her feet. Link felt a disappointment rush through him beyond anything he'd ever felt.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Yes."

"You don't want to stay with me?" he continued, pouting. She turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"What? You want to spoon with me?"

He sat up and shrugged. "Maybe."

She rolled her eyes. "You're too much." She turned on her heel and began to pace away. "See you tomorrow, Link."

"Fine, fine," he said. "Your loss." He plopped back down on the mattress and closed his eyes, facing away from her.

He jumped as he felt two arms slide around his torso.

"And look who's come crawling back," he joked.

"Shut your mouth, yeah? I've changed my mind."

"Yeah, all right. I suppose I can tolerate it." He could feel Ashei nuzzling her head into his back as he blew out the candle and they were encased in darkness.

"Link?" Her voice was impossibly quiet.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever considered that maybe... I don't know, maybe it would be better if Crevan ruled? I mean, all those things Auru said about Zelda. About her being insecure, about her being unsure of her rule. It sounds like we can't really trust her."

Link sighed. "We can trust her to try. Besides, you've seen what Rasire did under Crevan's orders. You saw how he treated Colin, and how his men treated Ilia... How they treated you. Like you were dirt, like you were nothing, because you're a woman... what total bastards."

"But Zelda."

"Zelda is a great woman. Trust me on that."

"You'll defend her forever, yeah? You'll defend her until you die."

"That is correct," Link stated.

"One last question. You don't want to hear it, but I've been wondering."

"Ask me."

"What exactly is it that you owe her?"

Link paused for a very long time. When he finally answered, his voice was just above a rumble. "Everything," he answered. "But Ashei?"

"Yeah?"

"I still don't owe her half as much as I owe you."

And, satisfied, he leaned back into her, and she leaned hard into him, and all was quiet as they ventured far into the night, into the morning, into the unknown.

And one room over, Rusl and Auru were spooning as well.

Maybe I am kidding.

Maybe I am not.

ANYWAY. Apology time. It has been... around a month and a half since my last update. Oops. I've just been really booked, you guys. Really booked. But school's ending soon, and hopefully I can finish this puppy up around the time of its 1-year anniversary. (June? July? We just don't know.)

Thanks so much to all of you that reviewed. There were a ton of you but I'd like to extend a special thank you to Norkix, who btw is really cool, so when you're finished here, you should check out his novelization of Ocarina of Time. It's good, guys. Reeeeaaaal good.

Alternatively, check out my older story Flowers Don't Grow in the Desert. I'm rewriting the first 3 chapters... well, I've only rewritten the first one so far, but ANYWAY. Check it out. It's way better than this stupid thing, anyway. Actually, take a gander at anything in my body of work. *Shameless self-promotion*

OKAY THAT'S ALL. Next time there's a delay this long, feel free to send me angry PMs until I update. Which reminds me, I should probably extend another special thank-you to "guest" for being such a pain in the butt that I was actually inspired to ever start this chapter in the first place.

-Ctj

P.S. As usual, let me know your thoughts through a review! I am thankful for every single review I get from the very very bottom of my heart.