Writing this took way longer than I'd hoped. I've been having a lot of writer's block lately, and it's beginning to get annoying. Unfortunately, with the start of student teaching coming up, I don't see things getting any easier. But, I'll try to soldier on through.

Please, do feel free to leave a review down below. I know I say this a lot, but it really does help me grow as a writer!


It was early afternoon when the soft sound of muffled hoofbeats joined the chorus of the golden woods north of Ordon. The horse causing it was a large, barrel-chested auburn mare with a pale mane. She was saddled for a long adventure, with small bags hanging from either side of the saddle.

In contrast to the large, solid mass of the horse, her rider was slightly built, and a bit on the short side. But anyone who took a proper look at the boy would've recognized a seasoned traveler and fighter. His trousers and boots were thick and tough, and underneath his grey-green tunic lay a burnished coat of mail. But even more than those, the keen gaze of his greyish-blue eyes really spoke to his competence.

Oddly enough, these woods were normally a place where sixteen-year-old Link could feel more relaxed. He was an Ordon lad, and this environment was practically his backyard. He was lately on an urgent mission to save Hyrule, but he would still come here occasionally to rest near or at the Ordon Spring. In fact, that was why he was riding towards the spring now.

But his most recent journey through the Cave of Ordeals in the Gerudo Desert had given him cause for caution. The cave was the home of the Great Fairy, the head of all fairies in Hyrule. To be completely fair to her, she'd been quite helpful to Link so far. The trials inside her underground home had honed his skills, and she herself had provided significant boons to the young Hero, from releasing healing fairies into various springs he frequented to giving him bottles of healing water for the times he was far from a spring. But her most recent interaction with Link had made him a bit nervous.

He'd completed the last of her trials and talked to her in her shallow pool at the very bottom of the cave. She'd given him a bottle of healing water and spoken her customary words of encouragement to him. But then, unlike every other time they'd spoken, she'd approached him, an odd, longing look on her face, had gone so far as to lay her hand on his cheek, a gesture Link had only ever seen from people in love. She'd told him that if he ever needed her assistance, she would come to any of the springs in Hyrule to help him; she had said this in a strangely coy tone with a sly smile. It didn't take a genius to figure out the implications of this interaction, and Link wasn't certain how he felt about that.

On one hand, the Great Fairy was quite lovely, a few inches taller than Link and slender as a birch trunk, with soft golden eyes and a cascade of vibrant green hair. But there were two things about her apparent advances that had made Link somewhat uncomfortable. First, there was the fact that she was making a pass at him after only seeing each other a few times. It had come seemingly from out of nowhere, and Link hadn't, up until that point, even thought about romance at all. Second, to make things even more uncomfortable, he had never seen her wearing anything more than a simple breechcloth around her waist, leaving the top half of her covered only by her hair. He'd developed a habit of keeping his gaze fixed just above her head whenever they talked, but her actions and words the last time they'd met had broken that habit.

His face still warmed up a bit whenever he thought about that meeting.

But now he was headed to Ordon Spring. And, given the fact that apparently she'd started randomly visiting the various springs, there was a chance he'd come across her today. Given their last meeting, that thought didn't comfort him as much as it should have.

He was nearing the spring now. Only a minute away, just around the next bend, was the short side trail that would take him there. Link steeled his nerves and decided that even if the Great Fairy wasn't there, he would still keep his visit brief. After all, there was no telling when she might appear.

Epona took him slowly through the fairly-wrought gate, and Link saw, to his relief, that the spring was empty, save for a few small fairies that flitted over the pool. He gently brought the mare to a stop on the wide, grassy bank and slid out of the saddle. He decided his gear and armor were feeling heavier than he liked at the moment, so he took a half a minute to remove them. With his cap, tunic, boots, and hauberk on the ground, he lay down on the soft grass, clad in just his shirt and trousers, and allowed all the tension to drain from his body as he attuned himself to the song of the forest, the song of his childhood.

Link's eyes flicked open suddenly. When had he fallen asleep? How long was he out for? The sky was still blue above the canopy of green-gold leaves, but he was alarmed anyway. He hadn't intended to fall asleep here on the bank, just to lay down and relax for a few minutes, then leave. Slowly he sat up; it was high time he left.

"Did you have a good rest, Link?" Link froze. He knew that voice.

Sure enough, there was the Great Fairy standing in the middle of the spring, gazing straight at him, that gorgeous smile of hers on full display. And, to Link's chagrin, she still hadn't bothered to put on anything more than that breechcloth.

Link hurriedly got to his feet, instinctively snapping his gaze above the Great Fairy's head. The fairy's smile widened. "Surprised to see me?" she quipped. "I sometimes come here to talk with Ordona. We had a nice chat while you were napping."

Link wasn't feeling any more at ease. Never had the Great Fairy spoken so casually. It was as if she considered Link a close friend, not just some guy she'd met a few times (like he considered himself).

"Are you alright?" she asked, a curious look coming over her. "You haven't said anything."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Link answered with a start. "I'm just…speechless, you know?"

The look on the fairy's face told Link she wasn't buying it. "Do I make you feel uncomfortable, Link?" she inquired wistfully.

That seemed like a rather loaded question; most people would have emphatically denied it. But Link was not most people. "A bit, yeah," he replied, holding up his fingers in the "little bit" sign.

The Great Fairy grimaced. "It's the outfit, isn't it?" she guessed, and Link nodded. The fairy sighed. "I don't really need to wear anything else at my own fountain," she remarked, "since no one ever really comes there. I'd been hoping that you wouldn't mind. But I guess you were raised better than that. I shouldn't really be surprised."

Link's eyebrows rose a bit. "You hoped I wouldn't mind?" he asked, a little surprised. "I'm pretty sure Ilia would have a fit if she were in the same situation."

The fairy bobbed her head side to side a bit in consideration. "Probably," she conceded. "But I'll be honest, I really like you, Link."

"Despite having barely met me?" Link cut in, not really surprised, but still confused.

The smile returned to the Great Fairy's face, this time holding equal parts mischief and mystery. "I know you better than you think," she responded. "The spirit of the Hero never dies or changes; it's reborn. You're still your own person, but that same Spirit underlies who you are. Trust me, Link, you're an easy person to fall in love with."

Only now did Link blush. He hadn't known that thing about his spirit, but if it were true (and the Great Fairy didn't seem the type to make up something like that), then her affection towards him was more understandable. It was likely she'd met other Heroes in the past, getting to know their Spirit better each time. Perhaps, somewhere down the line, that had become love, which was now, finally, being directed to him.

Her hand rested on his cheek again. Why hadn't he noticed her approaching? His blush, which had begun to subside, now returned. And yet, he found it easier than before to look the Great Fairy in the eye; no longer did he have to force himself to look above her head.

Somehow, he managed to bring himself to speak: "So…this is you asking if I'd…" He trailed off there, not actually sure what she was asking of him.

The Great Fairy smiled in response. "If you're willing to give us a try," she finished for him. "And I won't ask you to go farther than you're comfortable with, if that's what worries you."

Link swallowed. He hadn't expected this to happen today. "That's…a relief," he managed to get out, somewhat nervously. "How far do you want to go?"

There was a second's pause. The fairy's smile was radiant, and Link rather suddenly found himself captivated by her. Then, without a word, she leaned in and ever so gently pressed her lips to his, using her hand on his cheek to draw him deeper into the kiss. By the second one, Link was joining in, eyes closing, relaxing as his hands settled on her waist.

Wait…was that…fabric he was feeling?

But then the Great Fairy's lips closed over his again, slower and deeper this time. Link's thoughts were chased away, their place filled by the sensations of his first kiss. In that moment, there was no passage of time, just the two of them; for Link, it was a surreal feeling.

And then another surprise came after the Great Fairy finally let her last kiss trail off and pulled slowly away. Link looked down and saw that her outfit had radically changed. Where before she'd been clad solely in a breechcloth, now she was robed in dazzling white satin, belted with green and gold. Somehow, her gossamer wings were still out, despite the layer of cloth. Dressed like this, she looked like some kind of higher being, which, technically, she was.

It seemed she noticed his surprise, for she gave a bright, musical laugh at his expression. "You shouldn't have to be so shy around me," she explained. "With this," she gestured to her new clothes, "perhaps you won't be."

For several more seconds, Link was speechless. Then, finally… "You're right. I won't." He took the Great Fairy's hands in his own, and leaned up slightly to plant a kiss of his own on her lips.

They were both smiling now.