Link sat up against his bed in his little Kokiri house. He sat there, twiddling his thumbs in small circles to keep off boredom. He sigh as he stood up and walked over to the tally marks on the wall. He made another mark. He paused.
He counted the lines. He counted them again. He smiled. "The day has finally come!" he said calmly yet happily.
Then he ran out of his house and screamed, "The day has finally come!"
Today was the day that he would finally get to see Zelda again. After seven long years, he would get to see Zelda again.
Link jumped down from the balcony of his house and ran to the exit of the forest but was them stopped by Saria.
"Where do you think you're going?" she said holding out her hand in front of her, flatly.
"Saria, today's the day I'll get to see Zelda again! Remember? Seven years ago, she sent me back?"
Saria smiled. "Yes! Yes I do! Well....what are you waiting for? Go get her!"
Link darted out of the forest. As soon as he hit Hyrule Feild, he stopped dead in his tracks. He had forgotten how beautiful it was! The crisp air, the wonderful view, and Epona.
Link remembered, Epona! He played Epona's Song and saw her majestically gallop into view on the horizon. Link smiled and patted Epona on her head. "Good girl! You waited for me all these years."
Link mounted Epona and rode her off to Hyrule Castle. When he got there, he sent Epona back to Lon Lon Ranch. He would see Malon later. He crossed the moat and before he knew it, was in the center of Hyrule Market. The people he had seen as a boy were still there, only a little older. He was too eager to see Zelda that he didn't say hi or play a game or buy anything. He just ran off to the castle.
It wasn't hard to get past the guards. Link was relieved when he knew that his sneaky skills have not gotten dull.
Link got up to the place where he had woken up Talon so long ago. He knew he was too big to fit through the tiny hole, but he didn't want to mess up the door to his right either. So he crawled up to the hole and punched the wood out into a bunch of pieces.
He was surprised to see that there were no guards anywhere. He walked over to the square bushes. There was no one.
Then Link got up to the double fountains and froze. He saw Zelda there on the left fountain, playing with the water as she sat on the ledge.
Link wanted to run up and hold her in his arms forever, but thought of a better idea. Just because he was excited to see Zelda, doesn't mean his love for pranks has diminished.
He snuck up closely behind her. Then, at the top of his lungs, screamed "BOO!" right behind her as he put his hands on her shoulders.
Zelda screamed and grabbed Link's hand and flipped him over into the water.
Link bolted upright and spit out a mouthful of water, "Zelda it's me! Link!"
Zelda's eyes went wide as she smiled widely. "Oh Link!" she said as she jumped on him, knocking him back into the water.
Zelda and Link jumped out of the water as they hugged for the first time in seven....well actually...ever! (Remember on OoT, Link and Zelda never really hugged)
Then someone yelled, "Hey you! Kid! Get away from the princess!"
Link looked up and saw that they were surrounded by a bunch of guards holding up their spears to Link. Zelda turned around and said, "It's ok, he's an old friend."
"Oh, sorry, Princess, we just heard you scream, just wanted to make sure you were alright." said the guard.
"Link, I was just about to pick some flower. Want to join me?" asked Zelda.
"Of course. I'd be honored." said Link, playfully bowing.
In the courtyard, Zelda and Link were picking flowers. Link spotted a perfect flower. It was the perfect mix of blue any yellow and had a little green line in the middle of the two.
As he reached for it, he placed his hand on Zelda's who was also reaching for the same flower. They both looked at their hands, then at each other. Then they slowly moved in for a kiss that was interrupted by a man's voice.
"Zelda!" it called.
Zelda pushed link away and bolted up. "Hello, Roy. What are you doing here?"
"Just seeing how you were." he looked at Link who was on the ground with a confused look on his face. "And who are you?"
Zelda ran up to Roy and said "This is Link. Hero of Time and close friend of mine." Zelda laughed at her unintentional rhyme.
"Zelda.....who is this?" asked Link, getting a closer look at the man. (I'll make it short, it looked Like Marth from Smash Bros. but had red hair like Roy's)
"Oh....uh...Link this is...Roy. He’s..." Zelda hesitated.
"I'm her fiancée," Roy finished her.
Link's body froze. He felt the blood inside of him freeze and his heart stop. "WH-What?"
"I'm her fiancée. Are you deaf?"
"Roy!" Zelda turned to Roy and then to Link, "Link, let me explain-"
"There's no need for an explanation." Link interrupted her. His voice was shaky and cracking. Almost like he was about to cry. "Well...Roy...nice to meet you...”
With that, Link darted past Zelda and Roy. Zelda tried to catch up with him, but she could not match the endurance of Link's. Especially in high-heeled shoes.
Outside of the castle, Link was running out in the field. It was already night and a bit chilly. Link rand faster so that the water in his eyes could easily explained by his fast running and cold air.
But when he got up to the forest entrance, he stopped to catch his breath. Yet the water still stayed in his eyes.
Finally, Link had to admit it to himself. He was crying.

Link sat on the edge of his bed and thought back to that day seven years ago. Zelda was in her courtyard in front of the window. Link was standing in front her. "Link," Zelda said, softly, "Now is when we part. I shall return you to your own time. Please, relive your seven years, for I had no right to take them away."
"It is ok; Zelda," said Link, "When will I see you again?"
"Once you return the sword to its pedestal, go home and wait seven years. Once that has passed, you can return to the castle. Please, do not return a day earlier, we must wait, do what the Gods have asked of us."
"Ok Zelda, I will not return until seven years have passed." Link placed the Ocarina in Zelda's hands. As the blue crystal surrounded him, he let go of her hands. He floated up, looking down at Zelda who was looking up at him. "I love you...." Link mouthed those words. When Link came back to his original time, he slammed his hands on the floor. "If only I had actually said it.....If only she was able to hear....." thought Link, hopelessly.
He had not actually thought or said it, but his emotions were saying,"Why? Why does she have to marry...him? Why?" Link's tears would begin to form every time he thought about it. There was a knock at the door. Before he could ask who it was, Saria pulled back the sheet that acted as his door and came in.
"Link, you've been cooped up in this house for three days since you want back to the castle." she said wordily, "You seemed so happy and excited to finally get to see Zelda again and here you are now. Moping and pouting. But why? That’s what everyone is wondering."
Link looked up at Saria. His eyes were swollen from crying. "Oh Link, what's wrong?"
"Zelda....I went to see her three days ago...." Link was straining to keep his voice, but it drifted off.
"And...? What happened?"
"She's....she's....getting married."
"Really?!" Saria jumped up in happiness, smiling, then looked down at Link. "Oh, I see....."
"7 years. 7 years! I waited 7 years and she springs on some guy I've never even seen and says she going to marry him! What am I going to do?"
"You're asking the wrong girl. I don't really know love, so I have no idea how you feel. But if you're serious about this whole marriage thing, why don't you ask someone who has been in love once and been rejected."
"That's silly I don't.....wait a minute. I know someone! Thanks Saria! I've got to go." Link jumped up and ran out the door. He leapt off the balcony out of the forest. He played Epona's song and she came into view. Link rode off to Lon Lon Ranch. Just because Zelda had brought him down, doesn't mean that he forgot all about Malon. The ranch looked just the same on the outside, but the inside had been changed a lot. There were more horses and cows. Pigs were in a small pen, and there were more people working there now. The ranch house had grown bigger too.
Link found Malon grooming a horse in the stable. As Malon looked up and saw Link, she knew exactly who it was. She screamed so loud that even Link was afraid. Malon jumped on him, laughing and smiling. "Link! You've finally came back!"
"Yeah, it's me." said Link with no enthusiasm but with a smile.
"So....what've you been up to these past seven years?"
"Nothing really. Just stuff."
"Link. I know that face. You're upset aren't you?"
"No there's nothing wrong."
"Yes there is. Tell me what’s bothering you."
"Well....I went to see princess Zelda a few days ago after not seeing her for seven years."
"Oh! The princess! Did you hear she's getting married?"
Link frowned at her, waiting for her to know why he was so upset. But she just smiled and stared. Link sigh, "That's the problem. She's getting married. To him!"
"Who, Prince Roy?"
"Yes."
"So are you in love with her or something?"
"What? No! Of course not!"
Malon continued to look at Link with a look on her face that showed she knew Link was lying to her. "I think you're lying me."
"I am." Link spoke softly.
"What? I can't hear you."
"I'm in love her! There I said it! Happy?!"
"Well, you admitted it not only to me but to yourself. So your love for Zelda has been interfered with by Roy. And why no be mad? I mean, he's rich, handsome, and rules an entire kingdom! It's not hard to figure out that you're jealous."
"I'm not jealous."
"Yes you are. I know you are, say it-"
"I'M NOT JEALOUS!" Link screamed at her.
Malon turned around, holding back tears and fear. She went back to grooming the horse. Link had never felt so evil and disgusting in his whole life. His jealousy had caused him to yell at even one of his best friends.
"I'm sorry Malon. It's just, I'm a little upset right now."
Malon turned around, as if he hadn't yelled at her at all. "Link, if Zelda's happiness is your main concern, then you should let her marry the one she loves. I used to like when we were little, but.....I grew up and accepted the fact that you loved Zelda. Now you have to do the same for her. She's taking a big step in her life right now and what she needs is her friend that she has known for so many years. Go help her with her problems. Even if you can't have her, you can still be her friend that she can talk to."
Link smiled. "You're right. Zelda's having enough trouble already. The last thing she needs is one of her friends turning his back on her. I'm going to go see her right now!" Link made a run for the door.
"Wait Link!" called Malon.
Link paused and turned around. "What?"
"Remember these words, 'It's not too late.'"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll know when the time comes."
Link waved goodbye to her and flew out the door. He called Epona and mounted her. As he rode off to the castle, he kept thinking of the echoing words that Malon had said. "It's not too late. It's not too late."
When reached the castle, he jumped off Epona and walked towards the bridge. Halfway crossing it, he froze. He knew what Malon meant. "It's not too late! Zelda hasn't been married yet! There's still a chance!" Link wanted to go back to the ranch and give Malon a big hug for opening his eyes to the truth. He ran past the market and to the castle.
The guard standing at the gate asked Link something. "Hey, is your name Link?"
"Uh, yeah." he said confused.
"The Princess has requested us to let you in the castle and to meet her in the throne room if you came back. Seeing as how you did, we'll let you in. Impa will lead you to room."
Out of nowhere, Impa appeared next to the guard with her sheikah disappearing trick. "Impa!" Link said happily.
"Hello there Link." said Impa motioning him to come with her. Link followed Impa up the path to the castle. "Princess Zelda has been very upset ever since you left. She seemed so happy to see you."
"Yes well, it wasn’t really my intent to run away."
"Link, you don't have to explain it to me. I know you were upset to find that Zelda had been engaged to Prince Roy. And I have to say, my feelings for him are not different than yours."
"What do you mean?"
"Zelda was never really in love with Roy. Roy's father and Zelda's father are close friends. They've bee trying since their childhood to make them fall in love. It troubled me so to find that Zelda might have to marry Roy. He treats her just as a woman, not Zelda. That’s makes me hate him. But you, you treat Zelda like Zelda. Not just as Princess or Highness, but as a human being."
"Yes, but we cannot change what has already been commanded."
"Zelda is not being forced to marry Roy."
"She's not!" Link beamed.
"No. But her father is getting old. And all he wants to see before he dies is his only daughter gets married to his best friend’s son."
"So, Zelda is doing it for her father, not for herself."
"Correct. But if Zelda is to choose not to marry, it will make her father unhappy, and she thinks he will hate her. I keep telling her he won't, but she insisted. I don't think she remembered you when she made that choice."
Impa and Link came up to the door to the throne room.
"Zelda is waiting for you inside. I shall tell you now, you both will be alone. So do not hide anything." Impa said sternly.
Link nodded as Impa opened the door. Link walked in and saw Zelda standing in front of the throne. She didn't say anything. She took 2 steps. Then paused. Then ran towards Link and into his arms. They both stood there. Holding each other.
"Link, I'm so sorry." said Zelda, crying. "I should’ve told you before. But I-"
"There is no need for explanation. I know everything." Link cut her off, so she wouldn't cry more.
"We aren't getting married for another 2 months. Until then, I'm going to spend everyday with you."
"No Zelda, you don't have to."
"Yes I do. Once we are married, we will go to his kingdom, a world over. I will live there and I'll never see you again."
Link eyes filled up with tears. "Ok Zelda. Everyday together."
Zelda went off to tell Roy that she would be gone for the next 2 months until the wedding. Link found this as an opportunity. Maybe in the course of the 2 months he would be able to get Zelda to change mind. He just needed a good plan. This was the hardest adventure he would ever go on.

Link was at home packing for the many trips he would take. He had to find a way convince the woman he loved to not marry someone else. This would be an adventure that in itself. Somehow he would get Zelda to choose him over someone who was rich, handsome, and more sophisticated than him.
Link finally crammed his last black tunic into his bag. He had packed his red, blue, whitish-purplish, and black tunics along with boots and shields. He swung the bag over his left shoulder as he walked out the door.
Before he left, he stopped by Saria's house to thank her. He was reluctant to enter, but finally let himself in. Saria was sitting on her bed, reading a book. She looked up, "Hey Link! How've you been?" she noticed the traveling bag on his shoulder, "Going somewhere?"
"I took your advice. I went to see someone who has been dumped." said Link as he put his bag down and sat on the little tree stump.
"Really? That's great. And how did Ruto take it?"
"Ruto? I didn't talk to Ruto. I talked to Malon."
"Malon? I was referring to Ruto. But as long as it worked, I guess it doesn't matter. So what are you going to do? Stay at the castle with her until she gets married?"
"Something like that. Zelda and I are going to visit the five temples. Just for old time sake."
"You mean six temples?"
"No, we aren't going to visit the Temple of Time."
Saria got up from her bed. "Well Link, if you ever change her mind, then you would've even proved me wrong."
"What!? You don't think I can do it?"
"I never meant that. I'm just saying, I have my doubts."
"Well, so much for your support!" Link grabbed the bag and stomped out the door. Saria didn't chase after him. She knew there was nothing she could say or do that would help.
Link walked out of the forest and called Epona. She came, of course. He would ride her to the castle, then walk back to the forest temple. Just to talk.

Back at the castle......
"I'm so glad you and Link decided to spend some time together!" said Impa in the doorway of Zelda's room.
"Thanks Impa! I am too." Zelda put her neatly folded clothes in her little traveling bag.
"How long will you be gone?"
"Two months."
"Two months! Wow. Will Roy be able to keep away from you that long?"
Zelda didn't say anything. "Zelda, you did tell him......didn't you?"
"N-no" Zelda finally managed to say.
"What! Why?!"
"Look, we both know that me being away with another man for two months away from him does not go very well with his temper. Just tell him...I don't know....that I'm on official royal business."
"Of course. Where will you be?"
"I don't know. Link hasn't told me yet."
"Well, whatever happens, I will always take care of you."
Zelda smiled and gave her a hug.

At the castle entrance.....
Link dismounted Epona. "Good Girl." Link said as he patted her on the head. He pointed her in the direction of the watering hole to the right. Link was hesitant when he approached the castle gate.
"Uhh...I'm here for Zelda." he said looking down at his boots.
The guard in front of him obviously didn't like Link. "I don't care who you are or if you think you're special, but here you will call your Zelda Your Highness or Princess Zelda in respect."
Link felt as if each word were a needle that had pierced through his chest. He finally looked up and saw that the guard was no guard. It was actually, none other than, Prince Roy.
Link, immediately remembering who it was, got down on one knee and bowed his head in respect to him. "Link is it?" he asked. His voice was calm, but still sounded like thunder to Link. The man he only met a few days ago, still felt like an enemy he would hate forever to Link.
"Yes. I am Link." He said as he stood up to face him.
"Well, here for Zelda are you? I don't think so."
"What?"
"You heard me! Are you still deaf like you were last time? I said no."
"Why is that? Me and Zelda had plans for the next two months."
"Yes well, like an outfit that doesn't fit anymore, your plans are just big for a small, below average, fairy-forest boy like you." Roy circled him. Looking at him to see his features. "To be with a princess for two months!"
Zelda was running into view down the path to the gate. The gate made a loud metal sound as she opened it. "What's going on?" she asked.
"I was just leaving." said Link as he was about to turn around.
"Leaving! Why?" said Zelda trying to stop him.
"Because, darling, he can't be with someone such as yourself. Let him go." said Roy, turning around, his cape flying.
"No! Link and I have plans. I want to go with him! Please."
"For two months! Never! I can't bear to be away from you that long." Roy swooped up to grab Zelda's hands.
"Roy please. We'll only be gone for a few weeks."
Roy looked uncertain for a moment, but finally gave in. "Alright. Fine, you can go. Just keep your hands off of her! You hear me?!"
Link swallowed hard as he saw Roy give Zelda a kiss goodbye. Roy was making all the moves as Zelda just stood there with her mouth closed. Her eyes were open, looking at Link who was trying to look away for as long a possible.
"Ok, we're off!" said Zelda, gladly getting able to get away from Roy.
Link and Zelda walked through the market and into the field. Zelda hadn't seen it for a long time. She was happy to be there again.
They started walking towards the forest. Neither of them spoke. It was an awkward silence.
Finally, Link broke the silence by saying, "I had a dream last night."
"A dream?" Zelda said almost immediately, "Do tell."
(Note: This is an actual dream my friend had. I will write it just as she had described it. With a little more detail of course.)
"Well, I was at Lake Hylia. I was at school there."
"A school at Lake Hylia? Where?"
"Where the fishing pond was. Everyone was different." Link thought back harder. "No....I was the only one different. The other student's ears were....round." Link felt the tip his right ear as he talked. "Even the teacher's ears were round."
"Go on."
"All the students looked the same. The boys and girls were wearing the same clothes and I was the only one there with what I am wearing now. They all stared at me, silently. Then they all burst out laughing in an instant. Even the teacher. 'Elf ears! Elf ears!' they all chanted as they pointed at me."
"Just for being different?"
Link nodded, "But then I saw you. You came out of nowhere, and you stood up. We were young kids at the time. 'How dare you! I have elf ears too!' I heard you saw as you took off your head thing. Then everyone was silent, and they all sat down and the teacher started the lesson again. If you hadn't have been there......I don't know......what I would've done. I felt so alone." Link closed his eyes as they began to sting. Then felt the warmth of Zelda's embrace as she comforted him.
"Link.....You are never alone." she said softly, as they approached the entrance to the temple......

Roy paced up and down the room. He was so angry, it not only showed through his face, but also through his eyes. What were normally blue, had turned bright red. "I just don't understand it!" he said.
"What?" asked his attendant, Daniel.
Daniel was a tall man. He was only seventeen but made up for age in fighting. He had short brown hair and gray eyes. He wore a black jacket and a lighter black undershirt with a zigzag pattern on the top. And black pants and shoes.
"You know damn well what!"
"Oh, about the princess. Yeah, I'd be mad too if my girl was going out with another guy. For two months."
"Uhh....Yeah!" Roy said in an obvious tone, "Who knows what she's doing?"
"Oh come on! Like she'd choose him over you."
"You're right. I won't let some broken down, ungood-looking, forest kid intimidate me!" Roy slammed his hands on the table next to him.
Daniel took a step back in fear. Roy, noticing this, put a book over the two dents he had made in the table. "Do you know where they went?"
"No. Just been told they were going to be away for two months."
"Well....we just have to find them."

"Wow....It's been a long time since I've seen this place." said Zelda as she entered the Kokiri Forest.
“Yeah, but when you’ve spent like seven years here, it gets more tedious.” said Link, in a somewhat disgusted voice.
Zelda frowned. “Well, I don’t think it can ever lose its beauty.”
“No, but it can be less appealing as time goes by.”
Zelda’s frown got bigger, her eyes narrowed more, and her hands clenched. But then stopped. She couldn’t blame Link for being a little angry. She knows what it’s like to be kept in one place for so long, forbidden to leave. So she just smiled.
“Zelda! Princess Zelda!” Saria’s voice came as she ran up to them.
“Hello Saria.” Said Zelda as she got on one knee so Saria didn’t have to look all that way up.
“Princess, how are you.” Saria asked smiling.
“I’m doing just fine.”
“So….I heard you’re getting married."
This made Link twitch slightly. "You've heard correctly."
"Yeah, it's really great. Everyone's happy." said Link, flatly.
Zelda's smile instantly disappeared. She looked up at Link who looking in the other direction. When she turned to face Saria again, she smiled.
"Well, you two should get going." Saria said. She couldn't help but feel that she had caused the silent argument that they were having. She walked off to her house.
When Zelda stood up, she didn't have to anyone to hide behind anymore. There was an awkward silence as they walked off to the Temple. When they got up to the forest meadow, Link and Zelda had already forgotten about the 'argument' they had.
"Ok Zelda. Have you gone through this maze before?" asked Link.
"Not really. I did fly over it when I met up with you at the temple entrance, but exactly gone through it." said Zelda.
"Ok, then stick close behind me."
"Why don't we just warp there?"
"I don't ocarina, remember?"
"Oh yeah."
Even though there were no more giant moblins around the corner, Link still peeked around every corner to make sure there was nothing there. As they slowly neared the temple entrance, they had to cross a little pool of water.
“You in the mood for swimming?” Link asked jokingly.
Zelda laughed, “Not really. Is there anyway we can get across?”
“Well there is one way, but you’re still at risk of getting wet.” They laughed.
“Seriously, how are we going to get across?” Zelda asked abruptly.
“Well, I can shoot a series of ice arrows and we can cross over it like a bridge. But there is a chance we can slip and fall and get wet.”
“I am willing to take that risk.” Zelda said as the grabbed an ice arrow out of Link’s bag and shot one closest to the edge. Out of nowhere, a little ice clump popped up to the surface. “Where did you learn that?”
“I did it about seven years ago in the Great Bay Temple. And I also used it to get over the river to Ikana Canyon.”
Link took Zelda’s hand as he helped her and himself onto the little chunk of ice. “Careful now, it’s slippery.” Said Link, shooting another arrow.
“Great Bay Temple? Ikana Canyon? Where are all these places? I’ve never heard of them. Not here.”
They had crossed the puddle. “It was in another world. Pretty cool world called Termina.”
“I’d like to go there.”
“Maybe some day.”
They had reached the pedestal at the Sacred Forest Meadow. Link took out his longshot and told Zelda to hang on to his waist. He trembled as she slid his arms around him. He pointed to the tree log that extended across a few more feet now, and released it. In a big swoop, they were standing on the broken steps of the stairway.
“Have you ever been inside the temple?” asked Link as the stood in the entranceway.
“No, I haven’t. It’s eerie, yet at the same time, so beautiful. Look at the vines and walls and the trees. It’s….wonderful.”
“I don’t think there are any monsters here, but just in case, stay close.” Link walked hesitantly towards the door, Zelda behind him. They were nearing the door, expecting to have the walofs jump up out of the ground. Zelda closed her eyes tight and screamed when she heard the sound of Link opening the door.
“Zelda! It’s ok, it’s just the doorknob.” said Link in a calming voice.
“The doorknob? Oh yes, of course, just the doorknob. I’m not scared! You shut up! What door? Go away.” Zelda said quickly, still scared.
Link opened the door to a long hallway. Zelda, eager and not scared anymore, was walking in front of Link. “See, nothing to be scared of.” Before Zelda could walk in front of him, Link put his arm out and said, “Wait!” he pulled out his bow and shot it in the air, in darkness. Zelda wondered where he shot it, before she could ask where, a dead giant skulttula fell to the ground and disappeared in a brown smoke.
“How did you know that was there?” asked Zelda.
“Let’s just say I learned it the hard way.” said Link, smiling.
They walked into the next room that literally made Zelda freeze. The huge room with the elevator in the center, made her blush.
Link saw her face turn red. “What’s the matter Zelda?”
“It’s just, this place is so different from the castle. Everything here is dark and no one here can bother you because no one would want to come here. At the castle, it’s bright, colorful, and it gets to you after a while. At least here, it’s like a clean slate. A canvas that ready to be painted on.”
Link got confused because she didn’t seem to make any sense. So he just walked on straight forward towards the door.
“What’s that thing?” asked Zelda, pointing to the brown box thing in the center.
“That’s an elevator.” said Link, already knowing what she was asking about.
“An elevator? What’s that?”
“It makes you up and down from one floor to another. Kind of like stairs. Only it’s smaller and takes up less space.”
“I can see why they put it in here. Those things will never catch on.”
They both laughed as the made their way across the room. Link opened the next door and they found themselves in the temple’s river and meadow room outside.
“If I had known that this temple had a place as beautiful as this, I would’ve come here more often.”
“But I thought you’ve never been here before.”
“My point exactly.”
“Don’t drink that trough water. It’s filthy.”
“A real river! Wow! I’ve never seen that before.” Zelda ran over and knelt down on the side of the small river. All of a sudden, an octotork popped up and spit a rock at Zelda. She screamed.
Link darted past Zelda, jumped over to the other side and landed perfectly on his feet. The octotork was perfectly still. Then white-like foam came out of three huge cuts on its face.
“How did you do that?” asked Zelda as she got up.
“Practice.” said Link as he sheathed his sword. “Practice.”

Roy grabbed an unsuspecting little boy but the collar of his shirt in Kakariko Village. It wasn’t the first time he had done that either. He did it to women and other children. But Roy had a feeling that this was going to be different. The boy was only about thirteen to fourteen years old. “Do you know where Princess Zelda or that forest kid went?” Roy asked, his voice like thunder.
“You mean Link? The Hero of Time?” said the boy, gasping for air.
“Yes!” Roy’s patience was growing thin.
“No I don’t know where they are now but if you put me down, I can help you out.”
Roy relinquished the boy from his grip as the boy dropped to the floor, grabbing his throat. “Ok. I put you down, now help me.”
The boy smiled. “I can find anyone, and do whatever you want me to do with them. For a price.”
“I don’t know if I can believe you. I don’t usually trust little kids.”
“You can trust me.” the boy stood up. “Judging by your expression, you don’t like this Link do you.”
“Is it that obvious?” Roy asked sarcastically.
“Yes. It is. Now do you want me to take care of him or not.”
“You get right to the point don’t you? Ok.” Roy pulled out a few rupees and threw them on the ground in front of the boy. The boy, of course, picked up each one like a beggar on the streets. “Is this enough?” asked Roy.
“Just enough. You’re lucky I already know what he looks like. Do you want me to kill him or just hurt him badly?”
“I don’t care. Just take care of him and get Princess Zelda away from him.”
“Of course.” the boy turned around and walked towards his house to get his weapon.
“Wait kid!” the boy turned, “What’s your name?”
“I am the tiger.” The boy made his fingers curl like a tiger’s paw.
Roy wanted to laugh but didn’t have the time. He turned around and motioned to Daniel to follow.
“Wait sir!” the tiger said. Roy stopped and turned around. “What kid.” He asked.
The boy gave him a sheet of paper. “This is a flyer I give to all my ‘clients’. Read it if you want to.”
The tiger turned around and went back into his house. Roy threw the paper over his shoulder and walked off. Daniel picked it up off the ground and read it….. (This is an actual song by ABBA)

The city is a jungle
you better take care
never walk alone after midnight
if you don’t believe it
you better beware of me

I am behind you
I always find you
I am the tiger
people who fear me
never go near me
I am the tiger

The city is a nightmare
a horrible dream
some of us will dream it forever
look around the corner
and try not to scream, it’s me

I am behind you
I always find you
I am the tiger
people who fear me
never go near me
I am the tiger

Yellow eyes
are glowing like the neon lights
yellow eyes
the spotlights of the city nights

I am behind you
I always find you
I am the tiger
people who fear me
never go near me
I am the tiger

The city is a prison
you never escape
you’re forever trapped in the alleys
look into the shadows
and you’ll see the shape of me

I am behind you
I always find you
I am the tiger
people who fear me
never go near me
I am the tiger

Yellow eyes
are glowing like the neon lights
yellow eyes
the spotlights of the city nights

I am behind you
I always find you
I am the tiger
people who fear me
never go near me
I am the tiger
and if I meet you
what if I eat you
I am the tiger
I am behind you
I’ll always find you
I am the tiger

Daniel laughed as he put the paper in his jacket and walked off….

"Where do we go next?" asked Zelda as she and Link walked out from the darkness of the Forest Temple.
“Don’t you remember?” asked Link as he took Zelda in his arms and jump down from the temple steps. “It’s the Fire Temple.”
Zelda swallowed hard. “It’s like, really hot there right?”
“You really don’t remember do you? Of course it’s hot there. It is in a volcano after all.” He put Zelda down.
“Well, I don’t usually like it when it’s too hot. Can we not spend too much time there?”
“Sure. Anything you want.” Zelda was thankful Link was so understanding.
They began their walk to the next temple by navigating through the maze.
“Those paintings were so identical.” said Zelda, reminiscing about the time they were in the boss room. “Did the Phantom Ganon really come out of them?”
“On a horse. Two of them actually. One was real and one was a fake. It shot out flying colorful beams of energy at me.” Link cuffed his hands and made gestures about what happened by moving them and twisting them. It didn’t really give Zelda a good visual, but she still smiled as she listened.
“What about that elevator, I’ve never seen anything like that before.” said Zelda.
“Yeah, pretty weird, huh?” said Link. He thought back at what happened….
“Ok Zelda, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” said Link.
Zelda was standing there, clutching her bag, “I know. But it still looks creepy to me.”
Link put out his hand and Zelda took it. The elevator was small, but they managed to squeeze in there, only by staying close together, but that didn’t seem to mind them that much. The elevator slowly descended down the narrow hall until Zelda saw light pour onto her feet.
“We’re here. Now that wasn’t so bad.” said Link, stepping off.
“Let’s do that again!” said Zelda eagerly.
Link’s eyes went wide in surprise. They spent, well Zelda spent, the next two hours going up and down the elevator. Link, on the other hand, was sitting up against one the walls on a blue mat. She laughed and as the ride went up and down. It took a while, but Link was finally able to get her off of it. He walked her over to the room with the identical paintings. Then the vision began to fade as they made their way out of the lost woods.
“Ok, so we go to the Fire, Water, Shadow, and Sprit.” said Zelda, snapping Link out of his flashback.
“Huh? Oh yeah, right.” said Link.
Before they knew it, they were already back in Hyrule Field. “Can we ride Epona this time?” asked Zelda, “My feet are starting to hurt.”
“Sure.” Link pulled out his ocarina and was about to blow in it.
“I thought you said you didn’t have an ocarina.” Link took the ocarina out of his mouth.
“I meant, when I said I didn’t have an ocarina, that I didn’t have an ocarina that can warp us.”
“I think that ocarina would be able to warp someone.”
“No, I don’t think it can.”
“Well you haven’t even tried.”
“I don’t need to try because I know it won’t work!”
“Well you don’t know that!”
“I do know that!”
“No you don’t!”
They had started to argue. Link, ignoring Zelda, called for Epona to come. They had both mounted her, but didn’t speak all the way to Kakariko Village.
Link started thinking, “Well, I could’ve at least tried.”
Zelda was thinking as well, “It is pretty unlikely. I think only the Ocarina of Time could do it.”
When they approached the steps, Link finally broke the silence by saying, “Zelda, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”
“No, It’s my fault, something like that may be too ridiculous.” said Zelda, as they both got off Epona. They hugged in apology.
“Now lets climb that mountain!” said Link, running up the stairs as Zelda followed.
The village had grown a little bit since Link and Zelda had last seen it. There were finally houses behind the windmill for the new people that had moved there after the attacks. And they finally got that guy off the roof that had been there for quite some time.
“We’re climbing that mountain?” said Zelda, pointing to Death Mountain.
“Of course. It’s not exactly a hill is it?” said Link.
“Well, if I’m going to climb that mountain, I better get the proper equipment.” Zelda took out her small bag filled with rupees, and went to the newly built equipment store. This took Link as a bit odd, since he didn’t think anyone but he would be crazy enough to climb that mountain.
The man at the check-out desk was obviously bored stiff, but jumped at the sight of an actual customer. “Hello.” He said, smiling.
“Hi. I’m climbing the mountain today and I need some equipment.”
Link waited outside for Zelda. He looked to his left and noticed a little girl staring at him. He looked away but he still knew that she was watching him.
“Excuse me sir.” she said, approaching him.
“Yes?” Link asked.
“My name is Shiori. As a good girl I should keep my mouth shut, but as a fellow human I think I should tell you something important.”
“What is it?”
“Well, I have a brother named Marin. He calls himself the Tiger.”
“Ok.”
“Well, it just so happens that he has been hired to ‘take care of you’.”
“What, you mean, kill me?”
“I’m not sure. It’s a very vague expression, but the prince that is visiting here hired him. Now, he may be young, but he is very dangerous.”
“Hmm….thanks. I’ll keep my eye out for him.” Link winked at Shiori. She then walked off.
Zelda came out of the store asking Link, “Is three hundred rupees too much to pay for boots?”
“Ugh! Just come with me. There’s a path there you can use for walking.”
“Really? Well I’ve been saved a lot of money. Thanks.”
They both walked up the path until they got to the Goron’s City. As Link guided Zelda to Darunia’s room, the gorons were all saying things like “Hey there’s Link!” or “How’s it going Link?” and “Oooo, you got yourself a girl huh? It was only a matter of time.” That one made both Link and Zelda blush. In Darunia’s ‘throne room’, Link and Zelda were finally there.
At the first sight of Link, Darunia went crazy.
“Brother! You’ve finally come back!” Darunia said, coming at him with his arms open for a hug. Darunia wrapped his arms around Link.
Link’s scream sounded exactly the same as it did seven years ago. “Darunia!” Link gasped for air, “I can’t breathe!”
“Sure brother. I don’t want to bring you down that same road again.” He saw Zelda was standing there, smiling. “Princess Zelda! How are you?”
“I’m fine sage of fire,” said Zelda in respect.
“Darunia, Zelda and I want to visit the Fire Temple. Can we pass through?” asked Link
“Sure thing. Just be careful,” said Darunia.
Link pulled back the statue and they both went behind it. Zelda was instantly incased in heat as soon as she took a step out. She could handle it, barely. They reached the foot of the broken bridge.
“Why don’t we try out that theory right now?” asked Link.
“What theory?” asked Zelda.
“We can see if this ocarina can warp something.” Link pulled out the ocarina Saria gave to him.
“Ok. I’ll play it.” Zelda put the ocarina in her mouth. Then stopped. “I forgot the notes.”
“Come on Zelda. You taught me it right here. I’ll play it.” Zelda handed him the ocarina.
Link played each of the notes. Zelda couldn’t help but think of words to go along with it….

My soul is like a flame.
Burning very strong for you.
I've been waiting so long,
for you to come back
I don't how long I'll last
Until I see your face again once more......

That’s what she seemed to be thing everyday before Link came back.
Nothing. “There. It can’t warp someone,” said Link. He took Zelda by the hip and crossed the bridge with his longshot. They got only halfway across the bridge when there were little red lights surrounding Link. “What’s going on?” asked Link, panicked. Before he knew it, he was warped to the pedestal in front of the Fire Temple. Link was standing on it, sprawled.
Zelda came running up to him. “I’m waiting.” She said as she tapped her foot.
“Ok, you were right, and I was wrong. I’m sorry.” Link said, a little insincerely.
They made their way into the fire temple. In front of them was a long ladder. “We have to climb down,” said Link.
Link put his hands on the top poles and his feet on the rungs. Zelda followed. They climbed down as the heat was coming more and more intense. When she was at the bottom, she felt like she was going to explode. She shut her eyes tight against the pain. But then, Link slipped something on her, and everything was ok. It was still the same heat to her, but she could bear it. She opened her eyes and saw Link had slipped a red tunic on her.
“Sorry, I should’ve given that to you before we entered the crater,” said Link.
“Thanks. I feel much better,” said Zelda, face turning red. It didn’t make much a difference since her face was already red from the heat.
The tunic was baggy on her, but she didn’t seem to care. “I’ll only take one place. There isn’t much to see here so I figure, why spend so much of our limited time here?” said Link.
“I want to see…..the wall of fire,” said Zelda eagerly.
“Ok, follow me.”
They crossed a rickety bridge. Zelda looked at the environment. A lot of bats that were on fire were everywhere. Skulls that were on fire were there also. Link opened a door to a fire spout with a huge block.
“This is a different kind of elevator,” said Link. “I put this block on the fire fountain, and we go up.”
“It doesn’t look as much fun as the other one,” said Zelda.
“True, you can get burned, but that’s the only way up.”
Link told Zelda to climb the grate and to jump down next to the block. At the top, Zelda stopped.
“Link…..” she said.
“Yes?” replied Link as he climbed up.
“There’s bats over there.” Zelda pointed to twin bats sleeping soundly on the grate. With a huge, blinding slice, the bats here cut in half from their wings. Link pushed the block with much of his strength, since he was not wearing the silver gauntlets. Zelda was hypnotized as she saw Link’s muscles bulge out. Her face again turned red. She was almost saddened when the block was finally pushed down.
“Quickly now!” Link said, grabbing Zelda and throwing her up. The fire pushed them both up to the next level. The finally came up to the room with the wall of fire.
“Here we are. The Wall of Fire.” Link said, not really looking at anything in particular.
“Umm….where is it?” asked Zelda, looking around.
“We have to jump down on the grate first. Once we land, we have to run on the other side be fore it gets us.”
Zelda was a little nervous, but agreed to do it anyway. Link was the first to jump, and then Zelda followed. The wall of fire jumped up and was slowly coming towards them.
“Run Zelda!” Link called out to her as he began to run as well. Zelda picked up her left foot and began to run too. Everything was going fine until Zelda tripped and got her foot caught in the grate. Zelda tried desperately to shake free as the wall of fire was drawing nearer.
Link had made it to the other side. “That was cool, huh?” asked Link, thinking Zelda was still there.
“Link! Help!” cried Zelda. Link turned around and saw Zelda on the floor of the grate, trying to shake free.
“Zelda!” yelled Link, running towards her. He knelt down beside her as the firewall was inching its way towards them.
Zelda had jerked her ankle and foot so much, she was starting to bleed. She continued to bleed until she was able to slip her foot right out of the grate. The wall of fire just inches away from them. Link didn’t stop to see if she was alright, he just picked her up and ran over to the other side. They made it.

Link, still carrying Zelda, emerged from the Fire Temple. “We’ve got to remember no to do that again.” Link said, bluntly.
“No arguments here,” said Zelda.
Link crossed the bridge and continued down the mountain. No of them spoke until they got to Kakariko village where Zelda finally asked, “Water Temple next right?”
“Water Temple? We’re not going there. You’re injured enough as it is.” Link protested then sigh, “It was my entire fault. I shouldn’t have brought you there.”
“No Link, none of this was your fault. I only hurt my ankle a little bit, but its fine now.” Zelda had a white bandage stained blood red around her ankle.
“Ok, we’ll go to the Water Temple, but I’m going to watch you like a hawk. Can you stand?”
“I think so.” Link slowly let her down. On her feet, Zelda almost fell, but held he ground and footing. “See, I’m fine.”
“Can you walk?”
“Of course I can!” With little movement, and great effort, Zelda managed to take a few steps. Saying “Ow.” With each one.
Link wanted to pick her up again, but Zelda told him not to, she said she could handle it. Even though she was in incredible pain, she never showed it. It was hard to hide her over-happiness when she found out they were going to ride Epona.
When they arrived at Lake Hylia, They ran into some blue tektites, but nothing that Link couldn’t handle.
When they got to the small island, Zelda said, “Now I’m in the mood for swimming. Hmm…I should probably take this tunic off.”
Link took the red tunic and handed her a blue one. “Put this one on. You can breathe underwater with it.”
Zelda slipped on the blue tunic with ease. “Take a deep breath.” Said Zelda, as Link put on his iron boots and jumped into the water, Zelda in his arms.
Zelda’s hair went up like a fro’. Link laughed underwater as many bubbles went up to the surface. The Water Temple entrance was right in front of them, as they walked in arm and arm.

The Tiger was out of breath as he approached Lake Hylia. He had been searching all over Hyrule, looking for Link. Finally, he spotted him crossing the bridge with Zelda. ‘Just get him away from Zelda.’ He remembered Roy say. “Maybe I’ll have a little fun with them first….” He thought, following them to the temple. It took some doing, but he finally managed to find them under the water.
Zelda poked her head out of the surface of the water. Link popped up beside her, scaring her a little. “This place is awesome!” she said, eager.
“The water level is on the third floor,” said Link, examining the temple.
“Is that bad?”
“No. We just have to do more swimming than expected.” Link climbed off the ledge and laced off his iron boots. He jumped to the ledge of the tower in the center. Zelda was hesitant at first, but Link caught her when she jumped, making them both laugh. Link walked over to the door as they both entered.
The Tiger splashed up out of the water. He had been holding his breath the whole time. Hearing the door shut, he knew where Link had gone. His weapon, a zanbatou, was on his back. He quietly opened the door and saw Link and Zelda laughing and talking. The sight made him sick with disgust. “Hanaly Onyo Samar!” he chanted in a soft voice and pointed his finger at Link, but at the last moment, he turned around and the spell hit Zelda instead. Zelda was instantly frozen in red ice. “Shit!” The Tiger whispered to himself. He closed the door and ran away back to the lake.
“Zelda!” Link looked around for the culprit. He was nowhere to be found. Link tried hacking at the ice with his sword, but it only made small dents and shaved ice. “The only way I can unfreeze you is if I can get some blue fire…..” Link was saying to himself. He didn’t want to leave Zelda, but if he didn’t leave soon, Zelda would surely die, he knew. In one last decision, Link hugged the ice, meaning to hug Zelda, and warped to Kakariko Village. He jumped down from the Shadow Temple, and to the potion shop. Out of breath he yelled, “I need some blue fire!”
“Right away, sir.” The clerk moved slowly. He was taking steps in inches, like a snail.
“Hurry up!” Link was growing impatient. Finally, Link jumped over the counter, grabbed the blue fire, and ran for the door.
“That’ll be...” Link slammed the door behind him, “Three hundred rupees.”
Back in the temple, Link was noticing Zelda was turning blue from the cold. Red ice was different than regular ice. You were still conscious and awake when you were frozen, making one’s body temperature drop down rapidly.
Link threw the candle with the blue flame down and the red ice was soon engulfed with a soft blue flame. Zelda blinked a few times, and then was able to see clearly. “What happened?” she asked, barely conscious.
Link put his arms around her, to warm her, “You were frozen in red ice. Someone cast a spell on you.”
“Who, and how did they find us here?”
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.” Link stomped towards the door as Zelda followed.
Outside the temple, on the little island of Lake Hylia, Link and Zelda emerged from the water as the Tiger was empting out water of his shoes. At the first sight of bubbles, the Tiger clawed up the leave-less tree, hiding.
“Who or what would want to do something like that?” asked Zelda, still shivering.
“I don’t know. But whoever did is likely going to strike again,” said Link.
“Link-“
“That’s Link? I’ve never seen him up close before.” The Tiger said to himself.
“Do you think that he will be very powerful? Like Ganondorf?”
“I hope not….” Link thought. He never wanted to that monster again.
The Tiger jumped down from the tree. “Link!” he called, holding his zanbatou in an opposing strike.
Link and Zelda turned around. “Yes? Who are you?” asked Link.
“I am the Tiger.” He used his left to make a tiger’s paw and his right to hold the weapon.
“You? You mean….you are the tiger?”
“That’s right! And I’m here to ‘take care of you.”
Link and Zelda looked at each other in a somewhat scared look. Then burst into laughing in an instant. “You’re the guy that’s supposed to be dangerous?” Link asked still laughing. Tears were forming in their eyes form the hysteria.
“Stop it!” he began to sing, “The city is a jungle, you better take care. Never walk alone after midnight. If you don’t believe it, you better beware of me-“
“I am behind you I always find you. I am the tiger!” Zelda began to sing.
“Hey stop! It’s not funny!”
“People who fear me, never go near me, I am the tiger.” Link sang too.
The Tiger growled and leaped up and struck Zelda with a huge blow to the stomach, it knocked her down, and the wind out of her. Link immediately wiped the smile from his face. He pulled out his sword and shield.
“You were looking for a fight kid?” Link said sternly.
“Of course!” said the Tiger, impatiently.
“Than let’s go!”
Link charged at him in an attempted to slash at him with his sword, but the Tiger just put up the zanbatou as a guard. The Tiger managed to kick Link on his shin, making the great weight get pulled off of him. He spun the weapon around and tried to hit Link on the back, but Link punched him in the face, taking him by complete surprise. Now Link was trying to kick him as the Tiger was ducking and jumping, avoiding every attack. Finally, Link pulled out Din’s Fire and it hit the Tiger!
The attack was off only by a mere millimeter for a direct attack, allowing the Tiger to live, and to escape while the fire and smoke was still in the air.
When the smoke cleared, Link saw that the Tiger had run away. He turned around and helped Zelda up. She was just fine, nut Link was acting like she was dying.
“Link, I’m ok. But do you know who that was?” asked Zelda.
“No. But it’s a good thing we’re going to pass through Kakariko Village, because I’ve got to have a talk with a certain little girl. Let’s go.”

“ROY!” the Tiger screamed as he entered the dark room, only lit by a single candle.
“Hmm….so you came back did you?” Said Roy, standing at a desk with his back turned to him.
“You did not tell me Link was that powerful!” his face was badly burned. It was black and red.
“Kid, you know the legends as well as I do, now. A teenage boy somehow was able to defeat the dark king.” Roy turned around. Stone was softer than his glare to the Tiger. “And didn’t actually think that some stupid, little, annoying kid would’ve been able to defeat him? Your kind of people sickens me.” Roy turned back around.
“You’ll regret that!” said the Tiger, charging at him with the zanbatou. In on grip, Roy was able to stop the attack. The Tiger shook his hand wildly to get it free, but took no effect. Roy picked up the weapon with the child still clinging to it and threw it across the room with incredible might.
The Tiger hit the wall and fell to the ground, motionless.
“Pathetic. If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself....."

March 13

Dear Diary,
It has been a long time since I’ve seen Link. I sent him on a mission to get the three spiritual stones before Ganondorf does. I do hope he’s alright, a child the same age as me, doing a task as big as this, may be too dangerous. I am praying for this boy every night.

March 18

Dear Diary,
Impa and I barely escaped from the castle. Ganondorf suddenly went crazy and attempted to kill us! Well, he attempted to kill Impa, he tried to capture me for the power of wisdom that my father told me I had. We rode out of the castle, and I saw Link waiting for me at the bridge. I wanted to tell him what has happened, but there was no time. I threw the ocarina behind me, hoping that it would explain itself. As we rode off in the horizon, his image became smaller and smaller until I couldn’t see him anymore…

(Three Years Later)

July 8

Dear Diary,
I have just about mastered my transform technique. My father told me I had the power and Impa taught me how to do it. Link hasn’t been around anywhere. Not that I could search around the field or anything. It’s one thing for a ten year old boy to wander around there, but for a girl to do it, even being thirteen years old, it’s still much more dangerous for me. I am feeling new feelings now. Impa tells me it’s all apart of growing up. But what can she tell me about me being more attracted to boys? I don’t see them as a bunch of icky kids my age, but as a bunch of good-looking men that I want to be around more. I wish Link were here.

(Four years later)

August 28

Dear Diary,
I saw Link today. I’m not very excited as I thought I would be. Maybe it’s because I didn’t see him as me, but as a man named Sheik I disguised myself as. It was in the Temple of Time. I never really went there since the ambush when I was a little girl, but I sensed Link’s presence there, and I was right. I told him about the temples and the sages. I wanted, so much, to tell him who I really was, but for my own protection, as much as his, I kept my real identity a secret. I almost cried as I saw him run out of the temple, but held back my tears as much as I could.

August 30

Dear Diary,
I met up with Link at the entrance of the Forest Temple in the Lost Woods. It’s funny, but when we were our musical instruments together in harmony, it felt like, for that brief moment, we were together as one. I wasn’t Sheik or anyone else, I was Princess-no, I was Zelda. And Link was Link. I could tell Link was eager to find out who I was behind the mask, but seeing him get near me was too painful. I threw a deku nut on the floor, and in a blinding light, I jumped out of sight. What Link was doing after that, I did not know.

September 3

Dear Diary,
I saw Link, once again, in Death Mountain Crater and Oh my Gosh! How hot it was! I didn’t want to stay long, because seeing Link, for some crazy reason, made my body hotter. He looked so cute, so handsome, and so heroic, that I blushed. Not that anyone could tell, but I know I did. I taught him the Bolero of Fire and in another blinding flash, I was gone…

September 5

Dear Diary,
Brrr! The Ice Cavern was freezing! It was so cold, fire would even freeze here! I stood, shivering, in a cold room as I waited for Link to arrive. What was taking him so long? Maybe in cold places, time seems to go slower. I shouldn’t resent Link for being a little late but……Man was I freezing! At long last, Link finally came in through the door. He defeated the walof and I was able to teach him the Serenade of Water and get out of there before my body literally became a human icicle. I hope I never have to do that again!

September 7

Dear Diary,
I nearly burst into crying when I saw Kakariko Village in flames. I wanted to stand there and cry, but couldn’t since I knew Link would be coming soon and I couldn’t bear to have him see me like this. I walked, cautiously to the well until he came. The demon monster came out of the well. I thought I would be able to handle it. I was wrong. The monster knocked me back and I blacked out for a moment. When I opened my eyes, I saw the monster heading right towards Link and I! Link held his sword out, but before I could tell him no to, the monster had gotten him. I was by his side when he awoke. By that time, the villagers and I were able to put the flames out. All that was left was smoke and burned houses. Everything seemed so dead in the village. The Nocturne of Shadow was a somewhat scary song for me to play. But I had to teach him. I needed him to go and save Impa. It was my only choice. I sang as we played…

Journey through the house if dead…
Courage might not be enough…
You’re the hero of time…
And I know you’ll make it out alive…

September 10

Pure heart of a child…
Man with power of sliver… too…
The hero of time has been awakened…

Those seem to be the words I thought about as I played the Requiem of Sprit for Link. He was able to go back in time. Yet, he wouldn’t be able to see me. My guards wouldn’t allow it. I wish I could go back in time. But I can’t. So I must sit in my own pool of sadness while I watch practically the only friend I had, get hurt and possibly be killed!
The desert sand scratched my eyes until they watered. Time itself is in Link’s hands. I am…no…Hyrule is counting on him to restore order and law to this world.

September 14

Dear Diary,
I was captured by Ganondorf! I saw Link at the Temple of Time just before it happened. I revealed myself to him. I just couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. I gave him the light arrow; I thought that intrusting it to him would be our best chance. I was imprisoned in a pink crystal. As I drifted up to the ceiling, I managed to tell Link where I was, and how to save me. I hope he gets here in time.

September 15

Dear Diary,
Link was victorious. He slay Ganondorf and his reincarnation, Ganon. I was terrified at his presence, but in the end, Link made sure I was alright. I was able to even help him. Hyrule was safe. And I owe it all to Link. I asked him to give me the Ocarina of Time back. I wanted him to relive his life like a normal child should. As I played the song, Link drifted up in a blue crystal. He mouthed something, but I couldn’t figure out what…

(7 years earlier)

February 26

Dear Diary,
This is my first passage. Impa gave me this diary to record my thoughts and feelings in. I’m just not sure what. Ever since my father has been expected the arrival of some prince, I have been puzzled at why he has been so anxious at me meeting him. The only boy I liked was Link, he’s from the forest. I haven’t seen him in weeks, which seems like forever when you’re a princess. I am hoping this prince is nice. I wonder why he’s visiting anyway.

March 3

Dear Diary,
I’m sorry I haven’t written in you for a while. But I met the prince. His name is Roy and he’s from some kingdom that starts with an ‘A’. I can’t remember what it’s called though. He was very nice to me. He had fire red hair, blue eyes, and his slender build made the clothes he was wearing, a cape, tunic, and pants, look sort of baggy. But that didn’t matter. I still liked him. Not the way I did Link, but he was cool.

(3 years later)

June 18

Dear Diary,
That crazy Roy is really something. He came to visit for a week last week. It’s funny, but lately he’s been all over me. He said I look more attractive to him than I did a couple of weeks ago. He looked different to. He had red spots on his face and he had grown more inches at once than he usually did. My father and his father have been talking a lot lately, like their planning something. But I just can’t figure out what.

(4 years later)

May 14

Dear Diary,
Roy purposed. The day before, my father told me that he would be asking me something very important and life changing. When the question was for marriage, I knew that was what my father had meant. He knew what was going to be asked of me, and I knew that meant I should say yes. I don’t particularly love Roy, but if my fathers happy, I’m happy. I think. So I said yes. I wish Link were here.

May 28

Dear Diary,
I’ve never felt so sad. Link finally came back today. I saw him in the castle courtyard. I nearly cried at the sight of him. For a while, I had forgotten about my engagement. We picked flowers and talked. We came so close to kissing, but Roy intervened. When Link found out about us, he just ran away. I tried to stop him, but he was too fast. When I got back to my room, I broke out in tears on my bed. I am still crying as I write this.

May 31

Dear Diary,
Link came back today. I was grateful that Roy wasn’t there today. I don’t think he likes Link very much. I told him, since we hadn’t seen each other in so long, that we would spend the next two months together. He was hesitant, but who could blame him? He finally agreed. We would spend the next two months in the temples.

June 1

Dear Diary,
I saw Link talking to Roy at the castle gate today, just as I was leaving to meet him there. Judging by the look on Link’s face, I could tell Roy offended him in some way. I convinced Link to take me to the temple anyway. I was happy I wouldn’t have to Roy for two months. Does that make me a bed fiancée?

June 2

Dear Diary,
Link told me about a dream he had. He was in school and all the other students laughed at him just because his ears were pointed. In the Kokiri Forest, Link took me to the Forest Temple. I loved it there. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time. The courtyard was a wonderful sight too. An octotork attacked me, but I’m better now. My favorite part was the elevator.

June 3

Dear Diary,
The Fire Temple was our next destination. The heat was almost unbearable for me. Thankfully, Link gave me his red tunic that shielded me from the heat. Before we went there, we stopped at Kakariko Village. The man at the mountain hiking store was trying to overcharge me for a pair of hiking boots, but Link was able to save me a couple of rupees. I injured myself in the temple. The Wall of Fire was coming closer to me on the grate. I caught my foot in one of the holes and my ankle was badly cut. Link saved my life. If he hadn’t have been there to help me, I would’ve been dead, or at the least, badly burned. I must find a way to thank him.

June 4

Dear Diary,
Link and I visited the Water Temple today. It was a short visit because of the attack on me. I was frozen in red ice. Link, again, saved me by getting blue fire to me in time. When we got out of the fire temple, we found out it was just some kid. He was young, about fourteen. He had orange hair with black stripes, like a tiger, which is what he called himself, the Tiger. He had a song that I’ve heard before. When he began to sing, Link and I joined in. He got very angry and attacked me, again. I blacked out, but when I opened my eyes, he was gone. Where? I don’t know. Why did he attack me? I don’t know. Will he strike again? I hope not.

A boy with white hair that went down over his ears was on his knees and legs in front of a door. He was waiting for him to come in his, what seemed like a prison cell. He couldn’t quite remember how he got there. All he remembered was that he was called to Hyrule for an assignment. This made him scared. Did Roy find out about his special powers? And if Roy did, did he know that he couldn’t control them completely?

“Who was that boy?” asked Link to Shiori in Kakariko village.
“Oh, so my brother has finally found you, did he?” asked Shiori.
“He attacked me twice! I almost died once!” said Zelda.
“Come in my house. I’ll explain it to you.”
Shiori led Link and Zelda into her house. It was so beautiful. It had two beds, which signaled to Link that the Tiger slept in one and Shiori slept in the other, and with all that money they seemed to have for more beds, their parents were dead. There was a small table with four chairs and a candle in the middle. They all sat down at the table. The floor was wooden. Link recognized this floor. It was the House of Skulltula!
Shiori saw the look on Link’s face. “So you figured it out, huh? The spider demons that lived here were burned to death two years ago. That’s when my brother and I moved here. No one wanted to come in here at the fear of being cursed, so we came to live here, and so far, nothing has happened to us.” She poured them some tea. Zelda sipped it quietly.
“But they weren’t evil!” Link slammed his hands down on the table.
“We all know that now. But it’s too late and I don’t think there is much we can do for them now,” Shiori was surprisingly calm to Link’s sudden outburst.
“So tell us about your brother,” said Zelda, also unaffected by Link's strange reaction.
“Well, about two years ago, my brother and I used to travel around the wild with our parents a lot. Marin especially liked going to the jungles in hopes to see his favorite animal, the tiger. Hence his assassin name.”
“Assassin? Was he really trying to kill Zelda?” asked Link.
“Doubt it. If he wanted to assume power over all of Hyrule, I don’t think he would’ve gotten it that way.”
“Keep going,” said Zelda.
“As I was saying, in one of the jungles, my parents got a deadly disease. And, as you may have already guessed, they died. It is not long until I will succumb to it too.”
“You have it too?”
Shiori nodded. “I haven’t died yet because I have a natural slight immunity to it. It won’t save my life, but it will keep me alive for a while longer. My brother and I came here, in hopes for a cure. But no luck. He became a “hit man” in order to support us. But the constant killing and murdering is something I can’t endure.”
“Does Marin have the disease?”
“No. He is the only one left in the bloodline whenever I die.”
“I’m sorry.” Said Link.
“You better get going.” Shiori stood up. Link followed Zelda out the door. “Wait Link!”
Link turned around and handed him a shiny and lumpy piece of metal. When Link looked at it he said, “What’s this for?”
“I found that in the jungles a while back. Use it when anyone gives you trouble.”
“How would this help me? It’s just a piece of metal or led.”
“Let me show you.” Link handed her the lump of metal. When she held it in her hand, she yelled, “Boomerang!” The metal glowed yellow and changed its shape into a boomerang with the Triforce on the tip and vines on the sides. She threw it at a pot. It broke it and flew back to her hands. The metal changed back into its original shape.
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
“Now go, Zelda’s waiting.” Link ran to Zelda out the door.

The cell door opened and a man in a brown cloak, hiding his face, came in. “The prince will see you now, Tarron.”
The boy stood up, still looking down. He didn’t say anything.
“Follow me.” The cloaked man said.
The boy followed the man down the stone wall corridors and hallways lit by torches. Even if this was creepy to the boy, he showed no sign of fear. There was a long stairway up to the first floor, and out of the basement.
“Go up, the prince will meet you there.”
The boy nodded and looked up as he walked up the endless flight of stairs. Soon, the light at the top grew bigger, and shapes began to form. They looked like people, or places. The boy finally reached the top and opened a door. He found himself in the middle of a courtyard where there was no one to be seen. The boy, confused, looked around. He didn’t want to go back through the door again, and he couldn’t fit through that hole to his left, so his only option was to go right. He found a square hedge, but there was still no one anywhere near it.
The boy finally made his way to a courtyard with two windows. He saw a man with fire red hair and a blood red cape in a black tunic and brown boots. The boy instantly knew who it was and ran up to him. When he was standing in front of Prince Roy, Roy just looked at him, expecting him to do something. The boy, realizing what he was doing wrong, got down on one knee, put one hand in a fist on the floor the other, on his leg.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Said Roy.
The boy remained silent.
“Are you really as powerful as people say you are.”
“…” The boy still remained silent.
“Can you speak at all?”
“What the hell are you talking about? Of course I can talk!” said the boy, with no fear or hesitation.
“Getting a little attitude are you? No matter. I called you here for one reason and one reason only, to kill someone for me. Can you use your powers to carry out this task? If you can, I will set you free and send you back home.”
“Who’s the guy?”
Roy smirked. “His name is Link. He wears a green tunic and white panty hose. He is most likely traveling with a Princess named Zelda.”
“Where can I find him?”

“The Shadow Temple, most well known for its infinite shadow traps and monsters born from darkness.” Said Link.
“I’m not scared. I’ll go in.” said Zelda.
They both didn’t get across the bottomless pit before Zelda freaked out and ran away.
“We’ll just go to the Spirit Temple next……” said Link before he chased after the screaming Zelda.
Zelda was still shaking when they both arrived at the Gerudo’s Fortress. Despite Link being a man, the Gerudo’s still respected him as one of their own.
Link and Zelda walked over to the gate. The woman standing there, as if knowing what they wanted, opened the gate for them.
(An excerpt from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles)
“I met a man.” Said Zelda, “Who said his dream was to find a great treasure, hidden in the desert. Everyone burst into laughter and told him there was no such thing. But the moment I saw this place, I felt his dream would surely come true.” Zelda closed her eyes and smiled, “The desert glittered like a sea of jewels under that shimmering sun.”
Link smiled. “Yeah, the desert is like a treasure.”
Link crossed the river of sand and pulled out the eye of truth. The Poe, still there, guided Link and Zelda to the Desert Colossus. The wind was strong, and Link had to make sure Zelda was close to her so she wouldn’t wander away. When the sands resolved itself, the statue of the Spirit Temple came into view.
“What a huge statue!” said Zelda, looking at the huge womanly statue.
“You should see the one inside. Stick close, there are some leevers around here and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I think I can handle them. But for now, I’m thirsty. Is there any water here in this desert?”
“Well, there’s a dry oasis over there.” Link pointed to a hole with a palm tree next to it.
“A dry oasis? Where’s the water?”
“I can play the song of storms.” Link pulled out his ocarina and played the song and rain came down, washing away to sand in the air. Zelda jumped in the shallow water and splashed around. Link looked at her as if she were a young child just learning how to swim.
Soon, the rain dissipated and the gray clouds faded as the yellow sun was shining again. Zelda got out of the water, a little embarrassed at how she just acted. She followed Link to the entrance. A few leevers pooped up. Link was about to draw his sword, but Zelda stopped him and through her fingers, four needles came out. “I can handle it.” She said.
In one big swoop of her hand, the needles flew out of her hands and hit each leever, killing them.
“How’d you that?” asked Link.
“Practice.” Said Zelda, “Just as you said. Practice.”
Link smiled as he walked toward the entrance. Zelda was behind him as she followed him. Suddenly, a purple vortex appeared under Zelda’s feet. It slowly sucked her in like quick sand as she screamed, “Link! Help!”
Link turned around, “Zelda!” He dove for her. By now, she was in it waist deep. Link pulled on her hand as Zelda was pushing on the ground, trying to push herself out. The pressure was beginning to increase as Zelda’s hand slipped out of her glove and was pulled in the purple vortex and disappeared.
“Zelda!” screamed Link. He looked down and closed hi eyes tight, about to cry again. He opened his eyes and looked at the long glove. It was almost as if he were holding her hand. “How could I let her go like that?”
Sand blew in. So much that Link could barely see in front of him. Out in the open came Tarron’s voice. “If you want to see her again, come to my battle ground where you faced the dark king’s mother, or mothers, whatever. Just come if you want to see her again.”
“Where are you?!” Link yelled to the air.
The sand soon cleared and the view to Link was clear again. He turned around to see the statue. Somehow, he knew who was behind this. “Roy…..” he whispered to himself. “ROY!” he yelled to himself as he ran toward the entrance to the Spirit Temple…

Link arrived at the Spirit Temple. Everything looked so familiar yet so different at the same time. Panicked, Link began to wonder if he was losing some of his memory from the past. He hardly remembered the Shadow Temple, and secretly, was afraid to go in there too. Even though he’s been in there before, it still looked scary.
Link looked to the left, then to the right. He thought very hard at where he went, and then the image popped up in his head like a fire blaze. He darted to the left. The huge boulder block was in his way, but he remembered the silver gauntlets. He strapped them on with ease and pushed the boulder the boulder out of the way with hardly any effort at all.
He made his way up the curling stairs into the room with the circular red carpet. Link was thankful that all the doors were unlocked. He ran through the door straight in front of him. He was almost there.

“What are you doing? Who are you?!” Zelda asked, trying to shake free out of the ropes that confined her to the wall.
“That man was right, you are a whiner.” Tarron said.
Zelda growled. “What do you want with me?”
“It’s not you that I want. It’s freedom.” Tarron seemed to sound sadder than evil or smart-mouthed.
“Freedom? From what? You kidnapped me of your own will. Didn’t you?”
Tarron shook his head. “Freedom is like a glass crystal. You must treat it with care and not abuse it, or it will break. And if it does break, you’d be surprised at what you could do to get it back. But why am I telling you this? I’m waiting for that guy in a green dress.”
“It’s called a tunic!” Zelda was surprised that she almost sounded like Link.
“I don’t care. Just shut up and stop complaining. You’re annoying me.”
Zelda made one last attempt to shake free, but to no avail.

Link saw the huge statue. He looked for a moment. ‘Why does it have no face?’ Link thought to himself. He shook his head and remembered, ‘Oh yeah, I burned it off so I could get to the boss.’ Link hopped on the platform as it rose into the air. He used his longshot to reach the metal grate that opened itself for him.
He saw the four platforms and the huge one in the middle. Link climbed up the textured side and looked around. Where was his pursuer?
“I’ve been waiting for you.” Said Tarron, lowering himself down on a piece of rock he was controlling.
“Where’s Zelda?” asked Link, his patience growing thin.
“Don’t worry, your girlfriend is safe.”
“She’s not my girlfriend!”
“Well she’s over there anyway.” Tarron pointed over Link’s shoulder. Link turned around to the direction he was pointing to and saw Zelda, hanging from a wall by ropes on her wrists.
“Link! Help!” Yelled Zelda.
“Zelda! Don’t worry; I’ll get you down, somehow!”
“Link, this is a battlefield. Two people come in. One person comes out. Now, shut up and draw your weapon, Link!” Tarron demanded.
Before Link could draw his sword, Tarron already had many rocks surrounding him, eyes glowing green, floating in midair. He threw three at Link, two of them missed, but the last one hit Link in the chest and knocked him down to the ground.
Link hit the hard floor with a loud thud. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring at the ceiling. ‘How’d he do that?’ Link thought to himself.
“Link!” screamed Zelda, once again, trying to shake free.
“Shut up!” Tarron yelled back to her.
Link staggered back to his feet and jumped back onto the platform. “Back for more are you?” asked Tarron, throwing more boulders at him. Link was smart and informed this time. He dodged high rocks and jumped on ones that were below his abdomen.
“Is that all you got?” Link smirked, ready for more action.
Tarron wasn’t expecting that, but still wasn’t feeling intimidated just yet. He dropped the remaining rocks that he was ‘holding’ and faced the palm of his hand to the fire candles. In one great swoop, he made a huge line of fire head straight towards Link. Link’s eyes went wide as he dove out of the way, barley escaping the burn.
Tarron kept throwing fireballs at Link. Link was having trouble keeping up. As soon as he dodged on fireball, there was another heading straight for his head!
“Link’s getting tired.” Zelda said to herself.
“What can I do?” Link thought to himself, “He’s too powerful.” Link suddenly came up with an idea so brilliant, he almost stopped dead in his tracks, but he didn’t. “I just have to wait for him to-“
“Coward! Fight me back! I’ll just have to finish you off! Right here! Right now!” Tarron yelled. He gathered up all the fire he could into one ball.
“Now’s my chance!” Link whispered. He looked around, frantically, in his pocket for the piece of metal Shiori, the Tiger’s sister, gave him. He beamed that he still held it in his hands.
Tarron threw to ball of fire as hard as he could at Link. Link, a little panicky, held up the piece of metal. “A….shield! A really, really, REALLY big shield!” he yelled. The metal glowed yellow and changed its shape into a huge, mirror-like shield. The fireball that hit with an amazing force pushed Link back so hard, he almost fell. But he planted his feet so firmly on the ground; he only made small, long holes in the ground.
The fireball ricocheted off the shield almost completely. Then it was headed right for Tarron! Tarron, stunned, but not paralyzed with fear, drew up as much rock as he could, as fast as he could, to protect him. The fire missed Tarron, but not by much. It was still close enough to burn him badly.
Tarron lunged at Link, his white hair flying everywhere. By this time, the shield had taken its original shape again. Link was confident he could beat him now. Now that he had an awesome cool weapon.
“Boomerang!” Link yelled. The metal glowed yellow as it transformed into a boomerang. He threw it at Tarron and missed his head by only inches. Instead, it cut off the left side of his hair completely off!
Tarron felt what was left of the left side of his hair. He looked angry now. “You bastard! That hair was all I had left of my family!”
“Your family is somehow connected to the left side of your hair?” asked Link.
Tarron eyes glowed light green in ire. He slowly levitated into the air. Rocks and fire in the air, swirled around him so fast, it was like a tornado. Link, seeing that he was distracted, ran over to Zelda and untied the ropes. Zelda, on her feet again, looked at the poor boy floating in the vortex of fire and earth.
Tarron blinked and realized what he was doing. He put his hands over his cheeks and went on his knees, still floating in midair. “No! Don’t lose control, again! It took your family, don’t let it take you!” Tarron yelled to himself.
(Now, my friend who’s read this part said she saw this on teen titans. Let me tell you all now, I do NOT watch that show. All that you are reading here is stuff that came from my mind. If you’ve seen it somewhere before, then too bad. Please don’t accuse me of plagiarism)
Huge rocks began to fall from the ceiling. The room was beginning to collapse.
“The temple’s imploding! Let’s get out of here!” Link yelled, grabbing Zelda’s arm.
Link was about to run out of the temple, but Zelda pulled him back. She shook from his grip and ran toward the tornado. Link grabbed the back of Zelda’s dress. “Are you crazy?”
“Evil or not, he’s still just a child, we have to help him.” Said Zelda.
“Fine!” Link pulled out the metal again. “Rod!” The metal transformed into a long dueling rod. “Go!”
Zelda ran into the tornado. Planting the rod into the floor to stay down. She looked up and spotted the crying Tarron floating in midair. She took out a white chain, Sheik’s, and threw it up to Tarron’s left foot. It dangled tightly around it. Zelda began pulling him down, like she was pulling down a kite.
Tarron opened his eyes when he was on the ground again. He looked up at Zelda, who had her hands on his shoulders. He just stared.
Link yelled to Zelda, “Zelda hurry! We don’t have much time left!”
Zelda immediately turned around and ran out the door with Link. She figured now that he was on the ground; he’d be able to get out, right?
Outside the temple, Link looked at Zelda, sadly. “Link, you’re staring. What’s wrong?” asked Zelda, noticing his glance.
“It’s just, what happened to that boy. He hasn’t come out yet.” Said Link.
“An individual such as him would be able to handle himself.”
“That’s not all.”
“What?”
“Well, unless you want to go back to the Shadow Temple-“
“No!”
“This is the last temple. There’s no where else to go after this.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to go back to the castle. Or the Shadow Temple.”
“I guess…this is good-bye.” Link turned his head away. Eyes stinging.
“You’re not going to give up that easily, are you? There’s got to be another place to go! What was that place called….uhh….Termina?”
“Termina? I haven’t been there in years. It would be as new and different to me as it does you.”
“That’s what makes it interesting. Please Link! Can we go?”
Link shrugged. “Ok, let’s go.”
Zelda shrieked with happiness. Link and Zelda walked back to the Gerudo Fortress. Link said that there might be something different about the temple if they ever went there. Then Link called Epona and they were soon riding off into the forest.
As they rode, Link wanted to tell Zelda why that boy came after them. He wanted Zelda to know that her so-called prince tried to kill him. But Link thought better of it, and decided to forget about it. She’d probably think he was lying anyway.

Back in the Kokiri forest, Link led Zelda to the part of the woods behind the late Deku Tree. They walked through the woods as little spotlights shined on the ground with the trees acting as filters. Zelda felt they had only taken a few steps on Epona when she looked behind her, but when she did, there were only clumps of trees.
“So, how did you find this place?” asked Zelda.
“It was a long time ago. I was searching for Navi when I came across this skull kid wearing a strange mask. His two fairy companions startled Epona and she bucked me off. But I know you didn’t mean it girl.” Link said in a high voice, stroking Epona’s mane.
Zelda looked at Link weirdly. Link cleared his throat and continued his story, “Anyway, he took the Ocarina of Time away. I chased after him while he was on Epona. I grabbed his leg and was dragged along the ground. When he turned direction, I was flung off to the side and knocked out for a moment. When I awoke, he was gone, but I was able to follow him through this tunnel. I jumped over a bunch of stumps to get to it, and when I reached the end of the tunnel, I was falling into an abyss. After a confrontation, the skull kid, who I think lived and still lives in the Kokiri forest, turned me into a Deku scrub. I was able to get the ocarina back, and then save their world.”
“That’s amazing!”
By the time Link finished the story, they had come up to the tunnel. The trip seemed shorter than the first time he went there. He jumped off Epona and helped Zelda down. They both stood in the entrance of the temple.
“Zelda, for a brief moment, you will be afraid. I was too, but don’t be. I’m here for you. The next thing you will see, it a small room, a puddle, a deku flower, and a door in front of you.”
“I’m ready Link.” Said Zelda.
Link took Zelda’s hand and in the next moment, they both jumped down the abyss, into the endless night…..

When the dark finally resolved itself, Zelda and Link found themselves looking at a door, a few plants to their left, and a deku flower beneath them. Link didn’t see the colorful forms such as the Deku scrubs, Zoras, Gorons, or even the ocarina. All he saw was darkness.
A huge spotlight was shining on the floor just in front of them. That is where the skull kid used to be.
“Are we there?” asked Zelda, uncertain.
“I think so.” Link said.
“Does any of this seem familiar to you?”
“A little bit. I remember the door. And there was a fairy. I can’t remember her name though…..Tat….Tan…..Tatl…Tatl…Yes that’s it! It was Tatl!”
“A fairy, here? That’s interesting.”
“Come on, I want to show you the town.” Link pulled Zelda’s arm and walked to the other side of the door, into a short hallway. There was a hole in the ground with a bunch of deku flowers on the bottom.
“How do we get across?” asked Zelda, looking into the hole.
“Well, last time I was here, I used those deku flowers and flew across. But with you here, I guess we’ll have to find another way.” Link scratched his head.
“Why do we just climb? I can use my chain, tie it around something, throw it up there, and we can climb to the other side.”
“What a great idea, Zelda.” Link and Zelda hopped down the big steps and over to the other side. Link took out his sword and Zelda tied her white chain around it. Link thrust the sword up and it planted in the ground. Zelda tugged on the chain a few times to make sure it was secure. When it was, she climbed up and over the ledge. Link followed.
In the next room, however, there was a huge abyss where only a few platforms rose out of the ground. “Now how are we supposed to cross this?” asked Zelda.
“I don’t know.” Link said. “I really don’t know….”

The inside of the Spirit Temple’s inside was all in shambles. Rocks were everywhere. The outside didn’t look too different, but the inside’s is what counts, not only for people. A pile of rocks were lumped together on top of Tarron. When he regained conscience, he used his powers to move the rocks away from him. He coughed at the rock dust and rubbed bits of sand out of his eyes.
He shook pieces of rock out of his hair by shaking his hair. His face was covered with dirt and had small cuts on it. He stood up and looked around at the damage he had done. Slowly. He was frightened at this. At something he had done.
“Fuck…….” He said to himself in awe. “Did…I do this…”
He looked down at his shaking hands. He closed them up and remembered what that Zelda Princess girl did. She saved him, despite what he did to her.
He ran out the temple, as if desperate to find that woman. He saw footprints in the sand, leading out of the desert colossus.
It didn’t take long for Tarron to follow the footsteps out.

The Tiger walked with a limp, using his zanbatou as support, back to Kakariko Village. A sense of sadness was looming in the air above him. He wondered why. When he finally made his way up the large stairs, he knew.
Everyone was gone. No one was outside doing their usual chores and errands. The Tiger looked around every corner, in every house, even his own, and store. There were no people to speak of. He heard soft sobs far away. Judging by how he heard them, he knew they were really loud. As he walked over to the cuccos’ pen, the sobs grew louder. It was then he realized that it was coming from the graveyard. All the villagers were gathered around in a huge circle, crying.
Upon entering the place, people turned around and stopped sobbing at the sight of Tiger. His badly burned and scarred face. People stared at him, but the Tiger did not know why. He hadn’t seen what he looked like since the attack.
Ignoring the stares, he asked calmly, “What’s going on here.”
The villagers knew him by the sound of his voice. When they did, they began sobbing again and turned around again. “What happened?” The Tiger asked impatiently.
When he found out he was not getting an answer, he pushed through the crowd and found a newly dug grave. The tombstone reading:
“Here lies Shiori Hyla, as sister, a daughter, a legacy.”
When the Tiger read the name, his face was expressionless. His eyes watered and his face became grim.
“It was the disease. There was nothing we could do,” said the woman beside him. The blackness of their clothing reminded him of despair.
The Tiger stood up and faced the villagers, who seemed to not have gotten over his damaged face. “What were her last words?” asked the Tiger.
“I gave it to him,” said another woman, “That’s all. We don’t know what it meant.”
“I do…..” said the Tiger, as he ran back to his house.
He opened the door and looked around the house for the small piece of metal. It was nowhere to be found. This was not unexpected. He guessed Shiori gave Link the magical metal while he was gone, and he guessed right.
He looked at the shattered mirror, his doing when he was mad a long time ago, and could not see his self. The mirror was so damaged there was no way to see anything. He closed his eyes. Then he smelled something familiar. That unforgettable scent…..Zelda’s Perfume! “They were here,” the Tiger said to his self, “They must’ve killed her!”
The Tiger looked down at the table where he figured Link sat down. “Link…..I will find you…..” he said it quietly at first, then shouted, “You will die!”
He stormed out of the house and slammed the door so hard behind him it made large cracks on the walls beside it.

Zelda followed Link through the corridor that twisted, into an underground place with a spinning wheel in front of them.
“Link, I can’t believe what a great idea that was. How did you come up with such and idea to get us through there?” asked Zelda.
“Well, I don’t want to bore you with the details, but I’ll say this, I just relaxed and took it slow. And eventually, I was able to find a reasonable way to get us across.” Link said, modestly.
They walked up the ramp and up to the large double doors. Link stopped in his tracks as they made their way toward the doors. “I remember this place.” He said, “But at the same time, I don’t.”
“What do you mean, Link?” asked Zelda, turning around.
“”I remember being here, but I don’t remember what happened here. You know what I mean?”
“A little. That’s why I keep a diary. Any memory, good or bad, is still special to me.”
“Link nodded in agreement. “Let’s go.”
The bright lights of being in the dark so long nearly blinded Zelda. The little town was new to Link as well as Zelda.
Some things were still in his mind, but most was just a blur. “Let’s get a room.” Link said.
Zelda’s expression went from happy, to confused and petrified, “What?!”
“Not like that. I mean, if we’re staying here for a while, why not have a “home base”.”
“Oh. I thought you meant….”
“Meant what?”
“Never mind.”
Link led Zelda to the Stock Pot Inn. Not much had changed on the outside. When Link opened the door, he saw that the inside hadn’t either. He walked up to the desk. There was no one there. Link caught glimpse of the kitchen and saw a huge flame come up. After that, Kafei came out, now a tall handsome man, with black smoke all over his face.
Link concluded that he was trying to teach Anju how to cook, and by the looks of it, wasn’t going well either.
“Teaching her to flambé, huh?” asked Link, in a humorous way.
“Very funny, smart guy.” Answered Kafei, “She’s really trying, it’s just that…it’s hard, you know?”
“Well, on to business, we would like a room.”
“Ok. Name?” Kafei looked up and recognized Link’s hat. “Green hat boy?”
Link turned to face Kafei in a more serious way. “No one’s ever called me that since….”
“Since you were here. You’re Link, are you not?”
Link nodded, “Yes. Yes I am.” How could he have forgotten that?
“Anju! Come here! Quick!”
Anju came out from the kitchen, wearing a blue dress with a long sleeved shirt under it. He green apron was stained with food and burned. “What is it?” she asked.
“Look who’s come for a visit.” Kafei presented Link.
Anju squinted her eyes. “Who?”
“The boy who saved our marriage and our lives.”
“Leek?”
“Link.” Link corrected her.
“Oh yeah. Link the hero of our world! How nice to see you again.”
“Yes. It has been long, hasn’t it?”
“So, I see you got married, too. You’re very lucky, miss.” Kafei said.
“Oh no, we’re not married. I’m already engaged,” said Zelda, sending the happy atmosphere into sadness. Link twitched. He wished she hadn’t have said that.
Kafei and Anju exchanged a look. “Room for two?” they asked, simultaneously.
“That would be fine,” said Zelda.
Anju looked in the reservation book, which seemed to be on only page two since Link last saw it. “Well, luckily, there was a cancellation. You’re in the knife chamber. Here’s the key.”
Link took the key and walked upstairs to the small room. The room had certainly improved since last time. The two beds had white sheets and blankets. The table had a beautiful decorative tablecloth, with a little vase and roses on top. The fireplace was cleaned out of all the soot and there was not a bug in sight.
“Nice room,” said Zelda, breaking the silence.
“It’s a lot better since I saw it last,” said Link.
“What exactly have you done here? People are calling you their hero. You’re mine because you’ve saved my life, more times than I can count. But why are you theirs?”
“Sit down Zelda. I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

After what seemed like forever to Tarron, he finally caught the scent of Zelda’s perfume. He seemed, more or less interested in finding her, rather than Link. Ever since she saved him from his own wrath, he felt a strange connection toward her, like he had to find her.
Once he reached the forest, he saw small impressions of their footsteps in the grass. He, of course, followed them into the deep forest. Upon coming up to the stumps, leading into a tunnel, he wasn’t sure why Link would want to come here at all. He leaped from stump to stump, into the tunnel. He continued to walk until he felt the floor disappear from below his feet, as he dropped into an abyss.
When he finally landed on solid ground, he stood up in the poorly lit room. He looked around. He could still smell Zelda’s scent. “Man, how much perfume does she need to wear?” he thought as he followed it out of the room.

The Tiger, still badly burned from the attack, frantically searched for the missing metal. It wasn’t like the first time he’s lost it, but he just had to get it back, for his sister’s sake. “But where could he be?” he thought many times.
Some strange force had been pulling him to the forest. He did his best to ignore it, but he couldn’t fight it any longer. He finally said to the sky, “Alright, I’m going, I’m going.”
As the Tiger walked through the forest, he looked around. He wondered why anyone would live here. It was so humid and pollinated. He sneezed many times. His vision began to blur. He rubbed the tears out of his eyes and sniffed. “I hate the forest.” He said, bluntly.
The Tiger continued to walk with blurry vision until he tripped over a tree stump in the ground. Still on the ground, he turned his head and saw a small picture on it. Some kid with an imp and four tall things in the background. “Who the hell drew this?” he thought. When the Tiger stood up, he brushed off grass and dirt off of him. He trekked onward until, he too, fell down the portal between the two worlds.
He hit the ground with a thud, looked up, and saw a door with a strange marking on it. (Do I really need to say what happens next?)

After a night of a good rest, Link thought it best to take Zelda to the swamp, mountain, ocean, and canyon. When they both came out from the Stock Pot Inn, Zelda immediately started seeing “double”. Everyone that seemed familiar to her in Hyrule, were there, in Termina.
“Zelda, these people are different. They have no clue, who you are,” said Link.
“So, I’m just another girl to them?” asked Zelda.
“Yes.”
“Well, I guess that’s a good thing. Where are we going?”
“Well first, I’d like to see the Deku palace in the Southern Swamp.”
“We’re going to a swamp?”
“It’s not so bad. I just hope the water is cleaner.”
Link was thankful the exit guard let them through without calling them a child. When they were outside, memories of the past came rushing back to Link’s mind. He seemed to remember the field, but not the town. This struck Link as a bit odd.
“We just go forward,” said Link.
“Is it nice there?” asked Zelda.
“Yes. The people are, anyways.”
Once Link and Zelda made it to the swamp, Zelda was surprised at how clean the water is. When Link mentioned ‘swamp’, she thought of mucky and mossy water. But this was crystal clear.
“Just how I remember it,” said Link, even though he didn’t remember some of it at all.
“This is a swamp?” asked Zelda “Looks more like a watering hole.”
“It does, doesn’t it? Let’s take a boat ride to the palace. I’m pretty sure Koume remembers me.”
“A boat ride? Wow, I’d like that.”
Link told Zelda to stay where she was while he went to get Koume’s boat tickets. He climbed the ladder and found Koume head sticking out of the little window. He approached cautiously. Although the people here were different from the people in Hyrule, Link still thought of the hag sisters as evil enemies.
“Excuse me, Koume?” said Link.
“Yes?” answered Koume.
“I need two boat tickets for a cruise to the Deku Palace.”
“No one’s asked for tickets there since the wedding.”
“Wedding? Who got married?”
“I’m not sure. Some people say it was the princess and the monkey. Many people went to the ceremony.”
Link laughed. “That’s cool. I’d better go see them. I know you might not remember me. It was about seven years ago.”
“Kid, I knew exactly who you were the moment you walked in here. You saved my life that day, from the skull kid. I’d never forget that. So, you said you wanted two tickets?”
“Yes. For me and my…well…date.”
“You have a date? She is very lucky.”
“Well, you see, the thing is, she’s already engaged to someone else. I’m just quietly trying to talk her out of it, indirectly. I think this cruise will help. You probably think that’s stupid, huh?”
“A boy trying to get his girl back? Of course not. Here.” Koume handed Link two cruise tickets, “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“You mean it’s free?”
“Yes. Now go.”
“Thanks.” Link went out the door back to Zelda. She was holding a parasol.
“Do we board the boat now?” she asked.
“Yes.” Link got on the boat first them helped Zelda on. She had her parasol open in one hand, over her shoulder, and the other on her lap. Link sat in the front of the boat and Zelda sat on the back on the small piece of wood.
Koume came out from the store. Instead of steering the boat, she decided they should be alone and put a spell on the boat to stop at the Deku Palace.
The boat began to move suddenly, almost causing Link to fall over, but he didn’t. “Where did you get that parasol from?” asked Link.
“I thought it would be best to bring one. Just like a princess should,” said Zelda.
“That’s smart.”
The boat continued to move as Link gave a small tour of the swamp. Zelda seemed to hang onto every word he said. After going through the first tunnel, the looked at the big red flowers sticking out of the water and listened to the frogs’ serenade them as they went by.
When they passed that, they were going through the next tunnel, followed by a waterfall. Zelda, seeing this, put up her parasol as if she was afraid of getting wet. But Link eagerly ran up to the front of the boat, wanting to get wet. The cool water dumped all over him, soaking his tunic, as well as himself.
Zelda enjoyed seeing Link happy. She hasn’t seen him that way for a long time. Not wanting to feel left out, she threw her parasol and jumped into the waterfall too. The princess looked like a cookie rolled in sugar. The water made some of Zelda’s hair fall onto her face. Link held her face with one hand and brushed her hair out of her beautiful face with the other.
Her eyes were closed and Link still held her face. All motion of the boat seemed to have vanished as he moved in close to touch his lips with hers. He gently closed his eyes and continued to move in.
Before Link could kiss Zelda, he felt a force that tipped them both over. The boat had stopped. A voice came and said, “Now arriving at Deku Palace, please watch your step as you depart.”
“Thanks Koume….,” Link muttered under his breath, sarcastically.
Zelda stood up and jumped onto the ledge from the boat. Link followed.
“This is the Deku Place. They don’t allow humans here, so I’m not sure how we’ll get in. But I think we can figure something out,” said Link.
He led her to the palace entranceway. The two Deku Palace guards were still there, only younger. They didn’t say anything as they approached them, but spoke when they were right in front of them. “Sorry, no humans allowed,” the scrubs said, “Ever.”
“You don’t know who I am, do you?” said Link, “I’m and old friend.”
“Look pal I’m just doing my job. You can’t come in unless-“
The scrub couldn’t finish the sentence for the Deku Princess came out and pushed his head down into the flower.
“Oh, go back to sleep or something,” she said to the other.
“Your highness,” Link bowed and motioned Zelda to do the same. She did.
“Glad to see some visitors, finally. Who are you?”
“I’m Link. I saved the Woodfall Temple a few years back.”
“My goodness you’ve gotten tall. Come in, come in.”
The princess led Zelda and Link into the palace. When the deku scrubs saw two humans with the princess, they got the idea they were trying to kill her, and started a riot. The princess calmed them down by saying, “This is Link. He’s grown up. Don’t hurt him.”
“Yeah, we know that, but who’s that?” a deku scrub pointed at Zelda.
“I’m not sure. Who is it Link?”
“This is Zelda. She’s from Hyrule, like me.”
“Any friend of Link’s is a friend ours,” said the princess, “come, and let me show you my husband, the monkey.”
“You haven’t given him a name yet?”
“We thought it best to just call him ‘the monkey’ or ‘monkey’.”
The monkey was sitting on the small pedestal next to the king’s throne, scratching his butt and smelling it. (Yes, it’s gross, but funny)
“Monkey, we have a visitor,” said the princess.
He monkey looked up from his ‘activity’ and saw Link and Zelda. “Who are you?” he asked.
“I saved you a few years ago, from being boiled,” said Link.
The monkey thought a moment. Then said, “Oh yeah, from the Woodfall Temple. I remember you. Nice to see you again, Link.”
“We’ve been up to a lot lately,” said the princess, “The monkey and I got married, making me queen, and we even managed to have a child together.”
Link and Zelda looked at each other, as if they did not believe what they heard. And they didn’t.
“A child, where?” asked Link.
The Deku ‘Queen’ pointed down into the hole in the ground where a big pot used to be. In the center of the crater, was a wooden crib beautifully decorated with flowers and vines like on the queen’s headdress.
Link looked in the crib and saw what might possibly be the ugliest thing he had ever seen. And keep in mind, he’s seen a lot! The baby had the face of a deku with lips of a monkey, a wooden stomach and a white fur everywhere else, and a bright red butt. The mouth seemed to be moving and mouthing the words, “kill me…..kill me….”
Link made a disgusted look and was thankful no one could see it. He turned around and made a fake smile and said, “A little angel.”
“Yes it is, Link,” said Zelda.
“Well, we’d better go. We still have to visit the mountains, the ocean, and the canyon.”
“That’s too bad you have to leave so early,” said the queen, “Before you go, take this.” She handed him a pink and white flower with a long green vine around it. “Give it to your little date.” Link smiled and put the gift in his pocket.

As Link and Zelda were leaving the forest, Link spotted another path, leading to the ranch. “Hey, there’s the path to Romani Ranch,” said Link.
“Romani Ranch? Can we go?” asked Zelda.
“Of course, I just hope the big rock is out of the way.”
The ranch looked exactly like it did seven years ago. Easy going, relaxing, and the field was beautiful.
Romani now looked like her sister, Cremia, and Cremia looked older, but still young and beautiful. Romani was milking cows when Link came up to greet her.
“Hello, Romani,” Link greeted.
“How did you know my name?”
“Well, you are named after the ranch.”
“How did you know that?”
“It’s me, Grasshopper.”
“Grasshopper?”
“I saved you and your cows from the aliens during the carnival time. Remember?”
“Aliens…..aliens…..Wait! Yes I do remember, Link is your name, right?”
“Yes it is.”
Romani jumped on Link and gave him hugs and kisses on the cheek. Zelda watched as Link accepted them and seemed to like it. She cleared her throat loudly, making her presence remembered to Link.
Link knew Zelda didn’t like what Romani was doing, so he gently but gingerly moved Romani away.
“Romani, this is Zelda. She’s from Hyrule, like me,” said Link.
“Nice to meet you, Zelda. I’m Romani; I’m named after the ranch.”
“I’m Princess Zelda, and Link has been a close friend of mine for years,” said Zelda.
Link backed away as the two women were saying anything they could about Link, trying to say it nicely, but turned it into a silent competition.
“Link saved my life from aliens,” said Romani.
“He saved mine from an evil wizard,” said Zelda.
“I gave him a cute nickname.”
“I call him Hero of Time.”
“I gave him his horse back.”
“I gave him a family treasure.”
“He helped my sister from bandits.”
“He helped my friends from temples.”
Link backed away from the arguing women and accidentally bumped into Cremia. Cremia didn’t seem to care; she just asked Link what he did to make the two girls fight. Link answered, “I don’t know. I just introduced them to each other and they started going at it. Can you do anything about it?”
“I think so.” Cremia walked over to Romani and Zelda and interrupted their ‘contest’. “Girls, girls, I baked some bread, why don’t we all go inside the ranch house and have some?”
Romani and Zelda looked at each other in a glare. “Sure,” said Zelda, not looking at Cremia or Link.
“Why not?” Romani said with eyes fixed on Zelda.
The group of four walked into the ranch house and sat at the large table. Zelda and Romani both sat by Link, which meant that they were sitting across from each other.
Cremia took a loaf of banana bread from the oven and set it on the table. “Do any of you want any milk?” she asked.
“I’ll take some,” said Link. Romani and Zelda didn’t answer her.
Link shook their shoulders to get their attention.
“He touched my shoulder!” they both said at the same time.
“Get them some too,” said Link.
Cremia put four glasses and a pitcher of milk on the table. The bread was cut into four slices and was divided evenly among them. When Zelda first took a drink of the milk, she instantly forgot about the ‘silent’ fight they were having.
“This is great. Better than the milk at Lon Lon Ranch,” said Zelda.
“It’s our own special brand,” said Romani, also letting her guard down.
“What do you do to it?”
“We breed our cows in a perfect way.”
“That’s so smart.”
“Thanks. Hey, that’s a pretty dress you’re wearing.”
“Thanks, same to you.”
“I have dozens of them upstairs, I can give you one if you want.”
“Sure.”
“Let’s go upstairs and get you one.”
“Alright.”
Romani and Zelda dashed upstairs. Link looked at Cremia. “That was a great idea,” said Link.
“Thanks. So why are you here?” asked Cremia.
“Just to visit.”
“That’s all. I know it’s not.”
“Well, Zelda’s is getting married, and I don’t want her to, so I took her to many different places to try to convince her not to.”
“That’s so sweet. I wouldn’t be surprised if she said no. I hope it works.”
“Thank you. Well, we better go; we still have to go to the mountains, the ocean, and the canyon.” Link got out of his chair.
“Here, take this,” Cremia handed Link a bottle of Cheatu Romani. “Make her drink this; I think she’ll like it.”
“Zelda! It’s time to go!” Link called to her upstairs. Zelda came down wearing a dress that looked just like Romani’s. She wore some make-up that that made Link stare.
“I’m ready,” said Zelda.
“Come back anytime,” said Romani.
Link And Zelda left the ranch in a happy mood. Zelda’s new dress hugged every curve of her body, except her legs.
“The mountains are to the north. I think its spring, so it won’t be too cold there,” said Link.
“Do gorons live there like they do in the mountains in Hyrule?” asked Zelda.
“Yes they do.”
“Well what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

The mountains were easy enough to climb for Zelda, especially in high-heeled shoes and a tight dress. A thin layer of snow covered the ground. Zelda slipped and fell a few times, but she was thankful that Link was always there to catch her.
The Goron Shrine door was open for anyone to come in. Link was surprised to hear that the baby wasn’t crying. Link and Zelda walked up to the little room at the top of the shrine. The baby had grown up, but oddly enough, was still wearing his diaper.
“Hello little baby,” said Link.
“Oh Link, he’s adorable!” said Zelda.
“Visitors? I love visitors! Who are you?” asked the baby.
“You can call me ‘Darmani’,” said Link.
“Darmani is dead. He died seven years ago.”
“I know. I saved the Goron race from the blizzard where he died.”
“Goron race? I wanna see the Goron races! I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!” the baby began to cry as the rest of the gorons covered their ears.
“Let’s just go to the beach!” yelled Link over the baby’s crying.
“Sounds good to me!” yelled Zelda.
Link and Zelda ran out of the shrine with their hands over their ears.

The large wall in the middle of the path to Great Bay Ocean was removed ever since Link killed Gyorg in the temple. The beach’s waves were calming and relaxing. The Oceanside Spider House was converted into an underground regular house for the pirates. Link wanted to show Zelda the inside, but thought it best to stay out. He didn’t want to get involved with those femme fatales again.
Zelda sat on the beach. Link sat next to her. A cool breeze came and blew Zelda’s hair softly against her face. Link could hardly stop looking at her.
The eventful day was drawing to a close as the sun was setting over the horizon. Gray clouds were forming. “There certainly are many strange people here,” said Zelda.
“If you’ve traveled around as much as I have, strange really has no meaning to you,” said Link.
A light shower was pouring among them. “We should go back. We can visit Ikana Canyon later,” said Link.
“Ok.” Zelda smiled and followed Link back to the Stock Pot Inn.

Just outside Clocktown, the Tiger and Tarron were waiting for them. Neither knew who the other one was, or why they were there. They both figured they would be out here, since they had search for Link and Zelda in the town. When they saw them both emerge from the beach at the western gate, they both put their weapons up, ready for battle.
“What the hell,” said the Tiger, when he saw Tarron put his own powers up.
“Don’t even think about it!” yelled Tarron, “Their mine!”
“You wish!” The Tiger now face him in offense.
“That will be your biggest and last mistake!” Tarron put his powers at ready.
Tarron was the first to strike. He took rocks up from the ground and flung them in a barrage at the Tiger. This took the Tiger by surprise, but still twirled his zanbatou around in a circle very fast, blocking all of them.
He was the next to strike as he ran up to him, in a more head-on frontal assault. But Tarron put up a wall of solid rock, causing some of the Tiger’s bones to almost shatter when he hit it.
“Now fool, you will die,” said Tarron, as he took in fire from the candles that were circling around the town’s walls. Tarron held a huge fireball over his head, now. He was lees than an inch from hurtling it at the Tiger, but stopped when he heard Zelda’s laugh. Something about that laugh made him not want to hurt him, or anyone, at all. He sent the fire into the air, where it dissipated into black smoke.
“I’ll finish you off later,” said Tarron. He took a piece of rock under his feet and ‘flew’ away. The Tiger, now wounded badly, but not enough to not walk, knew he was too injured for battle. He staggered to his feet and limped away, out of sight.

The battle happened so fast, when Link ad Zelda got there, all they were able to see was a lopsided terrain. The ground and the candles were all destroyed.
“I wonder what happened here,” said Link.
Rain began to fall. It fell harder than before, but not pouring. Link looked up into the sky; the moon was out, despite the rain and the clouds. The rain droplets that fell in the moons light were illuminated and looked like tiny crystals the fell onto his face.
He looked back down at Zelda. She was smiling, as the crystals fell on her face too.
Back in the room, Zelda put the fire on in the fireplace. The soft light lit up the room in an orange color.
“Zelda,” Link whispered.
“Yes?” Zelda answered back.
“What would have happened……if the boat hadn’t have stopped?”
“What?”
“If the boat didn’t stop….in the swamp, what would’ve happened?” Without really knowing it, Link was walking toward her.
“I don’t know.”
“I think I do.” Link slowly took Zelda’s face, and pressed his lips against hers. Zelda didn’t object, she welcomed it. Link wrapped his arms tightly around her. Zelda was in a slight trance. The kiss was light at first. Then Link pressed harder. Then more pressure was applied. Now it was so hard, Zelda gave out a slight moan.
Zelda, off of her trance now, gently pushed Link away.
“No. I can’t. I won’t,” said Zelda. “I think I’d better go. I know the way back.”
Link sat on the bed. Zelda grabbed her bag and her parasol and walked to the door. She was about to open the door, but stopped when Link said, “Do you love him.”
“….” Zelda didn’t answer. She remained perfectly still at the door. When Link realized he wasn’t getting an answer, he licked his lips and said again, “Do you love him.”
Zelda’s lower lip quivered, trying to say ‘yes’, but something was keeping her from lying. “Y-Yes…...” she said, finally.
Link sigh, “That’s all I needed to know. You can go now.”
Zelda opened the door and went on her way back to Hyrule. Link sat on the bed and said to himself, “Well…..I tried.”

Zelda sneaked to her room. Her return was not something she wanted Roy to know. Her room was just the same as she left it. The bed was perfectly made, her desk was clear of paper and books, and dust was nowhere to be found. Zelda threw her clothes and parasol on her bed. When she saw her pink dress, she realized she was still wearing Romani’s dress that she gave her.
The dress was comfortable, so she didn’t take it off right away. She jumped on her bed and tried to sleep, but couldn’t. She just couldn’t stop thinking about Link and how he was doing after she just left him. She tossed and turned and struggled to find a comfortable position, but the thought still circulated in her mind.
Zelda heard footsteps outside her door. Even though, if it were Roy, he didn’t know she was back, she still had that feeling that he would come in her room, and her secret would be blown. Zelda wished she had someone to talk to about all this. Impa couldn’t keep a secret; Roy would find a way to get it out of her. Her diary wouldn’t work either. That left a paper trace. And anything else she could think of would leave some sort of trace, so Zelda had to keep it all in her mind. This drew her crazy.

Tarron looked up to, what he hoped, was Zelda’s window to her bedroom. Her scent was unmistakable to him now. Rising a piece of earth below him, he eased his way up and saw Zelda on her bed, resting.
When Zelda arose from her bed, she happened to catch a glimpse of a young boy with white hair, floating out her window.
“What the hell?” Zelda said.
When Zelda walked closer to the window, she saw it was that same kid who kidnapped her. When she realized who it was, she quietly picked up a heavy book from her desk, and chucked it at Tarron as hard as she could.
Tarron was one step ahead of her, as he hovered to his left, dodging the book completely.
“You stay away from me!” yelled Zelda.
“Glad to see you remember me,” said Tarron, with a smirk, “You can relax. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Sure you won’t! Now what do you want?”
“Nothing really. But you seem to be a little troubled. Tell me why.”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Well, if you don’t, who else are you going to tell?”
“…..Touché kid. Well, if you must know. I went with Link to another land…”
“Yes, I know. I followed you there.”
“Wait….that was you who messed up that terrain in front of the west entrance?”
“Yes me, and some other dude with black stripes in his hair.”
“The Tiger?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that he causes trouble.”
“Yeah, he’s given Link and I trouble more than a few times.”
“Keep going.”
“Well, I uh……well I can’t really say….”
“You kissed him. I know you did.”
Zelda face flushed red as she put her hand on her cheek. “Yes….I did.”
Tarron let out a little laugh, “I thought as much.”
“Well….who cares? It was just one kiss. Just one kiss.”
“Was it really one kiss?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying…..I know that you’ve kissed Roy a few times.”
Zelda turned her face away from Tarron. “But were you really kissing Roy? Or were you imagining someone else so you could go through with it?”
“That’s ridiculous. When I kissed Roy…..I knew it was Roy.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“What is love?”
The question put Zelda in a difficult spot. “What is love?”
“Yes. I think I’m in love.”
“Well….let’s see. Love is an emotion someone feels for someone else. Like, you can’t imagine your life without that person.”
“I see. Love was unknown to me in my homeland. Then I came here….and saw you….”
“Me? You’re in love with me?” Tarron nodded. “That’s very flattering, but I love someone else.”
“I know. You love Link.”
“What?” Zelda faked a small laugh. “That’s impossible….”
“So you don’t love him?”
“I never said that.”
“Well what? You love him, you don’t love him. You can’t have it both ways.”
“Look kid-“ Zelda was interrupted by a knock on the door. Zelda, forgetting that she was supposed to be hiding, asked, “Who’s there?”
“Zelda, it’s me. Daniel,” said the voice on the other side of the door.
“Oh no, it’s Daniel, Roy’s attendant. You have to get out of here, now!”
Tarron nodded and eased himself up above her window, where he remained unseen.
Zelda’s bedroom door opened and Daniel came into the room. “Zelda, you’re back early. Did something happen?” he asked.
“N-no. I just wanted to come home, that’s all. But please, don’t tell Roy I’m here. Could it be just our little secret?”
“Of course Zelda, I won’t say a word.”
“Thank you; now leave this room, before someone gets suspicious.”
Daniel nodded and closed the door behind him when he left.
Zelda took off her dress. She saw Tarron try to see, but she shooed him away and put on her regular pink dress. When she got to hanging it up, Roy came bursting through the door. “Zelda, you’re back early,” said Roy.
“How did you know I was here?” asked Zelda.
“Daniel said you told him to tell me.”
“Daniel told you?”
“Yes. And I’m glad he did. I’ve been meaning to ask you a few questions about your trip.” Roy’s happy attitude soon became soured.
“Nothing….happened. I just went to a few temples and another place and that’s all.”
“You’re lying to me.”
“Who would know if I was? I’m telling you the truth.”
“Daniel said he heard you talking to someone. I don’t really care who, but he did say you said you kissed that guy.”
“Who Link? No I would never do that to you.” Roy’s tone was becoming more hostile, making Zelda nervous.
“Do that to me, or yourself?” Roy was walking towards her. He grabbed her face and looked at her lips. He saw a trace of Link’s lips on hers. Roy relinquished his grip on her. Both were silent and still. Then Roy slapped Zelda with the back of his hand so swiftly, she did not see it, but only felt it. Then, ironically, he kissed her. He pressed his lips so hard against hers, it hurt Zelda.
Both of their breathing increased with more pressure. Roy’s from passion, Zelda’s from pain. Roy finally let go of Zelda and stormed out of the door. He slammed it so hard, her room shook.
Zelda began to cry as Tarron lowered himself down to the window. He stepped of the rock and onto the window sill. “I can’t believe he treats you that way!” said Tarron. “Are you going to let him get away with that? If I were him, I’d find ways to make you happy instead make you sad.”
“Link would never do that to me,” Zelda sobbed.
“No, Link loves you. I know it.”
“How can you tell?”
“Zelda, the real question is how I can not tell. It’s so obvious.”
“Tell me…..why are here in Hyrule?” Zelda tried to change the subject.
“I’m from a land called Eathra. That means Earth. My family had generation after generation of earth moving powers. But I was different. The more power you have, the harder it is to control. It would set off every time I let out a powerful emotion. One day, a kid made fun of me on this little island my family and I used to visit, and I was so angry, I lost control of my powers. My family did all they could to keep the island together, but my powers were too strong, and the island was ripped to shreds. I blacked out for a few days and awoke in my uncle’s house. But my family……they never came back.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Soon after they had found out what I had done, everyone hated me and feared me. So I was put in the dungeon for eight years, when I seven.”
“But if you can control the earth, why didn’t you escape?”
“I’m not sure. I think it was because, I felt I had to be there, like I deserved it.”
“So how did you end up here?”
“Well, I was called out by someone and was sent to Hyrule for a mission. I’m guessing it was Roy. He said that if I killed Link, I would have freedom in Eathra.”
“Did he keep his promise?”
“I’m not sure. In some ways, yes. When I was brought here to Hyrule, there was no need to be locked up in a dungeon, because no one knew me here. I was finally able to start over.”
“I’m happy you were able to start a new life. Some of us are just lucky.”
“Do you want me to tell Link about Roy?”
“No! He mustn’t know, or he’ll come here to protect me, as always.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I just don’t want to see him right now.”
“I see, well, I’d better go.”
“Ok, but will you come back tomorrow?”
“Why?”
“I like talking to you. You’re like my untraceable diary.”
Tarron smiled and floated away. Zelda, now tired and fatigued, was about to go to bed, when Impa walked in through the door.
“Princess, you’re back,” said Impa.
“Hey, Impa,” said Zelda.
“I’ve come to tell you something.”
“What?”
“Roy wants to throw a party, or ball if you will, to celebrate your marriage. I know you don’t want one, and I tried to talk them out of it but….Well, the point is I tried.”
“A ball, when?”
“Tomorrow, everyone in Hyrule is invited.”
“Everyone in Hyrule will be there?”
“Well they’re invited. If they are coming is up to them. Except for the Kokiri, you and I both know they can’t leave the forest.”
“If everyone will be there, that means Link might come too.”
“Is that bad?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“What happened while you were away?”
“Nothing really happened…..nothing at all.”
“Zelda, you can tell me anything.”
“Are you sure you won’t tell anyone?”
“I promise.”
“I….I kissed him.”
“You kissed Link?”
“Y-yes.”
Impa laughed, “I’ll bet you enjoyed it.”
“Yes.” Zelda didn’t realize what she said, “I mean no! It was wrong and I won’t do it again.”
“Ok Zelda, whatever you say.” Impa noticed Zelda’s cheek was red. At first she thought she was blushing, but when she had a closer look, she knew she was hit by something. Cautiously and concerned Impa asked, “Why is your face red?”
Zelda put her hand on her burning cheek, “Nothing, I was just blushing.”
Impa took Zelda’s face and examined the wound, “You were hit by something!”
“No! Nothing hit me, I swear!”
“It was Roy wasn’t it? What did he do to you?”
“Nothing, Impa! Nothing! I want you to go now, I’ll come out later.”
“Ok, Zelda, I’ll leave.” Impa walked through the door, but before she closed it, she said, “I know you love him.” And with that, she left the room leaving Zelda standing there to think to herself. It wasn’t like she didn’t know who she was talking about. She knew she meant Link, but Zelda asked herself…..did she really love Roy like she told him……?

“No! No! No! It has to be red!” Roy yelled at Daniel.
“Red? Personally, I think you still look better in white. That’s what the theme is, white! Why do you want to stand out?” asked Daniel.
“It matches my hair.”
“Look, I think you look better in that than red.”
“You really think so?” Roy looked at himself in the mirror.
“Yes, I think so!”
Roy and Daniel were preparing for the upcoming ball that was only a few days away. People were decorating the castle with lovely white flowers, white lace curtains, and anything else they could put up that was white.
Zelda was preparing as well. Not that she was excited about the ball, far from it; she just had this love for dressing up for anything. Even if she didn’t like what she was dressing up for.
“What do you think of this?” asked Zelda to Tarron, holding up a short low-cut white dress.
Tarron was sitting on Zelda’s window sill, helping her pick out a dress. “Hmm…No, I don’t think that’s very appropriate for a ball.”
“True.” Zelda went back into her closet and picked out another dress. This one was longer than the other one. It was still white, but had some blue in it too. It went down to her knees and had long sleeves and flared out when she spun around. “What about this one?”
“Better than the last one, but it still doesn’t seem right for this sort of thing.”
Zelda had just about given up hope on the perfect outfit. She put the dress on a hanger, and before she hung it up, a white dress that was a variation of her pink dress fell out of the closet.
“Where did this come from?” Zelda held up the dress to Tarron.
“Perfect,” said Tarron.
“I think you’re right.” Zelda went over to her make-up counter. She opened a few drawers, looking for her matching jewel. She kept searching, but no luck. Zelda turned around to Tarron, and then heard a thud on the floor.
“Ah, here it is,” said Zelda, picking up a light blue jewel.
“I’ve never seen a stone like that before. And believe me I’ve seen a lot of stones before,” said Tarron.
“It’s called a Moon’s Tear. Link gave it to me when I visited Termina.”
(I didn’t write that part because it would’ve been too long.)
“See, and you say he doesn’t love you.”
“I think I’ll be able to make a couple of jewelry accessories out of this. Can you help me, Tarron?”
“Sure. What do you want?”
“Just two earrings and a pendant would be fine.”
“Ok, I’ll go make them right now. I’ll be back later.”
“Bye!” Zelda waved as Tarron floated away.

Link, now fatigued and frazzled after a long swim on Zora’s River, finally made it to the entranceway to Zora’s Domain. The waterfall cascaded down to the river which led into the castle.
Zelda’s Lullaby put the powerful force of water to a calm state of a trickle. Upon entering the peaceful dwelling of these fish-like people, he noticed that the zoras were working hard underwater. Not just swimming around, but making sure that the water was crystal clear.
Some were catching fish. But Link still wondered why they ate their own kind. Everyone was busy with a chore. When Link tried to ask for help, they ignored. They must’ve forgotten who he was, or they were so immersed in their chores.
King Zora was no different, but it seemed his chore was to just eat fish.
“Excuse me, you highness?” Link asked from the pedestal.
King Zora didn’t answer; he just stuffed his face with dead and rotten fish.
“Hey! Are you listening?” Link was growing impatient. “Oh forget it!” Link walked right past him into the tunnel that led to Lord Jabu-Jabu’s chamber.
Link looked at the big fish lord. “I’d like to see King Zora try to eat him.” Link said to himself.
“Yes, but that would be treason,” came a familiar voice.
“Ruto, is that you?”
“The one and only,” said Ruto as she carried a bucket full of dead fish.
“What’s with all this stuff going on?”
“I’ll tell you in a minute. But first, I want you to visit my dwelling.”
“You mean a house?”
“No, a house is a place to live by itself. A dwelling is just a place you live.”
“I still don’t get you.”
“Just follow me.”
After leaving the cavern to Jabu-Jabu, Ruto and Link walked past King Zora.
“Hi daddy,” said Ruto.
King Zora, for the first time, looked up from his dinner and said, “Hi my little princess.” He spotted Link. “Where’d you come from?”
Link just sigh and ignored him to follow Ruto. King Zora just shrugged and went back to eating.
Ruto led Link to her ‘dwelling’, which was just that small space behind the waterfall.
The tunnel was deeper and higher. It had a small bed and a tiny kitchen.
“This is where you live now?” asked Link.
“I got tired from sitting next to my dad all day. So I just decided to live here,” said Ruto, setting down the bucket and started to clean the fish.
“You look tired.”
“I swam upstream the river.”
“Why? You know how hard that current flows.”
“I just needed to blow off some steam. And a little exorcise wouldn’t hurt anyone.” Link noticed Ruto had gained a little weight herself, but thought it best not to say anything, knowing her from childhood.
“So, why’s everyone working so hard?”
“I know you must’ve heard about the wedding.”
“I have.”
“Well, it’s our duty to serve the royal family, so we are preparing for the feast at the wedding.”
“Well, how will you get it there? Won’t you’re hiding place be discovered? And I am not carrying heap loads of dead, stinky, and heavy fish back and forth here.”
“You would if we asked you to.”
“No I wouldn’t.”
“Why not? It would give you a chance to see Princess Zelda. You’d like that right?”
“I don’t want to see Zelda. Not now, not ever.”
“What? Why, the hell, not?”
“Because….we ran into a little…well…I just can’t.” Link sat down on a chair.
“Don’t sit there! That’s my favorite chair!” Ruto yelled.
“Ok, ok, sorry!”
“I’m sorry Link. Women tend to have mood swings when they’re expecting.”
“I know, but what does that have to do with-“ Link eyes went wide as he stared at Ruto. She saw the question in his eyes and nodded happily and slowly.
“Ruto!” Link said happily to her. “Who’s the father?”
“His name is Zatora. We met a few years ago.”
“Are you planning on marrying?”
“No. My father doesn’t approve.”
“I’m sorry. So that’s why you’re living here.”
“Sure is. Anyway, I heard that the princess was out for a few weeks.”
“Oh yeah, I took her to a few places.”
“I see. What happened?”
“Why does everybody ask me that question?! Nothing happened! End of story!”
Link felt disgusted again. He yelled at yet another one of his friends whose heart he’s broken. What has he turned into?
“I’m sorry Ruto, I’d better go.”
“Wait Link! Take this bucket of fish with you.”
“Look, I said I wasn’t going to the castle.”
“Not to the castle. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. We send the fish by pouring it down the river. The current sends it directly to the castle. From there, the chefs are able to take them out and cook them. That’s how we deliver it.”
“Won’t that like, do something to the water?”
“Why do you think I clean them first?”
“Good idea.”
Link took hold of the bucket and carried it out to the outside. He gazed at the current flowing towards the end of the river. He set the bucket down and went inside to the shop.
“Hey, are there any bottles for sale?” asked Link to the shop clerk, who seemed to be the only one that wasn’t busy.
“We only have one in stock-“ he said, but Link interrupted.
“How much?”
“400 rupees.”
“I’ll take it.” Link dug through his money bag.
“Would you like me to gift-“
“No.” Link set his money on the table. “Do you have any paper and a pen?”
“The paper id 50 rupees and the pens are 65 rupees.”
“What if I but the paper and just use the pen?”
“That’d be fine.” Link put more money on the table as the clerk got out some paper and a quill pen. Link took the pen and the paper a scribbled down something on the paper and wrote something on the bottle. He put the message on the bottle, and gave the pen back to the clerk.
“Thanks,” said Link as he left.
Outside Zora’s Domain, Link put the bottle in a fish. Only one was big enough to fit, so Link was grateful for that.
At the risk of having the fish being eaten on the way by octorocks or chickens, he took them down the river as far as he could the let the current sweep the dead fish away. “Funny how they lived in water, and are now back in the water.” Link thought.

The fish had swept in the kitchen at the castle. “New shipments here,” said one chef.
The many cooks began gutting and cutting the fish up.
“This seems a little heavy,” said another chef as he picked it up.
“Maybe there’s a diamond in it!” another one said.
“Ugh, just because that happened once, doesn’t mean it will happen again. Besides, what good would a diamond do, if you’d probably just swallow it anyway, like you did the last one?”
“Never mind.”
The chef cut open the fish and found the message in the bottle. “Hey look, there was a bottle in here,” said the head chef, holding it up.
“It say’s something on it,” one pointed out.
“Hmm….Z-E-L-D-A. Zelda.”
“Princess Zelda?” another asked.
“I don’t know any other Zelda.”
“I’ll get someone to take it to her,” the head chef said as he took the bottle outside.
Impa took the bottle up to Zelda’s room. “Zelda? Are you in here?” she called. “She must be getting something to eat.” She said to herself as she placed it on her dresser.
After Impa left, Tarron came back on a floating rock. “Zelda, I’m back,” he said, holding the earrings and pendant. He looked around. She wasn’t there. He spotted the bottle on her dresser marked, ‘Zelda’.
He looked around the room once more, and curiously opened the cork on the bottle.
He read silently to himself:
Dear Zelda,
Not even the Triforce of Courage could give me enough bravery to tell you this in person, so I’m writing you here now to say, I love you. I love and I always have. And for that I can’t see you again. I hope you have a good marriage and a happy life.
Your one and only,
Link.

“He really does love her,” Tarron said to himself. He heard footsteps outside the door. Unknowingly, he took the letter out the window with him.
Zelda opened the door and saw that Tarron was out there waiting for her. “Hi, Tarron. Did you get my earrings and necklace?”
“Uh yeah, here,” Tarron answered as he handed the jewelry to her.
“Thanks.” Zelda took the pieces of jewelry. She spotted the piece of paper Tarron was holding. “What you got there?”
Tarron noticed he still held the paper. He looked at the letter, then Zelda. Back and forth, he went. Finally he said, “Nothing. I’d better go, it’s getting late.”
“Ok bye.”
“Bye,” said Tarron, floating away, letter in hand…..

A Party of Sadness
Zelda put the earrings on one by one as the sun outside her window was fading into the horizon. She had some of her hair pulled back and the rest was just two curly strands that rested on her shoulders. Tarron watched as the attractive woman made herself look prettier, even if he didn’t think that was possible.
Zelda was having trouble getting the necklace’s clasp to close from behind her neck. “Tarron, can you help me?” asked Zelda.
“Sure,” said Tarron, jumping off from the window sill, helping Zelda put on the necklace. It was the night of the ball and everyone in the castle was busy. Soldiers and greeters were at the gate to greet and search the guests.
Roy was doing his usual complaining and Daniel was doing his usual slave work. Guests were coming in the hundreds. Even the Zoras came. Everyone was sent to a huge room decorated in the theme of white. White table cloths, white curtains, and the ceiling was made entirely out of glass windows, so that the gods could smile upon them.
Zelda’s dress was a little longer and flared out more than her other dress, but it still looked like a white rendition of her pink dress.
“You look wonderful,” said Tarron.
“Thanks. I just wish Link were here,” said Zelda.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to see him for a while.”
“I know I did but…..I miss him.”
“…”Tarron’s hand moved to the letter that was held on by his belt. He saw Zelda sad. He knew that the letter would make her feel better, but he noticed that Zelda would love Link more, so he left it alone.
“Tarron?” asked Zelda.
“Yes princess?” asked Tarron.
“Could you come to the ball with me?”
“Roy will be there right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I can’t go.”
“Why?”
“Roy knows who I am. Remember?”
“Oh, yeah. You didn’t finish his mission. He’d be looking for you.”
“I’m really sorry I can’t help you.”
“Well, if you wear something else, maybe he won’t recognize you.”
“What do you mean something else? This is my outfit and I intend to keep it that way.”
Zelda ignored him and looked in her closet. She skimmed through the clothes and found something that would fit Tarron. It was a small beige dress with a curvy design at the bottom, short sleeves, and a low-cut neckline.
“Put this on,” said Zelda.
“What!? Are you nuts?!” yelled Tarron.
“Roy’s not looking for a girl. If you wear this, you can go to the ball without being discovered.”
“Oh no! No Din damn way!”

Zelda walked gracefully down the stairs by Tarron’s side. Somehow, she got him to wear the dress, put his hair up, and even make his chest ‘develop’.
Everyone was there to greet her. Gorons, Zoras, and all the people working at Lon Lon Ranch were watching the beautiful princess come down the stairs. Somewhere in the crowd, Zelda was able to spot Impa.
Zelda ran over to her, Tarron followed.

Roy buttoned the last medal on his white tunic in front of his large mirror. Daniel was there, watching him prepare for his special dance. “I told you white was better suited for you, sir,” said Daniel.
“Well, I guess you’re right. I should remember to take your opinion more seriously. But then again, I do look good in anything,” Roy said concededly as he looked longingly into the mirror.
“Ok, now, they will begin to play the music when you enter, then you’re supposed to dance with Zelda.”
“Fine. Fine. But can’t I dance with anyone else?”
“Sure. Just be sure to dance with Zelda at least once. You’re trying to convince people that you’re the perfect couple.”
“I’ll dance with her first and get it over with.”
“I think you’d go now, people have been waiting for a long time.”
“Alright,” said Roy as he walked out of the door to the ball.

“Impa, where’s Roy?” asked Zelda.
“He hasn’t come down yet,” said Impa.
“Oh, ok. How long do you think it will be?”
“Maybe a few more minutes. Did you get the letter I put on your desk?”
Tarron’s heart began to pound. “Letter? What letter?”
“No letter. I saw no letter when I went to your room,” Tarron said quickly, pulling Zelda away from Impa. “Come on, let’s go eat.” He pulled Zelda across the crowd of people.
“Ok Tarron, just don’t pull so hard.”
“Oh I’m sorry.” Tarron released the grip on Zelda’s wrist.
A decorated buffet table was where Tarron and Zelda stood. The table was full of foods, drinks, and plates. Tarron noticed that he was getting a couple of looks and stares form guys, which scared him a lot. One girl in particular seemed to stand out. She had pigeon soft brown hair that went down to the hollow of her neck. She wore a dress with a blue top and a white skirt that went down to her ankles and had a square pattern on the bottom.
She was simply gorgeous to Tarron. He approached cautiously.
“H-hi,” Tarron choked.
“Hi,” the girl said shyly. “What’s wrong with your voice?”
“Oh, that.” Tarron cleared his throat and talked in a high pitch, “Nothing. It does that from time to time.”
“Oh. I’m Kana.”
“I’m Tar….Tarry.”
“Tarry? That’s a funny name.”
“Where do you live?”
“My family works at the ranch; I live in a small cabin. What about you?”
“I’m from Eathra. It’s not really around here.”
“So, are you excited about the wedding?”
“Yeah, but I’m concerned about the princess.”
“Concerned about Princess Zelda?”
“Yes. Tell me, what can you tell me about love?”
“Love? Well I know that there is no life without it. Someone who is lucky enough to fall in love deserves happiness. Anyone who interferes should not be living in this world!”
“You sure do know a lot for such a young girl.”
“I’m fourteen.”
“Oh, I’m fifteen.”
“Well, you see, we’re not that different.”
“No, I guess not.”
“Hey, visit me if your ever at Lon Lon Ranch, ok?”
“Sure….”
Kana walked away into the crowd. Tarron thought about what she said. “Anyone who interferes should not be living in this world”. He felt so bad for Zelda, and for himself. He then made his decision. He would take the letter to Zelda.
“Zelda,” said Tarron.
“What is it?” asked Zelda, hearing his call.
Tarron pulled out the letter he had hidden in his dress and handed the folded paper to Zelda. “What’s this?” asked Zelda.
“Just read it.”
Zelda opened the letter as her eyes skimmed the lines of the paper. As she approached the finishing line, she put her hand over her mouth and tears began to stream down her face.
“Is this true? Was this really written by Link?” asked Zelda.
Tarron nodded. “I know you want to see him again. Would you like me to go get him?”
“Yes I would.”
“Meet us up in your room, so you can be alone. Where does he live?”
“In the Kokiri Forest.”
Tarron was about to leave when Zelda called, “Tarron!”
Tarron stopped running and turned around and asked, “What?”
“Thanks.”
He just smiled, and then ran out of the door. The forest was far, but Tarron waited until he was out of sight before he used his powers. Once he passed Lon Lon Ranch, he took a rock and floated over to Kokiri Forest.
The wooden entrance was obvious about Link’s whereabouts. He walked into the forest. There were little specks of light everywhere. Tarron thought they were fireflies, so he just brushed them out of his face like dirt.
“Link!” he called. “Link! Is there a Link here?”
Then, out nowhere, a huge rock, and I mean huge, came flying past his head and landed with a crash.
“What do you want?!” yelled Link. He was wearing his golden gauntlets, enabling him to pick up the huge rock with ease. “See, we’re not so different after all!”
“Look pal, I don’t want to-“
Link moved so fast, Tarron didn’t see him coming. When Tarron’s concentration was on the rock, Link moved in. Link wrapped his right hand around Tarron’s neck, lifting him off the ground.
“Try anything funny, I’ll do the same to you as I did that rock. So talk! Why are you here?”
Tarron chocked on his words as he put his hands around Link’s, trying to loosen his grip. But it was no use, Link was too strong. “You hurt Zelda, and if you even think about hurting the innocent people here, I swear, I’ll crush your throat like a twig.
“I…don’t….want…to…fight,” Tarron managed to choke out.
“I’ll bet!” Link tightened his grip, not by a lot, but enough for Tarron to know that he wasn’t joking.
“Zelda…..she….needs you!” The great weight of Link’s hand was instantly lifted from around Tarron’s neck.
“What did you just say?”
Tarron was on the ground, coughing and choking with his hand securely around his neck. “She needs you. She wants to see you again. I can take you to her.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, let me help you up,” said Link, acting as if nothing happened. “Where is she?”
“At the ball.”
“Ball? What ball?”
“The one at the castle, it’s supposed to be celebration about the princess’ engagement.”
Link held out his hand to help him up. Tarron took it. He lifted the same rock Link threw at him.
“Hop on,” said Tarron.

Zelda took one last look around; there was no one she wanted to see. Zelda walked toward and up the stairs. She didn’t really look up, so when she heard applauding and music playing, she had no idea what was going on.
She bumped into someone. “Couldn’t wait for me to get here, huh?” said the man.
Zelda looked up, Roy was standing there. He took her arm. “Let’s go dance.”
“Roy I have to-” Said Zelda but was interrupted.
“Look,” he whispered loudly in her ear, “I just want to get this over with, so just play along.” He pulled harder on Zelda’s arm. Once they got on the dance floor, Roy immediately began to dance with Zelda. Soon, other people joined them. The dance floor was soon covered with couples dancing. Zelda worried about Link and Tarron.

Tarron set the rock behind a huge tree next to Zelda’s window when Link and he arrived at Zelda’s room. “Here we are: Zelda’s room,” said Tarron, pointing his arm out to the room.
“Whoa. Is this really Zelda’s room?” asked Link.
“Yeah. Nice isn’t it?”
“I’ll say. Hey there’s her bed.” Link walked over to the bedside. “Promise you won’t think any less of me of what I’m about to do?”
“I guess not.”
Link jumped on the bed and buried his face into Zelda’s pillow and began to smell it, making funny noises.
“Ok, now I’m thinking less of you.”
“Hey, don’t be mean. You’re the one wearing a dress.”
Tarron looked down at what he was wearing and let out a girlish scream. “This is so wrong! I’m changing!” Tarron grabbed his outfit and changed in the closet. While Tarron was in the closet, Link looked at the bottle with Zelda’s name on it.
“Did Zelda get the letter?” asked Link.
“Yeah, I gave it to her a while ago,” replied Tarron muffled from behind the closet door.
“Were we like, supposed to meet her here?”
Tarron opened the door coming out with his usual outfit, “Yeah, she should be here any minute now. Let’s just wait a minute longer.”

Once Roy and Zelda were finished dancing, Roy took Zelda by her arm and said hi to everyone in the room. To most of the women, he flirted with them. Zelda was just a tag-along now. She tried desperately to let Roy let her go to her room, but he always refused.
Tarron and Link began to grow impatient. Tarron finally said, “Alright, let’s just go check on her for the roof.”
“I don’t know what kind of powers you have, but I can’t see through walls,” said Link.
“No, the ceiling is made of glass. We’ll be able to spot her.”
Tarron took a smaller chunk of the rock, big enough to support both of them. They floated over the ceiling, trying to find Zelda.
“Roy, I want to go to bed!” Zelda yelled at Roy.
“Fine! You whiny bitch!” yelled Roy. He let go of Zelda.
“Don’t EVER call me that!”
“Whatever.” Roy grabbed of Zelda’s face and kissed her again. People cheered and clapped at the couple.
“I found her!” said Tarron.
“Where?” asked Link.
Tarron saw what was happening, “Uh, no, not her! Check over there!” Tarron pointed somewhere else, trying to keep Link from seeing her.
Tarron was a half second late. He saw Zelda and Roy kissing. The sight made Link feel so sick, he wanted to throw up. But he didn’t. “Take me back.”
Tarron knew how he felt, he took Link back home.
Zelda pushed Roy off of her as hard as she could. She was so flustered, she left the room in stomps. When Zelda finally came up to her room, she fixed her hair with her hands, trying to make herself look good for Link. But when she opened the door, Link wasn’t there, but Tarron was.
“What’s going on here? I thought you said you were going to get Link,” said Zelda.
“I did,” said Tarron.
“Well, where is he?”
“We saw you on the roof….with Roy.”
“You did!”
“Yes, and frankly, I’m no happier about that than he is! Do you love him or not?”
Zelda saw Link asking her that question when Tarron did. She had the same reaction too. “I see. Goodbye Zelda. I hope you have a happy, controlled life.” Tarron left from the room.
Before tears came to Zelda’s eyes, she heard a knock at the door. “Come in,” said Zelda.”
Impa came into the room. “Zelda, I have to tell you something. About the wedding,” Impa said, worriedly.
“What?”
“It’s…tomorrow.”

Zelda stood on the circular pedestal as the castle’s tailor sewed the bottom of her wedding dress. Three mirrors were arranged in front of Zelda, so that she could see herself from all angles. The wedding, which would start later in the evening, was being set up in the castle’s steeple.
Zelda yawned after being awoken so early to have her dress made and sized.
“I just don’t see why you waited until now to have your dress made, your highness,” said the tailor on her hands and knees fixing the bottom.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Zelda. “My life ended last night anyway,” she said under her breath.
“What was that?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“All finished. Stay here; I’ll go get your veil.”
The tailor ran into the next room for the veil. Zelda looked into the center mirror. She gazed sadly into it. Then, in a flash, she Link behind her. She turned around quickly, but to no one’s surprise, there was no one there. She was alone in the room.
The tailor came back with a sheer white veil wrapped around a crown. Zelda placed it on her head and put the veil over her face. She didn’t want anyone to see her cry.

“You know Link,” said Tarron, “This place isn’t so bad. I might want to live here.”
“I’ve lived here my whole life,” said Link, “and couldn’t leave for seven years! Thanks to…oh what was her name?”
“Zela? Zeda? I can’t really remember.” Link and Tarron laughed.
Link was showing Tarron the forest. The sense of peace and quietness made Tarron feel like a new boy again.
“I’ll help you build a new house if you want,” said Link.
“That’s ok. I don’t think I’ll need much help,” Tarron laughed, showing off his powers.
“Where are you thinking of building it?” asked Link.
“Not sure yet. Maybe over there, next to the pond.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“Link! Link!” called a high-pitched voice. It was Saria.
“Hey Saria!”
“Link, who is this?” she asked.
“Oh, sorry, Saria, this is Tarron. He’s thinking about living here.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Tarron. He whispered in Link’s ear, “She’s cute.”
“So, I see you’re back early from your little trip, or so I’ve heard,” said Saria.
“You’ve heard correctly. I’m helping Tarron build a new home here.”
“That’s nice. Well, Tarron, if you need anything, you can always ask me, I live in that house that is connected to the bridge.” Saria walked to the little store and disappeared through the door.
The sun was smiling down upon the forest, and although it was a beautiful sight, it made the climate very hot for building a house. Even with earth-controlling powers.
“Hey Tarron,” asked Link, “It’s getting hot, let’s go rest at my house.”
“Alright,” said Tarron.
Link led Tarron over to his little tree house. The ladder, the way up to Link’s house, was decaying over the years. Pretty soon, he’d have to get another one.
“This is your house?” asked Tarron when he was inside.
“Small huh?” asked Link.
“I’ll say, but it is cool in here. So that’s good. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!” Tarron yelled when he saw the cow standing in the corner.
“Oh, that’s Leslie, she’s my cow.”
Tarron was catching his breath from being surprised, he spoke in deep breaths, “And….just…..why….is….there…..a…cow….in….here?”
“Malon gave it to me after I beat her horse jumping race record.”
“Who’s Malon?”
“She’s a girl that works at Lon Lon Ranch.”
“Lon Lon Ranch?” Tarron remembered the previous evening from the ball about the girl that worked there. “I met a girl last night that asked me to visit her there. What was her name? Karen? Kana? Kana? Yeah, that was her name, Kana! The girl from the party.”
“Sounds like you have a little crush.”
“I do not!” Tarron sounded childish.
“You want something to drink?”
“Sure. Milk would be nice.”
“Coming up.”
Tarron tried to ignore the splashy noises in the cups, but couldn’t help but pay attention. “Where’d you learn how to milk a cow like that?”
“When you’re stuck in a place like this for a long time, you’d be surprised at what you can learn on your own.”
Link handed him a cup of milk.
“Thanks,” said Tarron. He sat down on a chair, Link did the same.
“So, why were you hanging around Zelda?” asked Link.
Tarron almost chocked on the milk he was drinking, he coughed a few times, but he was able to say, “I just wanted to see her. You know, thank her for saving my life that one day a while back.”
“Oh, I see.”
“That letter you gave her……..”
“What about it?”
“You really wanted her to see it. Didn’t you?”
Link stood up and walked outside, Tarron followed and saw him standing on the balcony.
“Yes,” said Link.
“Do you love her?” asked Tarron, almost already knowing.
Link blinked slowly, “…yes.”
“So why do you keep running away?”
“I didn’t run away, she did. She left me in Termina, and she left me….” Link closed his eyes hard, “a long time ago, when she fell in love with Roy.” Link opened his eyes that were now wet and puffy.
“I’ve never been in love until recently.”
“I envy you, Tarron. You didn’t have to live for seven years in sorrow and regret. Now that you’ve fallen in love, you will see things differently. In unknown darkness and heartbreak is something you will experience very often.”
“Link, you’re a legendary hero. I’ve listened to tales of people like you. And if there’s anything I’ve learned from them, it’s that you can’t let your personal feelings get in the way. Passion, love, and care, are things that will just slow you down.”
“No Tarron, that’s where you’re wrong. It takes all of those things to be a hero. Passion for what you do to do it right. Love for people that you must save. And care for everyone who is counting on you, on who you are, and what you say. A person cannot be a hero on just a sword and a shield, but on the hopes of the people that he protects. And if that may be in a form of an emotion or a person, they will do anything but slow you down in your destiny.”
“You’re right Link. You are first and foremost a hero. But just because you bear a lot of courage, there is one thing that you still fear.”
“What?”
“Your heart……”
Tarron jumped down from the balcony and walked away from Link.

Impa helped Zelda put her veil on. “This is a very important day for you, Zelda,” said Impa. The sun outside of the window was close to setting, awakening the night.
“I know, Impa,” said Zelda.
People from all over Hyrule were coming to see the wedding of the princess and prince. All were seated in the castle chapel where a choir, an organ, and many instruments were playing music as the guests arrived.
Zelda was breathing hard as she grew more nervous. “You don’t have to do this you know.”
“Yes I do.”
“Well Zelda, I won’t stop you. No one can.”

“Well Daniel, the day has finally come when I will be king of Anthea,” said Roy as he was dressing his self in front of the mirror.
“I’m excited too sir, but, don’t want to get married for love?” asked Daniel.
“Love? Who needs love when you can have anything you want?”
“Because love is luxuries that not even a prince can afford.”
“Whatever you say, Daniel. All I know is that Zelda will be my bride, and then Hyrule will be mine!” Roy laughed an evil laugh.
“Could you stop doing that sir? You’re scaring me.”
“Oh, sorry.”

The bells rang and everyone was silent. Roy stood at the end of the red carpet next to Daniel, his best man. The carpet was laid out like a river, parting the two families on the bride’s side and on the groom’s side.
The bride’s maids came out first, carrying red, blue, and purple roses with them. They walked gracefully down the aisle and parted in half as the reached the minister. The king sat on his throne from a balcony as he watched the ceremony form above.
Once everyone, but the bride was out, Zelda’s maiden bride, Impa, came out. Everyone stood, for they knew Zelda was coming out next. When she did, soft melodies filled the air. Zelda’s long dress dragged along the floor behind her. People began to sing as the beautiful princess, hidden behind a long veil, approached the end of the line.
The walk seemed to last a thousand miles to Zelda. She finally reached Roy. She looked up behind him and saw her father smiling down on them. She had to be strong. She had to do this.
“My people!” the minister said for all to hear, “The three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, smile down upon these two people.”
The minister’s assistants handed Roy and Zelda two identical golden glasses of blessed water to them. Zelda looked in it and saw her reflection. A single tear drop fell and made a ripple of many circles in the center.
The minister continued, “With the tying of this sash,” he tied a white sash around the two cups Roy and Zelda held up, “We not only unite two people, but two kingdoms!”
The minister pulled out a sword. “Once the sash is cut, the ceremony will be complete,” he said. He raised the sword up high. Zelda, making her final decision, threw the golden cup on the floor before the blade could meet the sash.
Roy looked at the floor where the cup and spilled water lay. “Zelda, what are you doing?” he asked.
“This is wrong,” Zelda said, pulling off her veil. Everyone in the room gasped.
“How is it wrong?”
“I can’t Roy. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t tell me…..you’ve fallen in love…with that forest boy?!”
Zelda bit her lip, trying to keep herself from saying yes.
“That’s it. I’ve tried to patient with him, but no more! He will regret the day he tried to take away my kingdom from me!” Roy pulled out his own sword. “I’m going to kill him! I’m going to kill him!”
“Roy, NO!” Zelda was going to run and try to grab the sword, but Roy pushed her down and ran down the alter to the forest. The words that Zelda’s eyes were saying echoed in his mind…”I love him, I can not marry you.”

Roy ran in the shadows of darkness through Hyrule Field to the Kokiri Forest. The noir ambience was dominated by low-key lighting... and deep shadows, creating feelings of disorientation, loneliness and entrapment. He raced by Lon Lon Ranch, darted past anything in his way, and dashed from the castle fading away into the distant shade of the moon’s light.
No one interfered because no one was there to do so. Roy quickly made it to the entrance. He knew where to find it by looking over the map of Hyrule many times to find where Zelda and Link may have been hiding. He always hated this place because all of its inhabitants were immortal and stayed young forever, but not Roy, he hated the idea of aging.
The forest entrance was quiet. The crossing of the bridge was also uneventful. But when he was in the main forest, he searched frantically for Link. Sword in hand, he charged into people’s houses without permission or warning.
One house was Mido’s. When Roy burst in, Mido screamed, “Hey pal, you can’t just walk into people’s houses like that! Only Link can!”
“Link! Where’s Link?!” Roy asked in deep breaths. His eyes were red, but not his usual red color, they were red with evil and terror. When Roy found that there was no Link there, he left. Mido, suddenly taking concern for his rival of the forest, went outside.
“Link! Where’s Link?!” Roy yelled to himself, and the others around him. He soon went into another house. Saria’s house.
“Where is he?!” Roy yelled upon entering Saria’s home.
Saria stood up from her journal and asked, “Who do you think you are? Coming into people’s houses like that?”
“Shut up! I want Link! I’m going to kill Link!”
“Kill Link? Why?”
Roy left the house without giving her an answer. For some reason, Saria already knew.

Everyone in the chapel muttered amongst themselves in confusion at what had happened. Zelda, recovering from her fall, ran up to Impa.
“Impa, I have to go get him,” said Zelda, panicky.
“I know. You have to get Link, not Roy. Don’t you see that?” asked Impa.
“I was blinded by how much I loved actually loved him. Tell everyone to stay calm and don’t do anything.” Impa nodded and Zelda darted through the parted crowed. Before she left through the door, she called up to the king, “Father, I’m sorry. But I love Link.” She said it smiling.
Zelda held the sides of her dress as it swayed back and forth as she ran. She came out of the chapel and looked around for a faster way to travel than by running. She found one of the knight’s horses. But there was a problem. The knight was still on it.
“I need to borrow this!” Zelda said, pushing the knight off. He hit the floor with a thud. Zelda mounted the horse and rode off through the castle market, trampling everything in her path, which made her grateful that there were no children playing around at dark. As Zelda rode off to the forest, she saw dark clouds parted by a light. “This can’t be good,” she thought as she went off to the forest.

Saria and Mido both knowing that Roy was serious about the killing were running off to Link’s house. But he wasn’t there. Then, they noticed stacked papers of building blueprints for a house.
“Those must be for Tarron’s house!” Saria said, pointing to the stack.
“Who’s Tarron?” asked Mido.
“Never mind that! Link’s in serious danger, we have to warn him!”
“We do?” Saria pulled Mido by the arm and told him to her find Link.
Link and Tarron were joyfully building Tarron’s new home.
“You know, you don’t have to help me,” said Tarron. He lifted a huge rock and used his powers etch away some rock and make it into a wall. “I can do this by myself.”
“I know that,” said Link, “but when I was younger and new here, the Kokiri kids helped me out with my house. I guess I feel obligated to help a newcomer too.”
“Well I appreciate your help but-“
“Link! Link!” called Saria.
“Saria? What’s wrong?” asked Link. When Saria caught up to him, Link knelt down to see eye to eye with her.
“A man says he’s going to kill you! You have to hide!”
“Yeah,” said Mido, “He looked mad too.”
“What did he look like?” asked Link.
“He had red hair and red eyes,” said Saria.
“And he was wearing a white outfit, it was fancy and dressy,” added Mido.
“It’s Roy,” said Tarron.
“I know,” said Link.
Just as Link finished his sentence, Roy came up from the distance with his sword in his right hand. He was very angry and had a truly horrifying expression on his face. Like it wouldn’t go away until he killed someone.
“Hello there, Link,” said Roy with a deranged and evil smile. He looked as if he was straining to keep calm.
“Hello Roy,” Link said without showing an ounce of fear of apprehension. “Don’t you have a wedding to attend?”
“Draw your weapon!” Roy didn’t just say it, he demanded it.
“What?”
“I SAID DRAW YOUR WEAPON!”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to kill you and make it look like I it was my entire fault.”
Link unsheathed his sword from behind his back and held it in front of him with both of his hands, below his waist.
Tarron took a few rocks from the ground, “I’ve got your back, Link,” he said.
“No!” Link yelled to Tarron, “I have to do this alone. If I ask for help, I’d be at an unfair advantage.”
Tarron put the rocks down. “Besides, our boy can handle this on his own,” said Saria.
Link and Roy began to slowly encircle each other. Roy’s hands were gripping the blade’s hilt so hard, it made a mold to his hands perfectly, pushing dents into the hollow of his fingers.
“Roy, why do you wish to fight?” asked Link, still showing no fear.
“You took my kingdom and my fiancée, so now, I’m going to take your life!” yelled Roy as he advanced on Link. Link was quick, however, he brought up his sword and countered the attack by hitting Roy in the face with his elbow.
Roy let out a scream from his broken nose. He put his left hand over it to try to stop the bleeding. It was no use for that.
“You’ve just made the biggest mistake of your life!” said Roy, “Coincidently, your last!” he said that calmly and in an attitude. Roy held his sword up high above his head. Link was about fifteen feet away from him. In a ghostly voice Roy recited, “Hasha Dono Mei! Flaming Blade of Steel!” He drew the sword down with an amazing force. Then, out of the ground came streaks of fire. It came so fast, Link could only stand hopelessly as he would get burned like the day they encountered the Tiger for the first time. The Tiger? Yes, the Tiger’s sister gave him the metal, the metal that could change form when commanded!
Link pulled it from out of his gauntlet and yelled to the shiny substance, “Shield! A really big one at that!”
The metal quickly changed its form into a shield that diverted the attack. It wasn’t enough to avoid the attack completely, but it was enough for Link to escape a direct attack. The force was so strong that he got knocked back a couple of feet. The flames burst and disappeared into the air.
Before Link could regain balance, Roy, again summoned a powerful attack. This time, it was ice that came for Link. Once again, he used the shield for protection. But this time, it almost froze his hand onto the metal itself.
Roy laughed at him menacingly as he tried to release the grip form the stronghold of the ice. Link managed to break free. Roy was more powerful than any demon he has ever faced. He wasn’t particularly stronger than Ganondorf, but Ganondorf wasn’t a demon, he was a human, unlike his alter ego, Ganon. Link would have to use caution when battling him.
“So, you’ve managed to endure me this far, have you?” said Roy, with an evil smirk. “Well enough’s enough. No more playing around. You saw fire and ice. But there is one more missing. Can you figure it out?”
“Fire….ice…..” Link thought a moment. “Light!”
“That’s right!” As Roy held up his sword to the heavens, dark clouds began forming, parted by where his sword stood. A flash of light came down and drowned his sword in light. Roy was murmuring some ancient form of language below his breath, but Link couldn’t hear or understand it.
The light disappeared but the dark clouds remained. His sword had lightning streaks surrounding it. Even the force that it was holding seemed to knock Saria, Mido, and Tarron back, but Link was able to hold his ground. “You see, Link, my gods are more powerful than yours will ever be!” With that, Roy drew his sword down once more and the force of it knocked down trees, houses, and anything else that was close enough.
Link closed his eyes tight as he knew what his fate was. His hand was still too numb from the ice to grip anything. His legs didn’t seem to move at all, as if something in his body was eating him alive, making him unable to do anything at what was about to happen.
As he stood there, awaiting his death, which seemed to take forever, he looked back at his past at when he was happy, with Zelda. “Zelda,” he whispered.
The blast didn’t come. The sound of the lightning sounded like it was hitting against something plastic. Link opened his eyes. He saw the he was in a blue diamond that completely absorbed the attack. “Where did that come from?” everyone seemed to think.
And, as sure as Link was standing in the forest, Zelda, still in her beautiful white wedding dress, put up Nayru’s love to protect Link.
“Hey you,” she said to Roy with attitude, “hands off my man!”
Roy, enraged with anger, charged at Zelda with his sword. He almost went to slice her in half, but was intercepted by a wall that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Thanks Tarron!” said Link, whose hands and legs were mobile again. “Now let’s take this guy out!”
Link explained to Tarron and Zelda what he wanted to do. His plan was to get Tarron in the air while Zelda was going to use her sage powers to freeze Roy, and Link would take him out.
They all set to their positions. Tarron lifted Roy into the air and that is when everything Link had planned began to crumble. Roy jumped down before Zelda’s freeze spell could hit him. He then came for Zelda instead of Link. Zelda was too preoccupied with the stop spell to see it coming. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him with his blade in hand. In one mighty swoop, he came horizontally to slice her in half.
She heard the piece of metal clank against something hard. She turned her head, expecting it to be her bones, but it wasn’t. It was an oddly shaped and connected to a rod. It was the Tiger! He saved Zelda.
“You insolent pest! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” asked Roy, holding the blade to his zanbatou.
“You! I will avenge,” the Tiger’s eyes glowed yellow, “my sister’s death!” He pushed Roy back on his feet. “Yellow eyes are glowing like the neon lights.”
“…..yellow eyes the spotlights of the city nights,” Roy said the words calmly and menacingly.
“Why did come back?” asked Link from a few yards away.
“I realized that, it wasn’t you who killed my sister. It was Roy. I learned that from the villagers. They told me that she had a fever. But Shiori didn’t have a fever. She had tropical sickness. Roy put something in her that killed her. Roy or some other guy connected to Roy. I just found out and now her death will not be in vain!”
“Well, you coming back will be the last thing you ever do.” Roy said as he summoned more power.
“Marin, get out of the way!” called Zelda. And as any obedient boy does, he listened to her and jumped to Link for protection.
Now everyone was in different places. Zelda was to the right of Link and Marin (the Tiger), Tarron was to her left and Roy was in the middle of all of them. They formed a circle around him.
Roy looked around in uncertainty. He wanted to draw his blade, but all summoned their powers to make him scared.
“Don’t do it!” yelled Link raising his blade.
“It’ll be the last thing you ever do!” Tarron raised a few rocks.
“I wouldn’t mind blowing off some steam!” said the Tiger, “after all, I’ve got nothing to lose!” Roy remained still and silent.
Zelda readied her spells. “I’m sorry Roy, I can’t marry you!” she said.
That was all Roy needed to hear. He lost all patience, mercy, and control. He dashed to Link, tackling him to the ground. All three people rushed to help him, but Roy took Link by the neck and stood up, holding his blade to his neck.
“Nobody move, or I’ll slash it off!” Roy demanded.
“Drop your weapons,” Zelda said, concerned.
“I don’t have a weapon,” said Tarron.
“Just put the rocks down!” said Marin, “idiot.”
“Look Roy, you don’t want to do this. It’s not his fault. I don’t love you and I never have!” yelled Zelda, feeling like a boulder was being lifted off her chest.
Now Roy knew it was time to end this once and for all. He threw Link far away from him, spraining his ankle. He ran to Zelda, and took her by the neck and held his blade in his other hand.
“It was all you! You take my kingdom, so I’ll have to take your life!” said Roy. Link was too far away to get there in time to stop Roy from killing Zelda. He had to think fast.
Roy pulled his blade out to stab Zelda in the chest.
SLASH!
Blood covered Zelda’s mouth. It continued to be surrounded by the red liquid as more came. Roy…..coughed more up. Zelda looked down, despite the blood being coughed up on her forehead. There was something sticking out of chest. She looked to Link who was still on the ground from his ankle. He held the longshot with his sword tied on from a piece of his tunic. He let go of the handle and the longshot brought the sword to just above the hook.
Roy’s eyes went blank as he more blood began to spill out. He fell to the ground, motionless. Roy was would not get up again. Not now, not ever….
Link limped over to Zelda who also came to his aide. “Link. How did you know it would work?” asked Zelda.
“I didn’t. Your safety was the most important to me,” said Link.
Tears began to spill from Zelda’s eyes. She cried against his chest as he held her close. He brought her down to the ground to rest. Marin and Tarron looked at each other in a truce to their fight earlier in Termina. They both walked away to leave Zelda alone.
Zelda lay on the ground asleep on Link’s chest outside, only feet from Roy’s dead body. Link tired eyes looked up at the moon coming out through the dark clouds that Roy had summoned. Link’s slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to a sleep under the many stars……

The sky was still dark as the stars looked like scattered sands of light. Zelda was still asleep on Link’s chest, whom was lying on the ground of the same spot where he had killed Roy.
Tarron and the Tiger left them alone and went to sleep in Tarron’s uncompleted house. Everyone in the Kokiri Forest was sleeping soundly. That is, everyone except Link. He was still awake. He gazed up at the moon with an unfamiliar feeling. He was happy to know Zelda loved him, but he was also sad that he killed the man she was going to marry.
He did not sleep that night.
When Zelda awoke, she noticed that her back was hurting. Then she realized, she was sitting up and resting on Link’s right shoulder. When she was fully awake, she saw that she was riding Epona to the castle.
“You’re awake,” said Link.
“Yes,” Zelda looked around. “It’s early,” she said. And she was right. The sun was just beginning to rise over the field. They walked past Lon Lon Ranch and came up to the castle.
Link was supposed to have dropped her off there, but decided not to. They went through Hyrule Market because it was so empty. There were no people, not even dogs. Even the guards were not there. Either sleeping or still at the chapel.
They walked up the path to the castle. The gate was already opened for them. Then they arrived at the castle entrance. Link jumped off first, and then put his hands out like a stepping stool for Zelda. She took Link’s hand and stepped off.
“Ok, there is where I leave,” said Link as he turned around and was about to mount Epona.
“Wait,” said Zelda, stopping him. “Can you escort me back to my room?”
“Sure Zelda, I’d be honored.”
Zelda took Link’s arm and they both walked to her room. The walk seemed to take an eternity to Link. He had to be somewhere else.
Zelda secretly had the thought of jumping on Link when they were alone in her room. But she shook her head in lament. She was acting like a little school girl who had never seen a boy before except for her brother. But she still dreamed of hugging Link and saying, “I’m free Link! I’m finally free to love!” Then she had the impure thoughts of jumping on link and landing on her bed. She shook her head. “That would never happen now,” she thought.
When they arrived at her bedroom door, it felt like an awkward moment for both of them. They just stood there for a brief eternity. Zelda waited for Link to ask her if he could come in, but he didn’t. She didn’t think of her asking Link, the thought didn’t cross her mind.
“Well….” Zelda rubbed her arm uneasily.
“Guess I’ll see you around then,” said Link. He walked away. Zelda watched him until he disappeared down the stairway.
“I don’t believe it,” Zelda thought to herself. “He kissed me in Termina and made all the moves, but now, at the perfect opportunity, he just walked away.”
Zelda’s head swam as she opened her door and undressed out of her wedding dress and slipped on her comfortable pink dress. She was uncertain on what to do with her wedding dress now. She had the ideas to burn it or to keep it safe forever.
Impa opened her door shortly after. She had her hands over her eyes for some reason. “Just in here to make sure you’re alright,” said Impa nervously.
“Impa, Link’s not here,” said Zelda. “He left a few minutes ago.”
Impa withdrew her hands. “Oh, that’s good. He didn’t do anything.”
“I’m mad because he didn’t do anything.”
“What do you mean?” Impa sat down on her bed.
“I mean that when Link was here, he didn’t do anything,” Zelda began pacing around the room. “It was like he couldn’t wait to get away from me.”
“Well, maybe he had stuff to do.”
“Like what?”
“Well, maybe he went somewhere, like another world to visit people.”
“I don’t know anyone he would want to visit.”
“Zelda, don’t worry about it. Just get some rest of find something to eat.”
“Was everyone worried when I left last night?”
“A little. I told them to all to go home and not worry about it. I was a little baffled when I saw you come back, because Roy never returned.”
“Oh yeah…..that.”
“What happened? Where’s Roy?”
“He’s….he’s dead. I killed him. We killed him. Link…..Tarron…..the Tiger….and me. We all killed him.” Zelda looked down at the floor.
“You killed him?!” Impa suddenly stood up from her bed.
“Yes. And it felt good too!” Zelda looked up.
“Zelda, I know you didn’t like him but-“
“He deserved it. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure we’ll all do better without him.”
Impa sighed. “Ok Princess, I won’t question your decision.” Impa left the room.

Link didn’t even return home after he left the castle. He went to Lon Lon Ranch. As usual, at this time, it was a busy working place where everyone had a job and did it how they were supposed to. The workers all criss-crossed each other making it difficult to make your way through the horses’ stable.
Link looked around for Malon. Link noticed that all of the workers’ hair was dark. So Malon’s blood hair would be easy to spot in the crowd. After a while of pushing and shoving from the workers, Link finally found Malon with a clipboard. She was looking at it with a pen, making changes and modifications.
“It wasn’t this busy the last time I was here,” Link said jokingly at Malon. Malon didn’t answer. Link scratched the back of his head nervously. “I said it wasn’t this busy the last time I was here!”
Malon jumped at the surprise of Link’s voice. “It’s always busy here,” she said in an annoyed tone.
“Oh, I’m sorry Malon.”
“What are doing here? You have your own supply of milk. There is no need for you to be here.”
“I wanted to talk about something”
Malon walked to the ranch house. The original one before there were so many new ones built. “I’m a busy woman Link. There is no time for useless chatting. What do you want?”
They were in the ranch house that was also in a frenzy. The desk was stacked with papers; Link suspected that they were orders for milk and other things the ranch supplied. People were going everywhere. Behind the desk, some were sorting papers. Other people were picking up the stack of the sorted piles and took them to another desk where a stack of hay used to be. There, they were being marked and noted.
After that, the papers were taken outside. From then on, Link didn’t know where they went. Link had to shout to get over the loud noises. “I need a pickax!”
“A what?!” Malon yelled back.
“A pickax! I’m going mining!”
“Follow me!” Malon led Link up the stairs to her room. Once the door closed behind her, all the sound seemed to be reduced to a low humming. Everything in the room was the same. Except all the walls had hammers, pickaxes, and other equipment going all around the perimeter of the room. Some were marked as “sold” or “being paid”.
Malon looked for a sturdy one for Link. She held it up for him to see. “Since you saved the ranch and my life, I let you have this free of charge.”
“Thanks Malon,” said Link.
“Why are you going mining anyway? There’s no place to mine around here. We usually sell these for digging.”
“I’m going to mine in Dondogo’s Cavern. I want to blow off some steam and there, I can’t do any harm to people.”
“Well, have fun.”
“I will,” Link headed for the door. “You keep this ranch going in good shape.”
“I hope I will.”
Link left.
When Link arrived at Dondogo’s Cavern, he took his pickax and started hacking away at the interior of the tunnel in the front. He put on his golden gauntlets and used the megaton hammer to make huge holes too. He had dug through about three feet until he saw something sparkle. Excited, he hacked and dug faster and faster.
He continued for days. Taking an occasional break for food and rest.

Zelda sat at her open window and gazed longingly at the starry sky. The wind blowing in her hair. She sighed.
Impa knocked on her door and came in, the knock was more of a warning, “Princess, please eat something. It’s almost been a week. You’ve barely eaten anything. You haven’t left your room. We are starting to worry.”
“I’m not hungry,” said Zelda.
“Please eat. You can’t go on like this.”
“Link hasn’t come back for six days. Why hasn’t he come to see me?”
“Why haven’t you gone to see him? He came to see you first. Why don’t visit him first for a change?”
“It doesn’t work that way. I just think that….he doesn’t love me anymore.”
“Zelda don’t talk like that! Of course he does. He’s probably sidetracked or something.”
“I don’t care anymore. I can’t believe I ever felt anything for him. If he doesn’t come back tomorrow…..then I will forget about him!”
“Zelda you’re acting crazy. I’m sure he’ll come back. Just give him time. As I recall, you did before. For seven years. I think you can wait a few more days.”
“I guess so. I’ll eat now.” Zelda took the plate Impa took to her and ate it clean.

Link returned to the castle with a bunch of bags full of something. Epona could barely hold them all up, including Link. He asked the guards for Impa to come outside. A few minutes later, Impa came out.
“Link, there you are! Zelda’s been worried sick about you!” said Impa upon seeing Link.
“Shh!” Link said sharply. “I don’t want Zelda to know that I’m here.”
“Why is that?”
Link whispered to Impa what he was going to do with the contents of the sacks. Impa was so surprised and happy.
“Do you need any help?” asked Impa.
“No, I want to do this on my own,” said Link. “Just keep Zelda away from her window until I tell you to tell her to. Got it?”
“Got it. Now get to work. She’s falling apart.”
“Alright.” Link took the sacks to where he needed them and started to work.
Impa went back into the castle and saw Zelda walking from the dining room. “Zelda, where are you going?” asked Impa, a little on edge.
“To my room,” said Zelda. “Where I always go.”
“Why are you always going there? Why don’t you and I go shopping?”
“Why?”
“Just….for fun.”
“Look Impa, I’m fine. Really.”
“But you can’t spend all day in your room. Why don’t you just walk around in the town market?”
“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad. I think I might like to buy a few things. Alright, let’s go.”
Impa made a sigh of relief. She followed Zelda out of the castle. Once they were crossing the drawbridge, Zelda stopped abruptly. “I forgot my money. It’s in my room,” she said, turning around.
“Then we’ll window shop then,” said Impa said, turning her around and pushing her away from the door.
The market was a bustling place where people hung out and went shopping. A new game shop had just opened and Impa wanted Zelda to try it out. “Hey princess, let’s go there!” Impa said, pointing at the building.
Zelda walked over and read the sign, “Magic Eye Maze.”
“Sounds like fun. Let’s go.”
In the shop, a woman with a bandanna on her head was sitting behind a desk with a purple tablecloth with a pink and beaded fringe. Two incenses were pointing straight up, allowing a pink smoke to rise in the air. The room was dark and lit with few candles.
“How do we play this game?” Zelda asked the woman.
“There is a special playing field outside. The object of the game is to reach the treasure chest-“
“Great, how much does it cost?” asked Impa.
“Ten rupees.”
Impa paid the woman the money and Zelda and she walked out of the door on the other side of the entrance. When the door was open, there was a small field outside with grass and plants. On the other side of the field was a treasure chest.
“This’ll be easy,” said Zelda walking to the chest. Just then, she bumped up against something. Like a wall of some sort.
“What the hell?”
“I get it now. Magic Eye Maze. There is an invisible maze in this field and you need a lens of truth to see it.”
“This is going to take a while…..”

It was night and the moon was full in the sky. Zelda re-entered her room. Impa kept persuading her to not go in yet, but she was too tired and had a hurt nose from all of the invisible walls.
Impa still tried to keep her back, but she couldn’t and was asked to leave. Zelda walked to the window and was shocked at what she saw.
On the field below her was an arrangement of diamonds spelling out a message that said, “Marry Me Zelda”. The moon made all of sparkle like the stars themselves. Link stood at the bottom of the letters.
Zelda’s mouth dropped open as tears streamed down her face. She opened her window and yelled, “Yes!” so that all the world could hear her……

“I just can’t believe it!” yelled Saria in happiness. “My little boy is getting married!”
“Saria, I’m not a little boy,” Link laughed as he put his black version of his green hat on. “Besides,” he continued, “everyone’s been saying that anyway.”
“Well, it’s just so wonderful!”
“I can vouch for that,” said Tarron as he walked in Link’s home.
“Hey Tarron,” said Link.
“See, I told you you’d look good in black.”
Link was dressed in a black tunic with beige tights and long sleeves for his wedding, since he had refused to wear an actual suit for the ceremony.
“I still think he’d look better in an actual suit though,” said Saria. “After all, you only get married once.”
“Is Marin ready?” asked Link.
“He should be,” said Tarron. “He said he wanted to say goodbye to his sister one last time. I don’t know what he meant by that though. Can’t he see her anytime he wants?”
Link was silent for a moment, then spoke, “Tarron…..don’t you remember what he said during the battle? She died a month ago….while Zelda and I were in Termina…..”
“Oh….I didn’t know that….No wonder he seemed so sad.”
“Don’t worry about it. There’s nothing we can do now. We’ll just let him rest a while until he gets over it.”
“Link….you can’t expect him to get over it on his own. I lost my entire family and it’s been eight years and I still haven’t recovered from my loss.”
“You lost your family? I didn’t know that.”
“Well it all started when…..”

Zelda was dressed in a plain white silk dress that opened out slightly around from her waist to her feet. She didn’t want anything special for the ceremony. She just a few people and a small wedding.
“Zelda, I’m so happy with your decision,” said Impa, helping Zelda dress.
“I know! Finally, I can marry with someone who’s wedding I look forward to!” said Zelda.
“I’m so happy Link was finished with his ‘project’ when you looked outside your window.”
“You knew that all along. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because he had asked me not to. Aren’t you happy about the surprise?”
“Yes. Of course I am. I can’t believe that he did that for me.”
“He loves you.”
“I know that now…….” Zelda smiled.

“Tarron,” asked Link. “Could you go to the Ranch and get some-“
“Yes!” Tarron cut him off.
“You didn’t even know what I was going to ask for.”
“So, as long as I get to go to the ranch I don’t care.”
“Can you pick up some wine? Malon should have some.”
“Do want me to invite her too?”
“No!” Link turned from his mirror and looked at Tarron. “No one must know that we are getting married.”
“Why not?”
“Zelda and I don’t want this to be big news. I already took the King of Hyrule’s daughter away. I don’t want him to know that we’re getting married.”
“But….then you’d be living a lie.”
“……” Link was silent for a moment.
“Look, it’s not a big deal. You’ll tell him sooner or later, won’t you?”
“Yes. But there’s another thing…..and you may not want to hear it.”
“Don’t worry, you can tell me.”
“Well, Zelda and I were hoping that….this would be a private ceremony.”
“Ok, so there won’t be a lot of people there.”
“No, I mean, it just supposed to be Zelda and me there; and the minister.”
“…….so, Marin and I won’t be there?”
“That’s right. I’m sorry Tarron, but we just can’t attract attention to anyone.”
“And you going to the castle in a black, dressy tunic won’t?”
“Tarron, I’m sorry if I offended you, but we can’t take any chances.”
“Don’t worry about it, Link. I’ll be fine. I’ll even make sure no one else knows.”
Tarron and Link both forgot Saria was still in the room. Her abrupt voice surprised Tarron and Link. “Aren’t you a little too young to be drinking wine?” she asked.
“I’m eighteen. Besides, I’m pretty sure that’s how my family used to celebrate weddings like that.”
“Yeah. That’s what your mother said when she took you here.”
Link paused. “You knew my mother?”
“Briefly. I was here to greet her near the Great Deku Tree. In the last few hours that she was alive she had told me to take care of you and raise you.” Saria reached into her pocket, “And to give you this when you got married.” Saria pulled out a necklace with a pendant on it with the triforce symbol on it. The top triangle was red, the bottom-left one was blue, and the bottom-right one was green. It was very small, but it was still very beautiful.
“My mother wanted me to have this?”
Saria nodded. “It was among the last things she had told me.”
Link bent over so that Saria, small and short, compared to Link, could put it on.
“I’m sure that with his relic around your neck, your mother will be there at the ceremony.”
Link had blurry eyes, “Thanks, Saria.”
Saria motioned to Tarron for them to leave. They both felt that Link should be alone right now.

Tarron went to the ranch. He didn’t really know what Malon looked like, but took the job seriously nonetheless. “Tarry?” said a familiar voice. Tarron turned around. It was Kana, the girl from the ball!
“Kana? Is that you?” asked Tarron, as she approached him.
Kana looked different than the way she did at the ball. She was wearing a tattered gray outfit with stains and dirt all over it. That was not what Tarron had been expecting.
“What are you doing here?” asked Kana.
“Look, my name’s not Tarry, it’s Tarron. I was only dressed up like a girl for someone.”
“Yeah, the high voice didn’t fool me.”
“Well, I came here to pick something up,” said Tarron.
“Pick up what?”
“Some wine.”
“Wine? What do you need wine for?”
“I can’t say. Why are you dressed like that?”
“What do you mean? I wear this everyday.”
“You wear that everyday? Why?”
“It’s my work outfit.”
“Is this how they treat you here? I mean, what do you do here for your pay?”
“I milk cows. I choose to wear this. This is my only good pair of clothes anyway.”
“Then what was that you were wearing at the ball?”
“That was a dress I was borrowing from my boss. Don’t worry about it. So it’s wine you need?”
“Yes, for a special occasion.”
“Alright, I’ll be right back. Stay here.” Kana turned around and went into the ranch house. A few moments later, she came out with Malon.
“What is it that you need kid?” asked Malon.
“Some wine,” said Tarron.
“Aren’t you a little too young to be drinking stuff like that?”
“It’s not for me, it’s for Link.”
“Link?! You mean Link needs wine?”
“Yes, he’s the one who asked for me to get it.”
“Why didn’t you say so? Kana, take this boy to the wine house.” Malon handed Kana a key and pointed to the small brick house behind the stable.
Kana led Tarron to the little building.
Kana unlocked the door and there was row after row of bottles of wine there. They covered all of the walls.
“Take your pick,” said Kana.
“I don’t have any money to pay for it,” said Tarron.
“Judging by how excited Malon was to see you, I don’t think she’d mind.”
Tarron scanned each bottle until he came upon a bottle of red wine. He pulled it off the shelf.
“I’ll take this,” he said, holding it up.
“Ok, let’s go now,” said Kana, opening the door.
As they were walking to the exit, Tarron talked to Kana, “I’m going to get a new outfit for you. Something nice so you won’t have to wear that anymore.”
“Oh no Tarron, you don’t have to,” said Kana.
“I insist. I’ll come back here soon.”
“Thanks Tarron.” Kana stood on her toes and kissed Tarron on the cheek. Tarron smiled and went to back to the forest.

“Where is he? He should’ve been back by now,” said Link, pacing in front of the exit of the forest.
“He’ll be here, don’t lose faith,” said Saria, trying to calm him down.
“Zelda is expecting me to be there right now, before the sun sets.”
“We still have about ten minutes,” said Marin.
Link sighed impatiently. Just as soon as he did, Tarron returned and handed a bottle of red wine to Link.
“We don’t have much time. Tarron, I need a ride to the castle, now!” said Link.
Tarron took a piece of rock, “Hop on.”
Tarron and Link soared to the castle as fast as they could. Once close enough, Link dropped down into the garden near the two fountains. He placed the bottle of wine on the ground and ran to the Zelda’s courtyard. He almost tripped on himself for running so fast.
When he reached the archway leading to Zelda’s courtyard.
When he arrived, he found Zelda waiting in a beautiful white silk dress. It was just a normal, small, plain dress. She was holding beautiful roses and had her golden hair up and out of her face.
Link approached the minister and Zelda slowly. “You’re late,” said Zelda, as if she thought Link wouldn’t show.
“I know. I’m sorry,” said Link, as she leaned in for a kiss.
Zelda put her hand on his chest to stop him, “We’re not married yet…..”
Link laughed, “No…..but we will be….”
Link kissed Zelda before the sun went down, symbolizing that they had been married.
The ceremony was over when Link and Zelda ran out of the castle arm in arm with smiles on their faces.
They both rested under the tree near Lon Lon Ranch and gazed at the moon as they drank the wine. Link clenched the necklace that his mother wanted him to have.
“What’s that, Link?” Zelda asked her new husband.
“Oh this? Saria said my mother wanted me to have it when I got married,” said Link.
“She did? It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you. I’m sure she’s looking at us right now and smiling upon us.”
“Yeah. I’m sure she is. Along with Din and the other goddesses.”
After a while, Zelda fell asleep on Link's shoulder. Link, whispering to her in her deep sleep, said the words: "Zelda, my Zelda, don't ever leave me......."