CHAPTER 1: A NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE
It was another warm and sunny day on campus. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, flowers were blooming everywhere. It was definitely “Spring Fever” time on campus. Everyone was in a great mood. Everyone, that is, except for Serenity. She was a beautiful girl, with bright blue eyes and light brown hair that flowed to the middle of her back. She was short, true, a measly 5’ 3”, but she had spirit. She had a beautiful complexion and a gorgeous body, which could explain why half the girls on campus hated her, and ALL of the guys loved her. She wasn’t the least bit thrilled however, and glared at the sun, muttering, “Stupid sun, why do you have to make your presence known EVERYTIME I’m in a bad mood?” She sighed and crossed the street, heading to her car to go home. As she was walking, she kept thinking about the strange dream she had encountered the previous night. Three women, no, goddesses, were trying to send her a message. They were beautiful beyond belief, but what they were saying didn’t make any sense.
“The time will come when you, the chosen one, will embark on your journey to save a sacred land,” Serenity mumbled to herself, “only then will you be able to fully understand the closed doors of your past.” She shook her head and crossed another street. "What did they mean by that? What journey am I going to go on? Will I know it when I get there? I wish this would make sense to me." Serenity didn’t have any idea about her past. Her biological family was killed in a bad accident, leaving no records of any kind behind; at least that’s what her adopted parents told her. Her dream had shown her other things, too. She was supposed to meet with someone who was known as the Hero of Time, whatever that meant. Also, the goddesses told her of a legend that is directly linked to her and her past. It was called the legend of the Faierikin. She didn’t quite know what that meant, only that the goddesses said that they would reveal more in time.
As she got to her car, she noticed a huge scratch on the side of it, “Damn it, where the hell did this come from?” she spat and unlocked her door, throwing her school books inside. Her first year of college wasn’t going great, and this day was no exception. Already she had slept in late and missed her first class, failed a pop quiz in her second, had no money for lunch, and now this thing with the car door. She heaved a big sigh and uttered, “What ELSE can go wrong for me today? I can’t WAIT to find out!” She then started her car and started driving home.
As she rounded a corner, her car began to smoke. She pulled over to the side of the road, got out and popped the hood. What she thought to be smoke was really steam, “Perfect, my radiator is busted. What another great thing to happen to me today!” She belted at the top of her lungs. She looked around for someone to help her push her car, but oddly enough there was no one in sight. Wrinkling her brow, she started walking. She hadn’t gone far when she came to a small grove of trees by the side of the road.
“That’s funny; I don’t remember those being there before.” She uttered more to her own disbelief than anything, “I’ve gone by this road a hundred times before, strange.” Curiosity got the better of her, so she decided to check it out. At the edge of the “woods” there was a steep ravine. Serenity had climbed these a million times and knew she could handle this one. However, she didn’t see the small patch of mud and slipped on it and fell. “AAHHH!!” She braced herself for what would be a nasty fall, but she found that she kept falling. She then felt a strange tingling through her spine as she passed what seemed like a vortex of some sort. Finally, she hit the ground and had the wind knocked out of her.

CHAPTER 2: A MEETING WITH A HERO
“Child of a different time, of a different place, of a different world, hear us now. We the goddesses of the Triforce: Din, Nayru, and Farore, ask of you. Your destiny is revealed. You are the chosen one… the last of the Faierikin tribe. You will inherit great powers in the next few weeks of your journey.
“These powers, along with the Hero of Time’s courage, will allow you two to defeat the King of Evil when he tries to regain power.
“Your powers, however, will only seem mediocre until you gather the missing pieces of the Staff of Power, which has been broken and scattered throughout this land.
“Believe in us, the goddesses of the Triforce, for we will be your guides. For you are our only hope of saving this beautiful land…”
“Beautiful land?” Serenity mumbled as she began to wake up. She groaned and sat up on her knees. “How long was I out?” she asked herself as she looked around. Then she remembered the dream and thought to herself, "for some reason, it all makes sense now." She felt a weird feeling in her leg and pulled up her pant leg. A symbol had embedded itself on her leg and she knew exactly what it was: the symbol of the Faierikin tribe. She smiled to herself, "now I know." She got to her feet and looked around. To her left was a deep hole, deep enough to where she couldn’t see the bottom of it. She peered over the edge. "Man, at least I didn’t fall in there," she thought to herself. As she began to walk around it, she heard footsteps. Gulping slightly, she glanced around slowly. Suddenly she screamed as someone (or something) landed in front of her. It was a boy, she thought, at least it LOOKED like a boy. He was taller than her, about 5’ 9” with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes like hers. He was wearing a green tunic and matching hat, with white pants and shirt on underneath. She also thought him to be about her age of 19. The most important thing she noticed, however, was the very sharp sword blade held at her throat.
“Please don’t hurt me!” she begged, not moving an inch.
“Who are you? And what are you doing in the forest after sunset? It is very dangerous to be here right now, don’t you know that?” He saw the desperate look in her quivering eyes, and he let his guard down some, “I’m sorry I startled you like that, but you shouldn’t be here, the Stalchilds will get you.”
“Stal-what? Where exactly am I again?” Serenity was very confused now. She was beginning to understand how Dorothy and Toto felt when they were in Oz.
“Come with me, we must go fast.” He grabbed her arm and started walking. The two of them walked quite briskly, and it was hard for Serenity to keep up, “Where are we going exactly?”
“To get my horse, then to Kakariko Village. The castle gates will be closed by now, but we can get shelter there…” he paused and looked at her, “you are in Hyrule, does any of this seem familiar to you?” Serenity studied him some more as the walked, and she quickly noted something that definitely made him different from her: his ears. They were pointed, almost elf-like. She shook her head and answered, “Uh, not really, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m not where I was five minutes ago, that’s for sure.” Unknowingly, she had pushed her hair back behind her ear and he noticed her rounded ears, “Wow, you really aren’t kidding are you?” He asked as he studied her odd-shaped ears. Serenity shook her head again. Then she noticed a horse standing not far from them, “Is that yours?” He smiled, “Yep, her name’s Epona.”
“You know, speaking of names, do you have one?” He blushed, “Sorry, my name is Link. What’s yours, stranger?”
“My name is Serenity.” He wrinkled his brow, “Serenity? Wow, that’s a really pretty name.” She blushed, “oh I don’t know, it’s just the name my foster parents gave me.” He was blushing a little too, “I have just never heard it before is all. I like it. It suits you.” As they reached Epona, Link walked up to her and patted her neck. She neighed and nuzzled him with her nose. He then turned to Serenity, “Come here, I’ll help you up.” Serenity had been riding a hundred times before. In fact, she had her own horse with which she shared a close bond with: Star Streak. She wished he was with her now. Link put his hands together to give Serenity a boost. She jumped up with pure ease. She scooted closer as Link mounted up behind her and reached around to take the reins. Serenity could feel herself blush a little as the boy’s arms were around her. "Such strong arms," she thought to herself, as his breath went down her neck, "I believe I like this boy." Link kicked Epona into a trot and they found their way out of the woods.
As they exited the forest, they came across a huge field. Across from them was a huge wall, with a castle visible in the background. In the center of the field was a building with a huge stone wall around it, so Serenity couldn't see what it was. There were dirt paths everywhere, and she could barely see what looked like a lake in the distance. Turning her gaze, she saw a rocky slope that headed toward some kind of deep ravine. As the two rode, they were along side a river that flowed along a rocky wall and right by the wall bordering the Market around the Castle. Epona was galloping now, and Link had said that they would be to the village soon. Soon ended up being a couple of hours, but whatever. As they got there, Link tied Epona to a fence post, and the two headed up the stone steps to the village.
“We’ll go to Impa’s house, she’ll have a change of clothes for you there, and probably some food if you’re hungry.” Link told her. Serenity looked down at herself and almost laughed out loud. She must have been a sight for sore Hyrulian eyes: She was wearing low-slung faded jeans (her favorite pair), a thin light pink tank that settled about four inches above her jeans, and covering the tank was a light pink hooded sweatshirt that was unzipped in the front. "Wow, not that I stick out like a sore thumb or anything," Serenity thought to herself sarcastically. Link smiled and led her to the first house in the village. The village was little and quaint, but there were people bustling everywhere, even for it being closing time. This was probably because of the festival getting ready to begin. There was a massive windmill at the back of the village, and a gate up on a hill had a trail behind it leading to a huge mountain peak with clouds swirling around it. The houses were of all shapes and sizes and were positioned on different levels of land, with stone stairways leading up to the different levels. The house that the two entered was home to a dear friend of Link's, whom Serenity was about to get acquainted with.

CHAPTER 3: THE TRUTH IS REVEALED
“Come in Link and guest!” a warm greeting met them as they entered the house. Impa sure was a sight for Serenity to see. She was tall and thin with a muscular build. Her crimson-colored eyes stared through strands of grey hair in a pleasant tone. She was wearing an armor-like top and blue shorts. Impa smiled, “Do not fear my appearance, young lady,” Serenity was startled, “Oh, I’m not, I was just…”
“Surprised to see a lady in armor? I am Impa, and I am a Shiekah. We are a mystical tribe of people and we have the ability to read into other people’s minds and thoughts. That’s how I knew what you were thinking,” Impa winked at her, “among other things, I’m sure.” She turned to Link, “Give us leave for a while, the festival starts in about two hours. I will give her one of Zelda’s old dresses to wear.” Link nodded and left the house.
Once he was gone, Impa turned to Serenity. The look in her eyes told Serenity that she had not just seen Serenity’s awkwardness about her, but something even more important.
“You have no idea who you are or what you mean to this land, do you?” Serenity sighed and said, “no, not really. I have been having these strange dreams lately, and they keep becoming more and more vivid. It’s like my whole life has been nothing but a lie.” Impa smiled, “Not a lie, my dear, think of it as more of a disguise than anything. I believe I can tell you all you need to know.”
“Really? Then explain this on my leg,” Serenity stated as she rolled up her pant leg. Impa glanced down at the mark and her eyes grew wide, “This is the sacred symbol of the Faierikin tribe! You really ARE the chosen one, aren’t you?” Impa set the table for two and started cooking some food on the stove, “Sit with me and we will discuss everything.”
An hour passed by in the blink of an eye. The two had discussed everything from Serenity’s ancestors, to why she was banished to the “human world”, to what the legend of the last Faierikin held for her. Impa knew of everything and would guide Serenity as far as she could. Serenity was starting to grow great respect for Impa, for she was a very intelligent person.
“So I was sent to my world for protection from the King of Evil, given the disguise of a human, and have no memory of my life here at all, hu?” Serenity asked, sipping the last of the water from her cup. Impa nodded, “It sounds horrible, I know, but with the help of myself, Link, and Zelda, I believe we can figure this whole thing out before the Evil One returns.”
“One question I do have is what is the choice I am going to have to make?” The goddesses told Serenity of a life-altering decision that she will have to face in the peril of danger. Impa frowned, “I’m not sure if I can answer that or not, for I don’t know either.” Her expression turned to a smile, “come now, all this serious talk has left us with no mood for celebrating. Cheer up! There is a festival tonight! You must join us! Come, I have the perfect dress for you.”
Impa was right; the dress was stunning. It was light blue in color and set just off of Serenity’s delicate shoulders. She looked in the mirror and almost gasped: she looked simply amazing. The light blue of the dress contrasted beautifully with her brown (almost almond) hair, and brought out the blueness in her eyes, “Wow, this is too much Impa. You shouldn’t have.” Impa smiled, “This is one of the Princesses old gowns. It fits you perfectly.”
“A princess wore this?! I thought you said this was from someone named Zelda.” Impa laughed, “Zelda IS the princess. She is a most wonderful person, and I know she will love to meet with you. She will be here tonight, should you wish to speak with her.” Serenity’s eyes lit up, “I would love to! I can’t wait to meet her!” She then turned to the mirror again, her smile slowly fading, “I wish my ears didn’t look so different from yours; I feel so out of place here.”
“You can change that, you know,” Impa implied, “you can do almost anything with the power you have received.” Serenity turned to her, “but the goddesses said that I had to have that Staff to use my powers, didn’t they?”
“Only if you want to cast big spells like defeating evil demons and monsters,” Impa informed her, “altering your image is almost a magician’s trick compared to some of the battles you’ll be facing.” A thought came to Serenity suddenly, “Speaking of that, the goddesses also said that I am supposed to be fighting beside the legendary Hero of Time, who is that anyway?” Impa grinned, “Oh don’t worry about him, and he’ll reveal himself when the time is right. Now about that image of yours...” She started searching her bookshelf for an old spell book that she used to use, “Ah ha! Here is the spell that you must say in order to alter your image to a Faierikin.” Serenity looked over the words, which were written in ancient Faierikin tongue, “I can’t read this! I don’t know how!”
“Just trust yourself, Serenity, and it will come to you,” Impa coached. Serenity looked at the book and sighed. Then she started forming the first few words under her breath. Light started to glow all around her as she said them louder. Soon she didn’t even have to look at the book; she knew what was needed to be done. When she was done, she faced Impa, who smiled and said, “It suits you, look.” Serenity turned slowly and looked in the mirror again. Not much had changed, she still had her radiant beauty, but one thing was notably different: her ears were no longer rounded on top. They had taken their true form and were pointy like Link’s and Impa’s. Serenity smiled and said, “Wow, now I feel like I belong,” she turned to Impa, “please don’t tell Link about this, I want to tell him myself.” Impa nodded as Serenity fixed her hair so her ears didn’t show. She would surprise him later.
Soon after, there was a knock at the door. “Come in Link!” Impa called. Link entered and grinned, sarcasm heavy in his voice, “Gee, how did you ever know it was me?” Impa met his sarcasm, “Lucky guess. Here is your lovely lady all cleaned up.” She stepped out of the way and Serenity walked up to him. His expression changed from boyish grin to complete awe, “Wow, I… uh… I don’t know what to say…” Serenity blushed, “Is it that bad?” Link shook his head quickly, his cheeks turning pink, “no, no, it’s not that, you look amazing.” She smiled and said, “Shall we?” He nodded and the two of them headed to the festival.

CHAPTER 4: JOURNEY TO THE PIECE OF LIGHT
The whole village was there it seemed. The celebration was for the year’s wonderful and bountiful harvest. There was music, food, dancing, lights, the whole she-bang. Serenity was thrilled and having the time of her life. Link was wonderful, and he never left her side the whole time. The two of them sat down after yet another jig and tried to catch their breath. A silvery voice called out, “Link! Is it you?” Link looked up and smiled, “Well, I’ll be, if it isn’t her majesty herself.” He got up and bowed. Serenity, having a delayed reaction, jumped up and tried to curtsey, stumbling just a little. Zelda giggled. She was stunning: Her golden blonde hair slightly pulled back by her golden tiara, which matched with all the other gold jewelry on her. Her dress was white and violet, with shades of blue and pink. “You must be the famous Serenity that I have heard so much about,” she then curtsied a little herself, “I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule, and I officially welcome you to our land. I hope you stay for a while. I would love to hear tales of your world.” Serenity smiled, “I would love that your majesty, it would be my pleasure.” Zelda clasped her hands together with Serenity’s, “Wonderful! Then we shall meet tomorrow in the castle courtyard. You and Link will be staying there tonight after the festival, if that is alright.” Serenity could barely contain her excitement, for she had never been in a castle before, “of coarse it is! Thank you so much your majesty!” Zelda laughed, “Please, my dear, call me Zelda. See you later!” She then walked off to greet some of the other townsfolk at the festival. The music had changed into a slow waltz, and Link turned to Serenity and held out his hand, “care to dance?” Serenity blushed and nodded. The two of them joined the circle and began to dance as if they were meant to be there.
She didn’t notice at first, maybe because she was concentrating so hard on the dance, or maybe it was that she was lost in those innocent blue eyes of his, but the two of them were moving closer to each other, and further away from the festival, until they were off by themselves in a patch of moonlight. They had stopped dancing by now, and were so close to each other that they could feel each other’s breath. The two of them stood there, as if they were in a trance. Finally, Link broke the silence. “You really look amazing, Serenity,” the tone of his voice was so quiet and soothing, that it took Serenity by surprise.
“Thank you, I…” she trailed off, not really knowing what to say. It didn’t matter; Link put a finger to her lips, shushing her gently. Their two heads moved closer together.
“Wait,” Serenity whispered. He stopped, his lips inches away from hers.
“What is it?” Serenity was having a whirlwind of emotions. She had never felt this way about any guy, and she’s known Link for about four or five hours! “Link, you don’t even know me, how do you know you can trust me?” He paused for a moment, and whispered to her, “as strange as you may find this, I don’t care.” He then gently put his lips against hers and they meshed together in a beautiful first kiss. Serenity thought she was going to faint. She opened her eyes to find his looking deeply at her. They both smiled and started walking together. Serenity knew that she had to tell Link sooner or later, so she figured that this was the best time to tell him: when they were alone. “Link, I need to confess something to you.” He turned to look at her, slight concern forming in his eyes.
“It’s nothing bad,” she continued, smiling to reassure him, “I just think you need to know the truth about me.” She sighed and smiled slightly, “I’m not exactly who you think I am.” With that, she pulled back her hair, revealing her newly acquired Faierikin state. Link’s eyes got wide and he smiled, “Tell me everything you know.”
They sat there for hours, as Serenity unfolded the mystery of her life to Link, and her conversation with Impa. Link was such an attentive listener. He was amazed at how she had even been able to think after what had happened to her in the past 48 hours. Then, the same thought came to Serenity as it did when she was talking with Impa, “the goddesses said that I am to do battle against the King of Evil with the other chosen one known as the Hero of Time, do you know who that is?” Link sighed and looked ahead for a minute, his blue eyes studying something in the far distance, “I had a feeling that this was going to happen. Ganondorf couldn’t stay banished forever,” He then turned back to Serenity, “I have a confession to make as well Serenity,” he began, “the Hero of Time… is me.” She was stunned for a few minutes, but after thinking about it, she understood completely, “that’s why everyone knows who you are.” He nodded, “Yeah, that’s why Zelda is letting us stay at the castle as well. It’s my home away from home, I guess.” He sighed and turned to her, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I guess I was… well, I don’t know why, but I’m sorry.” Serenity blinked a couple of times, "I kissed a legendary hero?" she thought to herself, "go me!" She smiled and said, “That’s okay, I mean you didn’t even know who I was or where I came from, so I can’t exactly blame you.” Link looked up at the sky, “It’s getting late, should we head for the castle?” Serenity nodded, and the two of them headed to where Link had left Epona tied up. They mounted and galloped to the castle, where Zelda informed the guards to let them in through the gate.
When they got to the room Zelda had prepared for Serenity, Link walked her in and sat down. She was in awe, for she had never been in such a glamorous room! The bed was huge and had many different sized pillows on it that were of different shades of red, pink and white. The comforter on top was pink and silky, and there was a sheer canopy over the top of the bed. The floor was smooth marble, and there was a closet, desk, and vanity in the room, along with a door that led out to a small balcony. She plopped down next to Link and looked into his eyes, “I guess we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other in the coming days, hu?” He smiled and nodded, “Yes, which is why I think we should start tomorrow.” Serenity raised an eyebrow, “Start? Start on what?”
“Finding that Staff of Power. Legend has it that the goddesses broke it into seven pieces when they found out that it was too powerful, and it caused fights between the races of Hyrule.” Serenity nodded, “You’re right I guess, but the goddesses didn’t tell me where to even start looking. I have absolutely no idea where to start.” Link smiled, “I do. Come with me.” He took her hand and led her to a secret passageway down a velvet covered hallway to the basement of the castle. Down there was an old reading room, with tons of books covered in dust and cobwebs. The smell in the air was musty, like no one had been there for years. There wasn’t much light, but Serenity’s body glowed enough to light the way. Link was startled at first, but Serenity giggled and shrugged, “one of the Faierikin perks, I guess.” He smiled and led her to a drawer.
“I was wondering around the castle a while ago, and stumbled across that secret passageway. I went exploring and found this room. After digging through some stuff, I came across this.” He opened the drawer and inside was a dusty object that resembled a metal rod. Curious, Serenity picked it up. It started glowing yellow and she smiled, “this is it! This IS the first Piece of the Staff! Oh Link I could just kiss you right now!” She was so excited she didn’t even realize the words came right out of her mouth until her eyes met Link’s, who said softly, “then why don’t you?” She blushed as Link gently pulled her forward and pressed his lips to hers. Neither of them knew it at the moment, but the glow surrounding Serenity began forming around Link as well. The two opened their eyes and smiled as they looked around. Then a voice whispered to them, almost singing, “Well done, chosen ones. You have fulfilled the first part of your destiny. Now make haste to the place where the lost children live. There you will find the second part of the treasure you seek. If thou needest help, just give the word…” With that, the voice was gone.
“Was that what I thought it was?” Link asked in amazement. Serenity smiled, “Farore, goddess of courage. Yes it was.” He looked down at her, “How do you know the difference?” She smiled again, “Because I just know. Come on, we need to get some sleep before tomorrow.” Link nodded, and the two of them went back upstairs and to their rooms. Tomorrow would indeed be a long, hard day.

CHAPTER 5: THE BEGINNING OF FALLING IN LOVE?
Serenity hardly slept a wink that night. She had been thinking of what the goddess had told her. Before she knew it, it was daylight, and there was a knock at the door. “Who is it?” she called, and that silvery voice answered, “It’s Zelda, may I come in?”
“Of course!” Serenity stood up and bowed as Zelda walked in, laughing, “Oh please Serenity, you don’t have to be so formal around me.” Serenity blushed, “I’m sorry your ma… I mean Zelda, but I’ve never been in the presence of royalty before.” Zelda took her hand and led her out of the room, “I will show you where the bath is, and then we shall meet in the courtyard to discuss about where it is you come from.” Serenity nodded; a bath was just what she needed.
After she had bathed and changed into some other clothes, she was led by a guard into the courtyard, where Zelda was waiting. The courtyard was beautiful: there were small flower gardens everywhere, which held beautiful blooms of almost every color imaginable. There was also a few small fountains, and a small brook surrounding the area. A few shade trees were present, with benches under them. There was also a set of stairs that led to a window that looked into the throne room in the castle. Serenity sat down next to Zelda, who turned and said, “I met with Impa last night, she is also my attendant. She informed me of the reasoning for your journey here.” Serenity nodded and showed Zelda the same mark on her leg that she showed Impa. Zelda smiled and nodded, “so it is true then. You are truly the last of the Faierikins, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I guess I am. I would have mentioned it sooner, but I really am still finding out the pieces of my past and of my destiny.” Zelda shook her head, “Don’t be sorry, Serenity, I understand completely. I can tell that you do not pose a threat to us,” she leaned back and looked at the blue sky, “so tell me about your world, please?” Serenity sighed and thought to herself, "how am I ever going to explain all of the differences between our two worlds, I mean, my former world, or… wow, even I’m getting confused." She looked at Zelda and began trying to explain the amazing feats of the human world.
Two hours had passed, and Serenity had done better than she thought she had. Zelda was very intelligent, and understood most of what Serenity had told her.
“Such amazing things your world holds,” Zelda stated in awe, “I am amazed that even YOU understand it, and you lived there your whole life!” Serenity giggled, “Yes, that is true; however I hope to never see it again. My soul tells me that this is where I belong.” Zelda nodded, “yes, I agree. You are a Faierikin, and you are a part of Hyrule’s destiny, and that alone says that you shall stay.” She then turned to her side and picked up a well worn dusty book, “I found this last night, it should help you understand your powers and how to use them.” Serenity smiled and started flipping through the dog-eared pages. Just then, Link entered the courtyard, “Good morning ladies,” as he bowed to what seemed like both of them. The two giggled and Zelda asked, “where have you been this morning, hero?”
“I was loading supplies that we will need on our journey. You know, some bombs, arrows, my hookshot, lots of stuff.” Serenity nodded, “yeah, I’m sure Epona’s got a lot of room on her, but what am I supposed to do about supplies, and for that matter, a horse?” Link smiled, “don’t worry Serenity; I have already thought this through. I have it all figured out.” Zelda stood up and faced Serenity, “may the goddesses protect the both of you through your journey. Good luck.” She bent over and kissed Serenity’s forehead lightly; a symbol of great respect. For being a girl, Zelda was still a good three or four inches taller than Serenity. Link cleared his throat, “Zelda, I know you don’t want to hear this, but Impa and I were discussing earlier that, well, maybe it would be safest if you went into hiding.” Zelda looked concerned, “do you really think that is necessary? Is Ganondorf really going to escape?” Serenity spoke up, “begging your pardon Zelda, but I don’t think I would be here if he wasn’t.” Zelda nodded, “I guess you’re right. I will leave for one of the neighboring countries. I have friends there who will gladly help me. Send word for me at once when the Evil One is defeated.” The two chosen ones nodded, said good-bye, and headed to Hyrule Castle Town.
After walking toward the town for some time, Serenity looked at Link, “do you really think he’ll go after Zelda again?” Link sighed, “I wish I knew for sure. All I know is that he wanted her power last time, and she banished him to the Golden Land. If and when he gets out, he’s going to want revenge, and I don’t think he’ll stop with gaining the Triforce of Wisdom, or the Triforce of Courage.” Serenity nodded, knowing full well that both Link and Zelda possessed pieces of the Triforce, since Zelda explained it to her. A few more minutes of silence and Serenity asked curiously, “Were… you and Zelda… you know… ever…” Link looked over at her, “Hu? Oh…” he blushed and looked ahead, “no not really, we became good friends because of what happed all that time ago, but other than that, no.” He gave a small glace at Serenity, and blushed even more, “why?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “it’s just that where I come from, stories of the Hero and the Princess always ended with them falling in love and living happily ever after.” Link gave a small chuckle, “wow, happily ever after, hu? I wish that were the case, then Ganondorf wouldn’t be coming back,” he stopped suddenly, startling Serenity.
“To tell you the truth, you were the first girl I ever…” he was really blushing now, “that I ever… well, kissed.” He turned away quickly, but Serenity gently grabbed his arm and turned him around. His eyes were so blue, and she could tell the innocence in them, “You were the first for me, too.” They stood there for a few minutes, lost in each other’s eyes. "Is this what they mean by starting to fall in love…?" Link thought, then quickly dismissed it, "no, it can’t be. She’s too perfect for someone like me. But I can’t help but think as I look in her eyes, maybe…" He didn’t have time to finish his thought, because their lips had met and were locked in a kiss. This one was more meaningful than the others, for it was followed by Link gently, and cautiously, putting his arms around Serenity, pulling her just slightly closer. When they broke, they stared into each other’s eyes for what felt like forever. Link was the first to move, “Uh, we should really get going, we’re losing time.” Serenity nodded, “yeah, you’re probably right. We need all the time we can get.” With that the two continued walking to the Market.

CHAPTER 6: OLD FRIENDS REUNITED
“So you said that you had it figured out about my transportation and supplies? Explain it to me.” Serenity said as Link helped her onto Epona again.
“Well, a few miles outside of the castle there is a place called the Lon Lon Ranch. It is where I first found Epona here,” he leaned forward and patted his horse, “I know the person who runs it, Talon, and his daughter, Malon. They are both great people, and I know they will help us out. Serenity smiled, “well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” With that Link gave a yelp and Epona broke into a trot all the way out of town.
Soon there after, they arrived at Lon Lon Ranch. Serenity soon realized that it was the building with the unusual stone wall around it that she had seen before. There were a few buildings to the left, and a large stable to the right. In the back they caught a glimpse of a very large corral area. They dismounted and knocked on a nearby door. A girl about Serenity’s age with long red hair and a warm smile greeted them, “Link! How have you been? It’s been too long!” The two old friends shared a warm hug and Link said, “It’s good to see you again Malon. How is your father doing?” She giggled and rolled her eyes, “always the lazy one if you remember right. He’s still upstairs asleep as we speak! How would you two like some breakfast?” The two nodded and entered, where Link proceeded to say, “This is Serenity. She’s… not exactly from around here.” Malon smiled, “Pleased to meet you my dear! Where pray tell are you from?” Link and Serenity shared a quick glance at each other.
“Malon, I think you’d better sit down for this one.” As they ate, both Link and Serenity proceeded to inform Malon of the previous couple day’s events. When they were finished, Malon was in awe, “Wow, you weren’t joking were you? That is amazing! Of coarse I guess nothing should amaze me when it comes to you fairy boy!” She winked as Link groaned: he hated when she called him that, and she knew it. He sighed and said, “That is also why we’re here. We need a horse for Serenity to ride on our journey. I think Epona would like some company as well.” Malon nodded, “You know what? I think I have just the horse for you. Come with me.” With that, Malon led the two out to the corral, while saying, “My father and I found this guy in the corral yesterday. We have no idea where he came from or how he got here, but he’s just the sweetest thing I’ve ever met.” As she was talking, Serenity peered into the corral. Her eyes opened wide, “Is that who I think it is?” Link and Malon both turned to her as she continued, “Oh my gosh! It is him! Star Streak!” She ran into the corral and smiled as the horse recognized his name and jumped around whinnying happily. Once he was done he trotted up to her and she threw her arms around his neck, “What are you doing here! You’re supposed to be at home! I can’t believe it’s you!” Link and Malon came up behind her.
“You know this guy?” Malon asked surprised. Serenity turned and nodded, as Star Streak leaned his head over her shoulder, “Yes, he’s my horse from back home. I can’t believe he’s here though! The goddesses must have sent him to help us.” Link smiled, “He’s beautiful! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more beautiful horse.” It was probably true, for Star Streak was amazingly gorgeous. He was about Epona’s size, but he was pure white. Everywhere from the tips of his ears to the fetlocks around his huge hooves were white, as well as his mane and tail. The most stunning thing about him, though, was his eyes: blue as the ocean. This was very unusual for any horse, even in Hyrule.
“What matters now is that he’s here, and we can continue on our journey.” Serenity said as she patted the horse’s neck.
“I’m sorry to say,” Malon said, looking at the big horse, “I don’t have any tack that would fit him.” Serenity smiled, “That’s okay, Malon. Actually, I ride bareback most of the time.” Link’s eyes grew wide, “You ride HIM bareback? How do you get on?” Serenity smiled as she turned to the horse, “Watch me.” With that, she gave a strict “hey!” and Star Streak bolted to a trot. She followed along side, holding his mane until they came to a fairly large boulder. Serenity jumped forward and pushed off the boulder with both feet, swinging up and over the horse. She looked back at Link and Malon, who were cheering her on. She laughed and did a few loops and jumps for good measure. She then rode back to the two of them. Link, still smiling, shook his head, “You are too many things, Serenity! What am I going to do with you?” She giggled and dismounted, which was way easier than mounting, “Come on, let’s go get my equipment loaded.” Link nodded and the little group headed to the entrance to the ranch.
When they got there, Epona was still patiently waiting. When she saw Star Streak, she whinnied and nodded her head. Star Streak answered her back and the two exchanged greetings by nodding and sort of bowing to each other. Link was impressed, “Wow, I guess they’re becoming fast friends, hu?” Serenity smiled as she took the spare saddle bag off Epona and put it on Star Streak. The two sorted through the items in Link’s saddle bag and divided them out evenly. When they were finally ready to leave, Malon spoke up, “Take these with you. They will certainly prove useful on your journey. Come back whenever you need more.” With that, she handed over two full bottles of fresh Lon Lon milk, the freshest milk in all of Hyrule. They thanked her and Serenity gave her a hug, “It was nice to meet you, Malon. I hope we get a chance to get to know each other better!” Malon smiled, “I would love that too, Serenity. Good luck you two.” With that, the two of them mounted up and rode out of the ranch.

CHAPTER 7: FINDING THE PIECE OF THE FOREST

“Where to now, Link?” Serenity turned to the hero. He pulled Epona to a stop on top of a hill. Serenity answered by doing the same with Star Streak. He pointed toward a grove of trees off in the distance, “See those trees? That’s the Kokiri forest. That is where we should be able to find the next piece of the Staff.”
“How do you know that?” He smiled, “Farore said that the next piece of the Staff is where the lost children are. The Kokiri are a race of people who stay children forever. I’m sure that’s where we’ll find it.” Serenity smiled, “then that’s where we go! How long should it take?” Link twisted his face in deep thought, “Oh; I think we can make it in about an hour. But I bet I’ll beat you.” Serenity snapped her head, “Oh really? I beg to differ.” With a whinny and a jump, Star Streak bolted away from Epona. Link laughed and called, “Is that how you want to play? I will too then!” He gave Epona a kick and she bolted after Star Streak. The two streaked across the vast field, with Star Streak now barely in the lead. With a final jump, Epona sneaked in front just as they were reaching the edge of the forest. The two riders slowed their horses to a stop and dismounted. The horses were breathing hard and could use a good rest. Link and Serenity were breathing hard as well, for both were laughing the whole way.
“Wow, you run a good race,” Link said between gasps. Serenity nodded and said, “Back at you.”
“Hu?” She giggled, "oops, other world lingo." she thought to herself. “Never mind! I meant you too.” She looked forward at the gaping tree trunk in front of them. Link knew what she was thinking, “It only looks scary, it’s not like that inside, believe me.” The two of them started walking toward the entrance, and Serenity caught her foot on a root. Link swiftly put his arms around her and stepped in front of her so she would fall into him and not on the ground. “Careful now!” he warned, his face inches from hers. She blinked her eyes a couple of times, “Oh, thank you. I am a little clumsy sometimes.” He grinned and gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, “I understand, believe me, I’m not exactly the smoothest guy either. I guess we’re kind of the same that way, hu?” Serenity smiled and nodded. Once they regained their composure, they entered the forest.
Once inside, she realized what Link was talking about. The forest was beautiful, with lush green grasses and trees that seemed to go on forever. There were small children playing around eveywhere, with small balls of light following their every move. The houses in the village were quaint and seemed to be made right out of trees. There was a small brooke off to the side, and a huge bridge going in several directions above the houses. The sun was still bright in the afternoon sky, but the trees kept the forest cool. “You grew up here? This is beautiful.” Link smiled and nodded, “Yeah, I lived here until I was ten. That’s when the great Deku Tree summoned me and my journey to become the Hero of Time began.”
“Why didn’t you come back when it was over?” Link sighed, “Well, when all of it was over, I was restless and wanted to explore. I wanted to find my fairy partner, Navi, but she wasn’t here. She had ventured to a land called Termina, so that’s where I went next. That’s a whole different story, however.” Suddenly, a bright light started dive-bombing Link’s head, and a tiny voice was calling, “Link! Link! Is that you? Is that really, really you!? Oh where have you been you naughty boy! You had me worried sick!” Link laughed and swiped the little ball of light out of the air with his hat, “Speaking of Navi, this little ball of energy is her.” He held out his hat and she came out, facing Serenity, “Hey, I’m Navi. Nice to meet you!” Serenity giggled, “The pleasure is all mine!” Link was confused, “Wait a minute, why aren’t you afraid of her? Normally fairies only talk to other fairies and Kokiris. What’s the deal?” Navi questioned herself for a minute, and said, “I… I don’t really know.” Serenity spoke up, “I think I do. Link think about it, what race am I from?” Link wrinkled his brow, “Uh, the Faierikin race, why?”
“Oh! I know!” Navi piped in, “The Faierikin race is a direct relative to the Fairy race! Think about it Link! She and I are like cousins!” Serenity nodded in agreement. Link smiled and shook his head, “Of course, I should have known that.” Then he got an idea, “Hey Navi, why don’t you come with us, we will certainly need your help. Especially if we come upon any new monsters that cross our path.” Navi turned a backflip in the air, “I would love to! Where are you going?”
“Well right now we’re going to go see the Great Deku Tree, and then we’ll go from there.” The two started walking as Link continued, “Come on, I’ll explain on the way.”
As they passed through the forest, many familiar faces smiled and waved, but Link was looking for one in particular.
“She’s not here Link, and you know it,” Navi said, reading his mind, “Saria’s a sage now, she has to live in the Chamber of Sages.” Link sighed and nodded, a small ache in his heart. He missed those carefree days of playing in the forest with Saria, his childhood best friend. Serenity turned to him, “Link, are you okay?” He gave a half smile, “Yeah, I was just thinking of old memories. One of my best friends from my childhood is the Sage of the Forest; remember me telling you about the sages?” Serenity nodded her head as Link continued, “Anyway, I don’t get to see her very often anymore.” As they got to the entrance to the Great Deku Tree Meadow, someone jumped out of the bushes and said, “Halt! You may not pass without my permission!” Link sighed impatiently, “Mido, I don’t have time for this right now, so please go bother someone else for a change.” Mido glared at Link, “You know what mister? I don’t know who you are thinking that ‘outsiders’ are allowed into the Kokiri Forest, let alone the Great Deku Tree Meadow, but don’t think you’re getting past me.” Link bent down so he was eye level with Mido, “Look into my eyes, Mido. You know who I am.” Mido looked, blinked, looked again, and blinked again. Finally, his eyes grew wide, “Link?!? Is that you?? How did you get so big? I knew you were different from us! Just another reason for me to not let you pass!” Serenity was getting impatient, “Excuse me? We’re kind of on a mission here. I need to meet with this Deku Tree.” Mido shot her a glare, “And just who do you think you are missy? Someone important? Ha!” Serenity returned his glare, “That is no way to talk to the last living Faierikin of the Faierikin Tribe!” She then lifted up her pant leg to show the mark to Mido, who gaped in awe, “Oh, I see. I guess then that is a good reason. Link, I’m sorry, go ahead… but NO FUNNY STUFF!” With that, he marched off to sulk in a corner of the forest. Link shook his head, “You know, I will never understand him. I have come to that conclusion.” Serenity giggled and the three headed to the meadow. It was huge; in the background was a massive tree, bigger than any that Serenity had ever seen. The only thing that was amiss was that it appeared to be dead. “Uh, Link? I don’t think he’s alive.” Link half laughed, “No HE’S not, but HE is,” he pointed to a smaller tree in the foreground, “that’s the Deku Tree sprout. He started growing when I beat the monster in the Forest Temple all those years ago. He’s the one who told me about my mother, and told me I was a Hylian, not a Kokiri.”
“Greetings Link, Serenity; I knew you would come to see me. I could sense it.” The Deku Sprout said, “I believe I know why you are here, and yes, I can help you.” Serenity’s eyes lit up and she smiled, “Really? You know where the next piece of the Staff is?” The Sprout laughed, “Yes my dear, I do. My, aren’t you a delightful little child. Link, she’s wonderful.” Link smiled too, nodding his head, “Yes she is, I’m beginning to wonder how I got around without her.” Serenity blushed, wondering if there was more to that statement than she thought. Link blushed too, and cleared his throat, “So, where can we find this Staff piece?”
“Deep in the Lost Woods, in a shrine guarded by a pack of great white Wolfos, there you will find the missing piece of the Staff. When you have retrieved it, return here and I will tell you more.” The two nodded and turned to go to the entrance to the Lost Woods.

CHAPTER 8: BATTLE WITH THE WOLFOS
“This could be trickier than it sounds; the Lost Woods is a dangerous place. It has a lot of twists and turns to maneuver around. A person could perish from being lost too long.” Link said as they reached the entrance, “Maybe there’s a way we can track the Staff Piece’s power…” Serenity was way ahead of him, holding the piece that they had already found. Her eyes were shut, and she was mumbling something in another language. Soon, the Staff piece started glowing yellow. She opened her eyes, “There, the brighter this gets, the closer we are to the next Piece.” Link smiled and shook his head, “How did I manage without you?” She shrugged and they entered the forest. After a few wrong turns, they were defiantly on the right track. Soon, the Staff piece was glowing so bright that they could barely see where they were going. All of a sudden, it made a huge flash, and then its light went out. Link was confused, “What happened?” Serenity shrugged, “I, I don’t know,” she looked around and her eyes rested on a stone monument, “Link look! We found it!” They had reached a clearing in the dense path of trees. In front of them was a small shrine, with stone steps leading to a pedestal with a glass case on it. She started toward it, but Link grabbed her arm suddenly, surprising her, “Link! What are you doing?” He hushed her, his sharp ears hearing a soft sound. “Quiet,” he whispered, “remember what the Deku Tree Sprout said about the guardians?” Serenity’s eyes got big as she caught her breath; she had never seen a Wolfos before, let alone a whole pack. Link darted his eyes around the clearing; he knew they were surrounded. “Serenity, listen to me, we are about to get ambushed. We’re going to have to split up. Use your magic anyway you can. I’m going to try to beat most of them, but I’ll need back up.” Serenity nodded, “Ok, I can do this, right?” Link nodded back, “I have faith in you. Trust me.” As soon as he said that, four Wolfos howled and jumped out of the trees, three more came out from behind a nearby rock, and two from behind the shrine; they were indeed surrounded. With a loud battle cry, Link grabbed his Biggoron Sword and jumped into the pack, slashing away. He got the first one right away, slitting its throat. It fell silent and three more attacked, angry at what this intruder did to their friend. He took out another one, as one more snuck up behind him and swiped at his arm. “Hey! Look out!” Navi called. He screamed and turned to send it flying into a rock, where it fell limp. Meanwhile, three more Wolfos surrounded Serenity, who was completely unarmed. "Goddesses, what do I do? Help me!" she thought desperatly to herself. She turned quickly when she heard Link scream in pain. “That does it! You guys are SO dead!” She bent down, her hands behind her. She closed her eyes and whispered a spell. Just then, her hands started glowing, and a red fireball formed in her hands. The Wolfos were bored with this stranger. They decided to make her a meal instead. It was too late for that, though, because when they attacked, she unleashed the energy in her hands, and released the most powerful Din’s Fire attack that Link had ever seen. It set every one of the Wolfos on fire and they all fell into a charred, smoldering pile. Serenity looked around at all the dead Wolfos, and her eyes rested on an injured Link. She ran over to him, “Link, you’re hurt!” His arm was bleeding badly, and he winced in pain, “Don’t worry, it’s not that bad.”
“Yes it is, I’m so sorry. I should have been there to help you.” He looked at her, “Serenity don’t worry, there’s nothing you could have done.” She gently touched the edge of the wound, and a soft glow began to outline it. As they both watched in awe, the wound started healing very rapidly. Soon, there wasn’t ever a tear in his sleeve; the cut was gone. He smiled, “Maybe you helped me after all.” She smiled and they both stood up and observed the outcome of the battle. “Wow,” Link said in awe, “That was the most powerful, well timed Din’s Fire attack that I have ever seen. How did you do that?” Serenity shrugged, “I don’t know. I asked the goddesses for help, and that happened. I guess I might be getting used to these powers.” Their gaze rested on the shrine. “Do the honors, Serenity.” Link gently pushed her forward. She walked up the steps and raised the glass covering the Staff piece. As she picked it up and turned around, it started glowing with a green light. The two smiled as a bright light engulfed them and when it faded, they were in front of the Deku Tree Sprout again. “Well done you two. I knew you could do it. Now I will tell you more about the legend of the Faierikin.” Link and Serenity sat down, as Navi perched on Link’s shoulder. The Deku Tree Sprout began, “As you both know, it is your destiny to battle together to defeat the Evil One when he escapes from his prison in the Sacred Realm. With the help of the Staff of Power you will be able to defeat him. The goddesses broke the Staff into seven pieces when they realized that it was too powerful for any mere being to control. As individual pieces, the Staff still contains power. Serenity, did you notice something odd when you were first retrieving the Piece of Light?” Serenity wrinkled her brow in thought, and then she remembered, “Yeah, I started glowing because the room was dark! Was that the Staff?”
“Yes, it was the Staff trying to combine with your own hidden power. I want you to do something for me. Take this seed.” When he said this, a small seed appeared in front of Serenity. She picked it up and gave him a confused look. “Now, dig a small hole and plant it.” Again she did as she was told. “Good, now make it grow.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” The Sprout smiled, “Just trust yourself, Serenity. I know you can do it.” She sighed and kneeled over the small mound of dirt where she had planted the seed. Gently she placed her hand over the mound and closed her eyes in concentration. Soon, a green glow surrounded her body. Link and Navi watched in amazement as a small stem came up between Serenity’s fingers. Then, it developed into a beautiful flower. That wasn’t enough, though, for soon an entire patch of flowers surrounded them, each one more beautiful than the previous one. The glow around Serenity ceased, and she opened her eyes, “Wow! Did I do that?”
“Yes, with the help of the Piece of Forest.” Link, Serenity, and Navi all jumped at this new voice. Link smiled as soon as he saw the voice’s small, green-haired owner, “Saria!” She smiled and said, “Hello Link, it’s been a while. This must be the great Serenity. I am pleased to meet you. I am Saria, the Sage of the Forest.”
“I believe the pleasure should be mine, although I wouldn’t consider myself ‘great’.” Serenity was a very modest person; she didn’t know why people thought this was weird. Saria smiled, her blue eyes shining, “You and Link will do more for this land than either one of you can imagine. I am here now to give you the next clue to the Staff of Power. The next Piece lies at the bottom of a lake of fire. Good luck you two.” She turned to Link, “Link, we will meet again, I promise. I miss you my friend.” He knelt down and gave her a hug, a single tear sliding down his cheek, “I miss you too. Thank you.” Saria disappeared, and the two bid farewell to the Deku Tree Sprout.

CHAPTER 9: GANONDORF RETURNS
Once they left the forest, Serenity was looking at the two Pieces of the Staff. The first Piece was gently glowing yellow, and the newest Piece was gently glowing green. She cocked her head sideways, “Odd...” Link was startled at this, “Hu? What’s odd?” Serenity looked up at him, “Well, look at these, they’re both glowing. I wonder what would happen if…” she touched the two ends together and a giant flash of light and wind erupted, scaring the horses slightly. Link got them calmed and turned back to Serenity, “What happened…” His eyes grew wide as he looked at the staff: the two Pieces had fused together and the green light and yellow light were swirling around together. Serenity whispered, “Link, I can feel the power inside me growing with each piece we find. I’m a little scared…” Link walked over to her, “Serenity, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Trust the goddesses. They know what they’re doing,” he put his arms around her and she embraced him tightly. He continued, “Don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to you.” She nodded in agreement. Suddenly, the two of them started glowing again, and a voice began to speak, "You are doing well, chosen ones. We are proud of you. This next journey will require extra equipment. You shall meet with an old friend and he will be able to help you out. Be brave, and all will be as it needs to be. Watch for the darkness, it draws nearer. We the goddesses will protect you the best we know how. If thou needest our help, just give the word…"
“Din, goddess of Power.” Serenity murmured quietly. Link looked down in amazement, “How the hell do you know the difference? That simply amazes me.” Serenity smiled and quickly kissed Link’s cheek. His face turned pink right away and he said, “Thanks.” Navi and Serenity giggled and the two riders mounted their faithful steeds again. “Well, I believe I know where we need to go now.” Link was looking toward a tall, menacing mountain with clouds swirling around it.
“Don’t tell me, we have to go there.” Serenity said in a small voice. He nodded his head. “Yep, that’s…”
“…Death Mountain,” Navi finished, shuddering, “I hate that place. It’s so hot!”
“Yeah, unbearably hot,” Link continued, “wait! That’s it! That’s what Din was talking about. It’s going to be so hot in there, we won’t be able to physically stand it. We need to go to Goron City.”
“Why?” Serenity and Navi both asked at the same time. Link reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a maroon tunic, “because Serenity’s going to need one of these. This is a Goron Tunic; its power protects the wearer from the harsh heat of the Death Mountain Crater. I’ll bet Darunia can help us out.”
“How long will it take us to get there? It looks quite a long way away.” Serenity asked as she gazed at the mountain. Link sighed, “I don’t think we’ll make it there by sundown, but I know a safe place next to the river where we can camp for the night. Come on, let’s get going.” With that, they started off into the field.
After about an hour of riding, they came to a flat area next to the river. Here they stopped and dismounted. “Well, it won’t be the most comfortable place in the world, but it will do I guess,” Link said as he gathered some sticks to make a fire. Serenity nodded, “It’s actually quite nice.” Link looked at the pile of sticks, “We don’t have anything to make a fire with, do we?” Serenity smiled, “Sure we do: me!” As she said this, she formed a small glowing ball in her hand. She then blew it onto the pile of sticks, and they ignited quickly. Link laughed, “Well, I guess that works too, hu?” She laughed and turned to the horses, who were grazing nearby. Serenity’s stomach grumbled it’s displeasure about not eating since breakfast, and Link laughed again, “I guess someone’s hungry, here,” he handed her an apple and a loaf of bread, “sorry it’s not much, but it should fill you up.” She smiled, “Thank you, but what about you?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to this kind of thing.” Serenity finished her bread and apple, and then looked up at the night sky, “Wow, it’s beautiful. I’ve never seen so many stars.” Link sat down next to her, “I almost forget just how beautiful this place is…” he stopped short at a sight over the castle, “What the hell is that? It’s like some kind of vortex.” Serenity sighed, “Ganondorf?” The two looked at each other; they both knew she was right.
“We don’t have much time. We have to find those other Pieces.” Link said matter-of-factly. Serenity shivered, “He sounds so evil, Link. I’m afraid that when we face him I won’t have the courage you have.” He gently turned her chin up so they were eye to eye, “Hey, don’t worry about that right now, Serenity. I know that when the time comes, you’ll have more strength than you ever could imagine. I believe in you. I will be there to guide you, okay?” She nodded, blinking away a tear. Link reached over and brushed it away gently, “With the two of us together, nothing can stop us; not even Ganondorf.” He smiled to reassure her, then leaned over and kissed her gently, “We should get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another long day.” Again Serenity nodded and stood up. Star Streak had wondered over by the fire now and was lying down for the night. She curled up next to him for warmth and pulled a blanket over herself. Link smiled as the two fell asleep almost instantly. "Goddesses, protect her," he said to himself, "I couldn’t stand for anything to happen to her." He laid down himself, Epona resting nearby. Navi flew over and landed on his chest, “You like her, hu?” Link smiled and glanced at Serenity, “Yeah, Navi, I think I do. She so much different from any other girl that I’ve met in all of my traveling. I don’t know what it is about her, but I feel a connection with her,” he sighed, “but what its worth, I don’t know. She probably doesn’t even like me back.” Navi almost fell over backwards, “Are you crazy? Listen, of COURSE she likes you! You mean to tell me that you can’t tell that? It’s as obvious as the day is long!” Link had to laugh at this, “Okay, okay, maybe you’re right. I just don’t think I have the courage to tell her, that’s all.”
“You will, someday soon,” Navi said, reassuring him, “I know you will.” With that comment, the two fell fast asleep.

CHAPTER 10: AWAKENING THE MASTER SWORD
Morning came, and Link opened his eyes. He turned to where Serenity was the previous night, but she and Star Streak were nowhere to be found. He jumped up, thinking something had happened to them. “Easy Link, no one took her. She’s washing herself in the river.” Navi had heard him stir and had flown over to see what all the fuss was about. Link breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank the goddesses! What a way to wake up.” He started over to where the edge of the river was, but Navi pulled his tunic top, “Stop Link! You can’t go over there with her! She’s… not decent!”
“Oh!” Link’s face turned bright red, “I guess that would have been bad hu?” He turned around and walked over to Epona, checking the saddle bag to make sure everything was in order. He also did Serenity the favor of checking Star Streak’s bag as well. When he turned around again, Serenity was walking back toward the campsite, her hair wet and shining in the sun. “Good morning! I feel so much better!” Link smiled, “You gave me quite a start this morning, I thought someone had kidnapped you or something.” She giggled and shook her head; sparkling drops of water flew off the ends, “I’m sorry! I just had to wash. I felt disgusting. I mean, just because I’m traveling with a boy doesn’t mean I have to smell like one!” She laughed again at her own joke, as Link ran up and grabbed her, swinging her around, “Not funny Serenity! I don’t smell bad!” She was laughing hard now, “I didn’t say you did, now did I?” He stopped and thought about it, “Well, no I guess not.” She sighed and caught her breath, “Well, are you ready to go?” He nodded, “Yep, and everything is loaded up.” They mounted up and started for Kakariko Village, when a sudden quake made the ground rumble under them. Then a flash of lightning and thunder shot through the dark sky, as the vortex around Hyrule castle got bigger. Suddenly, an evil laugh filled the sky, as the castle eroded away to form another castle. This one, however, was taller, darker, and was…flying? Sure enough, this castle was floating over Hyrule Castle Market; a black shadow of evil surrounding it.
“This is bad,” Link said, “we’re too late. He’s released.” Serenity turned to him, “It’s never too late, Link. We’re the ones writing this legend, so we decide when it’s over. Come on, let’s go to the mountain. We have no time to waste.”
“No, not yet,” Link stated, “I need to go to the Temple of Time. There is something of dire importance that I need there. Come on.” The two started off toward the Castle. Once they arrived, they dismounted and entered the passageway that is before what used to be Hyrule Castle Market. Link stopped suddenly, grabbing Serenity’s arm, “Listen to me closely. The last time the town was corrupted like this, people who didn’t flee were transformed into what are known as ReDeads. These guys will suck the life force right from your body.”
“Listen! Don’t look them in the eyes; they will paralyze you if you get too close!” Navi piped in. Link nodded, “She’s right. I want you to hold my hand tightly and stick close to me. I know the exact route to take to the temple. Close your eyes and run with me, okay?” Serenity nodded; fear filling her eyes, “Okay, I trust you.” She then closed her eyes and gripped Link’s hand as tight as she could. Link heaved a big sigh, and then ran into the Market.
Before hand, the market had been a cheery, bustling place with tons of shoppers and vendors lining the cobblestone streets. Now it was a desolate waste area, abandoned of any life. Link was right; ReDeads were everywhere. When they saw the two intruders, they started after them in their slow but steady way, letting out blood-chilling shrieks as they came. Link darted in and out of them with ease, however, and soon they were left behind. “It’s okay now, Serenity,” he reassured her, “you can open your eyes now.” Serenity opened first one eye, and then the other; slowly making sure it was safe. In front of them stood a tremendous sight: a building so grand no words could do it justice. “Wow, is that it?” she asked in awe, “It’s amazing!” Link nodded and the two of them walked in. Inside was even more beautiful; with a gigantic long hallway and an alter at the end. The walls were of solid stone, and the floor was a sort of marble or granite. A velvet runner lined the floor up to the alter, and the only light coming in was through the stained-glass windows lining the walls. They walked up to the alter and Link read the inscription to Serenity, “Ye who holds the three Spiritual Stones hold the Ocarina of Time and play the Song of Time here.” She looked up at him, “What does that mean?” He smiled and reached into a small pouch on his belt. He then laid out three of the most beautiful stones that Serenity had ever seen: an Emerald, a Sapphire, and a Ruby. He placed them in the slots that were the correct shape and then stood back. Reaching into the pouch again, he pulled out a blue instrument: the Ocarina of Time. Serenity knew what it was because earlier Link had explained all about his travels through time. Closing his eyes, he put the ocarina to his lips and began to play. When he was done, the Stones started glowing brightly, as well as the Triforce symbol that was on the wall. Serenity watched in amazement as a huge stone door in front of them slid open, revealing another short hallway. Link put the ocarina away and the two of them walked in. There in front of them was a beautiful sword in a pillar. “That’s the legendary Master Sword,” Link explained, “I pulled it from that pillar when I was a kid and got trapped in the Sacred Realm for seven years.” He walked up to it and put one hand around the hilt of it. “Hey! Link, wait!” Navi shouted, “What if it traps you again? What are we supposed to do?”
“Don’t worry friends, that won’t happen,” the three turned to see a man in a long orange robe, “Don’t be alarmed, I am not going to hurt you.” Link smiled, “Rauru? What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t leave the Chamber of Sages.” Rauru smiled, “Only by choice, Link.” He turned to Serenity, “Hello child, you must be the Faierikin that Saria was talking about. I am Rauru, the Sage of Light.” Serenity smiled, “Pleased to meet you. My name is Serenity.” He nodded and turned to Link, “Have no fear of the Master Sword, Link. When you were trapped in the Chamber of Sages, it was because you were too young to be the Hero of Time, but now you are old enough. You can pull the sword with ease and remain here.” He then disappeared, leaving the words, “Good luck!” behind. Link again put one hand over the other on the hilt of the sword, and pulled it out in a flash of light. He turned to Serenity and Navi; the sword gleaming with purity in his hand, “Now we are ready. Let’s go to Goron City.”

CHAPTER 11: MAKING AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE SAGE OF FIRE
Once they got out of the Market, they mounted their horses and rode to the edge of Kakariko Village, where the Death Mountain Trail began. They tied their horses up, maneuvered their way through the village, and were standing at the foot of the trail. Link turned to Serenity, “Are you ready?” She nodded, and the two of them started up the steep, rocky trail, dodging a few rolling boulders and jumping Tektites along the way. Soon enough, they were standing at the edge of Goron City. Inside, there were Gorons everywhere. The city had really flourished since Link had been there last. The city was built in a spiral that moved downward by means of a well-worn path. There were stairs that went down also, but the Gorons preffered their method of rolling to where they needed to go. At the bottom of the path was a huge statue of four Gorons that held ropes that went to the edge of the top level. Serenity smiled, “Oh, Link! They are so cute!” Link laughed and rolled his eyes, "Girls," he thought. They made their way down to the bottom of the pathway, greeting Gorons on the way. Soon they stopped in front of Darunia’s chamber. “Darunia doesn’t want visitors!” A fellow Goron stated.
“It’s okay; we’re friends of Zelda’s.” Link said back. The Goron snorted, but opened the door anyway. The two walked inside.
“Who dares disturb me!? I said I don’t want any visitors today!” Darunia shouted, pounding his chest. Then he saw who his visitors were, “Link, my brother, is that you? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! Welcome!” Darunia gave Link a friendly pound on the back, making Link wince, “Darunia, you have got to stop doing that! I’m going to break in half one of these days.” Darunia let out a hearty laugh, “That’s because you are weak! You need to get some meat on those bones! Ha ha!” His eyes rested on Serenity, “Well now, who do we have here Link? She’s a pretty one.” Serenity blushed, “Thank you sir, my name is Serenity.” Darunia laughed again, “Sir? Oh my goddesses! You need not be formal with me. I am Darunia, the Sage of Fire. Am I to assume that you are the Faierikin that Saria mentioned to me?” Link nodded, “One in the same, Darunia. We are on our way to Death Mountain Crater, but Serenity needs a Goron Tunic.” Darunia stroked his rocklike chin in thought, “Hmm, yes she will. It will be too hot for her to be able to bear. Let me see if I can find one in her size…” he rummaged through a pile of stuff in the corner, “Aha! This should work!” He handed it to Serenity and she tried it on: a perfect fit! She smiled, “Thank you Darunia!”
“You’re very welcome, my dear,” he answered, “now about getting to Death Mountain Crater; you know you can use my secret passage any time you like, Link. Here.” He stepped aside and pulled the giant statue away from the wall, revealing a secret passage to the Crater. Link shook Darunia’s hand, “Thank you brother, we shall return shortly.” Darunia nodded, “Please see that you do, for I have some information that will be of use to you, I am sure.” Navi hid herself under Link’s cap, and the two chosen ones entered the Crater.
Meanwhile, a pair of eyes had been watching them, “Heh, heh heh… it’s no use Hero of Time. Even if you do find the missing pieces of the Staff of Power, you will never retrieve the final piece.” Turning the final piece over and over in his hands, Ganondorf’s evil grin grew wider, “With my time spent in the Golden Land, my powers have increased tremendously, and with this piece of the Staff, I shall be unstoppable. Bring all the help you want to Link, but you will never succeed at defeating the King of Evil. Soon the Triforce of Courage will be mine! After that, when I find that miserable Princess, the Triforce of Wisdom will also be mine, and then there will be absolutely no stopping me! The world will be mine!!!”

CHAPTER 12: BATTLING THE LAVA DRAGON
“Wow, you weren’t kidding about this place, it’s like a furnace!” Serenity said as she wiped a drop of sweat out of her eyes. Link turned to her, “Like a what?” Serenity sighed to herself, "Man, I have to stop doing that!" She turned to Link, “Uh, nothing, it’s just really hot, that’s all.” The two of them paused and looked around. Rocks and boulders were everywhere, along with boiling hot pools of lava. “How are we going to find the Piece in all of this mess?” Link asked, scanning over all of the scenery. Serenity shook her head, “I don’t know. I can feel it; it’s definitely here. I just don’t know how to get to it.” She looked around and her eyes rested on one particular lake of lava, “Hmm, the bottom of a lake of fire…” Link cocked his head, “What do you suppose it means?”
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s under this lava lake.” He sighed, “Then how are we supposed to get to it? Dive in?”
“I don’t know,” she shuddered, as goose bumps lined her arms, “woah, I just got a terrible feeling that we’re being watched. Do you see anything?” Link’s sharp eyes darted around the cavern, “No, not yet anyway…” He didn’t have time to finish his sentence, for all of a sudden, the lake of lava began shooting flames around the cavern! “Link, look out!” Serenity grabbed him out of the line of flames. As they turned to the lava lake, it started bubbling and spewing more and more flames. Just then, a monstrous dragon rose out of the lake, his whole body on fire! He seemed to be made out of the lava itself, with eyes as black as the night, and teeth to match. Serenity’s eyes grew bigger, “Holy shit! How do we get rid of him?!” Link drew the Master Sword, “I’ll try my best. Serenity, take my bow and quiver. Try to distract him the best you can.” She nodded and backed out of the way, just as the dragon decided to charge. Link gave a couple of slices with the sword, but as soon as he slit the monster, the lava formed back to its original shape. “Shit! It’s not doing any good! We need a new plan!” he called to Serenity, who had been trying desperately to think of a plan. "Damn, if only I could think straight! It’s too hot in here for me to do anything. I need to cool down..." She snapped her fingers, “Cool down! That’s it! Link, lure the dragon over here! I have an idea!” Link nodded and ran under the dragon, slicing its back foot, “Hey fire breath! I’m over here! Come and get me!” The dragon was not amused at this snack that was taunting it, and slowly moved toward Serenity. She raised the bow and took aim, but before she fired, she muttered a spell under her breath. Suddenly, the tip of the arrow glowed blue, and cool air was being emitted from it. She then fired at the beast’s hind leg. When the arrow made contact, the leg froze stiff. The monster cried out in pain, wondering what happened to it. Before it could react, more ice arrows were hitting it, freezing other parts of its body, until it was completely frozen.
“Link, crush it before the ice melts. If you hit it now, its whole body will shatter!” Link nodded and jumped on the beast’s back. Then he shoved the blade through the center, and the entire body crumbled under his brown boots. He jumped off as the remains of the monster shriveled into dust. He gave a sigh of relief as Serenity ran up to him. She handed him the bow and quiver, “Wow, I guess that Piece has to be around here somewhere. I don’t think Sparky there would have attacked us otherwise.” Link nodded, and the two of them walked up to the edge of the lake of lava that the dragon had risen out of. Serenity sighed, “Well, I have no choice; I have to go in.”
“What? Serenity are you crazy? You can’t swim in a boiling lake of lava! That’s pure madness!” She shook her head, “Link, don’t worry,” she then closed her eyes and whispered a spell, her body starting to glow, “there, I’ll be safe now. Wait here for me.” Link sighed, “Okay, I trust you. Be careful.” With that, Serenity took a breath and dove into the pool of lava.

CHAPTER 13: SEARCHING FOR THE PIECE OF FIRE
As she continued deeper and deeper, she began wondering if she really was crazy. "How am I supposed to find this Piece if all I can see is lava everywhere?" Just as she was giving up hope, something unusual happened: the lava ended, and she fell onto a flat piece of rock. “Wow, that was weird. I wonder what happened.” She glanced around and saw a stone shrine with steps leading up to a glass case. She smiled, “Ah, de ja vu. Well, here I go.” She made her way up the stairs to observe the glass case, which contained a rod that was gleaming red. She opened the top of the case and picked up the rod. As it began glowing in her hand, a bright light engulfed her. When it died down, she was standing in front of Link again. She smiled and showed him the Piece. Together they made their way back to Darunia’s chamber.
“Ha ha! Congratulations you two! How did you ever find that Staff Piece in all that rubble of the Crater? I’m very impressed!” Darunia said as he pounded his chest in delight.
“Ah, it was nothing really,” Link joked, glancing at a giggling Serenity, “Just had to take a swim, that’s all.” Darunia nodded, and then turned to Serenity, “You are a brave young girl, Serenity. With that being said, I will show you a new power that you have gained with this Piece of Fire.” He turned to Link, “Link, take these rocks and squeeze them as hard as you can.” Link did as he was told, but nothing happened. Darunia smiled, “Now, Serenity, I want you to do the same thing.” She was confused, “But nothing is going to happen, is it?” Darunia chuckled, “Never say never, child. Just try it for me.” Serenity sighed and proceeded to squeeze the rocks. Suddenly, a red glow formed around her body, and the rocks in her hand started to melt. Link’s eyes grew wide in amazement as the rocks dribbled into a puddle on the floor. Serenity looked down in amazement, “Wow, that’s a neat party trick.” Darunia laughed, “Well done my dear! Now I shall reveal the next clue to you both. Go to where the waters run deep. There, amongst the peaks that do not belong, will you find the treasure that you seek. Farewell my friends!” After that, the two chosen ones left Goron City and returned to Kakariko Village. Serenity pulled out the conjoined Pieces of the Staff and turned to Link, “Do you think this one will do the same thing as the other two?” Link shrugged, “I guess there’s only one way to find out, hu?” She nodded, and touched the red Piece to the rest of the Staff. In a flash of light and a gust of wind, the two looked down and smiled: the Piece of Fire had joined with the other two, and red, green and yellow hues were swirling around the Staff. Serenity shuddered as she felt the power inside her grow again, “Wow, I’m never going to get used to that, am I?” Link smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Serenity, you will soon enough.”

CHAPTER 14: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
“Where do you suppose we go now?” Serenity asked as they mounted their horses again. “Well, that’s an easy one: Lake Hylia. Although I’m not so sure about the ‘peaks that don’t belong’. That’s a little strange, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out when we get there.” Link said, and kicked Epona into a trot, “However, we need to go to Zora’s Domain first, I think we’ll need some more equipment from the King.” With that, they trotted over to the entrance to Zora’s Domain.
After climbing a few hills and fences, they were standing in front of a massive waterfall. Link took out his ocarina and played another song that Serenity hadn’t heard yet. He turned to her, “That was Zelda’s Lullaby. Impa taught it to me when I was a kid. Come on.” As they looked in front of them, the waterfall had slowed to a trickle, revealing a passageway to Zora’s Domain. They jumped into it and entered the domain. Inside was calm and serene. There were giant pools of crystal-clear water everywhere, with waterfalls that were many feet high. There were fish-like creatures everywhere, but none close enough for Serenity to get a good look at. They walked up the stone stairway to the throne room. Link was surprised at who awaited them there.
“It’s about time you come to visit. What does it take to pull you away from your travels? I do get lonely you know!” Link sighed, “Hello Ruto, nice to see you again.” Ruto let out a “humph!” and put her hands on her hips. Serenity studied her a bit: she was like nothing Serenity had ever seen before. She had fins on her side, and an almost fishlike head, with scales all over her nonclothed body. Ruto shot Serenity a glare, “What are you looking at Faierikin? Haven’t you ever seen a Zora before?” Serenity was taken aback, “Uh, well actually no, I haven’t. Sorry.” Link cleared his throat, “Ruto, listen, we need your help. We are on a mission to retrieve the missing pieces of the Staff of Power, and we think one is buried around Lake Hylia.”
“So? What do you want me to do about it? Oh, I suppose SHE needs a Zora Tunic, hu? Well tough luck. I’m not giving you one.” Serenity had just about had it with this rude girl, “Excuse me? Have I done something to offend you in some way? Because you are being completely childish about this. We are trying to save Hyrule, thank you.” Ruto was surprised at someone else raising their voice at her, “Are you talking to me? You shouldn’t address the Sage of Water in such an irrational tone, you know.”
“I don’t care if you’re the queen of all the Sages combined! No one talks to me like that.” Link smiled to himself, "Wow, this girl can hold her own, that’s for sure. That’s just another thing for me to like about her." Ruto caught Link’s smirk and turned to him, “What’s so funny? Are you going to let this girl mock your future bride?” That got Serenity’s attention real fast, “Excuse me? Future bride??” Link sighed, “Ruto, how many times do we have to go through this? I am not going to marry you. Yes I know you gave me the Zora Sapphire, which is the engagement present of the Zoras, but I needed it for my quest to retrieve the Master Sword! I’m sorry, but I don’t want to marry you.” Ruto frowned, “Oh, fine. Who is she anyway? Your new girlfriend?” Serenity and Link both blushed and glanced at each other. Serenity was quick to speak up, “Uh, no. We’re on a quest to find the Staff of Power and defeat Ganondorf once and for all. He’s escaped from the Golden Land, you know.” Ruto’s eyes grew wide, “Wait a minute, are you the chosen one that Saria was talking about earlier? Oh my goddesses you are! I am so sorry for being rude to you! Please forgive me?” Serenity smiled, “Of course. I forgive you.” Link was surprised, “You do? Really?” She nodded, “Yes I really do. I can understand where she’s coming from. It’s a girl thing, you wouldn’t understand.” Ruto laughed at this, “That is true. Oh, here take this! It will help you when you go to the lake.” With that, she handed Serenity a blue tunic. “It’s a Zora Tunic. When you put it on, you can breathe underwater without having to come up for air! When you find the Piece, come back and talk to me.” The two nodded and left the throne room.

CHAPTER 15: BATTLE FOR THE PIECE OF WATER
“Wow, that was weird. I’ve never seen Ruto apologize to anyone before. You are truly something, you know that?” Link was in awe of the conversation that he had just witnessed. Serenity giggled as she put on the Zora Tunic, “Think nothing of it. I am a forgiving person, but I can hold my own in an argument.” He nodded as they came to a stop at the edge of a small pond. “Down there is a secret passage to Lake Hylia. It will take a lot less time than if we ride the horses all the way there.” He also put on his Zora Tunic, and the two of them dove into the water, and into the passageway. When they surfaced, they climbed out of the water and looked around. They were next to a massive lake that had crystal clear water that had to be hundreds of feet deep. All around were small hills with a lot of vegitation on them. Off in the far distance was a fishing pond. Not too far away was a strange-looking building that Link said was a laboratory. Serenity was in awe, “This is beautiful! I’ve never seen such clear water before!” Link nodded, “This is probably one of my favorite places to come and relax.” The two looked around, and Serenity spoke up, “Do you see any ‘peaks that don’t belong’?” Link squinted his eyes, trying to see everything he could, “No, not yet…” he trailed off as something caught his eye, “Wait! See those peaks across the bridge over there? Those weren’t there the last time I was here. It must be them!” With that, the two crossed the bridge, and were standing in front of two huge peaks of what seemed like pure ice. “Now what do we do?” Link asked, turning to Serenity. She shrugged, “I don’t really know. But we’d better be careful, because I’m sure we’re not alone…” No sooner had she said that, then something behind the peaks moved upward. Link drew the Master Sword quickly, and Serenity ducked behind him. All of a sudden, a huge creature appeared over the top of the peaks. “Oh shit, it’s a giant Octorok!” Link said as he dodged a huge tentacle. He jumped again and sliced a second one off, making the monster shriek in pain. “How do we defeat it?” Serenity called as she let off a shock wave into a nearby tentacle.
“Hey! Listen! There should be a weak spot behind it. Hit it with an arrow!” Navi called, and Link tossed Serenity the bow and quiver while dodging yet another tentacle, “I’ll try to distract it!” Before he had time to jump again, a tentacle swiped him and sent him flying into the ice, dazing him a bit. “LINK!” Serenity screamed, but it was no use; Link was unconscious. The monster knew this, and headed toward the boy, revealing a glowing spot on its back. Serenity wasted no time and fired an arrow into its back. The Octorok shrieked in pain and turned to smack anyone who dared to shoot its weak spot. Seeing a new target, it turned back to Serenity. She had to think quickly, "if one arrow could make it hurt that much, then what would three do?" Not wasting any time, she darted through the sea of tentacles to face the weak spot again. Arming the bow with three arrows, she took aim and fired, sending the monster into panic mode. It was weakened now, and could hardly move. Serenity aimed one final arrow at its back and whispered a spell. The arrow started glowing red and burst into flames. She fired and the beast was immediately engulfed in flames, burning it to complete ashes. Once it was gone, Serenity ran over to Link, who was just starting to wake up again.
“Wha… what happened? Where did the Octorok go?” Serenity smiled and hugged him to her, “Oh thank the goddesses you are okay. I thought I was going to lose you! The Octorok is gone; I defeated it!” Link stood up and smiled at her, “Wow, you amaze me more and more each day I’m with you.”
"It also makes me like you even more than I did before…" He wasn’t going to say that out loud. Serenity blushed, and they turned to face the ice peaks in front of them. There was definitely something trapped in between them, but neither of them knew what to do about it. Link walked up and put his hand against the ice. Immediately, he felt a sharp pain go through his arm, as ice slowly crept around his fingers and up his arm, “Oh shit! Serenity help!” She ran up and saw what was going on, “Hold still, Link! I have an idea,” her hand started glowing red as she touched the base of the ice around his hand. Almost immediately the ice began to melt off, and his hand was free, “Wow, that was too close! I almost became an ice sculpture! Thank you.” She shrugged as he continued, “You know, you’ve saved my life more often than I’ve saved yours! That’s very impressive, you know.” She blushed and turned to the ice peak where Link’s hand had been frozen. There was a dent in the ice now from being melted. This gave Serenity an idea, “Link, do you know how to use Din’s Fire?” He nodded and she smiled, “I think I know how to get rid of this ice. Come here.” They moved to the direct center of the ice peaks.
“When I give you the signal, release a Din’s Fire attack on that ice peak. I will do the same on this one. Hold my hand.” He did as he was told, “Are you sure this is going to work?” She smiled, “Trust me.” With that, the two whispered the words to use Din’s Fire, their free hands glowing red. “Steady,” Serenity said, “steady…NOW!” With that, they both released a double Din’s Fire attack, setting the peaks on fire. Slowly, they began to melt. Soon enough, the peaks were no more, and standing in their place was yet another stone shrine. Link nodded to her, and she walked up the stairs to the case. Inside was yet another Piece of the Staff. She opened the case and picked it up, then turned toward Link again. The Piece started glowing blue, and a bright light again engulfed the chosen ones. When it disappeared, they were standing in the throne room with Ruto again. “Well done, both of you! You retrieved the Piece of Water! I am very impressed with you Serenity!” Serenity smiled and said, “Thank you Ruto! I’m glad that is over with, though.” She smiled as well, “Now, let me show you something that the Piece of Water can do. First of all, you do have the Piece of Light, right?” Serenity nodded, and Ruto continued, “Good! Now, what happens when water mixes with light?” Serenity wrinkled her brow in thought for a minute, then she realized what Ruto was meaning, “You mean I can do that? No way!” Ruto nodded, “Yes you can. It’s easy, just put your hands together and believe in yourself.” Serenity turned toward a very confused Link. Putting her hands together, she closed her eyes. A blue glow surrounded her body quickly, and then disappeared. She opened her eyes and looked at her hands; they were still glowing blue. “Now release it.” Ruto commanded. Serenity nodded, and opened her hands in an arched fashion, revealing a beautiful rainbow between them. Now it was Link’s turn to be in awe, “That is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“It’s called a rainbow. We Zoras see them all the time when it rains at the lake. When it is sunny out and still raining, these rainbows form. Aren’t they magical?” Link and Serenity both nodded, as the small rainbow slowly disappeared. “Now I will give you the next clue that you are seeking: around the shifting shadows, through unseen walls, there you will find the next Piece of the Staff. Beware of the undead; they will devour your soul.”

CHAPTER 16: INFATUATION SPARKS TO PASSION
“That last clue was a little spooky, don’t you think?” Serenity said, as she and Link left the throne room. Navi flew out from Link’s hat, “I’ll say so! Anything with the word ‘undead’ is spooky enough for me!” Link nodded, “I agree with you guys. Hey, what do you say we rest by the lake for tonight? It’s getting pretty late.” Serenity nodded, and they headed to the secret passageway.
When they arrived at the shore, the two of them sat down in the late afternoon sun. Serenity pulled out the Piece of Water and the partial Staff of Power. She did what she had done with the others, and in a flash of light and a gust of wind, the Piece of Water had joined with the rest of the Staff, with red, yellow, green and blue hues swirling around the rod. “It’s really quite beautiful, isn’t it?” She managed to say after regaining her composure from receiving more power in her body. Link nodded, “Yeah, it’s truly breathtaking, actually.” Serenity put the Staff away, and stood up, wringing the water out of her hair. Tired of having a soaking wet tunic on, she took it off to reveal the same thin light-pink tank top she had on the first day she arrived in Hyrule. Link blinked his eyes in amazement of how beautiful the Faierikin girl really was. She glanced at him and caught him staring, “What?” He shook his head and snapped back to reality, “Uh, nothing, I was just having a thought.” She giggled, “Oh really? What kind of thought?” He turned red in the face, “Nothing that I want to talk about right now.”
“Oh, okay. I didn’t mean to pry.” He half-smiled, “It’s okay, you weren’t prying. It’s just a really complicated situation, that’s all.” He squirmed in his own wet tunic. He then turned to her and asked in a small voice, blushing furiously, “Uh, do you mind if I get this thing off?” She gave him a weird look, “What? Why would that matter to me? I don’t care.” He stood up and removed the sopping wet tunic. Her eyes got wide as she realized why he had asked: he had no other shirt on besides the tunic. "Oh man, why did I say yes? How am I supposed to concentrate when he’s like that? He’s… really built. Oh great, just what I need to be thinking about! Why did he have to be so gorgeous…" she shook her head quickly, "stop it Serenity! You know what you think about things like this!" With that, she stood up and walked over to a flat rock by the water. Link turned to see her sit down. “What’s with her?” he asked Navi, who rested on his shoulder. “I’m not sure, but I think she’s having a conflict with her inner self. I’m pretty sure it’s about her feelings over you.”
“Do you think so? Maybe I should go talk to her.” Navi nodded, and flew over to where Star Streak and Epona were resting. Link took a deep breath, "well, here it goes," and walked over to Serenity.
She didn’t see him walk over; she was lost in her own thoughts. “Serenity? Are you okay?” She jumped a little, even though his voice was quiet, almost a whisper. “Link, you scared me. I didn’t hear you come over.” She didn’t look at him for fear of being distracted.
“Can I sit down?” She nodded and moved over to make room for him. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, each trying to find the right words to say to the other. Link was the first to speak, “Serenity, I… uh… I have something I’ve been meaning to tell you. It’s really hard for me to say, though.” She held her breath, biting her tongue until he was done, “Ever since I first met you in the forest that day, I have felt this connection with you. I really can’t explain what it is, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Frankly, it scares the hell out of me.” Serenity slowly turned to him, looking him up and down. He had the body of a hero, that’s for sure. The contours of his muscles glowed softly in the moonlight, and she noticed numerous small scars all over him. Slowly, her eyes moved up to meet his, and her heart did a flip-flop, making her weak. "Those eyes," she sighed to herself, "I can almost see his soul in them. He has to be the one…" As she thought this, she felt a tingly feeling go through her body. She bit her lip and cautiously said, “So… what exactly are you trying to say?” He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and sighed, “Well, I’m trying to say that I have really strong feelings for you. Feelings that I can’t explain and have never felt before. I haven’t said anything before because I figured you didn’t feel the same for me, but I couldn’t keep it in anymore.” Clearing his throat, he continued, “Seeing you just before, I don’t know, I just felt the most incredible rush go through my body. I can’t explain it, but you’re the only one who’s ever made me feel that way.” Before he could continue on, Serenity gently put her fingers to his lips, “Link, don’t even think for a second that I don’t feel the same way about you. I’m scared too; I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I don’t like making myself vulnerable by letting down my guard, but something about you makes me feel that I can trust you.” She looked up at the sky, where the stars were just starting to appear, “I wish I knew what to say right now, but I just don’t.” She stood up, but Link gently took hold of her hand, now standing next to her, “Please Serenity, don’t walk away from me.” She turned around and looked into his eyes, “Link, I could never walk away from you.” She gently put her hands on his bare stomach, slowly moving them up over his chest. He pressed his forehead against hers and ran his fingers over her delicate shoulders, then around the silhouette of her body to her waist. His strong arms gently wrapped around her, pulling the two of them close. She leaned her head on his bare chest, and she could hear his heart beating quickly. She gently put her lips to his chest, kissing him all the way up to his collar bone, up the side of his neck and gently over the bottom of his ear, “thank you Link,” she whispered, “I couldn’t have done any of this without you.” She kissed his cheek lightly and moved to his lips, where they shared the most passionate kiss they could have. Neither of them noticed, but they had been moving closer and closer to the ground. Finally, Serenity’s back was against the cool, soft grass, as Link’s body was above her. They were both breathing hard, and both of them had the same thought going through their minds. Serenity’s eyes became worried, “Link …” He understood, “I know, Serenity, its okay.” He moved so he was next to her, cradling her in his arms, “I’m not that kind of guy.” She smiled, “I know. I trust you completely.” Soon, she had fallen asleep, and Link glanced around to find that they were right next to where they had sat down to rest. Epona’s saddlebag was close, so he reached in and pulled out a blanket. As he tucked it in around the two of them, he gently kissed Serenity’s forehead, “good night, my angel,” he whispered softly, “I hope this doesn’t end tonight.” With that, he glanced at Navi, who flew over and perched on top of the blanket. She smiled at the two of them and whispered, “I told you so.” Link smiled at her, and soon they were all fast asleep.

CHAPTER 17: DYING FOR THE PIECE OF SHADOW
"Hero of Time, hear us now. The goddesses of the Triforce command you. We are extremely proud of you, for you have proven yourself to be a noble man. The young lady you hold in your arms tonight will undoubtedly be with you for many moons. What starts as friendship and blossoms into love rarely happens… but when it does, it is a power beyond any that a mere mortal can understand. The connection that the two of you feel for each other is no mere accident. It is written in destiny that you are meant to be together. No, don’t question it now, it will be explained when the time is right. Just know that what you feel is meant to be. Keep her safe chosen one, and she will one day return the favor unto you…" Link smiled as he slowly opened his eyes, "I’ll do that, Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom. Thank you." He glanced at the sky and noticed the sun slowly rising in the sky. His eyes then turned to the sleeping Serenity still nestled in his arms. He smiled and tucked a piece of loose hair away from her face; "Last night wasn’t a dream after all. Thank the goddesses." He then bent forward and kissed her forehead lightly, and she stirred and opened her eyes. “Good morning,” Link whispered, “how are you feeling?” She smiled sleepily, “I’m perfect right now. Nothing could possibly be better.” She sat up and stretched, her back facing Link. He blinked his eyes in disbelief, “Whoa! Serenity what happened to your back?” She whipped her head around to look at him, “What? What’s wrong with it?”
“Well, there are two huge vertical marks on either side of your shoulder blades. One is here and the other is here,” he showed her by tracing the marks with his finger, “I have to say that is something I’ve never seen before.” Serenity tried to see what he was talking about, “I can’t see them. Tell me what they look like.” He cocked his head, “It looks as if you were attacked somehow, but I don’t think the Octorok did it, or the dragon, or the Wolfos… it looks like two very long scars. That is very odd, indeed.” Serenity shrugged and stood up, “Oh well, I guess if we’re meant to find out, we will.” She held out her hand and Link took it, standing up in the process. They both stood there at a loss of words for a few minutes, and Serenity cleared her throat, “I, uh, hope that last night doesn’t change anything between us…” Link smiled gently and tilted her chin up, “It already has… we are closer and stronger than ever before. Not even Ganondorf can stop us now.” He then gently leaned over and kissed her; his lips barely touching hers, “Don’t leave me?” She nodded, “I won’t, but only if you don’t leave me, either.” He nodded in agreement. Just then, Navi flew over, “Hey! I think I know where the next Piece of the Staff is!” Serenity smiled at her, “Really? Where?” Navi pointed toward the direction of Kakariko Village, “In the village graveyard.” Serenity’s heart sank to her stomach; she hated graveyards! “Please tell me you’re joking,” she pleaded in a small voice, “let it be anywhere but there! Graveyards scare me!” Link put a reassuring arm around her, “Serenity, don’t be so worried. It’ll be okay. Listen, if we leave now, we can make it there before sunset. That way, it will still be daylight when we get there, okay?” She let out a huge sigh, “Oh, alright. I guess we have to go there sooner or later anyway, especially if that’s where the next Piece of the Staff is.”
“That’s my girl! Come on, let’s load up!” After a quick equipment check, the chosen ones were off to Kakariko Village.
Once they arrived in the graveyard, the weather turned foul on them; rain was pouring in sheets and it was difficult to see anything at all. The graveyard was rather large, and Serenity noticed by the headstones that many members of the Royal Family had been buried there. There were what seemed like three sloping levels to the graveyard, and at the very back there was a cliff with a cave in the side of it. It was fenced off and looked impossible to even get to.
“How are we supposed to find the Piece of the Staff in this weather?” Serenity shouted over the deafening storm. Link turned to her, “I don’t know, but keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual!” She nodded, and the two of them trekked further on. Soon, the storm had let up to just a steady downpour. Serenity was going over the clue with Link again, “What does it mean by ‘shifting shadows’ and ‘unseen’ walls?”
“Well, when I was going through the Shadow Temple I had to use a piece of equipment called the ‘lens of truth’ to see some of the fake walls in the temple. Maybe that will help us now.” Link started rummaging through his pouch to find the little looking glass. While he was doing this, Serenity’s neck hair stood on end, and a chill ran through her body, “Uh, Link? Something doesn’t feel right here. I have a bad feeling about this.” Link nodded, “So do I, but the ‘lens of truth’ will help us out.” He pulled it out and pressed a button on the top of it. This action made it so hidden walls and objects weren’t just visible through the glass, but in a wide diameter as well. This discovery, however, was not what any of them expected.
“ReDeads! We’re surrounded by them!” Link cried, shielding his eyes, “Serenity, follow me quick!” He started running to the other side of the graveyard, where it was clear. When he realized he was alone, he stopped sharply and spun around, “Serenity?!” He saw her; she was transfixed at the stare of the monsters, and they slowly closed around her. Link’s eyes grew wide, “Serenity! You have to look away!!”
“I… I can’t! Link help me!!” One of the monsters slowly reached out its hands and wrapped its cold shriveled fingers around her neck. Her eyes grew wider and she tried to scream, but the creature’s grip grew tighter, and she could feel her life being drained out of her body. The creature let out a piercing scream, and two more came forward and grabbed one of her arms and one of her legs. Her vision blurred, and soon her body grew limp and pale. As one more ReDead reached to grab her, a sword slashed its body in two. Link attacked with all of his might, and the creatures dropped Serenity’s lifeless body and turned to face their new opponent. Link defeated them easily, and stood gasping for breath as he stared at the remains around him. Collecting his thoughts quickly, he ran over to Serenity and bent down next to her, “Oh goddesses, please… she can’t be gone. This isn’t fair!” He gently scooped her up in his arms, her body heavy with dead weight. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his body started to shake, “Serenity, come back to me. I can’t do this by myself… I need you.” A tear ran down his cheek and landed on her lips. He turned her chin up to him and gently kissed her lips. Suddenly, a soft glow surrounded the two of them, and Link looked down at Serenity, as the color slowly came back to her face. Soon, she started coughing and gasping for air, a couple drops of blood tricking from her lips. She turned over onto her hands and knees and coughed some more. Breathing very hard and shaking all over, she looked up at Link through blurred vision, “Am… am I… alive?” She stammered, trying to stand up. She nearly fell, but Link’s strong arms were there to catch her, “Whoa, be careful. Yes, you are alive, thanks to the goddesses.” He smiled, “I have to say that I have never been more scared in my entire life. I thought I had lost you.” She turned to him and giggled, “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Link.” Her giggling turned to coughing, and the two of them looked around. The lens was still glowing, and an opening in the side of a hill was visible to them. “Through unseen walls…” Serenity began, and they walked closer to it. Through the tunnel, they could faintly make out what was sure to be the next shrine holding the Piece of the Staff. Serenity turned to Link; her eyes showing fear. He smiled gently, “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. Go on.” She took a giant breath, and entered the passageway. When she got to the shrine, she once again removed the Piece from the glass case. This time, it started glowing purple. Serenity returned to Link and the two left the graveyard, where a familiar face was there to greet them.
“I suspected that I would see you two again soon enough!” Impa said with a smile on her face. Link smiled and Serenity said, “Impa! It’s great to see you again!” She ran up and hugged the Sheikah woman. Impa laughed, “Well well, if it isn’t the young Faierikin heroine. I trust you are coming along on your quest?” Serenity nodded and took out the unfinished Staff of Power. Impa nodded; clearly impressed, “Well done, young ones. You are doing wonderfully.”
“I should have known that you would be the Sage of Shadow, since you’re so mysterious all the time,” Serenity stated, winking at Impa. She returned the comment by laughing. Serenity then looked down at the Staff, and gently put the next Piece together with it. After the flash of light and gust of wind, she turned to Impa, breathing a little hard, “That has to be the most amazing rush in the world. I don’t know how much longer I can take it!” Impa and Link laughed.
“Yes dear, now let me show you a very useful skill that the Piece of Shadow uses. They don’t name it that for nothing, you know.” Serenity nodded, and Impa whispered something in her ear. Link furrowed his brows together, trying to pick up what Impa was saying, but to no avail. When she was done, Serenity backed away a couple of steps. She turned to Link and gave him a smile and a wink. She then closed her eyes and her body became surrounded by a purple glow. When it was gone, so was she! Link was surprised and started looking around, “Serenity? Where are you?” Soft footprints could be seen sneaking up in front him, and Impa was trying her best to keep a straight face with the confused Hero of Time. Serenity quickly revealed herself two inches in front of Link’s nose, causing him to give a small yelp, and sending him stumbling backwards. She, Impa, and Navi burst into laugher, as Link’s rear ended up in a newly-formed mud puddle, “Ha ha, very funny! I should have known that the Piece of Shadow would grant invisibility.” Serenity suppressed a couple more giggles, and helped him up.
“Now I shall give you the next clue that you seek: Deep in the heart of the shifting sands, only the chosen one can reveal the goodness in the one whose heart is torn in two. Then the rightful force will shine like the sun.”

CHAPTER 18: GOODNIGHT KISSES
“Well, the first part of the clue is easy. It is obviously some sort of desert.” Serenity stated, “But I’m not so sure about the next part.” The two were riding side by side through Hyrule Field, trying to put the pieces of Impa’s puzzle together. Link nodded, “There is only one desert in all of Hyrule: the Desert Colossus. If she wants shifting sands, that is definitely the place to go.” He squinted into the late afternoon sun, “Unfortunately, we won’t make it there by nightfall. I vote we stop by Lon Lon Ranch and see if Malon has a couple of extra rooms available for us.” Serenity agreed, and the two of them turned their horses and trotted off toward the ranch.
“Hey guys!” Malon called in her usual happy tone, “Long time no see! How are you?” Serenity dismounted and hugged the feisty red-head, “We’re doing great Malon, how about you?”
“I’m doing fantastic, as always! So what brings you back to the ranch?” Link also dismounted Epona, and walked up, “Well, we’re on our way to the Desert Colossus, but we knew we wouldn’t make it there by nightfall, so we thought we’d drop by and see if you had any spare rooms that we could use for the night?” Malon smiled, “Of coarse I do! Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” She let them show their horses to the coral and then the three of them entered the main building of the Ranch. “There are two rooms upstairs that hardly anyone uses anymore. I’m sure father won’t mind if you use them for tonight.” She turned the handle to the first one and opened the door.
“What the?! What in tarnation is going on here?? Can’t a fellow get some privacy in this here joint?! Let me be girl!” Ingo’s irritated voice bellowed, giving Malon quite a scare, “Oh! I am so sorry Ingo! I didn’t know that you were visiting today! We’ll leave you alone now!” She closed the door quickly; her face flushed the color of her hair, “I am so sorry about that. I didn’t know he was going to be here. Well then, I guess I only have one room free.” Link and Serenity glanced at each other. “Uh, Serenity, you go ahead and take the room, I can sleep in the stables.”
“Link no way! I would feel terrible for that. I’ve done it before, let me.” Serenity pleaded with him. He shook his head sternly, “No, its okay, I would rather be outside anyway.” Malon interrupted them, “Neither one of you are going to sleep outside! What kind of host would I be if I let that happen? We have an extra cot that I can pull out for one of you to take while the other one takes the room.” With some more arguing, Serenity finally ended up with the room. She removed her tunic and looked at herself in the long mirror in the corner. She half smiled at herself: her hair was windblown, but still manageable, with streaks of gold from being in the sun constantly; her body had become more toned with the battles that they had fought over the past few weeks "I am actually getting in shape! I didn’t think that would happen." She then glanced at her wardrobe, which right now consisted of her light pink thin tank with a pair of faded jeans. The tank, which was one of her favorites from home, sat just about two inches above the low-slung waistline of her jeans. "Not quite the typical wardrobe of Hyrule," she mused to herself, then glanced at her feet: brown boots of Zelda’s that she had acquired for riding. All in all, she looked like a sexy cowgirl, minus the ten gallon hat. She smiled at herself as her thoughts turned to Link. "How did I get so lucky to be with a guy like him? But am I really with him? I know I want to be, and I’m pretty sure that he wants to be with me, but I just don’t know. I wish I could really tell him how I feel, but that would just scare him off." She sighed impatiently, "I can’t sleep, I need some air." With that, she decided to go downstairs and get something to drink. As she tip-toed down the darkened stairs, she was caught by surprise and almost screamed, “Link? You scared the hell out of me!” she whispered, “What are you still doing up?” He half smiled, “I couldn’t sleep. What about you?” She sighed, “Same here. I don’t know what my problem is. Maybe I’m just too anxious to get the last two Pieces of the Staff. We’re so close, Link!” He nodded, “I know, but that also means that we’re that much closer to fighting Ganondorf as well. How do you feel about that?” Serenity bit her lip slightly, “I’m still really nervous, but I guess its destiny, so one way or another, its going to happen.” He nodded, his gold hair shining gently in the dim light. His blue eyes met hers and he whispered, “You look amazing right now.” Serenity giggled and blushed, “I was just musing to myself upstairs at how silly I look. Quite a coincidence, hu?” He also let out a small chuckle, then smirked, “So, how are the sights in the suite room? Are they quite brilliant?” Serenity covered her mouth to keep from laughing, “Oh you, come and see for yourself!” The two snuck up the stairs and into the room. Link nodded his approval, “Well well, not bad at all. The bed is about twice the size of that cot…” he bounced onto the soft mattress, “…and about a thousand times comfier!” He pretended to snore, and Serenity giggled, “Very funny, now get your lazy ass off of my bed.” When he didn’t move, she laughed again and tapped the toe of his boot, “Come on, I need my beauty sleep!” When he still didn’t move, she sighed impatiently, “Okay, that’s it, you’ve asked for it!” She jumped on top of him and started tickling him mercilessly. He laughed and squirmed, “Hey now! That’s not fair! I wasn’t ready!” Unfortunately for Serenity, the tables turned quite suddenly on her, and Link was soon on top of her, pinning her arms down. His face was close to hers and he laughed, “Ha! Now who has the upper hand?” Serenity grinned, “I believe I still do.” His face showed utter confusion, “Hu? Are you crazy? There’s no way you can possibly get out of this…” he didn’t have a chance to finish, because Serenity reached her head up and gently pressed her lips to his. She felt the grip on her arms loosen up, and his fingers ran gently down the side of her face. They lay like that for a while, him above her, her arms gently around him, forgetting all of their thoughts and fears, if only for a minute. Link smiled gently, “Serenity, I… uh… I…” he stuttered. She was the one who was confused now, “What is it? Is something wrong?” He paused for a minute, then said softly, “I just forgot what it was I wanted to say. I’m sorry.” She knew it was a bad lie, but she wasn’t going to question him on it now. If he wanted to tell her, he would when the time was right. He got up and started for the door. When he got there, he turned back and said softly, “Good night.” She smiled, “Good night, Link. I’ll see you in the morning.” As he closed the door and stared at it he thought, "I love you." Walking down the steps he thumped his head several times, "Goddesses Link, you are so stupid sometimes! Why didn’t you just say that in the first place? She knew you wanted to say it. I am so dumb!" He sat down roughly on the cot and punched the soft pillow. “Hey! Some of us are trying to sleep here!” Navi yelled, “Be careful where you throw those things around!”
“Sorry Navi, I just have a lot on my mind right now. I went to say ‘I love you’ to Serenity, but I chocked. Why do I do that?” Navi flew from the pillow to Link’s shoulder, “I don’t know Link, but I can tell that you two love each other, even if you can’t tell yourselves. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to tell her soon enough. It just takes time, that’s all.” Link nodded, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just wish that time was now.” He laid his head against the pillow, sighed, and fell asleep.

CHAPTER 19: ILLUSIONS CAN PLAY TRICKS ON THE HEART
The next morning, Serenity awoke with the sun shining in her room. She smiled to herself as she recalled the previous night’s events. "I wonder what it was that Link was trying to tell me last night. I hope it wasn’t anything bad." She shrugged, "oh well, I guess I can’t dwell on it now. We have a long day ahead of us." With that, she put her boots on, threw her Zora tunic on over her tank top, ran a hand through her hair a couple of times, and walked out the door. As she got downstairs, Link was already waiting for her.
“Are you ready? We should really be on our way.” Serenity jumped slightly; something wasn’t right about his voice. “Link, are you okay?” He nodded, no expression on his face, “I’m fine, why do you ask?”
“I don’t know, you just seem a little odd, that’s all. I’m sorry.” He turned to the door, “We should really be off. Come on.” With that, he headed out the door. As the two of them drew nearer to the horses, Epona was very skitterish around Link, jumping slightly away and neighing. Serenity was even more confused, and she thought she heard Link mumble something mean to the horse under his breath. He turned to her and gave a shrug, “I don’t know what that horse’s problem is, but I guess we’ll ride double today.” Serenity shrugged, “Okay, whatever you say. Hop on.” With that, the two of them rode double on Star Streak out of the ranch and toward Gerudo Valley and the Desert Colossus.
Not many words were exchanged during the ride; with the exception of Link giving directions to Serenity on where to find the Desert. Upon coming up to the fortress, Serenity was amazed. It looked like it had been carved out of the side of a mountain. The fortress had many levels on it, and there were guards everywhere. All of them seemed to be female, which was odd to Serenity. She saw a large wooden gate at the far edge of the fortress which looked like it led out into the desert itself. Once they arrived at the Gerudo Fortress, a familiar face was there to greet them. “Link! How have you been? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Nabooru said as she clasped hands with the Hero of Time. She was something that Serenity hadn’t expected to see. Nabooru reminded Serenity of an Arabian Princess from stories at her old home. Nabooru’s clothing was very sheer, with a bikini-like top and brief-like bottoms that were covered with thin chiffon material. Her fire-red hair was up in a high ponytail, and her skin was the color of the sand itself. Link nodded, “I’ve been fine.” The Gerudo Queen nodded, “Who is this with you? Could this be the young Faierikin heroine that I have heard tells about?” Serenity nodded, “Yes ma’am, that’s me alright. My name is Serenity.” She smiled and clasped hands with her; surprising Serenity at their strength, “Pleased to meet you. I am Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit. I am guessing that you are here seeking the Piece of Spirit for the Staff of Power, am I correct?”
“Yes! Do you know where we can find it?” Nabooru nodded, “Yes, but it’s not here. It is out through the Haunted Wasteland and in the Oasis at the edge of the Desert. Be careful, though, because the sands change constantly. What looks to be the right way will surely be gone in an instant. There are flags marking the way. Link surely remembers.” Link nodded at this comment, and Nabooru continued, “Also beware of this, the shifting of secrets doesn’t only happen in the sands…” she trailed off and gave a slight sideways glance toward Link. With that, the two chosen ones were off to the Haunted Wasteland.

CHAPTER 20: TRAPSING THE HAUNTED WASTELAND
Nabooru wasn’t kidding about the shifting sands. The Haunted Wasteland was truly that; a wasteland of nothingness. The sand was blowing so hard that Serenity could barely see two feet in front of her, and Link wasn’t helping any. He was walking so fast she could hardly keep track of him. After a brief stumble over a small sand dune, Serenity looked up and gasped suddenly: There she was next to a broken flag, and Link was gone! "Oh shit! Now I am in BIG trouble! How am I supposed to find that oasis if my leader is gone!" She felt tears well up in her eyes, "How could he do that to me? Something is definitely not right here. Link wouldn’t just leave me in the desert to die, but that is exactly what’s going to happen! It’s no use!" Suddenly, she saw a figure in front of her. It didn’t really have a specific shape, and she drew back a little in fear. "Fear not child," a voice said telepathically, "I am here to guide you on the rest of this treacherous hike. Follow my light." She saw a ball of light and followed it as best she could. Eventually, the blowing sands subsided, and she found her savior; a ghost. “Oh, you’re a ghost? I guess that explains why the wasteland is haunted, hu?”
“You are close, my dear. I am a Poe, which is a type of ghost. Most of my brothers are evil, but I try to help stray travelers through the Wasteland the best that I can.” Serenity nodded, “Yeah well, that’s more than I can say for my partner.” The Poe nodded, “Don’t be angry at Link, Serenity, for he is not who he seems to be. Be careful of the heart torn in two…” With that, the Poe vanished. Serenity was left dumbfounded, "How did he know my name? What did he mean by the heart torn in two? This is so confusing! Where is Link when I need him?" She turned around and realized she was at the edge of the oasis that Nabooru was talking about. It wasn't as smoldering hot there, and there was a small lake with tall grasses and palm trees all around it. A few feet from her stood Link. Serenity glared and marched over to him, “What is your problem!? Why the hell did you leave me out there? I could have died!” Link gazed at her coolly with uncaring eyes, “You made it, didn’t you?”
“You know what? I don’t know what is the matter with you today, but you are not acting like the Link I know.” Suddenly, she gasped and thought, "oh shit! The heart torn in two! This isn’t Link at all!" A slow sneer crept across Link’s face, his then-blue eyes turning a blood red, “So, you are finally starting to see what the big picture is, little savior. Your Link is gone. You have me to deal with now. Prepare to meet your doom!” With that, he unsheathed his sword (an identical copy of the Master Sword) and pointed it at her. Reacting quickly, Serenity grabbed the only weapon she had to duel with: the partial Staff of Power. Dark Link charged at her and struck, but she quickly defended it with the Staff. They continued back and forth for quite some time, each delivering blows to the other. Finally, as Serenity was drawing short of energy, Dark Link backed up several feet, “Now that I am done toying with you, the real challenge begins.”

CHAPTER 21: SEEKING OUT THE PIECE OF SPIRIT
“What are you talking about?” Serenity was very angry right now, and her eyes flared to show it. That evil sneer snuck across Dark Link’s face again, “The test of truth. To see if you can determine who the true Hero of Time is. Of course, if you fail, you’ll send the real Hero into the unknown Abyss. Let us begin!” With that, he threw his arms in the air and thunder and lightning struck. When it was done, there were two Links! Serenity shook her head, "This is impossible!" she said to herself, "How can there be two of him?" The first Link shouted, “Don’t listen to him Serenity! I am the real Link! You have to believe me!” The second one interrupted him, “No, he’s the liar! I am the real Link! Please Serenity, pick me!” Serenity’s eyes grew wide as the two continued begging her to choose them, "How am I supposed to figure this out? They look and sound identical. I can’t afford to chose wrong!" She observed them a little longer, then noticed something peculiar: over the first Link’s shoulder was a tiny ball of light, but the second Link had nothing. "That’s it! Dark Link doesn’t have a fairy partner! Way to go Navi!" Serenity walked closer so she was right in between the two Links. She turned to the first Link and spoke with a serious tone, “I have made my decision, and one of you is going to die in a few moments. Therefore…” she snapped around and pointed the Staff at the impersonating Link and cried, “Begone! You are no longer welcome in this world! Never return or bother us again!!” The Staff started to glow, and a portal formed under the feet of Dark Link, who screamed in bloody murder, “Vile wench! You will be destroyed by Ganondorf! You and that cursed Hero of Time!!” With that, he was gone. Serenity turned to Link, who had a glow around his body. She smiled, “The rightful force will shine like the sun.” Link smiled, and the two embraced, “Serenity, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean any of it, you know that, right?” She nodded, “I know Link, I believe you. I am sorry for not realizing it sooner.”
“How did you know he was Dark Link?” She smiled, “Because of Navi. I saw her peeking out from behind your shoulder earlier. Dark Link didn’t have a fairy with him.” Navi flew around with the mention of her name, “You mean I helped you? Oh yay! I am so happy!” The two laughed, and a soft rumbling cut them short of their joy. Serenity clutched herself close to Link, “What the hell was that?” Link nodded and pointed, “I think it was that; look.” She turned and saw another stone shrine rising out of the sand. Serenity walked up the steps and removed the glass top, brushing the sand away. She picked up the Piece of Staff and it started glowing orange. A bright light engulfed the two travelers and when it was gone they were at the Gerudo Fortress again.
“Well done, Serenity,” Nabooru said, “not many people can pass the test of truth. I knew you would be the one to do so, however.” Serenity smiled, “I am flattered, but it was certainly one of the toughest tests that I have ever had to do.” Link hung his head slightly, “I had no idea that my dark self could take over my body like he did. I didn’t have the slightest idea what was going on.”
“Well, the important thing is that you have the sixth Piece of the Staff,” Nabooru stated, “that Piece doesn’t really have a physical power; it just gives the user the ability to see the truth in different situations, such as the one you two just encountered.”
“So where do we find the last Piece?” Serenity asked anxiously, for she was excited to finally finish the Staff. Link furrowed his brow, “Yeah, I was wondering that myself. I noticed a pattern when we were finding the other Pieces. They were tracked in the same order that I went in to find the six medallions when I fought Ganondorf the first time. But now there is nowhere left to look.” Nabooru sighed, “Well, the last Piece of the Staff is located in a very dangerous place. In fact, it may not even be reachable; not with both of you living anyway.” Serenity’s eyes got big, “What do you mean? One of us is going to die? Where is it?” Nabooru placed a hand on Serenity’s shoulder, “It’s in the clutches of Ganondorf himself.” Link and Serenity both gasped and looked at each other for what seemed like eternity.

CHAPTER 22: RACE FOR THE PIECE OF POWER
“Is she going to be alright?” Nabooru asked Link. The two chosen ones had decided to stay at the Gerudo Fortress for the night in order to think about their next plan of action. Link sighed and shrugged, “I don’t know, really. I hope she will be. She’s a strong girl, but having that kind of information thrown in her face was like running into a brick wall at top speed.” Nabooru nodded, “Maybe you should go talk to her.” He nodded in return and started up the hill that Serenity was perched on top of.
She had a perfect view of the remains of Hyrule Castle from the cliff above the Gerudo Fortress and she could see the gloom that Ganondorf’s evil power had over it. She sighed and looked at the Staff. Placing the Piece of Spirit next to the rest, she fused them together and shuddered slightly as in a flash of light and gust of wind, more power entered her body. She then glanced at the Staff again. "The Piece of Power is all that is missing," she thought to herself, "how I’m going to retrieve it is beyond my reasoning, however. Oh goddesses, what am I supposed to do? I don’t want to die, and I certainly don’t want Link to endanger himself on my account. I just don’t know what to do…" Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling behind her. Reacting quickly, she jumped up and stood with the Staff in a defensive stance. Link stopped short and threw his arms in front of him, “Whoa there Serenity! It’s just me.” She sighed and let her guard down, “I’m sorry Link, I’m just a little jumpy from everything that happened today.” She set the Staff down and walked over to him. He smiled slightly and ran his fingers over her hair, then turned away, “I’m sorry for what happened earlier. I really didn’t know what was going on. He’s never had control over me like that.” His eyes brimmed with tears, and he continued softly, “I could have killed you. I would have never been able to forgive myself for that.” He tried to blink a stray tear away, but it escaped down the side of his face. Serenity bit her lip and reached to brush it away, “Link, please don’t do this. I know it wasn’t really you in there. I could tell from the moment we left the ranch that something was wrong with you. I place no blame on you whatsoever.” He turned back to her, his eyes sparkling with tears in the moonlight. She was overtaken with desire at the sight of him at that moment: the moonlight shone gently over his body, reflecting softly off of his blonde hair. His green tunic was a little torn in places and dirty from the battle they had fought in the desert, and his face had a few small scrapes on it, but his eyes were as bright and innocent as ever. Serenity’s heart started pounding and she lost control over herself. She wrapped her arms around Link and started kissing him passionately. He was stunned at first, and a little confused at what to do next, but he placed his strong arms around the small girl and held her close, returning the kiss and embracing her tightly. After a few more minutes of kissing, Serenity broke away suddenly, her face flushing bright red, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what came over me.” Link shook his head, his face red as well, “Don’t be sorry Serenity. It wasn’t like I didn’t want it to happen or anything like that.” He smiled slightly, reaching over and turning her chin up, “Trust me, I feel the same way about you as you do about me.” She smiled gently and bit her lip, “So, uh, what’s our next plan to defeat Ganondorf?”
“I’m not sure. If Nabooru is right and he DOES have the last Piece of the Staff, then who knows how much power he has. With him having the Triforce of Power on top of it all, he could prove to be unstoppable.” Serenity nodded, “I suppose so. But we’ll never know until we get to the castle. Then we’ll see just how powerful he is.” Link turned to her, “Are you scared?” She sighed and thought about it for a minute. “Well, I guess so, but I don’t really have much of a choice in the matter. He has something that belongs to me, and I want it back.” Turning her eyes to Link, she continued, “I’m not sure about a lot of things anymore, but I do know that as long as you and I are together, nothing is going to stop us.” He smiled and pulled her into an embrace. They stood like that for awhile and then headed back to the fortress to sleep.
The next day came far too soon for Serenity; she had hardly gotten a wink of sleep the night before. She stood up and stretched and walked out of the room she was in. When she got outside, she saw Link petting Star Streak. She smiled, “Good morning.” He turned to her and smiled back, “Good morning to you too. Are you ready for this?” She sighed, “As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s get going.” With that, she jumped up on Star Streak and, with a couple of tries, Link did the same thing. After a swift “hey” the two of them were off to Lon Lon Ranch to pick up Epona. Upon their arrival, they were greeted with a very angry Malon, “I can’t believe you guys left without saying good-bye to me the other day! I am so furious with you!” After a quick explanation though, she understood completely, “I guess that’s why Epona wasn’t happy with you, Link. She knew it wasn’t the real you and you know she won’t listen to anyone but you and me.” Link smiled and nodded, petting the brown mare’s neck, “Yep, she’s a stubborn one alright.” Serenity giggled, “No wonder she gets along with you so well.” Malon and Navi joined in her giggling and Link just shook his head, “Girls! I never will understand them.” This only brought more giggling from the two of them. After awhile, Serenity sighed, “Well, I guess we should be off. The sooner we start, the sooner it’s over.” Link agreed, and mounted up on Epona. After a quick goodbye with Malon, the two of them were off to the remains of Hyrule Castle.

CHAPTER 23: A LEAP OF FAITH; A NEW DISCOVERY
Not wanting to waste anytime on foot, they jumped the horses over the remains of the drawbridge and ran through Hyrule Castle Market, past the ReDeads, and to Ganondorf’s Castle.
Once they were in front of the castle, they were amazed at the sheer size of it. The towers had to be twelve stories tall, and each one was more horrifying than the previous one. Looking down, they could see a huge boiling lake of lava, which the castle itself was floating over. After exploring for a little while, they decided that there was no way to get across to the entrance of the castle.
“The last time this happened, the Sages created a bridge for me to cross, but I don’t think that is going to happen this time,” Link stated, “It’s too bad we can’t just jump it.” Serenity was silent as she thought about Link’s last statement. She cocked her head sideways and mumbled, “Hmmm, maybe that’s not such a bad idea after all.” Link turned to her, “What? Are you crazy? There is no way that the horses could make that distance. It’s way too far.” She smiled, “Not necessarily, Link. This is simply one of Ganondorf’s tests for us; it’s a leap of faith. If we believe we can make it across, then we will make it across. He doesn’t believe that we can, so he thinks he has the upper hand. We’ll make him think otherwise.” Link shook his head and looked down again, “I don’t know about this Serenity. That’s a helluva long way down, and the landing won’t feel so great either.” Epona whinnied nervously, and backed up a couple of steps. Link whispered to her and patted her neck soothingly, “Besides, I don’t think Epona’s up for the idea.” Serenity sighed, and dismounted Star Streak. She walked over to Epona and gently patted her nose, “You know what needs to be done, don’t you?” Epona snorted, and nodded. Serenity continued to rub her nose, “Do you trust that we’ll make it through? And that I’ll bring him back safely?” Again, Epona nodded, stomping her foot.
“Are you sure you can’t do this?” The big mare lowered her head almost shamefully and gently kicked at the dirt. Serenity smiled, “Hey, its okay. I understand if you don’t want to. I can’t say I blame you. Will you wait here for us?” Epona nodded again and Link finally spoke up, “Okay, what the hell just happened? Were you just engaged in a full-fledged conversation with my horse?” Serenity smiled, “Yep. She doesn’t want to make the jump, but she wants you to ride on Star Streak with me. She wants to wait here for us to come back.” With that, Serenity walked back over to Star Streak and mounted his back, “Are you coming?” Link blinked his eyes in disbelief a couple of times, and then answered, “Uh, yeah, I guess so.” He mounted up behind Serenity, and she turned Star Streak around and walked a few paces behind Epona. She then turned to face the castle and judged the distance. Turning to Link, she asked, “Are you ready?” He sighed and nodded, “Yep, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She smiled and patted Star Streak’s neck, “Are you ready for this Star Streak?” He whinnied and nodded his head, tossing his white mane in the air. “Then here goes nothing, HYEAH!” With a huge kick, Star Streak reared in the air; a sight that would have been breathtaking to any onlooker who happened to witness the event. Then the big horse plunged forward at top speed toward the edge of the cliff. Link and Serenity held on for dear life, and Star Streak took one huge final leap over the edge.
They soared through the air for what seemed like forever, the other side coming closer and closer to them. Suddenly, they started falling, with the castle entrance not even close to where they were. The two of them screamed and closed their eyes tightly. They seemed to fall forever, and Serenity was getting confused, "Shouldn’t we be hitting the lava soon?" she mused to herself, "This seems really weird. I don’t know if I want to open my eyes or not." She sighed, "oh well; I guess I will sooner or later, here goes." She cautiously opened one eye first, and then the other one shot open as she glanced around her quickly: they were right next to one of the tops of the towers! What was even more amazing was that they were moving! “Holy shit! Link, look at this! We’re flying!” He shot open his eyes, “Say what?!” he too glanced around and laughed, “Oh goddesses, we’re alive! And we ARE flying!!” Serenity glanced back at Link and noticed something very peculiar about Star Streak in the process: on his back (right behind where his shoulder blades were located) was a set of sparkling white wings! She smiled and pointed, “This must be why the goddesses sent him here! They knew we were going to need him to get where we needed to go!” Link looked down and smiled. The duo circled the castle a couple of times, and then Star Streak landed them right next to the entrance to the castle.
Serenity shivered, “Oh, it’s so creepy! I can about imagine the things we’ll see inside.” Link nodded, unsheathing the Master Sword, “We have to be ready for anything. Who knows what monsters are lurking between us and Ganondorf’s chambers,” he turned to Serenity, “Are you ready?” She chose to draw her bow instead of the Staff for now, “I was born ready.” With that, the two entered the castle.

CHAPTER 24: TESTING THEIR SKILLS
As they entered, the two of them were surprised to see how empty the place was. “Wow, this is weird,” Link stated, “we should have been bombarded with monsters by now. I wonder what’s going on.” Serenity looked around, “I don’t know, but I bet the answers are behind that door.” She pointed to a wooden door on the other side of the room. Link nodded and the two of them walked over to it.
“It’s unlocked,” Link said, surprised, “Ganondorf must be losing his touch.” Serenity gripped the bow tighter, “Don’t be so sure about that, Link. After all, we still don’t know what is BEHIND this unlocked door.” Link gripped the hilt of the Master Sword tighter, and Serenity kicked open the door.
Inside they were greeted by a very hungry Deku Babba, whose huge jaws attempted to make a meal out of Serenity’s leg. Link slashed at it with his sword, and in two swipes it was dead. Serenity breathed a sigh of relief as the two of them glanced at their surroundings: the room was almost identical to a forest, with grass, plants, and trees. Vines were hanging everywhere, and there was a small creek down the center of the "room". Link was stunned, “This is certainly odd for Ganondorf. It’s almost identical to the Lost Woods. I wonder what he has up his sleeve…” he trailed off as he heard a rustling in the shadows next to him. Serenity was already two steps ahead of him, however. She drew an arrow and fired into the shadows faster than lightning. A small yelp was heard, and a dead Deku Scrub fell into the light.
“That was a close one,” Link said, then turned to Serenity, “You are a really good shot, do you know that?” She smiled, “archery was one of my favorite activities in school. I was really good at it.” The two continued forward, defeating enemies along the way. Soon, they got to the other side of the “room”, but there was no door to be found.
“Oh, perfect!” Link spat, “Now what the hell are we supposed to do? There’s no where to go! This must have been a dead end.” Serenity wasn’t so sure, and she glanced carefully around the area where they were standing. Her eyes rested on a ledge about forty feet off the ground. Suddenly, a soft voice filled her mind, "Serenity, listen to us; the Evil One is testing your strength. He wants the Staff of Power for himself, and he is testing your use of its powers. You must use your newly acquired skills to defeat his puzzles in order to reach him. We the Goddesses believe in you, the Chosen Ones. Follow your heart…" She opened her eyes and turned to Link, who was still griping about not finding a door, “Link, I know what to do. Do you have any magic beans on you?” He raised an eyebrow, “Uh, I think so. May I ask why?” She smiled, “Just trust me.” He shrugged and dug in his pouch until he pulled out a small pod. Serenity gently picked it up and bent to the ground. She dug a small hole and put the seed inside, covering it with the freshly-dug soil. She then placed her hand over the mound and closed her eyes. Link watched in awe as a green light surrounded Serenity’s body, and a vine began emerging from under her hand. The vine grew larger and larger, as it rose up to the ledge above them. The glow around Serenity ceased, and she stood up, “Voila! We have an instant door!” She then proceeded to climb up the vine. Link watched in awe for a few seconds, but then quickly followed her up to the ledge, where there was another door waiting for them. The two took a deep breath and opened the door.
The change in the atmosphere between the two rooms was very drastic: this new room had no green life of any kind. It was barren and rocky, and very warm. The two heroes decided it would be a good idea if they put on their Goron Tunics. Once this was done, they proceeded through the room, which consisted of several platforms surrounded by lava. Dodging a few Fire Keese, they were soon stopped short by a low growling. “Shit, Dodogon Larvae!” Link said as he drew his sword.
“Be careful when you destroy them! They explode when they die!” Navi warned. Serenity nodded, and fired an arrow into the first larvae. It died instantly, and exploded two seconds later. Link proceeded to kill two more larvae, receiving the same reaction as Serenity did. After repeating this a few more times, they were at the edge of the room, once again with no door. Serenity observed the wall in front of them, “Hmm, I think it is hollow on the other side of this section here, so this must be the spot.” She placed her hands over the area and closed her eyes. Link cocked his head, “Wouldn’t it be easier if I just used a bomb to open it up?” Serenity opened one eye, “Probably, but the Goddesses said that Ganondorf is testing my power, so I have to do it the hard way.” Link nodded his understanding, and Serenity again closed her eyes. Her body began to glow red, and the rock in front of her began to melt. The heat from Serenity’s hands was even hotter than the blistering heat of the room, and soon the liquid rock flowed into the pools of lava surrounding the two warriors.
As they stepped through the entrance, they were greeted by a very dry and desolate valley.
“That’s odd; I didn’t think a desert would be next.” Link said in confusion. Serenity turned to him, “Why do you say that?”
“Well, I just figured it would go in the order of when we found the Pieces. I guess I figured that water would be next.” Serenity nodded, “I see what you mean. I guess Ganondorf wants to keep us guessing.” They walked a little closer to the desolate valley, which turned out to be little more than a dry ravine, which was about 30 feet deep and 20 feet wide. Glancing a few feet away, Serenity noticed something rather peculiar, “Hey, look at that!” It was a small boat; obviously abandoned, or left there on purpose by someone. Link cocked his head, “Now why in the world would there be a boat in the middle of a desert?” Suddenly, a thought hit Serenity, “Oh! I get it now! This isn’t a desert room; it IS a water room after all!”
“How do you figure? I sure don’t see any water anywhere.” Link looked around to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. Serenity giggled, “Link, just watch. You’ll understand in a second.” Serenity walked up to the edge of the ravine and raised her arms into the sky, and a blue glow formed around her body. Suddenly, huge rain clouds began to form and Link felt a couple of cool drops fall onto his head. Soon, it was raining rather hard, and the ravine slowly began to fill with water. After a few more minutes, the water was all the way up to the top of the ravine. The two chosen ones acted quickly, jumping swiftly into the boat. They each took an ore and rowed over to the other side of the ravine, where there was once again a door waiting for them. Link turned to Serenity, “You have to be some sort of a miracle, Serenity. There is no other explanation for it.” She blushed and opened the next door.
The next room was creepy; a thick fog lined the floor, and ReDeads were everywhere. Serenity and Link both fought with all their might; vowing revenge for their previous encounter in the Kakariko Graveyard. Serenity defended herself with the Staff wonderfully, smashing every ReDead that came near her. Suddenly, she turned too soon and was frozen in the gaze of one of them. Link saw this happen and was ready to spring to her aid. He soon realized he wasn’t needed, however, when a purple glow surrounded Serenity, and she vanished into thin air. This action obviously puzzled the ReDead, who slowly looked around for its prey; trying to sense her every move. It was too slow, however, for suddenly an arrow ripped its decaying flesh in two, sending it into the afterlife once and for all. Link jumped slightly when Serenity appeared next to him, “Geez, you scare the hell out of me when you do that!” She laughed, “Sorry! I guess I need to warn you or something, hu?” They both turned to see yet another door exiting the room. Link gave a big sigh and said, “After you, Serenity.”
The next room was very strange; the two of them could tell that this was the desert room, because there were huge sand dunes and very sparse vegetation. However one thing was extremely odd about the room: it was split into two identical sides.
“Which one is the right one?” Serenity asked, looking back and forth at the two paths. Link shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. You have the Piece of Spirit; you’re supposed to tell me.” Serenity studied the paths more carefully, "there has to be something different about these paths that makes the right one stand out more. When I battled Dark Link, I could tell it was him because he didn’t have a fairy partner. What is different about these two paths?" She glanced up at a moving palm tree branch, and an idea came to her, “Link, take a look at the paths. They don’t separate right away, do they?” He looked and nodded his head in agreement, “Yeah, but what does that tell us?” She glanced at the opposite palm tree, “What direction is the breeze blowing from right here?”
“I’d say from the west, why?” She smiled, “Then we go left.” Link raised an eyebrow, “And just how do you figure that?” She pointed at the two palm trees, “Look at those trees; the one on our right shows the wind blowing the leaves from the east, which is the exact opposite of the tree on our left. The one on our left is blowing in the exact direction that the breeze is hitting us right now, so that is the real path.” Link looked at her and smiled, “Very perceptive Serenity. I think I need to take some pointers from you when we get out of here,” he then turned to the right, “I wonder what would have happened if we had gone that way.” Serenity shook her head, “I don’t know if I’d want to know.” The two of them headed toward the path on their left, and quickly made it to the next door. They opened it and went inside.
They were surprised in the next area. There was no room as they suspected, only a long carpeted stairway.
“This must lead to Ganondorf’s chamber,” Link said, “are you ready?” Serenity nodded, “As I said before, I was born ready. Let’s go.” The two of them started up the long stairway. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they made it to the top, where a giant door greeted them, taunting them to meet their doom. Link walked up to it and stated, “It’s unlocked.” He then turned to Serenity and studied her for a second, "she seems so calm. I can’t believe she’s ready to go through with this. One of us could easily die tonight, or both of us for that matter. I hope she can’t tell that my heart is pounding a thousand miles a minute. Please goddesses, give me the courage I need." He glanced quickly at his left hand, "Triforce of Courage, don’t fail me now!" Serenity was having different thoughts at that moment, "I can’t believe I’m doing this! I hope he can’t tell how nervous I am. I’ve never even seen Ganondorf, and already I am more afraid of him than I have been of anything in my entire life! Goddesses hear me; show me what to do. Guide me in my actions and protect Link and me. I can’t do this by myself." She turned to Link and nodded slightly. He nodded back and opened the door; the both of them drawing their weapons and preparing to die.

CHAPTER 25: MEETING WITH THE KING OF EVIL
The room was dark; pitch black, if you will. The only source of light was Serenity herself, because her body was giving off a soft glow. The two of them walked forward slowly. Suddenly, Serenity came to a halt, causing Link to almost fall right over her.
“What are you doing?” he whispered, almost afraid to hear his own voice. She glanced around, “Something’s not right here. We’re not alone, Link. Stand back a second.” He took a step back, and Serenity closed her eyes, the glow around her body becoming brighter. Suddenly, a flash of light erupted from her body, and the entire room was engulfed in light. Then they noticed the horror before them. Link stepped in front of Serenity, who all but cowered in fear. There in front of them stood Ganondorf, his evil sneer as menacing as ever. His fiery red hair matched the color of his flaming eyes, and he was coated in black armor. He was also holding a huge twisted sword, and latched to his belt was the final Piece of the Staff. He stood up slowly from his twisted throne, slowly applauding the two chosen ones. “Well done, Hero of Time. I knew you would arrive in my chambers sooner or later.”
“You didn’t win last time, and you won’t win this time.” Link growled, holding the Master Sword tightly in his left hand. Ganondorf made a “tsk tsk” sound, “Link, haven’t you learned by now? There is no stopping me. My powers have greatly increased since the last time we battled, and this Piece of the Staff of Power does wonders for my magic! Face it, Link, there is no defeating me!” His evil eyes turned toward Serenity, “Well well, who do we have here? A tag-a-long? She doesn’t look like she’ll be of much use to you, hero.”
“Leave her out of this! You want nothing to do with her! It’s me you want.” He snapped his glare to Link, “Wrong! It’s the Staff of Power that I want! You two are just another obstacle in my way, but once I’m rid of you, I’ll take care of the girl! Then the Triforce of Courage and the Staff of Power will be mine! Then, once I find that lousy Princess Zelda, the Triforce of Wisdom will also be mine, and I will rule the world!” His evil laugh was enough to send chills down Serenity’s spine. She shivered and shouted, “You won’t win, you monster!” Ganondorf’s cackling slowly ceased, and his cold stare turned to her, “You are wrong about one thing, my dear, I WILL win. But you are right about another, I AM a monster!” With that, he rose in the air, and a blue light engulfed his body so only his silhouette was visible. The two chosen ones watched with wide eyes as Ganondorf himself evolved into the monster that Link was all to familiar with: Ganon.
His giant feet hit the ground with a huge thud, causing the floor and walls to shake. His yellow eyes glared at Link, the horns in his head shining from the light of the room. His pig-like nose was turned up in a snarl, and he roared in anger, shaking the room with his voice. Link stood on his guard, and Serenity was ready to aid him. Ganon wasn’t going to let that happen, however. He turned to Serenity, his voice barely distinguishable, “Oh no you don’t! I’m not ready for you! Begone!” With that, he sent a wave of magic flying toward Serenity. She tried to dodge it but was too late. It hit her and sent her flying backwards to the ground, knocking her unconscious. Strong iron chains formed around her arms and legs, as she lay still facing the ground.
This action did not sit well with Link; he was infuriated. “Ganon!! You will pay dearly for that move! Come and fight me you coward!” At these words, Ganon turned to face the Hero of Time, who stood his ground strongly. Ganon drew his twisted sword and stood in a defensive stance, “Then let us begin!” The two charged at each other and embarked on a gigantic battle, each showing superior swordsmanship. Link struck several times at Ganon’s weak spot, which was his tail, but the blows didn’t seem to be causing as much damage as they had in their previous battle. Ganon gave several blows to Link as well, both with magic and with his sword. Link dodged most of them, or counter-attacked with his own move, but some did contact his body, and he was weakening fast, his green tunic turning red in spots from blood.

CHAPTER 26: DEATH OF A HERO; A LEGEND FULFILLED
The battle seemed to last forever, and neither one of the warriors remembered the unconscious girl in the corner of the room. Serenity’s eyes fluttered open slowly, her thoughts were discombobulated. After a few seconds, she realized what was going on. She tried to stand, but found herself to be chained to the floor. She struggled with them for a minute, but realized it was of no use. A thought flashed through her mind, "the Staff! Where is it?!" She moved her arm and felt a weight shift on her back. She gave a slight sigh of relief, "it’s still in its sheath. Thank the goddesses!" A loud roar grabbed her attention to the preceding battle before her. Ganon had taken another hit to his tail from Link, but before Link could dive out of the way, Ganon thrusted his sword toward him. Link dodged, but the blade skimmed his side. Serenity saw him wince in pain, and she screamed, “LINK!!” He snapped his head toward her voice, “Serenity!! Hold on!” Before anything could happen, Link was cut short. Ganon’s twisted blade had found its way through Link’s body and out the other side. Link gave a quick gasp, and the room fell silent. His blue eyes went wide and filled with tears. He dropped the Master Sword and his shield onto the ground, and fell to his knees. Ganon pulled out his sword and Link looked down at the hole through his stomach, and the crimson blood pouring onto his tunic and pants. Serenity’s eyes grew wide, and she whispered, “Link?” He turned slowly to her, his face growing whiter by the second. He chocked out a whisper, “Serenity…I…” he fell onto his stomach, his dying words barely reaching her ears, “I love you.” His trembling body grew still, and the expression on his face disappeared. Ganon broke the silence with an evil laugh, and then turned to the frozen Serenity, “He is gone now, little one. There is no one left to save you now. You are mine!” He slowly started toward her.
Serenity was still staring at Link’s lifeless body, "How could this happen?!" she asked herself again and again, "he can’t be gone! It’s not possible!" Her eyes turned to the approaching Ganon, and she felt it: a small spark of power inside her somewhere. Something had ignited it, and it started to grow. This spark of power began to mix with her emotions, and anger and rage filled her eyes. Her heart was full of pain and sorrow, and her voice finally functioned, “Link!” It was just a loud statement to start, but then a piercing scream erupted, causing Ganon to halt in surprise, and shattering the glass that was left in the room, “NOOOOOOO!!!!” Her body was surrounded by a glowing light, and the iron chains that bound her arms and legs shattered to shreds like glass. She rose in the air and drew the unfinished Staff of Power, and turned to Ganon, “It ends now!” The monster was standing in complete awe, “Who… who ARE you?!” She extended her arm to him, “The rightful owner of that.” A glow surrounded the final Piece of the Staff, and it flew from Ganon’s belt to Serenity’s hand. She then proceeded to touch it with the rest of the Staff, and an eruption of light bellowed out from the Staff, causing her and Ganon to both cry out. Serenity was almost in pain from all the power surging through her body. She then felt herself changing: her clothes changed from battle-worn tunic and jeans to a beautiful flowing light blue gown. It reminded her of the one Impa loaned her for the festival on her first day in Hyrule. Her hair lightened to blonde and flowed around her face, where her eyes became more focused, and full of knowledge. On her back, where the marks between her shoulders had been, formed a set of beautiful sparkling wings. She had now taken her true Faierikin form. The Staff of Power was also changing: where the different colors had constantly swirled, was a shining golden rod with symbols written in ancient Faierikin tongue. The Piece of Power, which topped the Staff, held an opal-like stone that was about the size of a large softball, its flecks of color shining in the light. This all happened in a matter of seconds, but to Serenity and Ganon it seemed to last forever. When it was over, the light dimmed down to a soft glow around Serenity again, and her feet stepped gently onto the ground. She faced the ground, and slowly tilted her head up to meet Ganon’s stare. Her eyes were shining with the color of her gown, and she spoke with an almost song-like voice, “You have done your evil for the last time Evil One. Now you will suffer my wrath.” Ganon snarled in return, “I ask again, who ARE you?” She cocked her head gently, “Don’t you know of the legend? I’m sure you must have heard it as a boy. The legend that says the chosen ones will defeat the King of Evil using the Staff of Power.” Ganon slowly nodded his head, “Ah yes, I do remember that legend well. However it serves me no purpose here. The Hero of Time is dead, so there is no defeating me. Now answer me, I demand to know who you are!”
“I am Serenity,” she said bluntly, “the last of the Faierikin Tribe, and the rightful owner, chosen by destiny, of the Staff of Power!” Ganon growled and roared in anger, “I should have known! If only I hadn’t been so foolish! I should have known you would come here! I killed all of your kind years ago in order to stop the legend from coming true. Unfortunately I didn’t try hard enough.” Serenity nodded her head slightly, “You are right. Now your end has come. You will leave this world once and for all.” Ganon sneered and drew his blood-covered sword, “You won’t take me that easily, Faierikin. I killed the first chosen one; you shall suffer the same fate.”
“I do not wish to battle you, but it seems I have no choice,” she held the Staff in front of her, “It will end here.” Ganon threw a ball of energy at Serenity, and she quickly blocked it with the Staff’s power, and then sent her own ball of energy toward the Evil King. This action started a battle of epic magic proportions. Both were skilled in the art of magic, but Serenity’s power was much stronger, and soon had Ganon gasping for breath. Through each gasp he managed to sneer, “Give up Faierikin, without the Hero of Time there is no way you can defeat me!” Serenity stopped and nodded, “You’re right. But he is not gone. He is still here with us now.”
“What?! That’s impossible! I defeated him myself!” Serenity’s eyes narrowed, “Yes, that is true; however, his spirit still lives on through an object that you seek to gain for yourself.” She turned to Link’s lifeless body and extended her arm, “Arise hero, assist me in the defeat of the King of Evil!” A green glow surrounded Link’s body, and a form arose in his shape. It had no detail, only the silhouette remained. Serenity turned her gaze back to Ganon, “Link may be gone, but the Triforce of Courage still lives on, and it is just as much a part of Link as anything else.” Ganon’s yellow eyes turned toward the Triforce of Courage, “You WILL be mine now!” He lunged forward, but was stopped dead in his tracks by Serenity’s magic. She glanced at the Master Sword on the ground and said a chant, “Spirit of the Hero of Time! Pick up your weapon of Truth; the Sword of Light! Let its shining blade pierce the dark heart of evil, stopping this madness once and for all!” With that, the Master Sword started glowing, its blade shining brighter than ever before. The form of the Triforce of Courage picked up the blade and walked to the still-frozen King of Evil. Serenity joined him at his side and together they faced Ganon, who knew he had been defeated. Serenity lifted the Staff into the air, and pointed it at Ganon, “BEGONE EVIL KING! YOUR END HAS COME!” With that, a beam of light shot out of the Staff and pierced into the monster’s rubbery flesh, causing him the cry out in pain. The Triforce of Courage answered by leaping in the air and slicing the Sword of Light right through Ganon’s chest. An explosion erupted along with a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. When it was over, the King of Evil was gone. Serenity sighed and turned away, “It is finished.” She looked out one of the broken windows to see the sun piercing the dark clouds, and all around them Ganon’s castle was returning to its true form: Hyrule Castle.

CHAPTER 27: A CHOICE TO BE MADE; LOVERS REUNITED
She turned her gaze to the lifeless form of the Hero of Time. Slowly she walked forward and bent down on her knees next to him, placing a hand on his back. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she whispered, “Thank you Link, I couldn’t have done this without you. I love you.” Something touched her shoulder gently, and she looked up. It was the form of the Triforce of Courage. Serenity stood up and faced its form and for the first time, it spoke to her, “Do not fear, child of magic. Thanks to you, the land of Hyrule will become peaceful and prosperous once again. It is because of you that these people can continue to live their lives in happiness.” Serenity nodded, “Yes, but what about me? What about Link? I am nothing without him.”
“Fear not, remember the words that you spoke earlier: as long as the Triforce of Courage lives on, so will the Hero of Time.” Serenity’s eyes lit up, “You mean… he’s not dead?” The Triforce of Courage nodded, “Remember the vision? The first vision you had told of a choice to be made. The time has come for that to happen.”
“What kind of choice do I need to make?” Serenity had been wondering about this ever since she set foot in Hyrule. The Triforce of Courage continued, “You have received a very special gift today, Serenity. You have received the gift of immortality. You are the chosen one; the last of the Faierikin Tribe. The goddesses bestowed a righteous gift to you today. Not only will you be able to control the power of the Staff of Power, but you will also live forever.” Serenity’s eyes grew wide, “Wow, I can’t believe this! It’s almost like I’m…”
“… A goddess? Yes, or as close to being one as possible. But as I said before, there is a choice to be made. It has to do with Link.”
“What about him?” Serenity was very curious now, “Is there a way that I can possibly save him?” The Triforce of Courage nodded, “Yes, but it comes with a price.”
“What kind of price?”
“In order to give life back to Link, you must give up your immortality and become a mere mortal. You will still have complete control over your powers, but you will never be able to join the goddesses in the Sacred Realm.” Serenity didn’t need to hear any more, “Let it be done, then. I will not live forever if I can’t be with him.” The Triforce of Courage nodded, “Then it is spoken.” With that, a soft glow surrounded Serenity, and her body began to change back to what it was, save the gown and wings. She stood facing the Triforce of Courage, holding the Staff in her left hand. It nodded to her, and began to disappear and travel back into the lifeless form of Link. His body started to glow, and to Serenity’s surprise, his wounds began to close rapidly. When the light was gone, there wasn’t even a tear in his tunic. As she watched, he began to stir, and slowly lifted himself onto one arm, turning his head up to Serenity. He smiled and continued to stand up. She smiled and ran over to him, embracing him tightly. He laughed gently and did the same to her, grabbing her and spinning her around. When they stopped, both of them had tears in their eyes. Link was the first to speak, “Serenity… I don’t really know what to say, other than thank you.”
“For what? I didn’t do anything, not by myself anyway.” Link shook his head, “Not for the battle, for helping me have the courage to fight to live. I couldn’t have done it without you. You gave me a reason to live, Serenity.” He turned her chin up to look her in the eyes, “I should have said it before, but I will say it now: I love you Serenity. I truly love you with all of my heart.” He then proceeded to kiss her, holding her so close that she felt their hearts beating as one. She whispered in his ear, “I would give up everything for you Link.” He stroked her hair gently, “I know, you already have. I will never be able to repay you for what you did just now.” She looked at him, “How did you know about that? Weren’t you…”
“Yes, I was. But as you said before, the Triforce of Courage is just as much a part of me as anything else. I know everything that happened during that battle, Serenity, and I was more amazed than I have ever been in my entire life. You risked everything to help me.” Tears were welling up in Serenity’s bright blue eyes as she whispered, “But you gave up your life for me. No one’s ever done that for me before.” He smiled gently, his eyes showing his understanding, “Come with me. We should leave now.”
“Where are we going?” He smiled and shrugged, “I don’t know, anywhere. You name it and we’ll go there. I don’t really care as long as you’re with me.” She giggled and ran her fingers through his blonde hair, marveling at just how much of a hero he really was, “Link?”
“Yeah?” She lowered her voice into a whisper, “I… I love you.” He was in awe for a second, and she quickly stammered, “Oh, I’m sorry! I knew I shouldn’t have said that! I’ve just never felt this way before and I needed to say it, I’m sorry!” He gently put a finger to her lips, “Whoa, Serenity wait a minute. Why are you sorry? There’s nothing to be sorry about.” She blushed furiously and lowered her head, “I’m just making a fool out of myself, aren’t I?” Link laughed gently, “I’d hardly call professing your feelings to me foolish. I’m touched that you feel the same way about me as I do about you. Please don’t be embarrassed.” Serenity slowly smiled; she knew that Link felt the same way about her. "Why was there even a shred of doubt in my mind? I’ve known for a while now that he’s felt this way. I just needed a kick in the ass to get me going in the right direction, I guess." She bit her lip and turned to survey their surroundings. Gone was the dark and evil gloom of Ganondorf’s castle, and in its place was the majestic Hyrule Castle.

CHAPTER 28: PEACE IN HYRULE; ZELDA RETURNS
The two chosen ones were perched on the top of the tallest tower of the castle, with no way to get down. Serenity giggled and said, “Well, this sure is quite the predicament we’ve gotten ourselves into, isn’t it?” Link glanced around and laughed, “I’d certainly say so. Just how are we supposed to get down from here?”
“I think I know a way,” Serenity said, then put her fingers to her lips. She let out a shrill whistle, and soon the two of them heard a faint whinny. Suddenly from the edge of the tower, Star Streak appeared, and gently landed next to them. He gently bowed down and Serenity jumped on, “Want a ride?” She held out her hand to Link. He cocked his head and then, with a boyish grin, grabbed her hand and jumped on behind her. Star Streak stood back up and with a jump, spread his wings and leapt off of the tower.
The two chosen ones were laughing the entire time they were flying. Star Streak took a low swoop over the edge of the castle, where Epona was waiting. The giant mare whinnied at the sight of them and ran off after them until they reached the outside of Hyrule Castle Market. She stopped and reared up on her hind legs as Star Streak continued quickly over Hyrule Field. They flew past Lon Lon Ranch, where Malon, Talon, and Ingo were waving to them. Star Streak then turned and flew over the Kokiri Forest, where the Kokiri children were playing. Next was Death Mountain where the Gorons were pounding out their thanks, then the Kakariko Village, where the residents (including Impa) were cheering and shouting. Soon after, he dove past Zora’s Domain and Lake Hilya and the professor’s lakeside laboratory. One last sweep over the Desert Colossus and the Gerudo Valley, and they were back in front of the castle, where the guards were waiting to congratulate the two heroes. They dismounted and shook hands with each of the guards, and then Link took charge, “Gregory, send word at once for Princess Zelda to return! There is no more danger here.” The guards gave a loud “Hooray!” and then business returned to normal in the land of Hyrule.
A few weeks later…
On the night of Zelda’s return, there was a grand ball to be held. It was to honor the return of the Princess, but to also honor Link and Serenity in their defeat over Ganon. Serenity was extremely nervous about the evening, and spent most of the day pacing her room. She wanted to speak to Link very badly, but he refused to see her until the ball that evening, telling her that she’ll be glad she waited. This ordeal wasn’t why she was nervous, however. One of the maids had told her that the King was going to give a special announcement about her that evening, and her stomach turned another knot every time she thought about it. She heaved a frustrated sigh, and turned around to pace in the opposite direction she had just been going. A knock at the door about sent her into hysterics, and the voice on the other end was concerned, “Serenity? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Please come in Zelda.” Zelda opened the door, looking radiant and ready for the ball, which was in one hour. She was wearing a soft pink gown with gold trim to match all of her jewelry and her tiara. Her hair was in soft curls around her face, making her look like a porcelain doll. “Serenity! My goodness, why aren’t you dressed? The ball is in an hour!” Serenity glanced at her clothes: her well-worn Zora Tunic and her faded jeans. "Right, like that’s number one on my list right now." she thought sarcastically to herself. Serenity sighed, “Zelda, I have never been more nervous in my entire life! I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight, but I’m a complete wreck!” Zelda’s blue eyes showed concern, and she gently took Serenity’s hands and led her to the bed, “Serenity, sit with me and tell me what’s bothering you.” They sat down and Serenity began to explain her problems to Zelda. She smiled and said, “Oh Serenity, is that all that’s been worrying you? If so then you are working yourself into a tizzy over nothing! Trust me, my father has nothing but great respect for you, and what he has to say tonight will only prove my point even further.” Serenity glanced at Zelda and said in a small voice, “Really?” Zelda giggled, “Yes dear, please believe me. Now about those clothes of yours…” Zelda clapped her hands, and a team of three maids came in. Zelda stood as the three bowed to her, “See to it that this young lady is suitable for the ball this evening.” The maids nodded and Zelda left the room, giving a wink to Serenity as she left

CHAPTER 29: THE RING OF ADORATION
"Well, I only hope that I look the part," Link thought to himself as he adjusted his hat again. He no longer donned his green tunic and matching hat. He laid them aside and was wearing a white tunic that was trimmed in gold, with a white hat to match. He had borrowed it from the Royal Wardrobe, and promised to give it back after the ball. His blonde hair was combed clean and pulled back into a small ponytail, the shorter locks hanging loosely around his face. He latched his belt and glanced at himself one more time. Navi circled him for the hundredth time and said, “Link, I must say, I’ve never seen you look like this before. You look like a prince!” He smiled to her, “Thanks Navi. I really want to look my best for Serenity tonight. I promised myself that I would make this night special for her.” Navi sighed and giggled, “Ah, young love! You must really love her a lot, don’t you?” He nodded, “More than I ever thought possible.”
“Are you going to ask her to marry you?” This voice caught him off guard, and he spun around, “Hu? Who’s there!?” The voice giggled, “Oh Link, you always were easy to spook!” He smiled and relaxed as he saw the voice’s owner, “Saria! That wasn’t fair, I wasn’t ready for that!” Saria giggled again, “Face it Link, you’ll never be able to pull a fast one on me! I’m way too good for that!” He shook his head and sighed, “So what are you doing here?” She walked toward him, “The other Sages and myself were invited to the ball tonight. Now, how about you answer MY question: are you going to ask Serenity to marry you?” Link blushed; he had thought about doing just that, but he was afraid of the answer he might get. Saria’s blue eyes sparkled, “You don’t even have to answer that, I can tell by the look in your eyes. When are you going to do it?” Link sighed and gently turned his head, a loose lock of hair falling in his eyes, “I wish I could, Saria, I really do. I’m too scared of what she’ll say, though. Not to mention I can’t afford to get a ring or anything.” Saria smiled, “I had a feeling that was what your answer was going to be. I know for a fact that if you asked her, she would say yes without a doubt. As for the second part…” She turned and ran out the door, leaving one very confused Hero of Time. Soon, she returned to his room with the other five Sages and Zelda behind her. Link raised an eyebrow, “What exactly are you guys up to?” Impa laughed, “Don’t be worried, Link. We are here to bestow a sacred gift to you.”
“This gift is only given to those that destiny chooses to live together in holy matrimony.” Rauru continued.
“It is called the Ring of Adoration, and it symbolizes true love and the lasting bond that two lovers share.” Darunia added.
“It is a beautiful piece of work, and should never be taken off once it is placed on the hand of your chosen one,” Ruto explained, then sadly added under her breath, “although I wish that it was me you were giving it to.”
“Take it with gratitude, Link, and care for it well.” Nabooru stated, as Zelda raised her hands, “Sages! Form your powers together and call forth the Ring of Adoration.” A bright light engulfed the room, and Link held out his hand. His eyes grew wide as he saw the ring appear: its band was made of solid gold, with an inscription carved into it that was written in ancient Hylian writing. It translated roughly to “with this token, I pledge my undying love, devotion and passion to thee. I do adore thee.” The stone on the top was carved in the finest and rarest diamond that could have ever been found; its colors shimmering like a rainbow. Link closed his hand and nodded, “I will take care of this forever. So help me Din, Farore, and Nayru.” The Sages nodded, then left to return to the ball. Link glanced at the setting sun, “Looks like it’s time. Come on, Navi, we have a ball to attend.”

CHAPTER 30: A KNIGHT AND DAME PROCLAIMED
Serenity sighed and looked herself over for the hundredth time. She hardly recognized the person staring back at her in the mirror. She was wearing a pale blue dress that had sparkling see-through sleeves that were long and flowing. The tail of the gown was flowing behind her, and her hair was gently curled and pulled back slightly by two barrettes. "I look almost as good as the Princess! I can hardly believe this! I can’t wait to show Link!" A knock came at the door, and Serenity turned to it, “Yes? Who is it?”
“Miss Serenity, the ball is getting ready to start! Hurry!” one of the maids called to her. Serenity took one last look at herself, tossed a stray curl over her shoulder, and ran out the door.
When she got to the ball room she let out a small gasp: there were tons of people everywhere! The ball room was enormous; there were long, lavishly decorated tables everywhere. The marble floor was full of people, and the banner-lined walls echoed with the sounds of joyous voices. She scanned the crowd and looked for Link, but had no luck. Her eyes rested on two empty thrones just as trumpets blared to announce the arrival of the King and the Princess. Everyone in the room fell silent and turned to the velvet-carpeted stairs. The King and Zelda made their entrance flawlessly, each looking exquisite. They arrived in front of the two thrones, but did not sit down. The King stepped forward and cleared his throat, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen of the kingdom of Hyrule. I want to welcome you to this ceremony tonight. As everyone knows, I have a couple of very important announcements to make, so I will be quick to do so. First of all, I believe that congratulations are in order for a couple of heroes, so Link and Serenity, wherever you are, please step forward.” Serenity heaved a heavy sigh "well, here it goes!" She gently made her way through the crowd so she was in front of the King and Zelda. She glanced to her left and saw Link make his way out of the crowd. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him, "oh my God, I didn’t realize he was going to be wearing clothes like that. He looks absolutely amazing!" She felt her face flush red, and quickly returned her gaze to the royal family; bowing gently. Little did she know that Link was having the same thought about her, "oh goddesses, she looks so beautiful right now! I definitely wasn’t expecting her to look like that!" He shook his head quickly and turned his eyes to the thrones.
“Link, Serenity, both of you have done this kingdom a tremendous honor. As a thank you of the royal family and of the entire kingdom of Hyrule, I would like to bestow a gift upon the both of you. Link, could you please step forward and kneel for me?” Link silently nodded, and did as he was told. The King turned to a guard who was holding a sacred sword and nodded to him. The guard answered by stepping forward and presenting the sword to the King. Placing the tip of the blade on Link’s right shoulder, the King said, “Link, I know I should have done this when you defeated the Evil One all that time ago, but as you know you were far too young to receive this honor. But now, I will make up for lost time. I dub thee…” he switched the sword over to Link’s left shoulder, “Sir Link of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Please stand.” Link stood up and spoke, his voice full of emotion, “I swear to you, your Majesty, I will protect this kingdom and all who live here.” He bowed again and stepped back next to Serenity.
“Serenity, will you please step forward?” Serenity cautiously stepped in front of the King. Her eyes met his, and his expression was soft and gentle. His eyes showed great respect and knowledge from many years as a ruler.
“Serenity, what I am about to bestow upon you is a gift that has never been given or received in this land. However, I feel that it is fitting for you, and I give it to you with the highest honor. Please kneel in front of me.” Serenity nodded and did as she was told. She felt the cool tip of the blade against her right shoulder, “Serenity, you fought against a powerful evil and won. This is a task that even grown men with much skill and training couldn’t achieve. For that, I bestow this gift upon you; please take it. I do dub thee…” again he switched shoulders with the blade, “Dame Serenity of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Please rise.” She did so, her legs a little shaky from nervousness. She smiled slightly and said, “Thank you your Majesty. I will serve you to the best of my ability.” He nodded, “Please see that you do.” The crowd burst into applause and the King raised his hands, “Now, let the celebration begin!” With that, the entire ball room erupted with music and laughter, as the guests began to dance and be merry.
Link and Serenity stood silent, each taking in the events that had just taken place.
“All my life…” Link whispered, his blue eyes shining with tears, “I have always wanted to be a knight of the royal family. Now I am, and it just doesn’t seem real.” Serenity bit her lip, “I… I wish I knew what to say to you, Link. However I am just as at loss for words as you are. I’m a Dame! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that happening to me.” Link turned to her and smiled, “I, uh, I never got a chance to say how beautiful you look right now. I was in disbelief when I saw you standing next to me earlier.” Serenity blushed furiously, “Thank you. However you look amazing as well. Where in heaven’s name did you find that tunic?” It was his turn to blush now, “I borrowed it from the royal wardrobe. I wanted to look good for you tonight. I guess I wanted to really impress you.” Serenity glanced at the dancing guests, “Do you know how you could really impress me?” He shook his head and she smiled, “You could dance with me. Come on.” With that, the newly appointed knight and dame entered the celebration, hand in hand. This dance was a lot different than the festival that was going on when Serenity first arrived in Hyrule; the people were not as easy going or informal. This didn’t bother Link or Serenity though, and the two of them barely even noticed anyone around them.

CHAPTER 31: A NEW VESSEL FOR THE TRIFORCE OF POWER
Zelda watched the pair of heroes and smiled. Her father turned to her, “Zelda, sweetie, what are you looking at?” She turned to him, “Oh father, look at them. They make a wonderful pair. I hope nothing comes along to break them up.”
“Zelda, why did you never go for Link? He seems to be quite the gentleman, you know.” Zelda blushed, “Daddy, how can you ask me that question? I never really liked Link in that way, only a childish infatuation. I guess you could say I was jealous of him for always being able to venture off to far lands and explore everywhere. Being a princess, you know, means I can’t do those things.” The king smiled and nodded, “Yes I suppose you’re right, my dear. That Serenity is going to give Link a run for his money, though. I can see she has a lot of spirit.” Zelda smiled again, “Yes, that’s why I like her. She is a perfect suitor for the Triforce of Power.” The king turned to Zelda, “Sweetheart, what do you mean? I thought Ganondorf had the Triforce of Power. How can it be that Serenity has it now?”
“By using the Staff of Power to defeat Ganondorf, Serenity caused him to lose possession over the Triforce of Power. Since both Link and I possess the other two pieces, the third piece needed a new vessel. Destiny chose Serenity because she mastered the Staff of Power. However, I don’t believe she knows it yet…” Zelda then stood up from her throne and, in a bustle of skirts, walked over to the dancing pair.
"Okay, I’m going to do it now. There’s no better time for me to do it. If I wait any longer, I’m going to lose my nerve!" Link sighed heavily, causing Serenity to look up at him, “Is something wrong, Link? You seem like you have a lot on your mind.” He smiled, “You have absolutely no idea how right you are, Serenity. Actually, uh, there is something on my mind. I, uh, you see… I have a question I need to ask you, and it’s… um… it’s really hard for me to ask…” He trailed off as he heard someone say his and Serenity’s names. Both of the heroes turned and saw Zelda approaching. Link silently breathed a sigh of relief, and Serenity smiled, “Hi Zelda! Were you getting a little bored sitting up there by yourself?” Zelda smiled and sighed, “This is definitely one of those times when being a princess is truly dreadful. However that’s not why I’m here. Come with me out into the courtyard.” The three of them escaped the mass of people in the ball room and went into the courtyard, where it was peaceful and quiet. Zelda turned to Link and spoke, “Link, something amazing has happened between the three of us who hold the Triforce. Could you feel it when Ganondorf was slain?” Link lowered his head shamefully and said in a whisper, “Uh, I wasn’t exactly in this world when he was defeated. While I was fighting Ganon, he slayed me himself.” Zelda gasped, putting her hands over her mouth, “Oh goddesses, Link I am so sorry! I didn’t know, honestly!” He nodded, “I know, but go on with what you were saying. What was it that you felt?” She smiled, “When Serenity used the Staff to defeat Ganondorf, his hold on the Triforce of Power was disipitated. He no longer has control over it. Since we still hold control over the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Courage, destiny needed to find another vessel to hold the Triforce of Power. I know who that vessel is.” Link raised his eyebrows, “You do? Who is it?” Zelda held up her left fist and her Triforce mark started glowing. Respectfully, Link did the same thing, with his Triforce mark glowing as well. Serenity watched curiously as they did this, and felt a strange tingling in her left hand. She looked down and gasped: on the back of her left hand was a glowing triangle; the Triforce of Power! Her eyes snapped to Zelda, who smiled and said, “Don’t be afraid, Serenity. Destiny has chosen you to be the new barer of the Triforce of Power. You are suited for this role because only you have the ability to wield the Staff of Power.”
“I can’t believe all this is happening to me!” Serenity said in awe as she gazed at her hand, “Just a few weeks ago I was just a normal teenager going to college, now look at me!” Zelda smiled and sighed, turning her eyes back to the ball room, “I suppose I had better get back in there. The people will be returning to their homes soon, and I must make an appearance before they do so. Goodnight you two.” With that, she headed back to the ball room.

CHAPTER 32: A HERO’S PROPOSAL
Link smiled and turned to Serenity, “Well, this has certainly been an interesting day all around, hu?” When he didn’t get an answer, he waved a hand in front of Serenity’s face, “Hello? Are you okay?” Serenity shook her head quickly, snapping back into reality, “Hu? Did you say something?” Link cocked his head, “Are you feeling okay?” She sighed and looked at the sky, “What Zelda said a minute ago, about the people returning to their homes, it hurt me to hear her say that, I guess.”
“Why? Do you not want to leave yet? We can stay longer.” She shook her head, “It’s not that, Link. It’s just that, I…” she sighed as a tear slid down her cheek. She then lowered her voice to a whisper, “…I don’t have a home to go home to.” Link blinked his eyes; he hadn’t even thought of that. Serenity was right; she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t go back to the “human world”, nor would she ever want to, and ever since she had been in Hyrule she had been on the move searching for the Staff with Link. She was truly homeless. Link sighed and turned her face to meet his, “Serenity, if it means anything to you, you can come home with me.”
“Link, I couldn’t; it wouldn’t be right. You’ve done so much for me already, and besides, it’s not proper.” He smiled and shook his head, “Since when have you worried about being proper? Please, Serenity, come with me. If not for you than for me." Serenity cocked her head, “What are you getting at, Link? I’m sensing ulterior motives within you. What’s going on?” She had him trapped now, and there was no way he was getting out without taking the plunge. He sighed and plopped down on a nearby bench, “Okay, you’re right. I do have ulterior motives, but it’s not what you think, honestly! Please, just hear me out. Remember when I said I had a question for you? Well, I think I can finally get it out now.” She sat down next to him and waited patiently for him to continue.
“I had a meeting with the sages earlier,” he began, “and they told me something that I didn’t know was possible. Every once in a long while, destiny chooses two beings to be lifelong lovers. For this reason, the goddesses created a ring called the Ring of Adoration. It is said that whoever gives this ring to his lover, the two will be joined in matrimony forever. The ring is to never be taken off by the wearer, for it would be a sign of disrespect.”
“So what does this story have to do with the question you were going to ask me?” Serenity was getting confused, "why is he telling me all of this?" she asked herself, "is he going to get somewhere soon? If he explains anymore, I’m going to be totally lost!" He smiled gently and brushed his fingers through her curls and around her delicate face, “Serenity, I love you more than I could ever imagine loving someone. You know that right?”
“Link, of coarse I do. You know that I love you that much as well, don’t you?” He nodded, “Yes, I do. Apparently, so do the sages. Saria sought me out earlier and was asking me about it, and what I plan to do about it.” He sighed and took hold of her hands in his, “I guess I’ll get to my question now, and my question is this: Serenity…” he gently moved himself so he was on one knee on the ground, still holding her hands, “…will you be my lover? Will you marry me, please?” Serenity felt herself gasp and her eyes grew wide, "could he have just asked me the question that I’ve been dying to hear? Could this really be happening? Am I really not dreaming this up?" She smiled gently and took one of her hands and ran it through his hair, “Yes Link, I will. There is nothing in the world that would make me happier than to be your lover.” His face lit up and he reached into his pocket on his tunic, pulling out the Ring of Adoration.
“Oh Link, it’s beautiful! How did you afford this?” He slid it onto Serenity’s finger; a perfect fit. It then began to glow in all the colors of the rainbow.
“The story I just told you about the Ring of Adoration says that it can only be brought forth by the sages, who know who the destined lovers are.” He pointed to the ring, “Saria knew; so did the other sages. They’re the ones who gave me this.”
“So this is it? This is the Ring of Adoration? I can’t believe it!” Serenity smiled and turned to Link, “Who knew that we would be the ones who were destined to be brought together by this thing?” Link nodded, “I know, isn’t it strange? I never in my wildest dreams imagined meeting a girl like you. You changed my life the moment we met.” Serenity blushed, not knowing what to say. Link smiled and stood up, gently pulling her up as well. The two stood and gazed at each other. Link ran his fingers over Serenity’s cheek and down around her shoulder, gently pulling her into an embrace. They stood like that for a while, and then began to sway gently to the muffled music coming from the ball room. The atmosphere of the court yard made that moment all the more breath taking: the stars were out by the thousands, the air was cool yet comfortable, and there was just enough moonlight to give a soft glow to everything in viewing range.

CHAPTER 33: LOVERS UNITED AT LAST
Link didn’t notice, but Serenity had been doing a small experiment, and her eyes met his and she giggled. He cocked his head and said, “What’s so funny?” She giggled some more, “Look down.” He did, and gave a small yelp: the two of them were floating about twenty feet in the air! His eyes shot back to her and he immediately saw why: she had used her wings to get them there with hardly any effort. He smiled and gently put his lips to hers. When they were on solid ground again, Link said, “Come on, let’s get out of here. I want to show you something.”
“What is it?” Serenity asked, anxious to know what other surprises the Hylian hero had in store for her. Link smiled and said, “You’ll just have to see when we get there.” The two of them made their way out of the castle and Link took out his ocarina, calling for Epona. She was there in a flash and the two heroes mounted up.
They rode for quite awhile, Serenity having no clue where they were headed. They jumped the fences and ended up by Lake Hylia, quickly passing the Professor’s laboratory. They crossed a bridge and ended up in front of a small waterfall. Link pulled Epona to a stop and said, “Well, we’re here.” Serenity looked around, “Where is here? This is just Lake Hylia, isn’t it?” He smiled, “Looks can be deceiving; come here.” They walked over to the waterfall and Serenity noticed something peculiar: there was a passageway behind it. Link took her hand and led her into it, “It’s okay, believe me. I’ve been back here dozens of times before. You’re going to love it.” They then entered a fairly large hollowed out area of the tunnel, and Serenity gasped.
“Oh Link its beautiful! All of the colors are amazing!” The cavern was smooth from being hollowed out by the water over the years, and the walls and ceiling reflected many different colors. All around were small torches that were the source of the reflections. In one corner was a crude bed made from soft grasses and a blanket or two on top of it. The room itself echoed the gentle sound of the waterfall. Serenity turned back to Link, “How did you ever find this place?”
“I was swimming in the lake and I saw the waterfall. I went to explore it because I thought it was another tunnel into Zora’s Domain, but obviously I was wrong. I’ve claimed it as ‘my spot’ now, and no one else knows about it except you.” Serenity smiled, “Thank you for sharing this with me. I feel really honored that you trust me like that.” Link pulled her close, “I trust you completely. I wouldn’t have asked you to marry me otherwise.” Serenity smiled again and gazed at the ring on her finger, “It’s hard for me to believe that you actually did ask me that. It feels like too much of a dream.” Link smiled gently, then grinned boyishly, “If it was a dream, could I do this?” He then bent forward and kissed her gently, then a little deeper, eventually pushing his limits. Serenity didn’t back down however, and the two of them broke, breathing hard. She gazed into his blue eyes and wondered if he was daring enough to do what she thought he was going to do.
Instead, he backed up slowly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you like that.” Serenity sighed to herself, "damn, so close! I wonder why he isn’t going for it. I know he wants it. What is he waiting for?" She shook her head, “Don’t worry Link, you weren’t pushing me.” He gave her a half smile and looked around the room. The tunic he had donned for the ball was thicker than his other ones, and was causing him some discomfort, “Damn, it’s hot in here,” he threw his hat into a corner and tugged on his tunic, “do you mind?” Serenity giggled, “Of coarse not! Didn’t we have this discussion already?” He smiled and slowly removed his tunic, the soft light of the torches reflecting off of every contour of his body. Serenity’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. This time, it was him who caught her staring, “What are you looking at?” She blushed furiously and turned away, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. It’s just…” she trailed off, not really knowing how to explain how she was feeling. Link cocked his head and walked over to her, “Just what? Come on Serenity, you know you can tell me anything. Is it something I said?” Serenity sighed and turned around to face him. He was surprised by the look on her face; he hadn’t seen it before. It was a most passionate look; almost lustful. She grabbed his hand and put it against her face, “Link, I need you.” He gulped silently, not really knowing how to respond. He had been wanting to hear those words from her since their previous encounter at the lake. However he wasn’t sure what “needed” meant at that moment in time. He gently moved his hand to caress her cheek and brushed his thumb over her lips, “Serenity, call me a bit naive, but what exactly do you mean by that?” She moved her face closer to his, and gently whispered, “Maybe this will help you understand.” With that, her lips met his. Cautiously, Serenity parted her lips, hoping Link would follow. His knees almost buckled, but he didn’t falter, following her actions. They felt each other’s warm breath between them, and the sparks turned to fire. Link pressed further, his deeply hidden primal instincts slowly coming forth. His slightly parted lips edged hers open more, and he cautiously let his tongue brush her bottom lip. Her breath became quick and she responded by doing the same thing, only further into his mouth. The two continued this tango for a while, each one needing more. Serenity broke, barely able to breathe, “Link, I want you. Please, share your bed with me.” Link smiled gently, his eyes full of love for the beautiful Faierikin girl, who was soon to be his bride. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to the soft bed in the corner. He set her down and for a brief moment, had his wits about him enough to ask, “Are you sure about this? If you’re not ready, it’s alright if we wait…” Serenity put her fingers over his lips, “Link, it’s alright. I’m ready.” She stood up and untied the strings holding her dress, letting it flow to her feet. Link sat down and gazed in awe: there was Serenity, in all of her beauty, and she was his. She took out the two barrettes holding her hair back and shook her head gently, letting her hair flow around her face. She turned to face Link and smiled.
“Goddesses of Hyrule, you are so beautiful,” Link managed to whisper, “I feel sinful just looking at you.” She smiled and stretched her wings, which were glittering in the soft light of the cavern. Sitting down next to Link, she finally spoke, “Let destiny be fulfilled, Link; make love to me.” His body shuddered, and he gently wrapped his arms around the small yet strong girl, his lips pressed to hers lovingly. He then led them down the side of her neck to her collarbone, breathing in her sweet aroma. Not being able to fight temptation any longer, he breathed, “Then let it be done.”

CHAPTER 34: …HAPPILY EVER AFTER
The next morning, Serenity’s eyes slowly opened. She glanced around curiously, forgetting where exactly she was. Slowly, the thoughts of the previous night came back to her, and she smiled, "please, tell me that last night wasn’t just a dream. Tell me it really happened." She turned as she heard a sigh next to her. Link was still asleep, his bare chest moving up and down slowly with his rhythmic breathing. Serenity sat up and stretched out her morning stiffness, then turned to the sleeping hero, "my hero," she said to herself, "I love you Link." She bent over and gently kissed his cheek. He stirred and opened his eyes, then smiled, “Good morning.” She smiled back and giggled, “Good morning to you. How are you?” He sat up and brushed her hair away from her face, “I’m absolutely perfect. This has been the best moment of my life, waking up next to you. I can’t believe I’m blessed enough to do it everyday.” Serenity blushed, “You flatter me too much. It can’t be that good.” He smiled and shook his head, then glanced at the entrance to the cavern, “Come on. It’s not quite sunrise yet. Come with me.” He stood up and slipped his pants on, handing her his tunic. It was too big for her, but served perfectly as a nightgown, even though her folded wings caused a large lump in her back. She giggled and said, “Man, I’m going to have to cut holes in all of my clothes now!” Link laughed with her, and the two of them made their way out of the cavern.
Epona was still nearby, gently nibbling the dew-stricken grass. Her ears twitched at the sound of voices approaching, and she raised her head slightly. Seeing it was her two friends, she continued eating. Navi was perched atop Epona’s rear, and she also stirred when she heard the voices. She opened her eyes and saw Link and Serenity coming out of the cavern. She smiled at the two of them, "aww, they look so happy together. I’m glad Link’s happy. Serenity is a great girl for him." She stretched her tiny body and flew over to them, “Hey! Good morning guys! How are you?” Link smiled and Serenity blushed, fully giving away what happened the previous night. Navi saw this and laughed, “Look! She’s blushing! Hee hee, you don’t have to say anything Serenity, I know what happened! Don’t be ashamed by it.” Serenity smiled and said softly, “Don’t worry, I’m not.” The two of them walked over to the edge of the land facing the rising sun. Link was behind Serenity, his strong arms wrapped around her upper body, his chin resting on her shoulder. She leaned into him, his body smelled like the forest; like freedom, and like a hero. She sighed and watched the sun rise, “It’s beautiful, I’ve never been in such a wonderful position before.” Link nuzzled her ear with his nose, whispering softly, “I know, I don’t want it to end. I love you Serenity.” He gently kissed the bottom of her ear, and she smiled, “I know, Link. You certainly proved that last night. I love you, too.” His arms tightened around her, and she had never felt safer in her life.
“Happily ever after…” Link murmured, lost in his own thoughts. Serenity furrowed her brow and looked back at him, “What did you say?” He looked down to meet her gaze and smiled, “Like you said before, ‘happily ever after’. That’s what I feel right now. Remember how you said that in your world heroes and princesses fall in love and live happily ever after? Now I understand.”
“But I’m not a princess, I’m a Faierikin.” He smiled at her and lowered his voice, “Maybe so, but you’re my princess. That’s all that matters to me.” She smiled at him, “And you’re my hero. You always will be.” Link turned his gaze to the distant Hyrule Field, an idea forming in his head, “You know what? We make a really good team, Serenity. What do you say we go explore somewhere? I’m sure there are other lands that need a couple of heroes. What do you say?” Serenity smiled, she knew the love of adventure would never leave Link. She couldn’t help but understand how he felt, for the thrill had seeped into her veins as well, and soon she would be itching to explore this new world she was to call home.
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Link,” she smiled, “when do we leave?” With that, the two changed into their clothes, mounted Epona, and headed for Hyrule Castle Market to buy and load supplies. A new adventure was waiting to begin.
THE END