Disclaimer: I don’t want to get in whatever trouble people can get into when using other people’s characters so - .The Legend of Zelda, Link, Zelda, Ganon, Hyrule and other related characters and settings belong to to that wonderous console company, Nintendo. No infringement intended.
Juliet A. Singleton (Scullys@bigfoot.com) & Kirsty Singleton (Space@ignmail.com)
The Princess was sat over by the fire, changed out of her wet clothes into a dry night-dress, and getting dried off by the time Link came up there. "So, if we're sort of like rid of Ganon... am I definitely out of a job, this time?" he asked, going to sit beside her.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll have other things to bother about. Why, as soon as my Father finds out that we got married..." Zelda began.
"It wasn't what I imagined," Link interrupted.
"Well no, but we can compensate for that. I'm sure my father would be willing to let us have another, a proper one," Zelda answered.
"But we are officially married?" Link asked. She looked so beautiful...
"I guess so," Zelda said, staring into the fire for a moment. Then she said, "let's not fight again." Link nodded. "I'm sorry I said all those horrible things... you know that I didn't mean them," Zelda continued.
"You were pretty convincing at the time," Link remarked, grinning at her.
"I was angry, upset..." she defended, looking slightly hurt. Even more so lovely...
"Do you still want me to go back to Catalia?" he asked. He wanted to do more than just kiss her...
"Oh, don't even mention it!" Zelda retorted. She stood up. "Wait here a moment, I want to go and see the guard posted at the foot of the stairs."
"Why?" Link questioned.
"I want to make sure that Fayette, or anyone else for that matter, doesn't come flouncing up here tonight to gloat or whatever," Zelda replied. She slipped out through the door, and was back less than five minutes later. "It's all sorted out," she said, smiling. Link walked over to her and gave her a big hug.
"I was so heart-broken, it was bad enough when I thought you were dead, but then the fact that you didn't want to know me anyway..." He brushed away the loose golden strands of hair that had fallen across her face. She sighed contentedly.
"Oh, it doesn't matter now. I guess... I guess I just jumped to conclusions... you know it's one of my worst flaws," Zelda replied sadly.
"Well... maybe you're right, but I think you're pretty perfect at the present moment," Link answered, kissing her softly.
"You're just too kind," Zelda said, smiling happily.
"Don't mention it," Link grinned back.
"Oh, whatever will my father think? He thought I was dead," Zelda murmured, leaning forward to kiss him.
"I think he'll be... very surprised," Link replied, hugging her closely.
"Shocked, more like," Zelda said.
"Probably, but I think he'll be very pleased, and..." Link paused. "He'll be upset he missed our wedding," he grinned.
"Oh, like I say, we can sort that out later... I want to make things up to you, in the meantime," Zelda replied.
"Mmm... good idea. I was hoping you'd say that," Link said. Zelda smiled widely, looking pleased. She led him over to the bed.
"I love you, you know," she said. Link grinned.
"How coincidental... I love me too."
"Oh Link!" Zelda cried in light protest. He silenced her with a kiss, and they sank down onto the bed together...
When Zelda woke up the next morning, bright sunlight was already streaming through the window. She yawned, and sat up. "Don't get up yet, Zel," Link protested, pulling her back down.
"But it's midmorning already," Zelda told him. He hugged her, and kissed her on the forehead.
"Just a little while longer," he said sleepily. It felt so nice, lying in bed together, that she didn't hesitate to disagree.
"Oh, okay." They lay there in silence for a few more minutes. Zelda smiled to herself, her cheeks growing warm with pleasure, as she thought of the wonderful night they'd spent together. Then there was a knock at the door. "Oh great," Zelda muttered. "Go away!" she shouted.
"Zel!" Link reprimanded her.
"What?" she asked in surprise.
"That wasn't very nice of you. You could have at least gone to the door and heard what they wanted," Link said.
"Oh, don't fret about it. It was probably only a servant wanting to know if I wanted some breakfast," Zelda answered. She leaned over and kissed him.
"I think I should go and see what they wanted," Link said, preparing to get up.
"No, don't be silly. It's okay, they're used to that," Zelda replied. "Besides," she added softly, "I want to have you all to myself for a little while longer." He couldn't resist the thought.
"That's a better idea," he agreed, ruffling her hair, then pulling her close for another kiss.
At this point, someone then opened the bedroom door. They jumped apart guiltily, and Zelda gasped when she realised that her father, the King, had just walked in. "Uh, dad..." she said, greatly surprised. He smiled. She jumped out of bed, and ran over to hug him. "Oh dad..." she cried. He hugged her.
"How wonderful this is! Why I didn't believe it until I saw you with my own eyes..." he said. The Princess drew back, going red.
"Dad... I thought... I thought you were away," she said nervously.
"Me and Fenella were in Sosaria, but only yesterday, a group of faeries arrived, including, to say that you were alive! We took a ship back here at once, we only arrived at Mido earlier on this morning," Harkinian explained.
"Dad, I know this looks..." Zelda began, looking at Link for support.
"Your Majesty..." Link started. The King held up his hand.
"My dears, you don't need to explain yourselves, I know quite fine well what's been going on," he said. Zelda swallowed nervously.
"Dad, it isn't what you think..." she tried. The King chuckled.
"Really Zelda!" he exclaimed.
"Uh, what?" Zelda asked in surprise. The King smiled widely.
"I'm rather pleased that Sir Drake forced you two to get married, why I thought you'd never get round to it, after how long it took you to get engaged!" he laughed. Link grinned.
"Your Majesty, Zel's just very indecisive."
"Just like her dear mother," Harkinian said, gazing at his daughter happily.
"What? You're not angry?" Zelda questioned in surprise.
"I will be, if you two don't get up immediately. We need to plan your proper wedding at once, and organise the celebrations tonight! Link had you forgotten that it was your birthday today?" the King exclaimed happily.
"What?" Link and Zelda both said together.
"You heard me. Up , now!" the King ordered.
"I hope that you two have learnt something from all of this," Drake said later that evening, as the celebration party was in full swing. The group of friends were all gathered together.
"Like what?" Zelda asked, picking up a glass of wine which Drake had just poured. He was serving at the mini-bar, as usual.
"Like, that you shouldn't jump to conclusions, for example," the knight said, looking pointedly at both the Princess and Link. He slid a mug of beer along the bar to Damon.
"Yeah, alright, alright, don't keep reminding us," Link groaned.
"And that you should trust each other," Dion added, grinning, catching a mug as well.
"We sorted it out in the end, didn't we?" Zelda retorted good-naturedly.
"Without me though, you wouldn't have defeated Ganon!" Fayette piped up, looking rather smug.
"Oh, you hardly did anything! You were just a conduit for the Triforce's power!" Zelda replied.
"Zel..." Link whispered warningly. Fayette took no notice of Zelda's words.
"I mean, if I hadn't been there to help you with that Triforce thing," she continued.
"Um, yeah Faye. Thanks," Link said. Drake patted Link on the back.
"Well, you're practically a man like me now!" he laughed.
"Gee, thanks Drake. I am 21 years old you know, though, hardly a kid," Link protested lightly.
"Haha, you'll always be a young 'un to me though," Drake answered.
"Oh Link, you must dance with me!" Fayette suddenly decided.
"Well, excuse me, but..." Zelda began. Link interrupted her.
"It's only one dance, I'm sure you'll survive," he grinned, taking Fayette's hand.
"Ooh I could just kill her!" Zelda exclaimed, folding her arms and looking on with distaste.
"Princess, didn't you just listen to a word I was saying before?" Drake questioned.
"Sure... I shouldn't jump to conclusions," she answered sulkily.
"Well, don't then," the knight answered.
"Come on, dance with me instead," Nick offered kindly. Zelda smiled again.
"Why not?" she replied, taking his hand too.
"May I?" Charles asked Selina. She nodded.
"Oh great, no more women," Aaron complained.
"You can dance with me!" Sprite exclaimed, laughing.
"But you're too small," Aaron answered dismally. The faerie giggled. "Oh well. It might have worked!"
They returned to the corner a few minutes later. Fayette was still gushing about how important she was. "Why, I bet I can use the Triforce now anyway! I think I have a natural talent for magic!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, right," Zelda replied.
"Well, how else to do you explain what I did last night?" Fayette challenged. Zelda smiled to herself.
"The Triforce gave you it's power," she replied.
"What?" Fayette asked.
"You won't be able to communicate telepathically anymore. The Triforce just gave you the ability," Zelda replied smugly.
"Oh, and like you can do it too!" Fayette said, folding her arms and waiting for Zelda to reply.
"Of course I can," Zelda answered, turning to smile at Link.
"Us Hylians have the most brilliant telepathic abilities!" he said to Fayette.
"Oh yeah? Well, prove it!" Fayette replied.
"Uh.... Well... I know. What am I thinking?" Zelda said to Link. He smiled.
"You're thinking.... how much you adore me!" he said, grinning across at Zelda.
"Oh, you liar! I simply was not thinking that at all! I might have known that you wouldn't do this properly!" Zelda exclaimed. She smiled though.
"Oh, no wait. Now I know. You're thinking what a indiot Faye is," said Link, grinning. Fayette glared at him and then at Zelda.
"Well, if that's the way you're going to be," she started.
"Hey don't worry, I'm sure that wasn't what Zelda was really thinking," Drake said, in an attempt to comfort her. Fayette looked towards Zelda for confirmation. Zelda just shrugged.
"So many things are going through my mind at the moment I'm not sure what I'm thinking," she explained, a smile playing on her lips. Fayette just looked offended. Sprite fluttered around excitedly.
"Link! Link!" she cried.
"What?" he asked.
"Come outside with me," the faerie said.
"I'm coming too," Zelda decided.
"No, no you aren't. Stay here," Sprite said. The Princess looked like she was about to protest, but she seemed to decide against it.
"Don't be too long, else I'll come out looking," she warned jokingly, at the retreating figures of the hero and his faerie.
"What are we doing?" Link questioned, as Sprite lead him outside.
"It's a secret," the faerie replied, fluttering off towards the drawbridge. Link followed the trail of faerie dust that floated in her wake.
"We're leaving the grounds?" he asked, catching up.
"We're not going far," Sprite answered. They walked over the lowered drawbridge. The guard questioned them.
"Leaving your own birthday party, Master Link?" he asked in surprise.
"I'm taking him someplace special. It's faerie custom," Sprite said, looking most charmingly at the guard.
"Oh, I see. But you'll have to be quick, I'll be shutting the gates soon enough," the guard said.
"Don't worry, if we're late, shut the gates anyway. I know other ways of getting inside," Link grinned.
"Very well. Happy Birthday, anyway, and we're all glad to have you back here," the guard said.
"Thanks," Link said.
He and Sprite continued on their journey, towards the forest. "A faerie custom?" the hero questioned, feeling curious.
"Yes. In the old days, many Hylians would have their own special faerie companion, that's not so true these days, but anyway, let me continue," Sprite began. Link nodded, listening. "When their Hylian companion reached 21 years of age, a special ceremony would be held in the forest, in their honour. The faeries would give him or her a magical gift," Sprite explained.
"Oh, I see," Link said. They entered the forest, following the path by the small stream that flowed through it.
"I wanted to do this for you... it's mostly a forgotten tradition, but you're very special to me," the faerie said.
"Oh, thanks Sprite. I'm so glad that you are my companion faerie. It's an honour, I bet there aren't many Hylians who get them these days," Link said.
"No, and it's such a shame," Sprite replied. Link stepped into a clearing. It glowed with an unearthly light; Link knew that it was faerie magic causing the strange glow. "We're here!" Sprite called. All at once, faeries began to appear from all around the clearing. Link recognised some of them; the tall one with dark hair was the clever Felicity, the beautiful blonde one had to be Tiffany, and the short one with curly red hair was Carrie, all Sprite's greatest friends. There were many others there too, flying about, and casting trails of faerie dust all around the glade. Sprite clapped her hands loudly. "Okay, now that we're all here, let's begin," she cried excitedly. All the faeries gathered around Link, and Sprite perched on his shoulder. "Now, you all know that me and Link have been good friends for many years now..." the faerie began. There were a few giggles from some of the female faeries. "Be quiet!" Sprite laughed. She continued. "Link's 21st birthday was today, and I wanted to mark it with our own special celebration," she said. Felicity flew up before Link.
"Hero, go to the Pool of the Moon, we will be waiting for you there," she proclaimed.
"What? Where's that?" Link asked, looking puzzled. The faeries began to disperse.
"You know. It's in this very forest. Follow the magic," Sprite whispered, before she left also.
Link was left standing alone in the dark forest glade. He wished that he had a torch with him. "What pool?" he said out loud to himself, trying to think. He thought about what Sprite had said. "Follow what magic?" he said to himself, still puzzled. He suddenly wished that Zelda was there with him. She probably would have understood the faeries better than him. He decided the best thing to do would be to follow the stream. He began to make his way back to the path which wound alongside the tiny brook. It rushed along quickly, but aside from that, the night was still. Almost too good to be true. Link stood waiting, waiting for the moblins, who were probably hiding behind the trees, or perhaps the Deelers, hanging in the branches up above. But not a sound came, no quick flash of movement. Link wondered if it had something to do with Ganon's hasty disappearance. He grinned to himself, and began to walk forward. Then he noticed on the ground, a faint aura, a sparkle. He followed it, winding through the trees, leaving the path on several occasion. It led him deeper and deeper into the forest, and after twenty minutes, he found himself standing in a beautiful clearing. The trees were taller here, and right in the centre, was a large, clear pool of water. Link stepped forward to gaze into it. The moon certainly was reflecting down into it, but he could see something else beyond it. Something precious sparkled in the moonlight, in the bottom of the pool. He bent down, to try and get a better look. The water barely distorted his view, it looked like a small dagger. It was too deep down for him to just simply in with his hands, he realised that if he wanted the treasure, he'd have to actually dive in, and get it. He looked down at his clothes. They were some of his best ones. He debated taking them off, but then decided against it. What the heck, I'll just dive in, he thought. He took a deep breath, then jumped into the water. It was freezing cold, and the shock made him swim up to the surface immediately, gasping. A familiar giggle came from close at hand.
"Did you forget it was almost winter now?" Sprite laughed, flying down to him.
"You're cruel, putting that down there," Link replied, shivering.
"No we aren't. Go and get it," Sprite answered. Link dove under the water, and swam to the bottom of the pool, retrieving the present. He tucked it in his belt, and quickly swam back upwards. As he climbed out, soaking wet, all the faeries were sat around, waiting.
"Do you like it?" Carrie asked. Link took it out, and examined it. The dagger was beautifully made, more valuable than useful. Its blade was made from shiny silver, the hilt was solid gold, and encrusted with decorative stones. He noticed that in the middle of the hilt, his name was embossed onto it. Link knew he'd treasure it forever.
"It's... simply beautiful. Whoever made it?" he asked, curious.
"It's a faerie dagger. We made it, Link," Sprite explained.
"In your honour," Felicity added.
"I designed it," Tiffany added.
"I can't thank you enough," Link said, feeling a sensation of warmth towards the tiny creatures. "Thank you," he added. Sprite smiled, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Happy Birthday, hero," she laughed.
They left Link to find his own way back to North Castle. Sprite said she would be back later, but had something else to do with her friends. The magic trail was still there, and running quickly, he made his way back home. He knew he'd been gone well over half an hour, and hoped that no-one was getting concerned. The drawbridge was indeed up, and, instead of bothering the guard, he headed for the well. There was a ladder hidden inside a bush near it, which lead down into the cellars. However, someone was waiting for him in the shadows, as he approached the secret passage. "Link," the figure called. The voice was sweet sounding, almost like Zelda's, except that it didn't quite have her regal overtone. The girl drew closer. He couldn't tell who it was in the darkness.
"Who are you?" he said.
"You know me," she said. He realised it was Kylara.
"What are you doing here?!" he said in surprise, quickly stepping backwards.
"Why do you think?" Kylara asked.
"Uh..... I'm staying here," Link said firmly.
"But Link!" Kylara protested. "Hyrule is my home... my friends are here... my lover..." Link tried to explain. He suddenly felt very cold.
"What do you mean?" Kylara asked, her mellifluous voice sounding a little harsher for a moment.
"Kylara, I'm sorry... I made a big mistake... Zelda, she was never dead..." he tried to say. The girl looked angry.
"You shouldn't be marrying her!"
"What?" Link questioned.
"The ancient prophecies warn against it, you have to marry me," Kylara replied.
"You're lying," Link answered.
"I speak the truth... I know more than you think," Kylara said. Link fingered his new dagger nervously.
"I... we... we already got married, and there's nothing you can do about it," he said.
"No, you must leave Hyrule now! You were supposed to be with me, not her," Kylara said sadly.
"Well, I'm not. You can't change things. Besides, we had to do it," Link answered.
"You're making a big mistake," Kylara said, shaking her head.
"I don't think so. Don't lay your stupid, untrue, predictions on me, it's not working," Link said. Kylara moved forward, and pulled him into an embrace. Next moment, before he had time to push her away, she was kissing him. He managed to step back.
"Don't!" he warned, suddenly thinking about Zelda. If she found out...
"Please, you must come back to Catalia, you're our only hope," she said sadly.
"No, I can't," Link replied as firmly as he could manage. Kylara looked sad. Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she hung her head, her long brown hair, failing over her shoulders. He almost felt sorry for her...
They seemed frozen in time for a moment. Link didn't know what to say, what to do. Kylara suddenly looked up. "Well, maybe they were right, the Elder and his wife. You're too blinded by your beautiful Princess, to ever look at a lowly village girl like myself. I thought they were wrong, that you were still like the boy I used to know. Obviously not," she said. Link felt offended by her words.
"Oh, be quiet. Go back to Catalia, you've no place in Hyrule," he said, rather unkindly.
"Neither have you!" Kylara cried.
"Of course I have. Now go. You're spoiling my birthday," Link told her. Kylara glared at him.
"There's something.... There's something about that Princess you don't know... if you knew, you wouldn't want to... " she paused.
"Well, what?" Link asked impatiently. A flash of metal suddenly caught his eye. He then realised that Kylara had filched his dagger! "Kylara!" he cried, dashing forward. She withdrew it.
"You changed fate, and you'll suffer the consequences later," she said, almost too calmly. It suddenly seemed very windy, and Link felt almost afraid.
"Give me that back!" he said, reaching towards her.
"This is all your fault!" she cried.
"What? No it isn't! And I don't believe anything you're saying!" Link shouted back. Suddenly, she turned the dagger around, and plunged in into her chest. "Kylara, no!" Link cried, dashing forward to catch her in his arms. She slumped down, dead. He backed away in horror. It began to rain.
"No... how could..." he whispered. He quickly removed the dagger. It was covered in blood. He lifted up her body, and carried it to a grove of trees. He laid her down on the ground there, then dashed towards the castle.