Disclaimer: I own nothing LoZ related.

A/N: It is 12:36 AM Central Time here, so, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I was GONNA wait to post this until Sunday, but I couldn't resist. I've been working HARD on this story! My New Year's Resolution is I'm going to post regularly. So look for updates on Sundays at eight o'clock central time!! Again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Enjoy :)

NUMBER NINE

Chapter One: So Late So Soon

How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?

~Dr. Suess

It was the thirteenth of August. It was hot, sweaty, and Miss Zelda Royale was very upset.

She lived near Hyrule Castle Town. In the past, it had been small and homey, but with the recent advances in technology Hyrule as a whole had expanded. In Kakariko, houses were being constructed up the path to Goron City, although construction was very slow. The Gorons did not appreciate their land being advanced upon and had taken to rolling large boulders down the paths and destroying houses. After a man had been accidentally killed, a meeting had been called between the Head Goron, Link, and the mayor of Kakariko. Supposedly, a truce was going to be called, but everyone suspected the Gorons, with their inferior weapons, would be forced to sign a treaty giving away some of their land.

Zelda's neighborhood was pretty out in the open. It was near the river, and a string of houses lined it and were cutely packed together, with a wide wood behind them. It was not a rich neighborhood, nor a poor one, although it was leaning towards the latter. Zelda's house was painted white with a blue front door and a gray porch. There was a large oak tree near the street. Zelda was getting ready for some kind of surprise tonight.

She was sitting cross-legged on her bed. The room was rather small, but one of the largest in the house. It was messy, with clothing and various items strewn over the wood floor in an unorganized mess. The walls and ceiling were dark white, almost a cream color. There was one window. It was on the left side of her bed, and near the head of it. Zelda's bed was in the northeast corner. The bedding was fluffy and army green, picked because it was cheap. Money was very scarce in the Royale home, although conditions were improving. There was a small closet door, a mahogany dresser that was very old, and a door leading out to the living room.

She started to pull a light, pink sun dress from the closet, but then hesitated. Link wouldn't tell her what exactly they were doing. Which meant, with her luck, she'd put on that dress and they would be hiking. She put the dress back.

Twenty minutes later she was dressed in a white tank top, long-sleeved pink shirt, loose-fitting jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. She would rather wear a pair of cute flip flops, but she had a mild case of plantar fasciitis in her left foot, and boy, did it hurt when she wore flip flops.

Her hair was straight with a flip at the end. She had long, light blonde hair that was naturally curly. She typically straightened it, but with humidity it would curl back. Zelda searched around her room for her purse. It was striped red, pink, orange, and white, with brown leather handles. She had got it on clearance for fifteen dollars. But where was it? She hoped he would be just a few more minutes...

As if on cue, there was a knock on the front door. Zelda looked around for her purse- and couldn't find it.

"Hello?" her brother, Liam (or Doomie, as all of his childhood friends and Zelda's friends called him), said after opening the door. Zelda ran around the room, and then found her purse lying by her bed. She picked it up, flew to the door and opened it. She screamed.

"Doomie!" she said, staring her brother. Liam was about to knock on her door to tell her Link was there. Liam was about five feet and eight inches tall, with black hair cropped short and blue eyes. He was twenty-two, and served the dual role of parent and brother to Zelda.

"Link's here," he said. "Have fun."

One of the great things about Liam was that he never asked many questions, and never set very many rules for Zelda. At first, she had taken advantage of this- staying out late at parties, coming home drunk, sometimes not even coming home and then waking up very confused in someone else's bed the next day- but then the lady who checked in on them once a month noticed Zelda's deteriorating grades and both of the siblings' appearances. She had threatened Liam would lose custody of Zelda if he didn't start behaving more as a parent, and get a job. The two were terrified of being separated, so at first Liam behaved like, as Zelda put it, a Nazi. Zelda had put her foot down. She had a curfew of eleven (she didn't agree, but it was better than a curfew of when the sun set, and Liam wasn't budging) that the two had grown used to. Zelda had never once broken it, and so Liam rarely brought it back up. But it was still there.

Zelda came around the corner, where Link Finlay stood at the door. Zelda felt the corners of her eyes prick, but she blinked it away.

He was wearing plaid shorts and a long-sleeved, gray shirt that stated "CTU" (Clock Town University) across the chest. His golden hair was shaggy and messed. He had deep blue eyes, an angular nose, and a strong jaw. His skin was slightly tanned. He took his sunglasses off as Zelda came to the door. The two stared at each other for a minute. And then:

"When was the last time you brushed your hair?" Zelda nagged, smiling. Link smiled back at her before making a face in disgust.

"When was the last time you showered?" he asked her. The two giggled and then hugged. In some ways, their relationship was very immature. It was customary for them to fight with each other constantly, but rarely did they actually fight. "See ya, Doomie," Link said over Zelda's shoulder before pulling away.

"Ah, get your PDA out of my house," Liam joked back. Zelda stuck her tongue out at her brother, and then Liam waved at them. He turned the TV on.

"Hey, Zel, go to the truck, okay? I need to ask Doomie something," Link said.

"Mmkay," Zelda said, and then she left for the truck.

Link drove a black 2009 Sierra Denali. It was very shiny and he took good care of it. She went around and opened the passenger door, but then stopped. Link would freak if he thought I was gonna try to drive it... She scampered around and climbed in the driver's seat.

The truck was pretty high off the ground. The seats were black leather and very comfortable. She waited for him to come out, but he didn't. She pouted. Now she was bored. She looked around for some kind of entertainment- and found the radio. She laughed internally, and then browsed for a country station.

"And I try to drink,

Drink my pain,

Drink my pain down this drain

I try to drink

It all away

To keep it at bay!"

Promising, she thought, listening to some guy croon about an ex-girlfriend. Zelda snickered and turned the radio all the way down, so when Link turned it on he'd have some delightful tunes to listen to. She got out and ran to the passenger door so he wouldn't suspect anything.

Link came out of the house as soon as she was seated. She suppressed a grin.

"So, where are we headed?" she asked as he got in, putting her seat belt on.

"Can't tell you," Link said, pressing his lips in a firm line. The corners of his mouth were turned up.

"Why not?" Zelda whined.

"Because," he said, "it's a secret." He reached for the dial on the radio, and turned it up. The man was still whining about drinking his pain away. He had a very deep, twangy voice. And the lyrics didn't help at all. Link turned and looked at a giggling Zelda before rolling his eyes and turning the radio back off. He backed out of the driveway.

"Why does it have to be a secret?" Zelda asked, bringing the conversation back.

"Because. I want to leave with..."

"With what?"

"Well, I don't know."

"You don't know?" she said. "What do you want to leave with?"

"I don't know, a bang?"

"A bang? How lame!"

"Tsch. Such a child," Link teased Zelda.

"Old man," she teased back. They teased each other about their age frequently. Zelda was eighteen, getting ready for her senior year of high school. Link had just turned nineteen, getting ready for his freshmen year of college. He was leaving early tomorrow morning to catch his flight. He was going to Clock Town University, so far away Zelda would never be able to go visit him. He said he would try to visit her, and she believed him. But the key word was "try". She sighed.

And then for the first time all night she began to lose herself. Oh no, oh no, oh no... she thought. She felt her throat swell up and the back of her eyes begin to ache.

With perfect timing, they pulled into the forest. Zelda tried to control herself, but one tear slid down her face. Damn. She sniffled.

"Zelda?" Link said. She did not reply. When she tried to speak when she was about to cry, she usually started crying harder. "Z?" Link asked again. When she didn't look at him, he touched her cheek. "Hey," he said, his voice soft and caring. "What's a matter?"

"Nothing," Zelda said, her voice cracking.

And then she started bawling. Link pulled over.

"Hey," he said softly, awkwardly pulling her into the middle seat, next to him. He held her against his chest, and she cried freely. He even pretended not to care when she got snot all over his shirt. His new shirt. But whatever- she needed him. And it hurt him to know that what she really needed was some more time with him, and he couldn't give it to her. Their time was up. How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? Link didn't spend time sitting around reading poetry. More like, he sat around playing video games or football with his cousins. But Link had a pretty good memory, and towards the end of the year they had done a poetry unit in English, and that very appropriate poem had been in it.

"Z?" he asked softly.

"Just drive," Zelda said, suppressing tears. They now felt hot, and she had a major headache. She felt incredibly embarrassed. She didn't cry very often, especially not in the company of boys. And especially not in the company of a very cute, very smart boy. Who happened to be her boyfriend. Who was leaving for college the very next day. Link hesitated, and then put the truck into gear and continued to drive, with one arm around her.

Oh, how in the hell was she gonna manage? Link was her solace, her place of comfort... When school stressed her out, or cross country made her feet hurt worse than usual, or when money was tight, who was gonna comfort her now? Sure, she could call him, but it just wasn't the same. She did have a laptop (a present from Link on her sweet sixteen (Could this guy get any better?) so they could video chat (he'd bought her a setup thing)... But it would be a long time before they could see each other in person...

She started crying again, but it was a quiet kind of cry now. Link pretended like he didn't notice. A few minutes later, he spoke:

"Shut your eyes."

"What?"

"Shut your eyes."

"Why?"

"Shut your eyes."

"But-"

"Please?"

Zelda closed her eyes.

"You're not gonna leave me, right?" she asked him, knowing the answer.

"Of course not," Link said warmly, kissing her forehead. Zelda felt warm fuzzies spread through her stomach. Link disentangled himself from her and exited the car. He came around to her side and opened the door.

"How am I gonna-"

"Walk?" Link finished, picking her up. "Problem solved."

"You're amazing," Zelda said, smiling like an idiot.

"I know," Link said with much gusto. "I try not to let it get to myself."

"Right. You seem to be doing such a great job."

"I'm working on it. Just keep your eyes closed."

"Okay."

To Zelda, it seemed like they were going a long ways, but it was actually just a short walk.

"I'm gonna set you down, now," Link said.

"Too much of a pansy to keep holding me up?" Zelda laughed.

"Nope. We're here. But keep your eyes shut!" Link said. Zelda smiled. He lowered her and placed her on some kind of strange surface. It was very holey, and as soon as he let go, she began to sway.

"Link-?!"

"You're fine," he told her. "I'll be right back."

She sniffed as she could hear his retreating footsteps. If his footsteps were any kind of indication, it seemed like he was going back to the truck. She knew he wouldn't leave her, and he wanted it to be a surprise, so she decided to ignore him and focus on her surroundings. She could smell water. And dirt. And the air felt muggy and cool against her face... Were they near water? She could hear the birds chirping and other wildlife going on around them.

And then, yes, some splashing. But no people.

Huh. She thought about everything going on with her lately, and swung back and forth in her... chair? The wind caressed her face, and the splashing seemed peaceful.

"Back!" said Link. He dropped something heavy on the ground, and Zelda heard something slushing around. She raised an eyebrow.

"May I open my eyes now?" she asked.

"Mmhmm," Link told her. She opened her sapphire eyes.

She was in a hammock. Oh! she thought. How obvious! Holey, breezy... Ah.

They were by the river. The river was kind of muddy, but very clean. People swam in this river all the time. And it was early August, and still swelteringly hot. Why wasn't anyone-?

There were trees all around them, which explained the wildlife sounds. She turned around. Behind them was a wide clearing. There was a small trailer, a grill, and Link's truck. Besides the clearing, all she could see were trees. It was...

"Link, it's beautiful," she said softly.

"I thought you'd like it," Link said, directing her attention back to him. He was standing between her and the river. He had lugged an ice chest over, and had pulled two sodas out of it. A brown pop for him, and a Hilly Mist for her. He handed it to her, and sat down beside her. They opened their sodas in silence. Just as she was taking a drink, Link spoke. "I love you Zelda Royale. I plan to marry you some day, but I'm pretty broke right now and we're too young for engagements."

Zelda's mouth dropped.

"So here's to you. And me. And how much I, at least, love you." Link raised his can. Zelda was flabbergasted.

"I- I l-love you too," she stuttered lamely. Link smiled.

"It's okay if you're not ready to commit," he told her.

"No, it's not that," Zelda said. "We've been dating since my freshmen year. We've been telling each other that we love each other since my sophomore year. It's not that..."

"What is it, then?"

"Well, you just told me you plan to marry me."

"Yeah. So?"

"Oh, Link," she said, feeling another traitorous tear creep out. But this one was different. This was... A happy tear.

"What?" Link said.

"I'll wait for you," she said slowly and clearly. "No matter how long it takes... I'm not as smart as you, so I won't be able to get into Clock Town University like you... And it'll take you a few years to get back... We won't see each other a lot..."

"Z, don't say that-"

"It's true," she interrupted. "But I'll wait for you. Forever. I promise." They clanked their drinks together and drank in silence. "What time is it?" she asked.

"Six forty-five," he said. "You must be hungry."

"I'm fine," she said.

"No, really," Link said. "I brought food, see!" he set his pop on the ground and went back to the ice chest. There were hamburger patties, buns, and hot dogs. "The grill was already here... I figured, before I leave, I may as well act like a good boyfriend."

"Hmph," Zelda said.

"Also, I talked to Doomie," Link said.

"What about?" Zelda said. Link hesitated and Zelda's stomach drop. "Link Finlay, I swear to Din if you said anything to him about what we just talked about-!"

"No, no!" Link said. "I told him we were going to some private property my parents own out by the river, and asked if I could go get one of your swim suits!"

Zelda paused.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So. You saw what a mess my room was?"

"Pretty awful. I cleaned up a bit."

"Is that why you took so long?"

"Yup."

She should have known clean-freak Link wouldn't have been able to tolerate her tornado-stricken room. And "cleaned up a bit" probably meant he vacuumed, dusted... The whole shebang. He was a force to be reckoned with, but with cleanliness instead of a threat. And then another thought touched her. She blushed.

"Did you find it?"

"Yup."

Oh, Goddesses. That meant he had to have gone through her underwear drawer. If he'd seen the ones with Kermit the Frog, she might just have to shoot herself. An awkward silence settled, which probably meant they were thinking about the same thing. Her Kermit panties.

"What do you say we get some food?" Link asked her.

"Okay," Zelda said, mortified.

Link went into his truck and turned the radio on. He rolled the windows down and turned the impressive stereo up. They were listening to an old rock station, now. They listened to the music and talked to each other while Link cooked. They laughed a lot, and neither thought of the bad stuff that tomorrow would bring. Then they ate.

"You're a good cook," Zelda complimented, finishing her cheeseburger. Link laughed. "You're a keeper."

"I'm all yours," he said, kissing her lightly. She smiled. He sighed, and then checked his watch. "I was hoping we could go for a swim, but it's a long drive, and I have to be home with enough time to finish packing and stuff."

Zelda felt a pang of longing.

"Okay," she said, surprised at how cool her voice sounded.

"You're okay with that?" Link said cautiously.

"Of course," she told him. "You gotta do what you gotta do."

He smiled at her, and they started packing up.

"Thanks, Link," Zelda was telling him. It was dark, and they were standing on her porch. As predicted, the humidity had curled her hair into a frizzy mess. "Even if we didn't get to swim." It was okay. She was wearing mascara, anyway.

"I really am sorry," he told her sincerely.

"I know," Zelda said. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him one last time. He kissed her back. She pulled back, but he didn't let her go. Zelda allowed herself to melt into his kiss. Her body felt like it was melting, and her heart felt fuzzy and like it could fly right out of her chest. Her feet wanted to do a dance, but her mind didn't want to. He was so perfect, so amazing... Typically, she wouldn't make out on her porch, but this was the last time she'd see him for awhile...

And with that thought her mood died. She pulled away, and this time Link allowed her. She smiled weakly at him.

"Bye, Link."

"Bye, Zel. I love you."

"I love you too," Zelda said. She thought about kissing him again, but then she heard footsteps. "Doomie's coming." Link smiled crookedly.

"I'll miss you. I'll call every night," Link told her.

"I already miss you," Zelda said. With one last wave, Link turned and walked back to his car. Zelda stood on the porch and felt her heart breaking in her chest. He waved and pulled out, and Zelda waved back and watched him go. And then she started crying again.

She didn't feel like going inside, so she sat on the porch swing. She tried to quiet her sobs. No one would bother her out here... It was dark, no one would be able to see her, anyway. The only issue was sound... And she was doing a pretty good job of covering up the tears that threatened to overtake her.

"Zelda?"

"Aah!" she yelled, jumping. She scanned for her attacker, but only saw her neighbor, Sheik. "Oh. Hey."

"What are you doing out here?" he demanded, sitting next to her.

"Excuse me, it's my yard," Zelda replied snottily. She wouldn't usually answer back with so much attitude, but she was very upset and he'd just intruded. "The better question is why are you here?"

"Hey, when I see my neighbor making out with a prick and then hear her crying on our porch, it's only the humane thing to investigate," Sheik answered back. Zelda wouldn't look at him.

"How the hell did you hear me? And why were you watching me? Are you stalking me?"

"In case you forgot, neither of us can afford a very big yard. Our houses are about this far apart." Sheik extended his hands, making a yard.

"That's an exaggeration."

"Tsch!" he snorted.

"And besides, that doesn't give you much of an excuse for stalking me," she replied. "And he is not a prick!"

"Oh, on the contrary," Sheik responded dryly. "He is very prick-like. You should see him at football practice. Always flaunting his 'abilities'..."

"Sheik, you don't play football. You run cross country. With me."

"So you see him too!" he said with enthusiasm. Zelda laughed.

"Go home, Sheik," she told him.

"Okay," he said. "You're okay?"

"Yeah," she lied. "I'm fine."

Sheik stared at her for a moment, and then he put his arm around her shoulders. With other guys, Zelda would have said something, but this was Sheik. Their relationship had always been this way. And so she said nothing.

"It'll be fine," he said soothingly. "I have a feeling this year is gonna be really... big."

"You're only saying that because your main competition is gone."

"Well, that," Sheik said, "and I really do have a feeling."

"Yeah. Uh huh."

"Night, Zelda."

"Night, Sheik."

And then Sheik went back home. Zelda followed his lead, and went in her own house. She retreated to her room, where she could cry and feel sorry for herself in peace.

A/N: Haha, did anyone catch the reference to Mountain Dew? Hilly Mist? Crickets chirp. Ahem. Ahh... And I also realize a lot of the lines were pretty crappy and cheesy. But, whatever. Yay cheese! The chapters after this will get better, I promise.

I have an announcement. Dum da da duuum!

I found a website, www (dot) floorplanner (dot) com, that you can design houses on for free! Yaaaay free-ness!! So I designed a replica of the Royale house and took screen shots that I'll post on my blog. I was really getting into it, so I can see myself doing this with every house we come in contact with in this story. I think this is really good because I still get to explain how the house looks, but you also get to know how I see it, and that way I won't forget to explain something and I'll be talking about it later and the reader won't be going, "Wait, what? I didn't know there was a large rug there!" Aha!

So, here's the link to my blog: www (dot) midnight-apple-blossom (dot) blogspot (dot) com

So, take a visit on over and check out my blog! It's mainly based for my fan fiction. Look in the blog archive for "Royale House Pictures" or "RH Pictures". You can feed my fishies while you are over! They do enjoy food.

See ya :)