She knew a lovesick fool when she saw one, and Link was definitely one of them. With special emphasis on the 'fool'. His eyes would soften from ice to a bright blue puddle in seconds when he saw her face. The kokiri's eyes would wander her body in a way most of his kin wouldn't, and it was then that Navi was hinted at his true heritage. No forest child felt such... urges. They were born directly from the Deku Tree, no matter the incarnation, and never felt attraction beyond friendship and small crushes. After all, they never hit puberty nor had any need to 'get it on'.

It only took ten minutes with the princess to realize that he wasn't paying attention to her story but rather her beautiful face. His eyes glazed over and his mouth opened in a goofy, boyish way. It was the first look of affection that Navi had seen him show, other than a minor version of the same look to his friend Saria. It would never work between the two, though, especially if Link was not kokiri as she suspected.

As Zelda continued to tell the tale of creation and the Tri-force, both members of her audience fell out of attention. Link was still staring blankly at her, nodding absently and ruffling his hair a bit. Navi was too busy staring him down to pay any mind to a story she had heard just days before from the Great Deku Tree. Eventually he noticed her glare, his eyes shifting towards her as the princess turned away, looking into the castle window. The fairy took this oppertunity to smack her charge on the head, ramming her body onto his cheek. The boy yelped, rubbing the sore softly.

"Is something the matter?" The pained cry had not gone unnoticed by Zelda, who turned back towards the pair. Link shook his head, not uttering a single word. Navi, on the other hand, was quite vocal.

"Lover boy here had drifted into the depths of your eyes while you were speaking, princess. You may continue." Her deep blue eyes narrowed in confusion, and she shrugged, not understanding. Again she told her tale, and again Link fell into the spell that her voice apparently cast on him. Navi huffed, returning all her attention to the princess. One of them needed to know how to stop the evil that was plaguing Hyrule, and it was obvious that the love-sick child wasn't going to memorize her story.

"Look within, Link. Do you see the Gerudo man, Ganondorf? He says he would never break his alliances, but ever since he entered the fields strange things have been happening. I wish he would go back to the desert and remain with his people. There's something dark surrounding him, and I fear that he is the cause for all that's been happening. What do you think?" Link glanced at his fairy, expecting her to answer for him.

"You know, if you would speak just once life would be easier for the both of us." These words were whispered softly into his ear, so that Zelda could not hear them. His face fell, and he waved at Navi to give her opinion. With another growl, she flew forward.

"Apparently he agrees with you. He had nightmares before with a similiar man riding a dark horse." Her face grew troubled and she began to pace.

"I see. It can only be him, then. The Gerudo are a female dominated race, Link. A single male is born once every hundred years, and he becomes the leader of their tribes. Under him, the Gerudo may become a true world power again, easily becoming the dominant beings over the Hylians and..." She could sure give an exposition, Navi realized. It was almost as bad as listening to Kaepora Gaebora, except her information had slightly more of a point. Link was thinking the same thing, his eyes glazing over as he studied Zelda's face again. Just wait until she gets a rack, kid. Then we'll see where your eyes remain. Navi bounced herself in front of Link's face, causing him to snap back to attention.

"...I need you to recover the sacred stones and bring them to the Temple of Time. Laying within is where our greatest hope lies. Please... will you accept my request?" He nodded, waiting for more instructions. Zelda smiled, touching him gently on the shoulder.

"The first stone I need you to retrieve is the sacred stone of fire. The Goron upon Death Mountain hold-" Navi interjected with her signature 'hey' cry, bouncing wildly in front of the princess.

"Woah, woah, woah. You're sending up a kid with little more than a tunic and a wooden shield up to Death Mountain, land of lava and flying rocks? Don't you think that it's kind of dangerous? Why can't you send someone else? If the boy dies, I'm in big trouble! And he'd be dead!" Zelda smiled, shaking her head at Navi's outburst.

"Oh, little fairy, I know this land and its secrets like the back of my hand. You may obtain a metal shield in the Kokari Village graveyard at night within one of the royal gravesites. Once you get past the zombies that can stun you with their glare it's quite easy to find the chest containing it." This even had Link confused. Navi continued.

"So... you're asking us to rob your family graves? Couldn't we get beheaded or imprisoned for something like that?"

"As long as you know the song of royalty, you'll be fine."

"We never learned any 'song of royalty'!"

"Don't worry, Impa will teach it to you." The princess pointed to the courtyard's entrance, where an able-bodied woman was now standing. Even from afar she seemed a giant, white hair topping her muscular body. The fact that any muscle bound creature such as her could play an ocarina with grace stunned Link. For the first time that day, he was paying attention.

"What would this family song do for us, anyway? Cast some magical spell... what exactly is the point?" Zelda smiled again at the fairy, causing Navi to boil. The spoiled brat was basically laughing at her and her lack of worldly knowledge. She wanted to know what exactly Zelda knew that she didn't. Other than whatever the hell the stupid royal song did.

"Well, it's not magic so much as a signal. Whoever plays the royal song will be welcome by those who need our help. As for it helping in the graveyard... I think that the ghosts would enjoy a familiar tune. Don't you think so?" It was some stupid clue that they would need later, Navi decided. As Link had returned to staring dully at the princess, she made a mental note of it.

"Why can't you just teach us the song, instead of Inpa?"

"Impa, first off. Second, I have no knowledge of the ocarina as an instrument. I prefer things that take far more skill to play, such as the harp. Impa has played the ocarina since before I was born, and ever since she plays the royal song as my lullaby." Her eyes glazed over as she indulged in pleasant memories, humming softly the song that Link would have to learn. Navi tugged lightly on his hair, waking him from his trance.

"Uh, right. We'll just go talk to In... Impa, then. Later, princess." She merely brushed them off, turning back towards the window as she continued to hum. Navi snorted, muttering something about spoiled princesses that Link could barely make out. Impa greeted them as they approached.

"Greetings, forest child. The young princess has spoken to you of her dreams, yes? In her dream, I am the one to teach you Zelda's lullaby, the royal song unknown to those outside of the family and their servants. Until today, anyway. Consider yourself privelaged, boy, for you get to learn a powerful secret from within the family." She had unhooked her ocarina from her belt and was holding it in a most threatening manner. While Link was terrified, Navi had to admit that the sight and her words seemed rather silly.

"It's just a song, isn't it?" Fire blazed in the Sheikah's eyes.

"Stupid fairy! This song will give you entrance to most of the cities in Hyrule, the chance to dine with the kings of the many races that reside here, and the power to cause the ghosts of the royal family to sing again! It is not just a song!" Navi whimpered, slipping instinctively into Link's hat. Impa swallowed, still shaking from her outbreak.

"Listen carefully, forest boy." With grace and speed she played the song that Zelda had been humming. After playing through it twice, she watched Link expectantly. He tried to follow, fumbling on the holes and sometimes allowing air to escape when it truly shouldn't have. Impa frowned.

"Well... you can work on it on the way to Death Mountain. Good luck, forest child." She popped a Deku nut, vanishing as the smoke faded away. Navi squirmed out of the hat, staring at the location where the Sheikah had been standing.

"Did she just... blow herself up? Ah, whatever. Death Mountain awaits!"