Disclaimer: Alas….I don't own Twilight Princess that belongs to Nintendo.

AN: No, not abandoned. ;) Nothing is ever abandoned. I just write like I plan to live to 120. My original laptop for this fic (and many of my others) died years ago and I got super frustrated. Anyways, I was going through binders and found 2 half pages of scribbles and went...yup...I'm...just not gonna find all the notes this century...sooo I had to start pretty much from scratch to complete the second half of this chapter.

Also, the Hero's Shade was way taller than TP Link, so...I'm taking it as canon that OoT Link was just taller. Period. Because it plays into the rule of funny/somebody better. (In short, amuses me.)

Thank you for your reviews during the hiatus and I hope I've still got some interested readers!

Chapter 7

Link's helmet was slung haphazardly on a bust of King Daphnes III.

Tongue between his teeth, Link carefully took aim as he pitched rupees into an absurdly ornate golden goblet placed in front of the statue. So far he was three for three. He got all the way up to forty consecutive pitches the previous day.

The castle was busy preparing for the arrival of Zaron's bride-to-be. Apparently, the fastest way of establishing monarchical legitimacy was marriage and heirs.

He tried not to think of the bloodline that ended with Zelda…of the wise, beautiful, kind descendants who would never come to be.

And how he let that happen.

He returned to his game.

Blue eyes narrowed and he gripped another rupee and aimed.

Careful, careful now-wait for it-and …wait …

Footsteps!

He swallowed a curse and hastily tossed his handful of rupees into a nearby chest.

He had to look professional when the head guards checked up on him. Self-consciously, he readjusted his slightly overlarge gauntlets. He hated it when they called him "Boy," but damned if he didn't look like one with ill-fitting gloves and helmet.

Helmet! He had to grab—wait…

The steps approaching him were not the leisure clanking pace he'd grown accustomed to listening for when he was relieved of a shift. These were clumsy, frenzied movements.

A nervous robber?

He withdrew his sword—anticipation made his blood hum into life. Finally some action! He'd earn his keep today!

Sword high, battle cry in his throat, he leapt into the hall … to almost drop his blade in shock.

A little girl, no more than five had fallen back with a shout—her blue eyes wide in her pale face.

He apologized profusely as he sheathed his sword and helped her up.

On catching her breath, she let out a whoop of exhilaration that caught him off-guard.

"I FOUND you! You're just how Zeezee described!" she gushed, arms flapping like a bird. He was sure the book she carried was going to sail off into one of the rupee heaps.

With every frantic movement her frizzy blond hair bounced. "Though … you're taller than I expected."

He blinked. "Uh…"

"Right! Hero Link!" the child declared "I am Princess-"

He nearly gagged. THIS was Zaron's betrothed? Sick son of a-

"Tetra! You naughty imp. Disobeying your elder sister like that! I'm going to box those pointed ears of yours for all the grief you-Oh! Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh…" A young woman with long golden hair and a pink gown stared at the two of them. She clapped a delicate pale hand to her mouth in shock.

Link felt his eyebrow rise just a bit at the melodrama.

"I found him," Princess Tetra repeated. She grinned in triumph, hands on her hips.

"Please forgive the intrusion, Sir-"

"Link doesn't mind," Tetra argued. "It's boring down here."

"Tetra!"

"You wondered too."

The elder sister flushed, before she remembered her manners and swept into a graceful curtsy.

"Forgive our trespasses, sir, I am Princess Zelda."

He froze momentarily—his mind transported to a shadowed tower and a cloaked princess. But the voice was wrong…too high, too girlish, too carefree…

"Princess Zelda," he bowed. "Princess Tetra," here he gave the younger girl a wink and an overly elaborate bow that made the child giggle. "May I inquire on your presence-"

"She's getting married," Tetra supplied, before jabbing a thumb at herself. "I came to see you."

"Oh, Tetra," her sister sighed, reaching over and straightening the girl's mussed up dress.

The girl danced away, jerking down her teal gown and facing Link again.

He blinked, digesting this … whatever this was.

Taking that as a 'go ahead,' Tetra continued, "Zeezee told me all about the Twilight, but whenever I try to explain what really happened to everyone, they-"

"Please excuse her, Sir Link," the young woman murmured with obvious exasperation "Zee-er…Cousin Zee...I'm sorry, Milady, er...the…former Queen-"

And then she unfortunately took in the sight of King Daphnes III's statue, "Wh-why is that statue wearing…"

"Duh, he'd going into battle!" Judging from the little girl's smirk, she knew exactly what he'd been doing. It was confirmed when she murmured lowly, for his ears only, "You're nicer than I am. We have one of those at home...I don't give him a helmet."

"Tetra, you should not be down here. I-"

"I thought you had tea with Zaron," Tetra grumbled.

"His highness and, yes, I do." She looked at Tetra expectantly. "We do. As a soon to be duchess, there are duties-"

Link gazed on the young girl and imagined another in her stead, with darker hair, raised from the cradle to yield to a mantle of responsibilities.

Zelda's whole life was swallowed by duty. Was it really necessary to indoctrinate another so early? Particularly her baby cousin?

"My shift ends soon," Link offered. "I'll take her back up when we guards rotate."

The princess glanced uncertainly between the two of them.

"It's your family's treasury, isn't it? She's welcome to be here."

She looked at Link earnestly, "Don't hesitate to return her if she becomes unruly."

Link smirked and nodded; with his Ordon upbringing and herding skills why unruly kids were his specialty. And they were waaay more difficult to handle than the goats. And sometimes they even smelled worse.

When the princess's pink gown vanished from view, Tetra continued, "I KNOW about the Twilight. Zee drew me everything, see?" Tetra thrust her book under his nose and opened it. With an affected storyteller-voice, the child began, "Once upon a while back, there was a beauuuuutiful Princess Zelda who was overworked and took too many naps at her desk."

He felt his mouth twitch into a smile as he glanced at the simple child-like picture depicting his queen at her desk. Amidst comically high stacks of paperwork, Zelda slept…drooling slightly.

Tetra turned a few pages muttering that "Goats are boring" and "here, see this? Zeezee's locked up in a tower, but she's not sad. That's because Middie Imp brought you to her. And Zeezee got to pet your ears, and rub your belly, because you're a cute, fluffy puppy. Because magic made you so."

"Sacred Beast."

"But Zee gave you a special 'Princess kiss' and-"

He flushed and abruptly looked down at the picture book but didn't see that rendered.

Instead, he saw a picture of the master sword shining light.

The girl gave him a flat look, "I do NOT believe a sword made you all better...she gave you a kiss...those break spells...you both just think I'm too little to know that."

"..."

"Pfft. Magic sword…Yup," she flipped past the next few pictures. "Zee's not in those. But here she is! Having dinner with Zant and he's got crazy-noodle arms and she did NOT have a lot of fun….That's her grumpy face...Aaaaand…here she is at the end! Helping you defeat Gandindarf-dworf-orf?"

"Ganondorf," Link corrected absently as he took in the picture. Midna's mouth took up most of her face. Which was…accurate. Ganondorf had a pig snout. Very realistic. Zelda was yawning as she aimed her bow. What he couldn't move past was her depiction of him. His eye twitched.

"That's you and you're a man again. It's a great likeness," the child declared.

At this, he whipped his head to glower at the pint-sized girl. "She made the Master Sword TALLER than me!?"

His aggravation delighted the child, who squealed with laughter.

Of all the…what a terrible way to depict her hero! He saved the kingdom! Freed her! And how does she repay him! By drawing him in such a-a… He didn't come up to her elbow!

"The evil, sorcerer demon-pig-guy was defeated, Middie went somewhere, you rode off into the sunset, Zee went back to sleep at her desk, and everyone lived happily ever after!" she crowed but then her grin faltered, "At least … till Zeezee died."

Link glanced down at the now solemn girl.

Link gently ruffled her hair, "You should be proud she confided in you. Now you, me, Midna, Zelda, and Epona know the whole story of what really happened."

Tetra smiled tearfully before her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, "Who's Epona?"

Link perused more sketches with Tetra. The child had taken to seeking him out regularly during his shifts and he was starting to get teased that he'd be removed from the roster and given a far more challenging task: full time babysitting.

Her sister was aghast. "Tetra! You're wasting his time. He has much more important duties to attend to than entertaining you."

That wasn't really true, but she was on a lecturing roll so he didn't contradict her.

Truth be told, he didn't mind the little girl's company at all.

It turned out that most of Zelda's sketchbooks were left to her young cousin Tetra. And on seeing Link's obvious fascination with the late Queen's illustrations, Tetra immediately shared them with him along with letters she'd sent over the years to Tetra as well as Tetra's elder sister (because she knew where his sister kept them and 'no snitching' or else!).

The elder sister was the more difficult one to deal with. There were certain aspects of her that reminded him of his queen and now that she'd taken to spending more time with the two of them...it became harder to ignore that…

That his Queen's reign had ended.

Soon the princess would marry Zaron and there'd be a new Royal Family living in the castle. And his Zelda would be some footnote...some dead end branch of their family tree.

He carefully tugged a few loose pages from near the end of one book.

"I-I don't think," Princess Zelda stuttered, cheeks aflame as she looked down at them, "t-that she meant to bequeath those."

He felt his own temperature rise a bit.

So…his lady queen had watched as he'd trained in the courtyard. The way the sun often beat down those afternoons, he'd remove his tunic. Obviously, his queen had enjoyed the view as he moved through katas.

There were several attempts to follow his form through his spin attack with scribbles of "too fast."

Had he known she was so interested, he would've performed more moves for her personally. Though Cirsel would've had a fit had Link succeeded in establishing private audiences with her...particularly ones that would've involved him being shirtless.

Yes, it seemed that she'd had a fascination with his shoulders—drawing the muscles with a keen eye. She'd also paid a good amount of attention to his eyes and jawline. There was one profile of him that was quite impressive.

While it pleased him, that she'd…appreciated his form…and that helped make up for the resounding blow she'd delivered to his ego with that stupid picture book...it left him with a new kind of ache; It was one thing for him to have had fantasies about a whirlwind romance involving them but to know she'd had answering ones…

The knot of rage in his chest grew more intense.

I will avenge you, Zelda, he vowed. By the goddesses' wrath, I'll make them suffer for what they've done to us.

Zelda sighed—eyeing the dark abyss with resignation. Death was rather uneventful. To think, some of her council meetings were actually more interesting...

Honestly, she was expecting a bit more: relatives, ghosts, flames…something. From the time she'd arrived, there had been nothing but darkness with but a glint of gold in the distance.

And so she'd marched determinedly if leisurely toward it for...minutes? Days? Years?

Eventually, she saw it was triangular in shape.

As she neared, she realized it was shaped like the Triforce. It seemed almost like a chalk outline children drew on the pavement of Castle Town.

And she felt a throb of anguish...she missed her lands...her people…

"Please...please, stay..."

She sighed and tried not to feel guilt. He'd been...so afraid...him...who'd always been so courageous.

And it seemed like a crime to have made him feel like that.

The way their spirits had briefly passed over one another as she slipped between realms…

There was so much pain in him already and knowing she was adding to it...

Power pulsated from the triangle and it glittered with ethereal light.

Because...of course...everything in her life always connected back to…the Triforce.

And she tried not to feel bitter.

She was feet away from it when an icy presence emanated behind her and to her horror the King of Evil himself loomed over her and chuckled.

"You surrender so easily," he sneered.

She glared.

"To me...to death...to-"

Violet eyes narrowed but before she could snap a rebuttal—because that swine loved hearing himself talk and she'd had enough of his monologues for a lifetime—

"Fear not, the Triforce of Power has left him. He's but a shade...as am I."

She turned and saw...

"It's alright, Zeezee," a deep familiar voice assured.

She gaped, it was the Hero...the Hero of Time! Who triumphed over Ganondorf and Majora's Mask!

He'd been restored to an age before she had met him!

She had fuzzy memories of him from her early childhood. Her eldest guards and advisors loved sharing tales of her adoration for the previous hero...who she practically harassed with her constant presence.

But she'd known...even as a toddler she'd known that there had just been something...intrinsically wonderful about him...something that had always made her feel safe and welcome and...less alone.

She had probably sensed the Triforce of Courage...her eternal ally...

When he left...no...when he died...she was disconsolate. She remembered that part. Losing him...his serene guiding warmth…

And she learned to depend on herself for strength and fortitude at least until—

He rested a hand on her elbow and gently moved her toward the Triforce.

"It's time for you to return now," he declared.

Sweet Farore...he was...very...handsome.

He'd been so old before, it never registered. And the paintings of him had made him seem so historical and removed...

Tall, broad, masculine…

With bright blond hair framing his face and deep jewel bright eyes…

She blinked...eyes…

She'd only ever known him with one and it had been so tired and sad…

Now, he was young and vivacious and...

It was a wonder her great grandmother hadn't acted on her affections for him.

It was one of the great Un-Secrets their realm had to boast of.

Everyone knew how much she…

Well, except perhaps the object of her—

"Zeezee," he repeated sternly, poking her on the forehead the way he had when she was a disobedient child and not listening to his instructions. "You need to go home. Now, young lady. You've spent far too much time here already."

A muscle in his jaw tensed, much the way her Link's did when he was frustrated.

And maybe it was the way the two blurred together for a moment before separating, that pain lanced through her.

For the young Hero that she'd left.

For the old Hero that she'd lost.

And there was a flood of sorrow in her at that blunt, infantilizing relay. No acknowledgement of the woman she was now? Of the obstacles she'd overcome since last they'd met?

Her magic and swordsmanship and leadership-

"Your hero needs you," he murmured solemnly, nodding at the design and motioning to its middle...which…from the vacuum of air drawing towards it...was a portal!

She could return?

She could return!

"Please...stay..."

What guilt his plea had wrought in her.

Another forced farewell.

First, Midna and then…

She shook her head.

Link could be in danger! What if that madman had set his sights on him next!?

Hyrule could be in peril!

Yes, she'd been here far too long. She had her duties to fulfil.

She immediately turned toward the design which floated at ankle level, cautiously climbing up onto the pedestal engraved with the symbol of Wisdom.

"Zelda…"

She turned...because...he'd never called her that...it was always Zeezee, milady, princess…

"Don't repeat our mistakes," he cautioned.

She frowned and turned back around, intending to get some clarification, but, as if sensing her intentions, he set his hands on her shoulders.

She glanced up.

He smiled warmly.

And then he abruptly pushed her back and she fell.

Fell through the middle of the pattern...and watched the forms of the previous bearers of the Triforce wink out of existence.

Zelda lurched upright, eyes blinking and squinting, amazed at how dying torchlight could seem bright.

Water sloshed around her.

No…

Not water…

She dizzily glanced down, head heavy and hurting and—

For one horrible moment because of lighting and her personal belief that she had no good luck, she was certain it was blood but…

The smell was wrong.

She cupped a handful and sniffed it tentatively.

Red potion?

She was in a bathtub filled with...red potion?

Alarm flooded her.

She was naked in a bathtub filled with red potion, her hair matted and tangled by it.

How?

Why?

When?

Where were her servants?

There was a cold draft and the rustle of chains.

She glanced around.

Dungeons.

She was in one of the dungeons of Hyrule Castle; a remote portion if the cobwebs were a clue.

Another draft breezed by and goosebumps raised along her arms and she reluctantly sunk back into the liquid while she tried to decide her next move.

Was she the victim of a coup?

But if so, why not kill her outright?

Why...save her…?

Violet eyes widened because the scar stretching over her chest was from a mortal blow. And no doubt the reason why she felt so weak. All of her magic was devoted to knitting flesh and bone.

"You can thank your hero's quick thinking. He gave you healing potions right on the spot...I had healers continue administering it in his stead."

The water sloshed as she turned to face the speaker.

"Zaron," she breathed.

"For what it's worth, I didn't order you killed. You're worthless to me dead. If you even knew what lengths I had to go to preserve you, to keep supplying you with-"

"How comforting," she cut across. She could hear a rebuke from Nayru in her ears, because it wasn't wise to act thus when her powers were so drained.

"Goddesses, you never change." Something deeply bitter resonated in his voice.

She held his gaze unflinchingly.

"You know? I probably spared that young man a terrible fate," he sneered. "A lifetime of servitude to one as unfeeling as yourself. Had you a heart I could appeal to none of this would be necessary."

She remained still.

Her kinsman was too self-absorbed not to inform her of his plans.

Patience was key.

Composure and indifference would trigger him into revealing more.

"..."

Angered by the lack of reaction, he hissed, "Someone...of infinite value to me has been taken from me! A hostage of a violent tribe."

"Unfortunate" was her clipped reply.

"I meant to marry her," he growled as he approached her.

She stared him down. "The chaos of your personal affairs means little to me."

"I suppose not. I-I suppose you're wondering why I don't simply charge in and-"

"No, I don't wonder that. You've always been a coward."

SLAP!

Her face smarted from the hit. And she could almost sense Nayru's sigh.

"That's a warning," his chest heaved. "I love her...I...LOVE...her. So don't you mock me…"

Zelda cupped a handful of potion and took a sip. The sting went out of her face.

He spun on his heel and began to pace. "The Gerudos have her."

Gerudos! Then they hadn't died out! They'd merely gone into hiding.

"Zaron," she sat straight and authority rang in her voice. "Stop this madness before if it's unalterable. Summon my guards, I'm sure we can strategize-"

"I love her," was the broken response. "Would do anything for her-"

"Even kill a Queen and endanger a kingd-"

"Deliver a queen. They want to do the killing themselves."

"I don't understand why you waited." Surely, if death was their desire why did he bother with healing her up?

"Call it pity. Call it a fighting chance. Call it whatever you wish. But you're going to them. They were on a pilgrimage here when they sensed their king's death. They'll never forgive the loss. But why should we all suffer for the actions of a few? Why should my darling face torment and death while you and your hero-"

"I swear if you've done harm to Link...the people will never forgive you. Nor will I." She gripped the sides of the tub, too furious to be self-conscious. She climbed out onto unsteady feet and her long tangled hair dripped onto the cold rough stones. "He's the hero of Hyrule. His loyalty is unques-"

"O his loyalty is more than questionable," he muttered as he paced. "Soon enough, there won't be any wonder at all as to why I exile him-"

"You fiend-" she raised a hand for a spell to curse him but...nothing...not even a spark sprang from her fingertips. There was a just a painful throb from her chest; her magic was busy tending to her lingering injury.

He snickered at her lack of success, "And he'll be pushed into their path for there will be nowhere else to go. The law is the law and treason is treason."

"Treason is treason," she hissed coldly, eyes so icy he at least had the grace to swallow nervously. "How do you even expect to transport me? Castle Town's inhabitants will-"

"-will think nothing strange at all about glimpsing their beloved hero. He's such a wanderer, in and out of the city day and night, no one will give pause at all."

He threw a bundle of clothes at her feet.

Her blood went cold at the sight of a very familiar green tunic.

"What have you done to him?" she demanded.

Was he hanging in manacles even as they spoke? Had others already paraded through town to keep up an illusion of him?

"Dress," he ordered.

"Zaron!"

"Obey me now, or I'll find further incentive."

"How can you-"

"The Gerudos adopt young enough maids into their ranks. You want Tetra to accompany you on this quest?"

That he would threaten their young cousin…

Her nails dug into her palms.

Again…

Again, the blood of innocents was being used to bully her into submission.

But she couldn't allow the child to come to harm because of her pride.

If she tried to fight him now...magic drained...body weak…

She would have no chance.

Instead, she'd need to plan her escape on the move. If she could get some word to Cirsel or the Resistance or-or…

Link…

If only she and Link had a connection like their previous incarnations…

But Link had no gift for such magic.

She drew herself up, "Leave, so I may dress."

"A little late for modesty, I think."

"Leave or I'll walk naked. Good luck for your scheme then. No one will mistake me for the Hero."

Irritated, he walked to the far side of the cell and compromised by turning his back.

She knelt down and sifted through the articles of the Hero's garb. What could possibly have separated him from Farore's gift? It was enchanted to grant him protection from all manner of dangers.

"Your hero needs you."

She sent a swift, desperate prayer to Nayru and Farore for his safety as she slipped his inner white shirt on and pulled the chainmail overhead. With trembling fingers, she reached for the iconic green tunic.

Read & Review Please! : D