AN: Okay, here's the deal, this story goes along for a period of time, one month, 15 days to be precise :). If you haven't figured out my seemingly random italicized countdown at the beginning of each story, starting at "Hark the Herald to Thy Future", that's the time left until 'The Day' comes where Ganondorf is supposed to return and Link will have to sacrifice Fin. Yay! Lot's of fun! So if you didn't know what I was doing, that's what the "two months 7 days", "1 month 15 days" are.
They're also good because you can see how much time has elapsed between each story. Yeah, anyway, what I was getting at is that the 'countdown' thing continues in this story, only it will count over the chapters. So be sure to make a note of what day it is! Just because a chapter ends doesn't mean it's a new day. Until the date changes, all chapters and their events below the "(_) days" happen on the same day. Oh, but I do have one flashback though…Am I confusing anyone? Cause I've kind of got myself mixed up with that explanation. Oh well, we'll try it anyway! Please, please, please REVIEW!!! I love feedback, and I always go and review anyone who writes me one. If someone takes the time on me, I'll take the time on them, that's what I think is right. :) Enjoy!
Oh, and I had to make up a last name for Malon. I don't know what it really is or even if she has one!
A Goddess Three
One Month, 15 Days
Chapter One: Servants to the Gods
She put her hand on his and closed her eyes. She was tired, so tired. He understood though, he always understood her ever since they first met as children. Even after all of the events fate had tossed at them, they still had one another in the sea of painful memories. Rauru was gone, part of Zelda's world was gone…she felt lost, tumbled over when someone had pulled the carpet from underneath her. She knew Link felt it too, Rauru was as much of him as he was to her. As servants of the Goddesses, they were all connected, body and soul.
Link sighed heavily and still clasped Zelda's hand as they sat underneath a shaded tree in the Castle Courtyard in silent reflection. It had been a long time since Link had seen his Princess in the flesh and it did him good to see her. Especially in times like these he needed to touch her in some way to keep him anchored to the ground.
He had not let go of her hand since they had sat down to talk. It was as if the child in Link, the ten year old boy he was never sure if he had fully grown out of, was searching for comfort and knew he could find it in such a trusted friend. As Zelda had said, they had an unspoken bond like no other, not only as the carriers of Wisdom and Courage, but as friends through the rivers of time.
"The Sacred Realm is empty without him, it's colder, I can't seem to get warm anymore," Zelda played with the grass at her feet. She had forgotten how much she had missed it in the surreal world she had been living in. "I felt this horrible surge of…I don't know what it was, but I knew I had to hurry. He was slipping away when I came in and died before my eyes. And all I can think of now is 'what's next?' and I don't have an answer for myself. I've always had an answer Link, I've always been the one who was so sure about everything, but I don't know now." She looked at him with her big, violet blue eyes and Link saw the uncertainty that lay there. It was such an uncharacteristic expression for her that Link could pick it up right away and know what she was thinking.
"It's strange, I know. I can feel that void too, I think we all can, but life will go on Zel, just like it always has. Rauru's spirit will come back," Link said that with a bit of difficulty, "and…"
"All things will come full circle," Zelda finished for him.
"Er…I guess so," Link watched the calculating expression on the princess's fair face as the words still seemed to be on her lips.
"Yes, yes it will," now Zelda was mumbling to herself almost absentmindedly as if she was having a conversation with an entirely different person. She stood and walked a few paces deep in thought that Link dared not rouse her from. The circle, the circle, all things will come full circle…She glanced at Link, thought for a moment if he caught the relationship to her vision those few months ago. By his expression he did not. She stood thinking as a tiny wave of nausea passed over her briefly, impairing her steadfast pose but a moment.
"Are you okay Zelda?" His eyes were full of concern, like always, and his broad shoulders sagged under the weight of grief. She nodded, not knowing where the feeling had come from and forgot about it. How hansom he was, she thought as she stared at him, with straw colored hair and light blue eyes, any girl would fond over him devotedly and swoon when he walked by. During the time she had known him she had even caught herself blushing once or twice. How dear a friend he was to her.
"Yes, I'm fine," she assured him, taking his hand once again as she sat down. "Now come, tell me of what you've been up to since we last spoke. All we have talked about is our duties and I want to take a break for awhile." Zelda wanted to talk about anything other than Rauru or her vision now. Link's mouth jerked upward in an amused grin and he lifted his free hand to run through his now cropped hair. Its short bristle still felt odd in the palms of his hands.
"Hmm…well, let's see," he started, "I got my hair cut." And at that Zelda laughed and ran her own hands over his clipped scalp. It was rough and was still in shock from being cut so short, standing on end a bit in the front and on the crown of his head.
"It certainly looks different," Zelda replied, "but give it a few days to come out of shock, and it'll look good."
"Ah, I don't care so much what it looks like, so long as it's convenient," Link smiled and leaned back against the backboard of the bench. "And hacked off as it is, it can't be much but." With the impending approach of Ganondorf's return, he could not be hassled by unruly hair. It was a challenge to keep that part of his mind closed to her without her knowing, Zelda having that telepathic ability. Link had worried before that she would find out what her future self had told him. But she mustn't know, or else things could be changed for the worse…
"And how is Malon? I've heard the ranch had fallen into some hard times."
"Actually, Malon is getting married," Link perked up.
"Really, how wonderful. To whom?"
"A stable hand of yours, an old friend of mine, Rook Campbell. Tall, dark hair speaks with an off kind of accent…good guy, as stubborn as Malon is. They're likely to kill one another with their tempers, but there's love there." Zelda's face glazed over serenely after Link spoke, remembering a love of her own.
"How happy for them," she sighed and checked with her hand to make sure if any of her hair was falling out of her prim and proper knot. None was.
"It is, I should know that Malon deserves someone to be as devoted to her as Rook is," Link meant that in honest truth. He loved Malon dearly for she was part of his adopted family having never known any biological relatives of his own.
"And have you found someone yet Link?" Zelda grinned and reverted to her childlike behavior, nudging him with her shoulder and making him get that pinched, 'I'm-trying-not-to-smile-or-blush' expression.
"Zel…" Link trailed off, rolling his eyes. Zelda dropped the subject, but not before she shot a, better find yourself a sweetheart now before your looks go remark telepathically.