When he finally got to sleep on the soft ground he had a dream. He saw Navi, fluttering above him, surrounded by other fairies of every color he knew, and some he didn’t. they seemed to be talking amongst themselves. “But he didn’t do wrong on purpose, he came looking for me!” Navi said “It doesn’t matter what he did, or did not do on purpose. He is coming far too close to reaching us. Even now he could be watching us in his dreams, and that is unacceptable.” Said a yellow one, its voice just a little deeper then Navi’s “He’s your charge anyway, you should have warned him not to look for you.” Said a purple one, something in it’s voice sounded like poison, and Link could not remember ever hearing a fairy so unconcerned with another being. “But he’s a human! We’re not supposed to have human charges, only the Kokiri are supposed to have guardian fairies!” “Enough!” said a dark green fairy, its voice nothing like the others, gruff and rough, as opposed to the sweet sounding voices even the male fairies had. “Navi, Guardian of Link, the Hero of Time. Your charge is your problem, and you will be allowed to guide him out of this area, however, if you do not find him and extend your protection around him by the next time the sun sets, he will be subject to all of our punishment. Do you understand?” Navi seemed to waver a bit in the air, and then spoke loudly enough for all to hear. “Yes!” “Then we are adjourned until sunset!”

Link woke with a start. Was that dream real or just his overactive mind? He shook his head, he wouldn’t let anything stop him now, not when he knew he was so close to her. He got up, looking over at Epona as she ate her fill off of one of the rare patches of grass this far into the woods. She’d be ready to go by the time he found some fungi to eat while trotting onward. He thought about using one of the masks he had from Terminia, but he wasn’t sure they’d work like they did, and he didn’t want to try until he really had to. So instead of pulling out the Mask of Scents to try and find more and better fungi for him, he stuck with pulling the mushrooms and shelf fungi from off of a nearby tree. Then, putting lots of the nutritious and good tasting fungi into his pack for lunch and dinner, he got onto Epona, and trotted on.

After some time, long after he had finished his breakfast of fungi, they came across one of the small, clear ponds that dotted the woods. In his time living with the Kokiri he had only seen one of these, on his way to the Forest Grove that held the Forest Temple, the first time he had seen another he had dived into it, exploring it’s depths. It was then he realized that at the bottom of every one of them was a small hole that hid a fast moving current that led straight to Lake Hylia. It had taken him a good week to get back to where he had been about, but he still found comfort that he could escape at any time, and in a matter of hours Epona would find him, as sure as the current that pulled him away.

Link glanced to his left. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he had seen a flash of purple light. The light was not there, as none of the lights he had seen in the Lost Woods had been. He supposed those lights where meant to lead the unwary away, to become Stalfos, Wolfos, or any other of the many monsters that made their living in the Woods. Even so, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the light he saw had been there, because all the other lights had been pure yellow. He was just turning back, when the purple light appeared right in his face. “Hello Hero.” The light said as Link fell off of Epona. Only in the clarity that being on the ground came with, did he realize the light was a fairy. He thought he recognized the voice of this fairy, it sounded like sweet poison dripped from her lips. “Well well, even the Hero of Time can be surprised?” She asked, looking straight down at him as Epona nervously dug at the ground. “I’m the Hero of Time, not a Seer or something.” He said, pulling himself up. “Quite…A pleasure to meet you, I am Kias.” The fairy said, her aura getting darker. “I’m Link.” He said pleasantly. “My, how you underestimate your fame with those in tune with the world. I know your name, as does most fairies that travel this world.” “Oh…” “Don’t be so disheartened my young hero, politeness is highly treasured among the Fairies. If I sounded condescending, I do apologize.” “Um…ok then, do you know where I can find Navi?” “Of course I do! Well…actually she’s looking for you, a small problem with the elders, she’s been sent to lead you out of the forest. You see, no one’s ever made it this far in without a fairy guide.” “Ah…well then, maybe you could tell me one thing…is it true that the closer to the center of the forest you are, the more attuned you are to Magic?” Kias wavered a little, as if disturbed. “Yes…it is true.” “Then wouldn’t it also be true that one attuned to Magic would dream of it, even so far as dreaming about the actions of Magical beings?” “That’s the legend, though I’ve never actually heard of it happening,” Kias turned to face him, her aura having gotten darker. “But you have, haven’t you?” “Then I know better then to trust you, I remember your voice, you advocated punishing me right then.” “Damn…you heard that part huh?…Oh well, just two more minutes and I can do what I want to you.” Her aura glowed black. “Can you run three leagues in two minutes? Actually…I’ll give you an extra minute…now run little one!” Link knew the moment she turned black he needed to get out of there, he remounted Epona, and set her off galloping in the other direction.

Epona galloped hard, but the young horse just couldn’t make any headway towards the three-leagues that they needed to reach. Then Link saw a blue glint off to the side. He knew that it was probably one of the fake beacons leading to Stalfos, but he needed Navi too much to not risk it. He aimed Epona right at the blue glow, and called out. “Navi! Is that you?” “Link?” came an astonished reply. He’d found her! “Too late Navi dear.” Kias appeared from nowhere and put her self right in front of Link, knocking him off Epona, and right next to one of the small ponds that led to Lake Hylia. He started edging himself to the pond. “Kias, stop! I found him, it’s over!” Navi came towards the other fairy. “No it’s not! We were friends, and then this little punk came along, and now you’re not the same anymore! The Navi I knew died the moment she met this stupid, insignificant worm! But maybe, maybe if I get the kid out of the way, we can be friends again, maybe the Navi I knew would come back.” Kias shot a beam of pure black at Link, and his entire body was engulfed in pain. It felt like his skin was on fire and his insides frozen solid. As suddenly as the pain started, it stopped. He looked up, and saw Navi blocking the Magic. “Get to the pond, I’ll meet you at Lake Hylia!” She said, shooting a beam of Blue right back at Kias. Link’s last memory was of Kias, crying out against his escape.

Link awoke to the sight of Navi, as blue as ever, floating softly above his head. Then he noticed that they were no longer in the Lost Woods, but on the shore of Lake Hylia. “Link! Thank the Goddesses. After Kias hit you with her magic I was afraid you’d never wake up!” He shook his head, sitting up slightly with a small weight pressing at his chest that he’d never noticed before “What was it Navi?” He asked, lying back down as the odd weight shifted ever slightly. “The punishment for trespassing, or at least what a single fairy could do alone…I was worried that for you to wake up I’d have to drag you back to them and have them finish the job.” “What’s the punishment?” Something was definitely off; just trying to raise his shield was more of an effort then usual. “Complete unaging and rebirth as a fairy. Though, I think it worked rather…well, unexpectedly” “What do you mean Navi?” He tried sitting up, but once again, that strange weight went with him. “Link, when you entered the Lost Woods from Terminia, how old where you? “Um…I think I stayed a year with Zelda, and then I spent…must have at least been a month before Skullkid showed up, then the 3 days, which I didn’t age at all during. Then I guess maybe two more weeks until I found you.” “And your Birthday is two days after Midsummer?” “Yeah, so that would make me…” He ticked off the numbers with his fingers, again, something seemed off, they seemed thinner, less calloused. “12 in one month’s time” “Link, I think she aged you a year, you look…” she paused a bit, as if stumbling over words. “More mature then an twelve year old.” “That’s good right?” He tried sitting up again, that weight still on his chest, but he didn’t look down, because moving his neck hurt. “Navi, my neck hurts too much to move it a lot, would you please tell me what I have on my chest?” “Erm, Link, that’s not important right now…I think it’s more important that you rest and recover your strength.” Navi was nervous, her aura having gone from blue to a steady orange. “Navi, what’s wrong?” “Why would something be wrong? You just need to rest.” Her orange aura flashed with a little green and a little purple, she was very nervous. “Navi, your aura always goes orange when you’re nervous so just tell me what’s wrong, please!” he turned that last word into a plea, hoping that would convince Navi to tell him.” “Alright…just don’t try to sit up while I tell you…ok?” He nodded, lying fully on his back, as the weight shifted again. “When Kias used her Magic, she invoked an ancient law. When as a whole fairies use their magic to harm, or otherwise forcibly change a person, there are no repercussions for the fairies, all, or most were agreeable that it was a necessary action and so the goddesses trusted that it would take a severe crime, or a noticeable trespassing into our area, as you almost did. To make enough fairies agree to do it. But when a single fairy attempts to use the same magic alone, part of that fairy’s power and knowledge are transferred to that person.” “So I’ve got a little of Kias in me? Right now?” “Yes…however, when I started blocking the Magic, something, unexpected happened…” “What? What happened?” Navi was turning a shade of brillent purple, Link had never seen that color before, but assumed it meant that she was embarrassed about something. “…When I started blocking the Magic I severed the chain to quickly, too sloppily, and it effected your body, making you look more like Kias.” “Oh…ok.” Then realization dawned on him. “Kias was a girl though…so I’m…” “Yes Link, you’re now a girl too.” Link took one look at his chest, and fainted.

Link awoke to the sudden splashing of water over his, now hers face. The sight above her was that of Navi, and then just as suddenly, a small wave from Lake Hylia splashing over her head. She pulled herself up and away from the cold water, ignoring the weight on her chest, which she realized after a few seconds, were breasts. “Sorry, I tried everything else I could think of to get you to wake up.” “It’s…it’s fine Navi.” She curled up, sitting, with her legs up against her body and her arms around them, just sitting there, considering her current state. “It’s a big shock…but you’ve gotta pull yourself together. You’ve been though a lot, this is just one more challenge, right?” “…I guess you’re right…can it be undone?” “To be honest…I don’t know, if it had just been Kias, then yes, but when I broke the link, I created a new magic, something both more complex, yet simpler then what Kias was trying. If there is one person in all of Hyrule who can help you now, it’s Princess Zelda and the court mages of the royal family.” “Then let’s get going!” She quickly stood, and then just as quickly stumbled. Navi giggled a little. “Link, before we go I better teach you a few Fairy tricks, you probably can never do as much as a real Fairy, but this trick is simple enough that I think you can.” “What is it?” She asked, sitting cross-legged now. “Magically making clothes that fit you. It’s fairly simple, but since you’re just starting, let’s try just producing proper fitting undergarments and altering your clothes. Maybe if you’re good enough at that we can move on to magically reducing the weight and size of an object, like a sword.” Link thought it over, and mentally agreed. She was no longer as strong as she was as a boy, she could probably carry her Gilded Sword and Mirror Shield on her back, but actually using them with even just slightly reduced strength would be tiring and dangerous. “Alright, how do we start?”

Three hours later, and at least ten times that number of explanations of what a bra was and what it did, Link had achieved what Navi said was ‘acceptable’ in the clothing department. “I just keep on telling you, it’s all in the visualization!” “Well I’m sorry that I couldn’t visualize what you were trying to say when you kept on pausing and stuttering!” “Well excuse me for never having to explain undergarments to anyone!” Needless to say, they were both tired, both hungry, and both very ready to get to Hyrule castle town. Link sighed, looking at her new outfit. It wasn’t that much changed from her normal tunic, she still had her hat, it was still green, but now it fit a bit more snugly, particularly in the waist. Her belt was gone, as Navi had explained what ‘mass’ they couldn’t move or rearrange would have to be taken from it. For some reason Link didn’t understand Navi had insisted on lengthening the bottom into a skirt. She had also insisted on adding leggings and making her boots slightly smaller but higher up on her legs. Link would have asked why all these changes were necessary and why they required the use of her favorite belt to make, but she was so tired by now she just didn’t care. “Let’s just get going to Hyrule Castle town then, so then Zelda can either fix this mess or at least get me actual clothes!” “Fine, I’ll get into your hat like always, and you can ride Epona there top speed, galloping all the…oh for the love of Nayru! I completely forgot about a saddle!” “What’s so important about a saddle? I rode Epona all around Terminia without one.” “As a boy! Your…nevermind, I’ll just do it, and pull out your sword too so that I can alter it. “ Link, more out of being tired then actually caring, let her do as she pleased, and after Navi fashioned a simple saddle of brown leather and adjusted Link’s sword to fit her better they sped off to Hyrule Castle Town. “Navi,” she said, looking up at the fairy in her hat. “Why do I need a saddle anyway?” Navi turned orange again. “It’s er…a long story and it deals with lots of new stuff for you.” “We have a lot of time, so why not start?” “Eh…” Navi’s orange aura seemed to have a streak of deep blue for a moment. “Alright…”

“…That had BETTER be the worst I have in store for me if Zelda can’t fix this!” They were near Lon Lon Ranch by the time Navi had finished. With each passing moment of the quite embarrassing and long talk Link got quieter and quieter as realization dawned on what Navi was saying. Navi laughed a bit nervously. “There’s MORE?” Link yelled. “Well…once a month you’ll start having cramps and bleeding out of…” “OK! That’s enough! We are going to Hyrule Castle, we are getting Zelda’s help, and she is changing me back!” Link kicked Epona into a flat out gallop as the walls of Hyrule Castle town slowly came into sight.

Link found it a minor miracle that no one in Hyrule Castle Town even noticed her as she just walked right though the town center and up to the castle gates. It was there she had a problem. “Oh-oh…” she said, patting down her skirt and leggings. “What? Navi asked, coming out from the hat to float just above Link’s eye level. “…I lost my pass.” “Pass? What pass?” Navi asked as her aura started turning yellow. “Before I left and found myself in Terminia, Zelda gave me two things; one was the Ocarina of Time and the other was a special pass signed by the king himself that gave me free access to all of the protected areas of the kingdom, including the castle. I must have lost the pass while in Terminia.” “Do you remember what the pass looked like? It’s another simple fairy trick to produce paper and writing on demand.” Navi floated, ready to try her hand at teaching again. “I do, but if there was even one error in it I’d be sentenced to death.” “What about showing them the Ocarina?” “Again, no good, only those with the pass are supposed to be able to carry it.” “So…” Navi took a good look around, and spotted the vines Link had first used to climb up and enter the castle’s courtyard. “We could always use the way we used first time we were here.” “Oh, please don’t tell me they ignored me, I kept telling them for the entire time I was here that they needed to remove the vines…” Link looked over to where the vines were, and saw much to her dismay that the vines, if anything looked healthier then ever before. “Well,” Navi said, turning a happy shade of sky blue. “Their stupidity is our gain.” “True…” Link said, and taking a quick look to make sure that the gate guard wasn’t paying attention as usual, climbed up it, and was easily half way to Zelda. Looking down at where she would want to land she noticed something. “They haven’t changed their patrols or where the guards are stationed at all!” “Hm, well, that explains why Hyrule’s Finest can miss a child in green move across the dirt colored road, jump over the fence, into the moat and into a small drain hole that just happens to lead to the courtyard were the Princess is waiting. They’ve been guarding the same damn stretch of land for all their lives.” “Remind me to talk to Zelda about it.” Link said, falling down, rolling into a run across the road, up the grassy hill to the cliff which she jumped into the moat, and made it all the way around to the main door entrance to the courtyard, were unfortunately, the guards’ stupidity stopped, as the crates of Lon Lon Milk were gone. “Well, now what?” Link asked, staring at Navi. “Well, we can either try the door…or I can try and teach you how to float enough that you can enter though the drain hole.” Navi suggested helpfully. Link thought carefully about Navi’s suggestion. On one hand, the guards in the courtyard were the best ones in the castle. On the other hand if it took as long as changing her clothes did, the guards would find them soon anyway. Then she had an idea. “Navi…are their any fairy skills on detecting life, or metal, or anything a normal guard would have?” Navi took a moment to consider her answer. “Well, yes but its even harder then making clothes.” “Floating isn’t?” “Please, floating is something that fairies are born knowing, the stuff with the clothes is what a one year old can do.” “Really? You didn’t think to start me on floating and then work my way up to the clothes?” “You wanted to get to the castle!” “You…” Link paused, and composed herself. “Whatever, just tell me how to float.” “…Fine, picture yourself raising from the ground, just a little, and then when you’re ready, take a single step onto over the edge.” “Over the edge?” “If you’ve done it right you should feel a solid ground under your foot, if you haven’t I’m here to catch you.” With a sigh, Link closed her eyes, and focused, willed herself off the ground, picturing in her mind’s eye that she was above the cobblestone. Then, slowly, she took a step forward, putting all of her weight on her outstretched left foot. It hit solid ground. She opened her eyes, and looked at the strange sight of her foot just there, perfectly balanced over the gap. Quickly, she took two more steps, and entered the drainage hole. “See, nothing to it,” Navi said as Link crawled further into the hole.

As Link cleared the drainage hole, with a slight pull to get her hips uncaught from the exit, she found that much to her dismay, delight, and absolute horror that the guards that had once occupied the main courtyard area where no longer there. “What are they thinking? Anyone who can do what I just did can get in to the very heart of the castle and start killing the royal family!” Link said, anger, fear, and rage combining into a yell of such fury Navi started to look for hiding spots, as there was no doubt in her mind that the guard to Death Mountain Trail had heard that. “Link, let’s just move on, ok?” Navi said as her aura flashed orange. “Maybe Zelda isn’t in the courtyard today, or maybe they’re in training exercises, or maybe we caught a break and we’re in the middle of a shift change? I mean, there are plenty of perfectly rational reasons why the guards aren’t here.” Taking several deep breathes, Link calmed slightly. Enough to see Navi’s point, but not enough to ever forgive the officer of the day, or the captain of the guard. “Right, right, let’s find Zelda, and worry about the…lack of proper security at some point when it won’t get us caught…”

It didn’t take too long to figure out why there where no guards in the courtyard. As Navi had suspected, Zelda wasn’t in the courtyard at the time. “Alright, you were right. She’s not here…what time is it?” “Um…12:52,” Navi said while looking at the shade that the flowers made, she had always been good at telling and keeping track of time.” “Right, every day at 13:05, Zelda comes out to the courtyard to watch her father hold audience for general pleas.” “General pleas?” Navi asked, her aura glowing yellow. “Basically, anyone who has the money, the influence, or by law the right to ask for an audience. Mostly merchants asking for favors and lower taxes, sometimes lords asking for more land or Zelda’s hand in marriage, occasionally messengers from the Gerudo, Zoras, or Gorons. And very rarely, a murder suspect whose case has not enough evidence for either a guilty or innocent verdict.” “Sounds very boring.” Link snorted a bit. “ Mostly yeah, but occasionally there is some kinda excitement, like an assassin posing as a merchant that was killed by bandits a few days ago, or a complete psychopath somehow making it past the outer guards to demand the King makes him ‘Duke of the Lands Beyond the Northern Seas’.” “Really?” “Only happened once, but yeah, the King was very nice, told the man ‘I will consider your request’ set him up in guest quarters under guard, and after about three days summoned the man, and in front of everyone said ‘while I do believe that you could do rather well managing those lands for the Goddesses and the Crown, I am not yet prepared to name someone Duke of the Lands Beyond the Northern Seas. However, when I feel that it becomes necessary to name a Duke, I will reconsider your request’.” “Wow, how’d the guy take it?” “Very well…until he boasted of it, started a bar fight, got stabbed several times, and finally died three days later in the town’s healer house. Anyway, what time is it now?” Navi very carefully studied the flowers’ shade around them, then double-checked what she saw. “13:06.” “Huh, something must be keeping her, oh well, she’ll be here in a few.” Minutes passed, long boring minutes in complete silence, until Link finally asked, “what time is it?” “13:14.” “The audience starts at 13:15 on the dot…Maybe the King asked her to sit in on this one…” She walked slowly up to the window of the courtyard that looked into the audience room. The window was one where she’d first seen Gannondorf, though that event now seemed a lifetime ago. She peaked in, and saw the currently empty Throne, covered in rich fabrics of purple, blue, red, and green. It’s gleaming gilding somehow meshing in with the fabrics to be soothing to the eye to look at. She waited for 13:15 on the dot, and when it came, a voice boomed from a skinny man, in full gleaming armor of a place guard. With every word it sounded as though he would break his armor off just by his voice. “Taking audiences today, in the place of His Royal Highness, King Daphnes Hyrule, who is ill, Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda Hyrule!” Zelda, in a long, white dress, with a purple torso emblazoned with the crest of the royal family entered, her developing figure somehow calmly fitting into the throne. From her lengthening blonde hair, shone a simple golden crown with a ruby, emerald, and sapphire in a small representation of the Triforce at the middle. “I will now hear pleas.” She said calmly.

“Zelda holding audience? Isn’t that a bit premature?” Navi asked a slightly stunned Link. “Um…yeah, but Navi…look at Zelda again. Doesn’t she seem…a bit older then she should be?” “Hm…you’re right…maybe I lost track of time in the Lost Woods, I didn’t really count the days. So I guess that instead of aging you, Kias really just made you your actual age as far as Hyrule was considered.” “You’re saying that I spent a few months in Terminia, and I didn’t age a day there?” “It’s possible, I’ve heard of such things before. Like that one time Kias and her sister Mies got stuck in a temporal loop, it seemed like two days to them, but they’d been missing for four months.” “So as far as she’s concerned it’s been a year since she saw me last, and she’s 12, or 13…I forgot her birthday.” “Her Birthday is a week after Midsummer.” Link turned away from the window and looked at Navi. “Give or take a day…I’m really good at telling ages.” “Right…well, now what do we do now?” “Don’t look at me, you know way more about the castle then I do.” “Well…if I remember correctly, the entrance to the main audience chamber is right at the end of the great hall, however there is a service door from the kitchen that goes to the hall directly behind those curtains. And the delivery entrance to the kitchen is right after the entrance to the courtyard.” “So, we wait for audience to be over, sneak in though the kitchen and catch her in the hall.” “We could, or we could sneak up to her room and hide in there for her to return.” “Or young Hero, you could just come with me.” Said a familiar, matronly voice behind her. Link turned, and found Impa right behind her. “Hi Impa…” She said, slightly embarrassed that Impa had managed to sneak up on her. Only slightly, because she’d never been able to catch Impa when she didn’t want to be caught. “Hello young Link. Though I am glad that you have provided a reason for the castle guard to be reprimanded for their lack of concern with intruders, I have to ask…Why didn’t you use the pass Her Highness had sewn onto your favorite belt?” Link stared daggers at Navi. “Oh…I wanted to try the old way in…”

Impa wasted no time escorting Link and Navi to a waiting room not far from the main audience hall; it was a lavish room, with several couches, easy chairs, and even a bed in the corner. Everything was decked out in greens of every shade, with emerald green having the most area, and forest green a close second. “Please wait in the Farore room, I will inform Zelda of your arrival after the audiences. I have instructed the Kitchen to bring up a meal for you, a servant will be here with it in half an hour.” Impa said as she left the room, closing the door softly behind her. “Nice room, I see why it’s named the Farore room.” Navi said. “Yeah, when I first came here it was in disrepair, this room was built more of a technicality then out of an actual use. You see, the Farore room was built for the comfort of visitors from the Forest.” “Ah, but the Kokiri can’t leave the Forest.” “Yep, so this room hadn’t seen any repair work for…well, probably for as long as the room existed. But Zelda ordered it repaired and maintained, just for me.” “Cool, doesn’t hurt that Farore is also the Goddess of Courage” “That’s the actual reason that it was repaired.” “Oh…Well…erm…what do you wanna do until Zelda’s here then?” “Sleep until the food comes, then eat, then if she’s still not here, sleep until she is.” Link said, moving to the bed and kicking off her boots, then she placed her sword and shield up against the couch nearest the bed. Without any more pretence, got between the covers and was instantly asleep.

Link dreamt of the fairies again, only this time it seemed more like a trial then just a talk. She floated above them, while the dark green one spoke. “Kias! You stand accused of Magic most foul! How do you plea?” Kias floated, right in the middle of the group of fairies, it seemed that all eyes were on her. “Guilty!” Muttering came from all the fairies, it seemed as though none of them truly wanted to believe that she had done it. “So be it!” His voice seemed to shake the very land of Hyrule. “Kias, in punishment for your crime, you are hereby sentenced to…”

Link awoke with a start, to find Princess Zelda hugging her. Link tried to speak but Zelda spoke first. “I know what happened.” She gave Link a quick squeeze then moved over to one of the chairs, a fine one made out of what looked like Redwood with a glorious stain that made it shine. Then she resumed her royal bearing. Link shook the sleep from her head and slipped out of the bed and onto the couch, to eat the food laid out for her. “Finally!” came the relieved voice of Navi, as she led Impa into the room. “You slept like a rock and snored like you were Death Mountain erupting!” “Thanks Navi…” Link started eating; the food was amazingly still fresh. “I kept having to order food taken back before it spoiled,” Impa told her. “You slept for almost a week.” “I was about to summon a healer to see if you were sick, but then Navi told us what had transpired in the forest, and I realized that your body must be readjusting itself,” Zelda said, a slightly worried look on her face. “So what have you found out?” Link asked between shoveling bites of bread and cucco into her mouth. “Nothing, all the court mages and court healers are preoccupied with my father’s illness, they have had little time to do more then run tests and search though countless books trying to find out what’s wrong with him.” “Any luck?” Link stopped eating long enough to get her question out in one try. “No,” Impa said in her most motherly tone, which to Link still sounded like the monotone of a professional guard, with a slightly gentle touch. “They have had more luck finding cures for old age then finding out what ails His Highness.” “What’s even more disturbing is that he wasn’t like this until about three months ago…” Zelda finished her sentence as Link spat out her last bite. “Did you say three months ago?” “Yes.” “That’s around the time I got back from Terminia.” “Terminia?” “It’s another world, kind of like a mirror of Hyrule in odd ways.” “Tell us about it,” Zelda implored Link. “You get me some more food and I’ll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the place.”

Several hours and many fold that number of dishes; Link finished her story of Terminia. “Wow…so you had to relive and do everything again within three days?” Zelda asked incredulously. “Yeah, and there was a lot to do…I actually spent all of my last cycle there making sure everyone and everything was happy…that was quite a bit of work, but I figured that they had just thought that their world was gonna end, it was the least I could do to give them all hope for when the moon didn’t crash down on them.” “What if it was already too late to stop the moon?” Impa asked, showing her rarely seen curious side. “Then I would have had to go back, and try and make the hard choices to decide who should be happy…wouldn’t have been easy with all of those people, let me tell you.” “Did you bring anything back with you?” Zelda asked. “Yeah, but after Navi and I had to use my belt to alter my clothes, I think all that’s left is my Gilded Sword and Mirror Shield…both of which aren’t strongly magical.” “Actually Link, I saved one of your bags…it seemed to have quite a lot of things in it, so I put it into my own personal space.” Navi floated towards Link. “I can pull the bag out right now, if you want.” “Sure.” Link tried to hide her joy at having not lost everything that she had gathered in Terminia. As Navi pulled the bag out of whatever space she had stored it Link noticed it was the bag she’d held all of her masks in. “My masks…this is great, I really did want to keep these!” She opened the bag and pulled out the Zora Mask. “Do you all want to see one of those transformations I Was telling you about?” “Sure!” Zelda let her curiosity get the better of her as she answered and Link pressed the mask to her face. The transformation seemed normal, a moment of pain, which was now numbed by her many other transformations by now. Then a moment of pressure, as if everything was being crushed and expanded at once, it was also the point that the involuntary scream always escaped her lips. The transformation ended with a temporary blindness, Tahl, the fairy that accompanied her though Terminia has said that during this part was a bright flash of light, when the actual transformation happened. When it was over Link was taller, felt slightly lighter, and she definitely was a little slimy. She was still a she, and was a little disappointed by that, she hadn’t really expected the mask to change that, but it was a little hope. Her tunic had turned into something with a bottom of a long loincloth with some fabric covering up her parts, and a top resembling that bra thing Navi had gone on about. “Wow, I never thought you could look good in a bikini!” Navi giggled, actually falling out of the air from all of her laughing. “Very…striking,” Impa said, disapproving of both Link’s current state of dress and Navi’s laughing fit. “Wow, impressive magic,” Zelda was being very successful at ignoring the bikini. “If one of the court mages could copy this it would be a great advantage in any terrain.” “Cool, isn’t it?” Link’s voice took on the fishy quality of the Zora’s, but it was much less then it had been other times when she had the mask on. “How do you take it off?” “You just kinda gotta feel for the edge of the mask, it’s not really there, but the magic lets you feel it and you take off the mask. After that, it’s just the same trip back to normal, only this time you don’t scream.” “Why did you scream?” Impa asked with an eyebrow raised. “I don’t want to, it just happens. I think the mask does it so that whatever pain is released out instead of actually being felt, because before that it feels like you have a paper cut all over.” “Her Highness was correct, this magic would be most effective almost anywhere. With the right mask a hopeless journey on the Northern Seas becomes effortless.”

Link took off the mask, resuming her normal form just as a knock came at the door. “Is everything alright? Some said they heard a girl’s scream from this room.” It was one of the many guardsmen. Impa answered the door, and everyone instantly heard the guardsman sputter. “Mistress Impa!” “Yes Guardsman Second Class?” “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that any children under your supervision could ever be in any danger!” The poor man was shaking so bad that Link could hear the plates of his armor clink together. “It’s alright Guardsman, you were only doing your duty, now please return to your post. I will be speaking to your commanding officer about your sense of duty shortly, Guardsman…” “Kimbala ma’am!” “Thank you, good work Guardsman Second Class Kimbala.” “Ma’am!” Impa closed the door and once again faced the group. “Well, now that he’s taken care of, we should start making arrangements for Link’s stay in the castle, I doubt we can have her stay here for too much longer.” “Not to mention you’re gonna need another name,” Zelda looked at Link. “What’s wrong with Link?” Link asked defensibly. “Well, it’s not a very common name, and if a boy with the name left, then a girl who looks exactly like him came…it would be very awkward to say the least.” “Fine then, Linkia!” Navi sputtered at this, breaking her long recovery from her laughing fit. “Too many people would get that! They’d figure it out sooner or later.” “I don’t see you coming up with any!” “Mercy” “What kinda person names their kid Mercy? “What kinda person names their kid Link?” Navi retorted, still giggling a little. “What about Anell?” Zelda Suggested, “It’s Old Hylian for Link, and it sounds more feminine then Link or even Linkia.” “…Alright, but everyone here has to swear to call me Link whenever we won’t be overheard…and I refuse to have whoever will be working on this problem calling me Anell either.” “I’m ok with that,” Navi said, actually calming down. “Sure,” Zelda said, looking at Impa. “If that is your wish,” Impa agreed under Zelda’s look. “Now, we just need a cover story and some official reason for you to be here.” “Country girl who came all the way to the city to offer what services I can to the Princess.” Link suggested. “Or maybe Impa could say that I’m a Sheikah in training.” “That wouldn’t work, no Sheikah is sent into the outer world without all training completed,” Impa let just the barest trace of spite from insult in to her voice. “We could have her be a Lady in Waiting.” “No, even I know that being that would mean eventual marriage to some sniveling lord not good enough for Zelda.” “It’s better then you having to tend to the stables and then not being able to properly shoe a horse when the time comes.” “Actually…there is a position that hasn’t been filled since my mother died…” Zelda said thoughtfully. “Princess, the position of Secret Lady is only filled by Sheikah, and only when the Queen is not of the blood, in both cases it is not appropriate.” Impa said calmly. “Though…I suppose a position that would act as the Secret Lady could be created, named the same and given to a favored Lady in Waiting…” “Excuse me, but what is a “Secret Lady”?” Link asked, looking between them. “When a Queen marries into the Royal family, by law and custom of the Sheikah, they are not under their direct protection until the King formally requests the protection of the Sheikah to be extended. However, before this official request even takes place a Sheikah female is placed into her royal entourage as a Lady in Waiting, always to serve the Queen until death. They were even given a special amulet that would allow them to create the illusion of different clothes, hair color, eye color, shape, and would even to a small degree imprint on them so that if the amulet was damaged they would remain undercover.” “Cool…any catch?” Link asked, intrigued. “You are forbidden to have children…” “No Problem” “…unless the Queen commands you to carry her child for her.” “Wait, what?” “If the Queen wishes it, or the healers demand it, a Lady in Waiting can actually have a spell cast on her and the Queen, transferring the child to the other’s womb, it also works in reverse.” Zelda giggled, “Don’t worry, their hasn’t been a case in need or commanded to happen for over a hundred years, and besides, I would never put you though that!” “…Alright, I’ll take your word, what else?” “The brevet rank of Brigadier General in the Army and Commodore in the Navy” Impa was ticking her answers off on her fingers. “Brevet means conditional, or temporary, right?” “Yes and in this case also means that any other Brigadier General or Commodore can overrule you. After three years of service you will get a promotion, then the Queen can ask the General of the Army and the Admiral of the Navy to make the rank permanent, anyway you will receive a promotion twice more after three years each.” “Anything else?” “A room right across the hall from the Princess’, wardrobe, weapons, formal wear…everything else a Lady in Waiting gets.” “Sounds good…let’s do it.” “I will make the arrangements, meanwhile, Princess, I believe the Royal Mages wished to speak with you about your father.” “Very Well…I’ll see you soon Link, and I’ll have to be calling you Anell…” She rose and left, with Impa trailing behind her.

A guardsman came shortly after Impa and Zelda left. “Lady Anell?” He said, his voice kind of shaky, and something about his uniform seemed rushed. It took Link a moment to realize that he was talking to her. “Yes?” looking back into what she assumed to be the man’s eyes. She silently cursed the helmets used by guardsmen. “I am Guardsman First Class Kimbala, I am here to take you to your room ma’am.” That was why his uniform seemed rushed, Link mused, he was just promoted. “Very well Guardsman, may I ask where my room will be?” “I’ve been told that you are to be right across the hall from the Princess herself, so you will be in the Royal Chambers. The Royal Chambers are made of all the rooms where royals other then the King and Queen live.” Link knew this of course, and had to remind herself not to tell Kimbala that. “Really? Then I would also see Princess Dina and Prince Ferao?” Link Spoke of Zelda’s younger siblings, both named after two of the Goddesses. Zelda would also have another sibling, but it, and her mother died in childbirth. “Yes, Their Highnesses will be on either side of your room, and when they begin to have their own retainers, they will be on either side of Zelda’s room.” “Very well, please lead me there now…and inform the tailor that I will require their services.” Link said, thinking of her current outfit. It was perfect for hiding Navi, as the Fairy was currently in her hat, but it wasn’t fitting of a lady of the court. Realizing what she just thought, she quashed the thought of being a lady, but couldn’t think of a way to politely take back the request. “The tailor has already been informed, as has the jeweler, the hairdresser, and the manicurist.” “Very good,” Link followed the Guardsman out, silently wondering how she was going to be able to keep up the act long enough for one of the Royal Mages to take a look at her.

Link tried her hardest to act impressed with the room she was led to. It was lavish, with enough room to fit her old house three or four times into it. Every surface gleamed with the light that showed that the gilding was well cared for, the wood stained and polished expertly, even the fabrics, all greens and purples, shined dully from their high thread count. She actually wished she could be impressed with the room, with it’s huge four poster bed, the ornate ash changing screen, the gilded oak sofas and chairs, all with silk upholstery and throw pillows, the fine carpet that was the only thing that wasn’t purple or green, but a nice rosy red. She wished to have oed and awed like it was the first time she had seen such a room. But all she could do to act was to stand their silently.

“Speechless? Don’t blame you, the first time I saw a room like this it took my captain a whole half an hour to get me out of my stupor,” Said Kimbala, following her into the room slightly. “Right, as I said, Her Highness Princess Zelda is just across the hall. His Highness Prince Ferao is to your left as you walk out, and Her Highness Princess Dina is to your right. The common room is down the hall to your left, and the baths are after the other set of rooms on the other side of the common room, where the others of Hers and His Highnesses court will stay.”

“Thank you Guardsman, I think I can handle myself for now.” She said, turning back to him, trying once again in vain to decide where his eyes were. Then thinking quickly, she bowed slightly. “You’re Welcome Lady Anell. The tailor, jeweler, hairdresser, and the manicurist will be here shortly,” He bowed. “Just ask any other Guardsman for directions should you be lost.” He left, closing the door silently. Link sighed, looking around the room. It was very large, and looking into the only other door in the room she found that she had her own toilet and sink. Looking into the wardrobe she found it large enough to hold everything that she owned several times over. She had just dropped her sword, shield, and mask bag down next to her bed when the door nearly slammed open. Looking she found three very beautiful women in dresses made to fit them very snugly, and a Goron carrying a large wooden box. “Oh, look at those rags…No wonder the Princess insisted we come immediately!” Said the first woman, with blue eyes and long red hair, wearing a dress of dull orange that showed off what little figure she had. “And that Hair, so gorgeous, but so dirty and short!” Said the second, with brown eyes and similarly colored short hair, her dress was also orange, but bright and mixed with black at the sleeves it showed her even smaller figure off. “And her nails, positively caked with dirt, but I’m sure we can do something about that!” Said the Last, with green eyes and shoulder length blonde hair, her dress an eye-bleeding combination of shiny yellow and red that almost hid her, from what Link could see, expansive figure. “If I may first, misses?” Said the Goron, moving to Link holding out a measuring device. He quickly crossed the gap between them and took a measurement of Link’s ring finger. “Hm…I should have this done shortly before dinner is called milady, I will start work immediately, if I may use your desk?” He said, pointing to a small, delicate looking desk with a single chair. “Um…yes, of course.” “Thank you milady.” He said, walking to the desk, dropping his box delicately on it and opening it’s many latches. Link would have liked to have watched any Goron craftsman work, but a suddenly as they entered the three women grabbed hold of her, the two in orange dragging her by her arms.

“Let’s give her a good washing first ladies! To the baths!” The one in red and yellow acted as though she was the leader of a parade, leading them back to the baths. At a near dizzying speed, so fast that Link couldn’t even see the common room they were at the baths. The Baths were a large room with many marble columns, there was a single, large heated bath where the majority of the bathing took place, with walls that rose slightly above the water along the side farthest from the door. Towels made of the finest cotton lined the far walls like white tapestries. There were two others in the room, a young girl, about eight with golden hair and green eyes was splashing around near the center of the bath under the watchful eye of a female attendant. Link knew immediately that the girl was Princess Dina, and the attendant was one of the Sheikah. But even those simple deductions were all she had time for before she felt a breeze as she was striped by the women, and thrown into the bath. Water surrounded her, and then she breached the water’s surface to the sounds of giggling. “Nehsa they’re funny!” The Princess’s young voice echoed though out the room. “Indeed Princess…now, come, we must get you ready for supper.” “Awwwww…but Nehsa, I wanted to play with her, she looks like she’s fun!” “Later, when both she and we have more time Dina.” “Oh…alright.” The young Princess paddled over to the side where Nehsa waited with an open towel. “I still don’t understand why I can’t just walk back to my room and dry off there.” “It wouldn’t be proper for a lady.” Nehsa said, leading them out the door. Link watched them go kinda sadly, she had hoped that someone would stay. She was so distracted by them that she didn’t notice the three ladies descending on her with soap and washcloths. So she actually struggled for a little against the hands dragging her to one of the underwater benches. Then the washing began. Everywhere, she felt the hands of the ladies washing, her chest, her back, her neck, her face, even between her legs they attacked the dirt with a seemingly endless vigor. Then after just a few mintues they stopped as two of them, the ones in orange actually, took her arms and held her hands out to the lady in red and yellow. “Now, just to give them a nice scrubbing, I’ll save the real work for dear Milsay,” she nodded to the lady that wore orange and black. She, Milsay, giggled a little as the red and yellow took out a fine brush or ivory with stiff, tightly packed bristles. Red and yellow scrubbed mercilessly at the dirt and blood that still caked Link’s nails. Link didn’t Mind the scrubbing, until she realized that at least twenty minutes later the woman was still scrubbing at the nails on her right hand and hadn’t even started on the left. After about five more minutes red and yellow looked to Milsay. “Dear, you wouldn’t happen to have anything to take care of this, would you?” she held up Link’s hand. Her nails were the cleanest they’d ever been, but then again, she’d never bothered to really take care of his nails, and she could see that they still had dirt caked in places and under the nail was a black line of dirt, blood, and grime. “Dear me, Abatha! I might just have to do a deep treatment, I haven’t done one in years!” at this point the other two gasped, and muttered between themselves. “A Deep treatment, where did this girl come from?” “I Don’t know, but if she needs a deep treatment then it must be bad!” “My dear girl, where are you from?” asked Abatha. Link tried acting cool, she had to come up with a plausible answer, and fast. “Between the Forest and Lake Hyrule.” “The Forest!” they all said together, obviously she had blown her cover, as she looked for someway to slip out of their grasp and sight, they started chatting at each other again. “The Forest! Poor dear, probably lost her family!” “If half the stories are true I’m surprised her nails are THIS good!” “Oh yes, the poor dear needs a deep treatment right away, but perhaps we should finish this good scrubbing, I’ll work on the other nails, you two work on her hair.” “Right, Yeada, perhaps a little hair growth is in order?” “True, Milsay, I think maybe a foot would do.” Link spoke up, she couldn’t be silent while they where planning to give her another foot of hair! She had already let it go too long. “I like my hair short.” “Of course dearie, but you can always make it shorter if need be…” Link tried to move away, but with a little muttering the hair growth spell hit her. Her hair splayed out before the water. “Oops, got a little carried away with myself, though I guess Three feet is a nice even number.” “Yeada, you always did go too far with your hair, didn’t you?” “A little, oh well, let’s wash it, it’s turning a wonderful strawberry blond…” Link didn’t need to move at all to notice her hair as its entire length flowed about her body. It had gained a slight reddish tint to it, making it seem more like pink streamers then hair. Though it was quickly bundled up into a braid that both Yeada and Milsay where making together, their hands lightning fast. As Abatha took extra vigor to Link’s left hand nails. As She did that Yeada and Milsay started chanting a spell over Link. “Don’t worry dearie, it’s just to make sure the only place there’s hair is on your head.” Said Yeada as they finished. Then as suddenly as she was put in to the water, she was pulled out swiftly and wrapped into one of the many towels. Then just as quickly dragged back to her room. They completely ignored the Goron craftsman as they threw her behind the changing screen and onto a footstool that was there. The towel was ripped off her just as quickly and they swarmed her with tape measures. “Bust…B34, she’s nicely filled out for her age” “True, her hips are a nice 32…” “And her waist a near perfect 27…this should make getting her properly fitting clothes a very easy task.” “ Very.” In a moment Link suddenly had a bra and panties on, in a another a corset, three more later she had a complete dress on, a blue dress, similar to what Zelda wore, but the mark of the Royal family was silver, which Link knew meant she was a personal servant of one of the family. “Have a good day dearie! We’ll have more sent to you soon!” the three women where out the door before Link could say goodbye. Over at the table, the Goron chuckled knowingly. He turned to Link, his box closing itself. “Tell me did you figure out which woman was the tailor, the hairdresser and the manicurist?” “Um…I think the one they called Yeada was the hairdresser, and the manicurist was Milsay?” He chuckled again, “you milady have just learned more about them in that single session then I could in three years serving as the Royal Family’s Jeweler. I thank you for the use of your desk, here is your ring,” He handed her a ring made of silver with a ruby that had an eye in the very center of it. The band of the ring seemed to have a tear drop down from either side of the ruby “Never was ordered to make that design before, but I hope it is adequate. Fare well milady.” He left quickly, following the three women, leaving Link with the ring in her hand.