[h2][color=6ecff6]Navi the Fairy[/color] and [color=228B22]Link, the Hero of Memory[/color] - Castle Courtyard[/h2]
Navi paced outside the gates in frustration. This was ridiculous, the guard had left several minutes ago. Zelda's life was very much in danger. Could he not hurry just a little. It was the Festival of Time. At this very moment Zelda and her father would be accepting tributes from the various areas of Hyrule. Could it really be that difficult to find her?

A figure walked past Navi heading for a cart in the corner and the fairy girl was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost missed who it was. It was Link. The green tunic, the messy hair, soldier's mail. All of it matched. Except it could not be Link. This was a time of peace, Hyrule had no need for a hero. That left one other option. It was the one she had come here hunting, this was Shadow Link once again.

And if he was exiting the castle did that mean... could he already have completed his objective? Regardless of if he had killed Zelda he needed to be stopped before he could do anymore damage. Navi ran on her nimble legs after the figure clad in green. She grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him roughly to face her. "I [i]told[/i] you," she said with an edge to her voice. "You are a relic of the past, long discarded. You no longer belong in this world." Navi's other hand lit up with deadly green light and she pressed it to Shadow Link's chest.

When the soft cloth and vibrant coloring did not give way to shadow the light died in Navi's hand. She let go of him and stumbled back a step. It [i]could not[/i] be, it simply could not be. It was impossible... Navi scanned him. Searching for any discrepancy she could glean between his  appearance and that of the shadow imp she had seen not an hour ago. Then her eyes alighted on it. The sword, it was missing. This Link did not yet wield the Master's Sword for which Shadow Link carried an imitation. 

This truly [i]was[/i] Link, Hero of the Goddesses, Bringer of Light. The incarnation of an age old friend. Yet Navi did not deserve to be here. She was an outcast. She had been thrown away by the Kokiri, the Great Deku Tree, her own people and the Goddesses themselves. So why did she now stand in the presence of the Hero clad in green.

Navi sunk to her knees, her head bowed, not looking Link in the eye. "Hero of the Gods," she said quietly. "I did not expect your return, forgive me for my folly."

Link shrunk back when the fairy pressed the light into his chest, yet nothing happened. He froze just staring at her, the next thing she had done was fall to her knees and ask his forgiveness. He blushed a little at being called 'Hero of the Gods' it was a title he was not accustomed to. He gently kneeled and offered her a hand up, he smiled at her a little trying to make sense of the events that had just occurred. "It's quite alright, I just recently learned I'm supposed to be a hero myself... You know in my village fairies and supposed to be good luck."

He slowly stood up after a moment his hand still extended. "I'd like to ask for your blessing... I mean fairies are immortal and highly renown creatures... I've heard they can even heal the most serious of wounds." He looked at her then cast his eyes down. "They've also been known to be wise and... I could use the help, perhaps you could accompany me and traveling companion?" He said, hoping to ensure that Zelda's identity as princess of Hyrule remained a secret. He hoped she had remember to come up with a new name along with her disguise.

He sighed and walked over rubbing Epona, the horse seemed to shake it's mane and glare at the fairy, perhaps it did not like the idea of sharing its master's attention. Still Link smiled as climbed into the seat of his cart looking at the girl. "Oh! My name is Link, almost forgot to tell you Miss Fairy." He grinned, blushing a little as he rubbed his head, the hat falling over his eyes.

Navi allowed herself to be helped to her feet. It was such a shock to see him again she'd nearly gone numb. In so many ways he was her old friend back from the grave and yet in so many others he was an entirely new person. He didn't look quite the same, his eyes were a different shade of blue, his hair was a different color, he was an inch and a half taller and he was right handed instead of left. But despite that she could see her friend in the way he walked. The way his sentences trailed off when he was unsure of himself. The little things that you seem to forget about someone until the moment they walk in the room.

As Link walked back to his horse he talked about how his village saw fairies. Navi just had to smile, not exactly unfriendly but it wasn't a kind smile either. It was interesting how the mortal world saw the fair folk. Talismans of good luck, healers of the wounded, wise. It was such a clean image that Navi had to refrain from laughing. Something that few people knew about fairies was that they could not lie or break a promise. Far from making them a more honest race this ensured that the fairies where the most deceitful and duplicitous people to be found. Without being able to tell a complete lie the fairies had mastered the art of half truths and misleading words. Never a direct lie never the whole truth or complete disclosure.

"I suppose all rare things are considered lucky to the young." In that moment though Navi looked around sixteen, younger than Link by several years, you could see her ancient life in eyes. Navi couldn't believe her ears, was the Hero Reincarnate truly inviting her to be apart of the legends once more. "If you sincerely wish me to accompany you I will do what I can to aid you. Though you should know that while I certainly have talents, healing is not one of them. My virtue is knowledge. I never forget anything I see and can recall any memory to the smallest detail. Though I have no doubt you will encounter fairies of healing on your quest I am not one of them." her mouth tugged up in a small if sad smile. "They are the pink ones."

Navi inclined her head as Link introduced himself. Link, it suited him. "I answer to the name of Ciela." she responded. Technically speaking it was by no means a lie. Navi had never claimed Ciela was her own name only that she would respond to it. The art of choosing words carefully and never letting one drop without purpose was a skill all fairies mastered at a young age. Mortals had to be very careful exactly how much they inferred from fairy speak and how much actual fact it contained.

Link nodded to the fairy as he pushed his hat back up on his head leaning back as he waited for Zelda to arrive with his new sword and shield. He hoped the fairy would understand what he was doing. "So... Why did you come to the castle? Did you come to find me or something?" He chuckled, he hadn't known until moments ago he was the hero so he doubted the fairy had known. "Anyway you want to sit in the cart. My friend will be out shortly... She's... Bringing me a few things from the castle. Zelda is sending them with me." He said, Link's left ear twitched as he lied to the fairy.

"It's nice to meet you though Ciela." He told the fairy as he leaned up and petted the horse, the brown mare shook it's mane lifted her front hoof. She was meant for running, jumping, not pulling carts. Her muscles showed under her coat as she glared at the fairy once again. "This is Epona, I've raised her since she was a foal. She's spoiled rotten but I love her and she takes good care of me." The mare shook her mane again and rolled her eyes, the horse might have just been as smarter than her master.

The boy in green leaned back. "Anyway, we won't have to wait long besides a little wisdom goes a long way. Courage and bravery doesn't make me invincible." He told her as he pulled out a sketch pad. What Ciela saw on that would shock her, it was the Great Deku Tree drawn in charcoal along the pad. Yet it was impossible this boy had ever seen the tree, no Hylian but the Hero of Time had ever seen it. Yet here he was marking it down on paper. "I saw this weird tree in a dream a week ago, been trying to make it look right. I just can't get it, it seemed too regal and majestic to put to paper." He told her gently drawing with the charcoal stick. 

Navi smiled. "No, until moments ago I was unaware that the hero had returned to this land. I mean no offense to yourself but I had hoped to never see you again. You come at a time of need which means that if you are here the suffering and hardship you were sent to prevent will not be far behind. Though I suppose a little excitement in last hundred years might be good for me." Navi did not elaborate on the reason that she [i]was[/i] at the castle. Shadow Link seemed like some distant memory now. Besides she reasoned with herself the Hero always had a connection with the Princess. If she were in trouble he would know. In the meantime Navi could afford to wait for the guard to fetch her.

When Link invited her to sit in the cart Navi took a step back. "If it pleases you I would rather walk. The spokes of your cart are forged of cast iron. It makes me feel ill if I get too close and burns my skin if I touch it. Besides, it may be better if I fly on ahead of you." Navi noticed Link's left ear twitch. The Hero of Time had never been a particularly good liar even when it was demanded of him. That twitch Navi remembered was one of his tells. Though she wasn't sure exactly what he was hiding, based on the content of his words it had something to do with his travelling companion but Navi was unable to glean more without meeting this mystery girl.

As they waited Link pulled out a charcoal sketching of... could that be... Navi moved around, closer to get a better view. It was. It was a rendition of the Great Deku Tree. Not perfectly done, then again Navi had not seen the Forest Guardian in several thousand years. He could have changed substantially. For all Navi knew he had died and his sprout had taken his title.

It was known to Navi though perhaps not common knowledge that the Hero had prophetic dreams. The Goddesses sometimes showed him little glimpses of the future. Nothing as broad as those Zelda received but of specific moments or events.

Navi studied the drawing. "The mustache should be longer." she observed "and his base spreads out a little more before disappearing into the ground." Then something on the drawing caught her eye. Along the edge of the Great Deku Tree's trunk. It looked like a long large gash running from what would pass as his forehead and zigzagging down into the ground. It wasn't deep or by any means fatal but it looked as though he'd been attacked by something large. "What is that?" she asked pointing at the gash, an urgency in her voice.

The farm boy shrugged and looked at Ciela. "It's a crack, tree's sometimes get struck by lightning just start to die. Of course I remember it looking sad as if it were all alone." He studied it then turned to her. "Why have you seen this tree before? It looked like something you hear about in the Lost Woods. That's where blue fairies come from right?" He said with a slight smile. "Because they took care of the forest and were wise, something about children of the woods or something right?" He didn't know much about the forest but legends of the Hero of Time's roots did abound. 

"Anyway I'll let you fly and avoid the cart, my friend won't be long. Were going down to the festival for the night, might be a long time before we see anyone this happy again... I'd like to enjoy it, just for a bit. Run away from the trouble, just for a night." He sighed and lay their looking up at the sky. Fire works would start soon, Gorons had brought them. Right now the same stars that each other Hero had looked up at greeted Link, it wasn't much but he felt a sense of pride and joy swell in him. They might have all been different, some young others older but each of the Heroes had looked up at these stars, and thought of the other heroes at some point.

Navi thought about that for a moment. While it was true enough that some trees did get struck by lightning the Great Deku Tree was [i]not[/i] some tree. He was the guardian of the forest and could easily deflect the weather around the woods if it suited him. The gash had to mean something, but then Navi would likely never find out what. She was still not welcome in the forest.

Navi smiled when Link started talking about the children of the woods. It was such an innocent description of the Kokiri. In many ways the Kokiri were that innocent but in so many others they were ancient and forever. "Not just the blue fairies of knowledge. All fairies come from the woods. Some are partnered to the Forest Children, the Kokiri, other's roam freely." Of course the forest was not their true home. Deep in the belly of the Great Deku Tree resided the Gateway to the Fairy Courts where all fairies where born. It appeared to most humans however that the Deku Tree himself created them as no mortal had seen the Land of the Fairies in ten thousand years.