The next morning the sun is streaming into the royal quarters. It is quite sunny and light is inundating the room through the curtains. Despite that the majestic occupant is still asleep as she spent the greater part of the night down in the castle library doing some searching through the old volumes. Scouring the ancient Hylian tomes and grimoires had been grueling and boring but did yield a couple candidates for spells to reverse Malon's condition. Zelda actually was eager to try them but one can hardly tell that now since she's still asleep. However the royal canopy bed provides little cover from the daylight so she rolls over slowly and wakes up.

"I'm still tired..." The princess moans. The morning star doesn't take that as an excuse and she gets up to stretch. "It's late." She says, looking out the window at her solar alarm clock. "Nearly ten already. I should get a move on." Freshening up and donning her ‘Eve' disguise she teleports away. "I wonder if they were headed somewhere today..." She considers, walking up the path to the ranch. "Guess not."

The farm is quiet except for the morning birds and horses wandering about. It's a still, peaceful scene and the morning mist hasn't quite lifted from the rain last night lending it special color. Malon is sitting against the side of the stable with Link in her arms, asleep. She's actually napping too but comes to a semblance of awareness hearing someone walk nearby.

"Mornin' Eve." The immense ranchgirl says groggily.

"Hi." Eve replies. "How are you two today?"

"Sleepy. Had a hard time gettin' to bed last night so I don't feel like doin' much."

"I see. Do you plan on heading anywhere today?"

"Yeah, but I don' really wanna."

"Comfortable as you are?" Eve smiles. "I wouldn't blame you."

"It's not that, though I don't want to move." Malon sighs. "I planned on visitin' Nabooru today but don' feel too keen on it."

"Ah, I see."

"Gerudo Valley isn't too far from here and Link's been done with the chores for at least hour or two...just putting it off."

"Well while we're just sitting here..." Eve stands in front of Malon with her eyes closed, murmuring an incantation. She finishes with a flourish and points a flashing finger at the drowsy girl.

"Wha?" The scarlet-haired one blinks a few times. "What are you on about?"

"Hold on, let me try this..." Eve murmurs another incantation and spins pointing toward the sky at the end. A thin beam comes down from the atmosphere and strikes Malon on the forehead.

"That tickles..."

"I think this is it." The magician mumbles. "Come on..."

The ray of light brightens for a bit then fades away. The illuminated one looks around after it disappears. "Was that supposed to do somethin'?"

Watching her midnight studies end in futility Eve sighs. "I thought so but I guess I was wrong."

"What were you tryin' to do?"

"I was trying to cure you." The sorceress says as though it is apparent. "It wasn't a light show."

"You don' have to do that." Malon replies, not minding Eve's tone. "I'll worry about it."

"I felt bad about that whole potion rip-off. I was up all night looking for these charms...positive that one of them would've worked..."

"Thanks for tryin' anyway. I really do appreciate it."

"I know I was close. The equilibrium spell wasn't but I had something with the purification one. But the other versions are in Old Hylian and even I have trouble reading that."

"Stop frettin' over me already. You're makin' me feel like a nuisance."

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to but I really do want to help. This bothers me."

"It bothers you? It rained last night; what do you think of that?"

It takes a few seconds for the meaning of that statement to sink in. Remembering that the oversize ruby-haired girl has a hard time seeing the underside of a roof without being crammed in a place like a sardine she sighs, showing her sympathy. "That couldn't have been fun."

"I had trouble sleepin' through cold water on the face and had to make Fairy Boy go inside so he didn't catch somethin' out here with me but that's alright."

"Out here with her? They sleep together?" Eve/Zelda is having a hard time keeping her eyes from turning to wagon wheels inside her head. "I should just give up..."

"Point is I can deal with it, okay?"

"Yes, of course..." She says absently, going into deeper shock. "Why did- what- how?" Her mind is having trouble computing. "I thought I had a chance?"

"It's a lot easier with him to keep me company. I'd be batty already if I didn't have him around. So as long as he feels like dealin' with me I'll be alright."

Zelda nods dumbly while her brain is grinding to a high decibel halt. "I saw all the signs, why am I surprised?"

"I'm not sure he knows how much him bein' here means to me." She says softly, looking down at Link in her arms still resting no matter being the subject of conversation.

"I'd think he'd have a pretty accurate idea by now." Zelda thinks, still nodding.

"I care about him a whole lot too..." She smiles while toying with the hero's hair idly.

"I gathered." Zelda replies. "So could a blind person." She adds mentally.

"I think I love him." Malon almost whispers, giving him a little squeeze.

"I'm sure you do." The princess replies softly. "The blazing letters across the sky were a good hint." Her mind mentions on the side.

"It's not the same way you feel about him, though."

"What was your first clue? That you know each other better than your own reflections? Or is it that you spend all day nailed together and bantering like a happy couple?" She keeps this to herself however.

"But I wouldn't be able to get through this without him."

"Or without air and other things vital for life..." The princess remains silent. "Wouldn't be realistic to expect that."

"That doesn't bother you, does it?"

Zelda shakes her head. "Why should it? It's been true this entire time." She realizes.

"Are you okay, hon? You aren't sayin' much." Malon sounds worried.

"Oh, I'm alright. Just thinking." Eve/Zelda replies. "About all the blatant signs I ignored, like his favorite color being red." She reflects to herself, looking at Malon sitting against the wall with her pigtails coming over her shoulder and draped down her front right over Link. "I've got to have some kind of brick in my skull for missing that..."

"Are you sure you're feelin' alright?" The auburn maned one looks concerned. "You look like somethin' is eatin' at you."

"I'm fine really." Zelda insists. "Aside from having the Triforce of Wisdom and feeling like a ninny I'm peachy." She thinks with a remorseful smile.

"You want to talk about it?"

"I don't have anything to say."

"You sure?"

"Yes." The princess says aloud. "You just said it all...I simply cannot believe I had to wait until you spelled it out for me..." She ruminates darkly.

"Okay. I let you be."

The sage of knowledge smiles a smile that is somewhat forced. "Forgive me Nayru for being so foolish."

A few moments pass in relative silence. Eve/Zelda sits nearby in the shade of a small tree still pondering while Malon is resting against the building with Link in what could be called a cuddle and dozing lightly along with her companion. The sun starts climbing overhead and the still damp hylian sighs, noting the time after what could be twenty minutes...or more than an hour. No one is paying attention.

"I may as well wake him up and get this over with." Malon says to herself. "Rise an' shine Fairy Boy." She shakes him while prodding him gently. "Come on, got things to do."

"But I'm done..." Link protests sleepily. "You said so..."

"Yeah, well I take it back. Up you, come on, sleep time's over."

"No fair."

"I'm goin' to go stir up some trouble an' I know you want to come with."

"Not really. Can we do it from here?"

"Don't be silly. I can hardly start a ruckus from this here spot. Get up." She starts poking his stomach.

"Alright, alright already." He gives an attempt to sit up and she lets him down to his feet. "You're starting a commotion doing what?"

"We're payin' your Gerudo friend a visit."

Link's face visibly drops. "On second thought I think I have work to do..."

"Link!"

Even in the stunned state she's been in for the last few minutes Eve/Zelda gets a giggle out of that. "I guess no one is looking forward to today's field trip." She realizes.

"Running a farm is a full-time job and you should know that." Link mentions in his defense.

"Well takin' care of me is too!" Malon fires back.

"Don't I know it? I'm overworked from it all."

"You were just asleep!"

"Even saving the kingdom was a part-time gig. I was able to be an ace bowler, world's best archer and fisherman too on top of the Hero of Time thing. I barely get a nap in between time working with you." Her expression warns him that now may not be the time for humor. "But that's okay; luckily I'm dedicated to what I do." He adds as an afterthought.

"Luckily for you I didn't go upside your head silly boy."

"I'll pass, don't need any more lumps."

"I wouldn't hit you; you know that."

"I also know I don't want any more knots up top." Link takes a little stretch, preparing to walk. "You ready to go?"

"As I'm gonna get. This'll be the first time I kicked a hornet's nest on purpose. On second thought, maybe this isn't such a good idea..."

"No, it isn't." The hero affirms solidly.

"You are doin' a good job at bein' annoyin' today." Malon mentions, giving him a displeased look.

"You will just have to pardon me if I think walking near someone who probably doesn't like you and definitely has ready access to a large number of sharp objects is on the ‘when I'm feeling lucky' list."

"You're not bein' very supportive."

"Says who? I just asked if you were ready to go. I certainly plan on marching into certain doo- I mean taking you to visit her. Is it well thought out? No. Do you have company? Why even ask?"

"Do you think I should jus' quit while I'm ahead an' leave well enough alone?"

"Not really. I mean trying to smooth things out is the right thing to do. That just doesn't make it smart."

Malon smiles at his logic, laughing gently at herself "I guess we may as well go then."

"I'd hate to think you woke me up for nothing."

A few minutes later finds Link, Malon, and someone who may or may not be from the capital are on Hyrule Field headed to bandit territory. Of course their royal guest is just tagging along out of curiosity but all of them are prepared for the worst.

"Why are you two so worried?" Zelda/Eve asks. "Nabooru isn't crazy."

"That's a laugh." Link says under his breath while Malon giggles. "Where have you been?"

"Do you know something I don't?"

"I can start with she thinks fencing with live steel is fun. As in ‘I'm happy so let's have a good time hacking at each other!'" He says with a big, toothy smile. "Think about that. I know that little tidbit from experience."

"That's not good."

"Duh!"

"That's the goin' opinion round here." Malon agrees.

"I got a lot of stitches that all seem to agree her sanity is on vacation. So let's imagine her in one of those less than warm and fuzzy moods."

"I see."

"I could see through my tunic after I was done. You never want to be wearing something someone is cutting holes in."

"I'll try to remember that."

"It's not that hard to remember. I just appear to have forgotten it for today; I am heading there aren't I?" He sighs. "Enough of me being a genius. There's the bridge over there."

"An' there goes the lookout to go get the welcome wagon." Malon notes, watching the lone gerudo at the bridge run back into the settlement at their approach.

"Shall we then?"

"I'd hate to miss my own party."

"This is serious." Zelda/Eve thinks. "There could be some real trouble starting and they're actually going to go through with it? This is insane."

"Hey, you coming with us?" Link asks, noticing Eve slow down. "You don't have to; just want to know."

"May I ask why we're doing this first before I answer?"

"That's easy. You see that bandit girl go to get backup?"

"Yes. This could get complicated at the very least."

"Well that's why we're here." Malon says gravely. "I'm not anyone's enemy. So I figured I might as well straighten it out since we live in the same country and all."

"Oh. I suppose I understand but..." The costumed one looks apprehensive.

"No one's askin' you to stay round if things get messy."

"I don't even want to stay around if things get messy." Link mutters. Malon pokes him lightly from behind. "Hey, I got a Thieves Guild membership riding on this!" He turns back to Eve. "But seriously we already know what's at stake for you so if you have to go we understand."

"Jus' let us handle it. No need to get your hands dirty."

The trio arrives at the bridge. With Malon in the lead they start walking across. The suspension's ropes hold strong and the bridge does very little wobbling. However with one more step back to solid ground the huge hylian finds one of her feet plunging through the foot planks and the rest of her as well as her party soon follow.

"Not this again..." Malon sighs, hanging with one hand on the land's edge. "I thought I had it this time..."

"Again?" Link asks, suspended from one of her pigtails. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"I think so." Eve says as she looks down at the water with one of her arms grasped in Malon's free hand. "It may be relevant."

"Did I mention the last time I was on this bridge it snapped in half and slammed into the wall with me hangin' from it?" The farmer asks lightly. "I thought I might've..."

"No, you didn't. Believe me." Link replies, irritated. "Would have been nice to know BEFORE I stepped on it behind you."

"I wonder how it managed to slip your mind until just this second actually." Eve adds, still oddly calm. "I would think you would remember something like that."

"Well this is better than before. The whole thing broke apart-"

"I'm dangling really high over a somewhat dry riverbed. Let's talk more when I'm on less air and more dirt."

"I concur." Eve seconds.

Malon declines responding to that, as her companions are less than pleased with her at the moment. She swings the princess up to safety first then pulls herself and Link back on terra firma. "I was sayin-"

"Shh." Link commands.

"Please."

The three friends walk forward with caution and arrive at the central part of the settlement in no time. Every thief lady in Hyrule able to stand is in attendance and in spite of the high concentration of people there is a hush hanging over the area that even a tomb could not touch. All three of them take a deep breath and stand, ready for anything.

"Aren't you going to bow?" Nabooru asks, breaking the silence. "I am the ruler here." Link and Eve kneel briefly while Malon takes a curt bow, not taking her eyes off the archers. The spirit sage shakes her head. "You can do better than that, Red."

"First off, my name's Malon not ‘Red' and I don' think so. See these balloon poppers?" The gargantuan girl gestures at her pointy ears. "I'm Hylian and Zelda's my princess."

Next to her Eve feels a burst of pride in her disguise in spite of the gravity of the situation. "I'm flattered she'd say that." A smile touches the corners of her lips as she stands in the middle of the brewing conflict.

"So you come all the way to my territory to disrespect me?"

"No, but I don't suppose you planned on bein' too civil yourself. I ain't seen someone yet pull off a good introduction with swords since you surely didn't know my name." She looks around. "But I guess you all want to give it a shot anyway."

"I know why you're here. You're not going to catch me off guard."

"Cut the crap could you, hon?"

"Oh no..." Link thinks morbidly. "Don't press her buttons..."

"What did you just say?"

"I just tol' you to cut the crap, hon. I know you can hear me; it's quiet enough round here to hear a pin drop. So if you could do me that favor I'd be pretty grateful."

"You want some trouble don't you?" Nabooru asks and all the gerudos tense up.

"Here we go..." Eve thinks, inching her hand to her chain.

"I didn't say that, you did. Fact of the matter is if I wanted to start some calamity I'da done it already regardless of the peanut gallery you got goin' here."

"You have a lot of nerve..."

"Not really, jus' shootin' straight with you. Which I hope your friends up there are good at." She says, looking at the rooftops with their longbow sharpshooters posted. She's tempted to give them a grin for the hell of it but decides against it.

"You must be insane; look at the odds. I don't care how strong you are. Even you can only do so much."

"I was just makin' an idle comment for their sake. I'm not scared of you."

"You're pushing it." Link thinks, noting a few of their would-be adversaries flinch as though they're getting too edgy to stay cool.

"I don't think she knows what she's doing." Eve cogitates, surveying the crowd's mood. "This is going to get out of control pretty soon."

"You are one arrogant and over confident girl."

"Why? I'll worry about my limits when we get to them. Don't look like no time soon though; everyone's still standin' around lookin' pretty far as I can tell."

"You want to get this started?!" The spirit sage yells.

"I'm going to put a stop to this." Eve thinks, moving to take off her gloves. "I'm the princess; they have to listen to me." But she feels a tap on her shoulder before she can reveal the Triforce of Wisdom and looking over at Link he shakes his head.

"Let her handle it." He whispers.

"Up to you." Malon retorts calmly, not noting the exhange between her companions. "It's too hot to run and I've gotten rips in my dress for stupider stuff."

"Certainly not to be stylish I see." Nabooru fires back with a scathing smirk.

"Comes of wearin' enough fabric to catch onto somethin'. Not a thing you'd be too familiar with I know."

"You're treading a thin line girl."

"You all are the ones treadin' the indecency line really, and not to well I might add. If I was wearin' as little of my outfit as you were I could get most of my money refunded and watch Fairy Boy's eyes hang out of their sockets all the time on top of that." Link turns a tiny bit red at that. Not enough for anyone to notice, just to add to his nervousness in a time when there's plenty of it already.

"You're not making any friends here talking that kind of mess."

"I didn't come here to talk fashion with you. If ya'll think that shreds and see-through is in style that's fine. Whatever floats your boat. Rope ‘em in with their tongues hangin' out if that's your thing. I didn't come out here to make friends either. You don't have to like me and I didn't ask you to."

"Then why are you here? I'm getting sick of being insulted." The head of the bandit tribe sounds impatient.

"I'd be sick and have the chills too if I styled a worn bed sheet with holes in it and only had on enough of it to cover one side of me halfway. I'd probably end up disowned and arrested if I went out in public lookin' like you with that much of me showin'." Even from here she can see that her barb has hit home. "I'd be too red all over to make a look like that work. Somethin' about havin' shame does that."

"Why are you here? Make it quick."

"Glad I got your attention. I came here today because I thought things between us weren't clear. And standin' in the middle of a showdown ready to start I suppose I was right."

"I don't like you. You don't like me. What else is there?"

"If that's the case then why don't we get goin' already? I got a farm to run so I don't got all day."

"That'll do it." Link thinks, preparing to make an evasive dive.

"Now the fun begins." Eve thinks preparing for a similar move.

But nothing happens. The vacuum left by Malon's ultimatum isn't followed by battle cries or swordplay. A breeze blows through and you can trace its path through the immobile crowd watching clothing ruffle and a small trail of dust float through the air. Tension thick enough to make the small gust whistle on it's way from behind the vast visitor all the way past the reigning ruler heading back into the desert is supreme at the moment. Their eyes lock but the suffocating and pregnant tranquility is still undisturbed.

"I guess it hast to be somethin' if you got such high attendance and no commotion poppin' yet." Malon states, looking around once again.

"We're enemies, believe me." Nabooru reminds her.

"I'm not buyin' it."

"You can't tell me what I think!"

"If I thought you were my enemy I'd have gone straight for you. No chitchat or trash talk and just had done with it. If you thought I was your enemy you'd have either had your friends light me up on sight or you'd have gotten our little event goin' when I told you to cut the crap. Right or wrong sugar?"

Nabooru laughs, an awkward sound to hear so genuinely given the atmosphere. "I guess you're right on that." She motions the warrior ladies to stand down and it feels a lot better in the always blistering heat to stand about the center of the hideout.

"If you know I'm not your enemy then why the big turnout?"

"I wasn't sure I could trust you."

"I ain't ever been nothin' but honest. We ain't gotta be buddies for you to know that. Is there one thing I've said you're unclear on?"

"No..."

"Then why the mistrust? You must've thought I was goin' to make history the next time you saw me. Why?"

"...I was warned."

"By who?"

"A fellow sage."

"Well whoever they are they don't know me too well."

The head of the bandits looks contrite by now. "I'm sorry about the mix-up. I didn't think you were really a bad person."

"If you did we wouldn't have had this conversation."

"You're right."

"I'd tell your fellow sage they're a bad judge of character." Malon turns to leave. "Take care, Nabooru."

"You as well Malon."

After the standoff ended and the trio teleported across the bridge against Malon's wishes the three are on the field again. The near disaster is the topic of conversation still and they're coming to some conclusions after rehashing it at least four times already.

"I don't know how you pulled that off without making a battleground of Thieves Hideout. I thought you'd pushed her over the edge for sure when you called her out." Link confesses.

"I did too." Eve/Zelda adds. "I was ready to intervene but Link told me to let you handle it."

"I appreciate that. I wasn't sure I had it covered the whole time but if you'd stepped in it woulda got confusin' and I don't think it would've went that much better."

"It would have stopped the conflict."

"Not much else though. My list of enemies wouldn't have gotten any cleaner. Dealin' with it head-on was the only way to get across without screwin' it up."

"Speaking of enemies, you must have at least one if someone tried to start that conflict. And I suspect I know who-"

"Ruto." Link and Malon say together.

"-it is...you know already?"

"Mmmhmm. I figured it out yesterday. I told Link an' he agreed with me."

"How did you find out?"

"It was easy. When Biggoron said it left footprints that vanished and was too bright to make out I got to thinkin'. Fairy Boy thought it was some kind of angel or spirit if it and its footprints just poofed and was so bright an' hard to see. But I remember that zoras are real plain and white mostly so there isn't much to see."

"What about the footprints?"

"That was the easiest part. She got pretty far from the water but all those fish folk stay slick and shiny looking. The only footprints that disappear off rocks are wet ones when they dry up. Since Ruto is a sage she'd be able to pull off a vanishin' act just as soon as she's out of eyesight. That and I know she cain't possibly like me one lil' bit of course." Malon smirks slightly. "I got the commonsense I was born with still."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Zelda asks feeling left out of the loop.

"I think that's my problem. You're not my chaperone, Fairy Boy is. So don't worry about it."

"I could've talked with her..."

"I can stop by and ask her to quit chuckin' boulders my way just as easy as you can. The lake's not too far from where I stay."

"She tried to kill you."

"I think she knows." Link whispers to Zelda, intentionally a tad loud.

Malon smiles a small smile. "I'll deal with it believe you me."

"But this is serious!"

"Don' worry about me; I'm tougher than I look. Ruto is 0 for 2 on me and besides I've got Fairy Boy here." She says, patting him on the head. "He's got my back."

Link nods. "No doubt there."

"You can baby-sit me too if you want but I don't see a point. It's not like she's going to pop out from behind a tree like sheikah. She's not lookin' for a fight. I'ma be the first to admit I'm pretty hard to miss if she was." She giggles at her own expense a second before turning serious again. "If me and Link get in over our heads you'll be the first to know though."

Zelda sighs as there doesn't seem to be any convincing the old-fashioned girl of the danger involved. "I have a matter at the castle to attend to but don't get into another catastrophe without me."

"Can't promise that but thanks for your support."

She looks at the mis-matched pair and shrugs. "I'll be right there if you need help." She vanishes in a burst of Farore's Wind without any more small talk.

"She's a lot nicer than I thought." Malon mentions as they walk up the path to the farmhouse.

"Just got to get to know her." Link replies. "But it's not hard to be nicer than you thought she was."

"Fair enough. I remember I didn't think too highly of her at first."

"Good to see your memory isn't gone yet."

"Go do some work, stop pickin' with me." The statuesque scarlet-haired one commands with a grin. "Be useful or somethin'."

"Since you asked so nicely." He replies, returning her smile. "I was going to go and be worthless till you mentioned it may better to actually do something. There goes my nap..."

"You're silly."

For the afternoon all Link has to do at the moment is feed and water the animals. He doles out lunch for the farm residents but has trouble giving them water. Trying all of the three spigots yields about two cups of water total. The ranchman is more than a little troubled and his supervisor picks up on his unease from where she's sitting in the way she tends to.

"Hey, is somethin' wrong?" Malon asks from a distance, still sitting down. "You look worried."

"I was going to water the animals but I think there's a problem."

"If you carry the buckets one at a time you'll be fine. I am not gettin' up and helpin' you with ‘em this time."

"Is that going to make them magically full? Because there isn't any water coming out of those pumps."

"That's strange..." She gets up and checks for herself, trying each one in turn. "All three of ‘em are givin' me just vapor...that's plain odd."

"Normally I'd say the same but I'm thinking this is about right."

"When is it right for all the pumps to up and quit? There isn't a drought." The proprietor looks annoyed at Link's suggestion. "This had better be good."

"It is right when the Water Sage says it is right." He replies slowly. "You understand what I mean?"

"Oh, I see. Makes sense. I guess I should go talk to her since I'll be thirsty later."

"Sounds like a plan."

It's still good walking weather and it looks like they have another stop to make. With that decision the pair set off to the lake with no fanfare.