By: Blue_Ocarina
 
**Note: The twins are now 6 years old. When I say 'the boys', I am referring to them. And 'Gabe' and 'Gabriel' are the same person, Gabe is merely a nickname! Without further ado, here's chapter 2! Hey, that rhymed!

Chapter 2: Without a Trace

**Note: The twins are now 6 years old. When I say 'the boys', I am referring to them. And 'Gabe' and 'Gabriel' are the same person, Gabe is merely a nickname! Without further ado, here's chapter 2! Hey, that rhymed!

"Thrust, step back, parry. Thrust, step back, parry. Come on, Gabe! You can do it!" Link watched his sons as they practiced their fighting techniques.

          "Pull back hard, aim, and shoot!" Link said as he guided Travis through the art of archery.

          "Switch!" The boys nodded. Gabriel handed his training sword and shield to Travis. Travis gave Gabe his quiver and bow.

They began training with each other's equipment.  

          Zelda entered the training area. "Time to get ready for the ball!" she said. "I can't have my family show up at a royal ball all sweaty with torn training tunics. How would that make me look?"

          "Like your family couldn't care less whether or not you got laughed at," Link whispered to the boys. The two fell down, howling with laughter.

          "Come on," Zelda growled. She led them to her bathroom.

          "Not the girly shampoo!" Gabe and Travis whined in unison as Zelda filled the tub with warm water and helped them in.

          "Yes, the girly shampoo!" Link said laughing.

          "I wouldn't be laughing, because you're getting it, too!" Zelda said. Link groaned.

          Zelda poured shampoo over her sons' heads and began to wash them. Link stepped into the tub across the room and washed off as well. By the time Link was finished washing his hair, Zelda was already drying the boys with a towel. Link quickly finished his bath and dried himself. He came out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. Zelda had dressed in a fine white silk gown, with lace around the waist and a pearl necklace. The boys stood in matching black long-sleeve tunics, pants, complete with their hair combed into a part.

          "When I come back, you'd better be dressed," Zelda said. She left. Link dressed in the same outfit as Gabriel and Travis.

          "Those hair styles aren't cool," Link said to the boys. He splashed some water onto their heads from the tub and combed their hair straight up, so it was spiked. Link did the same to his own hair, knowing that Zelda wouldn't approve of his wearing a cap.

          They arrived at the ball a few minutes later. Every man in the room wore black, whereas all the women wore white. Link introduced himself and the boys to a couple of people before he found Zelda. They sat down to dinner. Link dug into the roasted Cucco. Zelda slapped his hand and growled to him that he'd better mind his manners. The boys laughed and ate the massive chunks of meat.

          The dinner ended and soldiers moved the tables out of the room. Musicians entered and began to play a slow tune on their grand instruments.       

          "Shall we?" Link asked, taking Zelda's hand.

          "I'd love to," Zelda answered smiling. They stepped onto the dance floor and danced. Travis sighed and sat down next to Gabriel. Just then, twin Hylian girls accompanied by their mother walked up to Zelda and Link. They talked for a few minutes, then came over to Gabe and Travis.

          "Boys," Zelda said, "This is my friend Gina, and her twin daughters Kristi and Kirsten."

          "So?" the two asked.

          "So, ask them to dance," Link said.

          "Travis scratched one foot behind the other and asked, "Um... Kirsten? Do you uh... wanna dance?"

          "Ditto!" Gabe said. "Uh... but Kristi."

          "Yeah!!!" the girls squealed. The four ran onto the dance floor and attempted at a crude version of the dance Zelda and Link were doing.

          Link was lost in Zelda's eyes. He thought he could look into them for hours.

          "You grow more beautiful every day," he said.

          "Link, you're making me blush!" Zelda said. Another hour passed, and the two kept on dancing.

          "We'd better check on the boys," Zelda said. "Gina and the girls left twenty minutes ago, so they're probably bored out of their minds." Link nodded. He looked around for a moment. Link discovered the boys asleep in a large chair, slumped over each other. Link and Zelda smiled.

          "I'll take them up to bed," Link said.

          "Ok," Zelda replied. She kissed each of them on the forehead. Link scooped them up and proceeded to carry them up the long stairway to the bedroom they shared. Link pushed open the door and laid the boys down onto their beds. He covered them with their favorite blankets and placed their favorite stuffed horses whom resembled Epona in their arms. Link kissed them on their heads and left.

Zephka lifted up the window and climbed inside. He gazed down at the sleeping boys. He readied the blindfold and handkerchief. He reached stood at the foot of their identical beds and looked at the headboards. One read 'Travis'. The other read 'Gabriel'. Zephka  reached down and pulled up the boy, apparently Travis, from the left bed. Travis's eyes flew open. Before he could scream, Zephka slapped his handkerchief over his mouth and tied it, tight.

          "Not a word boy," Zephka growled. He picked up Travis's blanket and stuffed horse toy. Zephka put Travis over his shoulder and slipped out the window.

"He's gone!" Zelda screamed, running into the dining room, where Link was in the process of eating breakfast. "He's gone!"

"Whose gone?" Link asked, catching Zelda in his arms.

          "Travis! I went into his room and Gabe was there, but not Travis! The window was open, his blanket and toy were gone, and he was gone, too!" Link stood up and ran into the soldier's mess hall.

"Alright! I want a complete search of the castle! My son is gone, and I ant you to find him! Search every room, every closet, everywhere! Go, find Travis!" he cried. There was a loud clatter of silverware dropping onto the table. They leapt up and ran out of the room.

Several hours passed. Link's second in command (and best friend), Manuel, came up to Link and Zelda.

          "I'm sorry, guys. We can't find him. We searched the whole castle. It seems he's vanished.

Vanished, Zelda thought. Vanished, without a trace.