behind the title: I don't know much about "The X-Files," but I love the term "Mulder & Scully." I think it's an umbrella word for those types of relationships which you know the relationship is like cute, but safe the way it is, but at the same time, you're thinking "kissherdammit!" For a Zelink supporter such as myself, I think "Mulder & Scully" defines Link & Zelda's relationship and the "police partners" detail adds onto this particular Zelink.
happy reading!
~ loveandzelink
MULDER & SCULLY
part one
CRYCRY
"Don't make me who you loved cry."
In the beginning, he was a sort of a hero, and her, a sort of a princess.
A Hylian was gripping a striking sword as a dominant voice crackled from his walkie-talkie, "Wait for the backup... Wait, can you hear me?" His fingers twisted the off knob; he signaled for his two colleagues to forward an extravagant house.
Inside, a gold-eyed Gerudo held a red crayon to a gold-eyed girl. A guard whispered into his ear. The Gerudo smiled tenderly at the girl, but as he raised a cup of tea, his knuckles were white.
The Hylian peered into the window, seeing guards. He motioned his colleagues forward. They positioned themselves beside the front doors; the raven-haired colleague knocked once. The door slowly creaked open, but the guard was seized and beaten. The raven-haired female ducked into the room as another guard forwarded her, but was cut down by the Hylian.
The Gerudo glanced back. Then he looked at his daughter, brushed back some of the gold-eyed girl's dark blonde hair, and cleared the table of her coloring activities hurriedly.
The other colleague, a red-haired intellectual, has a loose hold on his sword, but in the other, he touched a device which enlarged a blueprint. The Hylian and the female sliced another guard down, but one launched out of a closet to stab the distracted intellectual.
He lost his sword and the guard smiled manically as he maneuvered toward the door. He twisted his knife into the intellectual whenever the Hylian or the female attempted to near. The Hylian narrowed his ice-blue glare, but the intellectual was freed onto the Hylian before the guard made his escape.
The raven-haired female took over the wounded intellectual — that was his sign to go.
The Hylian held up his sword, ready for the last guard who barreled toward him, but was struck down. He continued on, until he reached an extravagant office. The Gerudo was sitting self-importantly in the chair, a throne more so. He smiled at the Hylian, not acknowledging his blood-stained sword.
"Welcome," he said, sweeping a hand across his desk.
The Hylian glared icily.
"You," he continued, resting his chin on his fist, "are a rookie, aren't you?"
The Hylian raised his sword.
"It's entirely laughable to think that you'd be — that you'd believe — you can be a hero —"
The Hylian watched as the Gerudo halted suddenly, looked to the side, then thoughtlessly bent down, and that was all the Hylian needed. It appeared too fast for the eye; a moment later, the Gerudo collapsed onto his knees as the Hylian stepped back with his sword completely crimson.
His sword rose again, but it trembled suddenly as a girl kneeled before the Gerudo. She was sobbing; as their mirroring gold eyes met, the Gerudo strained to laugh soothingly over her pained, childish cries — "Papa! Papa! Papa!"
Stunned, the Hylian thought the Gerudo correct — What hero caused a princess to lose her king?
◇ ten years later ◇
The same Hylian was sleeping on a balcony chair. Behind him, the doors leading the inside of his house revealed WANTED posters, radio transmitters, a TV screening the WANTED, multiple weapons, and a variety of photographs from a horse to an adolescent girl.
A screech interrupted his sleep.
He blinked slowly; he could see hawks circling above. Sleepily, he bent toward the railing plants. Plucking a hawk weed, he blew into it, causing two hawks to descend. Link spotted the letter attached to the larger one's leg. He opened it, read the enclosed, flipped the letter, and wrote a few words. As the hawks flew away with his reply, the Hylian entered his house to his bedroom wardrobe. He pulled out a striking sword, before tucking it onto his back. He also retrieved a dark green, pea coat and slipped it on thoughtfully.
He was missing something.
Or someone.
◇ one hour later ◇
The Hylian walked leisurely, but his gaze was hardened behind his aviators. Beside him, a young woman with gold eyes strode with her hands in her violet leather jacket. She pushed back her dark blonde, messy bob as the Hylian directed her before a door. They shared a glance.
Once past the door, a man was waiting for them. The Hylian watched the girl pluck a purple Rupee from the back pocket of her jeans. Past the man, the two looked around the enormous room fit for a cucco fight. The audience yelled, waving their tickets as fowl play occurred in the center. The two ignored the scene, scouring the gamblers until the Hylian zeroed in on him. He patted the girl on the shoulders, pushing her forward. She winked, before nearing the WANTED.
The WANTED was unnecessarily loud. Annoyed, she pulled out a lollipop and popped the candy into her mouth. She stayed as she was until she looked over at the the Hylian from across the room. He patted his chest twice before sweeping his hand. That was her moment as she bumped into the WANTED. He howled at her, but stopped as she apologized profusely while wringing a Joy Pendant between her fingers. Smiling, she walked away. The Hylian watched as the WANTED stood momentarily, looked around, before leaving the room. The Hylian did as well.
She had led him into a deserted hallway, nearing a dead end where the WANTED extracted a dagger. He howled at her as she turned around with her own scream. But then she grinned, ducking his lousy attack, before kicking him onto the wall. He was quick to turn around, but slow when the Hylian aimed his sword into his dagger hand. The girl then popped up beside him with an arrow tipped toward the WANTED's jugular. He screeched in rage once again, but begrudgingly turned around as the Hylian cuffed him.
The girl fetched a WANTED paper from the Hylian's coat and placed it next to the WANTED's head.
She grinned proudly at the verification of "Bokoblin," before raising her hand for a high-five.
The Hylian glanced at his busy hands; the girl still grinned and high-fived herself.
◇ thirty minutes later ◇
The girl was now sporting matching aviators as the Hylian stood on the edge of Lake Hylia. He heard the other car approach. A mustached man got out of his car, retrieved the Bokoblin from the Hylian's car, handed the girl a manila folder, and stuffed the Bokoblin in his backseat. He approached the Hylian silently.
The girl opened the bag.
The mustached man said to the Hylian, "What's with all this trouble, Hero?"
She whistled appreciatively, holding up a silver Rupee.
"Come back to the Resistance, Link."
Silence. Except for her laughter.
The man looked at her. "Is that Princess?"
Link nodded, but slightly annoyed.
"Princess, Zelda, that girl... grew a lot."
Link nodded toward the other man's car. The man sighed, touching Link's arm, then said, "Keep it up."
"LINK!"
He looked at Zelda, smiling radiantly, with her hand shaking the bag of Rupees. She popped her princess-pink bubble gum as he looked back at Lake Hylia, slightly ruffled than before.
◇ several months later ◇
The location was Ordon Spring where it was a spiritual and entertainment landmark.
Link was leaning against the gate where people were milling about, mostly with children. He searched for a young woman as well as Zelda on the other side. No, too old, too young, not black hair, not auburn hair, not male. She was becoming exasperated until she espied a snack vendor.
Link noticed her. A head of honey-blonde hair moved about, her eyes downward, but shifty. He was about to call on his partner, but she was no longer on the other side.
She thanked the cashier who smirked as she took a big bite of pumpkin Ordon cheesecake. Before she could swallow, her phone rang. Munching hastily, she looked the caller I.D.; she turned to Link with a full smile. He narrowed his ice-blue eyes at her, before nodding toward the honey-head girl.
She smiled enthusiastically as they both moved after her.
Zelda wanted to intervene immediately, but she and Link watched as the honey girl caught the attention of a blonde boy. He lost his parents, and sure, she could help him find them. When the girl isolated the two of them, she immediately knocked the boy unconscious. Link held Zelda back from bursting as the girl then carried the boy like an older sister would her brother; she steadily hurried away from the spring and was followed underneath a bridge. Zelda was ready to spring then, and was Link, but he paused for a moment longer.
The girl was waiting, waiting for a bulbous, green being — which Link and Zelda identified as King Bulblin — who forwarded heavily with a gang of Bulblins. The girl immediately dropped the boy so King Bulblin could inspect the boy. He sneered boorishly; this boy was too skinny, too wimpy, unable to fight. Provoked, he began to slap the girl — Link glared, donning his aviators — and before he could bruise her, Link stepped forward with a kick to his back. Zelda was ready, but Link did not signal for her.
Instead, she nocked an arrow in place.
King Bulblin roared as he stood up, before charging toward Link. He agilely twisted out of the way and brutally kicked his back again. The Bulblin gang stood, staggered, as Link unsheathed out his sword. He then stared straight at Zelda as he patted his chest twice with a sweep of his hand. An arrow struck a Bulblin's head; he fell, before another one was struck. The ones who fought Link could not match his speed and stamina, and they were all writhing on the ground by the time King Bulblin stood up.
This time, he had his green fingers around the honey-head girl's neck. Link shook his head, putting his sword away, before promptly nearing and delivering a single kick to his throat. The girl jerked away as King Bulblin collapsed. She then stood very still as Link bent toward the villian.
Link looked up at her.
She scowled, but Link knew that she wasn't the true WANTED. He jerked his chin away; she stared at him fleetingly, before running off. It was that moment that Zelda entered, her bow tucked away, as the honey girl dashed past her.
"Link," Zelda said, an inquisitive tone to his name. "Why is she free?"
He nodded toward the still unconscious boy.
As she gingerly picked him up, Zelda repeated, "I said why is she free?"
He was silent as he left with King Bulblin in cuffs.
She yelled after him, "Why did you let her go?!"
But still nothing.
Zelda scoffed and rolled back her head, muttering, "Ugh, how stupid!"
◇ thirty minutes later ◇
Always at Lake Hylia, Zelda was given the manila folder. Link stuffed King Bulblin into the mustached man's car as that man embraced the blond boy fiercely. He was still embracing him when Link approached silently.
"Link," the man said, gazing at him, "I'm in your debt."
Link shook his head.
"I... I'd do anything for Colin — more than that, I'd do anything to keep the ones I love close."
Rolling his eyes behind his aviators, Link nodded toward the car. He was patted on the shoulder again, and then he left to his car. Zelda blew a princess-pink bubble gum at him, winking behind her matching aviators, as she counted the Rupees. She put them down, reached for the next assignments, and flipped through them. She showed the good ones to Link, but he shook his head each time until Zelda gasped excitedly. Sliding her aviators down, she shoved a paper before Link.
"Look at this! 100,000 Rupees!"
Link was as surprised as she was, but for not because of the number.
He wasn't sure if he was looking correctly so he took off his aviators. But then his normal composure flinched at the picture. Because that face caused everything to rush back to him.
That guard — that guard that wounded Shad and got away with it — his face was still clear as that night and his face was associated with what mistake Link had done against Zelda that night and his face had a name to it —
Zant.
And Link damned Zant mentally as he immediately crumpled his WANTED poster.
Zelda gasped, whining scornfully, "Why?! It's 100,000 Rupees!"
When Link gave her no response, she irately messed with her aviators and slunk into her seat. But Link was beginning to realize Rusl's words. Gods, he ridiculed him a few minutes before, but now the Goddesses wanted him to know they were true –
I'd do anything to keep the ones I love close.
◇ dreaming fateful hero ◇
"Papa!"
He was mocking him.
"Papa!"
The WANTED had his name in bold and so Link did what any hero would do.
"Papa!"
He didn't mean to hurt her.
Strange, those cries appeared a little more deepened than a childish plea. Still feminine and so familiar; Link knew it right away once she appeared from under the Gerudo's desk. But strange, the memory didn't go like this.
"Papa...!" The eighteen-year-old Zelda cried, sobbed, begged her father.
Link felt the ice leave his eyes and harden his blood. Fear, he knew it once from that day and only that day, and now fear was here again — because she was turning around so slowly with something in her eyes that he'd feared.
*knockknock*
Link sat up faster than usual. His stare gradually left his lap and over to his bedroom's door, but still wide-eyed.
Knockknock.
After the second round of knocking, Zelda leaned her head against Link's door. She pondered carefully as she was listening, straining, pouting. Then she finalized with a gold-eyed glare and narrowed her eyes when she stuck out her tongue in the manner of a bratty child.
Inside, Link stared listlessly at his lap.
"LINK!" He closed his eyes. "I want goat milk in my coffee!"
◇ one hour later ◇
Link was out on the balcony, watching the two hawks on his railing. He watched them until they flew off together, before he retired inside. As he moved, floorboards creaked, but the groan of Zelda's bedroom door was louder. He peeked into her room and little by little — he remembered.
Photographs of a ten-year span starred Zelda and, most of the times, Link. A blonde-wood vanity he carved for her sixteenth birthday. Littered across the top was a collection of sweets that she'd always begged him to buy and he'd always stopped by a sweets shop just for her. A music box played her lullaby from a corner. An entire wall was dedicated to WANTED signs, of miserable faces that Hero and Princess had captured together, and that had always brought a smile upon hers.
He fixated onto her little, dreaming face.
She was curled into the four-foot stuffed goat Link had bought her when she moved in. That time — she was grief-stricken and confused and miserable as the WANTED themselves, but after a decade, this was her home.
So after Link closed the door, he leaned against it and slowly slunk to the floor.
He didn't know why he was bothering, but he was sending prayers, pleas, promises, anything, everything to the Farore, Nayru, Din altogether.
Just to make her stay.
◇ dreaming fateful princess ◇
There was no sound except for her lullaby.
Strange, she was squinting to recognize this man with a blinding light protecting his face and a striking sword in his hand.
To Papa.
And when he looked at her — everything changed.
Papa was smiling at her then and now his smile was thin as trails of laughter slipped past and trails of blood slipped down his chest. Beloved Papa was laughing now and it broke her lullaby; she knew it wasn't Papa that broke it, because he was broken too, but him —
◇ awakening ◇
Zelda gasped suddenly, sitting up with a light cover of sweat and trembles.
She brushed her bangs back, breathing heavily with her gold-eyed gaze focusing on that man's face, but it did no good — she could not see past that light. Gently, she slipped out of bed and then her bedroom, still focusing on dispelling that blindingly bright light.
Zelda walked until she stopped before the balcony.
There Link was seated in a chair, a claimed throne more so. His head was tipped back and his eyes were closed in slumber. Zelda wandered beside his chair, before resting against him. As if in a dream, she softly laid her head onto his lap, gold eyes fluttering, but awake.
Link still feigned his slumber.
She spoke faintly, "I'm scared, Link." Softly, her breathing parted before starting up again. "That man who killed my father... I'm going to catch him."
Link said nothing, but his blue eyes were open, facing the dark sky.
"Lend me your courage." Zelda's voice dropped as she buried her head within his warm lap. "... Help me, Link."
Link closed his eyes.
◇ one week later ◇
Zelda was gift-shopping for Link and she stopped by a shop that displayed a Hero's Hat.
Giggling, Zelda tried on the long, green cone-shaped hat; she stuck her tongue at the mirror. The saleslady waited patiently before smiling at Zelda's decision to buy it. While Link's hat was being ringed up, Zelda looked around eagerly until she found exactly what she needed.
Quickly, Zelda squatted behind a belt rack as she rummaged through her purse. Smiling triumphantly, she pulled out a wrinkled paper with tape along on the edges. She flattened the paper as best as she could, before looking at the picture and the man in the shop.
Yes. This is him. Zant.
She wrinkled her nose at the ridiculous metal mask-headpiece he tried on, and was surprised that he actually made a purchase for such thing. Hurriedly, she collected her own purchase, waited for Zant outside, and counted to seven before she followed him. Grinning to herself, Zelda saw that Zant's henchmen were leaving him with his shopping bags. She watched Zant strode alone and then turned a corner, before stealthily running after him. After she turned the corner, she found him gone.
Walking carelessly, she scratched at her bangs; that was the moment that Zant grabbed her.
Zant twisted her arms behind her back and murmured into her ear, "I'll break off both your arms if you don't tell me why."
Zelda struggled before gritting her teeth. With a cry, she slammed the back of her head into Zant. Immediately, she backed away from him as he touched his nose tenderly with bloody fingers as a result; he lunged upon Zelda at once.
Panicking, Zelda grabbed the decrepit pots along the street and launched them at Zant. It disrupted his lunge, so she delivered a quick kick to his back. She then aimed for a punch, but Zant was quick this time to grab her fist before it met his face.
He stared at her inquisitively, then bizarrely smiled, before harshly cuffing across her face.
In the middle of her fall, a piece of paper fell from her sleeve. As she lay with her palm stinging her bruised cheek, Zant smiled with the paper in hand. He opened it to find himself staring back at him; his smile widened excessively as he bent toward Zelda.
Hawks screeched overhead.
◇ thirty minutes later ◇
Zant reclined on his throne as his men searched Zelda's purse. One gave Zant her wallet; bored, Zant opened the clasp, before sitting up abruptly. A smile started as a picture of his old boss — that doting, but brilliant, Gerudo — with his daughter looking up at him, both smiling. Zant pulled the picture out, but another one hid behind the Gerudo and his daughter.
Now this picture caused a great grin to break upon Zant's face.
Behind the picture of the Gerudo and his daughter was a picture of the man that murdered the Gerudo and he was pictured with his daughter! This man was the same one that almost got Zant that night. And this is the girl that almost — not really — caught him today.
Zant roared into insane laughter, before getting up immediately to the tower. Upon there, he saw that Zelda was watching the outside from her barred windows. Wearing a maniacal grin, Zant approached her. "From living for so long, of course, you see all kinds of crazy things."
Zelda hissed in response, not meeting his stare.
"The bastard that killed your father..." Zelda looked up suddenly, startled. "... is the same bastard that you've been living with all these years."
She burst onto her feet, screaming, "NO!"
"YES!" Zant laughed maniacally, causing Zelda to lunge upon him.
"You speak lies!" Zelda screamed, pulling back her arm.
After Zant recoiled from her punch, he grinned up at her. "Ooh, powerful just like your father!" Here, he gained another punch yet he mocked her, "Tell me, Princess, tell me something!"
Zelda screamed in defiance as Zant bombarded her, "You've been looking for your father's murderer, haven't you, Princess?! Tell me if that man has helped you at all! Tell me if he even mentioned why he bothered to raise you! Tell me that you're not a guilty conscience to him!"
Holding her hurting head between her hands, Zelda screamed.
And after her scream had dwindled into a simple sob, Zant knew he was right. He knew she knew it. Satisfied, Zant presented something else that he'd stolen from her purse. Zelda choked back her sobs as she peered at the item and looked up to Zant in disbelief.
Zant smiled in proposition.
◇ near the end ◇
Link leaned upon the balcony, waiting for Zelda's return. He checked the inside clock and concluded she should have arrived an hour ago. Worriedly, he looked up to the sky to find the hawks immediately descending his railing.
As soon as the younger one touched the metal rail, it lifted in flight again. Link understood at once, and grabbed his sword before leaving the house. He followed the younger hawk to Zant's hideout where it was easy for him to sneak in.
"Zelda!" Link called out, checking left and right. "Zelda! Zelda —"
He stopped before her. Her face was blank and bloody, but her fists were stained crimson as well. Link breathed a sigh of relief.
"Zelda, are you all —"
He cut off his own words when she lifted her bow and an arrow from her back. She took steps back as she nocked an arrow into place. Link stared incredibly at her when he comprehended that the arrow was pinpointed toward him.
Zelda spoke, but her words were laced with poison and sobs, "So it's you."
Fear was following him.
"How stupid." She looked away, tearing up, but then gazed at him with such a saddened, gold glare. It was a gaze he hoped he would never live to see. "The person I couldn't find, no matter how hard I tried."
Link tried to reach for her, but his body was heavy and his ice-blue eyes were melting, brimming, glistening.
Zelda couldn't hold back her tears as she asked, "Why does it have to be you, Link?"
He was silent, as always.
Frustrated, Zelda's hold on her bow quivered as she screamed at him, "WHY?!"
What answer could he give?
Link tried to think of one, but ending up closing his eyes in surrender as a henchman smashed a club across Link's back. Zelda looked away in time, but returned her gaze to see him writhing on the ground. This caused a smile upon Zant's face, and he greeted cheerfully, "Long time, no see."
The henchman grabbed Link's coat, pulling him up, before delivering him a powerful punch. "I'll never be able to forget your face," Zant was saying as Link tried to stand, but another henchman struck him across the back.
From the ground in incredible pain, Link looked up to Zelda. She gazed downward, but he kept his stare on her, desperately trying to explain through the guilt in his eyes. From above Link, Zant yelled at him, "Why'd you have to kill my boss?!"
"WHY?!" Zant roared at Link, but he paid no attention to him.
Link continued to look only at her. Zelda did not look at him and bit back her sobs. Zant smiled, looking at Zelda as well.
"Hey," he called out to Zelda, waving an arm toward Link, "he's the one who killed your father."
Link reached out his hand.
"Shoot!"
Zelda lifted her gold eyes, squeezing them shut.
"Shoot!"
Link still stared. She opened her eyes, strengthening her hold.
"Shoot!" Zant watched as Zelda pulled back the arrow farther. "Release the arrow!"
Finally, Zelda met Link's eyes and saw his tears; she knew that he did carry guilt's heavy burden.
With a grin, Zant knew this as well, and forwarded Link with a dagger. He crushed his foot into Link's back as he aimed to stab into Link.
With that, Zelda finally released her arrow.
Link watched as it flew past his head and into Zant's chest. He returned his stare to see a henchman strike Zelda with a club and instantly, all the pain weighing him down dissipated. With the ice freezing his blue eyes, Link gritted his teeth as he stood with his hand reaching for his sword.
The henchman kicked at Zelda then; the others rushed for Zelda as well, but Link grabbed one and sliced him across the chest. Zant was screaming either from pain or insanity. Link fought with another's club, but his sword was faster and cut into his opponent. Zant pulled himself onto his feet, ripping the arrow from his chest, as he neared Link with the dagger in hand. Link had cut down the last henchman; immediately, he ran for Zelda — but that wouldn't do, no, it didn't work this way — but then Zant grabbed Link's arm, twisted him around, and stabbed him through the chest.
After Zant let go, Link staggered backwards, away from Zelda. He then fell onto the floor, onto his side, in the middle of a trickle of his own blood. Distantly, he heard police sirens situating outside Zant's hideout; Zant demanded for his men to stand and run and hurry and take Zelda with them.
Link's heart dropped as they all stood up like zombies before taking Zelda away from him.
Link was still staring at the exit where he had last seen Zelda leave. But she always entered and exited these missions with him at her side. Trying to focus away from the pain, Link remembered Lake Hylia, the first time she had been there with him–
Link.
I'm really happy.
Because you're with me.
We... we really are the best partners out there, aren't we?
Link closed his eyes, but this time, it did not stop him from being unable to cry.
◇ several miles away◇
An exclusive automobile stopped before a street. The back doors swung open and casted out a beaten and bloody girl. She simply lay on the street as parts of her bow scattered onto her body. The car then drove away, lost in the night.
With the last bit of strength in her body, she crawled next to a lit lamppost. She sighed, leaning against the cold metal, before dropping her head in surrender. There was no one on this street for long moments until a fiery-headed Twili walked onto this street.
She spotted the lone girl immediately, and in a thoughtful fashion, asked about Zelda's current conditions while searching her body surreptitiously. Obtaining nothing, the Twili stood up and walked away. But a guilty weight fell upon her when she realized she tried to rob an unconscious girl. Groaning, she swiveled around and asked the girl loudly, "HEY, you're okay, right?"
Rolling her eyes, the Twili checked the unconscious more thoroughly, before muttering to herself, "Oh hell no."
[…]
Thanks for reading!
CONTINUED IN PART TWO: LOVEYDOVEY
~ loveandzelink
