Author's notes: Yes, here it is, the new, expanded, completely rewritten, and drastically improved Future Hyrule! As with the original version, this story uses a single timeline composed of all of the games in the series. Warnings for this story include language, sometimes graphic violence, character death, some dark themes, and other warnings that will be added as the story progresses. Enjoy!

PROLOGUE

The Poe in the Bottle is old, even for Olde Town. It's large, too, for a tavern: two stories tall, with four different bars in four separate rooms, plus several smaller rooms for groups or events. The imposing stone and wood-paneled walls are covered in neon signs, strings of multicolored lights, replica banners, and a long shelf covered with glowing, shimmering forms inside old glass bottles above each dark, highly-polished bar. Brightly colored ads for local brews hang between old weapons and modern lights designed to look like antique sconces, with even more strings of lights stretching between massive wrought-iron chandeliers.

In other words, the perfect place for a bunch of historians to meet after work.

Now which room is everyone in again? I think I remember something about staying on the first floor, but...

"Woo."

What the?

"Woooo! Spooky!"

I turn towards the voice and straight into a flickering blue light hovering right in front of my face. What is that and why is it in my face?

"Check it out, Link! Isn't it cool? You can buy light-up bottles now!"

Is that what that light is? Yes, it is; it's a half-full bottle of something golden with an outer shell that lights up blue. And Ralph looks entirely too proud to be holding it.

"Don't you already have a light-up glass?"

"Four of 'em, actually, but they're glasses. This is a bottle!"

Yes, I can see that. "And can you actually take the bottle with you? This isn't going to be like that tankard, is it?"

"Not so loud! Besides, it's cool. I bought this one fair and square."

"You can't blame me for asking. Am I the last one here?"

"Nah, we're still missing like half the group. I came up here because I figured somebody needed to be the guide. We're in the Deku Lounge, so head on in, make yourself comfy, grab a drink, all that good stuff." Ralph brushes some of his red hair out of his face and gives me a broad, carefree grin. "And remember: we're here to celebrate, so who's counting, am I right?"

"If you say so."

"Yeah, I do say so. And if you don't want it, then more ale for me! Oh, right! Boss-man seemed really happy earlier, so I think something's up."

'Something' could mean a lot of things. "Do you know what?"

"Nah. I tried asking him, but he said I have to wait like everyone else." Ralph rolls his eyes and takes a drink from his bottle. "So your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, head on over to the lounge. I'm going to stay out here and watch for the others."

"Thanks." The Deku Lounge is on the first floor, near the back. Unlike the front bar, the lounge has vines along the ceiling and hanging from all the lights and ferns hanging on the walls. Several of the tables have been pushed together to make a single longer one, and unneeded chairs line the walls. A polished silver tray full of empty glasses sits at one end of the table.

Ralph's right; roughly half of the Project is here, sitting scattered around the table in pairs or trios, except for one person with long lavender hair sitting off by himself at the end opposite the tray.

Of course he's over by himself, I think, walking over to sit down next to him. He doesn't look up; he's too busy cleaning his glasses with the end of his long navy blue shirt. He always looks so serious when he has his glasses off. Then again, he tends to look serious when he has them on, too, at least when he's around the rest of the Project. I swear he really only relaxes when it's just the two of us.

I drape my jacket over the back of my chair. "Hi, Vael."

He glances over at me. "Hm? Ah, hello, Link." He finishes cleaning his glasses and slides them back on. Then he brushes his hair back into place. Some of his long hair falls forward over his shoulder. It looks soft and smooth, unlike mine.

"'In the shadow of the Mountain of Death waits the ultimate fletch quest'," Vael says quietly, raising one eyebrow. "You'll have to explain that one to me."

"Huh?" I'm not staring, I swear. "What do you mean?"

"Your shirt. What is a 'fletch quest'?"

Oh, right. "Have you ever played an adventure game? They like to send you on fetch quests." I don't think he understands. "It's a quest where the entire point is to fetch something."

"I see, but I asked about a fletch quest."

I sigh. "It's an archery pun, Vael. Arrows have fletching, so... fletch quest. I got this shirt at an archery competition called Bows over Death Mountain."

"Ah. That explains so much." Vael chuckles. I'm still not sure he gets it.

I hear a loud, deep laugh and turn towards it. Garrimed walks over to the table, tankard in hand, along with Ralph and a couple more of our coworkers. I'm so used to seeing Garrimed in his smith's apron or with soot smudged everywhere that it's weird seeing him in normal, clean clothing. He really doesn't look any weirder than anyone else here, but the rest of us don't spend a good chunk of our time at a forge.

I'm thinking too much. We're all dressed pretty casually since we're in a tavern instead of on campus.

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" Chambers is at the other end of the table; when did he get here? He looks over a piece of paper before folding it neatly and sliding it into the pocket of his sweater-vest. "Now, all of us know that we're here to celebrate one full year of the Royal History Project. However, it is my great pleasure to announce that this is not our only reason to celebrate tonight. I have just received word that as of next month, the members of the Royal History Project will be granted access to the Royal Archives Vault and all of the records and artifacts within."

"They're going to let us in?"

"I thought only the royal family has access to the Vault."

Chambers nods and chuckles. "We are very fortuitous that the Vault is about to be undergoing a massive inventory - perhaps the first in centuries - and the Project has been granted exclusive permission to assist with the task. We will be receiving crates of artifacts and documents to examine and record. I'm sure you all understand the significance of this."

I certainly understand. We'll be seeing things that have been locked away in the Vault for generations. Rumor has it that some of Hyrule's ancient treasures have been kept safe from the ages inside the Vault, and even if that isn't true, there's no telling what kind of information will be in those old archives. There may be entire hero's legends that have been otherwise lost to time sitting on the shelves in there, just waiting to be translated!

I'm probably being overly optimistic. Considering how my luck's been lately, I'll end up translating a bunch of land disputes or records of petty squabbles brought before some village council or something. No, there has to be something relevant to my work in there. There just has to be. Surely, the palace would protect important documents, and there's not a lot that's more important than the legends of Hyrule's heroes.

A cork popping pulls me out of my thoughts. It doesn't take long for glasses to be filled and for the glasses to reach everyone's hands. Everyone around me is laughing and talking; someone slaps me on the back.

"And now, a toast!" Chambers says proudly, raising his glass. "A toast to the end of a very successful year, and a toast to what should be a most fascinating year ahead. May we find something in the Vault that changes history as we know it! To the Royal History Project!"

"To the Royal History Project!" We all lean in over the table to clink our glasses together, laughing. We drink our champagne and spend a while congratulating each other.

Of course we do. We were all brought together a year ago for the specific goal of exploring Hyrule's past and trying to piece together the largest, most in-depth historical record of the kingdom ever made. We've still got a long way to go, but I want to think that we've proven ourselves. Since we're getting access to the Vault, that means we have proven ourselves, right? Maybe not, but that's how I'm going to take this until something actively corrects me.

Someone puts their hand on my shoulder. It's a large hand; I flinch at the touch. "So, Masters, what are the chances that we'll stumble upon something you can't translate?"

Oh, it's Garrimed. "I guess it depends on how old the things in the Archives Vault are. It's always possible that we'll find something that neither Historian Chambers or I can translate." I don't think that's likely to happen, but I don't know how old the documents we're getting access to are.

He shakes his head; one small braid sways free of the ponytail holding the rest of his thick red hair back. "I didn't ask about Chambers. I asked about you. Besides, you and I both know he's going to make his darling nephew do most of the work, and darling nephew's translation skills are lacking." He watches Ralph as he speaks. "How familiar are you with military terminology? I don't believe you've ever said."

"I'm not particularly well-versed in it, but I do come across it here and there. Several of the hero's legends are connected to wars, you know. If you're asking me to translate the military texts for you, Garrimed, then I don't think I know enough of the terminology." Besides, I normally just translate things for myself and occasionally Vael.

"I'm not asking you to do it for me. I'm simply saying that I don't know how much I can trust any translation done by the Project."

I furrow my brows, slightly confused. "You haven't needed anything translated in an entire year?"

"Not by the Project, no. I've been using Admiral Shiro's translations. I'm just curious about how useful our own translations will be to me. I know you'remore familiar with legends, folk-tales, and folk history, and I'm certain Historian Chambers is only going to bother translating the texts that most interest him."

"Historian Chambers and I aren't the only members of the Project who can translate. We've got translators on staff, remember? You're worrying about nothing." Sure, Chambers and I know the most languages, true, but that doesn't mean we're the only ones who know any. We've got at least two full-time translators in the Project.

"I never worry about nothing, Masters." He narrows his gold eyes at me.

He can be really intimidating when he wants to be; I never can tell how much of it is a joke, either. I hold my hands up and cringe inwardly. "Okay, okay. I didn't mean that as an insult. I was just trying to say that you don't have to worry as much about Ralph giving you a bad translation as you seem to think you do. He doesn't really do much translation work because his skills are lacking."

"You could say he doesn't do much work at all because his skills are lacking." Vael sets a tankard down in front of me and then reclaims his seat, glass of dark wine in hand.

"Historian Chambers brought him on for a reason," I reply. He's an expert in ancient art, or so he says. I'm not sure if I believe him, because I've never seen him doing any research or even having much to report in meetings. I swear all he does is act as his uncle's personal assistant.

Garrimed chuckles at that. He looks like he's about ready to say something, but then he nods at me and heads towards the bar. That's kind of sudden.

I reach for the tankard. "Is this for me?" It looks like mead, so I know it's not Vael's; Vael only drinks wine. It smells like the kind I like.

"Of course," Vael says, taking a sip of his wine. "I know what you drink. And here he comes."

"Thanks." Here who comes?

"Ah, here are my hero and my mage." It's Chambers and his weird little titles. I should've expected him to come by; he's probably making a point of talking to all of us. Chambers shakes my hand and then Vael's. "Congratulations to both of you for a successful year in the Project."

"Shouldn't we be congratulating you?" Vael asks. "This entire thing was originally your idea."

"Yes, but I could never have done it without everyone's help. I'm fortunate to have so many skilled people willing to dedicate themselves to preserving Hyrule's history. With all the progress we've made, I believe we all deserve to share in the congratulations."

I guess he has a point, but I have a hard time holding myself up as an equal to the Royal Historian. "Do we have any idea what's in the Archives Vault?"

Chambers chuckles. "Eager to get started, I see. As of right now, I don't have any good answers for you. I know there will be documents, but I don't know their subjects. I know there are artifacts, but I don't know what kind. It's possible that all we'll be examining will be minor royal trinkets and documents containing little more than Palace minutia."

"Possible, but not very likely." I wantthere to be more to this than a bunch of minutia. "This is the vault that the Royal Family has kept sealed to all but a few for generations; there has to be more to it than that."

Vael pushes up his glasses. "Yes, and you feel the same way, sir. Otherwise, you wouldn't have sounded so excited when you made your announcement."

Chambers smiles at that, his eyes shining beneath his bushy white eyebrows. "Of course I'm excited. This is the chance of a lifetime, and I'm honored that we get the privilege." He glances at his watch and nods to himself. "I hate to seem like I'm eager to leave, but I'm afraid I must be going. You're all welcome to stay and celebrate as long as you wish - and I do believe that you deserve to celebrate - and I will see you back on campus next week. Enjoy your weekend, both of you."

I watch him leave. I wonder, does he have something he needs to do tonight, or is he just trying to bow out gracefully because he isn't much for celebrating? I haven't figured it out. All I know is that I've never seen him drink except for a glass of champagne on special occasions.

It doesn't really matter why he's leaving. All that really matters is that now the Project supervisor is gone, Ralph is still here, and we're in a tavern.

I take a long drink of my mead and sigh to myself. Last time I was in a tavern with Ralph, Ralph spent most of an hour on the karaoke stage singing badly and trying to get everyone else to join in. He could be a trained singer for all I know; I just know that when he's drunk, his singing is painful.

"Trying to decide if you want to stay or go?" Vael leans back in his chair, swirling his wine in his glass. "Is there anything you really need to do tonight?"

"Nothing that needs to be done tonight, no."

"Then why not stay for a while? How long has it been since we were able to just go drinking?"

Or do much of anything besides grab the occasional quick lunch together, I think. We've both been buried in books lately. I sigh and finish my tankard. "I guess I'll stay, but only because you're here. I'll keep you company."

"I appreciate it."

I head to the closest bar to get another drink. In the short time it takes to do that, Vael moves out to a small table along one wall in the Officers' Barroom. It's hard to blame him. Garrimed is at one of the pool tables, but I don't see Ralph anywhere. I do see that the tavern's starting to fill up for the night.

I check the schedule posted on one wall. Karaoke's tomorrow night. That will at least make it harder for Ralph to serenade us all with his "singing". I remember going to karaoke night back in Kakariko City with my friends, even though I usually didn't sing. Malon's the one with the good singing voice.

And I really shouldn't think about her right now. I'm going to go sit down.

"You look upset," Vael says as I sit down across from him.

"I'm just thinking too much." I take a drink and then toy with my tankard. It's tempting to get something stronger for my next drink, but I really shouldn't. I don't want to leave my motorcycle here overnight, so I need to be able to sober up enough to drive. Then again, if I'll be staying here a while, then I have some time to sober up, don't I?

"Do you need to talk about it?"

"It's nothing you haven't already heard." I'm just remembering my friends from back in Kakariko City. My friends and my former girlfriend. No, I shouldn't think about that. That just makes me second-guess moving to Northcastle. I've been here a year; that's long enough to not second-guess my decision to come here.

That doesn't keep me from missing Malon.

Vael shrugs. "If you need to talk, I'm willing to listen."

"I'll be all right. I think I just need some company right now."

He nods.

I spend a while watching the crowd and drinking. I'm not really trying to get drunk, just unwind a bit and maybe chase away a few painful memories. Someone finds the jukebox and starts playing some song with a strong beat I don't recognize. And Ralph reappears. He watches Garrimed play pool for a while, and then he starts wandering the tavern, light-up bottle in hand. I keep seeing him drink, but the bottle never seems to get empty.

No, I'm not going to fixate on how much he's drinking. I've got better things to do with my time, even if it's just sitting here watching people pass by. I shift position so I'm not facing the bar; as I move, my leg brushes Vael's. I pull my leg away as soon as I notice, but Vael doesn't seem to react. I brush his leg again and watch for a reaction, but I don't see one. He just sits there drinking his wine.

Well, if he doesn't mind, I guess I'll just leave my leg there. I like how this feels. Wow, that makes me sound desperate.

The music keeps going. I'm pretty sure it's a different song, but the beat sounds the same. It's kind of hypnotic, though that may be three tankards of mead talking. Right now, I don't care which it is.

"Hey! There you two are." Ralph stumbles up and leans on our table. "Thought you'd left."

Vael adjusts his glasses as he turns to face Ralph. "We've been over here for most of an hour. You must not be paying much attention tonight."

"Hmph. Maybe if you'd do something instead of hiding in the smallest barroom, I could see you. Anyway. Link, mind doing me a favor?"

I already know what he's going to ask. "I'm not going to be your wingman," I reply.

"Oh, come on. Just this one time. There's three of 'em, real hot ones. Let's go over there together."

"I'm not going to be your wingman." I don't know why he keeps asking. He asks me this every time, and the answer never changes. Maybe if I was drunk, but probably not even then.

"Please? Just this one time?"

"No."

"Aww, fine. Be that way." He grabs Vael by the shoulder. "Vael. Do me a favor."

"I'm not going to be your wingman, either," Vael replies.

"No no no. I don't want you to be my wingman. You're too pretty. You'd steal all the women. Oh, hey, that's a good idea. You could pretend to be a girl and -"

"No." Vael glares.

Ralph doesn't seem to notice. "What? Oh, wait..." He glances between Vael and me. "I get it. You two are just gonna sit here and play footsy while your poor friend Ralph goes home alone again."

"We're not playing footsy!" My face feels hot as I jerk my leg away from Vael's. He didn't see that, did he? He couldn't have, right?

Ralph laughs. "Why are you blushing? Aww, do you think Vael's cute?"

"I - I - N-no, it's not like that at all!" He's more pretty than cute. I didn't say that out loud, did I?

"I thought you wanted help getting a date," Vael says, taking another drink.

"Well, yeah, I did. And then you made me feel like a third wheel."

"You must be rather lonely if that's how you feel. Link and I are simply sitting here drinking. Just like you, only far less desperate."

"Desperate? Me? Ha! I'm Ralph Chambers. All the ladies know me."

"Then why are you looking for a wingman?" I ask.

Ralph points at me and opens his mouth. Then he closes it and scowls. "Y'know, I actually don't know. Maybe you two would be useful if I was going after a guy, but I'm not, so..."

"There's a table of women right over there. Why don't you go after them?" Vael snaps, an odd edge to his voice.

"Huh?"

"Right over there."

"Really?" Ralph turns and stares at something I can't see. "Well, hel-lo, ladies! Here, hold my ale." He shoves the bottle at Vael and then just lets go; Vael manages to catch the bottle, but not before a good half of it spills onto his shirt.

"Get back here, Ralph! Don't you dare think you can just walk away!" Vael slams the bottle against the table and glares at where Ralph went. Something about his eyes doesn't look right; they look red instead of gray. It must be the lighting. There are a lot of colored lights in here.

"Vael, are you all right?"

He scowls and wipes what he can off of his shirt; even though he isn't touching it, the table rocks with the motion. "I stink. I'm going to wash this out."

"Okay." So much for lazing in my chair with my leg against Vael's like I wanted. I think I prefer the bad singing to this. After a couple of minutes, Ralph comes back long enough to claim his bottle and chug the rest of his ale before disappearing again. I'm surprised he doesn't pester me again. At the same time, it means I don't have to deal with him, so I'm not going to complain.

My head's starting to get fuzzy. Does every song in the jukebox have the same beat? No, it has to be a different song. The beat is faster, pounding.

Someone takes Vael's glass; I'm not sure who and I'm not entirely sure when. I just know that it's there, and then it's not. I should have noticed that, shouldn't I? Maybe I should've gone home instead of sitting here and drinking. I bet there's a monster movie I could be watching.

Motion gets my attention; Vael tosses his shirt onto the table and slides easily back into his seat, filled wine glass in one hand. He's wearing a high-collared, form-fitting, sleeveless shirt, like a sleeveless turtleneck. It's weird seeing him in that; his arms look agile and graceful without all the cloth over them. His hair sways and moves like there's a breeze, but I don't feel anything.

He looks angry, really angry. I don't remember seeing him like this before. Annoyed, yes, but right now, he looks like he's about to attack someone. But Vael's not the violent type, so I can't be seeing this right. There's still something weird about his eyes; they look too bright, and they still look red. He's glaring off towards the bar. I think he's watching someone, but...

I was going somewhere with that thought. Don't remember where, though.

Am I even still in the tavern? I feel lightheaded, almost like I'm about to fall. But that can't be. I'm still sitting in my chair and leaning against the table. I shift so I can rest my head in one hand, though it takes a lot more effort than it should.

Vael drinks the entire glass of wine in one quick, smooth motion, and then he leans back in his seat and crosses his arms. His eyes look almost like they're glowing. It's got to be a trick of the light; I'm sure of it. That doesn't happen in real life, just in movies.

At the same time, there's something about glaring, glowing eyes that nags at me, something familiar and yet foreign, and it sends a chill down my spine. I know there's something about this that I'm sure I've seen before. But what, and where?

Three or four tankards of mead shouldn't be enough to mess with my head like this. I massage the side of my head. This doesn't make sense. What am I trying to remember?

Vael's definitely-not-right gaze flickers over to me, and for a split second, that eerie, enraged glare is aimed right at me.

I don't hear the music or the crowd or anything anymore. I hear organ music echoing from above me. Water splashing against my boots. A low screech like a vehicle grinding to a halt. Bootsteps on stone filling a large room. Metal clanking loudly against something solid. Maniacal laughter booming in a too-small room. A bell ringing in the distance. Magic crackling in the air. A woman screaming. A beast roaring. So many sounds all at once, echoing in my head with the weight of centuries.

What is this? I feel like I'm falling -

- "The door is blocked! We have no choice... Head back to the sanctuary!"

I know where that is. There's nothing in our way as we run through the halls, either. Even the rubble's stopped falling. Weird. But it means that Princess Zelda and I don't have to dodge falling rocks any more. I just don't get why. No monsters, no falling rubble... It's almost calm.

I don't like it.

"We're almost there, Princess." I say, trying to sound happy. If the castle isn't collapsing anymore, then what is the sanctuary protecting us from?

I'm almost to the sanctuary door when a bolt of lightning streaks down from the sky and strikes the stone in front of me.

"Heh heh heh heh... You will not escape, boy. Now you will see the true power of the light force... For I have become the master of this world!"

I yank my sword from its sheath. "That's what you think!" Everything flashes white -

- "He's trying to bury us," she gasps as we both start running again. "He seeks to bury us in the ruins of his castle!"

He doesn't bury us; we manage to get out of the castle before it collapses. I take the chance to finally catch my breath. It's all right. It's over now. Princess Zelda agrees with me, giving me a relieved smile.

I hear something; I think it's a bang. There shouldn't be any noise.

"What was that sound?"

I ready my sword. "Stand back, Princess." I'm prepared for something to leap out at me.

I'm not quite prepared for the rubble to explode outwards and for Ganondorf to leap into the air. He's glowing, crackling with energy. He doesn't speak; he merely gasps for breath and holds up his hand, the Triforce of Power flaring brightly.

And he's not Ganondorf anymore. He's a beast, a massive, hulking thing holding a pair of blades that are each larger than I am. He - it - the beast moves quickly, faster than something so huge should be able to move, and the beast knocks the Master Sword out of my hands. I whirl around in time to see it strike the ground near Princess Zelda tip first and sink into the stone.

The beast behind me roars as flames rise up between the Sword and me. What am I going to do now? -

- He falls from his horse, hitting the ground hard. I leap from Epona's back and charge, intending to finish this. He isn't as hurt as I think he is; he's clearlynot as hurt as he should be. He climbs to his feet, cracks his neck, and draws a massive blade that gleams golden in the twilight. With a sharp laugh and a wave of his hand, he conjures up some kind of glowing barrier around the two of us.

"It ends now, boy." He gestures with his free hand for me to come to him, whistling a sharp note. I narrow my eyes and tighten my grip on my sword. I need an opening. I need to hold back and wait for an opening -

- How many more of these strange shadowy things must I defeat before this is over? Every time I think it's finally done, that shadowy mass just reforms and comes at me again.

How much more?

Wisps of shadows burst outwards as the rest of the figure collapses into a sphere. It stays there for a moment, staring at me with two piercing eyes.

"I will not let you destroy our world..." it hisses.

"Release the Wind Fish!"

The eyes close. In their place, one massive eye opens; the sphere grows two long arms that stretch across the room. It swings one arm at me, but I jump out of the way. Its claws rend the floor where I was just standing. Why does it keep getting stronger? -

- It's not moving. I think... I think it's dead. That was closer than I liked, but I'm still alive. It's enough.

All right, if the Thunderbird is dead, the path to the Triforce should be clear. But if that's the case, then why do I feel like I'm being watched? I don't see anyone or anything, so I cautiously make my way to the next room.

A strange old man is waiting for me, sitting up on a high balcony next to a gleaming golden triangle. "Ah, so you've come, I see..."

"I've come seeking the Triforce of Courage," I say.

"Of course you have, and you've done well to get this far. However, there is still one final test you must pass before you can earn the Triforce."

What? Everything I've done and it's still not enough? Very well, then. "I'll face your test, old man!"

"Good, good." He makes a grand gesture with his hands, and magic shoves at me.

I stagger backwards, just managing to stay on my feet, and then the magic yanks and pulls something away; I fall to the stone floor. My body feels heavy, but I force myself to raise my head anyway. There's someone else in the room. I think it's a person. It's person-sized and person-shaped, but it's gray and black and wispy and ill-defined. It makes me think of a shadow, but shadows can't stand in the middle of a room.

And shadows don't have glowing red eyes.

"If you desire the Triforce," the old man says, "then you must conquer yourself."

xXx

The stench of Ralph's cheap ale refuses to come out of my shirt. I glare down at the sink for a moment, and then I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. Stupid Ralph and his stupid ale and his asinine need to go flirt with every woman he sees! Right now, I want nothing more than to stalk out there and slam Ralph against the nearest wall, but that won't change anything. As satisfying as it would be to go do just that - and it would be so very satisfying to see how high Ralph can bounce - it won't make my shirt stink any less, nor will it make Ralph any less drunk.

It won't make Link any less drunk, either.

One of the stall doors snaps open and slams against the wall. I eye the door through the mirror, and then I force myself to take a deep breath, blow it out slowly, and take another. Count breaths; calm down. I'm accomplishing nothing here at this sink except working myself up more and more. The stink should come out in the wash, and if it doesn't, then Ralph owes me a new shirt, yes?

I slide my glasses back into place and use the mirror to smooth down my hair. I feel a touch calmer now. Certainly not as calm as I should be, but all things considered, this is... acceptable. I don't feel particularly violent at the moment.

When I emerge from the restroom, Ralph is over by the pool tables. I feel like having another drink, so I get another glass of wine on my way back to the table. I toss my shirt onto the tabletop to get it out of my way and ease into my chair. Link looks drunk. No, perhaps he isn't quite drunk, though he is clearly tipsy. He sits slumped against the table and staring off into the distance. He gives me an odd look; he's either confused or sleepy.

Ralph is at the bar, leaning in towards a couple of unfortunate women and waving his arms around animatedly. At some point, he refilled his stupid light-up bottle, probably with more of the same cheap, stinking ale. I suppose one has to stick to the cheaper options when one insists on drinking so much. Still, that ale has to taste terrible, so Ralph either just doesn't care or he has no sense of taste.

I could try introducing him to wine, but he'd simply try to get drunk on it.

The two women get up abruptly and leave the room, leaving Ralph behind. He turns to face the room, looking around for his next target. Then he sees me, raises his bottle, and grins broadly.

I meet his gaze with a glare. If Ralph has any sense at all in that skull of his, he'll leave well enough alone. I'm not in the mood to tolerate him further tonight.

Ralph stares over at us; is he waiting for a reaction? Link isn't looking in the right direction to even see him, and I would hope my glare is reaction enough.

And yet Ralph doesn't stop staring. The longer he stares, the harder I glare. Just go away. Go find someone else to bother, I think, and don't dare approach this table. I have to force myself to breathe slow and deep, in and out.

Finally, Ralph waves a hand at me in obvious dismissal before wandering off to some corner of the tavern or another. I see him leave the room, but I've no desire to chase him. I shake my head in disgust. I still have wine, don't I? I drink the entire glass in a single quaff. Perhaps I should order something harder... No, of course I won't. If I lose my self-control, Ralph will end the night testing the integrity of some part or another of this structure.

The satisfaction isn't worth it. I simply need to keep that fact in mind.

Link makes a soft, pained noise and starts massaging one side of his head. Is he all right? I turn towards him -

- and his eyes snap open wide in shock and then roll back. Link slumps to the side, falling out of his chair and crashing to the floor in an undignified heap.

"Link!" I spring from my chair and drop to my knees beside him. I couldn't see the entire fall, so I have no way of knowing if he hit his head when he landed or not. "Link, are you all right?"

Link groans and furrows his brow. If he reacts, then that should mean he isn't unconscious. Or so I think; I'm no healer.

"Can you hear me?" I gently shake his shoulder. "Come on, Link, open your eyes."

Link grumbles something and opens his eyes just enough to squint up at me. No, he isn't looking at me. I scowl. His attention is focused at something between us. What is it?

Is he staring at my pendant? I shift the cord around my neck, making the pendant sway back and forth. Link tracks the motion with his eyes. I don't understand. It's a necklace. I'm well aware that it's normally under my shirt, but Link knows I wear it and has seen it numerous times. Why is he so fixated on it right this moment? He can't be that drunk, can he?

I snap my fingers; perhaps the sound will distract him. "If you can hear me, say something."

"Vael...?" Link finally mumbles. "What happened?"

Link recognizes me; that's a good sign. "I should be asking you that question. You just passed out and fell from your chair. How do you feel?"

He looks confused. "Groggy."

That is to be expected. I consider asking him what he knows, but I doubt he has a coherent explanation. "Do you think you can sit up?"

"I think so?"

He's mostly able to sit up on his own; I help steady him while he moves.

A man with dark hair and skin kneels next to us, holding a glass of water towards Link. "Here, you should drink this. It'll help. You okay?"

"I'm kind of... heavy." Link takes the glass and stares down at it as if he doesn't know what he's seeing.

"He should be all right," I say.

"I'm fine," Link murmurs. He finally seems to recognize what he's holding and starts drinking the water.

I glance over at the stranger. Something about the man seems familiar, especially when he meets my gaze with amused red eyes and gives me a broad grin. Where have I seen him before...?

"He's awake and talking, so, yeah, he'll be fine," the man says. "Just had too much to drink."

Someone nearby laughs, and for a moment, several other people join in. Then they all go back to whatever they were doing before Link fell as if nothing happened at all. That suits me just fine. Link seems to be mostly all right. I don't particularly like being watched, and I know the attention is probably embarrassing Link - though, admittedly, it's hard to tell if he's aware enough to be embarrassed. His face is flushed, but that could just as easily be from the mead or the fall.

I watch Link drink the rest of his water. "You need some fresh air."

"Yeah," the dark-haired man says. "And a snack. Something light, not greasy pub food. Oh, hey, there's a coffeehouse a couple of doors down; they should have something easy on your stomach. If nothing else, it'll be quieter than here."

Yes, it will certainly be quieter, and more importantly, it will be free of Ralph and anyone else who knows us. None of them are aware of Link's fall yet, and I plan to keep it that way. "Do you think you can stand, Link?"

"I don't know..."

I sigh. I understand that Link is groggy, but that isn't a useful answer. "Very well, then, we'll find out." I grab one of his arms and try to pull him up to his feet. "On your feet."

Link barely moves.

I take a deep breath. "Link, I'm trying to help you to your feet. You could at least pretend to help."

"Sorry." He shifts position. I pull again, and this time Link lifts off the floor. He doesn't get his feet under him in time, however, and instead pitches forward and falls against me. I manage to catch him, barely, but I have to drop to one knee so we don't both crash to the floor.

This is rather awkward. "Link..."

"I'm trying!" Link mumbles.

The dark-haired man chuckles.

"What's so amusing?" I ask, keeping my voice low and giving the stranger a quick glare. Is he laughing because Link is drunk, or is he laughing because I'm shorter and thinner than Link? I fail to see why the latter is amusing, but clearly others disagree.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just fun watching him stumble around. Need a hand?"

This might be amusing. I wouldn't know, since I don't have the luxury of watching. "I won't turn away help."

"All right, then, on three. Ready? One, two, three!" The stranger hauls Link up to his feet almost by himself. All I really do is keep Link steady; I'm fine with that. Link seems a little shaky, but he's standing. It's a start.

Now that we're all standing, I can see that the stranger is slightly taller than Link, as well as a bit more muscular. He's wearing thick-soled black leather boots that look a lot like the riding boots Link wears. "Thank you. I appreciate the help."

"No problem!" He grins at me. "Do you need my help getting him to the coffeeshop?"

"As I said, I won't turn away help, but I don't want to inconvenience you."

"Nah, it's fine. I was headed that way myself."

I narrow my eyes. That has to be a convenient lie.

It isn't a long walk, only a couple of buildings down, just as the stranger said. Link spends most of the trip staring down at our feet. He's technically walking, but most of his weight is on the stranger and me. I'm thankful for the assistance; Link can be heavy sometimes. We ease Link into one of the chairs outside the coffeehouse.

We actually make it without Link stepping on my feet. I'm impressed and relieved.

"And here we are," the stranger says with a little laugh. He pats Link's shoulder. "Now you sit there and sober up. Oh, right. You'll probably want these, too." He tosses Link's jacket and my shirt onto the table.

When did he pick up those? No matter; his presence of mind saves me the trouble. "Thank you again for the help."

"Eh, don't mention it. It just didn't seem right to make you carry him around by yourself. I know how heavy people can be when they're drunk."

"I'm not drunk!" Link protests.

"Sure you're not." The stranger laughs again. "Ah, well. I'll leave you to him, then. Good luck!" With that, he steps back onto the sidewalk and heads down the block. I watch him walk away; he now has a black and red riding jacket slung over his shoulder that I know he didn't have earlier.

"Vael, who was that?"

"I don't know." I watch the stranger until he disappears into the mass of people on the sidewalk. Is he a mage? I don't recall sensing any magic, and yet I know he wasn't carrying a jacket when we left the bar. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it. Perhaps this is just the wine and frustration.

Ultimately, it makes no difference. I highly doubt I'll ever meet him again, so who he is doesn't really matter.

"I think I know him from somewhere," Link says.

"Oh? And where is this 'somewhere'?"

"I don't know. Just... somewhere."

"Is that you or the mead talking?"

Link leans forward on the table, propping his head up with his arms. He looks like he's about to fall asleep. "I'm not that drunk, Vael."

I shake my head and adjust my glasses. "I find that hard to believe. Let's focus on more important things. Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat and a bottle of water."

"Where are we?"

"We're at a coffeehouse. I'm not getting you coffee."

"I don't want coffee." Link closes his eyes. I'm not certain if he's thinking or dozing until he says, "I want a cookie."

I have to smile at that. "Then sit here and try not to fall out of your chair while I go get you a cookie." Link normally tolerates mead better than this. Neither of us are the kind to drink for the purpose of getting drunk, and on the rare occasion he does get tipsy, he tends to start goofing around instead of staring into space and falling out of chairs.

No, I refuse to think about this anymore. I head inside the coffeehouse and buy our snack. Thankfully, Link's still in the chair when I get back outside, though he has his eyes closed again.

"You didn't fall asleep on me, did you?"

"No, I'm still awake." He opens his eyes and takes his bottle of water, carefully opening the cap. "That didn't happen."

"What didn't happen?"

"Monsters trying to eat me."

What is he talking about? I raise an eyebrow. "No, I don't remember any monsters. Just you falling out of your chair and a stranger helping me haul you over here."

Link nods. "Good. Then none of it was real."

"Are you certain you're all right?"

"I'm fine. Really."

I don't believe him.

xXx

Click.

Link is hilariously adorable when he's drunk. I have to remember this for later. And his friend - Vael, is it? - seems so caring. It's kind of touching, even if I'm jealous. Still, it's good to know that Link's got someone to watch his back, because he's really out of it.

I shift position on the little metal fence I'm sitting on. How do I always forget how much this telepicto lens weighs? Whatever; it's awkward, but it's worth it. Wish I could get a good shot of his eyes, though. They're such a beautiful blue.

Link's slowly eating a cookie, while Vael has what I think is a scone. Of all the things Link couldeat while sobering up, he picks a cookie. That's perfect.

Click.

Link rubs the side of his head. Even from here, he looks tired and confused and... shaken. Something has him spooked, but what? Absolutely nothing even slightly dangerous is happening tonight or has happened at all recently. Well, okay, some of the monsters are getting worked up about their great king, but they're such a threat that I'm about the only person who notices.

So yeah, things are so not dangerous that Link gets to spend his weekends doing this kind of thing.

Click.

Suits me fine. A few monsters here and there keep my sword arm strong and my skills practiced, even if it gets kind of boring waiting on them to make a move. But at the same time, I can do this, so it all works out.

I should wander back over to their table, introduce myself using the first name I think up, and talk for a while. There's no harm in talking to him, right?

No, I probably shouldn't. It might be better to catch Link alone. I'll have more freedom to talk that way, and I won't have to deal with Vael scrutinizing me. Vael's done enough of that tonight. And I really should catch Link when he's sober. The last thing I need is him dismissing me as a hallucination or a dream or something stupid like that.

I shift on the fence again. This time I hook one of my boot heels on the railing so I can brace my lens against my knee. Oh, this works so much better.

Click.

And I'm out of blank slides. Damn. I look over at where Link and Vael are sitting. I need to reload, so just stay put while I take care of this, all right?

I rub my hands on my jeans to make sure they're dry and swap out the slides for a fresh set, tucking the old ones safely into a box and then the box snugly into my pictography bag. I'll make prints of these later.

Are Link and Vael still there? Yes, they are. Both of them seem to have finished their food. Vael is sipping his drink and seems lost in thought. Link rests his head in his hands and stares out towards the street.

Hm... Now that Link's leaning forward, Vael's in frame, too. I really just want pictos of Link, but eh, I can work with this. Vael isn't exactly hard on the eyes, either.

Click.

"Excuse me, sir, but I'll have to ask you to get down. We don't allow people to sit on the fence."

It's some waiter, clearly irritated. Tch, why do people keep getting so pissed when I perch on their fences? It's not like the fence does anything but mark their space. No one's using the damned thing, and it's not like I'm going to break it.

"I'm kind of in the middle of something here," I snap. "I'll leave when I'm finished."

Someone, probably the waiter, taps me on the shoulder and ruins my next shot. "Sir, please get off of the railing."

I just said I'll leave when I'm done. What more does he want? For his sake, I'd better be able to reuse that last slide.

"If you refuse to leave, I'll have to call the guard."

Ooh, he's going to call the guard. Such a mighty threat. Surely Hyrule's Finest can get me off of a waist-high metal fence before something horrible happens!

I smirk. Seriously, I don't give a damn about the guards or the waiter. I've got a clear shot, and Link's over there yawning.

Click.

Perfect! That shot looks good in preview.

"I'm warning you! Get off the fence!"

"I will leave when I'm finished with this batch of slides," I growl. Link's half-drunk and cute over there; I want pictos of this for later reference.

"Sir, I don't care what you're doing. You need to get off the fence."

I turn towards him and start to snap at him, but then the alarm on my watch goes off. Shit, is it eight already?! As much as I want to stick around and keep taking pictos of Link, I need to get to that meeting.

Damn. Damn damn damn. I take one last look at Link and Vael and snap one last shot. Then I shove my pictobox into my bag, zip it shut, and leap off the fence. I need to take the big lens off my pictobox at some point so I can pack it better, but right now, I don't care. I need to move.

I run for the parking lot, toss my bag into one of the saddlebags, and get suited up for the ride. All the while, the thought of going back and either talking to Link or hiding and taking more pictos lurks in the back of my head. It's so tempting, even if I know I need to go.

I start my motorcycle and pull out onto the street. As luck would have it, I end up stopped by a traffic light in front of the coffeehouse. Link and Vael are still there, though they're standing now. Link looks steadier now. I stare at him. That does it. I'm still going to that meeting tonight, but after that... I'll be around, Link. We'll run into each other again.

I know we will.

But in the meantime, I have a meeting to interrupt.