Full Steam Ahead

by zestycrouton

'First stop, Aboda Village. After that, who could say. Wherever it was, it would be an adventure, so long as she was with him.' Post-ST. Part of the ongoing 'Timeline' mini-series.

So... This one's pretty long. Sorry 'bout that, I guess. Y'know, if you don't like that sort of thing.

Just a quick note before we start: this one-shot is another entry in my ongoing 'Timeline' mini-series in which I explore the ways in which I think Link and Zelda's dynamic plays out after the various games they appear in. This time around we're looking at 'Spirit Tracks'. No, you do not need to have read any of the other entries in this series for this one to make sense, though if you would like to please feel free! You can find them on my profile, obviously.

---

Timeline

-Spirit Tracks-

Full Steam Ahead

Link had only just barely stepped off the train and onto the platform when something large and pink collided forcefully with his midsection.

"Link!" the familiar form squealed, high-pitched and energetic as always, laughing in delight as Link's arms secured themselves reflexively around her waist as he spun, twirling her around just fast enough that her feet momentarily the ground.

The pair slowed to a stop, arms fastened securely around one another, breathing heavily through their poorly suppressed giggles, both grinning like idiots as she buried her face into his chest and he let the tip of his nose tickle her hair.

Count on the Princess of Hyrule to ambush him when his defenses were lowered. 'Course, he ought to have been used to this by now. It was basically standard procedure whenever she called him for a ride.

"P-Princess!" came an anxious, elderly wheeze from somewhere behind Zelda, and Link lifted his eyes to find Teacher hurrying towards them, his face pale and sweaty, as per usual. "Please! We are in public! Decorum! Decorum!"

Zelda grimaced and rolled her eyes, her expression hidden from Teacher behind her hair. He was always such a worrywart, but they both knew he meant well. And to be fair he was right, in a way.

Various residents of Castle Town were watching their reunion even now, endearing smiles on their faces, and they waved to Link in greeting as his eyes swept across them, returning their hellos with polite smiles and nods.

There was always a crowd whenever the Spirit Train pulled into the station, no matter how many times they'd seen it happen in the past. Couple that with the princess being there, and it was no wonder they had an audience.

Even so, Zelda behaving 'improperly' whenever Link was around wasn't exactly uncommon either, so none of the onlookers paid their extended hug any mind, and soon enough the small gathering was moving on, the citizens of Castle Town heading back to their everyday lives.

Link turned his smile back down to Zelda, who was gazing up at him with bright eyes and pink cheeks. He felt his grin widen reflexively.

"Well, hello Princess." He declared in belated greeting, finally deigning to acknowledge her existence.

"Hello to you too, Link." She replied, her smile turning giddy and somewhat manic. Clearly, she was excited to get going.

"Your Highness, please…"

Teacher had finally reached their side, rasping softly, blotting his face with an old checkered handkerchief. The poor man looked even worse for the wear now than he had when the two had first met years ago, back when Link had arrived for his Engineering Certificate. Clearly, a life spent chasing around after Zelda had worn away his constitution. He almost pitied the man.

Zelda, for her part, merely rolled her eyes again, a long-suffering look on her face before she finally relented and stepped away from Link, her expression once again perfectly polite and refined. Neither Link nor Teacher were fooled.

Shooting the precocious princess a perfunctory glare, Teacher turned his attention to Link.

"Now, Master Link, thank you so much for coming out here on such short notice. I hope we aren't inconveniencing you too terribly- "

"For the Princess of Hyrule?" Link cut in amiably, shooting Zelda a sarcastic smile, "It's never an inconvenience. Though… I still don't know what we're doing."

Teacher opened his mouth as if to explain only for Zelda to step forward and interrupt him.

"I'll explain it all on the way, now come on!"

Before he could react, she'd already skipped over to the train, pulled open the door to the passenger car, and let herself inside.

Honestly. It was like she thought she owned the thing.

Link turned back to Teacher, his eyebrow raised, but the man merely shook his head and sighed.

"You may as well let her do the explaining. She'll give me an earful otherwise." Then he caught Link off-guard by suddenly straightening up and declaring primly, "Well then, have a safe trip, my boy. And do look after the princess for me. I know I don't need to tell you of all people, but- "

"Wait, are you not coming?"

Link being called to Castle Town to chauffer Zelda around wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence; ever since the incident with Cole and Malladus a few years back, he'd basically become the Royal Family's private engineer, and every few weeks or so he could count on a letter arriving from the castle requesting he take Zelda and or various members of the Council to one region or another. He looked forward to these trips greatly, as they allowed him to spend time with his best friend, even if that time was ordinarily spent under the watchful, disapproving eyes of the aristocracy.

But even on the trips that Zelda took alone, Teacher was always there, chaperoning the event. That he wasn't coming with them now was… well, it was odd. And somewhat disconcerting.

For his part, Teacher let his gaze wander over the passenger car as though considering changing his mind before shaking the thought off and steeling himself.

"Not today, I'm afraid. The princess was rather adamant about taking this particular journey alone, and while normally I'd have never condoned it, I… well, she has been rather mature about the entire situation, so… I have decided to make an allowance, just this once."

Link stared. She was being mature? When? And about what situation?

Before he could ask, Teacher hobbled forward, gesturing for Link to lean in closer.

"Do promise me you'll hear her proposal out? I know it may not sound like something you'd want to do, but it would do this old heart a world of good to know you're looking out for her."

Well, that was ominous. And now he was even more confused than ever. But Teacher didn't explain himself, merely casting one last, lonely look at the passenger car before calling out a farewell to Zelda and tottering off the platform as fast as his spindly little legs would take him. Off to enjoy his first princess-free day in years, no doubt. Still…

Link watched the man go with a frown, absently lifting his conductor's hat to scratch at his hair. What was that all about? Was something going on with Zelda?

"Link!" the princess shouted impatiently from the train. She'd opened one of the windows and was now huffing at him, her face screwed up in puerile indignation. "Hurry up and let's go already!"

"Alright, alright!" He shouted back, hastening back to the conductor's booth. "Sorry! Geez… Just let me- "

"No! No, let me do it!"

"Zelda- "

"ALLLLL ABOOOOOOOOARD!"

Link rolled his eyes, but nevertheless gave a tug on the whistle and threw the train into gear. With a roar of spiritual energy, the pistons kicked into motion and together, the Hero and Princess pulled out of Castle Town station, heading out towards the endless greenery of the Forest Realm.

---

As predicted, it only took a few minutes after leaving the station for Zelda to breach typical safety protocol.

He'd been half expecting it of course, but he still scowled reproachfully when he found her climbing into the conductor's box behind him.

"You're supposed to stay in the passenger car, Princess." He scolded, practically shouting to be heard over the roar of the engine and the rush of the wind.

Zelda stuck her tongue out at him playfully, but the effect was ruined somewhat by the wind blowing her hair into her mouth. Spitting out strands of gold, she leaned back against the railing opposite him, securing herself with one gloved hand while the other struggled to keep her hair out of her face. Her dress was billowing out of control around her legs, but neither of them paid it any mind.

"It's dangerous to climb around out here in skirts like that," Link continued, flipping a switch to signal to the upcoming junction that they intended to head south and avoid the monster-infested forest up ahead. "You could get caught on something."

"Did you really think I was going to sit by myself in that stuffy old passenger car?" She shot back, sounding scandalized. "That's so boring! Since it's just me today, I'd much rather be up here with you. Just like the good old days."

Link frowned and turned away.

"My passenger car isn't stuffy…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing." He let his eyes sweep the tracks ahead for obstacles as they eased gently through the turn, then as they straightened out again he returned his gaze back to Zelda. "You never did tell me where it is I'm supposed to be taking you. Judging from the letter and Teacher's weird behavior on the platform, I'm guessing this is something serious."

Rather than answer immediately, Zelda turned her attention up to the wide blue sky above them as though searching the clouds for an answer.

"Umm… How about we just… drive around for a bit?"

Link stared.

"Just… drive around?"

She laughed, an apologetic smile forming on her face as she closed one eye and squinted at him shyly.

"Yeah… I'm sorry. I don't mean to waste your time like this. It's not so much that I need to go somewhere specific as it is that I just need to… go. Y'know? Get out of the castle for a bit. And I wanted to see you."

He scoffed, resuming his careful examination of the path ahead.

"You just saw me like… three weeks ago."

"Well, forgive me for missing my best friend after three weeks apart!" She shouted, giving him a playful kick, and he smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. I missed you too, Princess. But it sounds to me like you were just trying to get out of having to do something you didn't want to do."

"Hey! I'll have you know that that's the exact opposite of what we're doing right now, mister!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, shooting her a confused look.

But Zelda shook her head, backing down and turning her gaze away to look back at the path they'd already traveled.

"Nothing. We can talk about it later. For now, just… go."

"Yes, ma'am." He relented, forcing his voice to sound serious and professional. "Is there any realm you'd like to visit in particular, ma'am?"

She shrugged. "Not really. Maybe… head down to the coast? So we can see the ocean?"

"The coast it is." Link replied with a nod, mentally charting the course they'd have to take. It wasn't far; he'd just have to double-back at the next bend and head over to the east. At the speeds he could reach in the Spirit Train, it'd be maybe a half an hour before they reached the inlet, and then if she wanted they could head over to the Ocean Realm and just cruise around for a bit, or maybe head down further south towards Aboda.

Silence descended upon them, simultaneously comforting and unnerving. Several minutes passed in which not a single word was shared between them. On the one hand, Link was used to silence up in the conductor's box. Typically he didn't have people up there with him, and if he'd let himself go, he'd fall into the routine of conducting with ease.

The problem was Zelda. Normally, she was a chatter-box whenever they met up, and would practically drown him in a deluge of animated conversation. The fact that she was willingly being so quiet had him on edge. She'd brushed him off when he'd tried to ask before, but now…

As he watched her out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but become fascinated by the way her hair and dress danced in the wind. It was the same dress she'd had on the day she'd lost her body, or close enough at least. He wondered if there was some significance to that. He knew she had other dresses, dresses that she loved to wear and parade around in, yet it seemed like whenever they had planned to meet up she'd revert to princess pink.

Maybe he was just reading too much into things. Dressing up specifically for someone was the sort of thing you did when you… y'know. Had romantic feelings for them. And though she'd made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion that she cared about him, it had never been expressed like that. They'd been friends for years now, but Link had been particularly adamant about never letting his mind wander down that particular rabbit hole. If only he'd been able to stop his heart from falling in first…

No. Stop. Bad Link. Zelda was his best friend first, and his princess second, and that was it. Nothing, not even annoyingly persistent teenage hormones, was worth jeopardizing their uniquely special bond.

…But gods, sometimes it was hard not to stare.

At the moment, there was a faraway look in her eye as she gazed back towards the now-distant castle in silence, the kind that made her look solemn and reverent. It was a look he wasn't used to seeing, but he couldn't deny that it looked good on her. Goddesses, he missed her company.

"Y'know, I… kinda miss having you around as a ghost."

The words tumbled out of his mouth of their own volition.

Zelda's head snapped back in his direction, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Do what now?"

Link kept his face turned away, struggling to keep his expression neutral and conscious of how his cheeks were burning as he silently scolded himself.

"Well… I mean it was nice… having someone to talk to."

There was an uncomfortable pause, followed by a snort from Zelda.

"I'm glad you liked it so much, but it wasn't as much fun for me you know. Unable to eat, unable to sleep, unable to feel anything…"

"Ha, y-yeah, I guess that's true." He laughed nervously, scratching at the side of his head. Ugh, that was a stupid thing to say, reminding her of that terrible time she'd almost died. "I mean, being a ghost had its advantages, but it's better this way."

"Having your body has its advantages too." She laughed, then caught him by surprise by stepping away from the rail and slipping her arms around his waist, burying her face into his back.

Link stiffened, feeling his face erupt in fiery red.

"Z-Zelda…?"

"Mmm… what?"

"This… this is dangerous…"

"Yeah." She agreed softly, nuzzling his shoulder with her forehead. "But isn't that why it's fun?"

He cleared his throat, trying desperately to focus on the train and the tracks up ahead.

"I, uh… I mean… y-you really shouldn't be… impeding my arms- "

Zelda snickered teasingly in his ear, but thankfully pulled away and returned to where she'd been standing before, a cat-like grin on her face.

"Look at you, all red! Hahaha! Aw, do I make little Linky nervous?"

"Shut up…" He grumbled, his blush only worsening under her patronizing laughter.

"I do! I really do! Haha, you look so priceless right now!"

Link rolled his eyes with a huff and turned away, pulling back on a lever, letting the train slow down in preparation for an upcoming turn. He could already see the ocean in the distance.

Zelda was still laughing, however, so he let out a bitter, "If Teacher were here…"

"That is exactly why he isn't here." She replied matter-of-factly. "I told you I needed an escape. If Teacher were here, it'd be like I was still in the castle."

"Speaking of the castle," Link began slowly as the train began making its turn.

Zelda let out a groan.

"Noooo! No, no, no, Link, I said an escape-!"

"And I gave you an escape!" He shot back as the train leveled out. He took a moment to reach up and tug on the rope that controlled the whistle to startle some boars off the tracks. "And now here we are, successfully escaped. We could be in Whittleton in like twenty minutes if we wanted. Now spill."

Zelda let out one of her 'I can't believe you're doing this to me!' groans, but Link paid her no mind.

Normally, he'd be perfectly fine with letting her dodge the conversation for the remainder of the day, but the bitter pain of her teasing him not even a full minute ago had made him turn mutinously against his princess. Let her see how it felt to be betrayed.

Finally, after a few minutes of sulky silence and willful glowers, she relented.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you… but it's a bit of a story, alright?"

"Oh good, I love stories." Link replied, sounding positively chipper.

She shot him a petulant scow, then turned away.

Something shifted almost imperceptively in her body language. The setting suddenly grew serious, almost like a cloud had passed in front of the sun.

"Just… promise me that when we're done talking, we'll still be friends, ok?"

Slowly, he turned his head and frowned at her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, half-laughing in jest. "Did you, like… murder someone?"

She snickered and shook her head, but otherwise didn't respond. Another few minutes passed in which Link directed the train leisurely along the eastern edge of the Forest Realm at its slowest speed, enjoying the bright morning sunlight while the lush grassy plains around them gave way to hills of white sand and the roar of the surf. They'd arrived at the inlet. The princess, however, seemed to take no notice, staring silently into space while presumably gathering her thoughts.

Finally, she spoke.

"So… the Council has been talking-"

"Well, that's never good."

"-and there's been some concern about the stability of the Royal Family. That is, in securing the continuation of the royal bloodline."

It took Link a moment to process the meaning of those words, but when the realization finally hit him he whipped his head around so quickly he felt his neck crack.

"Do what?!"

"Honestly, it's nothing new," Zelda replied passively, her expression strangely calm and unreadable as she watched him absently massage his painful neck. "It's been the topic of discussion for years now. First when my parents died, then again after the incident with Cole… I'm all that's left of Tetra's posterity, which means I'm the only person in Hyrule who carries the Blessing of the Spirits in their blood. If anything should happen to me before I have a child, then what will our people do the next time they face some great evil like Malladus?"

It took all of Link's willpower not to gawk. There was something utterly surreal about this conversation; both in the thought of Zelda one day having a child and the fact that she was talking about it so casually.

Sure, Zelda wasn't exactly a kid anymore, but it was still sometimes hard for Link to look at her and see the young woman she'd become and not the impetuous twelve-year-old princess who'd wanted to wait for him in the Tower of the Spirits because 'it was family tradition'. Years had passed since then, years in which the two of them had grown up and matured (at least somewhat), and even though she was still a little young for it, it wasn't completely out of the question that she might be thinking about marriage and having a child. Especially since she was the princess.

But this wasn't just any princess. This was Zelda. Miss 'I don't want to eat my vegetables, they taste like mud scrapped off the underbelly of a pig'. Miss 'I still get flustered when I have to dance with boys at balls'. And now here she was, standing on his train, her hair in complete disarray, looking him dead in the eye and telling him about the prospect of her impending marriage?

The thought of Zelda married to some stuffy aristocrat made his insides knot up painfully. He suddenly felt like doing something particularly violent with his hands.

Hold on, Link… Let's not overreact… there has to be more to this or she wouldn't be acting so normal. Just… breathe. Breathe and think. There's still time. Time to… to…

Time for what, exactly? He had no idea. But there was time, he knew that much.

"So…" he managed after a painful moment of silence in which she watched his face and he watched the countryside, "What exactly does that mean for you as of now?"

Zelda shrugged, looking away, but there was a hint of a satisfied smile teasing at the corner of her lips.

"Well, I'm sure you can imagine what the Council wants. They say I'm of age now, or near enough, and as such it's part of my duty to reassure the country of their future by producing an heir."

Link scoffed a little louder than necessary, throwing the train into second gear and speeding up for no other reason than for want of something to do with his hands.

"Figures. Seems like all they ever do is try to force you into doing things you don't want- "

"I agree with them."

He bit his tongue, hard.

The expression on his face must have been something else because it had Zelda bursting out into uncontrollable laughter even while the tang of blood filled Link's mouth. It tasted the same way that he felt when he missed a turn on the rails because he wasn't paying attention; bitter surprise mixed with frustration and regret.

She agreed with them? She actually agreed?! She wanted to be forced into marriage with some coddled stuffed-shirt? Some arrogant, pretentious, greedy tool who only saw her as a means to an end? No. Never. Not as long as he had something to say about it.

Zelda's laughter subsided, and it took him a moment to realize she was examining his expression curiously.

"Are you ok, Link?"

"Hmm? What? Oh, yeah, I… I'm fine."

He threw her a fake smile as though to prove the point, and she tilted her head to the side, unconvinced.

"Funny. You don't look fine. You actually look kind of angry."

"W-what?" He exclaimed, trying to force a laugh. "Why on earth would I be angry? It's just… regular me. Just driving the train."

She stared, nonplussed.

"Link."

"Zelda."

She rolled her eyes. "Link, I swear- "

"Fine!" He shouted, throwing up his hands. "I think it's stupid, ok? I think it's stupid that you're just giving in to this whole marriage thing because someone told you you have to! I think it's stupid that you're not even going to try to fight it! But it's not my place to tell you that, so whatever!"

He returned his hand to the gear shift and glowered out towards the ocean. His little rant there had sounded completely petulant, he knew that, and yet… He was so… angry. Angry at her Council, angry that she was apparently just… fine going along with it all.

What happened? Where had his best friend gone? The wild, spunky, impulsive, somewhat selfish, kind of conceited, but big-hearted, kind, brave, bold, adventurous and daring princess that he cared about more than anyone else in the world? His partner. His companion. The person he l-

He gritted his teeth and shook his head. Come on, Link, get it together. No more stupid daydreams and preteen crushes. He was a train conductor and she was the princess, as well as his best friend. She relied on him. He couldn't jeopardize that. For her sake. And for his.

Zelda, for her part, looked positively floored by his outburst. After a moment of awkward silence, she let out a flat, "Are you kidding me right now?"

He winced but didn't look at her. He knew that tone. That was her 'Are you some kind of a moron?' tone, the one she used when she was about to verbally lay someone out.

"What on earth makes you think I'm just 'giving in'?" She asked, obviously annoyed but for some reason not angry. "What makes you think I'm not going to fight them?"

Link frowned but didn't answer, not knowing how to respond.

Zelda let out a soft sigh, adjusting her position so she was a little bit closer.

"Link. Come on. How long have you known me?"

He hesitated, examining her expression surreptitiously. Her tone was… oddly gentle.

"But… You said…"

She rolled her eyes again. "Yes, Link, I agree with my Council- in so far as that I am the princess and have a duty to my people to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline. But that doesn't mean that I'm just going to give in to whatever it is they say."

"Oh." The crushing weight on his chest seemed to lessen somewhat. "Of course not. Obviously."

"Obviously." She parroted back with a teasing smile.

"So then what is your plan?"

"I'm so glad you asked." She replied, adjusting her position again against the railing. As she switched which hand she was supporting herself with, her hair was allowed to blow wildly around her head for a moment, and Link found himself distracted from the train's controls. A second later she had it back under control and his attention had returned to the tracks ahead.

"I struck a deal with the Council. I told them I would allow them to decide amongst themselves who would be my husband if and only if I could not procure a suitable candidate by myself before my eighteenth birthday."

"Eighteenth birthday?" Link shot back, alarmed. "Zelda, that's less than a year away-!"

"That's more than enough time!" She cut in, waving him off dismissively. "Stop worrying so much, Link."

Stop worrying?! Link hadn't been this preoccupied since they were charging down Malladus atop the Demon Train!

"So… ok, let me get this straight. You have to find someone to marry sometime before your eighteenth birthday or your Council is going to force you to marry whoever they choose?"

"Yup." The princess replied rather flippantly, not at all striking the appropriate tone. "I imagine it'll be one of their sons or nephews or something. You know, to consolidate their power. They're probably arguing about who it'll be right this second."

"And you're ok with this?!"

"Link, I told you. I have a plan."

"But Zelda-!"

"Link." And this time, there was a calm, consoling note to her voice that had him turning his head and meeting her eyes. "Trust me, ok?"

He clenched his jaw, a half-dozen different arguments and complaints piling up on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down with no little difficulty.

"Yeah… yeah, you're right. I'm sorry."

She beamed, her expression positively radiant, and he turned away stiffly, focusing again on the train tracks.

"So that's what this is all about, then?" He said after a moment of quiet, and she tilted her head to the side.

"Hmm?"

"This trip, I mean. You calling me out here. It has to do with your plan to find a husband before the deadline you gave the Council, right?"

Zelda's body froze. Her eyes widened and her cheeks pinkened in some odd combination of terror and embarrassment.

"You want me to take you around to scout out a prospective husband."

There was a beat, and then Zelda seemed to crumple in on herself, her shoulders sagging. Lowering her hand, she buried her face in her palm and let out a weary sigh.

She muttered something under her breath, but over the sound of the train, he couldn't hear her. He put the engine back in first, slowing down somewhat so they could better hear one another.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing, Link. It was nothing…"

A moment later she was standing upright again, scowling at him as if he'd done her some personal affront.

"What is with you, anyway? What kind of psycho drives around in a train to scout out a husband?!"

"You, apparently." He replied pointedly.

"W-what?! No! That's not what I…"

And then she hesitated, her face turning pink once again.

Link frowned.

"Zelda?"

"I mean… I guess… that's… kind of what I'm doing…"

He stared.

"Wait. You mean you really called me over to pick you up so you could go check out guys?"

He started to laugh in spite of the sickening dip in his navel.

"How are we supposed to do that, anyway? You told me you didn't want to stop anywhere. What, are you going to spy on them from the passenger car as we drive by? Did you bring along a pair of those tiny binoculars or something to help you get a better look?"

His laughter grew louder still while the red in Zelda's cheeks steadily deepened. Finally, she snapped.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I called you over just so I could spend time with you?"

He opened his mouth to fire back a sarcastic retort and then paused.

Ah… If her Council really was pushing her into getting married soon, then… This little trip of theirs…

Might just be their last one.

When Zelda actually did get married, she would no longer be allowed to spend time with him. Not like this, at least. It would be improper; a married woman, alone with a man, some commoner nobody from Aboda Village. It wasn't such a big deal now because he was the Hero, the conductor of the Spirit Train and her friend from when she was young. But he was also a male, and the older they got, the more significant that became. It would paint their relationship in an entirely different light once she was married…

The laughter died, and the panic from before returned with a vengeance. It was as if suddenly, he could see the tracks of his and her future stretching out before them. He was heading straight, in the same direction and at the same speed as he always had been, but she… she was about to turn, taking a divergent path, somewhere far away from him.

Somewhere where she would be the Queen. Somewhere where he was still just a train conductor.

She would always be his friend, of course. But it would be different. It would be different.

He didn't like different.

He didn't want to keep moving forward.

Without even realizing it, he threw on the brakes.

"Link?!" Zelda asked, barely managing to catch herself before the momentum pitched her forward.

He was breathing too quickly. He needed to calm down before he hyperventilated.

"Oh, uh… I just thought that… y'know, you wanted to see the ocean, so… we should… stop for a while…"

They were somewhere in the eastern section of the Forest Realm, on a small section of tracks that bridged out over the water. Linebeck's Trading Post wasn't too far away from here. There would be problems if another train came along, but at this time of the year, there wasn't too much traffic in these parts.

Zelda was ogling him like he was a madman, but he was avoiding her gaze, desperately trying to work his way through the panic that had built up inside him.

No, it was no good. The conductor's box was too small, too cramped. He could reach out right now and touch her if he wanted to, or vice versa. He needed to move. He needed to go… somewhere else.

"Hey, uh, here's a thought!" he blathered wildly, throwing on an overly-cheery smile and stepping away from the train's controls. "How about we move to the back of the train for a bit? Y'know… experience the fresh ocean breeze!"

As though to mock just how inane his suggestion sounded, the wind picked up again, sending Zelda's hair up in a cascade of gold.

He swallowed and turned away, stepping down onto the back of the steam engine and leaping not-so-nimbly over onto the second train car that held his large cannon.

"Wha-?! Link, wait! Wait for me!"

She was scrambling along behind him now, struggling to keep up, but he didn't slow down. Couldn't slow down. He was in a race now; not with Zelda, but with himself, with his subconscious. Years of careful subterfuge, of heavy denial, of repression, of self-control, of ignorance, the fastidious bastion of lies and deceit he'd walled up around his heart, was now threatening to come crumbling down. And who knew what would be left of him when the dust settled?

He leaped to the passenger car and threw the door open, but within two steps he knew he could not stay there. It was more spacious than the conductor's box, certainly, and more comfortable. But the air inside was stagnant, and the walls he found on every side made him feel trapped, cornered, like he was back in the Tower of the Spirits and the phantoms were bearing down on him. Only this time, every phantom was Zelda.

"Link, what are you doing?!" Zelda asked, panting somewhat, as she entered the passenger car only to see Link throwing open the back door and stepping down onto the platform below the door.

Rather than answer, he braced himself against the outer wall of the train and, taking a deep breath, jumped from the back of the passenger car straight into the belly of the freight car.

His boots hit the bottom with a thump, sliding noisily on years of accumulated dirt and rocks and bits of wood chips. Though it was empty now and relatively clean (all things considered), it still somehow retained a bit of that perpetual fishy smell that it had had ever since running a delivery of perishables from Papuchia.

The freight car wasn't overly large, maybe half as long as the passenger car, but something about standing under the wide-open sky with the sun shining down brilliantly from overhead, the gentle roar of the sea in the distance and the wind rustling through his hair, set him at ease.

There was nowhere left on the train to run to unless he wanted to leap down and try running along the tracks, but that would be suicide. In any event, he no longer felt like he was running. Instead, he felt like he'd come to a conclusion. One almost as frightening as the panic from before had been. One that made him want to tear the hair out of his skull and scream in frustration and rage at the heavens.

He was in love with Zelda.

Of course he was. He'd known this for years, known this since they were stupid, naïve twelve-year-olds in way over their heads with the weight of the world on their shoulders and no one to rely on but each other. No one understood her like he did. Nobody was capable of seeing her in the same light. No one cherished her like he did, no one understood.

He'd been there when the Demon King had snatched her body away to use as a puppet for his nefarious plans. He'd been there in those early-morning hours, her shoulder to cry on when her ghostly form had disallowed her even the smallest respite of a night's sleep. He'd been there to share in the tragic sacrifice of Byrne and the loss of grandmotherly Anjean and the rest of the Lokomo.

Nobody knew her like he did. Her secret love of spicy food, her competitive streak, her fear of mice, the exultant look on her face when she'd solved a puzzle before him, the way she craved attention to make up for years of loneliness in the castle with no one but Teacher for company.

He loved her… and yet he'd forced himself to lie about it, to bury it down deep within the confines of his subconscious where it would never see the light of day. After all, who was he? Some presumptuous preteen with a borrowed sword and a borrowed train. No money to his name, no family, no home. He'd had Zelda, sure… but he had her as a friend, and that was all. And why risk losing that? The human connection he cared about most in this world? After all, what did twelve-year-olds know about love anyway?

As the years passed and his affection grew, it became harder and harder to keep it bottled up. But he did so anyway. For her sake. Daily life in the castle for Zelda was difficult, more so than she ever let on to him, not wanting to dampen their reunions with complaining about her personal problems. But Link could tell. He could tell that he represented to her a reprieve, a person she could be herself around, someone with whom she didn't have to keep her guard up.

She needed him. For her sanity. And to soil that by forcing upon her his unwanted affections was the height of egocentricity.

So he kept it down. For years, he kept it down. And now… Now that she was talking about marriage, now that she was filling his head with images of her wrapped up in the arms of another man, he finally felt like he was a half-step away from imploding.

But… in the end, did any of his personal feelings matter?

Zelda may have said she was ok with it, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted to marry. Perhaps choosing a suitor of her own volition was merely her tiny way of fighting against the system, of showing the Council that they couldn't make all her decisions for her. At the end of the day, however, she would still wind up married to some man Link didn't know. And as much as he hated to admit it… it wasn't his place to interfere.

Despite how he felt, she wasn't 'his' Zelda. She didn't belong to him. She was her own person, and she made her own decisions. Just like she had when she'd decided to keep him as her friend.

And after being backed into a marriage for the sake of her people, a friend was probably what she needed more than anything.

He would need to continue keeping quiet. Staying ready for when she needed him. Silent and supportive. Just as always.

Every day, for the rest of his life.

Somehow… the thought didn't feel all that torturous. He could do it, told himself. If it was for her sake.

The sound of frantic breathing announced her arrival at the back of the passenger car.

"Link!" She blurted out, breathless, and he turned around to smile up at her.

Surprisingly, he didn't have to force it at all. He'd lost control there for a moment, but he was back now, sane and secure.

"Hello, Princess." He said, repeating his greeting from earlier, and she blinked down at him in confusion.

"I… what? What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Watching the ocean?"

"But why here?"

Rather than answer her verbally, he instead threw his arms out to either side and spun around as if to say, 'Do you not see this view? What other reason could there be?'

Her eyes scanned the perimeter, ocean and sky, blue on blue on blue, and something like wonder crossed across her face.

"Well… ok." She admitted, her smile a little bashful. "I guess this is pretty amazing."

"Don't just stand there, get down here!"

"Oh. I, uh…" She eyed the step down to the platform below the door and the even larger step down to the coupling with a dubious frown. "Give me a hand?"

He scoffed and instead held open his arms.

"Nuh-uh. Jump."

"What?! Are you crazy? I'll break my neck!"

"Will not." He laughed, stepping a little closer and shooting her his cheekiest smile. "I'll catch you."

The frown she shot him was no less dubious than her last.

"Right. More like I'll tackle you to the floor and ruin my dress- "

"Come on, Zelda." He said, rolling his eyes. "Trust me."

She held his gaze for a moment, and something quiet seemed to pass between them. Her frown faltered. She bit her lip.

"…Alright. But you'd better catch me!"

"Engineer's guarantee!" He joked, and braced himself for the impact.

She shot him one last nervous look, took a step back into the passenger car, and then with a wild shriek of fear and exhilaration flung herself from the doorway and straight into Link's arms.

He caught her with a grunt, his arms circling around her waist as he spun, just as on the platform, in a wild tangle of limbs and laughter. The gravel beneath his feet shifted and crunched and he nearly lost his balance for a moment, but he was able to catch himself and gently lower Zelda to the floor.

And if he lingered for a moment in the embrace, if his arms resisted allowing her to pull away… he no longer denied the reasoning.

He loved her. And he didn't know for how much longer he'd be able to enjoy little moments like this. Hopefully, the gods would forgive him for a moment of selfishness.

When she did finally step back, hastily brushing the hair away from her smiling, red-stained cheeks, Link turned and sat himself down on the edge of the car, facing out towards the Ocean Realm. He patted the spot beside him, silently motioning for his princess to join him, though he made sure to brush off any lingering dirt before she did.

For a moment, the two basked in the warm buzz of one another's company. The sun was still making its way up towards its apex, but morning would be over soon. Strange to think how swiftly the day was passing through his fingers. This may not be his absolute last day with Zelda, but no matter what, he needed to be sure that they spent the remainder of it just like this. Just… enjoying being together. Enjoying it while it lasted. To add to his collection of memories to cherish when all was said and done.

Evidently, their moment of quiet musing had come to an end, because Zelda turned to look at him, her eyes cautious and concerned, and quietly whispered, "Link… Are you alright?"

He sighed heavily. He could be honest, or… he could be honest. They still had most of the day stretched out before them, however, so he decided to go with the former.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm not exactly happy about… you know, what you said earlier. But I mean, if you're really ok with this, if this is what you want to do, then…" He struggled to find the words to say, words that would convey his absolute devotion without him needing to actually convey his absolute devotion.

He settled with, "Just know that you'll always have my support, ok? No matter what, I'll be right here. Always."

Oddly enough, she didn't exactly seem pleased with his declaration.

Turning away, Zelda adjusted the way she was sitting on the ledge and let her eyes rake the distant ocean, a slightly anxious look on her face.

"Link, can I… Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Something… personal?"

He looked at her askance, but nodded.

"Ok…" She took a deep breath as though trying to steel her nerves. "Link… What are… What do you want to do? Like, in the future?"

He blinked.

"Where did that come from?"

"Just answer the question."

He scratched at his chin. "You mean like, job-wise? Well… be a train conductor."

She seemed to be struggling with something, like she couldn't quite pick out the words she wanted to say.

"But like… is that all you want? Like, what about m-marriage?"

"Marriage?"

"Yeah. Is that something you have planned for your future? Do you want to have a family one day?"

He stared at her for a moment, noting the way she was playing with her hair and how she wouldn't look him in the eyes. Was she asking him this out of the blue because she was secretly trying to understand her feelings on her own situation?

If so, there weren't any answers he could give her.

"Honestly, Zelda… I don't know."

She lifted her gaze to stare at him in surprise, but it was his turn to not be looking at her, his gaze riveted on the distant horizon.

"I… I never had a family. I mean, I'm an orphan, so… I don't really know what that means. Sure, I had Niko and Alfonzo, and… I guess they were sort of like fathers… but I don't really have anything to compare that to, y'know? So… I don't know if I want a family or not. Maybe? Is that what normal people want?"

"I don't really remember my parents either," Zelda confessed softly, letting her fingers drop from her hair to lay despondent on her lap. "But I… I have some fuzzy memories. And I have Teacher."

"Do you want a family?" Link asked suddenly. "I mean, like, do you really? I'm not asking the princess who has to 'ensure the continuance of the royal bloodline', I'm asking you. Is that something you want? Do you even want to get married?"

As he turned to look at her, he was surprised to see her eyes look glassy.

"Yes." She answered honestly, her voice coming across a little wobbly in spite of the absolute conviction he could hear in her words. "Yes, I do. But not to just anyone; I want it to be someone I want. Someone I choose."

"Why?" He asked; not out of a need for the justification of marriage itself, but for her. For her personally. Why did Zelda want to be married?

"So I won't have to be so alone anymore."

Something inside of him wavered. Honestly, the thought of Zelda getting married filled him with absolute dread, and he knew why. It was because he didn't want to lose her. Because he didn't want to be alone anymore either. The only problem was… the solution to her problem was the exacerbation of his. If she got married… he would be forever alone. Nothing but him and the rails.

At his side, Zelda cleared her throat, swallowing thickly.

"Um… Link… Why… Why did you want to become a train conductor so much?"

Link frowned, staring off towards the sea.

"Because… I wanted to be free."

Free of the confines of Aboda Village. Free of the knowledge that, though he lived there, he didn't really belong there. He hadn't been born there, he had no family there, nothing tying him to the place other than an inability to leave.

And sure, he'd had Niko, always there to look after him, filling his head with legends and adventures and destinies that one could search out and seize, carve out with their own hands. And sure, he'd had Alfonzo, who had always sort of begrudgingly taken him under his wing, almost like a stray dog at first until Link's persistence had won the better of the grizzled warrior and he'd begun to teach him about trains and swordplay, giving him the tools to make those dreams realities.

Only now, now that Link had his freedom, now that Link had a magical sword and a magical train and

the freedom to go and do basically whatever he wanted, nothing tying him down… it was only now that he realized he'd never really moved passed Aboda Village. He may be in a different place, but he was still alone. Miles and miles of endless tracks and no one to share them with.

And before long, he was going to lose Zelda.

"O-oh…" Zelda replied, her voice oddly weak and hollow. "Of course… Why else would you become a train conductor…"

He turned and gave her an odd look, but before he could ask what was wrong she suddenly rallied, her fists clenched in determination.

"But it's not like getting married would take that away from you! You could still ride your train whenever you wanted!"

"I… guess?" Link replied, confused. Why was she suddenly so interested in him getting married too? Maybe she wanted her kid to have someone to play with? "But it's not like I could just go whenever I wanted to, y'know? I mean, I'd be a pretty terrible father if I just left whenever and didn't come home unless I felt like it."

Zelda wilted somewhat under Link's off-hand remark, but perked back up when he tacked on, "Though I guess I wouldn't really need to go out all the time. Every once in a while should be ok."

"Right?!" Zelda practically gushed, leaning in closer. "Like, maybe you'd be ok with only driving whenever your wife needed you to take her somewhere!"

"Uh," Link laughed awkwardly, leaning away from the overly-excited princess, "maybe? But I'd get a little stir crazy if I didn't get out on the rails pretty frequently, and what kind of woman needs to ride the train that often?"

Zelda stared at him, her eyes dark, her mouth gaping, her fists quivering. She looked like she wanted to reach out and strangle him, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"Anyway," Link cut in quickly, rising to his feet and stepping away from her lest she actually give in to her physically violent tendencies, "we should probably get moving. Sitting here on the tracks like this is just asking for trouble- "

"Link!"

He froze, one foot on the lip of the freight car, and turned back only to find Zelda now on her feet as well. The look of utter desperation on her face left him momentarily speechless.

"Wait."

He blinked.

"Just… Just wait…"

"I'm waiting." He said, half-laughing, half-alarmed. "Zelda, what is it?"

"I…" her voice cut off as though strangled. She was gripping the skirts of her dress in both of her fists, no doubt leaving wrinkles in the otherwise fine material.

Her face had grown oddly pale, as though she were about two seconds away from retching all over his beautiful train.

Oh gods, was she actually sick?!

"Zelda?"

"I… I need… to t-tell you… I mean, what I called you out here for… was… was to… to tell you…"

She lifted her eyes up from where they'd been fixated firmly on her shoes and met his gaze. Her cheeks, to his surprise, had gone from pale white to vibrant pink at some point, making him suddenly worried that she'd developed a fever. Her eyes, wide and glassy, affixed themselves to his for a moment before suddenly jerking to the side as though something had caught her attention.

Her expression changed again, from somewhat nauseous to full of sudden dread.

"Pirates…"

"What?"

She threw up her arm, her finger pointing out towards the horizon, her eyes nearly as wild as her hair.

"Link! Pirates!"

His stomach seemed to drop into his shoes. Hastily he stepped back from the passenger car door, joining Zelda at the freight car's edge right as a hollow boom sounded out from the distance.

Sure enough, there they were; four small sloops and one slightly larger one in the middle, powering

towards them through the tepid morning seas as calmly as tadpoles in a pond, though the massive cannons they had installed on the decks of their ships were anything but 'calm'. The central ship was easily the largest and simplest to identify, given the dragon-shaped figurehead secured to the prow and the large black skull emblazoned on its sail.

It was rare to see a pirate raid group leave the Ocean Realm, especially one this large. Rare, but not unheard of. They were nearly upon them, sailing from the south-east. And if Link had any hope of escape, he would have to run the train straight towards them and hope they made it to land without incident.

The cannonball they'd fired fell far off course, landing harmlessly in the seas below them, but the spray of salt water it kicked up was caught in the breeze, peppering their skin and clothes in icy water. Zelda hissed, flinching away from the cold.

Zelda…

A moment later, Link was on the move. Abandoning his vigil at the side of the freight car, he flung open the rear door of the passenger car and was sprinting past the rows of empty seats in a matter of seconds, his heart in his throat, shouldering his way through the opposite doorway and leaping across the coupling. Zelda shouted something from behind him, struggling to keep pace in her dress, but he paid her no mind. There wasn't time for conversation.

Catching himself on the side of his large cannon, he hastily worked his way around it, vaulting once more across the gap and into the conductor's box where he threw himself against the gear shift, putting the engine into drive and ratcheting it up to full speed.

The train lurched forward agonizingly slow, the pistons kicking sluggishly to life, but it was too little too late. The Spirit Train was the fastest vehicle in the kingdom, but even it needed a few minutes to get up to full speed. The boats would be upon them in no time.

Link gave the whistle a few hasty tugs, sending out a warning signal to any trains up ahead, then immediately leaped out of the conductor's box once more, landing on the second train car and seizing control of the cannon.

Zelda's head poked out of the doorway just as Link brought the cannon to bear and fired his first shot.

"Link!"

"Stay in the passenger car!" He bellowed, flinching as an enemy cannonball careened dangerously close to the Spirit Train's smokestack. They were now close enough that their shots could actually be accurate. He retaliated with an angry blast that blew a wide hole in one of the ships' sides, immediately causing it to flounder.

It was lucky for him that the pirates' vessels were so crudely made. They were little more than sailing ships, with wooden hulls and a single mast. They were faster than many gave them credit for, true, but couldn't turn very fast, so normally if they caught you from the opposite direction you had to do little more than fly past them, and they'd be left bobbing up and down in your wake.

This time was different. This time, he'd let them catch him while he'd been sitting completely still. Like an idiot. Like a complete novice. Moreover, they were coming at him from the side; in the time it took him to pick up speed, they'd be able to alter their course and follow along the tracks like a pack of wolves running down a frightened deer.

One ship was down, and the train was slowly starting to pick up speed, but the boats were upon him now in earnest and there was nothing he could do about it. He fired a second shot, managing to snap the mast off another of the ships, leaving it stranded, but not before the same ship managed to land a solid blow on the freight car.

With a shriek of tortured metal, the freight car tore free from its coupling, splinters flying through the air like fireworks as the wooden construction flipped end over end, vanishing with a tumultuous splash into the sea.

The force of the blow and the sudden removal of the freight car caused the passenger car to bounce violently with the rebound, and one of its wheels somehow came free of the track. The train let out a shriek of protestation, the metal grating against metal as the entire car became suddenly wracked with violent shutters.

This was bad. This was worse than bad. Not only had he lost a car, but if he didn't slow down the passenger car was liable to flip him off the track!

Only he couldn't slow down. Not with the pirates bearing down on him! Not with Zelda's life on the line!

Oh Goddesses, send him strength…!

"Zelda?!" Link shouted, worried about his princess trapped in the quaking rear car, but there was no answer. Twisting the cannon around, he fired another blast at one of the ships and missed, his projectile landing harmlessly in the sea. "Zelda?! Zelda!"

Something pink collided with him, forcing him away from the cannon's controls and would have almost knocked him off the train entirely had it not caught him the by the arm and pulled him back.

It was Zelda, her hair dancing wildly in the wind, her expression steely and determined.

"Wait, what are you-?!"

"They're about to board!" She bellowed, running over him even as she spun the cannon around and fired a shot at the main ship, only just barely missing. "Grab your sword!"

"But I-!"

"Link, I've got this! Trust me!"

It wasn't a matter of trust, he wanted to argue, but there wasn't any time. One of the smaller ships had indeed pulled dangerously close to the tracks, and its inhabitants were even now shimmying up the mainmast, pulling themselves level with the elevated train tracks, readying themselves to jump.

Cursing to himself, Link left the cannon to Zelda and hurled himself into the conductor's box, snatching up his sword and shield from where he normally left them stashed, fastened to the side with a length of rope.

As he leaped back onto the car that held the cannon, he saw Zelda fire off another blast. The boarding ship was too close, obscured behind the edge of the passenger car, so she couldn't hit it. She did, however, manage to land a solid blow on one of the remaining ships, smashing through both its cannon and its main mast in one go, leaving it bobbing listlessly in the waves as its panicked inhabitants hastily bailed into the sea.

He wanted to let out a whoop at her success but fought it down. Only two boats left, and they were nearly to land. Maybe they could do this. Maybe his stupidity hadn't upended them entirely.

As soon as he jumped into the passenger car, he knew they were going to have a problem. The cabin was shaking so violently that it was difficult to stay on his feet. And the screeching of the wheels was more than just a warning about stability; the train should be nearly at full speed by now, but with the wheels out of alignment, the passenger car was dragging and slowing them down.

He really didn't want to lose another train car, but if worse came to worse… No train car was worth Zelda's safety.

He didn't have any more time to think on it. Something black flickered across one of the windows, and then a moment later the glass exploded inward, heralding the arrival of the pirates.

They were miniblins; small, impish monsters who were physically weak and mentally stupid. On their own, they didn't pose much of a threat, but when they ambushed you in groups, especially in tight spaces, they became a nuisance. Unfortunately for Link, he was in such a situation now.

Even worse, with the car vibrating so wildly, he was having a hard time keeping his footing, something the miniblins didn't seem to mind so much. Two more windows exploded inward, and the miniblin was joined by two of its brethren, the three monsters leaping about frenetically from seat to seat like crazed monkeys.

Outside, the sound of Zelda's canon sounded out loud and fierce, but through the window, he could see she'd missed again.

The lead pirate ship was growing closer. He needed to end this, fast.

One of the imps lunged forward, letting out a high-pitched battle cry, its tiny pitchfork aiming straight for Link's stomach.

Link waited half a second until the creature was within reach before batting the thin weapon away with his shield, lunging forward with his sword in the same motion, stabbing the monster through the chest.

As it exploded into black, sulfurous smoke, Link lost his balance and toppled forward, only just barely managing to catch himself on all-fours and roll to the side right as a second pitchfork came down on top of him, grazing his neck.

Righting himself, conscious of the sting of his newly-acquired gash, Link kicked out against a nearby seat, sliding himself backward to give him some distance right as the third miniblind leaped towards him, its trident poised to strike.

A cannonball grazed the passenger car, ripping a hole through the upper back corner and making the entire car list precariously to the side.

Link and the second miniblind both slid downward, screaming in terror, as the third miniblind collided with the wall and bounced harmlessly away. Somehow, miraculously, the train car settled back onto the tracks with a graceless crash, but if it was vibrating before it was bucking in earnest now. They had seconds at most, if even that, before the entire thing rolled over and took the rest of the train with it, sending them all careening to a watery grave.

He could hear Zelda shouting from outside, as well as the ceaseless back-and-forth of cannon fire, but he didn't have time to answer her. He needed to escape the car and decouple it before it killed them.

Forcing himself to his hands and knees, he struggled forward, clinging to the seats to stop himself from being flung around. The windows that were still intact were cracking. The wood of the walls and ceiling were beginning to splinter. The entire car was shaking apart.

A miniblin charged him from the side and he rolled, managing to slash it across its torso as it passed. As it exploded into dust, the car bucked again and Link lost his balance, crashing to the floor and rolling backward, further away from Zelda. The Lokomo Sword tumbled uselessly from his hand.

The final miniblin seized its opportunity and pounced, a murderous gleam in its eye. Weaponless, Link had no choice but to catch the blow on his shield, grunting as the full force of the miniblin's weight crashed down on him. Still sliding backward, Link threw caution to the winds and hiked his legs up, letting the momentum carry him and the miniblind backward. In mid-roll, Link kicked outwards, sending the miniblind flying towards the opposite wall, which it hit with a satisfying 'thwack!', only to immediately bounce right out of the hole that had been blasted apart by the earlier cannon fire.

At any other time, Link would have laughed at the absurdity of his luck. Right now, however, he had no time. He allowed himself to complete his slide to the back of the car if only to grab his fallen sword, which he then promptly sheathed (with no little difficulty amidst the shaking and jumping) and immediately began the struggle back to Zelda anew.

Outside, the cannon fire had not stopped, though neither Zelda nor the final pirate ship had seemed able to hit one another. How much longer until they reached land? He knew the passenger car was slowing them down, but it had to be soon.

Another cannon blast sounded out, followed by a raucous cheer from Zelda. Smoke was billowing up from outside. She must have struck the final pirate ship!

Before he could join in on her cheering, something massive launched itself over the train from down below. It slammed into the side of the passenger car with a howl, knocking Link to the ground once again where he smashed his face into the floor, filling his mouth with the taste of blood.

Beneath him, he felt the wheels finally give out. The axel must have snapped, or perhaps the central plate had torn free. Whatever it was, the back end of the passenger car crumpled, the wheels ripping off and bouncing wildly into the ocean, leaving the car literally dragging along the tracks without any sort of buffer.

At the very least, the car was no longer bouncing, but it was shaking now worse than ever. Zelda was screaming something, but he couldn't make out what it was. A dark, massive shape was clinging to the back of the car, pulling itself onto the roof, its weight causing the ceiling to fracture as it let out a bestial roar of defiance.

Link only caught a brief glimpse of it through the windows and the hole in the wall, but he'd know that cry anywhere. It was a Big Blin. It must have flung itself onto the train just after Zelda had destroyed its ship and was now seeking its revenge.

Outside, the scenery had shifted, the wide, endless blues replaced with the familiar greenery of the Forest Realm. Of course; they make it back to land right after the pirates' leader had boarded his train. Figures.

The monster let out a roar of defiance, smashing something that looked like a heavy wooden club into the side of the train, shattering the remaining windows on that side as it slowly began stomping towards the cannon.

Zelda let out a scream of terror. Anger and fear bubbled in his veins as Link struggled to push himself to his feet. Not her… They could tear his train to pieces, but he wouldn't let them touch her…

Through the door, he could see Zelda frantically bringing the cannon around, but before she could take aim, before Link could rush to her aid, before the Big Blin could bring his might club to bear, the ceiling gave an ominous groan. Under the monster's tremendous weight and the combined structural deterioration caused by the cannon fire and endless shaking, the roof of the passenger car caved in, and the Big Blin hit the floor with an almighty crash.

Link could hardly believe his luck. It had fallen before it had reached Zelda, and now he had a chance to stop it himself!

Through the newly formed skylight, Link could see the Big Blin struggle to orient itself and clamber to its feet. Wood dust ghosted through the air, blown through the hole in the ceiling and carried out through the hole behind Link. The creature looked hulking and disgusting, just like all members of its kind; mottled pink skin, massive gorilla-esque body, a stupid canine face. It wore a filthy leopard-print toga that hung disconsolately from one of his meaty shoulders, and in one of its hands it held a thick wooden club that was nearly as wide around as Link was.

It looked around for a moment, clearly confused, before spotting Link readying himself at the back of the train and letting out a furious roar of challenge.

This was it, then. What it all came down to. Kill the monster, save the princess. He could do this. He'd done this before. He'd done this under worse circumstances. Just focus, Link. Focus.

The passenger car, however, was not a convenient space for battle, not for Link or the monster. Link was barely managing to stand on his feet as it was; he had no idea how he was supposed to charge the monster, let alone engage it in a fight. For the monster's part, the only reason it was still standing was because it had seized one of the seats in a massive hand and was holding himself upright. With his club, though, he wouldn't have to move very much to be able to reach Link, which gave him the clear advantage. On top of that, if Link knocked him over, he could upset the already precarious balance of the train and send them all to their deaths.

From behind the monster, Zelda's voice rang out, just barely audible over the roar of the wind and the grinding of the train car on the ancient tracks.

"Link! Are you alright?!"

The monster let out a roar as if suddenly remembering Zelda was there. No, he couldn't let it get distracted!

"I'm fine!" He shouted back hastily, "Leave it to me! Just stay where you are!"

There was relative silence for a moment, and for a fleeting moment he actually allowed himself to believe she was going to do what he asked.

"Don't hate me for this!" She suddenly shouted, and the monster turned again, a murderous glower on its face, seemingly deciding that it would rather kill the girl with the cannon before dealing with Link.

He started forward in desperation, barely managing to stay upright, struggling to draw his sword from its sheath.

"Zelda, no! Stop talking-!"

"Get down!"

The monster roared, reaching for the doorway as though to tear the wall apart with its bare hands.

The world exploded.

When his vision cleared, he was lying on his back, staring up as the sky went rushing passed.

The Big Blin was gone. So was the roof. And his entire right side was in agony.

It took him a moment to piece together what must have happened. Zelda had yelled for him to get down because she fired the cannon directly into the passenger car. It was tremendously stupid… but at the same time, possibly their best option at guaranteeing a victory. The car was trashed anyway, and as long as she fired towards the monster's head, there was little chance of her hitting him, seeing as how he was so much shorter than it was.

Still… several things could have gone wrong. He very easily could have just died. Crushed by the monster, swept up in the debris… the entire train car could and very well should have been ripped free and flipped into the ocean. 'Miracle' wasn't a strong enough word to describe the circumstances that led to him lying there, still alive. He swallowed down a nervous lump in his throat and pushed himself once more upright.

What remained of the passenger car was in shambles, with bits of wood shrapnel lying everywhere between the seats that were still upright. The stinging of his face, neck, and limbs suddenly made sense; he'd been peppered with a deluge of splinters when the ceiling had erupted and was now covered in multiple cuts and scratches, some of which still contained bits of wood. He'd worry about that later. For now, he needed to get out of this train car…

Turning his attention forward, he caught sight of Zelda, holding on to the side of the cannon and calling out to him with a tearful expression on her face. She looked like she was a half-second away from jumping onto the passenger car and coming to his aid.

That would be a bad idea. He tried to put on a reassuring smile as he began pulling himself forward, only for his eyes to dip past her and focus for the first time on the track ahead.

They were over land now and had been for at least a couple of minutes, though he wasn't sure for how long he'd been down. None of that mattered now, however; there was a turn in the tracks up ahead.

One path heading east, towards the Ocean Realm. The other west, to Linebeck's Trading Post.

And they were careening towards the junction at full speed, with a broken train car.

"Zelda!"

He hadn't thought he'd had any more energy left inside of him for panic.

He was wrong.

If they hit that turn at full-speed, they were going to turn over!

"Zelda! Zelda, the train!"

He tried to scream, but his voice was hoarse, and over the roar of the wind and the scratching of the car on the tracks below him, his words were lost in the din.

He pulled himself forward as quickly as he could, car seat by car seat, racing the train as it careened pell-mell down the tracks towards their impending doom.

As he drew nearer, it became apparent that she was speaking.

"…rry!" She wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she waited for him, one arm reaching out, the other supporting herself against the cannon. "I thought it'd be alright since you were at the back of the train! I didn't mean to-!"

"Zelda!" Link bellowed in desperation, gesturing wildly over her shoulder. "Zelda, behind you! Hit the brakes! The brakes!"

Finally, miraculously, his words reached her. Confused, she turned to glance over her shoulder and blanched when she noticed the swiftly approaching junction. Frantic, she abandoned her spot and fled back to the engine, throwing on the break just as Link reached the front of the passenger car.

The wheels let out a hideous screech. The resulting shift in momentum flung him forward, just about sending him down into the space between the train cars, but he managed to catch himself and pull himself up onto the car that held the cannon, fighting down the bile that threatened to rise as he considered what would have happened had he fallen onto the tracks, and instead twisted around on the floor, searching in desperation for the coupling.

Behind him, he heard Zelda call out, "Link, we're almost there! Which way do we go?!"

"Right!" He hollered back, finally spotting what he was looking for and lashing out at it with his foot.

Just as he'd assumed, the coupling was damaged, only barely hanging on. The lever to detach the train car was within reach of his foot. A few kicks ought to do it. "We're going right! Turn it to the right!"

He could only hope she heard him, though it didn't really matter which way they went, so long as they managed to slow down enough before they reached the turn.

His foot hit the lever again, and again, and again, and again. The turn was coming up, but he didn't dare look back to see how far away it was. He kicked out again. And again. And again.

Finally, after a seeming eternity of desperate kicks and heart-pounding prayers, the lever jerked forward, the segment detached, and the coupling came free.

The train hit the turn. His entire body jerked to the side, inertia threatening to carry him away as the train groaned in ominous protest. He seized hold of the bottom of the cannon and closed his eyes, hoping against hope that they'd make it.

He felt the train begin leaning precariously to the left…

The passenger car hit the turn just behind them. Without its back wheels to sustain it, the front end tried to make the turn while the back tried to keep moving forward. The result was a fantastic moment of gymnastic destruction, in which the already half-destroyed car tore itself free of the rails and flipped over itself, slamming into the ground with a colossal roar, leaving wood pieces flying in every direction.

The Spirit Train settled back onto the tracks with a blessed thump, now slowly coasting as the brakes lured the train to a rather hectic stop.

Link remained where he lay for a moment, panting heavily.

That… had easily been the worst ride of his life. Even including all the mad situations he'd been on when they'd been fighting to restore the Spirit Tracks, even including battles against giant insect creatures in caves, or racing the demon trains, or their final battle against Malladus.

He'd lost two train cars. And he'd nearly gotten the princess killed. Multiple times.

What kind of hero was he?

After a long moment, the train eventually lurched to a stop. Slow, timid footsteps approached him from behind, and he raised his eyes to find Zelda standing over him, her eyes still full of tears.

"Link…" she breathed, sounding positively anguished.

"Zelda," He returned, utterly exhausted.

"Are you ok?"

He blinked, then smiled. They'd both asked at the same time.

"I'll be fine after a bit." He replied, slowly pushing himself upright.

"You're bleeding…"

"I'll be fine." He repeated tersely, gently catching her hand before it could reach for the gash at his neck. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

"But Link… Your train…"

He turned back to look at the now empty space behind his cannon. It felt… wrong, seeing the Spirit Train without the passenger car. If he squinted, he could still see the wreckage in the distance. That ought to make for some interesting speculation for whatever trains passed by in the near future.

"Don't worry about it, Zelda." He said softly, surprising even himself with how ok he was with the near total destruction of his train. "Our lives are more important than some replaceable train cars."

"I-I'll pay for the damages- "

"No, you won't." He said sternly, climbing gingerly to his feet and slipping past her, hopping into the conductor's box and setting his sword and shield back down where they belonged. "This is my fault, alright? Don't go blaming yourself for it."

She followed behind him, but the expression on her face was still clearly miserable.

"Come on, Princess." He said, trying for a light-hearted tone even as he threw the engine into first and the Spirit Train slowly lumbered its way back to life. "Let's go pay Linebeck a visit and get cleaned up, alright?"

She nodded but otherwise didn't reply.

Link turned away and tried to focus on the tracks ahead. But in his head, all he could see were the number of ways he'd nearly gotten her killed today.

If this is what being his friend got her, maybe it was better that she get married after all.

The rest of the ride passed in silence.

---

Linebeck the Third, merchant extraordinaire, had been utterly astonished when he'd glanced up from polishing an old vase behind the counter of his trade post to find the Princess of Hyrule escorting a bleeding Hero into his shop. Though not half as astonished as he'd been when he'd heard what had become of the Spirit Train.

At the moment, Link was seated shirtless upon one of Linebeck's cushioned benches, the kind he reserved for only his high-paying customers, using a pair of tweezers to meticulously pick wood shrapnel and splinters out of the many cuts and scrapes that covered his arm and upper torso. Zelda was beside him with another pair, doing the same for his back, neck, and shoulder, though at a much slower, hesitant pace. Linebeck had vanished outside a few minutes earlier to take a gander at the train, leaving the two teenagers alone in his shop to tend to Link's wounds.

An awkward pall had fallen over them, however, and for the last several minutes not a word had been shared between the two.

One particularly painful splinter had him shifting his leg in agitation, accidentally knocking it against the bowl Linebeck had left for him by the foot of the bench. It was filled with water to clean off the blood once the splinter removal had been seen to, and beside it was a bottle that held red potion to apply to his wounds before the nastier ones were bound with one of the many bandages sitting on Zelda's lap. Though he'd probably just drink it.

"Did that hurt?" Zelda asked, breaking the silence unexpectedly and nearly making him jump.

"O-oh, uh… No. Not you, at least." He tried to let out a reassuring laugh but it came out stilted and jerky. "This is just, um… a little uncomfortable."

He returned to splinter-picking nervously, trying not to focus on the fact that he could feel her breath on his shoulder. With any luck, they'd be able to finish this quickly and without any more bizarre accidents.

His princess, however, had seemed to have had enough awkward silences for the day.

"Link…" Zelda mumbled softly, her voice still a little raw as she lowered her hands to her lap, "I'm so, so sorry."

"Zelda… really, stop." He let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. "It's not your fault, ok? I get myself hurt worse than this all the time."

"But… your train…"

"That's not your fault either." He said emphatically, meeting her tremulous gaze with his best attempt at a confident smile. "I'm the idiot who decided to park my train in the middle of the open water like a prized duck. If anything… I should be apologizing to you."

She blinked in surprise.

"What? Why?"

He shrugged, then winced because he'd forgotten about how cut up his shoulder was.

"Just… because I should have known better. The only reason Teacher let us go out alone was because he trusted me to take care of you, and instead I put you in a situation where you might have been killed."

There was more to it than putting Zelda's life at risk, however. In addition to destroying half of his train and getting his arm and shoulder so needled up with splinters he might as well be a pin cushion, he'd also irrevocably damaged the confidence she and Teacher placed in him and his engineering skills. No matter how much she may try and play it off for his sake, he knew there'd forever be a little seed of doubt in her mind whenever she climbed aboard his train in the future. Assuming she ever allowed herself to do so again.

Ugh. He needed a topic change. Quickly.

"So. Um." Well, that was a lovely start. Topic changes were harder to come by than he'd realized. "…Weren't you about to tell me something before the pirates attacked?"

Zelda's tweezers spasmed and stabbed violently into his deltoid, making him yelp in pain.

"Oh! S-sorry!" she blathered frantically, pulling away. "You just-! I mean, I…! Sorry!"

"Geez, Zelda…" Link hissed, trying to make his tone sound playful so she'd know he wasn't mad while simultaneously masking how much that had actually hurt, "If you wanted me dead, you could've just let the pirates have me."

His lame attempt at humor had apparently fallen on deaf ears, however. He didn't even get a chuckle out of her. Instead, she was glaring down at the tweezers as though she were arguing with her reflection in the tiny metal instrument.

Oh wait, what if this was actually serious? Actually… hadn't she said something before about the possibility of them no longer being friends after this? Well, if it wasn't true before, it certainly was now thanks to how badly he'd botched things with the pirates…

Hold on a minute… Approaching the topic of marriage, the impending deadline, asking him to drive around with her all day… How had he not seen it before?

She'd already found someone.

Of course she had. Why else would she make that suggestion to the Council? This wasn't some mini-vacation to blow off steam or to go scouting for potential suitors- she'd already picked someone! And in that case, the reason why she needed to talk to him, the reason behind why she was worried about their friendship…

Was because after she was married, they wouldn't be able to hang out anymore.

This wasn't just one of their last trips. This was their last trip. At least, the last where they could just be Link and Zelda. The last time she could tackle-hug him at the platform or climb up into the conductor's box. The last time their relationship could be taken as anything purely platonic.

As Zelda's grip on the tweezers tightened, her determination growing into smoldering resolve, Link felt his own confidence begin to shrivel.

This couldn't be it. It couldn't end like this. Not with his train destroyed, not with the worst ride of his life, not with her leaving him. It was too soon! He wasn't ready! Not for her to be gone, not for this section of his life to be over!

The other half of his mind, the 'hero' half, began to lash out. How dare you selfishly try to hoard her away, he cried angrily. She doesn't belong to you! If this is what will make her happy, then you should be supportive!

Only he couldn't. Try as he might, he couldn't force himself to smile and be happy for her.

He really was terrible, wasn't he?

"Link," Zelda began, her voice unsteady, once again coming in too soon, too quickly, when he wasn't prepared, just like she always did, "you're right. I… I was trying to say something before, and I really need to say it before I miss my chance."

"Uh…" Link responded, trying for a light, breezy tone and instead sounding nauseous, "You know, on second thought… we don't need to talk about that right now. I mean… w-we've just been through a lot… We can probably wait. Y'know. 'Til later."

Zelda blinked, confused, but rather than take the bait her resolve only seemed to strengthen.

"No. No, it has to be now. Before Linebeck comes back. Before I… lose my nerve…"

Link swallowed painfully. Poor Zelda… she looked so… anxious. So out of sorts. On the one hand, it felt sort of gratifying, knowing that the thought of growing apart was messing her up almost as badly as it was him, but on the other hand… if she never said it, then was it even actually real?

"Z-Zelda," he stammered, trying once again to deter her, only this time she ran him over.

"Back there, on the train… I was about to tell you something. Something important. Something about… about the Council, and my need to be married before my eighteenth birthday."

She set the tweezers aside, grabbing the bowl of water from off the floor as she began gently washing away the smudges of dried blood on his skin. Part of him wondered if she was even done searching for splinters or if she just wanted something distracting to do with her hands.

He understood the need for a distraction.

Link said nothing, letting his hands curl up into fists on his knees. Come on, man… Tough it out…

Zelda let out a tremulous sigh.

"But I suppose I should stop beating around the bush and just tell you, huh?"

"I… I know."

She hesitated, the washcloth stilling against his shoulder blade.

"Y-you do?"

He let out a hoarse, humorless laugh.

"I mean… it was kinda obvious, Zelda."

"Oh."

Another moment of silence passed, and then she set the cloth back down in the bowl.

"So… what do you think?"

He shook his head, picking up the bottle of red potion and taking a swig for no other reason than to buy himself a moment. He had many thoughts on the matter, but none of them he could say to her face.

"Well… I can't say I'm exactly looking forward to it."

Zelda made an odd breathy sound, like a soft, shuddering gasp. He turned to look at her, concerned, and was stunned to find a look of soul-crushing hurt on her face. Somehow, in that moment, she looked twelve-years-old again, young and small and vulnerable and scared. Only this time, he had done it to her.

She opened her mouth to try and speak, but only managed to let out another weak "O-oh…"

Link rallied desperately to console her.

"I-It's not that I'm not supportive!" He lied hastily, setting down his own pair of tweezers and the bottle of red potion so he could face her more fully. "I just… I just don't want things to be different between us, Zelda."

There were tears in her eyes now, and from the set of her shoulders and the angle of her brow, Link thought he'd never seen a person look more heartbroken or dejected.

"But… Things won't have to change too much… will they?"

"They will, Zelda." Link murmured gently, giving her arm a comforting squeeze and struggling not to cry himself. "No matter how much we may try and fight it… Our little moments like this just… won't be able to happen anymore."

And gods, how it would tear him apart inside. He would willingly charge down Malladus all over again if it meant he could keep the lie going just a little bit longer… but he would have to face the facts eventually. Zelda's train was leaving the station. And he wasn't joining her for the ride.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks now, fat and fierce, and in a voice utterly choked with emotion, she whispered, "I… I just don't understand… why…?"

"Well," Link replied slowly, unable to see her in such pain anymore, knowing he was the cause of it. He turned away and gathered up his shirt, slipping it over his head. "I mean, just think about what people would say if they saw us like this? Especially Teacher or the Council."

Zelda stared at him in silence, not comprehending.

"And then, of course, there's your future husband."

She blinked several times.

"I mean… I know if it were me, I probably wouldn't be ok with the woman I loved spending so much personal time with some other guy- "

"Link." Zelda cut in suddenly, her voice strangely quiet. "What are you talking about?"

He let out a frustrated sigh, scratching at his scalp. Was she really going to make him say it? As if this situation wasn't awkward enough…

But then… if he told her the truth… if he confessed… maybe she'd finally understand. And then maybe… maybe he could get some closure… and maybe he'd find it easier to move on.

"You know," he started, wracking his brain for the right words. He never had been very good with his words. "I'm talking about you and the man you're going to marry, and how that's going to drive us apart. And I mean, that just… it really sucks. Like, really, really sucks… because you… You mean a lot to me, Zelda. More than a lot. And I… I don't think I can manage to pretend to be ok seeing you with… with someone else…"

It happened in a flash.

One moment, she was staring at him, her eyes slowly widening, blossoming with sudden understanding, and Link felt his heart lurch painfully against his sternum as years of carefully maintained friendship began to crumble away before his eyes. He blew it

In the next moment, Zelda had thrown herself on top of him, one hand gripping the side of his face, the other tugging on the front of his shirt as she yanked him towards her in a flurry of blonde hair and pink fabric until it all came to a stop with her lips pressed firmly against his own.

It took his brain a second to process what was happening. Zelda, his Zelda, his princess, who had almost forced herself onto his lap, was kissing him. Right now. Her lips, warm and soft and slightly off-center were smooshed a little too-forcefully against his own, pressing them back almost painfully against his teeth, her warm breath on his cheek, her familiar scent filling his nose.

Dizzy, not fully comprehending, he found his hands lifting as though of their own volition, slowly reaching forward as his eyes slid reflexively shut, his fingertips brushing against her hips, itching with the need to pull her closer, to kiss her back, to drink her in, to-

She pulled back, breathless and flushed, and the world snapped back into place.

There they were, Hero and Princess, sitting together in the front of Linebeck's Trade Post.

And Zelda had just kissed him.

He tried to swallow, but his throat didn't seem to be working.

They sat there for a moment, gazes locked, breathing ragged, expressions flickering between scared and vulnerable until finally, Zelda lowered her eyes.

"Link…" she whispered, seemingly addressing the space between them. "Please say something…"

He tried. He really did. But it was as though his lips were unwilling to do anything more now that they'd experienced what it was like to kiss her. He managed a sort of odd choking sound, which wasn't exactly communication.

It must have been enough for the moment, however, because Zelda pressed on. She swallowed thickly as her hands began to fidget nervously with the ends of her hair. Link's heart began to hammer anxiously in his chest.

"I… I really don't know how you don't know. My Council knew the moment I made my suggestion. Teacher knew, which is why he let me make this trip alone. I… Link, there was only ever one person on my mind when I was told I was going to have to marry. Honestly, there's been only one person on my mind for years now. And… I thought that we would have more time before it came down to this, but…"

His heart was in his throat. From the look on Zelda's face, she was dealing with a similar obstruction.

Seizing all his willpower, he managed to force out a weak "Zelda…?"

"I love you." She declared simply, her eyes honest, her expression earnest, her fingers stilling on her hair as though her confession had taken every ounce of her energy to perform. "I've loved you for so, so long. And I can't imagine my life without you. I… If you could… I mean, you… Would you…"

Overcome with emotion, she couldn't get the words out. She crumpled in on herself for a moment, wiping at her eyes, taking slow, steady breaths, desperately trying to hold herself together.

After a short pause, she let out a breathy, humorless laugh.

"Gods, Link. Please say something."

There were a million and a half things he could say right now. A million things he wanted to say. But instead, the first word that tumbled out of his gaping mouth was, "…Me?"

Thankfully, Zelda had a good sense of humor. She chuckled, watery and sweet.

"Yes, you. Stupid. Do you see anyone else in the room?"

"But I…" He managed, trying and failing to construct a logical, coherent thought. Zelda… Zelda loved him. Zelda had kissed him. She wanted to marry him. Him. This… was this… real?

She was gazing at him expectantly, her cheeks wet and red, her bottom limp pinched between her teeth. He wanted to reach out and kiss her again.

Instead he said, "…you can't marry me."

Zelda blinked, her expression wilting ever so slightly.

"…Why not?"

"Because." He replied, as if that were reason enough. "You're… I mean, you're… and I'm…"

She shook her head, not understanding.

"What? What are we?"

"Different." He replied dumbly, and she laughed again.

"Well obviously. That's how it's supposed to work."

"But I mean," he added quickly, trying to get to the root of the thought through the tangle of confusing emotions still rebounding throughout his skull, "you're the princess. You can't… You can't marry me. I'm… I'm not…"

He didn't know how to finish that. He wasn't… rich, or from a wealthy family, or from any sort of family at all. He wasn't from anywhere, he didn't have anything other than half of a damaged train and a sword that didn't really belong to him. He wasn't titled or noble or royal. He wasn't… He just wasn't.

Zelda was staring at him like he'd just announced he was actually part frog.

"Link… what are you talking about?" She asked, her tone flat and a little impatient. "What does me being a princess have to do with anything?"

He blinked, not understanding.

"Well... I mean, aren't there… laws? Won't your Council throw a fit?"

She shook her head slowly.

"No? I told you, I can marry whoever I want as long as I pick them before I turn eighteen. There aren't any laws about this sort of thing, and my Council… well, they might have a problem if I picked someone terrible, but like I said, they knew who I was going to pick as soon as I suggested it, and I mean… you're you, so…"

She trailed off as if that somehow explained things.

Link reached up to massage his temples. Something wasn't settling right here.

"Wait… hold on. What do you mean there aren't any laws? You're the princess, there has to be… Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. You know Teacher made me study the bylaws inside and out. I even went back and double-checked after striking the deal with the Council. There's only one thing written in the books about who I can and cannot marry, and do you know what it says?"

"What?"

"'Who cares? Just don't pick a wimp.'"

Link stared, dumbfounded.

"There's no way it actually says that."

"Of course it does." She laughed. "The country was founded by pirates. Like they cared about so-called 'nobility of blood' or class divisions or whatever you're talking about."

He felt like his head was spinning. Everything he thought he knew about his and Zelda's relationship was shifting dramatically on its axis. He lifted his free hand to rub at his eyes, if only to buy him a minute to think.

"Link," Zelda said softly, leaning in closer and placing a hand on his knee, "our very first queen, my great-grandmother, the Tetra herself, wrote those laws. Do you really think someone like her was going to limit her future daughters' freedom?"

"Ok, but Tetra didn't marry just anybody," Link cut in, feeling strangely defensive. "She married the Hero of the Winds! Compared to that, I'm…! I'm…!"

"The exact same person?" Zelda supplied ironically.

Link let out an indignant splutter.

"W-what?! No! He's… He was… I'm not…!"

"Alright, well then let's compare."

She leaned back and began ticking off her fingers.

"You… come from a quiet little village, met the future ruler of Hyrule, went on a grand adventure, got a magic sword and a unique mode of transportation, scoured through forgotten temples, fought off legions of monsters, and together with the princess destroyed an ancient evil and saved the world. Sounds like the same person to me. Gods, you even kind of look like my great-grandfather, at least in the old paintings we have. It's a little creepy, now that I think about it."

From the tone of her voice, she was clearly teasing him, but he was too busy having a panic attack to notice. How in the world could she compare him to the Hero of the Winds?! The man was a legend! Literally! Link had grown up hearing stories about him from Niko, he'd even been named after him! He was his idol! And if there was one thing Link knew, it was that he could not hold a candle to Zelda's great-grandfather!

Although, when she put it all together like that… it did sort of sound similar…

"But you know something?" Zelda continued, drawing Link back out of his hysterical reverie. "You could have done none of those things and it wouldn't matter to me."

He turned to look at her in surprise, only to have her startle him even further by leaning in closer and placing her hand on the front of his shirt. Her eyes, clear and blue and imploring, were boring directly into his, holding him in place.

"You don't have to be a hero. Or a swordfighter, or a train conductor, or a monster slayer, or an adventurer. I mean I'm glad you are all of those things because you saved our kingdom and you saved me… and I don't know that you and I would have ever met otherwise… but when you get down to it, Link, none of those things matter to me."

She let out a sudden bark of laughter.

"You could even be a wimp and it wouldn't change my mind. You're the one I love, Link. You're the one I want to marry. The one I want to spend the rest of my life with. And Tetra herself couldn't stop me.

"What about you?"

Link blinked, uncertain, his throat suddenly dry.

"What about… what about me?"

"Come on, Link," Zelda whispered, and for the first time he noticed how desperate she was, how scared. Her voice was tremulous and weak. Her hand, still pressed against his chest, was shaking. "I know this is a lot to ask, a-and I know it's sudden… We're still so young, and it's not fair to just throw this on you, but I know that I won't ever be happy with anyone else. You're my best friend. I… I need you. I need you in my life. Please… Please, Link. Marry me?"

Was it him, or… had the world around them ceased to exist?

There was nothing around him anymore. Nothing but him and her and the sound of their breathing.

Marry him… She wanted to marry him… To actually become his. No longer just a figment in his head, but his new reality. Him and her. Link and Zelda.

He wanted to reach out and pinch himself, but his arms had suddenly become leaden and unresponsive. The sound of her nervous breathing was loud in his ears. Or was that his breathing? How long had he been sitting here? How much time had passed since she'd asked? How much longer would she wait?

He still didn't feel like he was good enough for her… but maybe… maybe that was ok. Maybe that meant that he'd feel inspired to spend the rest of his life bettering himself for her sake. Actually, the fact of the matter was that that was already how he lived his life. From the day they'd met, from the moment she'd slipped him that letter and he'd helped her sneak her way out of the castle, his life had revolved around her.

She was all he thought about sometimes. The only person he wanted to see after a long trip. Even just being in her presence made him smile. And maybe they were too young for this, but… maybe that just meant that they could grow into it together.

Only he couldn't say it. Couldn't get his mouth to reproduce into words the thoughts that were skittering around inside his head like pond skimmers.

So instead, he did what he did best. Demonstrated his intentions through actions.

Reaching out, his hand shaking with fear and expectation, he cupped her face, fingers tangling in her hair, and pulled her closer, capturing her lips.

Of course, it was right at that moment that Linebeck decided to make his return to the shop, bursting through the door with a loud whistle.

"Well, you weren't kidding, were you, kid?! You did a number on that train of yours! And here I was, actually thinking you were somewhat competent-!"

He spotted the two teenagers, faces twin shades of deep maroon, and froze in his tracks.

Awkwardly, Link and Zelda pulled apart, scooting as far away from each other as they could get on the small bench. Zelda's eyes were glued on her hands, which were clenched together tightly on her lap, her expression hidden behind her bangs, the very picture of abject mortification.

For Link's part, he felt breathless and exhilarated, his heart thundering with that same insane sort of rush he got when racing down the side of Death Mountain at full speed on his train. His limbs felt jittery and unnatural, like they were suddenly longer than they used to be, but he met Linebeck's startled gaze with a wide grin that was at once sheepish, proud, dazed, and deliriously happy. The destruction of his train and near-death at the hands of pirates aside, this was easily the single greatest day of his life.

Linebeck took Link's stupid expression in for a long, pregnant moment before letting his own return to its normal state of perpetual boredom.

"Teenagers." He scoffed loudly, sauntering languidly as he strode across the room and back behind the counter to take up his normal vigil. "I tell ya. Can't leave 'em alone for five minutes without someone getting frisky."

Zelda let out a sound that was reminiscent of a cat being mauled by a mastiff, burying her face in her hands.

Link, however, took Linebeck's teasing in stride.

"So what do you think?" He asked, diverting the topic of conversation back to his train.

"What do I think?" Linebeck parroted back, shooting Zelda a brief glance as though admiring his handiwork before returning his gaze to Link and resting his head against his hand on the countertop. "I think you're a prize fool and it's a miracle you're not dead. But the damage actually isn't all that bad, all things considered."

At this, Link perked up.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." The older man agreed, letting out a yawn. "I'd even be alright with selling you replacement train cars right here and now, only… well, truth be told, the coupling on the back of your cannon has seen better days. It'd be bad for business if I let you drive off with one of my pieces only to have it snap off while you're carting passengers around.

"Tell you what; you head on over to visit old Alfonzo in Aboda and see if the two of you can't get that coupling replaced. While you're gone, I'll dig through my shed and see what I can't turn up. How does that sound?"

"Excellent!" Link declared, leaping to his feet and punching the air victoriously.

At his side, Zelda let one of her eyes peek out from behind her fingertips like a prairie dog sniffing the air for danger. When Linebeck didn't comment on her behavior or appearance, she slowly lowered her hands back down to her lap.

"Yeah, yeah," Linebeck said, waving Link down. "Just remember, it's gonna cost you. I'm not running a charity, so you better hope you have the cash to pony up when you come back."

Here Link hesitated, his expression turning grim.

"Oh, uh… right! Of course!"

"The Royal Family will be covering this expense, Linebeck." Zelda cut in, rising formally to her feet. She shot Linebeck a tepid glare as though daring him to tease her about what he'd caught her and Link doing, only from the sudden look of glee on the older man's face, it was apparent that he'd stopped paying attention. The Royal Family had a lot of money. His eyes had practically transformed into rupees.

"Zelda, no-" Link tried to argue, turning around to frown at her, but there was a strange new heat in her eyes that cut him off.

"Your train took damage while in service to the throne. It's only right that I help pay for the damages."

She nodded as if that settled matters before turning back to Linebeck, "Though it might take a couple of days before I can get the money to you, and I don't think Link can go that long with half of his train missing."

Linebeck's expression fell momentarily, and then he let out a begrudging sigh.

"Well… Since it's you… I guess I can take an I.O.U. But only this once!"

Link let out another whoop, dancing around in a circle while Zelda laughed.

"And you'd better get that money to me A.S.A.P! I know how you government types work, letting your financial promises get tied up in years of red tape-!"

"Come on, Zelda!" Link cut in, snagging her hand and turning towards the door. "If we hurry, we might be able to get the coupling replaced today!"

"O-ok!" She replied, her face flushing red again at the renewed contact.

"Just be careful this time, yeah?" Linebeck called out over the ruckus. "Your promise of payment won't do me any good if you crash the train halfway between here and Aboda."

"Don't worry, Linebeck," Zelda answered, grinning from ear-to-ear, seemingly caught up in Link's excited energy, her previous embarrassment apparently forgotten. "If any more pirates show up… we'll engage them in fisticuffs!"

As though to demonstrate, Zelda released Link's hand and let out a flurry of punches into the space in front of her as if she were shadow boxing. Linebeck did not look impressed.

"I don't think that's going to be very effective." Link commented dryly, reaching out to catch one of her fists before sliding his hand up her arm and squeezing her basically nonexistent bicep.

The princess jerked her hand away, her cheeks tinged pink.

"Well, fine then! I'll just take the cannon! I think I proved today that I was a pretty good shot."

"Oh sure," Link agreed airily, walking over towards the front door and holding it open for Zelda, tossing Linebeck a lazy wave, "you managed to destroy two of the pirate ships all on your own."

"Including the main ship." She pointed out haughtily, strutting out the door like a peacock.

"Yeah. And my passenger car."

She froze in her tracks, rigid as a statue. Smirking triumphantly, Link threw out a casual "See you in a bit!" to Linebeck before starting off towards the train at a run as though sensing what was coming after him.

"Link!" Zelda exploded, chasing after him in a fury as the door swung shut behind them. "Don't go telling people that! That is not how it happened and you know it!"

For his part, the surly Trade Post manager let out a grateful sigh. Finally, they were gone and things were quiet again.

He'd been surprised when Link had come in claiming his train had been wrecked, but after seeing the two of them in action, it was a miracle he'd managed to salvage as much of it as he had.

If he were a more sentimental type, he might be inquired to say it was 'cute' how lively they were together. But Linebeck was not sentimental. He was a cynic, pure and proud. And as he strode back into the storeroom, searching for the keys to his work shed so he could get to looking for new train parts for the boy, he had but one thought on his mind.

Teenage hormones were terrifying.

---

Zelda laughed as Link helped her up into the conductor's box.

"See, this way I have no choice but to ride up front with you!"

Link let out a dry grunt as he clambered up behind her.

"This was secretly your plan all along, wasn't it?"

"Maaaaybe…"

Together they laughed, exchanging shy, nervous glances before Link let out a sigh and reached for the gear shift.

"Alright, well… Let's get going."

"Wait." Zelda cut in hastily, throwing out a hand to stop him.

He shot her an expectant look, eyebrow quirked.

"I, um… It's just…" She drew her hand back, folding her arm nervously across her stomach. "You… You didn't say it."

"I didn't… say what?" He asked, confused.

She rolled her eyes, looking annoyed.

"Don't play dumb! You know what I'm talking about. When I asked earlier… you still haven't answered me."

The earlier tingly electricity crept its way back into his veins. Taking a deep breath, he turned himself to face her head-on.

"Zelda… before I answer you, I have to ask. Are you absolutely sure you want to pick me?"

If looks could kill, Zelda's eyes would be twin cannons strapped to the side of her great-grandmother's pirate ship.

"Link, I swear- "

"I just mean," he cut in hurriedly, watching as she huffed in irritation and glowered up at him, "that no matter what you say about this being your choice, you and I both know you're still being forced into this somewhat against your will. I just want to know… can you be sure that you're not just picking me because I'm the most obvious option?"

She stared at him for a long, quiet moment, then shook her head with a sigh.

"Link… I mean, yeah, that's part of the reason. You are the most obvious option. And you're my best friend, so I know we get along great. And I know what kind of person you are, and that you won't take advantage of me… but it's more than that. I really am in love with you. I have been, for a very, very long time."

She smiled suddenly, stepping a little bit closer.

"Every day that I spend with you is just… exhilarating. Sometimes, evil Chancellors tear my soul from my body and try to take over the world. Sometimes, we almost get killed by bloodthirsty pirates. Sometimes, nothing happens, and I spend the day just… enjoying your company. All my life, I've wanted to have the kind of crazy adventures that my great-grandmother Tetra had. I wanted to be just like her, you know? Wild and daring and free… But it wasn't until I met you that I realized that adventures aren't just physical journeys you take. They can also be experiences you have with another. And every moment that I share with you is an adventure, Link. You are my adventure. And I can't imagine a future without you by my side."

Wordless, overwhelmed, Link stepped closer and pulled her in for another kiss. They were getting better at this. He could see why people liked doing it so much.

A moment later, she pulled away and shot him a dull look.

"You can't just keep kissing me instead of responding. I want an actual, verbal answer- "

"Yes, I'll marry you." Link cut her off, laughing. "And I love you too."

"Oh." She replied, blinking rapidly, a dopey smile on her face. "Well… good then."

"There's just one thing."

"What?"

"I think we need to tone down our adventures." He said seriously, stepping away and taking hold of the controls once again. "Because if every day with you turns out like today, you're not going to have a castle left to call home, let alone a kingdom."

"We'll figure it out," Zelda replied flippantly, leaning back against the railing casually before suddenly jerking forward. "Oh! Oh! Link, let me! Let me do it!"

"Zelda- "

"ALLLL ABOOOOOARD!" She shouted, childishly pulling on the dangling rope overhead, blasting the surrounding area with a nonsensical staccato of whistle blasts. Linebeck had probably just lost all confidence in him.

Nevertheless, with a rueful, long-suffering sigh, Link shook his head and threw his train into gear, relishing the now familiar rush of spirit energy as the pistons kicked to life.

First stop, Aboda Village. After that, who could say? Wherever it was, it would be an adventure, so long as she was with him.

The sky overhead was wide and blue as they pulled out of the Trade Post station. The sun only just a little way passed its zenith. There was still a good bit of daylight ahead of them, and their journey had only just begun.

With a smile, Link ratcheted the train up to full speed. The sooner they got where they were going, the better.

---

Haha... uh...

So part of the way through writing this, I was suddenly hit by this burning desire to write an action scene. Like, I like romance and drama and comedy just fine, but I also really enjoy writing an action scene. And I haven't done that since... like, the end of 'From the Dust'. Which was a while ago. So, like... I just threw one in here. Completely on a whim. Which is probably why this wound up being so long. Is that bad? Eh, probably. But it was fun, so whatever.

I actually replayed ST just before writing this, for the first time since it came out, and I gotta say... I'd forgotten just how enjoyable Link and Zelda's dynamic was in that game. And how irritating the controls are. (Which probably played into why I partially destroyed the train in the story. I was venting.) But yeah, I definitely see them getting together in the post-game, so...

Oh, and one last note on trains. I had to decide when writing this if I was going to spend a lot of time researching real-word ferroequinology or just go with the cartoony, totally inaccurate in-game train rules when it comes to describing how the Spirit Train functions, and I ultimately just decided to go with the latter. It was easier and less time-consuming, but also felt a bit more accurate to the universe. So if you're like 'hey now, trains don't work that way!', well... go back and replay ST. Few things about those trains make sense.

Aight. I know I keep saying this, but really, BotW is up next. I've noticed that the number of views and reviews on my stories has dropped noticeably after like... the second story in the series. I don't say this to complain or ask for more reviews - really, I write this biz for me, I'm selfish like that - but rather because part of me can't help but wonder if its because my writing has been getting worse. So if you read this and thought 'ew', please leave me a comment and tell me why! I can't get better without constructive feedback, y'alls. But if you read this and just had nothing to say, then whatevs, man, I feel you. Be on your merry way. I won't be mad. Really, I'm asking mostly out of curiosity.

Whatever. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing 'til someone tells me otherwise.

Keep it Zesty,

ZC