Chapter Three - One Time Thing
He wished it was twilight. That was what he wanted more than anything. Well…not more than anything. What he wanted most was for his daughter to be alive, for his family to be pieced back together again. But in the realm of possibility, he didn't think that twilight coming a little earlier than usual wasn't too much to ask.
Link had stopped going to services at the Temple of Time ever since Marie was born dead. He hadn't even gone to her funeral. He was her father and he had been the only person in all of Hyrule to not attend her funeral. He just couldn't bear the thought of standing with his wife at their infant daughter's mausoleum. And he couldn't bring himself to set foot on any kind of holy land.
He wanted to take the gift of courage given to him by the Triforce and throw it back into the faces of the three Goddesses and demand the life of his daughter instead. But because he knew that was impossible, he had stopped praying and had refused to fulfill the destinies the Goddesses had created for him.
Walking through town, he wouldn't even look in the direction of the Temple of Time. It was a hard thing to do, for next to the castle, it was the biggest structure in Hyrule. But somehow he managed to keep his eyes from the temple. He trudged through town, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his tunic. His eyes watched the ground move as he walked, heading for the gate.
He suddenly bumped into someone. His hands emerged from the pockets as he looked up to see who he had run into. A young girl with dark hair and dark eyes looked up at him. She wore a look of surprise on her little face. He wasn't sure if it was because she knew who he was or because they had collided.
"Oh Marie! Marie, what did I tell you about looking where you were going?" A woman's voice came from the ever present crowd of people.
Link visibly winced as he heard the girl's name.
Of course. He thought to himself, grinding his teeth to keep from screaming. He could tell that his hard eyes and his stony expression that he was frightening the little girl, just as he had frightened his wife the previous night. Without a word to the girl or her mother, who was approaching them, he continued on his way a little quicker than before.
He wondered, while he walked, why hearing his own name didn't bother him. He and Zelda had decided the day that she was told by the physician that she was expecting, they would name the baby Link if it were a boy. But it had taken eight months to find the perfect name if it was a girl…
"It was the perfect name." Link said quietly to himself. He remembered looking up the name Marie in a book when he and Zelda had returned from their walk the day they had heard it in town. It literally translated into "the perfect one".
"She was perfect." Link barely whispered. Flashes of that day came to his mind, turning his gut inside out. She had been so light in his arms. He remembered thinking how breathtaking she was. She had looked just like her mother: pale and angelic, with golden hair beginning to show. His wife had been sobbing in the background as he had looked down at his still daughter.
"Stop it." Link growled at himself, his hands going to his hair. He grabbed his hair in his fists, threatening to rip it loose from his scalp. The guards on patrol at the gate watched him curiously while he stomped across the drawbridge.
Outside the town walls, it was open and free. The fields were thick with green grass and tall trees covered in foliage. In the distance was Lon Lon Ranch, where Epona was probably galloping around the fenced in area where the horses frolicked and played.
Further than that was Kokiri Forest, where Link had grown up. His friends, the Kokiri, were mostly likely in a game of some sorts. Saria, his best childhood friend and the Forest Sage, would have been in the Lost Woods, somewhere near the Forest Temple, where it was now silent and at peace.
To the east was Lake Hylia. Link and Zelda had spent many days there. They had often picnicked there, or ridden there. Every so often, they would sneak out during a busy time at the castle, and, both clad in Zora tunics, dive down to the Water Temple. Princess Ruto, after being awakened as the Sage of Water, had ordered that the temple be constructed into a second home for the Zoras. Link and Zelda were both welcome there always, and had many great times with the Zoras. The best times had been when the Indigo-Go's traveled from Termina to Hyrule and stayed there.
To the west was both Zora's Domain and Death Mountain. Zora's Domain was the first home for the Zoras. It was where most of them spent their time. Though Princess Ruto had proclaimed that the Water Temple would be a second home for all of the Zoras, it had quickly turned into a concert hall slash celebratory hall.
At the base of Death Mountain was Kakariko Village. Link used to be a frequent guest there. However, because it was also where the graveyard was, Link mostly just passed through on his way to Goron City.
Goron City was located deep within Death Mountain. The Gorons lived there in happiness under the leadership of Darunia, the Fire Sage. That had also been somewhere that Link and Zelda had gone together many times. They spent many nights dancing with the Gorons until the sun came up. It took many goblets of wine to get Link to do much dancing, but his wife had turned out to be quite the dancing fool. That had been another factor that figured into she and Darunia's friendship. Link had often watched them dance together for many hours, neither ever seeming to tire.
It was hard for Link to go anywhere without thinking about his wife. They had been inseparable at one point. Every waking moment, it had seemed, they were joined at the hip. Although that had annoyed the king beyond measure, the two lovers hadn't paid him any mind.
Link had first met Zelda when they had both been about twelve years old. He had been told by the Great Deku Tree that, although he was raised a Kokiri, he was truly a Hylian. He was destined to join forces with many to save Hyrule, and ultimately the world, from the destruction and chaos of Ganondorf.
After leaving the forest, Link journeyed to Hyrule Castle Town. From there, he managed to sneak into the castle. There, in the courtyard, he had met Princess Zelda. Even though he was only twelve years old and it had been his first time meeting this girl, he had been struck by her beauty and her bravery. He hadn't said more than two words in her presence, he had been so captivated by her appearance and what she had to say.
She had sent him on a quest to retrieve two Spiritual Stones for her. He had obtained the third from the Great Deku Tree before his death. He would have walked through fire for the princess if she had asked him. But he went on another journey and collected the two stones, one from Darunia and one from Princess Ruto.
When he had returned, he watched as the princess, along with her handmaiden, galloped on a white horse into the distance. But not before he saw the princess throw something into the moat surrounding the town walls. It had been at that moment that Link and Ganondorf first clashed.
The item that Zelda had left behind for Link was the Ocarina of Time, a treasure of the Royal Family. With it, as well as the three Spiritual Stones, one could open the Door of Time to obtain the Master Sword. Pulling the sword would give one access to the Sacred Realm. There, rested the Triforce.
Link opened the door and pulled the sword. However, it was through his actions that Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm. Because he was evil, the Triforce separated when he touched it. However, he was able to take one piece - the Triforce of Power. Later, Link discovered that the other two pieces found other owners. He, being one of them, and Zelda being the other.
For seven years, he was sealed in the Sacred Realm. Rauru, the Sage of Light, watched over Link during that time. When he awakened, it was Rauru that told him of what happened, what was happening in Hyrule at the time.
Before Link started off on his adventure to the five temples scattered over Hyrule, he met a man called Sheik. Sheik offered words of wisdom to him, as well as songs that would warp him from temple to temple.
But even though Link had the help of the Sages, and of Sheik, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the princess. Even after seven years, after the short meeting they had shared, he couldn't keep himself from thinking of her. She was the fire within him that kept him going when he felt too tired or hopeless. It was her face that he went to sleep with at night. It was her voice he heard when he closed his eyes.
After defeating all of the temples, Link returned to the Temple of Time. It was there that Sheik revealed himself to be someone he knew…
Sheik held up his fist. On the dull, white cloth wrapped around his hands, glowed a symbol of the Triforce. Link looked down at his own fist. The same symbol glowed there. When his eyes finally flickered up, Sheik was emanating a bright light.
"Sheik?" Link asked, taking one step forward. He was unsure of what was happening. He looked down at himself, waiting to combust into lights himself. But when that didn't happen, he returned his eyes, shielded by his hand, to Sheik.
After a few moments, the light began to dim. Link's jaw dropped, his blue eyes becoming wide as well as wild. He couldn't believe what he was seeing…who he was seeing. All this time he had imagined her as a girl. Now, she was a young woman.
"Forgive me." Link finally managed to say.
"For what?" The princess asked, confused. Her voice sounded like the most beautiful of songs to his ears.
"For dreaming of you, for thinking of you the way that I have been. My images of you have been a disgrace compared to reality." Link took several more steps towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. "The angels are jealous."
He watched as blood rushed to her face, tingeing her porcelain colored skin a lovely shade of pink. She moved a gloved hand to cover one of her cheeks before realizing that her fist was still raised to show him the Triforce symbol. She began to lower that hand when Link caught it.
He took her hand in his own. It was so small in his large hands. He wondered if his golden gauntlets were making her hand cold. If they were, she didn't seem to mind. He looked from her tiny hand to her face. She was watching him.
His eyes ran over her body. She was extremely thin. The pink dress she wore appeared to hang off of her, the sleeves coming down and engulfing her hands. The blush had faded, her skin returning to its pale color. Her golden hair fell down her back, waving this way and that. It reminded Link of a waterfall.
"What?" She asked breathlessly. He returned his eyes to hers. They were sea green, the darkness of her pupils and her eyelashes setting off the color even more. They swirled with questions and offered many answers.
"I can't help but stare…my love." He shakily removed one of his hands from hers and slid it past her cheek. His fingertips grazed her soft hair. She appeared to revel beneath his touch, her eyes fluttering closed.
"Say that again." Her tone begged. She opened her eyes once more, taking a careful step towards him to get closer. She moved one arm around him while pressing her face to his broad chest.
He reacted to her embrace immediately. His arms went around her tiny waist. He rested his cheek against the top of her head. He sighed against her hair, giving her a gentle squeeze now and again.
"My love."
Link snapped out of his thoughts. He realized that he was heading in the direction of the Gerudo Desert. He wondered why subconsciously he had chosen to go that way, but didn't give it a second thought.
A throbbing pain had begun to inflict his chest. He took deep breaths, moving a hand to cover his chest. He rubbed the center, hoping to massage out the pain.
He continued walking, moving his hand to the collar of his white shirt. He fumbled with the buttons, feeling the added heat from the desert he was quickly approaching. He wondered if Nabooru would be willing to let him stay at her hideout for the night. He knew the answer to that question already. No.
Nabooru had explained to Link that though they were friends, she couldn't allow him to stay long at the Gerudo Hideout, and he certainly couldn't spend nights there. The Gerudos had already made the mistake of trusting Ganondorf. None of them were willing to trust another man again.
Their friendship, however, had crumbled slightly. After Nabooru witnessed firsthand the way that Link had begun to treat his wife after the baby, she gave him a piece of her mind about how unsympathetic and cowardly his withdrawal from her and mistreatment of her was. Ever since, Nabooru kept in fairly close contact with the princess.
Link's thoughts drifted back to that evening at the Temple of Time. After Zelda had revealed herself, and after their moments together, Ganondorf had suddenly imprisoned her in a crystal and had her transported to the castle he had taken over.
Link went after her, battling several creatures to get to Ganondorf. They had their long awaited showdown, Link coming out triumphant. However, the Triforce of Power supplied Ganondorf with enough strength to return as a beast called Ganon.
Link, with the help of the Sages and Zelda, was able to defeat Ganon as well. He was sealed away by the Sages so that he could never again wreak havoc on Hyrule.
A soft galloping behind Link caused him to turn. For some reason, he felt like he was a boy again, watching the white horse galloping away from him. But in reality, it was now heading towards him.
Zelda pulled back on the horse's reigns when she saw Link turn around. Her hair was pulled back into a knot at the base of her neck. A few wisps blew in the breeze, messy about her face. Her cheeks were rosy from the hard riding she must have done to catch up to him.
"Link!" She called, jumping down from the saddle. She was still wearing the dress she had come down in. It was one of the working dresses that her father hated. It was simple: an olive green color with sleeves that ended at her elbows. The black buttons trailing from her stomach to her throat were all fastened.
It had been many months since Link had taken time to see his wife's beauty. In that moment, in her simplicity and determination, she never looked lovelier. He decided not to admit this to her, but allowed himself to look her over with his eyes.
"Link?" Zelda stopped in her tracks. She could see that he was staring at her. She wondered what he was thinking as his eyes traveled from her boots to her hair. She wished she could read his mind.
"What are you doing here?" Link suddenly asked, having given himself enough of a break. He turned back around and continued walking, hoping that she would mount her horse and ride back to the castle.
"Link, we have to talk." Zelda grabbed at her dress, hiking it up over her boots to follow Link as he walked away from her. She caught up to him, wanting to put her arms around him. She wanted to touch him, to comfort him.
"Talk about what? Nothing happened. I'll apologize to Impa later." He spoke quickly, his sentences practically running together. He wanted to say whatever he needed to say to get Zelda away from him. His fingers were itching to touch her, if only for a second. But his mind scolded him.
"Impa?" Zelda questioned. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly from beneath her hand. She removed it at once, though it lingered above him still.
Link stopped to look down at her beside him.
"You really think I followed you to chastise you for what you did to Impa? Granted, I do think that you owe her an apology. But that isn't why I came." Her voice was gentle. She was trying to soothe him, his soul.
"Well then what do you want?" Link asked. He looked into her sea green eyes. They weren't as bright as he remembered. It was as if the darkness of her pupils and her eyelashes now darkened the color.
Slowly, Zelda again tried to set her hand on her husband's shoulder. He moved before they could touch, but he remained standing where he was. She got the hint, her hand going back to her side.
"I want to talk to you about everything. I want to talk to you about how we used to be and how we are now. I want to talk about Marie…" Her voice trailed off as she said their daughter's name.
"No. I won't talk about her. I won't." Link shook his head and started to walk away from Zelda again. But she grabbed his arm before he could get anywhere. As he tried to shake free, she removed one hand to pull up one of her sleeves.
Link couldn't help the widening of his eyes as he saw the bruises on his wife's skin. He had left perfect fingerprints, dark and purple, along her beautifully pale arms. He was ashamed of himself for having put marks on Zelda.
"I'm not showing you these to make you feel guilty." Zelda squeezed his arm lovingly before letting him go and pulling her sleeve back down. "I'm showing you these because this is what happens when you keep things inside. Don't do that to yourself."
Link slowly moved his gaze up to his wife's face. Her eyes didn't waver. He could see that she was telling the truth. Her eyes showed no signs of anger. They were filled with concern and with love.
He looked up at the sky. It would be many hours until twilight.
"Alright. We can talk. But when it gets close to twilight, go home." He looked at her face again. "This is a one time thing Zelda. Do you understand me?"
She wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. But instead she nodded once.
Reluctantly, Link started up the hill towards the hideout with Zelda at his side.
