Across the Universe

Chapter Three:

Pygmalion – Part Three

Link fidgeted during the ceremony, during the celebratory ball, and even during dinner. His eyes kept darting to the clock and back again. In fact, he barely answered when someone asked him what he was going to do for his first piece of legislation; he muttered something about honoring heroes and then returned to his plate, blushing. Lanna, in spite of her best efforts to continue smiling, was becoming increasingly irritated with him. How could he be so ridiculous and silly when he had just been crowned king of Hyrule? Whatever had happened to him last night had affected him deeply and Lanna was worried he had gotten himself in far too deep. What could have possessed his soul so greatly?

"Link?" She touched his arm and he glanced back at her, blushing about the fact that his gaze had been anywhere but at the table. She sighed deeply but held her sharp tongue. "Is everything all right? You've been staring at the clock for the last hour."

"I'm sorry… I guess I'm not feeling very well." Link rubbed his forehead, feeling ashamed at his behavior. It wasn't like him to ignore protocol and his guests, but it felt as though that unique story had taken hold of his heart and refused to let him exist peacefully until it was finished. "My mind has just been other places, Lanna… I…" He looked at the clock again, wondering if he could make a good enough excuse to leave the table early.

"I'm sorry, Lanna, but there's something I need to finish." He stood up abruptly and bid everyone farewell, shocking all of the guests and his wife, but not his mother.

She knew where he has headed to and what he intended to do. He'd been there all night pouring over the old letters and stories that had been told to her over the years. They seemed so important to him. She smiled at her son's retreating form and reached out to press her hand to her daughter-in-law's arm. "Lanna, do no worry about Link." Zelda smiled a thinning smile as Lanna turned to her, eyes confused and a little sad. "He will be in the library for quite some time these next few weeks, finishing something I only dreamed about…"

Lanna only nodded and turned to the prince next to her to begin conversation.

As Link climbed the stairs, the sounds of the celebration faded away into silence, and the library seemed an entire world away; as if he had found his own, hidden universe of long-forgotten stories and ages papers. The letters and his own notes were still scattered around the enormous desk, exactly as they had been left the night before. He took a deep breath and plopped down in the chair, determined to finish the story tonight with no interruptions… he had made a promise to Sir Link and Midna. He needed to finish the story while Sir Link still had time to read it.

)O(



"What in the hell is going on here!" Link stepped away from the thin, red-headed woman who stood in front of him. He stared blankly at her and then glanced up at the identical statue. What had he done? How had he done it? All he did was touch the statue… was he so cursed that all kinds of bizarre things happened in his wake?

Midna stood silently and watched a whole slew of emotions fly across his face, as silence blanketed them both. The lights from other rooms clicked off and the sound of the security guard's boots came increasingly closer. Still, no words were uttered for minutes and the strange tension grew and tangled into an indecipherable spider's web. It was Midna who finally broke the surreal feeling between the couple.

"Link… are you real?" Her voice was like a choir of melancholy chimes, and Link found he wanted to hear them again, in spite of himself. He shook his head at the irrational thought and grabbed his bag, desperately wanting to get away from the strange woman who haunted his sketch book and had somehow managed to hide in the darkest places of his soul.

"Am I real!?" He held up his hands in defense, hoping he could ward her off. "You're a freakin' statue, for Christ's sake! I'm not quite sure what's real at this point!" Link backed up slightly, trying to put distance between their bodies. Whatever this person was, he wanted nothing to do with her, but he got the distinct feeling she wanted everything to do with him.

Midna's eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her shapely hips, glaring daggers at him. "You don't have to be rude, you know."

"You're a statue! How am I supposed to react?"

"Not by being rude!"

They continued to glare at each other for a while longer, each one wondering what to do next. How could something so bizarre happen? And what exactly were they supposed to do about it? Midna wanted to yank her hair out; did he have to be so frustrating? Did he have to be so rude? It's not like she woke up in this form of her own accord; she just wanted some understanding. Link, on the other hand, feared for his life at this point. What god had he pissed off so much that he had to deal with this woman, who was supposed to be a statue, but was in fact actual?

"I'm sorry, boy." The security guard's voice echoed through the empty hall again. Both Link and Midna gave a start and looked at the man with blank faces. It was as if they were asking him 'what are we going to do now?' The guard seemed completely unconcerned and jerked his thumb toward the door. "But you and your girlfriend are going to have to leave now."

Link's face turned a vibrant shade of red. "She's not my-"

"Thank you sir, we'll leave right away." The strange woman reached out and grabbed his hand, dragging him away. "Come now, Link. It's time to go home."



"I'm not taking you to my home." He hissed out under his breath. His hand managed to grab hold of his bag as the woman led him to the entrance; like she knew where she was going. He glared at her again, feeling frustrated beyond all reason. "I don't even know who or what you are."

"Your girlfriend, apparently." She snapped sarcastically. She let go of Link's arm and he righted himself, following the stranger out the main door and into the unknown.

"I have a girlfriend, and she's not you."

"Oh really," Midna cocked an eyebrow as if she didn't believe him. "What's her name?" The doors slammed and locked behind them, and they found their selves standing in the middle of a heavy down-pour, looking very much like two lovers in a spat.

"Zelda." The sound of the name made Link's heart feel suddenly empty, as if that name wasn't the one that should be falling from his mouth. He rubbed the bridge of his nose to ward off an oncoming headache.

What was he doing? This woman had appeared from seemingly nowhere and now he was… attached to her? Link wasn't quite sure if he had just spent too much time mulling over her story in his head or what, but he had suddenly felt some undeniable bond to her. And now… now he wanted to strengthen that bond. He watched as several colors played across the strange woman's face.

"Well, I hope you're very happy then!" Midna, in spite of her best efforts to control her raging temper, stamped her foot into a puddle and splashed dirty water everywhere. Link glared at her and thought to turn around and leave her on the street, but he was too nice. And leaving this girl by herself in a place she obviously didn't understand was the worst of sentences. Besides, he was mildly intrigued by her.

Only mildly.

"What is your problem? I don't even know you or where you came from, so why are you being so… bitchy?" He crossed his arms across his chest. "My girlfriend and I are very happy." Well, that was a lie. In actuality, they had gotten into a huge fight two weeks before and Link hadn't spoken to her since. He assumed she'd moved on, especially since she returned her key to his apartment. For some reason though, he felt as though he had to make up a story to prove himself… or to get rid of her. He wasn't quite sure which.

"I don't know what that word means, but I'm sure it's something rude."

"This is insane!" Link threw his hands up in the air. "I'm arguing with a statue."

"I'm real."



"That's what you keep telling me." Link took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves, which were burning from fire at this point. Even if she was just a statue, what harm would come from letting her stay? After all, he couldn't leave her here alone. It wouldn't be right; it wouldn't be safe. "One night. That's it." He dropped his bag on the ground and rifled around for an umbrella. As if it would help any by now. "Tomorrow morning you have to find your own way home."

Midna held back a spit of angry laughter, and in the tension, his eyes met hers. He watched her carefully, as if waiting for this moment to suddenly shatter into a million painful pieces. His body seemed to tremble under the weight of what he just said, and his soul shifted into another place in the heavens.

"Home, Link? Home?" There were tears in her eyes. Link wasn't sure how he could tell in the rain, but he knew. He knew she was crying with every inch of her body and all of her soul. "I popped out of a statue like some kind of bastard child. What home do I have? I'm in some place I don't understand; some place I don't even know." She turned away from him and stared at the wet pavement, as if looking for guidance. "And the only thing I'm aware of is that I know you. I don't know how, but I know I know you." Her eyes met his again, and they flashed with fire. "I know you. My soul knows you…"

Link's breath caught in his throat and he stood up, suddenly forgetting about the rain that soaked them both. Their eyes met, and for the first time in the past half hour, they didn't argue. They didn't glare. They just watched. The world around him melted into nothing but the two of them and the rain. He felt his heart slam repeatedly against his chest, and against all normal reasoning, he reached out and drew her slight body into his arms.

"I… Link?" Midna clung to his soaked sweater, wishing she could burrow into the safety of his embrace. His body felt warm, soft, willing to hold her in the rain forever. The kind of embrace she always dreamed he had. Without warning, another storm of sobs wracked her body again.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" he whispered these words into her hair, as if begging her for forgiveness. Holding her seemingly tiny body in his arms made all the animosity between them evaporate into nothingness; the cruel words seemed like dark shadows that no longer existed. "I didn't mean to hurt you… I didn't mean to say those things." He breathed in her scent deep; it was a strange mixture of darkness and fresh, mountain rain. It brought up images of adventure and fantasy, though he didn't know why. "We'll figure this out. I promise."

He held her tightly as they walked to the subway, to his apartment building, and even in the hallway. He didn't want to let her go, and he knew she felt the same way. There was an emptiness that the other filled; a hole that seemed nonexistent when they touched. The world shifted into the place it should have been and every worry seemed to fade. He glanced at her briefly, but Link found it hard to look into her eyes, because he could only see a strange fire that burned there; a fire he envied. He turned away and concentrated on unlocking the door.



"I'm sorry it's so small…" Link had never really been ashamed at his apartment before. It was tiny, but it was close to the subway, and it wasn't very expensive, as long as his roommate kept paying his half. He'd gone to France to "find himself", and Link preferred it if he stayed there. He was rather obnoxious anyway.

"It's nice…" Midna stepped inside, and Link watched carefully, feeling untouched strings in his heart suddenly twist. The apartment didn't seem so tiny anymore. It didn't even look remotely empty. "You keep it clean at least…" She turned and smiled at him softly, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

Link stepped forward and cupped her face, brushing her cheeks gently with his thumbs. "Don't cry, Midna… I don't think I could handle it if you cried again." He didn't understand why he felt so open with her. He had barely met this woman an hour ago, and yet he was telling her not to cry? That he cared for her? What was happening to him? He had barely told Zelda that he loved her, but now he was telling a complete stranger the same thing? Something unusual had taken root in his soul.

"You know my name." Midna said it more as a statement more than anything else. Link jerked slightly, as if being shaken from his thoughts. "I didn't think you knew my name." She pulled away softly; leaving Link feeling bereft and unable to speak. She had made herself comfortable by the window, watching the rain, saying nothing more. He moved carefully, as if not wanting to disturb the stoic angel, and sat next to her. There was a long pause. "You can't see the stars here, can you?"

"No." Link thought it was an odd question, but said nothing more.

"I love the stars."

"Mmm." A taxi drove by, followed by a bus. Link didn't notice anything except her surprised expression. She seemed to have calmed down greatly, as if the crying had worn her body and mind down into nothingness. She felt exhausted to him; weak beyond measure and frail as a china doll. He reached out and let a hand cover hers, reveling in the strangeness of emotion between them. What was she?

"This place is strange." She pressed a finger to the glass, tracing the path of the bus. "I've never seen a carriage move without a horse before."

"Where are you from?" Link had to ask, even though he could feel her exhaustion taking root of her body. He had to learn more about her. If he didn't, he felt as though his soul would be drawn into hers and lost forever. "How do you know my name?"

"How do you know mine?" She cocked her head to the side with a slight smile. "I came from a place called Twilight… and I thought I was going back there, but I somehow ended up here… the will of the Goddesses I guess…" Her body gently leaned up against his, as if it was too tired to hold its own weight anymore. "I'm tired."



Link nodded, feeling his own muscles creak with exhaustion. Her words didn't seem to effect him very much, but something told him he should hold on to them forever. "I understand. You can have my bed, Midna… I'll wake you in the morning." He picked her up and laid her gently in his bed, in spite of her incoherent protests. "Sleep. We'll finish this tomorrow…"

"Mmm… good night, Link." She forced a small smile at him, and Link had no choice. There was a ringing in his hears and a pounding in his head. Against all his better judgment, he leaned down and kissed her gently, wishing her a good night with everything but words.

)O(

I hope I fixed the scene change problem. I usually use three dashes, because it's less obnoxious than all those asterisks and hearts made by threes and carrots (those are really annoying to anyone who uses them) but ffnet keeps taking them out. So I used "phases of the moon" or whatever bullshit you wanna call it.

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next should be out soon. Since I'm a college graduate and all (woo-hoo I did it. Now it's on to a university… damn. Empty purse)