Chapter Ten – Flee Forever
I had known Link had the Triforce all along - it was so obvious - I just didn't want to face the truth.
But, staring at the faded gold triangles on the back of his hand, I know that I can't deny it any longer. Link has the Triforce of Courage…and I'm supposed to send him to his doom.
"I'm not lying," he rapidly says from next to me, probably thinking that I might not believe him. To prove his point, he gestures to his shoes as his laces tie themselves like invisible hands are twisting them 'round and 'round. He continues to perform more magical tricks as if one wasn't enough.
I'm silent while he turns himself invisible (making it look like I'm sitting in mid air) and has blades of grass pop out of the ground. But each magical act sends my head on a whirlwind of despair and guilt. This can't be happening…please tell me this isn't happening!
I feel tears welling up in my eyes and I turn my head away from Link, not bearing to see his hopeful face as he waits for what I have to say.
My heart aches at what I know I have to do. I need to lure him back to my house, let Ganondorf know that we're there and he has the Triforce, and then sit down and watch as my guardian does whatever he has to do to Link in order to get what he wants.
Imagination working overtime, my stomach twists into knots at all of the possibilities. I have read about the process of extraction many times and I can't imagine Link going through such a thing.
I can't imagine me making him go through it.
I know I'll never be able to hand him over to Ganondorf, even if it does mean my freedom. Link is wonderful, everything I could ever want, and I can't ruin his life this way.
I can't be with him anymore. I need to separate myself completely from him and make him hate me. Ganondorf mustn't ever know about Link…I can't bear the thought of it. I rapidly blink against the tears threatening to spill and a moan of despair rises within my chest.
I push myself away from Link, ignoring him as he explains something to me about his stupid Triforce, and I start marching down the hill. Tears now streaming down my face and hands clenched into fists by my side, I quicken my pace and sprint the rest of the way down, grass clawing at my ankles.
"Zelda!?" Link cries from right behind me and grabs my arm, spinning me around. How did he get there so fast?
"Let me go, Link!" I sob, wiggling and struggling to get away while I taste salt on my lips and more tears travel in torrents. How is this fair? How is it that all of this has to happen to me? Can't I be left alone by you goddesses? WHY ARE YOU SO CRUEL!
He steps closer to me, hurt and confusion written all over his face. "Why are you running away? Don't you believe me?"
"Yes! Yes, I do!" I yell, my failing attempts against his grip useless.
"Then why are you crying?" He whispers softly, going up to cup my face with his magical hand.
"Don't come near me!" I scream and he finally releases me, shocked by my sudden change of heart. I can only imagine what he must be feeling; only minutes ago we were kissing and smiling and now I can't be anywhere near him.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he murmurs, pain at my rejection evident in his brilliant blue eyes.
"But I'll hurt you!" I yell and break down right then and there. My head falls into my hands and I let the tears flow from my eyes. It isn't fair. It isn't fair! IT ISN'T FAIR!
"Zelda…" he breathes my name sorrowfully. I feel him lightly touch my arm but I jerk away from him instantly.
Lifting my tearstained face from my hands, I order in a shaky voice, "Take me home, Link."
"Please, Zelda-,"
"Take me home," I repeat, stepping backwards and blinking hard against my tears but they are unrelenting.
He stares at me for a long time while I continue to weep. I can't look at his hurt face…the pain is just too much.
"Please-," He tries again but I cut him off.
"Just take me home," I beg, wrapping my arms around myself as if it will somehow hold my weak body upright. Why do the goddesses have to be so cruel?
He hesitates for a moment before sighing in defeat, "Fine." And then I follow him towards his car, keeping good distance between us the entire time.
Once inside of the vehicle, I wait for Link to turn on the car but he doesn't. His tortured gaze burns into me and I am forced to stare at him.
"Why are you so guilty?" He questions quietly through the tense silence.
Oh yeah, he can sense emotions.
Crap.
I shake my head and order once more, "Take me home."
He does nothing but stares at me with those helpless and anguished blue orbs.
I put my head down and squeeze my eyes shut. "Take me home," I implore, fresh tears dripping off my nose and splashing onto the ground.
The ignition roars to life and we are soon speeding away from the house and into the dark night again.
The only sound during the car ride are my aching sobs. By the time we have reached the bottom of my driveway, my face is soaked with never ceasing tears and I feel like I'm going to shatter into a million pieces at any moment.
He's about to turn the car up the driveway when I stop him just in time.
"Don't," I croak, finally bringing my head up and fear pumping through my veins. We are so close to Ganondorf…Link definitely can't go up this driveway. He shouldn't even be on my street.
He slams on the break and the car screeches to a halt, much to my relief. "Zelda," he breathes my name but I have already exited the vehicle, slammed the door, and I am now jogging up the driveway.
I hear a car door open and he cries after me in his disconsolate tone, "Zelda!"
I turn around one last time, my vision blurry and my hands shaking, and yell back to him miserably, "Don't come near me! I don't want you hurt!"
He goes to respond but I start sprinting up the pavement, my flip-flops' clomping loudly as the night swallows me up.
Seconds later and I'm entering my house, closing the door softly incase Vaati is still around.
"Vaati, the stupid fool, has given me a raise!" Ganondorf calls cheerfully from the kitchen, leading me to assume that our foul guest has left.
Him being the last person I want to speak to right now, I rush past him as he steps into the hallway, and hurry up the stairs two at a time.
Closing the door to my bedroom behind me, I immediately collapse on the bed and my sobs are released in moans and hysterics. Why? Why did the goddesses choose me to be the slave to Ganondorf? Why did they have to give Link the Triforce and ruin both of our lives!?
It all makes sense though: Link having to move around so much, why he rubs his hand when he is nervous, and his ability to become captain of the fencing team when he's new to the school. It was so obvious! How could I have been so blind?
I remember him telling me about how he had been kidnapped before coming to this town. The men must have been Triforce Hunters, maybe even Gerudo.
No doubt he's been trying to avoid these people as much as possible…and look what the Goddesses decide to do to us! They make me, the last person he would ever want to be with, fall completely in love with him!
And as I silently confess my true feelings to myself, I sob even more. Now I'll never be with him because if I do he'll be killed! This isn't fair!
A knock suddenly sounds from above and I bring my wet head out of my soaked pillow and look at the source of the noise.
"Link?" I sniffle, sitting up on my bed and watching as he slides open my window and climbs in soundlessly. Now that I know about his Triforce, he doesn't have to hide his magical abilities from me, and that includes scaling a two-story wall and sneaking into my bedroom. His bandage is still off, revealing his Triforce mark, and it then strikes me that he cannot be in here. Oh no…he has to get out NOW!
"Link!" I whisper fearfully, jumping off of my bed and wiping away my tears. "You need to get out now!"
He takes a step forward, his expression still heartbroken from my rejection, and says in a soothing tone, "Please, Zelda, if you will just let me explain-,'
"No!" I yell in a hushed voice. "I'm sorry, Link, but you have to get out right now!"
"I can't leave until you let me try to-,"
But I don't let him finish and push him hard in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards and towards the window. He looks utterly appalled at my actions but I don't care, I have to do everything to send him away.
And then I hear it…
The sound of heavy footsteps getting louder and louder with each second…
"Please, Link!" I beg fervently, stepping closer to him and struggling to hold back more sobs. "You have to leave this minute or you will be seriously-,"
"Zelda? Why are you crying like some uncontrollable baby?" A deep and irritated voice grumbles from behind me and I let out a shuddering moan, realizing that my endeavors have been in vain.
"Ganondorf…" I mutter weakly, spinning around and taking a few hasty steps towards him. I have to do something…but what?
By now he has already spotted Link standing behind me, and his yellow eyes gleam with malice, sending a shiver down my spine.
"And whom do I have the pleasure of meeting so late at night?" He smirks, staring at Link like he has just won some kind of prize.
My heart racing, I feel Link come up next to me and he stretches out his right hand (the normal one thankfully) and Ganondorf instantly grabs it with his own, shaking it in his strong grip.
"I'm sorry to be here at such an inappropriate hour," Link apologizes politely from next to me and his ignorance is making me tremble. I cover my hands, not wanting to look, and listen to the conversation unfold before me. "I will be leaving soon, my name is Link."
"Link…" Ganondorf repeats his name, the sound of it on his lips creating a pit in my stomach. "Say, boy, what is that on your other hand?"
No.
No, no, no, no, no, NO!
"It's nothing, Ganondorf!" I cry in despair and thrust myself between them, breaking his grip on Link's hand.
"Just a tattoo," I hear him lie from behind me and I urge the story forward.
"Y-yes! Merely a tattoo! It is really late, I should get to bed so -,"
"Hush, Zelda!" Ganondorf snaps at me, his previous politeness annihilated and he glares daggers at me.
"But-," I begin to protest when his large hand suddenly slaps me across the face, making my head spin and my vision blurry as I stumble to the side and hit the wall painfully hard.
"I said hush, Zelda!" He roars, his voice rattling my bones.
"Hey! You can't do that -," I hear Link scream from nearby and, through my blurry vision, I manage to see Ganondorf grab Link by the throat and hoist him in the air.
Link's feet hang inches above the ground and his eyes grow wide. Grunting and struggling for air, he kicks feebly at Ganondorf while his hands clutch the ones around his neck and he tries to pry them away from him. An evil smirk spreads across Ganondorf's face and his eyes blaze with delight. "Finally, after all of this time, I've got you," he sneers.
And that is when I realize that he's known all along. He knew from the moment I asked him to go to the museum that day. He knew Link had the Triforce. Just by that vile smile and his gleaming eyes, I know. It makes sense too. He let me go with Link to both the museum and on the date earlier today. That was why he let me go…and I fell right for his trap.
Then I remember Vaati and how Ganondorf had said I was going on a date with a boy named Sam. He wasn't being stupid or forgetful, he was hiding the truth because Vaati must know as well! During their dinner he had said they were having trouble finding Wisdom and Power, but not Courage.
"You knew!" I scream, my heart about to burst out of my chest and my head still fuzzy as I stand up, leaning against the wall for support. "You knew he had it!"
Link is still barely holding onto conciseness and his kicks becoming weaker and weaker while Ganondorf turns his head to the side and stares at me with a smug grin. "Of course I knew! I killed his father, after all, just like I killed your parents," he announces triumphantly.
Link and I both cry in unison, "What!?" right before Link's leg slams into Ganondorf with abnormal strength, the back of his hand glowing. His face is bright red and his breathing rapid as Ganondorf collides into the wall with a grunt of pain.
With newfound energy, Link charges at the wicked man, his hands balled into fists and one with sparks of fire forming around it.
He really does have the Triforce…
Staggering to the side, I make my way towards my bed and try to distance myself from them as Link pounces on Ganondorf. However, my guardian isn't going to give up so easily and his large foot springs up and kicks Link right in the stomach, sending him flying towards the ceiling, crashing into it, and falling back down.
Right before he hits the ground, Ganondorf's meaty hand grabs his neck again and he spins him around, pinning him against the wall with a deafening crack.
I know I have to do something, I have to save Link! But what am I supposed to do? I have no weapon with me and he's got the Triforce!
And there is this tingling in my chest, a burning ache reopening through my already tattered heart. Ganondorf told me my parents died in a car crash but he…he killed them…?
"You told me my parents died in a car accident!" I shriek, causing both of them to stare at me while tears build up in my eyes again. "But you…you -,"
"Murdered them?" Ganondorf offers with a roll of the eyes and annoyance in his voice. "I used my mind to send their car into another, simple as that. Now stop being so useless and get a camera to film this!"
"Why?" I wail, "Why did you do it?"
Ganondorf looks like he is about to bite my head off and he growls in reply. "Because my instinct told me to kill them and take you!"
You have got to be kidding me…
"Your instinct!" I screech, forgetting about everything else but the rage building inside of me. "You woke up one day and decided to kill this couple and take their daughter as a slave? Because you had a feeling?"
"Yes!" He snaps while Link claws at his throat again, his face growing purple. "Now can you just SHUT UP?"
My body begins to shake once more but I'm not sure what to do. Ganondorf returns his attention to Link and, with a snap of his fingers, a long dagger appears in his free hand and he places the tip at Link's heart.
The room falls into silence, but I wonder if they can hear my rapidly beating heart and my uneven breathing. I listen painfully to Link's gasps for air while Ganondorf smiles his merciless smile, the happiest I've ever seen him.
"I really should thank you, Zelda," He chuckles, his voice quieter than before but still menacing and he doesn't even look back at me, just stares at the blade longingly. "If you hadn't coaxed Link into coming over here, then we would never be in this position. You should be so proud of yourself, you really have been useful."
And then Link and I lock gazes and my heart cracks open again. So many emotions swim around in those beautiful blue eyes: torment, betrayal, surprise, confusion, and anger. And as we continue to stare at each other hopelessly, more fury builds up inside of those blue depths.
"Once I've gotten the boy's Triforce you can go, Zelda, I won't need you anymore," Ganondorf concludes and I can hear the triumphant smile in his voice.
"NO!" I suddenly scream, fueled by Link's troubling gaze, and, without thinking, I reach under my bed and grab the pistol that I always leave there. Spreading my legs out and aiming the gun right at the back of his head, I shout again, "No! Let him go, Ganondorf! Do it now or I'll shoot you!"
The room goes still, my threat hanging in the air like a bee: buzzing around his head and repeating the same thing over and over again.
Then Ganondorf begins to chuckle…and then he starts laughing harder and harder and harder, until his head is thrown back and his hoots are bouncing off of the walls and roaring in my ears.
Removing the knife from Link's chest and lessening his hold on his neck, he looks over his shoulder at me and chuckles one last time before he says mockingly, "You honestly think you can shoot me? Go ahead, Zelda, give it your best shot!"
I don't say anything but spread my legs out farther and hold the handle tighter in my sweaty hands.
"I can do it!" I threaten, my voice only quivering slightly but my urge to save Link making me stronger. "You know I can do it, I've done it a thousand times in practice. This will be a easy."
By now Link's face is only red, not purple, but he is still struggling to breathe and he has ceased his kicking. I fear that, if this goes on any longer, he'll be killed before I even have the chance to save him.
"Why are you doing this? You're going to throw everything away because some boy takes you out on a nice little date. Put the gun down and get me some water, all of this boasting makes me thirsty," he orders, smiling to himself and turns back around. Bringing the knife up to Link's chest again, I know I have to do something now.
Focus, Zelda…I tell myself. It is just like practice. Balance…aim…focus…shoot.
I pull the trigger.
A bang.
But no sound of agony or scream of torment. Silence. Still. Quiet.
The bullet is hovering in mid-air, only an inch away from Ganondorf's vulnerable head. Turning back around to face me, an amused shine in his yellow eyes, he shakes his head in mock sadness. "Shame, Zelda," he sighs and, discarding the knife, brings his hand up to the bullet and plucks it out of the air. He brings it to his face and studies it carefully as if it is a new species. "I was going to let you live," he continues with fake sorrow, "But I suppose I'll have to kill you now. You were always a bit of a brat."
And the next thing I know I am watching helplessly as a bullet comes zooming at me with more speed than any normal shot and I can't do anything about it.
I'm sorry, Link…I failed.
The bullet abruptly stops just as rapidly as it had come. It hangs in front of my eyes like it is saying, "Sorry, I changed my mind," before falling to the ground and clanging at my feet in surrender.
My eyes snap to Link, thinking he must have saved me, but his eyes are as wide as Ganondorf's. Something isn't right…
A grunt of pain escapes my lips and I go to clutch my aching left hand. A burning sensation erupts inside of my body and I let out a tortured scream. Maybe I have been shot? But the bullet is at my feet and my hand…dear Goddesses, why does my hand hurt so much?
A golden light blinds my vision and I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the impossible glow. My head is buzzing louder than anything ever before and my heart is on fire. Please…make this pain stop!
As if I had said the magic words, the light diminishes instantly and the fire inside of me is extinguished. I release a deep, trembling breath and place a hand over my heart, trying to calm it down.
Their gazes burn into me and I can feel their shock and horror from across the room. I look up at them and follow their eyes, which are directed at the hand on my chest and…
Holy crap!
Three golden triangles shine a faint yellow, but it doesn't stop them from overwhelming me and having me practically faint. I merely stare at it, my mouth hanging open and my heart finally stopped with its irregular beating.
As if this night couldn't get any worse…it seems that I have…but I-I…I'm a girl and Ganondorf always said the Triforce was a man's weapon…
But I never actually believed him.
"The Triforce of Wisdom," Ganondorf gasps from across the room, his round eyes staring at my hand hungrily and I see a lust for power blazing inside of them. Now that I have the Triforce of Wisdom, Ganondorf is going to want to…
Oh.
I feel my body go numb and my thoughts ending instantly. I don't want to cry anymore and I don't want to scream. I don't want to kill him nor do I want to run away. I don't want to do anything, my mind is at a complete blank.
Ganondorf stretches his hand out, ready to do some kind of magic to me, but I remain still. It is like in a dream, when I want to run yet I simply can't. And I know I'm supposed to but all I can think about is the thing on the back of my hand. Of all the people it appears on my hand! And now Ganondorf will take me and kill me and it will all be because of this!
Throughout my pondering, I had almost forgotten about Link. With his enemy now distracted on me, Link suddenly jumps up and, in mid air, swings his leg around and kicks Ganondorf right in the stomach, sending him sprawling backwards.
Link's sudden actions snap my mind back into the right place and I feel my pulse beating faster and adrenaline rushing through my veins. Link does two back flips away from our foe and lands right next to me.
Our eyes meet and I stare pleadingly at him while his expression is stone cold, hiding whatever emotions he must be feeling…or his emotions are stone cold, meaning he hates my guts.
Ganondorf gives a frustrated and pained grunt as he pushes himself off of the ground. In a shower of silver sparks, a long sword appears in Link's hand and his attention is focused again on our foe. He takes a step in front of me, legs apart and his deadly blade held lightly yet ready in his hand.
"Come here, Zelda!" Ganondorf growls, his eyes no longer mocking but full of rage and lust.
Yeah right, I'm really going to waltz over to you now.
When I show no sign of movement, Ganondorf lets out an infuriated roar before a crackling black flame shoots out of his palm and hurls towards Link, sparks flinging in all directions, making me fearful that it will ignite something.
But not as much as I fear Link getting burned himself, especially when he doesn't even move. I go to shove him aside but, as if knowing what I was going to do, he keeps his free hand behind and lightly pushes my stomach, warning me not to do anything.
The flame is just about to scorch Link when he swings his sword up with unnatural speed and smacks the fire away. It goes flying back in the exact same direction it had come.
And right when I'm starting to feel relieved, the black flame is already on its way over again. Link deflects that one but then another one is right after that…and he deflects that one. But then another one comes, and another, and another until Link's sword is a flash of silver as he swats fire after fire away and Ganondorf continues to throw fireballs at him, grunting with each effort.
I want to help, but I don't have the slightest idea of what I'm supposed to do. Surely my Triforce should be of use but…I can't even think about it yet. It seems so unreal and I doubt the shock has even gone full force on me.
In a never-ending toss of black flames, it is only a matter of time before one of them falters. A fireball, larger and faster than the others, comes rocketing towards us and Link barely has the time to hit it away. However, unlike his other defenses, this one goes in the complete opposite direction of Ganondorf and soars right into my wall. The fire seeps into the wood and, after a very quick moment of silence as we all watch it anxiously, jet-black flames erupt from the spot where it disappeared. Crackling and hissing, it begins to grow and grow, gaining speed with each piece of wood it devours.
Link suddenly grabs my hand, his grip almost crushing my bones, and rushes past a startled Ganondorf and into the hallway.
Glancing over my shoulder, I see another fireball come sizzling towards us. I let out an involuntary yelp and instinctively cover my face with my free hand.
Peering through my fingers, I watch as the flame suddenly flickers into nothing only a few inches from my face, its heat still pressing against me and making me sweat nevertheless.
Holy…
"Come on!" Link urges from next to me and grabs my arm, tugging me down the hallway right as Ganondorf jumps out of the bedroom where we had been standing only a second ago.
"You can't run forever!" He bellows, his wrath making everything rattle and the flames from the burning wall are already eating up the doorway. They move unnaturally fast and consume every bit of plaster with its burning mouth. Another wave of heat washes over me and smoke stings my eyes. The once polished hallway is now crumbling to charred pieces with each bite the fire takes while Ganondorf chucks random objects at us.
Link, ignoring the ever-growing flames, pulls me roughly around a corner just as a lamp slams into the wall and the glass shatters in all direction. Dark gray smoke follows right behind us, chasing us down the flight of stairs.
"Why couldn't we go out the window?" I scream over the hisses of the flames and Ganondorf's heavy footfalls as we jump down the stairs two at a time.
"Sorry, I was kind of busy saving your life!" He retorts in a rush and, the scorching heat prickling at our backs and making me even more nervous than before, he hops onto the side railing and pulls me up with him. Yelling as we fly down the railing, I see Ganondorf emerging out of the gloom from the stop of the stairs, his eyes brighter than the hungry black fire next to him.
I stumble and fall down immediately when we land on the first floor, but Link quickly lifts me up again and pushes me forward. I don't even move a foot before a familiar, large hand grips my arm and I let out a pained scream, immense strength giving me a terrible bruise.
Ganondorf pulls me to him while the flames encircle us and eat up the entire wall. I try not to breathe but smoke engulfs my lungs and I cough uncontrollably while my eyes sting. I can't see Link anymore, the fire more alive than ever before and completely surrounding the room.
"You're mine now, you filthy rat!" He growls into my ear and clutches onto me tighter, releasing another groan of anguish out of me.
I'm not sure of what I'm doing anymore though it seems like another side is taking over. Without even thinking, I spin around in his hold and thrust my hand in his face, electric sparks dancing off of my fingers and jumping onto his skin.
He roars in agony and clutches his head with his hands, giving me my escape.
I sprint to a nearby wall but it is covered in those hissing flames, the heat of them overwhelming me and the smoke blinding my vision. I can't see anything more than a foot in front of me and, covering my mouth, I fall to the ground and begin to crawl across the room, unsure of where to go.
An arm latches around my waste and I instantly go to smack the person but halt when I manage to see Link's face right next to mine. He's kneeling beside me, his face covered in soot and the black fire reflecting in his vivid eyes. His blade, still in his hand, is shimmering with its own red flames and it shines with both crimson and the blackness of the flames.
"Let's get out of here," he grunts while hoisting me onto my feet. I start on another fit of coughing and tears stream down my face from the horrible sting. I'm not sure what Link is planning on doing, but I let him lead me to wherever he wants to go, I just didn't know it was through a blazing wall!
It isn't until Link has thrown both of us through the huge, open window (the fire had broke the glass already) that I realize that I had been in the dining room.
We roll onto the grass outside, my back aching from both the burning heat and the hard fall. I only get one more wheezing cough in before Link lifts me up again and pushes me in a random direction. Trusting him, I run blindly that way, rubbing my streaming eyes hopelessly.
I feel Link snatch my hand from my face and I let him lead me to wherever. Looking past my soaked eyes, I stare in horror as my house is completely devoured in black flames, the fire blending in with the night sky and the dark gray smoke hovering above my scorched home.
Link then pushes me into the passenger side of his car, which he must have driven up here, and scampers across the roof with amazing speed and rushes into the driver's seat. I hear Ganondorf let out another roar of fury and part of the building crumbles, causing more flames and sparks to erupt.
The door snaps closed and Link slams on the gas pedal, speeding us down my driveway and the din of the burning house fading into the distance. Our breathing is heavy and I keep coughing, my lungs aching with each wheeze. My heart is racing and I check behind me, expecting Ganondorf to pop out of nowhere and throttle me.
I continue staring behind us while Link travels illegally fast, probably going 80 miles per hour on a 30 street.
"Can you slow down please?" I whisper, my voice scratchy. "I'd prefer not getting in a car crash."
A tense silence follows and Link completely ignores me while he spins onto another street, the tires screaming with the movement.
I look over at him and see him griping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles are white. His once nice dress shirt is in tatters and scorch marks streak the fabric while his hair is in all directions. Though what scares me the most is the fierceness in his eyes. I thought this fury was because of Ganondorf, but now I am starting to believe it is towards me as well.
"Explain," he snaps without looking at me and runs straight through a stop sign.
"Explain what?" I question quietly, very tremulous now with both the shock and Link's newfound wrath.
"Why are you working for him?" He growls, clenching his teeth. "You were using me to get the Triforce!"
"What?" I croak in astonishment, seeing where this conversation is going. "After everything, how can you think that?"
"Then explain to me: why were you working for him?"
I take a deep breath, preparing myself for a story. Although it probably won't be long, I don't think my lungs will be able to take it.
"My parents died in a car crash – well, murdered in a car crash," I correct myself sourly. My voice changes into a soft one and I let out another raspy cough before saying, "I've lived with Ganondorf my whole life and he forced me to search for the wielder of the Triforce. Don't think I didn't try to get away, it is just when I attempted to flee he'd always find me and beat me. The only way I could be free was if I found the Triforce, but that doesn't matter anymore."
"No," he cuts in, his tone still ice while I let out more coughs. "You never liked me did you? All you wanted was my Triforce."
"I had no idea you had the Triforce!" I protest but he shakes his head in aggravation. What is with him? Can't he understand my story?
"How am I supposed to believe that?" He retorts before letting out a defeated sigh. "It's just…I don't know what to think anymore."
"I'm sorry, Link," I apologize quietly, staring at my feet and taking a deep breath. "I never wanted to hurt you this way."
"But why couldn't you have told me that you lived with this terrible man instead of running off like that? I would have understood," he mumbles, looking at me questioningly while I let out another painful cough.
My eyes only half open and my vision starting to blur, I pinch my arm to try to stay awake. "I don't know…" I whisper, "I suppose I just sort of…freaked."
Link spins the car onto the highway and I see his speed hitting a hundred. There isn't anybody on the road and we zoom past the dimly lit streetlights.
I rub my tender head and see the three triangles on the back of my hand.
"I'm not even eighteen…" I murmur to myself, holding it in front of me and I observe it with awe. I still can't believe I have this. It is so unreal…I don't know what to think.
"Neither am I. I discovered mine when I was ten," he confesses without emotion.
"How did that happen?" I question while I check behind me, my heart still beating a little quickly, and I look for any sign of pursuit.
There isn't any.
"It was late at night when I heard a crash downstairs." He begins to explain, his voice distant and with a tinge of sadness. "I went to check it out and was met with two large men with guns pointed at me. They were trying to rob the house.
"I attempted to run but one of them pulled the trigger and…" he pauses there just as a shadow conceals his face, hiding his expression. His voice is strained, however, when he speaks next, "The bullet stopped right in front of my face, spun around, and shot back through the man's skull…it killed him."
I'm not sure why he's so choked up now, or why, when the light finally hits his face, his eyes are watery. Maybe it is from the smoke, but I doubt it.
"I killed him…" he whimpers and we start to drive slower. The silence is eerie to me while I realize what is troubling him so much. He never wanted to take somebody's life, even if it was someone who was trying to murder him.
"You didn't mean to," I try to reassure him but it doesn't seem to work.
He ignores me and continues with his story, his tone getting more melancholy with each word. "After the man died, the second one recognized what had happened while I was busy with my Triforce. Since you just got yours less than five minutes ago, you'll know that it is a bit painful at first-,"
"A burning sensation," I add in.
"-but passes. The man, whose face was concealed from me at the time, was Ganondorf. He started running towards me when my father jumped in front of him and tried to push him away…Ganondorf shot him and he…you know…"
It is quiet and my heartbeat has slowed due to his story, the coughing taking a respite.
"I'm so sorry," I breathe, blinking away my own tears that are forming. I lived with a murderer, somebody who had to ruin Link's life, and now he's after me.
Link doesn't respond and we drift back into silence, though I hear him sniffle a couple of times. With every bump or a flash of light from the occasional stop light, I gasp and clutch my hand to my heart, thinking Ganondorf will come out and kill me at any moment.
"Where are we going?" I ask right after I had jumped a mile high when the headlights reflected off of a street sign.
"You'll see," he replies in a very monotone voice.
"Not this again, please," I beg though, once more, he doesn't answer.
I try to stay awake but my body aches for rest and my eyes keep drooping closed. With one last final cough, I fall into a deep sleep.
"Zelda," a distant voice calls for me and I stir slightly, lazily bringing my hand up to swat the person away.
"Wake up, Zelda," the bearer urges, shaking my shoulder.
I finally blink my eyes open and stare up to Link's wonderful blue orbs. But instead of their usual warmth and compassion, they are hard and empty.
Without even a small smile, he leaves my line of vision and I reluctantly straighten up. I'm still in the car and a cool breeze flows in from the open door. The vehicle is now off and parked on long, unkempt grass.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I stand up uneasily outside and take in a deep, rattling breath of salty fresh air.
I'm about to ask where we are when the sound of crashing waves reaches my ears. Intrigued, I begin to observe my surroundings with new interest.
We are along a beach with rough, gray sand and seawater splashing against it rhythmically. It must be very early in the morning because the sky is a bluish gray and I can no longer see the stars while the moon is pale. Pine trees press up against the shore, only stopping a few feet away from the water's edge.
To my left, I see a medium sized, dark brown, wooden house. It is two stories high with a pointed black roof and shutters. The windows are dark and still, giving the impression that the inhabitants (if there are any) and the house are sleeping.
I follow Link soundlessly, still only half awake from my sleep, up the stone steps and he knocks on the door loudly, the noise feeling unwanted in the quiet night.
My mind is foggy as it attempts to remember the events that feel like had occurred days ago, but I push them away and keep everything blank. The last thing I want to do is relive what had happened.
There is no movement inside the house and Link begins banging on the door with more force. I want to turn around and go sleep in the car but, at that precise moment, the door swings open and a blinding light switches on inside.
Blinking against the sudden glow, I peer through the light and analyze the person in front of me. He isn't much taller than me with very tan skin and messy blonde hair. The left side of his face is covered in long bangs and a bright red eye peaks out from the right, sending chills down my languid body.
However, looking closely, he doesn't appear threatening at all. He glares at Link in annoyance, also only half awake, and he's only wearing a wrinkled white T-shirt and dark blue boxer shorts. He's lean and muscular, his shoulders broad and arms rippling with each movement. By the looks of him, he appears to be only a few years older than Link and I…maybe young twenties?
Rubbing his eyes, he groans, "What now, Link?"
Ah, so they know each other!
"Sorry that it's so late, Sheik," he apologizes politely, "but we ran into some trouble."
"We?" Sheik raises an eyebrow and squints around Link. After a moment or two, his mind probably as foggy as mine, his tired red eye finally lands on me.
He groans again and his shoulders hunch forward. "Is she pregnant?"
"What?" Link gasps, the words jolting both of us awake. "No, she isn't pregnant-,"
"Do you owe her money?" The man, Sheik I presume, guesses again.
"No, she-,"
"You didn't kidnap her, did you?"
"If you would give me a second-,"
I now push past Link and stick my hand out. Putting on my best grin through all of my drowsiness, I introduce myself with a friendly tone. "Hello, my name is Zelda and I am not pregnant, Link doesn't owe me money, and I guess I haven't been kidnapped, though that all depends on where we are."
Sheik shakes my hand lazily and lets out another loud yawn. "I'm Sheik."
"So I've picked up," I reply while we drop hands.
He turns his gaze back to Link and looks at him questioningly. "I've told you not to bring anybody else unless it is urgent. Not to be rude, Zelda -" he addresses me for a quick second "- but why is she here?"
Link lets out a sigh and his eyes are only half open as he mumbles, "She has the Triforce of Wisdom."
Sheik's eye widens in surprise and he looks at me with new interest. "Really now? Let me see."
I hold up my left hand, showing him the Triforce mark, and I don't even believe it myself.
He studies it and then nods to himself in approval, "That is definitely it. But may I ask another question? Why are you both covered in soot and smell strongly of smoke?"
As if on cue, I begin coughing again and I am suddenly parched while Link answers with a yawn, "I'll explain that inside. First, I think we need to get Zelda some water and send her to bed."
"Ugh," Sheik moans and opens the door a little wider while we walk in, barely having the energy to lift our feet. "It's four in the morning, we can't wait till later?"
Link shakes his head while Sheik closes the door behind us. The salty and cool air is now replaced with a warmer one that smells like fresh parchment. Weird, I never imagined Sheik to be the reading type. Then again, I met him five seconds ago.
"I'll go get Zelda some water, can you lead her to the guest room please?" Link asks but he is already making his way through an open archway and into what I assume is the kitchen. I don't even have the energy to look around me and my head droops to the side with weariness.
"Yeah," Sheik answers and gently takes my arm before leading me up a nearby staircase. I trudge up them, wanting to question Sheik about so many things but too drowsy to pull out a specific one. All I ask as we travel down a dark hallway is, "Who are you?"
Stopping in front of a beige door that matches the light brown walls, Sheik pushes the door open and flicks on the light switch inside, illuminating the room immediately.
"A Triforce Protector," is all he says while I follow him inside.
Like the rest of the house, it is a simple square with wooden walls and floors. A twin bed with light blue sheets is pushed into the corner and a rectangular window hovers above that, staring out into the sea. A simple white dresser is across from the bed and a mirror is standing beside that. To the left of me is a matching ivory desk with shelves along the wall and an empty bulletin board above that.
For the most part, the room is bare. A golden lamp sits on the basic brown nightstand and the only other thing in the room is a tin cup with a pencil and a pen on the desk and a trashcan underneath that.
I step into the room, this one smelling much stronger of salt due to the open window and a steady breeze seeps in. The sound of crashing waves sounds in the distance and fills the gaps of silence between Sheik and I.
"I know it isn't much," he grumbles, walking over to the dresser and opening the bottom drawer. "But at least it's something."
"It's fine, thanks," I whisper, my fingers skimming the top of the desk and a small smile on my face. I'm not sure what is going on here or how long I'll be staying, but, at the moment, I think this is my bedroom. Sheik seems pretty nice - maybe he'll be a bit more cheery when it isn't four in the morning.
"Now there are only a few outfits for females in here," he calls from behind me and I turn to see him rifling through a drawer of clothes. "We'll probably have to go shopping tomorrow if you'll be staying with us."
"I don't understand," I say in confusion and come to stand next to him. "What's going on here?"
Stretching his back and arms, he answers groggily, "Being a Triforce Protector, I protect Triforce Wielders. Link stays over here a lot when he is waiting for a new foster home to go to and I have rooms available for whenever we need it, like now for instance. I'll be sure to clear everything up tomorrow…well, later today actually. Ah, here is Link with your water."
Link enters my new bedroom with drooping eyes and a clear glass held dangerously loose in his hand. I take it with a strained smile of appreciation before chugging it down.
"There's a bathroom across the hall," Link explains, his voice empty, before disappearing back into the shadows of the unlit hallway and leaving without another word.
I think it is official.
He hates me.
Sheik, staring at where Link had vanished with puzzlement in his red eye, mumbles something about getting a good night's sleep before rushing off to find his friend, closing the door softly behind him.
I stand there, unmoving, and gaze at the door. I can smell the strong stench of smoke from me wafting into my nose, a powerful reminder of what had gone down in my old home.
Slowly bringing my hand in front of my face, I stare at the three triangles with awe. Why would the goddesses give me such a curse? My life has been hard enough with Ganondorf, don't I deserve a break for once?
Still not truly believing it, I change out of my ruined clothes and chuck them in the trashcan underneath the desk. I then rifle through the drawer but, not feeling like spending too much time awake, I grab a very large shirt that says "I Heart Hyrule" and slip it on like a very short nightgown.
The bed is comfortable against my weary body and, the second my head hits the pillow, my eyes close and I instantly collapse into a deeper sleep than ever before.
Author's Note:
First off, let me say thank you once again for all of your lovely reviews! They were a pleasure to read and I now have 68 reviews! Whoa guys, this is intense! You are the best! :D
So lots has happened in this chapter, just like the last one, but this one is about two paragraphs longer. It was a bit difficult because I'm not very good at action scenes, hopefully I managed it though. If you feel anything was off or you have some tips, let me know please! I am very open to criticism.
Like always, I wish to thank my super, fantabulous beta reader, Legend of Zelda 4 Life! I think I owe you a cookie, haha. *Hands you a cookie.*
This chapter was actually the one that I had first imagined when I began thinking of the story. Just a random fact I wanted to add in there.
So thank you for reading and please review!
~~Wave~~