Chapter 9

"…"

Black. Blue. Gold green silver gold blue.

Red.

"…Link…out of…place…"

Screaming. Shattering.

"…no…this…matter…"

Dark. Wet. Flowing.

Laughing. Crying.

Red.

"LINK!"

Black. Red. Golden.

"…back…here…"

Silence.

Despair.

Link's eyes shot open, his hands flying to his racing heart. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and even the tips of his bangs were stiff with salt. Below him, he could feel that the bedsheets were soaked. Whatever he'd been dreaming about had left him terrified, though he didn't know why.

The stabbing pain in his head, like a knife twisting inside an open wound, returned, and he cried out as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to escape. Clutching his skull, he writhed around in the bed, attempting anything and everything to rid his head of the hurt.

After a few agonizing moments the pain mostly subsided, leaving nothing but a slight throbbing. As he lay still and caught his breath, Link noticed for the first time that his shirt was nowhere to be found, leaving his chest completely exposed.

He now had a clear view of the spot Ganondorf had kicked. Needless to say, the flesh was already a nasty shade of something that fell between purple and black. He inched his fingertip toward the injury, wincing when he made even slight contact. It still hurt, as he was sure it would for quite some time.

Looking around, he found himself completely unsure of where he was. The room was dark, lit only by a few dim lamps decorated with a Sheikah design. There was a window on the opposite side of the room, but the shades were drawn to block out the sunlight. From where he sat, he could also see a large tapestry depicting the Eye of Truth, the traditional symbol of the Sheikah tribe.

Legend held that the symbol had been designed tens of thousands of years ago. Supposedly, it had, at one point, been only an eye. But the Sheikah, who had faithfully served the Royal Family for millennia, were betrayed by an ambitious king, and to represent their grief a single teardrop now fell from the eye.

That was the legend, at least. And the extent of his knowledge on Sheikah history. The secluded tribe had always been such a distant part of his life. As far as he could remember, he had only been to Kakariko Village twice before the past week, once when he was barely four years old, and once when he was eighteen.

He stretched his arms out and yawned as he recalled the first of those two trips.

As a child, he had toured the entire land of Hyrule with his father, as a part of one of the late King's vision for unity for the kingdom. King Rhoam had believed that if the Royal Family could show their support for the peoples living outside the Central Hyrule area, it would usher in a permanent era of peace and prosperity for the entire kingdom.

At the time, Link had been too young to have any sort of thought about it. Now, he could clearly see how foolish it was. Obviously these "goodwill tours," as the King had called them, didn't work well on lunatics like Ganondorf.

Nonetheless, his father had decided to bring him on one of these tours, for "exposure," or something. Even from a young age, Link had spent his entire life dreaming of becoming a knight. His father had seen no better opportunity to show Link life as one than firsthand experience, and so he had spent an entire year of his life traveling through nearly every village, city, and region in the entire kingdom.

He didn't remember many details from the journey, but one memory in particular remained fresh in his mind. It was at the beginning of the journey, as the caravan made their first stop at the Dueling Peaks Stable.

That stable was the very spot where he had first met Zelda.

"Papa?"

"Yes, son?"

"Are we there yet?"

His father shook his head, smiling playfully. "No, Link."

"Oh," said Link. "How long have we been going?"

"Several hours. We're almost there."

"Okay, papa." Link sat back in his seat in the carriage, satisfied with this answer.

He looked out the window. The sky was turning red. Link found that silly. He had always been taught that the sky was blue. Was that something that happened when children stayed up past their bedtime?

"Papa?" he began again.

His father looked at him curiously. "Yes, son?"

"Why is the sky turning red?"

"Because it is almost nighttime. The sky does that when night is coming."

Link thought about that for a moment. "Why?"

"Because the Moon and the Sun can only play one game, and that is hide-and-seek. When the Moon comes out to play with the Sun, he thinks the Sun can only live in a blue sky. So the Sun turns the sky red to hide from the Moon."

"So why does the sky turn blue again during the daytime?"

"Because the Sun knows it has beaten the Moon at another game of hide-and-seek, and it is safe."

"So every day is really just a game of hide-and-seek?"

His father nodded.

Link grinned. "I like to play hide-and-seek, too, Papa. Does that make me the Sun?"

"No, Link," said his father with a chuckle. "You are not the Sun."

"Can you play hide-and-seek with me when we get there?"

"I could, but I know there's someone ready to meet you who would be better at it than I would."

Link was a little disappointed, but not surprised. His father was in charge of protecting somebody named The Queen a lot, so he didn't normally have time to play with Link. Protecting The Queen was a very big honor, and he needed to spend a lot of time doing that.

"Who will play with me, Papa?" he asked.

"You'll find out soon enough, Link. Look, we've arrived."

Link had been so busy talking that he hadn't noticed the carriage stop. The door swung open, and his father stood up, taking Link's hand as they stepped out onto the ground.

He didn't know where he was. There was a large building in front of him, with what looked like the head of a horse on top of it. Nearby, other carriages stopped moving while some grown-ups in front of the building talked about something. One of them was a very tall man with a funny-looking yellow hat that only covered part of his head.

Link squeezed his father's hand lightly. "Papa, why is that man wearing such a silly hat?"

"It is called a crown, Link. That man is the King."

"What is a king?"

"He is someone very important. He can do many things, and can even tell other people to do many things – and they have to do them."

Link considered this for a moment. "Are you also a king? I think you are very important."

His father laughed again. "No, son. There can only be one king."

Link put his hand to his chin, as he had seen grown-ups do when they thought about something. "When I grow up," he said, "I'm going to be a King and wear a silly hat."

"Of course you are!" said the voice of a person other than his father. The man in the funny hat—the king—knelt down and patted Link on the back. "You will make a fine king one day, son."

"Your highness..." said Link's father in the same voice he used when Link did something bad.

"How many times must I tell you, Adon? Please, call me Rhoam."

"And how many times must I tell you not to fill the boy's head with impossible wishes?"

"Let the boy dream, Adon!" the King laughed, ruffling Link's hair. "There is no harm in dreaming, is there? Now, if I'm not mistaken, I believe it is time for Link to meet the princess, eh?"

"Papa," Link interrupted as he turned to his father, "what is a princess?"

"A princess is the daughter of a king," he replied.

"And I get to meet one?"

"Yes, Link!" said the king excitedly. "Look, here she is right now!"

Two new people—a lady and a girl—were walking toward them. The lady wore a long, blue dress and also wore what Link guessed was a crown, but it was much smaller than the King's so he wasn't entirely sure. At first Link thought maybe she was a different king, because she was wearing a crown, but then he remembered that there was only one king, and so he decided that she was not. She had long, blonde hair and green eyes that sparkled in the sunlight. She looked like she was probably a nice person.

The girl looked almost exactly like the lady, except that she was about as tall as Link. She wore a blue dress and small crown similar to the lady's, and shared her blonde hair and green eyes.

"Link," said his father, "I would like you to meet the Queen of Hyrule, Noria."

He pointed to the lady. Link smiled and waved to her.

The lady smiled back sweetly. "So you're Link," she said. Her voice sounded smooth to him, like honey. He liked honey. It was good.

"You've grown so much since the last time I saw you!" exclaimed the Queen, kneeling down to him. "I hear you're getting big and strong. Is that true?"

Link nodded excitedly. "I want to be a knight, just like Papa! And then I'm going to be a king and wear a funny hat."

The Queen, whose name Link now knew was not actually 'The Queen,' laughed. "Is that right?" she asked, and Link nodded again.

"Well, I think you will be an excellent knight, just like your father," she said, putting one of her hands on his shoulder. Then she stood and gestured to the girl. "This is my daughter, Zelda."

Link waved at the girl, who in turn hid behind her mother's dress, occasionally poking her head out like she was trying to see if Link was still looking at her.

"My apologies, Link," said the Queen. "My Zelda is rather shy around people she does not know." She turned to the girl. "Zelda, this is Link. He will be your friend for the remainder of the journey. Would you like to say hello?"

Zelda considered her mother's offer for a moment, then finally nodded and turned to Link. "Hello," she said.

"I'm four," said Link, holding up four fingers to prove his point.

"I'm not," said Zelda.

"Oh," said Link.

"Look, Adon," said the King, who was very happy about something, "they are already the best of friends! I think they'll get along quite nicely. Now, if you'll come with me, I have something I wish to discuss with you…"

He walked into the horse-building, and took Link's father with him.

"Zelda, dear," said the Queen, "why don't you ask Link if there are any games he would like to play with you?"

"I like to play hide-and-seek," said Link matter-of-factly.

Zelda's eyes lit up. "That is my favorite game!"

"Do you want to play with me?"

Zelda nodded, shut her eyes, and started counting very loudly. Link giggled and ran away as fast as he could. He didn't really know who Zelda was, or why it mattered that she was a princess. He was just glad to know that she would always be his best friend. After all, she liked hide-and-seek. And Link knew that anybody who liked hide-and-seek was a great friend.

Link's daydreaming was suddenly cut short by another wave of pain through his head, this one worse than the first. He howled, pulling his hair and squeezing his eyes shut as hard as he could. It was near impossible to describe in detail the pain he felt. Nothing he had ever experienced before seemed comparable.

Eventually, the pain subsided, albeit just a little. He slumped against the mattress and took a deep breath, feeling his muscles relax and his heartbeat level out. He barely felt the icy touch of a cold hand on his chest.

"Are you alright?" Someone asked.

He opened his eyes to see Zelda leaning over him, her hand pressed against his chest, clearly concerned. Smiling groggily, he began to nod, then realized he was still shirtless and yanked the bedsheets up over his shoulders in a panic. He felt his cheeks flush from embarrassment.

Zelda giggled, sitting down on the side of the bed. "It's only me, silly," she said. "Don't feel embarrassed."

Link swallowed the lump in his throat, not any less embarrassed.

"If it would make you feel better," Zelda said, turning away momentarily, "I could fetch you a fresh tunic."

Link shook his head. "It's fine." He gradually pulled the sheets down from his neck. "I've just, um…" he stuttered, grasping for some explanation, "never been this…exposed in front of a member of the Royal Family, is all."

Zelda nodded. "I understand, Link. You aren't violating any kind of etiquette, if that is what you are concerned about."

That wasn't what he was concerned about, but he nodded anyway.

"Is your head still bothering you?"

He shrugged. It was, but she almost certainly knew that as she had clearly heard him cry out. That was, he assumed, the whole reason she was sitting here with him. So, there wasn't much point lying to her and saying he was fine.

On the other hand, the last thing he wanted for her was to worry about him. She undoubtedly had too much going on for that, and besides, the circumstances weren't important enough to warrant her attention. He had sustained the injury doing his job. In his line of work, it was expected.

"It definitely hurts," he said, "but I'm sure it'll be fine."

Zelda flashed him a smile, before sighing heavily. "Link, there's something I need to…"

He didn't hear her finish as sudden nausea overwhelmed him, and the room began to spin. His head throbbed, and his stomach seemed to be doing somersaults. Chills raced up and down his spine and his skin crawled. Gagging, he felt the awful burn of stomach acid making its way up his throat. He tried to contain it, but his insides lurched and he released all of the vile liquid all over the bed. Tears welled in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks as he vomited again, and again, and again.

Zelda jumped from the bed and rushed to his side, gently rubbing his back as she softly shushed him and told him it was alright.

When the episode finally subsided, he wiped tears from his eyes and the acidic liquid from his mouth. He was covered in the stuff, as was the entire bed. He could even feel traces of it in his hair, which made him want to throw up again. His head still spun, and his stomach still churned a bit, though not as badly as before. Gazing numbly at Zelda, his heart stopped.

Her entire tunic was covered in his mess.

"Oh my goddesses, Your Highness, I am so, so sorry!" he said as he waved his hands about, unsure of what to do with them. "It was a complete accident, I swear! I don't kn–"

Zelda dismissed his near-hysteria with a laugh. "It's quite alright," she said, brushing herself off a bit, trying to hide her disgust at having to touch his...fluids.

She was doing a good job at it, though, as she didn't appear in the least fazed by any part of the situation. That both surprised Link and made him relax a bit. He had never dreamed of ever throwing up on the Princess of Hyrule, but if he had, he would also have never dreamed that she would be so forgiving about it.

He had witnessed firsthand the kind of person she was when she was bothered by something. Suffice it to say, it usually didn't end well for that which was bothering her.

"Here," she said, standing up. "We should probably both get cleaned up before we talk about anything else."

She held out her hand, and Link took it weakly. She helped him from the bed and out into the hallway.

"There's a private bath just down the hall. Do you need me to help you?"

He shook his head. Sick as he was, he was not about to let the Princess of Hyrule give him a bath.

Zelda shot him a questioning glance, like she didn't quite believe him, but nodded reluctantly anyway. "Alright," she said, rubbing his back again. "You go ahead and get cleaned up, and I'll bring you a change of clothes." With that, she walked off.

Link huffed and slowly walked in the direction of the bath. It wasn't far, by any means, but between the headaches and the nausea it felt like the journey took several hours. It took all of his self-control not to vomit again, but luckily, he made it.

The bath was cozy. It wasn't enormous, but it also wasn't cramped. There was just enough space for Link to feel comfortable taking a bath.

He slid the door shut behind him, and walked over to the actual tub. It was a distinctly Sheikah design, built into the wall of the room. Just like most parts of Sheikah culture, bathing was something he knew little about. He vaguely remembered being taught by his father that the Sheikah often bathed socially and had etiquette to preserve modesty, but he couldn't remember anything specific.

Doesn't matter much, he thought as he removed his trousers and undergarments and stepped into the tub. I'm the only one that would fit in this, anyway.

The bath was already filled with water. It was hot, but not scalding. As he dipped his ankles in, Link sighed in relief. It felt nice to finally have the opportunity to relax and actually wash himself. He had needed to, badly. The closest thing he'd had to a proper wash was his unexpected dip in the lake three days ago.

His bath lasted about thirty minutes before he decided that sitting there soaking himself in a bathtub was getting to be a tad boring. He promptly exited the tub, dried himself with one of the many towels tucked away in the nearby linen cabinet, and walked back to his room.

The bath had done wonders for his stomach, as well as his head. Any trace of nausea he'd felt was gone, and his headache had reduced to only an occasional pulse in the back of his skull. He didn't feel perfect, but he at least was able to walk around without throwing up.

Zelda was already waiting for him when he stepped back inside the room. Link noticed she had changed into a different outfit—of course she had. Instead of her normal royal blue tunic, she now sported a dark green blouse and white pants. He wasn't sure why, but when he saw that particular color combination, a distant feeling of déjà vu washed over him. It was followed by a fresh wave of horror as he remembered he had thrown up on her, however well she'd taken it.

He saw her glance at the towel wrapped around his waist, then up at him. "You know," she teased, "a bare chest is one thing, but it isn't exactly proper to present yourself to a Princess wearing nothing but a towel."

Link's cheeks flushed once again, and he turned away in embarrassment. "Yeah. I know."

Zelda laughed and gestured to a pile of clothes lying on the bed, which now had fresh sheets covering it. Link had to admit he was impressed at how quickly general housekeeping tasks were accomplished around here.

"I hope these are your size," said Zelda. "You can change in the closet over there."

She nodded to a door in the wall that Link hadn't seen before. He grabbed the clothes—a simple pair of Hylian Trousers much like the pair he'd just soiled, and a plain white undershirt—and walked into the closet. Moments later, he reemerged fully clothed, surprised that the garments fit him.

"Much better," Zelda said with a smile. "Did you enjoy the bath? I drew it myself."

He nodded. "It was the closest thing I've felt to a proper Hyrule Castle bath in four years."

"And are you feeling any better?"

"Actually, yes," he said. "My head doesn't hurt nearly as much, and my stomach seems to have calmed down for the most part."

If Zelda was surprised at all, she didn't show it. "I've heard the Sheikah draw their bathwater from the nearby Great Fairy Fountain. That might explain why you feel better, if only a little."

"There's a Great Fairy Fountain here?"

"Oh yes," said Zelda, apparently shocked that he hadn't known. "It's impossible to miss, just up the hill. I might have to take you there sometime soon."

"That'd be interesting."

Zelda looked away for a moment, and Link wondered if he'd said something wrong. He was halfway through formulating a decent apology when she grabbed his hand and said, "Come with me. There's something I must give to you."

She led him downstairs into the central room of the building, which he now recognized to be Impa's house. Interestingly, Impa was absent. That surprised Link. In all of his life, he had only seen Impa leave her house one time: to greet the King on the goodwill tour.

Before he had a chance to ask Zelda about it, though, she let go of his hand. "Link," she said, "this belongs to you." She gestured to the pillow Impa used when meditating, and for a brief moment he thought she was actually talking about the pillow.

He was just about to call her crazy when he saw what was on the pillow. And his jaw practically hit the floor.

There, folded neatly, was his blue Champion's Tunic.

"You kept it," he said, dumbfounded. He grabbed it eagerly and pulled it over his undershirt. "I can't believe after all these years you actually held onto this."

"Yes, well…" Zelda cleared her throat. "I couldn't rightly just toss it aside like it didn't matter, now could I?"

"But why? It's…" his voice trailed off. "It's not who I am anymore."

"That's what I need to talk to you about," she replied. She grabbed his shoulders gently, and took a deep breath, her expression cordial but deadly serious. "I want you to be my second-in-command."