Episode 12

Luckily, the ladder didn't break and I made it to the bottom safe and sound. The air was filled with the quiet chorus of crickets and a faint rustle of the leaves. I followed the sound of the ocarina through the garden, careful of flowerbeds, to the high tree I had seen Link in. Looking up at the mournful sound, I squinted through the branches. Should I interrupt such a sound?

"Link?" I called up to him, "Is that you?"

His music stopped. "What do you want?"

I shied back.

"Well?"

"I…I just wanted to apologize…I guess. For not understanding better and thinking you were a jerk."

"Go away."

"I apologized, what more do you want from me?"

"Who said I wanted anything from you? I don't need your apologies for anything, it's just who you are. You can't help that."

I glared back up into the leaves, starting to feel the sting of hurt.

"You don't even know me!"

"Who said I had to know you?"

"Now that doesn't make any sense."

"Yes it does. If you met a tribe of baby sacrificing savages, would you allow them to watch your children?" he said.

I clenched my skirts. "Excuse me, I am not a baby sacrificing savage."

"It was an analogy."

A scream bubbled to my throat, but I pushed it back with a deep breath. This wasn't getting anywhere. Why did I care what Link thought of me anyways? I was just trying to get the weird guilt to go away. But if he didn't accept my apology, I could rest in peace knowing it really was just his problem.

"Look," I said as calmly as I could, "I understand the fact that this is all a game in my world really bothers you and seems…ok, fine, savagely or whatever you want to call it."

He snorted loudly.

I bristled, but continued as though I hadn't heard. "But those were just games to us. We didn't think they were real; they were just stories to us. Haven't you ever heard stories about wars and other lands or heroes beating bad guys? That's what it was to us."

I waited for his response. After a minute or so of silence, I scrambled for something to add on to that to continue my defense. "I thought this was just a story, kay? Our games are just like interactive stories—"

"And you are still here why?" he said.

"Because I'm trying to…to…aren't you listening to me?"

"And do I even care what you are saying?"

I snapped. "Ugh! You are such a jerk! I thought I could possible help you—"

"Help you? How many times have I saved your sorry hide?"

"-but nooo! You hate me for no freaking stupid reason!"

"—hey, baby eating savages, remember?"

"Shut up! I'm not a baby eating savage already!"

"It's an analogy!"

"I don't care!"

"So go away already!"

Screaming in frustration and tears I stomped off. Invisible flames of rage and dismay licked my skin into feverish heat. Stupid, mean, idiotic, zit licking….JERK! Why'd he have to hate me so much? I raged. Was Zelda to hate me too because of something I couldn't help? With that, he had a point. I couldn't help where I had come from. But besides that, I thought I had given a valid defense, that they were just interactive stories to us. Should Zelda tell him of the other video games though…

Oh man, when did retarded video games start controlling my life so much? I thought. This was just getting too silly. So what if Link hated me? So what…well, he was the main character. Without him, my knowledge meant nothing. If something should happen to Hyrule (if something already had and has been), than Link would be Hyrule's hope and hero. But even if danger threatened Hyrule, what did Link's animosity towards me have to do with it? What did it matter?

The point as, it didn't matter. For no matter how I thought of it and no matter what I did, I had no purpose or anything to give to help protect Hyrule. All I did was play the game. I couldn't wield a sword or arrow, nor could I even stand tall in a battle. Heck, I had a hard enough time killing spiders! And if it was some other 'mysterious dark force', what could I do? Wiggle my fingers and say 'be gone!'? And what of the rain? Had I even been right? It could've been something else entirely. Even if I was right, what could I do to save Hyrule from being flooded? It would be anyways and I would be to blame for being the messenger.

I stopped in the bushes surrounding the ladder to my room, my eyes burning. Heaviness tightened around my esophagus and stomach.

I wanted to go home.

I awoke late in the morning, as told by the brightness of the room. Lying in the warmth of my oh-so-very soft bed, I reviewed the dream from the night before. I had dreamt about Amanda again. This time we were back at school and, instead of a shadow, a scarlet tree had appeared from nowhere in the middle of the courtyard. Again she told me we were but pretending as dew drops fell from the leaves like diamonds. Just pretending…

The little man in the cell resurfaced to my mind. What was it he had said? That he had just imagined the boxes into horses and they had been so? What was with this pretending thing?

I laughed. Really, a dream? It was fun to think about but sorry, I had enough incredible events to deal with at the moment. Like why a princess was standing at the end of my bed, glittering like a morning star.

"Good morning, Lady Kara."

I sat up. "Wh-what are you—I'm sorry, I should've woke up earlier—"

"No worry. You needed your rest. I just came to ask you to attend a small conference I am holding with Link…if, that's all right."

"Sure, you're highness. But…why'd you come down yourself? I mean, don't you have servants for that?"

"Why, yes. To be honest," she looked down sheepishly. "I wanted to see if you slept too."

I couldn't help but laugh. What was I, a martian?

"Yeah, I sleep, all right."

"And you like the same food too, apparently."

"Yep. So don't expect me to sprout feelers or anything, you're safe."

She smiled in amusement and went to leave.

"I'll be seeing you in an hour in the same room. If you have a hard time finding it, just look for the two guards you saw the other day. They should be in front of a redwood door."

"I'll be there, your highness."

Once I was back into my blue dress, groomed, and walking around, however, I found finding my way back easier said than done. The Hyrulian guards weren't much different from the ones in the game, for they all looked much the same due to heavy visors and hats shading their faces. Not only that, but I couldn't tell which red door she meant. Half the doors in the palace were various shades of maroon, red, and caramel pink. After fifteen minutes of walking around like an idiot, I sat down near a suit of armor, grouching to myself.

A noblewoman spotted me as she passed by. Deciding I was intriguing enough, she made her way over. I couldn't make out her face due to a thick veil, but I could see the faint shape of a kindly expression.

"Why, hello there. I don't believe I've seen you in the palace."

Her bright pink skirts were so huge they brushed across my feet even though she was a full ten feet or so away. I resisted weaving my fingers through the lining of lace.

"I'm just visiting."

"Visiting? Oo, from where, dear?"

"Far away."

"Far away? I don't believe I'm familiar with that place."

"Is there any chance you could help me find the Princess's conference room?"

"Conference room?"

"You know, where she usual meets with Sir Link and other guests? If she has a specific room for that, that is…oh never mind…"

"Oh, you mean that room." She said, turning to look down the hall. As she did so the tempting line of lace turned away. I wondered what was up with the veil and the big hat. Was that a new style? Or had she some deformity to hide.

"So you do know of it? That's great!"

"The whole castle knows of it, dear."

"Could you take me to it? I have to be there soon."

"Or course!" her voice sounded fake as it rose in pitch. "Just don't tell anyone I took you there."

"Why's that?"

"It's suppose to be secret." she giggled. "It's mainly for the Princess and the Link."

"Uh…got it." So there was some secret love going on between the two of them. Whoopty doo, like I hadn't figured that a million times before.

"What purpose have you for going there?"

"I'm a…friend of Link's, I suppose. She told me to go there this morning."

"If you say so!"

The poofy pink lady went along in front of me like a floating bell. I never saw a sign of her legs or feet, or the rest of her, for that matter. Every inch of skin was covered in material in some form or another. She weirded me out. I couldn't tell if she had any intentions for helping me or was just being nice. If it was suppose to be a secret, why had she so freely offered to lead me to it? Was this one of those bubbly types who was ultra nice to everyone? Whatever. Just another weird person to put in my catalog next to the Japanese guy in jail.

We had only gone around the corner and down a bit before she stopped and pointed to a set of guards and an un-unique red door. I felt rather stupid that it had been so closed by.

"Don't be embarrassed, you're fine. Oh, excuse my manners, what was your name again?"

"Kara."

"It was nice to meet you, Lady Kara. Now I best be off. If you have an appointment with her Majesty, I suggest you just knock. She should answer."

"Ah, thanks."

She floated off and around the corner quicker than I thought anyone could walk without troubling that mass of a skirt. Giving the spot she disappeared one last good look, I moved to knock on the door. The guards were eyeing me.

"It is Lady Kara, your majesty." said one of them. Cool, they remembered me.

"Come in!" said the princess from inside.

I had forgotten to anticipate Link's presence and nearly stepped back out the moment I got in. He didn't glare at me or growl at my appearance, though I imagined waves of radiated dislike emanating towards me and egging me to step back out. To amuse myself, I thought of Link in a strange situation of being roomed with the girl he loved most and the girl he hated most. It was like yin and yang, or a twisted love-hate triangle.

"Welcome, Lady Kara!" Zelda stood up in her sparkling glory to usher me to a chair. On the table to accompany her gleaming were several silver domes. My stomach knew what lay beneath and grumbled in want. No sooner had I sat down when another knock came to the door.

"Yes?"

"Your Highness, your father would like a quick word with you."

"Oh…" her face fell a bit, and she looked with concern to Link and I. "Would you excuse me for a moment? Please, feel free to start breakfast without me. I'll be back in a moment."

My jaw fell to protest, but she was gone before I could even begin. Even if I had, what could I say to stop a Princess and a King's request? But now my skin crawled, for I now sat in a room alone with Link—and he was looking right at me. I tried not to meet his gaze. Instead, I looked about the silver domes.

"So…shall we dig in?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

I could feel my hands beginning to sweat. "Which one should we open first?"

"I don't care."

I didn't argue with that, but opened the platter nearest to me. Up wafted a rush of aroma. The plate was covered in sausages, bacon, and eggs. Man, why did food seem so much better in Hyrule? My mouth began to water as I grabbed a plate to dish up. As my fork neared a sausage link, I hesitated, then handed the plate to Link. It seemed like he stared at it for the longest time before finally taking it.

"Thank you."

"'Welcome."

I took another plate and loaded it with eggs, bacon, and sausages. After the first few bites, however, I realized Link had yet to move. He still sat there, holding his plate as though waiting. He had made no attempt to open the other domes. I glanced down at my food, nervous. Did I miss something?

"You want some of this?" I asked.

"Maybe in a minute." He glanced down. "I'm sorry."

That threw me off. My fork hovered between a pile of eggs and my mouth in confusion.

"Uh…huh?"

The tips of his ears went pink. "Please, I'm not very good at this."

"At what, exactly?"

His long ears shaded deep red. "At, well…apologizing."

"You're apologizing to me?" The incredulous tone of my voice didn't make it any better, and the redness spread to his face. His eyes became glued to his plate. He reminded me of someone years younger—someone completely different.

"I…okay, I…I thought about what you said last night, and I'm…um…I'm saying I'm sorry, okay? Will you just take it!"

"All right, geese. Fine, you're forgiven." I lifted up my fork, which had a sausage speared on it. "Now do you want some of this or not?"

"Yeah, hand it over."

I had to take both hand in order to get the loaded platter to him, which he took easily, yet clumsily. A few links trickled off. He picked them up once he had set the food down. His face had yet to cool off. If anything, it had gone brighter. My heart was racing, however, and I could feel the heat of my own face. But despite this, I felt happy. Deliriously happy.

Talk about a random morning.

The door flew open and the princess swerved in, slamming it closed. I couldn't see her face, but what I could see of her was twitching and shaking violently. Link jumped from his seat. The sausage links he had just picked up rolled to the floor. Outside I heard the distant shouts and footsteps of frantic soldiers.

"Zelda!" Link stepped forward, arms outstretched.

"M-my father," she choked. The yelling had grown closer and the sound of soldiers clustering about the door could be heard. There were several thumps of their armor on the wood as they squeezed in closer. Zelda took several shaky breaths.

"M-my…my father…is dead."