Chapter 21: Nightmares
AN: Hey everyone! I've been really busy, but I haven't forgotten about this story. I'm still plugging away, so don't think I've abandoned it. Let me know what you think and enjoy!
***I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue me.***
Zelda woke up the following morning and glanced at the clock; it read: 7:10. Zelda softly growled and threw a pillow across the room and marched out of her room.
"I asked you to wake me up early. Why did no one wake me up early?" She asked with anger in her voice. One guard spoke up.
"Samus came by earlier. She told us not to disturb you. She said she left a note in your room." He replied in a soft tone. Zelda turned around and noticed a note next to her nightstand. She walked over to it and read it.
Princess,
You looked like you were having a good dream. I'd prefer you get some beauty rest instead of watching me. We'll talk after the match. XOXO
-Samus
Zelda set the piece of paper down before going back out her door and apologizing for her behavior. She took a very quick shower and then flipped on the TV and smiled as she was drying her hair. Samus was facing Ness and it looked like a close battle, but Zelda's smile quickly faded as she noticed something different with Samus. She seemed…sluggish. The match had been going for ten minutes, but Samus looked like she'd been fighting for an hour.
"Unbelievable!" One of the announcers yelled. "How is this happening, Mike?"
"I have no idea Tom." The other announcer replied. "This is certainly an impressive performance from our reigning champion."
"If you are just tuning in…where have you been?" The first announcer said. "To catch up quickly, prior to the match, Samus Aran was showing flu-like symptoms and doctors recommended that she forfeit her match today. Samus refused and went in with a temperature of 102.4 and climbing." Zelda couldn't bear to look away; it was like a bad car wreck in slow motion. Her eyes grew big as she remained motionless. She cranked up the volume quickly began changing.
"Samus is really suffering. I'm not sure she'll last much longer. If she doesn't end this now, it might be called off." An announcer said. Zelda quickly returned to her bed and watched closely as she saw Samus trying to get up, but she fell down. She struggled to get back up, and she was now on one knee.
"This could be it…" The first announcer said with worry in his voice. "Has Samus' luck run out?" Ness pulled out his baseball bat and lined it against her temple. He pulled his bat back and charged his shot. Samus pulled out her gun and flipped it in her hand. She hit Ness' kneecap with the handle of the gun and he fell down. She then gave an uppercut which caused him to flip the bat out of his hand. Her next instinct was to grab the bat and swing with what she had left in hopes to connect with her target; she hit him right in the cheek as she went flying away. Samus' energy depleted at that moment as she couldn't finish the swing of the bat. Her hands let go and it went flying as she collapsed to the ground. A flash of light from the side glowed and the next voice was for the match.
"GAME!" The crowd went crazy. "THIS GAME'S WINNER IS…SAMUS!" A camera panned to Samus, who remained motionless on the ground. The crowd went silent and Zelda did not dare to blink; it was as if time was still. Medical personnel came rushing out to help the now unconscious girl led by a woman wearing some kind of orange dress. She was directing the other doctors on what to do and they quickly got Samus onto a gurney and wheeled her off. The crowd clapped for her and for the princess, her priority was to ensure her safety.
"I need to go. I need to go right now." Zelda said as she came down the stairs. "I need a carriage ready right now. Please!" She ordered and the guards were quick to follow her demands. She got in and began heading towards the stadium's hospital wing where Samus was being cared for.
'Please be ok. I'm so sorry.' Zelda thought as the carriage eventually slowed down. Zelda didn't wait for it to stop as she swung open the door and jumped out just before it pulled to a stop. She sprinted as fast as she could to the wing, where the majority of reporters were trying to get answers to Samus' condition.
"Is she alright?" One reporter asked.
"Will Samus die?" Another questioned. The woman who helped Samus before, stood her ground.
"There will be no comment regarding the health and well-being of Samus Aran. Please leave immediately." She sternly stated. The reporters grumbled as they turned, but noticed Zelda trying to push her way to the door and they began asking her questions.
"Zelda, have you heard about Samus' condition?"
"Is this a potential deal-breaker for you?"
Zelda ignored all reporters and continued pushing her way to the front. She finally made her way to the front and finally reached the entrance.
"LEAVE!" The woman yelled and the reporters scurried away; leaving Zelda alone with the doctor.
"Please…I need to see her." Zelda begged. The woman sighed with hesitance in her breath.
"I…I'm sorry. We're not sure what's wrong with her and as of right now, we can't allow any visitors." Zelda began to break down.
"I need her. There's so much I haven't said to her. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Zelda sobbed into her hands as the doctor put a hand on her shoulder.
"Look…Zelda. If anything changes, we'll contact Hyrule immediately. I need to get back, but…come by tomorrow. I'll let you know how she's doing." She said with a weak smile. Zelda sniffled and took a few quick breaths.
"Th-Thank you doctor."
"My name is Raine." She said with a smile on her face. A man with orange colored hair and orange eyes appeared behind the doors to the entrance.
"Raine, could you please assist us?" He asked in a calm voice.
"Of course Rhys. I'll be right there." He disappeared behind the door and she turned her attention to Zelda.
"I need to go. But I promise we'll contact you if anything changes. You have the best medical personnel in there with her. I need to go. Hopefully, we'll see you tomorrow." Raine smiled as she heard Rhys' voice again. "Raine?" He asked and she opened the door and walked in.
"I'm coming, Rhys." She responded as she door shut behind her. Zelda couldn't move. Was it over? Had she missed her opportunity to tell her what she wanted to say? As Zelda was trying to process her thoughts, she took a seat and her hands began to shake from worry. Krystal came running in shortly after.
"Zelda, are you alright?" She asked with concern and a bit of fear in her voice. Zelda couldn't take her eyes off her hands.
"I…I didn't…I can't see her…" Zelda began crying as she continued staring blankly at her hands. "M-My hands…they…they won't s-stop shaking." She turned to face Krystal. "Why won't they stop shaking?" She asked through the tears and the pain of her heart breaking from within. Krystal wrapped her arms around her friend.
"It'll be ok. She'll be fine. It'll all work out." Krystal said in an attempt to reassure the princess and Zelda began to sob.
"Zelda, we really should get out of here. Let's do something to get your mind of this. Do you want to get some ice cream?" Krystal suggested. Zelda took a few deep breaths and wiped away her tears before nodding. The two girls left the hospital wing and began walking to the food court. As they began walking, Zelda made eye contact with her opponent tomorrow, Gannondorf.
"Tough break with the bounty hunter." He mocked at the princess. "A few of the guys are making bets on how long she'll last. Bowser thinks she won't last twenty minutes…" Zelda tried tuning him out as Krystal glared at him; not that he seemed to mind.
"…But I disagreed. I don't think she'll last ten." He chuckled with an evil sneer on his face. At that moment, something in Zelda must have snapped because she began walking towards him with a grand fire in her eyes.
"I am not afraid of you. I am more than prepared to kill you tomorrow. I am in a very very bad mood and you have just given me a reason to take it out on you. I hope you're ready, because when I am through with you, you are going to wish you were dead."
"Is the tiny princess making a threat?" Gannondorf sneered at her. Zelda's expression and the fire in her eyes did not die down.
"Sticks and stones, Gannon." Zelda remarked as she gave her own smirk to her response. Gannondorf just raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so?" He chuckled at her choice of words. Krystal came in between the two of them.
"Why don't you just walk away?" She said with anger in her voice. But Zelda didn't back down.
"I will hurt you." She added behind her friend.
"There won't be anywhere to hide tomorrow, princess. The fox won't be there, your hero of time won't be there, and your girlfriend is dead…"
"She is not!" Zelda said with full out anger in her voice.
"Then let me correct myself, your girlfriend is on the verge of death and you will be all alone for the first time this year." He turned and walked away. "Sticks and stones may break my bones…"
"SHUT UP!" Zelda screamed as the words certainly did a number on her emotions. Although Zelda tried her hardest to hold them back, his words affected her to the point where she was crying; though she tried to put on a strong face, she looked much weaker than before. Krystal became aggressive now.
"Gannon! Leave! Now!" She yelled and he smiled, turned, and walked away. She continued staring him down until he left before turning her attention to the now broken princess who was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall.
"Samus…she's not dead. She isn't…"Zelda was shaking again. She was sniffling and crying as all she could think about now was her girlfriend. So many questions ran through her mind.
"Zelda, don't listen to him. Samus is in your corner. Many people are backing you. He's trying to get into your head. You know he's just messing with you."
"B-But why…why couldn't I s-see her? I wanted to see her and th-they told m-me no…" She sniffled as she rubbed her eyes and took sharp, quick breaths.
"They…they just don't know what's wrong with her." Krystal said as she tried to console her friend.
"S-So she…she…is dying?" Zelda asked with big eyes.
"I'm not saying that. I'm not implying that. Zelda, you need to calm down. You're not thinking clearly." Krystal grabbed Zelda's hands and they sat there in the empty hallway.
"It's not so bad. She'll be better by tomorrow. You'll see." Krystal stood up and held out her hand. "How about we go get that ice cream? We can talk about anything you like. Well…almost anything." Zelda wiped a few more tears away and grabbed Krystal's hand as she stood up. "Come on, let's go get some ice cream." Krystal said as she guided Zelda away from the hospital and the two went off to get some snacks. As they got their ice cream, Zelda noticed a woman with black hair sitting alone; she couldn't put her finger on it, but something about her made the princess feel…uncomfortable. The woman was reading a magazine and on the table next to her was a cup of tea. Zelda stopped and just looked at her for a few moments.
"It's not polite to stare." She said as she grabbed the cup and took a sip. Zelda quickly looked down and scurried towards Krystal. Krystal looked back and noticed Zelda rushing by her side.
"What were you doing?" Krystal asked and Zelda carefully tilted her head back to the woman sitting in the chair behind her. "Tell me you didn't approach Bayonetta."
"Who?"
"That woman. I've heard she has a nasty attitude and loves to mess with her opponents. Didn't you see her match against Palutena?" Krystal asked as Zelda shook her head. "There's a lot of hatred between those two. Bayonetta got in her head and she let it get to her. It cost her the match. They say she's like a female Gannon." Zelda's stomach sank.
"I'm…not hungry." She looked down in disappointment.
"Oh, come on." Krystal put an arm around her friend. "She's going up against Fox in her next round. There's no way she'll beat Fox." Krystal had a smug, confident look on her face. "He knows what he's doing. I'm sure she's trying to study his moves, but Fox is too damn good."
"And…and what happens if he does lose?" Zelda asked.
"Then he retires...but he's not going to lose. You should be focused on your match. We need to get you prepared for your match tomorrow. Gannondorf is certainly going to be a handful. But for now, pick out a flavor. It's my treat." Krystal ordered cookie dough flavored ice cream and Zelda ordered a vanilla ice cream. The two began walking back and eating their ice cream.
"What do you have in mind for training?" Zelda asked as she licked her sweet treat.
"I'm going to beat you. Physically and mentally." Krystal said as she stopped and put a hand on her forehead. "Aah…brain freeze…" she inhaled sharply and clenched her teeth. Zelda smiled at Krystal and it faded.
"I don't know…" He said hesitantly. As Zelda contemplated her decision, there was another voice that spoke out.
"I thought they had rules about keeping pets on a leash." Zelda looked up and standing before her was Bayonetta; a fierce warrior whose presence alone could intimidate almost anyone. Krystal's eyes narrowed.
"I would spend less time worrying about me, and focus more on Fox." Krystal suggested. The words, however, did nothing to her. She turned her attention to Zelda.
"You should beep your bitch on a short leash." She simply smirked and walked away. Krystal not taking her glance off her man's next opponent. Zelda wasn't sure what to say.
"We should go." Krystal said as the two of them left. Instead of heading to Hyrule Castle, Krystal and Zelda took off towards the Great Fox. Zelda remembered the last time she was on here, doing a simulation.
"This…this won't be like….like last time…right?" Zelda nervously asked.
"No. There will be no other opponents. It'll be just you and me."Krystal stated as she put on some boxing gloves and headed to the platform. "Come on." She insisted as she motioned toward the stage. Zelda nodded and stepped on the platform.
"Fire it up, ROB." Krystal yelled as ROB began working and punching in codes and hitting buttons. Then, everything changed and Zelda began hyperventilating; the thoughts of the wire frames senselessly beating her came flooding back. Broken bones, unbearable pain, Zelda wasn't ready for this.
"No. I can't. I'm sorry. I can't-"
"It's just us." Krystal reminded her. Zelda looked around. No one else was around; it was just Krystal and herself. She felt a bit more relieved and settled in.
"READY…GO!" A voice boomed. Neither opponent moved.
"Alright, Zelda. I'm coming to you. Try to dodge all my attacks and don't let me hit you once." Zelda nodded in understanding. Then, the lights turned out.
"Wait…Krystal what's going on?" Zelda asked with worry in her voice.
"It's part of the training." Krystal reassured her. "Gannon might try some shady tactics and that means your other senses must be higher. Use your ears. Listen…try to find him in the dark." Krystal suggested.
"Ok I'll try." Zelda responded as she looked in the darkness. She couldn't see a thing and couldn't hear anything.
"You're worthless." The princess heard from one direction. She turned and fired a spell, but it didn't hit anyone or anything. She then felt a punch to the back of her head; turned around and fired another spell with the same result.
"You're just an innocent little princess." She heard again.
"I am not!" Zelda yelled and blasted another spell with the same result as before. She then felt two shots to the back of her head.
"Samus is going to die and it's all your fault."
"IT IS NOT! SHE'S NOT..." Zelda yelled through the tears and felt a hard shot to her cheek; knocking her to the ground. The lights came up and Krystal was standing in front of her.
"Why….Why are you saying such mean things? I thought you were my friend." Zelda sniffled and wiped away the tears.
"Zelda, if I am soft when we're training, you won't be prepared for the upcoming match. Do you honestly believe Gannondorf will treat you with kindness and fight fairly or do you think he is going to try dirty tactics and attempt to get under your skin?" Zelda thought for a moment and then she understood.
"O-Ok. I…I get it." She sniffled again and got back to her feet. Krystal hit a few buttons on some kind of device that was attached to her wrist and Zelda was immediately back to 100%. There were no bruises or marks that indicated she was in a battle.
"Let's try again. And actually listen this time. Listen carefully, and try to find where I am." Krystal instructed as the lights went out again. "Ready?" Zelda nodded before realizing Krystal couldn't see her and she quietly laughed.
"Yeah." She said as she tried listening; but she could not hear anything. Zelda tried looking, listening, anything to help her find him, but she couldn't sense where her friend was.
"How's your mother?" The voice asked as Zelda's fists clenched. She knew this was for training, but she was convinced Gannon wouldn't dare go down that road.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed as she turned and fired a heavy amount of spells in the direction of the voice. After a few seconds of spells and Zelda breathing heavy, she felt two jabs to the side and one to her nose; which knocked her down flat as the lights came on again.
"Zelda, I'm serious." Krystal said.
"He wouldn't." Zelda said with fire in her eyes. "He wouldn't sink that low."
"Are you certain of that?" Zelda took a few deep breaths and shook her head.
"No…but…how…Why would he…"
If he can create any form of doubt in your mind, he's already won. Don't let him win. Know that whatever he says, it can't hurt you. Be strong!" Krystal said as she hit buttons on her wrist again. Once again, Zelda felt replenished and the two were ready to restart. "Ready?"
"Yes." The princess said with more determination that she had previously. As the lights turned out, Zelda tried to listen, but her mind was scattered as she felt a shot to the side of her head.
"Stop thinking, Zelda. Focus on the match! Ignore all other sounds and try to focus on your opponent." Krystal instructed. Zelda took a deep breath and it seemed like everything slowed down. She closed her eyes and tried to listen for her opponent. This time, she could hear footsteps. Though they were much louder than how Krystal usually walks which Zelda immediately thought that was her attempt to sound like Gannondorf.
"You're a pathetic whore." The voice said but this time, Zelda didn't take it to heart. She could sense that She was right behind her as she took a step to the left.
"Good. Keep going." Krystal encouraged the princess as she moved again. "A helpless child who will always need saving…did you really think you could beat me."
"Yes." Zelda replied as she sensed Krystal to her left. Zelda took a step back and heard a soft grunt and she just missed Krystal's glove.
"Your mother would be ashamed of you." Zelda's temper flared, but this time, she knew exactly where Krystal was and attacked.
"My mother would be proud of what I have accomplished. I am not going to let you ruin her reputation or diminish my accomplishments." She stated as she casted a spell which knocked Krystal back a step and then, the princess charged.
"Don't you ever talk about my mother again, you worthless animal. You are beneath me! You will bow down to me, you filthy swine!" She yelled as she punched a few times and knocked Krystal down as she collapsed and the lights turned on.
"That…" Krystal said as she groaned while trying to sit up. "…was perfect. If you bring that to the match, Gannon won't know what hit him. Want to go again?" She asked as Zelda nodded. "This time, let's make it a bit harder…" Krystal suggested as she input some other variables such as roaring crowds, music and other distractions that might complicate her concentration. Soon, the two girls had spent nearly the whole day training.
"I…I should…really…get some…sleep." Zelda huffed and puffed between the words. Krystal was breathing a bit heavy too.
"Yeah. Let me shower quick and I'll bring you back." She said as she went into her room on the Great Fox. Zelda sat in a chair and, with a smile on her face, felt prepared for tomorrow. And yet, there was a nagging in the back of her mind that couldn't help but think of Samus.
'I should have seen the signs. I should've known.' Zelda thought to herself as her smile quickly faded. 'She's getting sicker by the hour and she might die. This is your fault. This is all your-'
"You really need to stop thinking like that." Krystal said as Zelda's head jerked up and looked at her. She tried coming up with some kind of excuse, but couldn't think of any. "I know you're scared, but there wasn't anything you could have done. It's happened and Samus will be fine. If you are not focused on your match, it'll be over before it even begins. Focus on the match and not on Samus. Please?" Krystal asked the princess.
"I will try." Zelda reluctantly agreed. She stood up and the two girls flew back to the castle and said their goodbyes. Zelda walked into her room and she noticed how big it was…and how small she felt without her bounty hunter. Feeling nervous, Zelda decided to turn on the radio in hopes that some music would calm her down.
I feel so untouched and I want you so much that I just can't resist you. It's not enough to say that I miss you…
Zelda quickly changed the station. Her mind began thinking of Samus and she didn't want to think about her. All that brought at the moment was sadness.
I would do anything for love. Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that…
Again, Zelda quickly changed the station. She began thinking of her blonde girlfriend.
"Stop it, Zelda." She quietly whispered to herself as the next song began to play. She then shook her head and went to turn it off.
I can't get to sleep. I think about the implications…
Zelda stopped. She was listening to the words and for some reason, she felt like she needed to hear this.
…Of diving in too deep and possibly the complications.
Zelda pulled her hand back and began listening to the song.
Especially at night, I worry over situations…
Zelda looked at the window, which showed the night sky and only one thought came to her mind.
"…S-S-Samus?" She asked with a bit of worry in her voice.
…I know will be alright. Perhaps it's just imagination. Day after day, it reappears. Night after night, my heartbeat shows the fear. Ghosts appear and fade away.
Zelda was now convinced that Samus was trying to tell her something. Thoughts of Samus began crawling into her mind and she pulled her blanket around herself a bit tighter.
"Samus, I miss you so much…" Zelda quietly began crying with the absence of her bounty hunter. "You're supposed to protect me and I can't even go one day without you."
Alone between the sheets, only brings exasperation…
Listening to the words now almost seemed to be affecting her psychologically. In Zelda's mind, this had to be Samus; there was no doubt.
It's time to walk the streets, smell the desperation. At least there's pretty lights and though there's variation, it nullifies the night from overkill..
Zelda quickly turned off the radio and sat there quietly weeping. After a few minutes of quietly weeping, Zelda spoke up.
"I can do this. Samus isn't dead. She's not dying. Pull yourself together." Zelda said as she wiped away her tears and took a few deep breaths…but Zelda just continued to cry.
"I can't wake up. This is a nightmare that I can't wake up from." Zelda sniffled as she walked to her bathroom and splashed cool water on her face. She looked in the mirror and saw her watery red eyes from all the crying she did and in that moment, something changed.
"No. You are better than this. You stop this right now." Zelda said to her own reflection. "Use this emotion tomorrow. Channel it and own the match. You are a winner, not a loser. Tomorrow, Zelda from Hyrule will emerge victorious and no one will stand in your way." Zelda seemed to catch a second wind. Although she looked like she was going to break down again, she seemed to have collected herself in the moment. She went to her bed and closed her eyes. No matter what happens, she needed to give it her all. Tomorrow was going to be tough for the princess.