sweet dream? or a beautiful nightmare?
Zelda didn't know what to feel. Anger? Sadness? Confusion? A mixture of all three? From what she knew about Link, his life was far from easy. The stress she was experiencing from trying to figure out how to deal with the loss of her scholarship was overwhelming – and her family was in a much better financial state than his was. She felt a searing sensation in her chest; it was agonizing. She hadn't realized just how important he had become to her, until she'd lost him.
The worst part was that she didn't get a proper goodbye…
If she had known that night was going to be the last time she saw him, she would have treated it much differently.
It was Monday, and classes were up again. With no 'chu-ty,' as Lana called it, Zelda had plenty of time to focus on the final stretch of the semester.
Less than a month, and they would be on summer break. But with the dean keeping a watchful eye over her and her friends, the loss of her scholarship and now Link's sudden departure, the atmosphere was dreary. In regards to her academics, Zelda excelled as usual. But now she felt empty.
The 'one good thing' about Link leaving, according to Shad and Pipit – who tried desperately to cheer her up about the situation – was that he had 'relinquished all of his rights' to his bedroom, which meant it was now hers.
Perhaps if they had still been in the premature stages of their relationship this would have been exciting to Zelda, but instead it bummed her out. She couldn't stand being in the room because it reminded her too much of him, and the fact that he was gone. So, she decided she'd stick with the couch, even though it wasn't nearly as comfortable.
"Hey Zelda." Shad said, breaking Zelda out of her reverie. She had been sitting on the couch staring into space. "Ashei texted me and asked if you were going to meet up with her and Lana at the café downtown."
"When?" She asked, clearly disinterested.
"In 20 minutes? I can drive you down there if you want."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever." She waved him off. "I'll go get ready…"
She walked over to Link's – her – room to get dressed. Then she paused.
"Wait a minute… since when do you have Ashei's number?" She asked curiously.
"Uh…" He blushed thinking back to the few days they spent hanging out. "Don't you have to go get dressed?"
After Zelda got herself ready and Shad took her to the café, she spotted Ashei and Lana already waiting for her at a table outside. Ashei had a large grin on her face, but Lana looked dejected, just like she was.
Ashei felt great, eager to catch up with her friends now that the break was over, and more excited to tell them about the later half of her spring break. Even though it had a rough start, being able to hang out with Shad had been incredible. The days they spent together were simple yet fun, adventurous, and a little flirtatious. She learned a lot about him in that small window of time, and she was happy to be able to talk about it with some girlfriends, something the tomboyish girl was not used to.
When she noted the sad looks on their faces however, she realized their spring break must not have been as thrilling as hers was.
"Why the long faces?" She asked once Zelda sat herself down.
Zelda said nothing, keeping her eyes fixed on the pavement. She didn't know where to start. Her scholarship? Link leaving? It was too much to handle. A part of her wanted to let it all out, but another part of her didn't want to talk about it at all.
"You guys were right…" Lana finally said, sniffling.
Zelda looked over to Lana, feeling a pang of sadness at the devastated emotions she displayed.
"She used me. Nabooru used me. I ran into her on campus a few days ago and she admitted to it. That she's helping me. And… and everything she said to me, it was all a lie…"
Ashei placed a hand atop hers, stroking it gently.
"Lana, I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. I should have listened. I'm… I'm angry with myself."
"Why? You didn't do anything wrong."
"I trusted her. I chose to believe her even when all the signs said I shouldn't have. And worst of all… even now that I know the truth, I still care about her. I should despise her, and want nothing to do with her… But I still miss her." Lana gritted her teeth, at war with her emotions.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up over that." Ashei said, "Love is a complicated thing."
"I guess." Lana pouted.
They both looked to Zelda, who had been quiet about the whole ordeal.
"Zelda? What's on your mind?" Ashei asked, scooting closer to her. "Since you guys are clearly upset, why don't we just turn this into a vent session?"
"I lost my scholarship. And the rupees that were my college savings were spent on renovations at our house. So… things aren't fantastic."
"That's awful!" Ashei said.
"With tuition prices increasing next year, are you going to be able to afford it?" Lana asked.
"I don't know. According to the financial aid office it's because my parents make too much rupees, so I don't need the aid. But we all know the real reason." She said, eyes narrowed.
"This man will stop at nothing." Ashei sighed, "I'm still being eyed by security. That's why I wanted to meet here instead of on campus."
"I wonder what he'll do to me." Lana thought.
"He probably got to Link too." Zelda said, her heart sinking as she said his name. "It… might have been his breaking point… and another reason why he decided to leave."
Ashei noticed how sad she was.
"Oh, Zelda. I had a feeling you'd be upset about that too. But I'm glad he finally told you."
"The thing is, he didn't. I had to find out from Pipit, just two nights ago." Zelda felt herself get upset, "I'm trying to be understanding. I don't want to hold any resentment. But how the hell could he keep something like that from me? After everything we've been through? We tell each other everything. Everything! And he couldn't tell me this?" She laid her head down on the table.
"Zelda…" Ashei said sympathetically.
Lana just watched silently, still in her own feelings about Nabooru.
"It sucks. Why did he have to leave now? When we need him most? When I finally started thinking about… about…"
"About what?" Ashei asked.
"…How I feel about him." She said.
"Huh?"
Even Lana put aside her grievances and leaned in to listen.
"How DO you feel about him?" She asked.
"I… I think that maybe you guys are right. I'm not saying I'm in love with him or even have a crush or anything like that… But I think that I might be… attracted to him."
Zelda expected both of their jaws to drop, but they both stared at her blankly.
"What? Are we supposed to act surprised or something?" Lana asked.
"Well, yeah. I thought this would be… groundbreaking or something. I mean, I didn't really feel this way two weeks ago."
"So you're attracted to him." Ashei repeated for confirmation.
"Maybe? I don't know… It's only physical. Nothing beyond that. He's my friend. And… I find him good looking."
"There isn't more to it than just looks?"
"I haven't thought about it." Zelda said, rubbing her arm. "I should be more upset about my scholarship, but before I found out about it I was still thinking about him… and now that he's gone the thoughts have increased tenfold… and I… Ugh!" She groaned.
"…I am the WORST girlfriend in the world." She concluded, overwhelmed with guilt at the forbidden feelings she was experiencing.
"No you aren't." Ashei reassured her.
"Eh…" Lana swished her head side to side, "You kind of are."
"Lana!" Ashei scolded her.
Zelda slumped down in her seat, feeling worse about herself.
"What? SHE said it, not me. I'm simply agreeing with her." Lana said defensively.
"Still, you could be a little more sensitive about the matter."
"No, no." Zelda said, "She's right. I'm horrible."
"Zelda, these feelings are natural. Like I said before, it's how you handle them that matters." Ashei said.
"I'm personally not in a mood to spare feelings right now." Lana said, looking at Zelda pointedly, "Since you clearly need the reminder Zelda: YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND. And the way I see it, if you're seriously starting to have feelings… or as you like to call them, attractions, towards Link, then you have to choose between one of two options that can remedy this issue. Either break up with Pipit, or forget about Link."
"Woah. Those both seem a bit extreme." Zelda said reluctantly.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Lana shrugged.
"For the record, I do not agree with EITHER of those options. Feelings don't work that way." Ashei disapproved.
"Maybe not, but it's still wrong. Look, Zelda. You've got something good. A boyfriend who's devoted to you, and thinks that everything between you guys is okay. Therefore, you have to make it okay. Even if it isn't."
"Uh…" Zelda was skeptical about the line of logic.
"What? Aren't you happy with him?"
"Yeah, of course. He's great. Things are… fun." Zelda didn't know what else to say about it.
"Is being happy enough for you?" Ashei asked.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"
"It just isn't a good idea to settle. That's all." She said.
"I'm not settling."
"You better not be!" Lana pointed. "I'm serious about this."
"I don't want to break up with Pipit." Zelda said.
"Good. Then forget about Link." Lana replied in a bossy fashion, as if it were an order rather than a piece of advice.
"But I can't just forget about him!"
"Then break up with Pipit."
"No!" Zelda exclaimed.
"Zelda, like I said before, you have it good. Okay? I get that you can't control how you feel, but in this scenario someone is bound to get hurt. Which means you have to do damage control. It isn't fair to Pipit to be left in the dark when you're having these kinds of feelings for Link. I stand by my initial statement. If you can't just forget about Link, then you need to break up with Pipit. Because even if breaking up is shitty, it's even worse to lead someone on and give them hope that everything between you two will work out when there's someone else that you have feelings for and a complicated history with." Lana was thinking of Nabooru and Ganondorf when she said this, but surprisingly it applied to Zelda's situation too.
Zelda nodded, hearing truth in Lana's words. Even Ashei couldn't deny that she had a point, though she didn't agree.
"If you ask me," Lana continued, "The choice is clear."
Zelda blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Link isn't even here anymore! He's off in Ordon, riding horses and bathing in mud or… whatever Ordonians do. He didn't tell you he would leave. Nothing is gonna happen on that front. But you have Pipit, your devoted boyfriend, who DIDN'T leave you behind and is acting as a support system to you!"
Zelda thought about her words.
"I say forget about Link. You've already got a man! And he's great."
Ashei studied Zelda's face. Lana didn't see it, but Ashei could tell Zelda wasn't happy with the choices she had been provided.
"Lana, can I have a moment alone with Zelda?" Ashei asked.
Lana shrugged, then got up and walked off to the plaza.
Once she was gone, Ashei looked back at Zelda.
"So THAT is a load of bull, first and foremost."
"What do you think I should do then?"
"At the risk of sounding cliché? I say follow your heart. Like you said before, you don't want to break up. But, you also don't want to forget. I know this was sudden. The first step to moving past this is getting closure."
"How do I do that?" Zelda asked helplessly.
"Tell Link how you feel."
"Um…?"
"You need to be open about this, and not just with us."
"How would I even do that?" She asked.
"Write to him?"
"I'm not sure I could fit everything I need to say in one letter."
"Then go to him." Ashei smiled.
"Go to him?"
"Yeah! Ordon is still a secluded village, but there are routes to get there. The first step is the rural crossroads. Tickets there are pretty cheap."
The rural crossroads was the spot to go to for anyone interested in exploring the more… 'unindustrialized' areas of Hyrule. Ordon, Kokiri, Lon Lon Ranch, the various stables, the infamous Lost Woods… All sorts of merchants came to the crossroad to sell things that couldn't be found in urban cities, and to help prospective tourists get to certain destinations. Zelda was familiar with it since she used the same route to get to Lon Lon Ranch.
"Oh, I know all about the rural crossroads." She said. "But… you really think I should just pop up and see him?"
"Why not? The semester is almost over. We just got back from spring break, but summer is just around the corner. If you don't want to write to him, and you can't call him or text, then just see him in person. It could be beneficial to both of you."
"What about Pipit?" She asked.
Ashei didn't know what to say.
"…I won't tell you definitively what you should or shouldn't do, Zelda. I'm just saying that it's a choice."
"How would I even find him?"
"It's small. SUPER small. You'd be able to find him instantly."
"Hm…" Zelda considered it. It wasn't the worst idea.
"All I'm saying is that if Lana's advice doesn't appeal to you, then you should consider it."
Zelda smiled appreciatively.
"Thank you Ash…" She trailed off when she heard a scream.
"OH MY GODDESSES! NO WAY!" Lana shrieked.
Zelda and Ashei jumped at the sound of her voice, turning to see Lana crouched over, talking to who appeared to be… a tiny man in a skin tight bodysuit?
"What…" Ashei stood up slowly, noting the attention she was getting from passersby.
"Should we be worried?" Zelda asked, biting her lip to hold back a laugh when Lana picked him up from the ground and started spinning him around.
"Uh… Maybe? Lana! Please put that man down!" Ashei said with a grimace.
»°«
Of all the situations she could find herself in, Zelda didn't picture her first school day back in Castle Town to be spent in a dark alleyway with a middle-aged man she didn't even know.
After managing to pull Lana away from him, they all sat down properly to talk to him.
Tingle bounced up and down excitedly, in front of a tiny fire with blue flames that matched Lana's hair.
"It's time! It's time! It's time!" He chanted.
"Can we trust this guy?" Zelda whispered to Ashei.
"I have no idea. But he's only three feet tall and Lana was able to swing him around like a baseball bat, so I'm sure I could take him on if he tries anything." Ashei balled her fists up.
Zelda giggled.
"This is urgent, Tingle. Our school is at risk. These people are hurting my friends. We have to stop them! Please, where is the 'House of Thieves'?"
"Yes… The House of Thieves…" He murmured, rubbing his hands together.
Lana pulled her phone out, pressing a few buttons and hitting a record button. Then, she pulled out her notepad and a pen.
"Why are you recording this?" Ashei asked, puzzled.
"Why aren't you?" She shot back. "This is important stuff! Now hush!"
They all watched Tingle jump and hop around, making weird movements like some sort of ballerina.
"The House of Thieves…"
"What can you tell us?" Ashei asked impatiently.
"It goes back… To the creation of Hyrule." He said, taking on a sagely voice.
Zelda and Ashei stared at him, weirded out by the shift in tone, while Lana adjusted her phone to make sure she was recording everything, and scribbled furiously in her notepad.
"The three goddesses… In their primal forms ROOTED to the earth…" He began dramatically, "And the wonderful Hyrule was born. People appeared and filled the land. It was a place where all could learn and flourish… But from a distance, the sands blew in. Many didn't notice it, but they too rooted to our earth."
Zelda squinted.
"Isn't Hyrule collectively the land we live on? Wouldn't the sands… technically be a part of Hyrule too?"
"It's a metaphor!" Lana hissed as she wrote down some more notes. "Now shut it!"
Tingle spun around, throwing his hands up as he continued his tale.
"They wanted to prosper too. They wanted the courage… The wisdom… The power. And what better place to attain that, than the center of the goddesses?"
"The center of the goddesses? Like… the center of each of them? Or a single point between all of them?" Lana asked.
"…The second one." Tingle answered, too lazy to come up with a witty answer. "That is where you will find the House of Thieves. And everything you need to undo their evil deeds!"
"So… what the hell does all of that mean?" Zelda asked.
"I just told you…" Tingle said, pouting. "Do you need me to repeat myself?"
"No, like, can you tell us where we need to go? Like, ACTUALLY tell us." Ashei said.
"I did." He insisted.
"Thank you, Tingle. This was very helpful." Lana said, stopping the recording and closing her notepad. "We can figure the rest out. We HAVE to. They must go down for what they did, at all costs."
Zelda crossed her arms.
"Do we really have time for riddles?"
"Hmph. I bet we can get him to give us an ACTUAL answer." Ashei said, cracking her firsts.
"Maybe we should kidnap him and force him to tell us." Zelda proposed.
"Hey! I heard that! No way in hell are we doing that!" Lana snapped at her.
"Fine. I'll hold him upside down. Zelda, you'll tickle him." Ashei recommended.
Zelda laughed and they both stood up.
"NO!" Lana stood in front of Tingle defensively. "This man is our lead! Tingle, where will I be able to find you again if I have more questions?"
"Don't worry Lana… I'll be there for you in your darkest hour." He said, then he let out a scream, and sprinted away from them, leaving behind the fire he had created.
"What a waste of time." Zelda glared.
"Yeah, I don't know how any of that is going to help. But for now we should think of a different way of getting to them. I think I know something that could help, actually." Ashei said. She turned to Zelda. "When we were at the gala, you and Link got to talk to some of the guests. Maybe we could present the whole story to them and get them to take a stand against Mr. Dragmire!"
Zelda considered it, then shook her head.
"Hilda and Ravio were a bust, remember? We were exposed immediately as frauds. They wouldn't trust us."
"Damn…" Ashei cursed.
"But…" Zelda perked up. "I think my dad knows some people in Zora's Domain. He mentioned the chieftain's plans of reviving Naboris. Maybe we could go to him?"
"No way." Lana said, "We can't get our parents involved. We need to keep this as small as possible. I think we should try to crack this code. If we focus on it, we can figure it out!"
"Fine. We'll try to find this 'House of Thieves.'" Ashei said.
»°«
"Oh my goddesses… Really?!" Karane asked, surprised.
"It's true." Strich said happily. "Groose called me and Cawlin in last night. Told us we were going to cease and desist!"
"After I made amends with Ganondorf, he agreed to take care of it." Nabooru smiled.
"How did he do it?" Karane asked.
"I have no idea…" She answered honestly, "But look at this."
Ganondorf had shown Nabooru a copy of Groose's withdrawal request.
"He dropped out." She said, "He isn't a suspect for the jelly anymore. And his records are being wiped from our database."
"Is there a chance he could come back?"
Nabooru shook her head confidently.
"No way."
Karane didn't look entirely convinced.
"Groose isn't coming back. Ganondorf will make sure of it. And if not, he'll have to answer to me." Nabooru said, a fierce expression on her face.
"Oh yeah? What will his punishment be? No sex for a month?" Pipit asked. Karane jammed an elbow into his gut. "Ouch!"
"Thank you, Nabooru. I know we haven't seen eye to eye, but this means a lot to me." Karane smiled, "I don't want to be picky about how it's been done, I just don't want me or anyone else to get hurt by him ever again."
"Ganondorf didn't give me the specifics about whether or not he dropped because he got into legal trouble… But it's something I can try to figure out. I'll let you know."
Karane lept into her arms, surprising Nabooru.
"O-Oh!" She stammered, laughing lightly. She accepted the hug graciously.
Karane pulled back and gave Pipit a big hug too before scampering off. Strich smiled politely and walked off in the other direction to avoid being seen with Karane in front of campus security.
Nabooru watched both of them as they drifted away, her golden eyes then falling on Pipit. She stared at him cautiously, as if waiting for him to make a snide remark, but it looked like he didn't know what to say.
"I know you still hate me and think I'm just a dumb whore. I'm okay with that. I wanted to do something nice. The environment here can be kind of toxic, and I'm about to graduate. I figured… I should do that much for her at least."
Pipit nodded, feeling guilty.
"You did more for her in this past month than I could in over 3 years. I think I've been a bit harsh. For that I'm sorry."
Nabooru smiled, stepping a bit closer to him.
"I never paid it much mind before, but now I see it clear as day. You two have some serious chemistry. It's a shame you didn't work out."
"I guess." Pipit shrugged, not wanting to seem at all bothered by it, especially in front of someone like Nabooru. "But I moved on. That's just how life goes sometimes."
Nabooru nodded.
"If you say so. I've gotta go." She bid him a farewell, walking away.
Pipit thought about it. His break up with Karane was thanks to misunderstandings and sabotage at the hands of Groose. It was not because he actually fell out of love with her. If that had been the case, would he miss her less? Because he thought of her a lot and wished things could have been different. But if things had been different, he wouldn't be with Zelda.
Is it right for me to think that way? He asked himself worriedly.
Meanwhile, Nabooru went to Ganondorf's office to ask him more about Groose's situation. She was astonished to see him counting a considerable amount of silver rupees.
"…Ganondorf?" She asked.
He flinched when he saw her.
"Goddesses, you scared me. What are you doing here?" He asked, putting the rupees away into a large bag.
"Where did you get that?" She asked curiously.
"Naboris Donation. From Kafei and Anju. I'm having it sent to Riju." He fibbed.
"Okay." She accepted his explanation thoughtlessly, "I talked to Karane. She's relieved that Groose isn't here anymore. But what exactly is happening with him?"
Ganondorf didn't give her a direct answer.
"All that matters is that he won't be here anymore. We have other problems to worry about right now, Nabooru. I need to make sure all of our students aren't sticking their noses into business they shouldn't be."
"What? You mean Link and his cronies?"
"Precisely."
"Oh…"
"I want to make sure nobody gets in our way. Ashei will need to be mindful of her behavior on campus now that eyes are on her, Link and I were able to come to an agreement that helps us both, and Zelda will have to work harder to keep her place at this school."
"Don't you think you're being a little harsh with this?" Nabooru asked him.
"No. I see all of this as a big lesson. And an incomplete one at that. Now, I know you like her so I haven't done anything, but I will need to figure out how to deal with Lana too."
Nabooru's lip quivered, and he could tell she was concerned at what he had in mind.
"Nabooru, not all of this is necessarily bad. And it certainly doesn't need to be handled that way."
She thought about her ex-friend, and all the ways to approach her about the ordeal. What would Lana care about more than her friends? What would sway her to be quiet?
"If that's the case, then I have an idea for what you could say to her…" Nabooru walked over and bent down to whisper her plan to Ganondorf.
He interlaced his fingers together, bobbing his head in agreement with her suggestion.
"Interesting." He mused.
»°«
After taking time to reflect, Zelda now knew what she had to do.
Forget about him. She told herself sternly. This was the most intense part of the year, and it wouldn't do Zelda any good to let Link be another worry that constantly hung over her head wherever she went. He made his choice, and she couldn't control it or change it. All she could do was continue to focus on herself and make it through her first year of college. So, she made that her priority.
She waltzed into the apartment after hanging out with Ashei and smiled when her eyes rested on Shad and Pipit laughing and joking around. They sat comfortably on the couch watching TV and eating some snacks.
"Hey princess, wanna join us?" Pipit asked, smiling kindly at his girlfriend. He patted a seat next to him. "C'mon."
She shook her head politely, but strode to Pipit, grabbed him by the collar, and gave him a passionate kiss. She was going to do everything she could possibly do to make this work, because Lana was right. What good would it do for her to lead Pipit on and make him think everything was okay? She was going to make it okay. All of it.
"What was that for?" He asked, grinning. "Not that I minded…"
"I'm just happy." She shrugged. "And I want to put my all into this."
Shad pursed his lips.
"Uh… should I leave?"
"No, stay." She commanded, "I'm going to bed early. I want to make sure my REM cycles are in good condition for finals week!"
They both watched her walk off to Link's room confidently. It had been a few days since they got back, but she had refused to sleep in there when they got back after break & she learned that he was gone.
"You're not sleeping on the couch?" Pipit asked.
"Nope!" Zelda replied, then she closed the door, turning to stare at Link's old bed, and gazing around at the room in its entirety. She looked at the empty picture frames that once held pictures of his family, she looked at his drawers – which were now filled with her clothes. Zelda took a deep breath. This was easier said than done. She felt the memories she had forced herself to repress trying to force their way back up.
Forget. She reminded herself. Forget.
She changed into her nightgown, then slipped underneath the covers – his covers – that reeked of his scent. With a heavy sigh, she sunk into the mattress and let herself fall asleep.
…But in the dark of night Zelda woke back up. She didn't move or get out of bed.
Damn it. I was doing so well… she thought to herself. This was the first time she had actually been able to fall asleep in his bed. In her other failed attempts, she only managed to lay down for around 30 minutes or so, tossing and turning until she got back up to go back to the living room. Was it because she missed him THAT much? Or was it because she had simply become accustomed to the dynamic of the apartment and this felt wrong?
Zelda thought about it some more, and right as she was about to step out of bed, she heard the doorknob rattle. She jumped a little, watching carefully as the door slowly opened and a familiar silhouette stepped into the doorway. She assumed it was her boyfriend Pipit, sneaking out of his own room to spend the night with her. It was the most plausible explanation, and it would be permissible for them to sleep in the same bed together. After all, who could stop them?
"Come on in, babe." She beckoned him over encouragingly. Maybe cuddling with Pipit would help make this easier? After all, like she reminded herself a million times before, she was trying to forget about Link.
"I would love to, but I don't think your boyfriend would be very happy with that." The voice responded sardonically.
She nearly jumped out of her skin. The voice was teasing, a bit dry… and definitely not Pipit.
That's when he decided to flick the light switch on.
It was Link.
He leaned on the doorway, his hands in his pockets, his hair tousled and a tiny smirk on his face.
Zelda stared at him, awestruck. He walked inside, closing the door behind him.
"Link? You came back?"
"Guess I did."
"But… why?"
He shrugged, but she could tell from the look in his eyes that he had something up his sleeve.
"I figured we both needed some answers."
That much was true. But Zelda was too in shock about his sudden return to process all of the questions she had. She started off with the basics, rather than trying to hit the heavy stuff – like all of the reasons he left in the first place.
"I mean… yeah. It's great that you're back, but why are you here so late? And where are your things? And do you want your room back? And – "
"Not those kinds of answers." He put his hands up, cutting her off.
"But…"
"Actually, I'm here to get clarification on something else." He said, walking closer till he stood at the foot of (her? his?) bed.
"On what?"
"A little birdie told me that you're attracted to me."
Zelda flinched.
"Huh? Who? Who told you that?"
"A little birdie."
"HOW did they tell you that? I thought you guys didn't have any means of communication in your village…"
"I live in Ordon, not the middle of nowhere." He rolled his eyes.
-Why did that remark make Zelda's heart skip a beat? Had she been so deprived of him that the simplest of actions and mannerisms could captivate her so easily?
"I only told two people about this Link. Which narrows things down considerably." She said defiantly.
"I – "
"Was it Lana? It was Lana, wasn't it? She has such a big mouth."
"It doesn't matter." He said impatiently, sitting himself down on the bed, right beside her. "I just wanna know if it's true."
Zelda felt like she was about to spontaneously combust. She stole a glance at his face, then her eyes trailed over his body. He looked so damn good, and he was clearly teasing her. She wondered if something was going to happen.
"…Yeah. It's true." She swiped the covers off of her body, once again mentally hitting herself in the head for wearing such a revealing nightgown. She felt underdressed.
Maybe I should get new pajamas. She thought to herself. Nonetheless, she stood up and got out of the bed, trying to put a little distance between them.
"It doesn't mean anything though! It's just a physical inclination. I was never going to tell you about it, or even act on it." She tried her best to explain herself. Her boyfriend was in the room adjacent to hers after all!
Link stared at her for the longest time. He said nothing but she noted the disappointment in his expression. He confirmed this feeling with his next words.
"That's a shame…" He murmured. "…Because I'm attracted to you too."
Zelda froze, practically hypnotized as she watched him stand up and walk over, making another attempt to stand closer to her again. It wasn't until he reached out and brushed his fingers underneath her chin that she shook her head and stepped away.
"No… No… What?"
He smiled demurely.
"Do you want me to say it again?"
"No! If anything, you need to unsay it. I can't betray Pipit like this…"
"I doubt he'll care." Link scoffed.
Zelda crossed her arms, eyeing Link in disbelief.
"Why wouldn't he? I'm his girlfriend! And YOU are his best friend!"
Link shrugged.
"It's a good thing none of this is real then."
"What?" She gasped. She turned around and touched the bedroom walls. They were solid. She skimmed her hands across the drawers, then went back to Link and poked his cheek. None of it seemed 'fake.' Everything checked out. But then she went and opened the door that led to the living room. It was pitch black, with no hint of the furniture or even Pipit and Shad's room that was on the other side. The moonlight didn't peek in through the windows – in fact there were no windows. It was as if everything beyond her room was completely void, an area of nothingness.
"I'm dreaming…" She realized. When she turned back around, Link was sitting on the bed again, waiting patiently for her to come back to him. She walked over and sat down. "That means you aren't really here."
"No. Not really."
Her shoulders slumped. Despite not liking the conversation they had, realizing he wasn't really here was far worse.
"I may not be here when you wake up, but I'm here right now." He placed an arm around her shoulder, and she sunk into his chest, not even paying any mind when his hand slipped down to her waist. It felt natural. She reached down and grabbed his hand, threading their fingers together. His skin was warm, his body felt solid, she could even feel the individual strands of his hair tickle her cheek. All of it was so vivid.
"You feel real." She mumbled.
He didn't respond, holding her silently.
"…and I miss you." She lamented.
At this he moved beneath her, huffing in skepticism.
"Then why are you trying to forget about me?"
"I don't have any other choice!" She felt defensive. "You left! And I have too much on my plate to let it bother me."
"But it IS bothering you."
"Well it shouldn't. I shouldn't feel this way." She said, "And I shouldn't be dreaming of you."
"Yet here we are." She felt him smiling.
"Don't tell me you're enjoying this."
"Aren't you? This is YOUR dream, princess." He reminded her.
She pulled away from him.
"I think I've lost my mind."
He chuckled.
"If you want it to end, all you have to do is open your eyes."
That much was true. But what she wondered now was whether or not she wanted to wake up.
"And I feel obligated to add," He spoke up, "If this is just a dream… Would it be bad if we kissed right now?"
Now she was certain she was losing her mind.
"I – you – I – wha - !" She became a blubbering fool.
"I'm just saying. You know you want to. And I had to put it out there."
"I do NOT want to."
"You do."
"No I don't!"
He cupped her face with both of his hands, leaning in close.
"You do." He said again, and for a moment Zelda forgot how to breathe.
"I can't kiss you!" She insisted.
"See? You said that you can't kiss me, not that you don't want to."
"Link, I have a boyfriend."
"Not here. Beyond that door is nothing. You saw it yourself. Right now princess, it's just you and me."
His hands were still pressed to her cheeks, holding her so that her lips slightly puckered. He was close. Dangerously close. But before he even tried to move again, he asked her:
"Do you want this, Zelda? Do you want it? Because if you don't, then say so, and I'll stop right now."
Zelda didn't know what to say.
She didn't know if she wanted it or not, just that she knew it was wrong. But part of her was also curious. None of this would transfer over to the real world, and at worst the crime would be that she had a suggestive dream about someone other than her boyfriend. And even then, that would be something that only she would know.
He watched her for what felt like an eternity, and she remained silent, not uttering a word to him at all.
As he leaned in again, she wondered what it would be like if this were reality.
After all, this wasn't actually Link, but rather an extension of her imagination, a version of him conjured up by her own mind that was so desperate to hold onto him. He knew everything she knew, and thus was limited to her perspective. And perhaps, he reflected the emotions she had bottled up inside of her.
Her imagination could only go so far.
One thing she was certain of? Even if it was just a dream, the shameful feeling would remain and gnaw at her. She couldn't let this fester, or let the feeling potentially grow. She had to squash it. Link said it himself – there was one way to make all of this end, if that was what she desired.
So as Link's lips brushed against Zelda's, soft and fleeting, as the dream began to dissipate and become one with the void, she closed her eyes…
…And then opened them.
Zelda shot up, sitting upright as soon as she woke up that morning. She was impressed to see orange rays of light outside, but saddened when she remembered that Link was gone.
"I am never sleeping here again." She concluded, getting out of bed and trudging into the living room. Due the nature of her dream, she had the urge to see Link, but more so out of the desire to understand his situation, rather than the desire for… anything else.
Ashei was right. She thought, Closure is what I need. Maybe the first step to forgetting… is remembering.
She sat down on the couch and opened up her laptop, first checking her bank account then moving on to scour the internet for tickets that would take her to the rural crossroads. She filled in her credit card information, set a date, and – after a split second of hesitation – clicked purchase.
The door to the other bedroom of the apartment opened, and a groggy Shad walked out, heading to the kitchen like a lifeless zombie. He heard typing and saw Zelda awake and on her laptop.
"Morning Zelda. I'm surprised you're up this early. Did you sleep well?" He asked, yawning midsentence.
"Yep… Slept great." She responded, checking her email for a print-out copy of her ticket.
Shad wandered over and tried to sneak a peek at her laptop from behind.
"The rural crossroads?" He asked.
Zelda jumped, closing the tab quickly.
"Why are you going out there?"
"That's how I get to my best friend's ranch. I'm going there for the first few days of summer vacation." Zelda lied.
"Oh, cool." Shad nodded, easily recalling Malon. "That sounds fun. Pipit and I used to stop there too when we wanted to visit Link, before he moved to Castle Town." He thought back on the memories fondly.
Zelda smiled innocently, keeping her best poker face on as to not let on where she was REALLY planning to go.
"Want some coffee?" He asked, turning back to the kitchen.
"Sure!" She said gleefully, tapping her fingers gently across her keyboard. She reopened the tab where she had purchased her ticket, and read through the details carefully. She felt her heart beating like a drum, excited and scared for what could potentially happen.
This was her ticket to Ordon. Her ticket to Link.
A/N: All I can say is… brace yourselves. Because shit's about to go down. As always, I appreciate the kind words, the patience, and the general love from all of you. It encourages me to do my best. Your reactions are hilarious and I live for them. Thank you for being so awesome. I really don't deserve you guys at all. (Like… seriously.)
And yes, Link went back home, but keep in mind that the HU students only have a month of school left, and as you can see Zelda isn't going to let Link get away that easily. There is hope for these two yet!
Have any of you guys played Cadence of Hyrule by the way? I'm in love with it. (((: Next chapter will be up soon!