zelda's (rude) awakening

Hours before their first kiss…

There was nothing better. Talking, vibing, joking around, exchanging inside jokes about all the crazy things they had done together.

Zelda and Link sat across from each other in his bedroom, playing board games. They were head to head in the middle of an intense match. Link had more experience in the game but he couldn't underestimate Zelda, because she knew how to adapt quickly.

There was lots of laughter between them. It felt comforting. Like the best parts of their time together in Castle Town, where they could hang out and not worry about anything else. But it was also bittersweet, because it made the eventual goodbye all the more painful.

"Link?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah?" He asked, rolling the dice. "I hope you aren't trying to distract me."

"When are we going to see each other again?" She asked sadly.

He stopped rolling, the smile and lighthearted mood momentarily going out the window. He put the dice down and looked at her.

"Tomorrow I go back to Lake Hylia. You're going to Kakariko. What about the day after that? The week after that? The month? What about when classes start up again?"

"I don't know if I'm coming back to HU, princess. I know I'm almost done, but – "

" – I'm not asking you to come back to HU. I'm asking you to come back to me." Zelda emphasized, pointing at herself.

Link gave her that look, that look that she should have known meant something important.

"I mean… us. All of us. Your friends. Collectively." She corrected herself.

Link smiled, laughing to himself lightly.

"I always planned on coming back to Castle Town at the very least. But first, I need to look after my family."

Zelda nodded respectfully.

"But…" He gave her an earnest look, "When I'm done here, I will come back to you." He said.

Zelda bit her lip.

"You will?"

"To everyone. All of our friends. Collectively." He mocked her. "Mr. Dragmire hit me where it hurt. But that doesn't mean I'll let him get away with any of it. And when I come back, we'll take him down together. I promise."

…

I wonder if he'll keep that promise… Zelda thought to herself, pulled out of the memory at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Zelda!" Zelda's mom knocked on her door, "Zelda!" She kept calling out to her daughter, even though her efforts were pointless.

Zelda had her door locked, her bed was covered in tissues, while cheesy pop songs about failed love blasted from her speakers.

This had been her life for the past few days, ever since she came back from Ordon. She ignored everyone's texts and calls, feeling too shitty to talk to anyone. There was only one person whose call she'd be willing to answer, and he had no service, nor wanted anything to do with her.

She looked like a mess, her hair was all disheveled and her eyes were red and puffy. She hadn't left her bed so she was still in her pajamas. She had no energy to do anything.

Her mom knocked again.

"Zelda! Please come out of your room, honey! Your friends are here to see you!"

Zelda said nothing, turning over in her bed, pulling her covers over her head.

Midna and Malon had made it a point to stop by every day since they brought her back. They were worried sick about her and had been trying to figure out what happened. She appreciated them dearly and always would, but she needed some space.

"Tell them to go away…" Zelda replied, sniffling.

"Honey, please." She begged, concerned for her daughter. To her knowledge, Zelda broke up with Pipit. But she knew nothing about Link. It all made Zelda feel bad, like a cycle of guilt she couldn't escape. Zelda had kept a great deal from Pipit about a variety of things, and she was doing the same with her own mother. Where would it end?

The pain of ending things with Pipit sunk in quickly once she returned. It was nothing compared to Link, but she knew she had hurt Pipit too. To tell him that there was a chance and that they should've stayed together was cruel on her part. She had no follow-up for him, she just dumped him and ghosted him ever since. He sent plenty of texts and calls, trying to understand things, but she couldn't give him any answers, not without breaking down and crying.

"Hold on, we can handle this." Another voice, presumably one of her friends, said. She heard the doorknob rattle, and after a few seconds the door to her room opened. Zelda pulled the covers off of her, a glare on her face.

"I want to be alone, please! I'm sorry Midna but can't you guys take a hint…" She turned to look at them but it wasn't Midna and Malon, like she expected.

Ashei stepped into her room, flinching at the sight of Zelda.

First she turned off the radio, then walked over to the foot of her sad friend's bed, placing a dented paperclip on her desk. Lana followed, closing the door behind her and grimacing at the mess.

"What died in here?" Lana asked, grabbing one of the many empty tissue boxes off of the floor and tossing it into the trash bin.

"My happiness…" Zelda said despondently.

"Girl, you're a mess." Ashei lifted the covers, causing some of the tissues on the bed to fall to the floor, and got into bed next to Zelda. Lana seated herself on the other side, folding her hands on her lap awkwardly. Zelda was too sad to ask them how they found where she lived, or why they were here.

"I know." She sniffled, grabbing one of the tissues on her bed and blowing her nose again.

"You haven't been answering any of our texts or calls. It's been a week since we talked to you! And Shad told us you dumped Pipit and won't talk to him. Zelda, what on earth happened?" Ashei asked, placing a hand on Zelda's arm.

"I… ruined everything." She said. "I went to Ordon and I saw Link…"

"For closure?" Ashei asked.

"Y-Yes… But we…"

"Finally woke up and realized you had it for each other bad." Lana finished knowingly.

Zelda didn't respond with words, instead letting her cries do the talking for her. She broke down, covering her face, and Ashei sighed, pulling the poor blonde into her arms.

"And it didn't end well, I presume?" Ashei asked. Again, Zelda didn't use actual words, but Ashei felt her nod.

"Hmph. I told you so." Lana said.

Zelda's head shot up, and she glared at Lana.

"Lana, I don't think now's the time…" Ashei tried to stop her, but surprisingly Zelda spoke up.

"N-No. I wanna hear what you have to say." Zelda said, wiping her face.

"I can't feel sorry for you Zelda." Despite her words, Lana sounded apologetic. "I told you to either break up with Pipit, or forget about Link. You did neither of those things, and now you don't have either of them."

"Wow." Zelda sat up in her bed. "You have a lot of nerve, showing up to MY house when I already feel like shit about myself and saying this to me."

"The truth isn't pretty. Isn't that why you've tried to hide it from so many people?"

"Lana. This isn't why we're here." Ashei warned.

"All I'm saying is that Zelda has no one to blame but herself."

"…I c-can blame you too." Zelda challenged; her voice was still shaky from all of the crying she had done, but there was conviction in her voice.

"Me?"

Oh dear… Ashei sat back, watching the argument unfold.

"If you hadn't opened your big mouth, Pipit and I would still be together!"

"Really? And that would be a good thing? Didn't you JUST confirm that you'd rather be with Link? Otherwise who are all these tears for? Certainly not the guy you willingly left behind!"

"I'd RATHER not be spending all my days crying and hating myself!"

"Then do something about it! It's not my fault you're single and bitter."

"That should be my line. The only reason you decided to speak up at all is because Nabooru turned you down! She never cared about you and she's probably in bed with Mr. Dragmire right now, so why don't you – "

"TAKE THAT BACK!" Lana screamed, at her limit and ready to pounce.

"Make me." Zelda said in a calmer voice, which made Lana even angrier.

"HEY!" Ashei climbed over Zelda to put a wedge between her and Lana. "Both of you need to STOP! You guys are friends, and we didn't come here to argue, we're here to fix things."

Lana crossed her arms, turning away from both of them.

"Lana, apologize for what you said."

"But I – "

"I don't care. You see how sad Zelda is. It isn't like you to be this mean."

"…I'm sorry." Lana apologized.

"Good. Now, why don't you tell Zelda about what Mr. Dragmire offered you?"

"What?" Zelda sat up. She lost her scholarship, Ashei was now the suspect of the jelly scandal, and Link's medical debts were being paid off. Mr. Dragmire had gotten to all of them in some way. She was able to repress her sad feelings for a moment – just a moment – to hear how he planned to silence Lana.

"He offered me the Nayru Scholarship." She said nervously.

"My scholarship?" Zelda asked.

"You don't own the entire scholarship fund, Zelda." Lana said defensively. "But… it is the same scholarship you had, before he took it from you…"

"So in other words, MY scholarship." Zelda concluded.

"I mean…"

"First you yell at me, now you come here to tell me you're taking my scholarship? Where does it end with you, Lana? I thought you were my friend."

"I AM your friend, idiot! I haven't taken the offer yet."

"Yet?"

"No, even though it would help me tremendously, I was still thinking of turning it down for YOU." Lana snapped.

"GUYS! STOP!" Ashei yelled again, getting aggravated. "Don't you realize this is exactly what he wants? To tear us apart. NOW, more than ever, we need to stick together."

"Well you can tell Mr. Dragmire that he wins. I don't have the motivation to do anything to stop him." Zelda said, falling back into her sheets.

"Really?" Ashei asked. "You can't possibly mean that, Zelda."

Zelda said nothing.

"Oh, she does." Lana sighed. "Something goes wrong for Little Miss Perfect and it's the end of the world."

"Little Miss Perfect? Is that what you think of me?" Zelda asked.

"That's what you are, isn't it? Perfect house, perfect looks, perfect grades, perfect life. You lose ONE thing that matters to you and everything falls apart." Lana glared.

"You know what, I'm really tired of this. I'm NOT perfect, okay? I'm the furthest thing from it! I'm a shitty person! I've messed up so many times and… and I…" She could hardly keep herself together. "I keep messing up! I can't do anything right. Everyone thinks I'm this amazing girl who can do anything she sets her mind to. But there are so many things that I can't do."

Lana eased back, feeling remorse for Zelda. They had said some hurtful things to each other, but Lana still considered her a good friend, and knew it was wrong to come to her house and act callous toward her.

"That's right." Ashei said, wiping away Zelda's tears for her. "You're just like us. Just like everyone else."

"That's… that's one of the reasons I like him so much." Zelda confessed. "It always felt like Shad and Pipit were infatuated with me, like they were under some sort of 'spell.' But Link never treated me like that. He never acted like I was this perfect goddess. That's how I knew he really liked me for who I am… And now I don't know what do. About anything."

Ashei sighed internally.

"Zelda, I love Link with all my heart, but there's a reason why he isn't here right now. And it has nothing to do with you."

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying that he has more important things to worry about other than his love life… and so do you."

… Zelda knew she was right but didn't have a proper response for it.

"Zelda, when's the last time you thought about what you REALLY want with your life?"

"Today." Zelda replied quickly.

"And what is it? What do you really want?"

She sighed, thinking of blue eyes, dark brown hair, a million-rupee smile and that laugh that she was so in love with.

"I want Link…" She murmured.

Lana, who was also caught up in her own thoughts, was in a similar mood.

"And I want Nabooru."

Ashei felt her patience running low. They weren't grasping what she was trying to convey at all.

"Okay. You wanna know what makes me really angry? More than anything else in this world?" She asked.

"Uh, the patriarchy?" Zelda replied.

"People who don't know the basics of martial arts?" Lana added.

"Worn down kendo sticks?" Zelda pondered.

"NO. It's strong, intelligent, capable women who focus on trivial things instead of what actually matters! Zelda, look at me. You are smart, and you have lots of skills up your arsenal. And yet, this entire time I've known you, I've seen you get yourself caught up into so much relationship drama. But you are SO much more than that. You complain about not knowing what you want to do with your college career. But that's only because you haven't thought about it! It's time to stop focusing on boys and start focusing on you." She turned to Lana. "That goes for you too Lana."

"I don't like boys –"

"You've done so much for this school. And you continue to give and give and pour your heart and soul into everything. You put in the MOST hours helping clean the dorms, and you were the only one there who wasn't in trouble. Now imagine what we could achieve if you guys would tap into all the things you're good at?"

"What do you want me to do?" Zelda asked.

Ashei grabbed the tissue boxes off of the bed and pulled the covers off of her.

"You're going to get off your ass, stop wallowing in self-pity, think about you as an individual, and help us find the House of Thieves." She said sternly.

Zelda gulped, equal parts intimidated and inspired by Ashei's words.

"…Y-Yes ma'am."

»°«

Nabooru watched Ganondorf from inside of his bedroom. He was outside in the hall, talking to goddess-knows-who on the phone. It had been like this for some time. Once she came back to him after her falling out with Lana, he became secretive. They didn't talk the way they did before.

They used to be a team.

And now, he had gone solo. Nabooru tried not to take it personally, but for her it meant they had lost something important.

Trust.

She was his right-hand woman once. Now, she was an outsider, desperate to know what he was doing. He held her at arm's length and she didn't like it at all.

"You've been taking lots of phone calls." She commented casually when he came back to the bedroom and got in bed with her.

"I'm a busy man." He shrugged.

"Naboris business?" Nabooru asked, turning on her side.

Ganondorf smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Let's go to bed, Nabooru."

She felt mildly annoyed by his feeble attempt at changing the subject.

"Do you need any help?" She asked. Her offer wasn't earnest, mainly a test to see what he would say.

"You don't have to worry about it, Nabooru. I know you aren't as passionate about it as me. I shouldn't have tried to get you involved the way that I did. I'm sorry."

"Is that why you keep me in the dark? Why you hide your phone whenever I'm around?"

"I want you to focus on your life post-grad. Don't worry about me."

"Is it because I left? You don't think I can know these things?"

"You only did it for me. That was the only reason."

"And that wasn't enough?" Nabooru pressed.

"No." Ganondorf answered candidly. "It wasn't."

She said nothing more, turning around so that she wasn't facing him, and let herself drift to sleep.

…She woke up later, in the dark of night. Ganondorf was in a deep sleep, evident by his loud snores. Nabooru slipped out of bed as quietly as she could, tiptoeing her way to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

She went to the cupboards, grabbing a cup, when she noticed a brilliant gleam of light from beneath the kitchen sink.

She walked closer, bending over and opening the door fully to see the source of light.

…A silver rupee.

She took it and turned it over in her hands. The moonlight bounced off of it and its shine lit up the darkness around her.

She then noticed a large black bag that was right behind the silver rupee. Unzipping it, she found more and more rupees, all stacked up on top of each other, barely contained by the bag. She was awestruck. There had to be well over 10,000 rupees!

What the hell? She thought to herself, picking through the bag. These rupees couldn't be from HU donors. They wrote checks, checks addressed to Riju and her Naboris Fund, which meant these rupees had to be from someone else… for something else. Disturbed, Nabooru pocketed the singular rupee she found, then grabbed her phone to take a picture of the duffel bag contents. Once she was done she zipped it up, and closed the door as if she hadn't seen anything.

But the snooping didn't stop there.

A few minutes later with a glass of water in her hand, Nabooru was in Ganondorf's study on his laptop, browsing through his files. She knew his password due to the fact that they USED to work together, and having that knowledge came in handy now. Her intuition was telling her something bad about the bag, something she didn't want to believe. Ganondorf was far from perfect, and what he was attempting to do was unethical, but despite that he had principles that he stuck to. Principles Nabooru wanted to believe he still had.

Of course, mere snooping wouldn't answer all her questions, but it would have to suffice for now, since Ganondorf insisted on being secretive.

"Please, please, please…" She whispered, sipping her water nervously. In the search bar she typed the letters 'Gr,' and a series of results followed. She scrolled down until one caught her eye…

Groose Letter of Rec

"No." She gasped, grasping the rupee she snagged from beneath the sink.

"Nabooru?" Ganondorf called from his room. "Where'd you go?"

Nabooru nearly jumped out of her skin, turning his laptop off and running back innocently.

"I'm here…" She said. "I just wanted some water, that's all."

What are you hiding? She thought distrustfully.

»°«

"Whaddya think?" Rusl asked, holding up a bundle of wildflowers. They were vibrant and colorful, a unique combination of red, violet, orange, white, and blue.

"They look great." Link approved.

He was in a weird state of mind. Everything was chaotic and peaceful at the same time. He hated Ganondorf with every fiber of his being, for making him compromise his integrity and leave his friends behind. But to see his mom and sister stress-free from all the worries of lack of funds was… pleasant. Link was glad he could help his mom make her last moments enjoyable. He didn't want to say goodbye, no amount of self-assurance would be able to dull that sort of pain, but he accepted reality and was done trying to deny it. He decided the best approach would be to make every moment with his family count.

"You alright?" Rusl asked.

"Yes." He meant it.

"Yer a tough cookie, Link. I was a mess trying to plan my ma's ceremony."

"I know I'll be a mess when the time comes, but I'm going to take things one at a time for now. She wouldn't want me and Aryll breaking down every time we come to see her anyways."

"But I bet you 5 rupees I know what she WOULD want."

"What's that?"

"A girl to bring back home."

Link brushed the comment off, turning his head so Rusl couldn't see his face explode into color. It would be a dead giveaway that something was up, and drawing attention to his (for the most part nonexistent) love life was the last thing he wanted to do. It was silly to think about in the grand scheme of everything, but it left him with a yearning he'd been trying to ignore.

Rusl knew him too well, an unsurprising fact, considering he'd been like a father figure to Link his whole life. He knew something was up the moment Link turned away.

"She's brought it up in passing. Always in light-hearted conversation. Yer off at school, you must meet a lotta new people every day! And since you've come back, you seem a lot different. Is there a special girl in your life?"

As much as he wished it hadn't, Rusl's words triggered a series of images in his mind – memories to be exact. Like an impromptu montage, the face of his beautiful roommate appeared. The arguments, the passive-aggressive remarks, the way she would leave every time he entered a room, the way they'd avoid eye contact whenever they passed by one another. He saw himself desperate and afraid, he saw her trying to be his friend, to be someone he could trust. He saw them sitting together in the dorms, laughing and being civil towards one another. Late night conversations, enjoying one another's company, the way her dress sparkled when they danced at the gala, how perfectly her head fit on his shoulder the night they watched the sunset. He saw every close detail of her face when they fell on one another in Groose's dorm. He heard her laugh, saw her smile – it put the sun to shame – every memory came back to him. It hit in waves. So many memories within a span of a few months – but one thing remained consistent – all of his senses were focused on her. It was wonderful.

And at the same time, devastating.

He saw her with Pipit, hugging him, kissing him, cuddling with him. He felt the jealousy he had once dismissed as annoyance.

"What's her name?" Rusl asked. There was no point in dancing around it, or pretending not to notice.

Link didn't want to budge. He didn't want to address the matter, especially since he hadn't been the one to bring it up in the first place. But Rusl was one of the few people he trusted wholeheartedly, and he had no one else he could really talk to about his growing feelings. He didn't know how Ilia would take it and she was about to leave for her internship. The other villagers were too young. Aryll would blab to their mother. Ashei was off in Castle Town.

Why not? He thought to himself.

"Zelda." He threw the name out there.

"Zelda…" He repeated. "Is she nice?"

Link nodded timidly.

"C'mon, Link. Tell me all about her."

"There isn't much to tell. She moved in with us after the chu infestation. And we became friends."

"There has to be more to it than that!" Rusl pressed. "Why do you like her?"

"She's funny. Smart. Added a nice presence to the apartment." Link did his best to compartmentalize his words slowly instead of listing all of Zelda's favorable qualities out all at once. That would make him sound lovesick. He was not lovesick.

"Aaand?" Rusl drawled, wanting to hear more emotion, but Link internalized all of it.

"Okay, Rusl." Link snapped, angst gnawing at him, "I don't want to talk about it anymore. It's more complicated than you think."

"Link, I was just – "

"Just what? Why is me having a girlfriend so important to you guys?"

"I just want you to be happy, Link."

"I don't need someone to be happy."

"Are you happy? Are you satisfied with your choices?" Rusl asked.

Link didn't know what to say. He knew happiness was attainable at any level, but there would always be room for improvement.

"Like I said, I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?" Rusl was nothing if not insistent.

"Because it bums me out, okay?" Link caved, knowing the only way he would get Rusl off of his back was if he made it clear it was a sensitive, 'out-of-bounds' topic. "I'm gone. I left. And I didn't even tell her I was going. It was too hard for me. And there are other circumstances… that… would keep us from working out."

"You won't even try?"

"No."

"Even you like her? If she's perfect for you?"

"Perfect doesn't exist." Link replied.

But she comes pretty damn close. He thought to himself.

…

"And Malo's monthly shipments are always appreciated. Oh, how I miss them all so much! I love talking to Talo, he has so much spunk. His brother does too, but it's a lot more subtle. Colin is always so polite. I hope I can see them again, just one more time…"

Link, partly distracted, glanced at his mother. She was pallid and frail; she bobbed her head to and fro while she talked. She never dwelled on one topic for too long, and Link never interrupted her. Most of her words were filler, an attempt to fill the empty space with mirth, with life. And Link listened – or at least tried to. His mind, like hers, was always wandering. The only difference was that he didn't say anything about it. Occasionally, in her ramblings, she would make some mention of her mortality. Whether intentional or unintentional, it came up somehow. And that's when Link found himself listening most, making note of anything she wanted of him. He wanted to fulfill any and every last wish she could possibly have.

"And – oh!" She continued, signaling a topic change. "Oh, Link… Aryll told me the most wonderful thing!"

"What'd she tell you ma?" Link asked, chin propped up underneath his fist.

"She wants to study medicine. That girl is so determined. She wants to be a nurse. Said she'd work to help make people feel better, like she does for me. She tells me – whenever the children get sick – or when the elders get a wound from working – she would find the right remedies and herbs to make them feel better." She got a tad emotional, "If only my legs still worked, I would save up all the rupees she needs to go to school…"

"I'll do it. I'll help her get through school." Link said resolutely.

"Aw, baby, that's wonderful. So wonderful… You've always been such a good kid. But mama will take care of both of you. Maybe I could change my will…" She looked around helplessly, obviously wanting to get up and do something.

"No, no. I can do it." Link insisted.

"Aw, but when will YOU go back to school, darling? You aren't quitting forever, right?"

"No ma, not forever."

She went quiet for a moment, as if trying to remember what they were talking about.

"Good, good. I'm so glad that man covered my bills. That was very generous. Makes me happy… That I won't be a burden to all of you…"

"Ma, you're not a burden…" Link tried to tell her, but she rambled on, her mind yet again on something else.

"A nurse and a diplomat. I'm so proud. My babies are growing up."

Link closed his mouth, letting his mother speak some more.

She talked and talked about many things; some of her sentences were punctuated with sudden pauses here and there. He watched her and listened politely, but despite the mask he presented to her, she could see right through it, and her ramblings eventually came to a full stop.

"Oh, Link. Am I doing it again?" She asked sadly.

"Doing what? You're fine, ma. Continue your story."

"Oh… I am. Don't bother denying it, darling. Here I am, talking your ear off. I can barely spend more than two seconds on one topic!" She sighed, "There are so many things happening. And I want to keep up with all of it."

Link pulled his chair closer to his mother, and sat down in front of her, holding her hand. He ran this thumb over each of her fingers carefully, lovingly.

"It's okay. I like listening to you talk about things."

"Mm, yes, you do. You're such a good listener. Just like your father…" She paused again, "…I can't wait to see him again. We complemented each other so well, you know."

There was another pause, and Link felt his heart sink.

"You're tired, aren't you?"

She nodded.

"Yes. Very tired. It's a miracle I got this far. But I am happy. I want to be happy, until the very end. So I think of all the happy things in life."

She squeezed his hand gently.

"I have many regrets too. It's hard not to think about them, especially being cooped up here, you know? All I can do when I'm strapped to this bed is think. I should have convinced your father to stay, I shouldn't have worked myself the way I did, I should have spent more time with you and your sister…"

"Ma…" Link frowned.

"But I'm grateful for the time I had. I want you and your sister to do amazing things. I want you both to be… more than I ever was." She then gave him a serious look, all the frivolous matters and chitchat washing away abruptly. "Link, I know there's a lot of pressure on you. And it's my fault. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Link forgave her. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he stuck to listening, because he wouldn't be able to hear her voice for much longer.

"I have one more request of you. Consider it my dying wish."

Link steeled himself; this was what he had been waiting for.

"What is it?"

"Whatever you and Aryll do, I'll be proud. But please, promise me you'll go after everything you want, that you'll try to achieve everything you want to achieve. Don't let me or anyone else stop you."

She knew nothing of what he'd been through this past semester, but it felt like she did. It felt like she was telling him to go back, to break the deal he made with Mr. Dragmire, the deal that saved their livelihood. He'd already made a promise with similar implications to another woman he cared for deeply. And now things between them were completely different.

"What if it isn't that easy?" He asked, worried for the future.

"The things I've seen… The things I've experienced…" She said woefully, "I want to protect you and Aryll from all of it, but I can't. Life is not easy, but it doesn't mean you should ever give up. So promise me. Please?"

"Yes ma." He nodded solemnly, "I promise."

A/N: 200 reviews? Was the last chapter really that good? *crying*

59 pages and over 25,000 words. Chapter 24… is a tough act to follow. I fell in love with Ordon (and with Link & Zelda) in that chapter, I swear. Writing that ending, while planned, broke my heart. I apologize for the wait. This chapter really isn't that long and it shouldn't have taken me 2 months for the next update. But after 24 I found myself in a bit of a slump since I knew there would be a (brief) cooldown in terms of ZeLink content for the story (I remedied this slump in my own way though). I knew that no matter what I did, this chapter wouldn't be able to upstage the previous one, and it was hard for me to move past that. I also apologize for not leaving a proper author's note last chapter, I was so scared at how you guys would react that I decided not to say anything. LOL.

Anyways, back to the basics people!

I see that there's a bit of confusion on which incarnation of Link & Zelda I'm using. The answer is… none of them? While in the future I DO want to write a story with a specific timeline in mind, right now I have an affinity toward AUs because I don't have to be limited to the canon of ONE game/timeline & I can use characters / make references from / to a bunch of different Zelda games. I hope that clears everything up.

To Bchange: I am equal parts excited and nervous for Breath of the Wild 2. I recently started a 2nd playthrough of the game (attempting to 100% it!), and I'm remembering what I enjoyed about it… as well as what I didn't. I'm hoping we get more areas of Hyrule to explore and a compelling/engaging story.

I also want to say (I know I say it a lot but I don't feel like it comes off as being sincere sometimes) that I really, REALLY appreciate each and every single one of you. A lot of times I read a story I really like & leave a review, and I'll get a response from the author thanking me for the kind words. And… when I come here and update I feel bad because I don't really respond to reviews like that. It isn't because I don't care or anything, it's mainly because I'm awkward and bad at replying. But I read every review I get, and I cherish all of them. Thank you for being awesome. I love writing this story but you guys make the experience 100x as wonderful.

One final thing, going back to what I said about my personal 'remedy,' I wanted to let you guys know that I worked on something special for 'The Roommates,' something a handful of you have been asking for. (I feel like based off of that it's quite obvious but I still think it would be fun if you make a guess, so feel free to leave some in the reviews! I'll make an "official" announcement in the next update.)