~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Before going back to Peach's house, Link decided to see if Roy was home. He intended on finding out as much as possible about the criminal before seeing Zelda. Link walked through the walls and doors into Roy's room.
"What luck," Link said to himself. "The Kingpin is here too."
Indeed, Marth was sitting on a cushioned chair across from Roy, who was sitting on his bed. Link felt that he had come right after one of them made a rather striking statement.
"That settles it then," Marth finally said, cracking his knuckles. "We're going to have to kill her."
"Who?"
"Zelda, you idiot. We can't take any more risks."
Link gasped. "What're you talking about, Marth!? Why do you have to kill her too?! You murderer!"
Roy shrugged. "Whatever. When do you want me to do it?"
"I guess when I feel the time is right to. I've still got a few things to work out before you actually do it." Marth stood up and opened the door. "Good-bye, Roy."
Obviously, Link had missed something very important. He ran as fast as he could back to Peach's house.
A few minutes later.......................
"Good morning, Peach."
"ARE YOU STILL HERE?!"
"Um, yeah, you said you'd help me today. I spent the night on the roof. You're not thinking of taking back your promise, are you?"
"No," Peach said bitterly. "You're just lucky that Malon and Saria aren't awake yet. They must think I'm going crazy."
"It's already ten o'clock! How late do they sleep?!"
"Noon, at the very least. And that's on weekdays. This is Saturday, Link." Peach got out some Lucky Charms. "Erm. . .do ghosts eat?"
"I would if I could," Link sighed. "I'm standing right in front of your refrigerator. Try throwing something at me--it'll go right through me, I swear."
"What do you expect me to throw at you?"
"A marshmallow."
Rolling her eyes, Peach picked up a shamrock marshmallow and threw it at the fridge. True to Link's word, it went right through him. "Y'see?"
"Sure, whatever."
"So when are you going to call?"
"Call WHO?"
"My wife, Zelda. . .duh."
"Don't you 'duh' me, Link! If I really am your only hope here, you should treat me with some more respect! Can I at least eat some cereal before we call up your little girlfriend please?"
"All right. I can wait."
Peach started eating the Lucy Charms. "And I have another question. Just what makes you think she's actually going to listen to me? What am I going to say? 'Hi, I'm some pyschic who lives down the street and your dead husband wants me to talk to you.' Do you know how STUPID that sounds?!"
"You do it for a living!" Link cried. "You fraud!"
"How DARE you call me a fraud!!" Peach gasped. ". . .even if it is true." She sighed. "I'll try a phone call, but I'm telling you--it's not gonna work."
"Don't worry, Peach. I'll tell you what to say."
"GOOD."
A few minutes later, Peach finished her somewhat rushed breakfast. She walked into the living room and picked up the phone. "I can't believe I'm doing this. . .what's the number, Link?"
He told it to her, and she dialed. It rang. It rang again. After a third ring, someone picked up the phone, and in a cracked voice said, "Hello?"
"Hello, may I talk with. . .Zelda, please?"
"Speaking."
"Oh, hello. My name is Peach Oda Mae, and your--"
"Look, I'm sorry, but I really don't want to buy anything right now."
"Wha--I'm not trying to sell you anything, ma'am."
"Then what do you want?"
"Well I don't know if you've heard of me--judging from the tone of your voice, I doubt you have--but I'm a. . .well, your husband Link wants to talk to you really badly. I think it's kind of important."
Zelda tried to speak, but she couldn't find her voice.
"What's she saying?" Link asked. "Tell her it's really urgent!"
"He says it's something really urgent!" Peach said into the phone. "Zelda, are you still there? Link needs to speak with you!"
"Link is dead!" Zelda sobbed, throwing the phone back into its cradle roughly. Tears falling out of her eyes, she ran into her room.
Sighing, Peach put down her phone. "There, like I told you, it didn't work. Well, I am guiltless. I've fulfilled my promise. You can go now, Link."
"No!" Link said. "Get up, Peach. We're going to my house and talking to her there in person."
"Are you crazy?!" Peach asked. "What makes you think she's going to listen to me at home more eagerly than on the telephone?!"
"I have a plan that'll make her listen!" Link answered. "C'mon, get up already!"
"Oh Link, do I have to?"
"YES!"
"Geez, all right, calm down! I'm coming. . ." Grumbling, Peach stood up and walked out the door. "Where's your house?"
"Just turn the corner over there and walk straight. Now that I think about it, we don't live far away from you."
"What fabulous news," Peach said sarcastically. "Is this it?"
"No, it's the blue one."
"A blue house. How nice. And what exactly do you expect me to say? Ring her doorbell and pretend like I'm delivering a pizza?" Peach walked up to the door and twisted the knob. "Well, it's locked."
"Start shouting."
"WHAT?!"
"Shout to her so she'll hear you!"
"Link, are you out of your mind? What on earth makes you think that I'm going to start yelling right--"
"JUST DO WHAT I TELL YOU TO, OKAY?!"
"Fine, fine. You really have an anger management problem, don't you? If you weren't dead, I'd suggest that you go to a shrink. What do you want me to say?"
"Just start out with her name."
"HEY, ZELDA!! ZELDA, OPEN YOUR WINDOW!!" Peach shouted. A few seconds later, she turned around. "Well, she's not there. Bye."
"No, do it again! She's got to hear us!"
"Man, you are persistant! ZEEEEEEELDAAAAAAAA!!!"
"What do you want?!" Zelda shouted, opening her window and sticking her head out of it impatiently.
"Your husband wants me to talk with you!"
"Go away, Peach, or whatever your name is! I don't want to listen to you! Link is dead and he'll never come back!" Angrily, Zelda shut the window as hard and as loudly as she could.
"That's it. I'm outta here," Peach mumbled. "She's not gonna listen to me anymore. She'll never believe me."
"No, you've gotta keep trying!" Link said desperately. "Okay, I've got an idea! Tell her. . .tell her. . .Tell her that you know that we spent our honeymoon in Miami--there's no way you could know that if I wasn't here!"
"Will you ever give up? HEY ZELDA, LINK WANTS ME TO TELL YOU THAT YOU SPENT YOUR HONEYMOON IN MIAMI!!"
"And say that on at our wedding reception Marth spilled his cream of mushroom soup down my shirt!"
"AT YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION MARTH SPILLED HIS SOUP DOWN LINK'S SHIRT!! Man, I can't believe how dumb I sound. Hey wait, the door's opening a little bit. . .keep tellin' me stuff!"
Link whispered something else.
"AND I KNOW YOU STITCHED YOUR NAME IN YOUR GREEN UNDERWEAR!!! Ew, did she think she was gonna lose it or something?" The window slowly closed. "HEY WAIT, DON'T GO AWAY!!"
"Lady, do you want to shut up?!" yelled a man from inside his house.
"AM I TALKIN' TO YOU!? NO, I DON'T THINK SO!!"
The front door of Link's house opened, and Zelda stepped out. She looked around quickly, then walked towards Peach. "How do you know all that?"
"It's what I've been telling you all this time! Link is talking to me!"
"Ask her if she's eaten yet," said Link.
Peach rolled her eyes. "He wants to know if you've eaten yet."
"No. . ."
"Well, then why don't we go out to a bagel shop or something?" Peach asked at Link's prompting.
"Um. . .okay. . ."
"We can talk as soon as we got there."
When they reached the bagel store, Peach selected a table seated for three. Zelda sat down uneasily.
"So do you mean to say that. . .Link is in this room right now?"
"Sure is."
"Where is he?"
"Link, where are you?"
"Tell her I'm holding her hand," Link said, trying to touch Zelda's fingers.
"He says he's holding your hand."
Zelda looked down. She moved her hand a bit, but felt nothing. She didn't see anything either. Not wanting to embarress herself in front of a stranger (or Link, if he was really there), Zelda kept the tears from falling.
"So how can he. . .why are you the only one he can hear?"
Peach shrugged. "I have absolutely nooooooo idea. It kind of runs in my family, though. Y'know, bein' able to hear dead people's voices. A little freaky at first, but now I'm kind of used to it."
Taking a deep breath, Zelda shook her head. "This sounds crazy. I'm sorry, but I just can't believe you. Thanks for your trouble." Zelda stood up and started to walk away.
"No, she can't leave!" Link cried. "Peach, tell her I love her!"
"Wait, he. . .he says he loves you!"
Smiling through her silent tears, Zelda slowly turned to face the seated Peach. "Link would never say that." She started to walk away again.
"Ditto!" Link said. "Say ditto!"
"What the--ditto! Ditto. . .?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Peach had said ditto, Zelda was quite convinced. They went back to her house to talk some more. They both took a seat in the living room.
"So is this Link?" Peach asked, picking up a photo in a frame.
"Yes, that's him."
"Not a bad lookin' guy."
The photo showed Zelda and Link running down the street in New York, holding each other's hands. Both were laughing heartily, Link with a suitcase in hand. The picture had actually been taken by a professional photographer, who loved the backdrop (which was the NYC skyline). He copied it, then gave the original picture to them.
"We're here to talk important stuff," Link reminded Peach. "Not sentiments. Don't get distracted."
"Wait a minute," Zelda said. "Link, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear," Link said, smiling.
"Yes, he can," Peach said.
"How're you feeling, Link?"
"I'm fine."
"He says he's fine. But he's got something to tell you."
"Yes, it's very important," Link said. "Zelda, you're in serious danger."
"You can't just BLURT it out like that!" Peach shouted. "It'll scare the poor girl to death! I'll tell her in my own way."
"What'd he say?" Zelda asked.
Peach took a deep breath, then faced the young woman in front of her. "Zelda. . . you in danger, girl."
Zelda was a little taken aback at this approach, but hid her shock. "What does Link mean by that?"
"Quick, get that pad of paper and pen," Link told Peach. "I'm going to dictate something to you, and you've got to write it down."
"All right," Peach sighed, getting ready to write. "I'm ready."
Link gave Peach Roy's address. "The man who lives there is named Roy Altan. He's going to murder you, Zel."
"Woah, woah, woah," Peach said standing up. "Okay, I am NOT getting this involved. I've spoken to Zelda--it was very nice meeting you, by the way--and now I am guilt-free. I do not want to get caught up in this murder thing!"
"What is it?" Zelda asked.
"You've got to tell her!" Link shouted.
Biting her lower lip, Peach turned towards Zelda. "Link says that. . .the man who lives at that address" (she pointed at the pad of paper)"is going to kill you."
"Tell her to go to the police department immediately!"
"He wants you to go to the police and inform them of it right away."
Sitting there in shock, Zelda found it slightly difficult to find her voice. "Well. . . what does he m. . .someone wants to kill me?"
"Yes, tell her I was murdered," Link said.
"Yeah, he says that he was murdered," Peach said.
"Well, I already knew that, but what does he--"
"Go to the police and tell them about this man right NOW!"
After a moment of hesitation, Zelda stood up and headed out the door. "I just hope that they believe me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
dun dun dunnnnnnnnn!!!!
Before going back to Peach's house, Link decided to see if Roy was home. He intended on finding out as much as possible about the criminal before seeing Zelda. Link walked through the walls and doors into Roy's room.
"What luck," Link said to himself. "The Kingpin is here too."
Indeed, Marth was sitting on a cushioned chair across from Roy, who was sitting on his bed. Link felt that he had come right after one of them made a rather striking statement.
"That settles it then," Marth finally said, cracking his knuckles. "We're going to have to kill her."
"Who?"
"Zelda, you idiot. We can't take any more risks."
Link gasped. "What're you talking about, Marth!? Why do you have to kill her too?! You murderer!"
Roy shrugged. "Whatever. When do you want me to do it?"
"I guess when I feel the time is right to. I've still got a few things to work out before you actually do it." Marth stood up and opened the door. "Good-bye, Roy."
Obviously, Link had missed something very important. He ran as fast as he could back to Peach's house.
A few minutes later.......................
"Good morning, Peach."
"ARE YOU STILL HERE?!"
"Um, yeah, you said you'd help me today. I spent the night on the roof. You're not thinking of taking back your promise, are you?"
"No," Peach said bitterly. "You're just lucky that Malon and Saria aren't awake yet. They must think I'm going crazy."
"It's already ten o'clock! How late do they sleep?!"
"Noon, at the very least. And that's on weekdays. This is Saturday, Link." Peach got out some Lucky Charms. "Erm. . .do ghosts eat?"
"I would if I could," Link sighed. "I'm standing right in front of your refrigerator. Try throwing something at me--it'll go right through me, I swear."
"What do you expect me to throw at you?"
"A marshmallow."
Rolling her eyes, Peach picked up a shamrock marshmallow and threw it at the fridge. True to Link's word, it went right through him. "Y'see?"
"Sure, whatever."
"So when are you going to call?"
"Call WHO?"
"My wife, Zelda. . .duh."
"Don't you 'duh' me, Link! If I really am your only hope here, you should treat me with some more respect! Can I at least eat some cereal before we call up your little girlfriend please?"
"All right. I can wait."
Peach started eating the Lucy Charms. "And I have another question. Just what makes you think she's actually going to listen to me? What am I going to say? 'Hi, I'm some pyschic who lives down the street and your dead husband wants me to talk to you.' Do you know how STUPID that sounds?!"
"You do it for a living!" Link cried. "You fraud!"
"How DARE you call me a fraud!!" Peach gasped. ". . .even if it is true." She sighed. "I'll try a phone call, but I'm telling you--it's not gonna work."
"Don't worry, Peach. I'll tell you what to say."
"GOOD."
A few minutes later, Peach finished her somewhat rushed breakfast. She walked into the living room and picked up the phone. "I can't believe I'm doing this. . .what's the number, Link?"
He told it to her, and she dialed. It rang. It rang again. After a third ring, someone picked up the phone, and in a cracked voice said, "Hello?"
"Hello, may I talk with. . .Zelda, please?"
"Speaking."
"Oh, hello. My name is Peach Oda Mae, and your--"
"Look, I'm sorry, but I really don't want to buy anything right now."
"Wha--I'm not trying to sell you anything, ma'am."
"Then what do you want?"
"Well I don't know if you've heard of me--judging from the tone of your voice, I doubt you have--but I'm a. . .well, your husband Link wants to talk to you really badly. I think it's kind of important."
Zelda tried to speak, but she couldn't find her voice.
"What's she saying?" Link asked. "Tell her it's really urgent!"
"He says it's something really urgent!" Peach said into the phone. "Zelda, are you still there? Link needs to speak with you!"
"Link is dead!" Zelda sobbed, throwing the phone back into its cradle roughly. Tears falling out of her eyes, she ran into her room.
Sighing, Peach put down her phone. "There, like I told you, it didn't work. Well, I am guiltless. I've fulfilled my promise. You can go now, Link."
"No!" Link said. "Get up, Peach. We're going to my house and talking to her there in person."
"Are you crazy?!" Peach asked. "What makes you think she's going to listen to me at home more eagerly than on the telephone?!"
"I have a plan that'll make her listen!" Link answered. "C'mon, get up already!"
"Oh Link, do I have to?"
"YES!"
"Geez, all right, calm down! I'm coming. . ." Grumbling, Peach stood up and walked out the door. "Where's your house?"
"Just turn the corner over there and walk straight. Now that I think about it, we don't live far away from you."
"What fabulous news," Peach said sarcastically. "Is this it?"
"No, it's the blue one."
"A blue house. How nice. And what exactly do you expect me to say? Ring her doorbell and pretend like I'm delivering a pizza?" Peach walked up to the door and twisted the knob. "Well, it's locked."
"Start shouting."
"WHAT?!"
"Shout to her so she'll hear you!"
"Link, are you out of your mind? What on earth makes you think that I'm going to start yelling right--"
"JUST DO WHAT I TELL YOU TO, OKAY?!"
"Fine, fine. You really have an anger management problem, don't you? If you weren't dead, I'd suggest that you go to a shrink. What do you want me to say?"
"Just start out with her name."
"HEY, ZELDA!! ZELDA, OPEN YOUR WINDOW!!" Peach shouted. A few seconds later, she turned around. "Well, she's not there. Bye."
"No, do it again! She's got to hear us!"
"Man, you are persistant! ZEEEEEEELDAAAAAAAA!!!"
"What do you want?!" Zelda shouted, opening her window and sticking her head out of it impatiently.
"Your husband wants me to talk with you!"
"Go away, Peach, or whatever your name is! I don't want to listen to you! Link is dead and he'll never come back!" Angrily, Zelda shut the window as hard and as loudly as she could.
"That's it. I'm outta here," Peach mumbled. "She's not gonna listen to me anymore. She'll never believe me."
"No, you've gotta keep trying!" Link said desperately. "Okay, I've got an idea! Tell her. . .tell her. . .Tell her that you know that we spent our honeymoon in Miami--there's no way you could know that if I wasn't here!"
"Will you ever give up? HEY ZELDA, LINK WANTS ME TO TELL YOU THAT YOU SPENT YOUR HONEYMOON IN MIAMI!!"
"And say that on at our wedding reception Marth spilled his cream of mushroom soup down my shirt!"
"AT YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION MARTH SPILLED HIS SOUP DOWN LINK'S SHIRT!! Man, I can't believe how dumb I sound. Hey wait, the door's opening a little bit. . .keep tellin' me stuff!"
Link whispered something else.
"AND I KNOW YOU STITCHED YOUR NAME IN YOUR GREEN UNDERWEAR!!! Ew, did she think she was gonna lose it or something?" The window slowly closed. "HEY WAIT, DON'T GO AWAY!!"
"Lady, do you want to shut up?!" yelled a man from inside his house.
"AM I TALKIN' TO YOU!? NO, I DON'T THINK SO!!"
The front door of Link's house opened, and Zelda stepped out. She looked around quickly, then walked towards Peach. "How do you know all that?"
"It's what I've been telling you all this time! Link is talking to me!"
"Ask her if she's eaten yet," said Link.
Peach rolled her eyes. "He wants to know if you've eaten yet."
"No. . ."
"Well, then why don't we go out to a bagel shop or something?" Peach asked at Link's prompting.
"Um. . .okay. . ."
"We can talk as soon as we got there."
When they reached the bagel store, Peach selected a table seated for three. Zelda sat down uneasily.
"So do you mean to say that. . .Link is in this room right now?"
"Sure is."
"Where is he?"
"Link, where are you?"
"Tell her I'm holding her hand," Link said, trying to touch Zelda's fingers.
"He says he's holding your hand."
Zelda looked down. She moved her hand a bit, but felt nothing. She didn't see anything either. Not wanting to embarress herself in front of a stranger (or Link, if he was really there), Zelda kept the tears from falling.
"So how can he. . .why are you the only one he can hear?"
Peach shrugged. "I have absolutely nooooooo idea. It kind of runs in my family, though. Y'know, bein' able to hear dead people's voices. A little freaky at first, but now I'm kind of used to it."
Taking a deep breath, Zelda shook her head. "This sounds crazy. I'm sorry, but I just can't believe you. Thanks for your trouble." Zelda stood up and started to walk away.
"No, she can't leave!" Link cried. "Peach, tell her I love her!"
"Wait, he. . .he says he loves you!"
Smiling through her silent tears, Zelda slowly turned to face the seated Peach. "Link would never say that." She started to walk away again.
"Ditto!" Link said. "Say ditto!"
"What the--ditto! Ditto. . .?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Peach had said ditto, Zelda was quite convinced. They went back to her house to talk some more. They both took a seat in the living room.
"So is this Link?" Peach asked, picking up a photo in a frame.
"Yes, that's him."
"Not a bad lookin' guy."
The photo showed Zelda and Link running down the street in New York, holding each other's hands. Both were laughing heartily, Link with a suitcase in hand. The picture had actually been taken by a professional photographer, who loved the backdrop (which was the NYC skyline). He copied it, then gave the original picture to them.
"We're here to talk important stuff," Link reminded Peach. "Not sentiments. Don't get distracted."
"Wait a minute," Zelda said. "Link, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear," Link said, smiling.
"Yes, he can," Peach said.
"How're you feeling, Link?"
"I'm fine."
"He says he's fine. But he's got something to tell you."
"Yes, it's very important," Link said. "Zelda, you're in serious danger."
"You can't just BLURT it out like that!" Peach shouted. "It'll scare the poor girl to death! I'll tell her in my own way."
"What'd he say?" Zelda asked.
Peach took a deep breath, then faced the young woman in front of her. "Zelda. . . you in danger, girl."
Zelda was a little taken aback at this approach, but hid her shock. "What does Link mean by that?"
"Quick, get that pad of paper and pen," Link told Peach. "I'm going to dictate something to you, and you've got to write it down."
"All right," Peach sighed, getting ready to write. "I'm ready."
Link gave Peach Roy's address. "The man who lives there is named Roy Altan. He's going to murder you, Zel."
"Woah, woah, woah," Peach said standing up. "Okay, I am NOT getting this involved. I've spoken to Zelda--it was very nice meeting you, by the way--and now I am guilt-free. I do not want to get caught up in this murder thing!"
"What is it?" Zelda asked.
"You've got to tell her!" Link shouted.
Biting her lower lip, Peach turned towards Zelda. "Link says that. . .the man who lives at that address" (she pointed at the pad of paper)"is going to kill you."
"Tell her to go to the police department immediately!"
"He wants you to go to the police and inform them of it right away."
Sitting there in shock, Zelda found it slightly difficult to find her voice. "Well. . . what does he m. . .someone wants to kill me?"
"Yes, tell her I was murdered," Link said.
"Yeah, he says that he was murdered," Peach said.
"Well, I already knew that, but what does he--"
"Go to the police and tell them about this man right NOW!"
After a moment of hesitation, Zelda stood up and headed out the door. "I just hope that they believe me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
dun dun dunnnnnnnnn!!!!
