Zelda's Shift

Lowest of the low, Barta had sent her on the worst shift. 'The Lockup'. It was called a "lockup shift" which really meant punishment. Mostly it was boring, and the prisonfers moped around. They also liked to taunt and mock the guards.

Barta had sent her since Zelda didn't want to escort HIM. Well, she also yelled at the Captain so that was a major reason. Zelda vowed to stay away from the prince, but it seemed as though fate was working against her. She decided to lie low and not show off her skills again until another person was picked to escort him.

Zelda was standing straight but her eyes were drooped with fatigue.

"Getting tired sweetheart?" a man in a cell in front her mocked.

Zelda snapped back to alertness. Before she could stop herself, she scowled. The man grinned knowing he had finally caught her attention.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing down here?" he smirked.

All the prisoners turned their heads towards them. Most of the prisoners were young adults though there was one old man wearily sitting in the farthest cell.

She recognized the man who was mocking her. He was the most notorious troublemaker, Arnen. She was usually the one that caught him skulking around the castle. He had snuck into the castle grounds several times. Each time she caught him, he had jewels in his pocket. She also suspected he wanted to eavesdrop on the royals for blackmail.

The lockup usually had the same people being caught over and over again. It seemed like they never learned their lesson. The real reason it still existed was to make Hyrule look less lame.

Arnen was only a few years older than she. He always seemed to be in lockup since he was a nuisance. Even his sleek black hair and crystal blue eyes looked like mischief.

"Yeah, what is a pretty girl doing here?" another one mocked.

The old man sat silently in the corner weary still but lifted his head up to see what was going on.

As the sole guard on duty, Zelda had to endure every single remark. She suppressed an urge to slap him. Then she remembered she had kind of already gotten payback since she was the one who caught him skulking around Hyrule Castle, herself.

"What did you do to get stuck in lockup?" one jeered.

Zelda ignored their mocking. Soon they left her alone getting bored with the lack of response from her. The lockup was a dingy and dirty place. As the hours dragged on, the prisoners began to drift off one by one.

One soul remained sitting up straight and focused, the old man. Poor soul, she was sure he was blamed for something that he wasn't responsible for. As she looked over at him, he stared up at her abruptly as if he could sense her thoughts.

He was a strange looking man with one eye a soft gentle blue but the other a more striking color almost looking orange. His legs were twisted at odd angles and his face looked lopsided. Shivers went down her spine. Now that she examined him more closely, she didn't like how this man looked. His eye twitched, his white hair was coated with dirt and grime. All his fingers looked broken and his chest was sunken in.

He stared at her. Slowly pulling himself up to stand he beckoned her over. He was gripping the bars to hold himself up.

Zelda rolled her eyes.

She wasn't about to go over and talk to some freak. He continued to stare at her with his strange looking eyes. Zelda walked over but kept her distance and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"What?" Zelda demanded.

"Who are you?" the old man asked.

"I'm-why are you asking?" Zelda eyed him suspiciously.

He hoarsely chuckled "I have been here a long time, but I haven't seen your face before".

Zelda was growing uneasy as the conversation proceeded. Prisoners were usually only there a few days. There was no way he could not have been here for awfully long. His hands started shaking violently. He clenched his teeth and held onto the bars.

"Let me give a word of advice," he paused "I would suggest that you answer my question."

She gulped.

"Come on child, tell me who you are" he said in an eerily soft voice.

Her mouth refused to open. "Tell me, you can trust me" he pressed.

Zelda felt very uneasy. Normally she would have told him her name but something nudged her not to respond to him.

"Tell me or else," he growled.

Zelda backed away from the cell. "You don't know what you're saying, old man," Zelda retorted.

"Oh, but I do know what I am saying. I may be old, but I am very capable". He gasped as he lost a grip on the bars and his legs gave way. He collapsed to the floor.

She rolled her eyes. Obviously, these were empty threats. He couldn't even get off the floor and was groping around the cell.

Zelda went back to her station and tried to stay awake. She decided to focus on a lone sword in the corner. Though rusty and old, it still looked usable. It looked like it had once been a proud sword. She had no idea what it was doing in the lockup though. Everything here was old except the prisoners who were usually so young.

She stood stiffly. Her royal sword pointed downward, pointing into the ground unsheathed in front of her. Zelda's grew weary as she leaned on her sword trying to stay awake. Changing tactics, she threw her shoulders back and took several steps. Pacing around the lockup, she observed the details of the walls in boredom. She had never been on a shift this long.

(The other guard should be here soon)

Sighing, she sat down and tried to focus to keep herself awake. No matter how hard she tried to stay awake she started to drift. Slowly closing her lids, she was barely awake. She fell into a slumber. Light burst into her vision. She opened her eyes. Rubbing them, she stared around.

Something was strange. Nothing looked real. She was dreaming and she knew it. Slapping herself, she felt real pain but to no avail.

Zelda couldn't wake up.

Never had she felt like this. The prisoners were fast asleep as she surveyed the area. Each cell looked equally gloomy. Arnen the famous rulebreaker was slumped against the wall as were the others.

This was the most realistic dream she ever had. She stood up and gripped the wall. The strange old man's cell was empty. Her eyes widened as her head whipped around. Fear shot through her heart.

(Where is he?)

Part of her didn't want to know.

Zelda grabbed her sword, whirling around again. Nothing was happening, yet...she sensed menace. She stayed close to the cells. Not a soul stirred. The room got dimmer and the old man was still nowhere to be seen.

Moonlight was her only source of light as it glimmered through the tarnished windows. To her dissatisfaction, some parts of the lockup remained dark. Her heart was pounding,

(what was going to happen?)

Sudden movement caught her eye, like a flash in the dark. It was too fast to be a human or even a rat. Sweat trickled down her spine. No she shouldn't be feeling anything. It was just a dream, yet it felt like more.

She saw a figure across the room... the old man. The eyes of the old man bored into her soul. The eyes suddenly disappeared. She wanted to hide, wanted to flee. Zelda swiped at the air. A hoarse chuckle came from somewhere behind her.

Zelda whipped around.

He was now behind her. It was the old man, but his eyes were a flaming orange instead of a soft blue. He was cloaked in shadow, but she could see a sneer play on lips.

He suddenly grabbed her hand. She tried to yank it away but felt terrible pain at his touch. The pain streaked up her arm. She heard screaming but she wasn't sure whose scream it was. Boiling feelings surged through her entire body... not just pain but hate. Pure hatred, it wasn't her hatred. Someone else's, extreme terrible hatred.

She saw people, people she didn't know.

A man with a green cap and a woman with sharp silver eyes. She looked at them and heard her voice speaking to them. It was confusing. She wasn't speaking of her own accord, someone else was yet the voice was coming from her.

Zelda0 couldn't hear anything as screaming suddenly rang in her ears. She could see the man and woman's faces contorting in horror.

Her vision became cloudy and the image changed. She was looking at herself. Crouching over, screaming in agony. It was as if she was a spectator, her feelings weren't her own.

The man still gripped her arm. She felt intense hate, beyond what she had ever felt. Someone's voice filled her head. Words of hate, killing and swearing to make them suffer. Who was this speaking as if she and they were one?

Who were they?

Her feelings felt hate towards herself, the royal family. Who was thinking? Why was she thinking this? But pain soon took over this overwhelming hate that boiled inside her mind.

She located the origin of her screams. They were coming from herself and the old man as well. The voice that was speaking stopped. It was too much hate for her to handle. Every part of her screamed. Half in herself and half in another's mind.

She groped for her sword and slammed it down on the hand that gripped her. She stumbled back, and the old man fell back, letting go of her arm.

(What in Hyrule just happened?)

She still screamed as the old man fell to the ground. Her breath was shaking, her heart was pounding. The hate lingered in her mind. When she was able to open her eyes, she gulped. She was shaking violently and was gasping for air. She looked at her left hand where the old man grabbed it.

To her horror, her hand covered in a black substance. It pulsed like a heartbeat coated with a sickening red.

(My hand!)

She thought she was going to faint, but she was in dream.

"What did you do to my hand!?" she screamed at the old man.

He didn't respond. He crouched over, holding his head. He was whispering to himself...whispering for mercy?

Zelda was not sure what was going on and she didn't like uncertainty.

She grabbed his shoulders, "I asked you a question!"

The man screamed in agony as she grabbed him.

"Oh, have mercy" he cried.

He seemed to be talking to the ceiling as his head tilted back. His body suddenly snapped to the side and he seemed to be in immense pain. His body was partly covered in the black substance that was on Zelda's hand.

Zelda finally saw his fingers more clearly in the moonlight. He didn't seem to have broken bones but was instead coated with this black substance. Was this thing only seen in dreams? Then his face calmed, and he sneered at her. He tried to grab at her again, but she leapt back, out of his reach.

She unsheathed her sword, holding in front of her.

"Come at me, coward!" she yelled. She sounded confident but truly she was terrified.

Her left hand was covered with the substance and the sword was gripped in the other. She charged at him. Her eyes flashed with determination.

Just when she was about to strike he stepped gracefully out of the way. As she saw this, she skidded and notched an arrow. Bows were her strongest suit in combat. She tried to pull the arrow back, but her black hand wasn't cooperating.

It was shaking and stiff at her side. She gritted her teeth. She didn't have time for this. The coated hand seemed to have a mind of its own. She desperately tried to shoot the arrow.

The man laughed, a horrible laugh. Staring across the room, the dark illuminated his orangish eyes staring as if he were a cat staring down at a mouse. She felt helpless, then remembered her touch had burned him before when she tried to speak to him. Zelda lunged forward. The old man was taken by surprise and tried to dodge but it was too late.

She grabbed his face and heard him screaming. The sound pierced her ears. She hated the sound. She had never enjoyed other's suffering but if it was her or them, her desire to live won every time. His face twisted and dropped.

She let him fall to the ground as she breathed heavily. The black substance on his face and body still pulsed. It was freaky and unnatural. Her own hand did the same. She didn't like it. She wanted to rip it off her body but as hard as she tugged, it wouldn't budge.

Zelda wanted to scream but her voice was too hoarse from screaming. Her beautiful hand had turned into this ugly thing. It still pulsed as if it was a heartbeat, not her own. She felt the presence of another, someone else.

Zelda flexed her black fingers. They worked but when she tried to take an offensive stance towards the old man, it didn't. The feeling of incomplete control put her on edge.

The man was still sprawled on the ground and didn't seem to be moving. Placing her weapon down she searched him and but found no weapons.

(Strange?)

Suddenly he bolted up. Before she could react, her glimmering trusty sword became her enemy. Shining in the moonlight the royal broadsword gleamed at her. He was on his feet and he had a wicked smile painted on his face.

He tried to thrust it down on her, but she rolled over barely missing it. She grabbed a cell bar for support. Staring him down, he was also breathing heavily.

They were both getting tired and pain stricken but they held their ground.

(I have to get out of here, I have to get away from this man).

She had no idea how to escape. The old man neared her. He was barely standing but held her former sword firmly.

(I must do something!)

As he inched closer, she slowly backed away. She had no weapon, no way to protect herself. She felt around for a weapon but her fingers contacted none. She was cornered. This was one of the worst situations she had ever been in.

Zelda began to be terrified and uncertain whether it was a dream or not. She wasn't sure anymore. She had felt real pain, but this horror couldn't be real. After all the commotion, none of the prisoners had woken up.

(Oh Hylia, am I going to die?)

She took small comfort in the fact that if it was dream, she couldn't die. She felt the cold wall behind her and the stones. Running her fingers along the wall behind her, she kept her gaze on the old man. He was now the slowest man she had ever see.

Why wasn't he moving fast like he was before?

She wanted to yell for help, but words evaded her. It was a dream. She had to face this man on her own. She was sweating like crazy and her heart was racing.

Why wasn't she moving?

Courage was the thing guards strived for. She couldn't conjure her pride and courage.

She closed her eyes in despair when her hand felt something, a handle. Her eyes flew open and rested on a sword right beside her left leg. It was the sword she saw earlier in the lockup!

Quickly she grabbed it, but the old man had seen this too. With a swift motion her former sword sliced at her stomach. More searing pain entered her body. She couldn't help herself and she touch the slash.

She regretted it instantly. Her hand was covered in her blood, she winced at the sight. Now was no time to assess her injuries though. She didn't dare to look at the wound. She swiped at him in the dark but missed. He cackled and stared at her with piercing flaming eyes.

He jumped up and aimed the sword directly at her skull. In one quick motion she slid under him as he was in the air. She still could not believe this man was moving so fast when he could barely stand in the cell at the beginning of the night.

As she sidestepped him, he was exposed and had his back turned. Before he could turn around she plunged the sword in his back with all her force. The blade shone silver in the blue moonlight as it entered his back. But the shine was soon covered in blood.

The man did not have time to scream before he fell over. He clutched his wound then looked at his hand. It was red with blood but also littered with the pulsing black substance.

A hoarse chuckle escaped his swollen lips. "Foolish girl, you can never kill me" he gasped as he slowly melted away into the pulsing black substance taking her former sword with him.

He oozed through the cracks of the floor.

Zelda's stomach heaved and she bent onto her knees. But she kept her eyes on the spot where he had disappeared. The room felt eerily quiet, as the sound of silence filled the room. Her breath was shaky and unsteady. Not a sound escaped her lips. Zelda stood up and sheathed her sword as she scanned the room.

A hand grabbed her from behind. Not any hand, it seemed to be firm and younger. She screamed but the hand silenced it. As she struggled wildly, she desperately tried to identify her attacker.

This was not the hand of the old man.

It was someone else. Someone stronger, someone familiar. Her black hand twitched. The feelings of the hate boiled inside her again. A sharp zing came from behind her. As a knife was held to her throat.

The voice hissed in her ear "Listen to me, Hero of Hyrule you are too late. I will come back stronger than ever. But here you are sleeping, it is amusing to see you fail. There is nothing to let you stop me. That foolish boy has no idea what he is doing. I am sure you can try to save him. But alas time is precious, and you have been diverted from your path. Good day, Zelda"

The hand lifted the knife that was at her throat. She gulped and breathed a little steadier.

Suddenly the knife flew back at her. She didn't have time to scream. It was silent and painless. As the blade made contract, she blacked out.

Zelda looked around, she felt as if she was falling through blackness. She tried to find something to grab onto, but it was just an empty black void. She never used to scream before this dream, never.

It took out a fear in her heart that she thought was buried far too deep to arise. Yet she was here screaming, for anyone, for anything. No one heard her calls or screams.

Soon a familiar rattling and cold air hit her. She looked around wildly. She was back in the lockup, the real one. She was sprawled in the center of the floor. She scrambled to get up.

Luckily, no one else was awake...except for one. He sat in the dim light. Before she could open her mouth he slowly got up "Well you did have one epic sword fight with the air, I have to admit I was impressed."

Though she was not sure, she had a feeling he had a smirk smeared on his face. She didn't speak though her suspicions were growing.

Finally, he was at the bars.

"Hey, sweetheart I'm surprised you didn't recognize me" he sarcastically remarked.

Those crystal eyes, how didn't she know! Arnen, of course how didn't she recognize that snide voice!

She groaned. Of course, he was the one only awake to be her first face to see.

"On a more serious note, who were you fighting? It seemed to be very intense. That was some serious sleep walking" he sassed.

Zelda glared at him, deciding if she should reply or not.

Anger got the better of her. "I don't know, nor do I care" she scoffed.

She crossed her arms and turned her head in the other directions, as if she was a small child.

"I find that hard to believe, never mind that. Stupid Prince is on a rampage. Everyone thinks he has gone mad. He has been missing all day. Have you heard?" he remarked.

Zelda furrowed her eyebrows. No, she hadn't heard but she wasn't about to tell him that.

"Yes, I heard. How do you know? No one comes down here" Zelda shot him a suspicious glance.

He walked back to his wall, sliding nonchalantly down it.

"Of course, you snuck out...wait why did you come back?" Zelda stared at him and cocked her head in question.

"Pfft, do you really believe I would escape with all those guards stalking around. Maybe if that Stupid Prince would waltz back to his room..." his scoffed fading into a mumble.

Suddenly a royal guard ran into the room, in a second he huffed out "You are ordered to join the search of Prince Link. Therefore, the Queen is asking you to leave your post." The man bent over at his knees then took off again down the cells, leaving the lockup.

He was probably calling the other guards from their post.

"Well off you go." Arnen sneered.

Zelda didn't trust him. She knew he was going to make a run for it since she was off duty now and on another assignment. Dragging her sword along because of exhaustion, she took a glance back.

Arnen was already twiddling with the lock. She sighed in annoyance. Zelda had direct orders and he knew it too, meaning she couldn't catch him now.

"I guess I'll have to chase him down later" she mumbled.

As she neared the end of the cells she looked back again and saw the prisoners awake. They were looking around and small chatter started up.

Only Zelda seemed to notice the lone empty cell. The door was open. She was tempted to go back. Then she realized the last cell was empty. Just like in the dream, it was the old man's cell.

Fear struck her heart again.

(But it was only a dream, it can't happen in real life)

Zelda didn't want to test fate and tore off from the lockup. She didn't care if Arnen escaped, she just wanted to get out of there! The dingy hallways were empty, and she was grateful for this. It would not look good on her profile if they saw her running through the halls like a maniac.

She looked behind her as she raced ahead when she slammed into someone.