Chapter 8
A/N: I'm so sorry that this took forever! I finished writing it over a week ago but then our internet went down and then I was busy taking care of our new puppy . . . Enough excuses, this one's a doozy, we're finally starting to get into the thick of things here.
Zelda gripped the sides of the bowl as she leaned over and heaved into the toilet. She tried to ignore her overwhelming nausea, letting her thoughts wander back to what had occurred earlier in the week. She and Link had just returned to her home after driving back from Gerudo desert . . . .
She slumped tiredly against the door as it slammed shut behind her, wanting nothing more than to sleep for a year. She let her weary gaze slide over to Link, who was bringing her bags upstairs to her room. She couldn't put it off any longer, she had to get to the bottom of this before anything else happened. She slipped into her office, sat behind her desk, and pulled out her laptop. She headed to Sheikah and dived in, scouring through the website to find a trace of Link's employment file.
She was grateful she had established with Link early one not to come into her office without her permission or safety reasons. She felt her brow furrow in frustration as her searches lead to dead-ends. Though she was impressed by the firewalls the Sheikah had, it was extremely irritating that she couldn't get past them.
After two hours of gruesome work, her efforts were finally rewarded. She found e files on Sheikah Corps employees deep within the website. Excited, she scrolled through the various names until she found Link's.
It looked like a copy of an actual physical document and though much of the text was blacked out, what caught her eye the most was his picture. He looked several years younger in the photo, too young to be employed, he couldn't have been older than eleven or twelve.
Her disquiet growing by the second, she continued through his file, trying to find some semblance of his identity or history. His parents' names were blank and so was the date of his birth. His name is the same at least, she thought. Though many more among the blacked out lines were indecipherable without context, there were a few words that did bother her.
Caution: unstable rsdhfmg
Caution: background ties to yihgff
Allegiance: unclear
Once she reached the 'Occupations' section however, her disquiet became full-on paranoia.
Shadow occupation: denied
Warrior occupation: denied
Bodyguard occupation: denied
Suddenly, her phone rang, startling her. Fingers trembling, she hastily picked it up and pressed it against her ear. It was from her mother.
"Hello?" She answered, of all the times her mother picked to call . . .
"I have good news, Zelda. I've managed to smooth things over on your behalf."
Her voice lifted with satisfaction. "Mayor Dragmire has accepted your apology, you are allowed to return to work on Friday. On probation of course."
The phone nearly slipped out of her hand and she couldn't keep the surprise off her face. She could finally get back to work! But her excitement was soon followed by suspicion. She knew this was Dragmires doing, he wanted her for something (though for what she didn't know, the Yiga weren't exactly forthcoming) but she knew it wasn't good.
"Zelda?" her mother prompted.
"O-Oh . . . oh yes! Thank you mother. You're always looking out for me, even when I'm not at work."
Seeing an opportunity to cast awareness on her mother about Ganondorf and the Yiga she continued.
"You were right to hire a bodyguard for me, there have been these criminals -"
"What bodyguard?"
Her blood ran cold, she couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it, but all the evidence pointed to one blaring accusation. Whatever his ties to the Yiga were, whatever his shady background among the Sheikah was, one thing was clear- he wasn't supposed to be here.
The door creaked open behind her and in a flash, she had a gun pointed at Link's bewildered face.
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't have you arrested, you stalker."
Link held his hands up in defense, seemingly caught off guard.
"What? Zelda I don't- "
"I read your employment file, it showed me some very interesting things. Namely that you're not authorized to be a bodyguard."
Link opened his mouth to speak but Zelda cut him off.
"Before you give me some excuse, just know that I received a very informative call from my mother just now."
All traces of fight then left his face and his eyes closed, head dropping. She knew that look, she'd seen it before when she'd caught one of L.I.'s employee's stealing corporate funds. It was the look of a guilty person who knew they'd been caught.
Countless emotions streamed through her mind as she had Link call up Impa (the head of the Sheikah agency) and give the phone to her, explaining the situation and demanding Link be removed from the premises.
She'd agreed not to press charges as long as she never saw him or their interference in her life again. She watched, drained, as Link was escorted out swiftly and firmly by a pair of intimidating looking Sheikah. She hardly listened to a Sheikah official spewing out countless apologies and assurances to her either.
Only when the car they'd come in had disappeared from sight did she go back inside, standing alone in the quiet house.
She pulled back from the toilet bowl, shakily breathing in slightly fresher air. After a moment or two of waiting she decided that her vomiting spree had ended- for now. Sighing, she pushed herself off the bathroom floor and brushed off her clothes, searching for any sign of vomit and letting relief course through her when she found none.
She was currently at Lorule Industries, in the ninth floor restroom, trying to ease her nausea. It was her first day back at the office, her first attempt at getting back into the swing of things- and it was going poorly so far. Steeling herself, she stepped out of the restroom and was immediately assaulted by Eliza in the form of an exuberant hug.
"Zellieeeeeee! You're back!"
"Eliza," She managed to choke out.
"It's been so boring without you here, our resident accordion player has been mopey without you around. Somebody's got a crush!"
"Eliza." She tried again.
"You were totally right about mayor Dragmire, there is something off about that guy, I can't say what yet, but we'll get to the bottom of it!"
"Eliza," She said a little louder.
"You reek, by the way, have you been bathing in the toilet recently? What have you been up to lately? Plenty of downtime I bet, you definitely look like you've let yourself go a bit. 's cooking is pretty amazing isn't it? I could probably-"
"Eliza!" She all but shouted, hoping her friend wouldn't notice the blush creeping up on her face. Self Consciously, she fiddled with her flowing blouse, embarrassed by her swollen stomach, which hadn't gone away despite her best efforts.
"Alright, Alright." Eliza gave in, "You can be the talker now- but you're not leaving a single thing out, you hear! Tell me everything."
Starting out slowly, but quickly being drawn into it, Zelda began to relay her story of the past few weeks. However, when she reached the part where she met Link in the woods whilst saving her, the words became stuck in her throat.
She couldn't bring herself to talk about Link, the wound was still too fresh. All that effort, all that planning, it was all for nothing. The hard-won alliance with the Gerudo, escaping the Yiga ambush, Link's betrayal- all for a shred of evidence, and yet at the end of it all, she had nothing.
The Yiga leader's mocking words echoed in her head and suddenly she had an idea. Her infiltration of the Yiga base may have been a fruitless effort . .. .
" . . . But it doesn't have to be." She murmured to the side, ignoring Eliza's questioning expression.
Eyes flashing, she began to head down the hall, purpose in her stride. Eliza followed alongside her, looking rather caught off guard. At her friend's bewildered look she simply said.
"I need to have a talk with my mother."
"Well this is a bit of a surprise, you know better than to interrupt me while I'm working."
Lila Lorule gazed primly over her desk where Zelda sat erect in a chair, trying not to appear nervous.
Her mother gave her a pointed look. "I suspect this has something to do with letting Mayor Dragmire partnere with Lorule Industries?"
Zelda almost laughed, in another time and place that would have been exactly what she was asking about, but this time her questions were more . . . personal.
She decided to get straight to the point. "What do you think of me?"
Though her mother was a woman of great tact and stoicism, even she could not help but appear caught off guard by her daughter's question. Her mother fumbled for a moment (a rare sight indeed) before collecting herself and answered, "Well, I see you as an independent, intelligent, upright woman who will always stand up for her beliefs."
Zelda pondered this for a moment, comparing it to the Yiga leader's words. "Lyla Lorule was always good at turning people into something they're not."
She searched her memories, looking for the moments when her mother had taught her something. Independence, intelligence, standing up for her beliefs . . . . she had been taught all things but . . . What are my beliefs? What do I personally believe in, something that my mother didn't?
She recalled a time early in her childhood when her mother had been particularly stern with her. Se had spied several homeless people huddling in the streets, their sad eyes driving her to divide up her expensive lunch among them and encourage them to meet with Eliza's mother (a humanitarian)
Her mother had dragged her away, scolding her profusely for wasting money on hopeless cases, but most of all .. . .
"Your kindness will be the death of you, Zelda. Having compassion for insignificant people is a weakness that your enemies will exploit."
Giving kindness freely was always a point of disagreement between her and her mother in Zelda's youth. She'd never thought it strange because she assumed that it was normal for mother's to tell their children that, but now that she had seen the world without looking through her mother's tinted lenses . . .
"Everything I am now you made me to be, mother, and I'm grateful for that, but you never let me choose to be anything for myself."
Lyla huffed frustratedly. "I was only trying to keep you from becoming something you would regret. I've tried my hardest to raise you to be a great woman- and I have!"
"Kindness, generosity, love! Were those all terrible attributes to have!?"
Her mother looked ready to reprimand her as she had done many times before, but Zelda wasn't a naive little girl anymore.
"You were trying to make me into you, but I'm not you and I never will be! You might be one of the most powerful people in Hyrule, but you lack kindness. And maybe in your eyes kindness is a weakness but to me it's a strength, and I will never let you take that away from me again."
Lyla's voice was dangerously quiet as she said, "I have done my best to keep you from them, from what you will become if you choose this path. But it seems that raising you on my own wasn't enough, you have too much of your mother in you."
Shock coursed through her as Lyla's words sank in. Her mother- the person she'd looked up to- aspired to be- wasn't her real mother. Now she knew what the Yiga leader meant- he'd been working with her mother his whole time, maybe even before she was born. Her entire life was a lie. How much was real and how much was machinated by the Yiga, and by extension, Dragmire? It was all she could do to keep herself from panicking.
She distantly observed her mother- no, Lyla, answer a phone call and turn away from her. Zelda's moment of reverie was interrupted as a young intern swung open the door in a frenzy, looking as though she'd ran here at a moment's notice, panting heavily and her hair disheveled.
Lyla whipped around to give the intern her signature look of disapproval for interrupting her and the intern flinched and addressed Zelda, avoiding eye contact.
"It's Milo, Miss Lorule, he wants to see you, says it's important."
It took Zelda a moment to respond, trying to come back to the present. "Yes . . . .yes, I'll come."
She followed the intern to Milo's office, her thoughts whirling about. When she entered the little office she was appalled to see the state of the room, Milo was usually so neat and organized. Papers were strewn across the room, the desk and filing cabinets overturned and his accordion lay in pieces scattered about the office.
The man in question was leaning on the window sill, looking outside. He made no move to acknowledge her and she stood there for a few moments contemplating wether to leave or not when he finally spoke up.
"I've waited a long time for you, you know."
She hesitated, unsure where he was going with this.
"From the very first time I laid eyes on you I knew I was in love with you."
He sighed, "But you were the untouchable Zelda Lorule, who scorned every man that tried to be with you. So I waited, bided my time, poured my heart and soul into my music.You became the source of my inspiration. I filled songs with the passion I felt for you, laced my words with love and dedication and yet . . . . "
If Zela wasn't so surprised she would've felt uncomfortable. Milo . . . loved her? When it came to their relationship as co-workers and friends, she had never given it a second glance.
"My words didn't reach your heart, you were oblivious to my affections. Every time you spoke to me, my heart ached with want for you! But alas, you have turned a blind eye, as though I was of the same caliber as all the other men before me."
He finally turned around to face her, his face filled with longing and hurt. "For years I have serenaded you in the shadows but no longer, I must know, Zelda, will you return my love for you?"
The woman in question was rendered speechless, what could she say? Milo was her friend, but she had never seen him in that light and never would, she just couldn't see it happening. And though his confession made her uncomfortable, she would honor their longtime friendship and try to break it gently to him.
"Milo," she began hesitantly, "You are a great person, who deserves someone just as great as you . . ." She could barely make herself continue when she saw the hope shining in his eyes.
"But that person will never be me. I'm not the right one for you, Milo. I could never return your feelings for me and I do care about you- but only as a friend."
He went still, his face betraying no emotion, only a brief moment of sorrow crossing his face. "I tried, Zelda." He said quietly. "I really did. I tried to save you."
Save her? From what? Though she tried to convince herself that these were merely the ramblings of a heartbroken man,she could not hide her growing sense of unease.
"You should have accepted my offer, you would've been free of them. They told me they would have spared you, I know it!"
He slumped forward as is exhausted, his eyes lifted and his blood-red agze seemed to look at and through her simultaneously. He let out a hollow laugh.
"You aren't even aware of their existence and yet you protect them."
Zelda felt as lost as she did when she was speaking with the yiga leader, what was he .. . . Suddenly a horrible thought made her blood run cold.
"If you will not be with me in life- I will have you in death!"
Countless Yiga suddenly poofed into existence in billowing clouds of smoke, paper talismans flying through the air. As they advanced on her, kunai and sickles in hand, all she could think was: Milo was a Yiga?
It was too much for her to comprehend. Was everyone in her life there for an ulterior motive? Milo, Link, her own mother- . . . was Eliza a fake friend too? Was she truly alone in this world. Her entire life a set-up by the Yiga? By Ganondorf Dragmire?
Lost in her hopelessness she sank to the ground, uncaring towards the outcome of the moment. She started when she felt a warm calloused hand grasp hers, pulling her off the floor, she looked up and gaped in surprise.
There stood Link, his face hard and unforgiving as he stood between her and the Yiga. The mask-wearing ninja backed up, if only for a second, at the sight of Link fiercely brandishing his kodachi.
He took their moment of hesitation and used it to cut through the Yiga in front of the door and drag her out of the office and back down the hallway. "Link." She breathed, trying to find the words.
A quick glance was the only acknowledgement she got before the Yiga started swarming out of every nook and cranny. He pulled out a gun from the holster at his hip and started firing at the Yiga closest to them, unfortunately the gun was knocked out of his hands by a kunai. He quickly unsheathed his kodachi again but there were too many of them and they both knew it.
As they were pressed up against a window, ten stories high, with all the exits blocked, red-clad ninja closing in on them Link turned to her and asked,
"Do you trust me?"
A thousand different responses flew through her head. You lied to me. You used me. You pretended to be my friend. Their every moment together was being replayed in her mind, her agonizing over whether they were genuine or not.
"Yes."
His eyes filled with something sharp and bright, only to disappear under the stoic mask of a Sheikah warrior, making her question whether she'd seen it at all. He simply said, "Good."
He then proceeded to pick her up and jump out the window. As they began free-falling, glass shards flying through the air, Zela being overwhelmed by sheer terror, one part of her mind was coherent enough to think: Nevermind, I don't trust him. He's a lunatic.
Link stuck two fingers into his mouth and whistled loudly over the sound of the roaring wind. For a moment, nothing happened as they continued falling, then, out of nowhere, a luminescent blue blur shot toward them, slicing through the air. They landed on it hard, with an audible thump.
Trying to process through her shock, she took in the sight of what they were standing on. It was a machine, made from a strange, smooth, earth colored metal, inlaid with glowing blue highlights. It was about six feet long and shaped like a Loftwing with its wings spread wide.
She gasped and clung tightly to Link as the fall to their deaths came to a sudden stop and they were lurched forward in the air.
"Plant your feet on the glider like I have, Zelda!" He shouted over the wind. "We're getting out of here before they catch us!"
She was about to ask how anyone could follow them when they were flying through the air on a gravity-defying glider, but Link chose that moment to make the glider speed up and they raced away from Lorule industries.
Zelda clung to Link's back, her muscles growing stiff from standing in the same position, trying to fight her overwhelming nausea as the scenery zipped by. They had been flying for at least a half hour and currently high above a small rural town by the edge of Death Mountain. She was fighting back the urge to vomit when Link said, "We're here."
They slowly descended, making their way toward the edge of town. They stopped, hovering a few feet above the air in front of a small military bunker the size of a large shed. She stumbled off the glider and ignored Link's hand to help her up as she regained her footing. She was still uncertain, she still didn't know what to think of Link.
He'd saved her from the Yiga (supposedly, a part of her mind whispered) but the truth is she hardly knew anything about him or the Sheikah and she couldn't begin to guess what their intentions toward her were. Still, she let him guide her inside the metal bunker, which contained little else besides a small kitchen, a toilet, and several boxes stacked against the walls.
"Wait here," he told her, "I don't know how closely we were followed; I need to double back and report to Impa. If someone knocks, don't let them in,"
She hated being left out, especially when it came to her own safety but she knew it was the safest option so she nodded. Then a thought occurred to her.
"Wait, how will I know if-"
"A true Sheikah knows how to get in one of our safehouses without the use of a door." He said, guessing her question.
As he turned around and went out the door she managed to choke out, "Be safe!"
He stiffened, as though he were surprised and he turned back slightly, offering her a warm smile. "You too." Then he was gone, locking the door shut behind him.
Time seemed to pass at a snail's pace, and she attempted to eat some of the rations left in the boxes in an attempt to distract herself. Though she regretted it now, as her stomach was churning and she felt bloated and nauseous.
She was currently sitting on the dusty floor, back against the wall. As she replayed her and Link's parting moment over and over in her head, she realized she wished she'd said something different. I need to apologize to him, really apologize to him. Regardless of his questionable background, he still saved my life, on multiple occasions. I'll give him the chance to explain himself, he deserves that much at least.
She then stiffened at the feeling of eyes on the back of her head. whipping around she saw a tall, blonde Sheikah woman standing behind, a mask covering the lower half of her face, adorned in the same dark blue suit with the eye symbol on it that she had first seen Link in. Zelda awkwardly stood up and brushed herself off, attempting to make up for the fact that she looked terrible.
"You are Zelda Lorule, correct?"
At Zelda's nod the Sheikah continued, "You are to be moved into protective custody immediately. Our chief, Impa, will explain everything to you once we safely reach the Sheikah base where you will meet."
This was going too fast for her. There were many questions that she wanted to ask but the first one that came to mind was, "Where is Link? He was protecting me from-"
The Sheikah interrupted, "You seem to be confused, allow me to explain."
"I am agent Hope Shields of the Sheikah. I'm your new bodyguard."
