COUNTING STARS

Chapter 24: Partner

Saturday, December 15th

Worst winter break ever. And it's only been two days.

What do most kids do for this lovely time of the year? Play in the snow, go ice skating, drink hot cocoa, sit by the fire, celebrate the new year. What do we do, here in Castle Town?

We run from flesh-eating demons. And drink hot cocoa.

"It's so dreary today," Zelda laments in soft tones as we traverse a snowy rooftop under a gray sky. "A day without sunshine is like… a flower without its petals."

I glance at her, smirking at the little poetic musing she most likely intended to keep to herself. "A day without sunshine is like, night."

Zelda scowls. "Shut up."

Senseless quips, petty arguments, and sharp words—that is what our relationship has come to. The reason for that, of course, being the mutual reluctance for our required partnership.

I pull the hood of my white sweatshirt over my wild golden hair. Street clothes, I had decided, were more appropriate for a stealth mission, considering the entire city of demons is looking out for a vibrant green suit. Zelda's attire—white- and gray-striped turtleneck, knit hat and scarf, warm pants and boots—had sufficed as well, because no monsters seemed to have spotted us yet as we bicker along the rooftops.

"How long has it been? Three hours?" Zelda asks with a huff.

"Thirty-two minutes, actually."

She sneers at my smug look. "Traveling with you doesn't seem to make things go by any quicker," she mutters, "for whatever reason."

I snort. "Harsh. Sit tight, kiddo," comes my condescending reply. "It isn't much further to the castle."

As we near the next building, we cross into the Tri-District. There is a slight jump across the forthcoming alley, but catching onto the ladder should take us up to the next roof. Moving up toward the edge, I feel Zelda's glaring eyes on my back. "When we return," she says, moving past me to take lead, "we should not come back the same way."

"I know," I say, having already decided that myself. Smart of her to realize that we probably have left a trail for hungry monsters to follow.

In front of me, Zelda leaps across the edge, and I'm tempted to emit an alarmed gasp. But then I remember we're mad at each other. So I clamp my mouth shut, trying my hardest to avert my eyes from looking at her as she climbs the ladder. When she's high enough—which I notice after grudgingly failing to keep my eyes off her figure—I jump over the alley and cling onto the ladder, dutifully keeping my eyes locked straight-forward with the rungs.

When I clamber onto the roof, I see that Zelda has already traveled halfway across. "Hey," I call out, jogging to catch up.

She turns, stopping at the chimney. I start to speak when something streaking across the sky catches my attention. Looks like… an aeralfos!

Instincts kicking in, I rush toward Zelda. But upon having closed the distance, my foot slips in the snow, and, with everything but grace, I practically tackle her.

As I awkwardly lie on top of her, she opens her mouth to probably cuss me out, but I clamp my gloved hand over her lips and point skyward. Her eyes follow my gesture, and we watch the aeralfos soar past us. Thinking we're in the clear, I remove my hand from her mouth and begin to rise.

"Get down!" Zelda hisses, pulling me back into her. Our faces side by side, I slowly turn to look. The monster had swooped back around, but didn't seem to notice us in our makeshift camouflage, and banked off eastward.

"Coast is clear," I announce, just now feeling the tightness of Zelda's grip. She immediately lets go, and I scramble to my feet and help her up.

Zelda gazes at me with mixed emotions, seeming conflicted. "Did you have to body slam me?"

"Don't exaggerate. You seemed eager to pull me back down, anyway."

Zelda scowls, mouth falling agape. "E-eager to not get seen by the flying monster!"

"Right," I taunt, moving around her and continuing on along the rooftop.

"Your ego is sickening."

"As is your company," I fire back before I can stop myself.

Zelda opens her mouth to retort, but fails to find the words. With a petulant frown, she lifts her chin and averts her gaze as she continues walking.

I didn't mean saying that. Is she actually offended? In my defense, she had said something quite similar. Why is it that she can shamelessly insult me, but the second I fire back, she throws me into this petty guilt trip? I doubt she's truly hurt, anyway. That certainly wasn't my intention.

The next twenty minutes or so are spent in chagrined silence. Few monsters are seen, save the plenty that patrol the streets below and frighten the scarce civilians in these pre-curfew hours. The rooftops have begun to descend in height as we approach the looming castle, and upon the short four-story building closest to it, we stop.

This is only my second time seeing the castle up close. My head is nearly straight up when I try to locate the very top of its central tower. I look over at Zelda, hoping our silent trek gave her time to simmer down.

It didn't.

"What?" she snaps, noticing that I've turned her way.

It takes a substantial amount of willpower not to laugh. Staying silent, I simply shake my head and look back toward the castle.

Doing the same, Zelda intakes a sharp breath in attempts to calm herself.

I look at the castle, studying it, trying to learn its every little feature. Four big-ass walls. That's about it.

So, I sigh, turning. "That seems like enough for today. Time to head back."

Zelda whirls to face me, incredulity embedded in her countenance. "Enough?" she practically yells. "We barely started!"

I raise my eyebrows. "You really think breaking into Hyrule Castle right now is a good idea? They'll shoot us on sight."

"Who said anything about breaking in? We just go up to the front gates, explain everything, and they'll let us in."

"That sounded smarter in your head, didn't it?"

"I will throw you off this roof."

"Think about it, Zelda," I say, hands gesturing plainly outward. "We have zero physical proof that the goddesses told us the castle's most-protected treasure actually belongs to you. You really think they'll just hand it over to two teenagers?"

"You can show them your own Triforce, and your abilities. That's physical proof."

"Well, Hero happens to have those same abilities. Would it be smart to expose myself to the king?"

Zelda opens her mouth to argue some more, but then closes it.

"I suppose," I say after a moment, willing to compromise, "we should scope out a possible entry point." I turn to Zelda. "Look around. What do you notice?"

She hesitates, then swivels her head toward the castle once more. "Well… the gate is heavily guarded by Hylian knights. The monsters seem to fear them."

I follow her train of thought, confirming her analysis. Few creatures lurk near the thick wooden gates. That point of entry is safe from the beasts, but certainly not guards…

Zelda continues, her voice soft. "Plenty of monsters are clawing at the western wall, but no possible entry there. Sentries line the ledges and are posted within the barbicans…"

Any kind of aerial entry is out of the equation, then. But there is one final way—one that seems too stupid to even consider.

"The sewers."

Zelda turns, brows arisen. "…Excuse me?"

"We will go through the sewers."

Zelda simply stares at me with disgust and confusion, and I return the favor with a deadpan look. "What—I—How would you even know where you're going?" she asks.

"I have maps of the castle's interior," I answer steadily, certain of myself. "I'll find a map of the city's sewer system, and I'll line them up. We follow the maps, and then we can get in. It's foolproof, really."

"It's stupid, really," she says.

I roll my eyes, growing frustrated. "Are you serious? What other method can you think of, huh? Why won't you agree with me just this once?"

Zelda frowns. "I would agree with you, but then we'd both be stupid."

"Oh, and you're just so smart."

Zelda folds her arms over her chest, scowl intensifying. "My calculus teacher told me that my AP test scores are in the top three percentile in all of Hyrule, as a matter of fact."

"Our teachers aren't credible," I counter. "One of mine told me my chances of getting arrested are higher than my chances of graduating."

"Your teacher knows his stuff."

I scowl, peeved. This is turning childish. And it's testing my patience. "Look," I grunt. "You want to work with me, you follow my lead. I've been doing this for far too long to have my supposed 'partner' tell me my plan is stupid."

"Doing what—breaking into castles?" she says with acrid mockery. "Apologies, I didn't know you were an expert on the subject."

"Heists," I correct. "And my argument still stands."

Zelda huffs, her breath visibly wispy in the winter air. "Well, it doesn't, because we aren't partners. I need the Triforce, and you need me to get it, so the two of us are going to get it."

"I will Google the definition of partners for you."

Once again, I'm met with a glare.

"You've got it wrong anyway," I say with a dismissive wave of the hand. "What makes you think I need you to get your Triforce? As far as I'm concerned, it's only to get the goddesses off our backs."

Hands set firmly on her hips, Zelda gapes at me with evident disapproval. "Are you that thick-headed? Link, when will you realize that no matter how hard you try, you'll never be a superhero?" Her fists clenched, she steps toward me angrily. "Yuga is stronger than you. He can use magic. He has hundreds of monsters guarding him."

And he may posses the Triforce of Power, I add mentally, in spite of myself. Although I'm not entirely sure he does…

But Zelda isn't done; she stops a mere foot away, sending me a glare colder than the snowy sky. "What makes you think you can take all that on alone?"

I breathe in and out slowly. Then, steadily and quietly, I say, "Confidence, courage, and my wish to keep you out of harm."

I look back toward the castle, expecting the obvious There you go again, trying to dictate my own decisions! But, miraculously, the outburst doesn't come.

Zelda's anger had morphed to an expression I cannot decipher. It had softened, slightly, although mixed with confusion. Her lips are parted as if about to speak, but she says nothing.

Did my words have some effect on her? I can't imagine. And this is getting awkward. "I'm going to find a map of the sewers," I say abruptly, turning away to escape that familiar longing feeling I attain from looking at her. "Come with if you want."

So, I walk, and Zelda follows.

After that weird moment, the two of us had forgotten to take a different path as to not attract any trailing monsters. Fortunately, we hadn't run into any.

A quick Internet search from my FiPhone informed me that Castle Town's sewage plant was five blocks west and eight blocks south of Hyrule Castle. Following an hour-long trip by rooftop and a daunting cross of the street, we stand atop the plant's corporation office. The problem is, however, it's not exactly legal for a civilian to take a map of the sewer system, so we can't simply ask for it. And despite the city being under attack by a magical terrorist, people still need to use the restroom. Therefore, the plant is still running, meaning that there are workers here. Which makes sneaking in ten times harder.

But, in times of anarchy, crime isn't out of the picture.

"Here's the plan," I tell her, fumbling through my backpack for my Hero attire. "We're going to walk in through the front door and take it."

"Take it?" Zelda repeats.

I nod, throwing on my cap and black masquerade mask. "Can you, um, turn away?" I implore, holding up my forest-green jumpsuit in indication.

"Oh!" she practically yelps. "Yes."

As I change, making sure to leave a layer or two on to keep warm before throwing on my suit, I can't help but remember that one time I scared Zelda from walking in on her half-naked. A quiet chuckle escapes me. How honorable of her to turn away, now that the tables have turned.

"But why take it," chimes Zelda with her back to me, "when they'd just give it to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Zelda begins, choosing her words. "Since yesterday's Yuga incident, people have pretty much given up on the police. Everyone knows they're incapable, especially after that terrible massacre. But—can I turn around now?"

"Yeah," I say, having just tightened the belt around my pants.

Zelda turns and looks me up and down, blinks, then continues in neutral tones: "But… they haven't given up on you. Er, Hero, that is. So basically, if you walk in there and ask for the map, they'll be glad to give it to you. Just don't say you're going to use it to break into the castle."

I nod, realizing she's right. "I guess I tend to overcomplicate things."

Zelda looks away. "Perhaps."

"I'll need to get you a disguise," I tell her, and she sends me a questioning glance. "When this is all over, the police will be looking for me again. If they hear you were with me, they'll take you in for assisting me."

"You're right," says Zelda. She gestures down toward the plant. "You should just go in alone, then."

I frown. "No, Zelda—"

"Link, I'll be fine." There was no annoyance in her tone. She looks at me calmly, sincerity in her sea-green eyes.

I bite my lip. I want to show that I trust her, but I'm responsible for her safety; I can't help but worry. An aeralfos could see her on top of this roof, or some fire keese, or bokoblins could even climb their way up!

Zelda waits for my reply.

"Okay," I say reluctantly. I look around on the roof, trying to find any escape method for her if danger comes. Then, my eyes land on a hatch, its lock unset. "If any monsters come for you, you come inside through that hatch." I point to it, and Zelda nods. "The smartest fight is a fight you can avoid."

The smallest of smirks surfaces on her lips. "You're overcomplicating this."

"And you're under-complicating it," I counter. "I'll be back in five minutes."

With that, I leap down to the ground and land in an athletic roll, rising to my feet and turning toward the door.

I walk into the corporate office, and it looks like any other. No unpleasant smells, thankfully. I stand on the tile, taking in the surroundings. Flickering florescent lights, a fern in the corner, tile floors leading to a desk at the back wall. A young man stands behind it, wearing a simple polo and jeans. His skin is brown, his black hair is carefully groomed in a short, neat afro with an impressive hairline, and his eyebrows are set in a suspicious frown. "You need somethin'?" he asks, his ghetto drawl relaxed despite his guarded demeanor.

"Yeah," I say, walking forward. I observe more of the small office; the right wall consists of three large windows that showcase the plant itself, and I pry my eyes away in disgust. "I need—"

"A'ight, back up," the man says, picking up a shotgun from behind the desk. "Can't have no dudes wearin' masks in here. You ain't stickin' me up. Hell outta here."

I raise my hands in a pacifying gesture, eyebrows furrowed. "Do you… not know me?"

He pumps his shotgun. "I ain't need to."

Doing business with him will be a bit more difficult, then. I implore calmly, "Just hear me out—what's your name?" I locate the small nametag on his polo and read it aloud. "Coro?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, Coro. I'm Hero. I'm that guy that goes around fighting gangsters," I explain. Then, luckily, recognition flashes across his face, and I continue talking. "The cops don't like me, I'll admit, but it's mostly because they don't like other people doing their jobs for them."

"I don't like the police," says Coro, expressionless. "They shot my father thinking he was a thief. Turns out the real thug was a white bald dude from the M.O.D."

Sakon, I think to myself. This poor kid can't be older than twenty-two, and unaffiliated gang activity left his father dead. "I'm really sorry," I tell him sincerely. "I don't like the police either. The city's under attack and they're all in hiding like a bunch of cowards."

"Exactly," he says with a sour shake of the head. "They're leavin' us to fend for ourselves." He gestures with his shotgun for emphasis.

"That's what I'm for," I say, lifting my chin. "I'm going to take down Yuga, since nobody else will."

Coro nods. "I respec' that." Then, he tilts his head. "So what're you doin' at a sewage plant?"

I blink. "Oh." I pause, then say, "I, uh, I need a map of the sewer system. That will let me travel underground, which will help me against his army."

"I see."

"Do you know where I could find one?"

Disappointingly, he shakes his head. "Nah. The boss do. But he left me here alone 'cause he's too scared. I tell ya this ain't worth the minimum wage, but somebody's gotta take care of my momma and lil' siblings."

I nod, understanding, saddened by his difficult circumstances. "Is that his office?" I ask, pointing to a door near the desk.

"Yeah. Whatchoo finna do?"

I make my way toward the door. "Find it."

"Nah, man. Boss'll get mad at me," says Coro.

"You can tell him I robbed you."

"He'll ask me why I ain't use my shotgun."

"Tell him I had a bigger one."

The door is locked, and I sigh. This calls for more aggressive measures. Turning to the side, I ram my shoulder into its wooden surface. The door snaps off its hinges and falls flat on the floor with a loud thud.

I look toward Coro, who gazes at me with muted surprise. "Bro I got a key," he says, holding up the dangling metals.

I look back at my work, blinking. "Oh."

Inside the office, a filing cabinet stands in the back corner, and a large desk is at the middle, scattered papers and a computer on top of it. A projector hangs from the ceiling, displaying an image on the right wall; a closer inspection shows a complex network of tunnels, with color coding that indicate the current statuses. It is a live update of the city's entire sewer system.

"Found it," I announce, mostly to myself.

A quick picture on my FiPhone, and it's as easy as that. Perhaps Zelda was right; people will trust me, provided they know I'm fighting the good fight. With a resolute nod, I make my way to leave.

"Thank you," I say, stopping to meet Coro's steady gaze. "Stay safe. I'll get rid of these monsters soon enough."

He nods blandly. "A'ight."

As I turn away, an abrupt noise comes from up above; before I have time to register what is going on Zelda tumbles in through the hatch and lands beside me.

"Help!" she cries, and I look upward as I shield her with my body.

A green, scaly beast lands right atop me, pinning me to the floor with its weight, talons digging into my left shoulder. I cry out in pain, thrashing about.

It's a lizalfos, and a hungry one. It hisses menacingly, baring its daunting fangs, and reaches its arm up to strike.

Bang!

My ears ring, and the beast is sent tumbling off of me. Clutching at my bleeding shoulder, I turn to look. Its head was blown off, and the remains of the monster lie scattered about.

I turn my head, and Coro looks down at me, shotgun in hand. Smoke leaks out of the barrel as he lowers the weapon. "I don' like reptiles," he says, stone-faced.

"…Thank you, Coro," I breathe, chest still heaving. Coro gives a small nod.

Zelda, crouched behind me, looks at the beheaded behemoth with horrified relief.

Curfew had begun right when we arrived at the academy. Frightened, we had run up to my room before realizing that Zelda would not be able to return to her own dorm without being out in the open. When she'd voiced her concerns, I told her Sheik and I had a vacant couch, which was made available following Dark's... departure. At that point, I had grown quiet, and she understood, allowing me to have a moment.

"That was terrifying," says Zelda as she lies staring up at the ceiling. "I thought for sure nothing would attack me; it wasn't past curfew."

The day had been an emotional rollercoaster for Zelda, I could tell. The stupid arguments we shared, her sudden shift to a more decent human being, then the frightening experience she'd had on the rooftop—now, as she rests on the couch, she appears exhausted. Sitting in the chair beside her, I lean forward, brow creasing. "Don't forget that they are monsters, with no conscience."

Zelda exhales deeply, shutting her eyes. "Why is the world so cruel…?"

The question hangs in the air, for I find no possible answer to it.

The door suddenly bursts open, complete with a cacophony of bickering voices, and Zelda and I flinch, startled.

"Link? Zelda?"

Sheik squints at us from the doorway, confusion contorting his countenance. Behind him, looking on, are Pipit, Mido, Mikau, and Midna. Predictably, they all frown in shared befuddlement.

Pipit steps forward, leaning an arm against the door frame. "So…" he begins, eyes flicking between the two of us. "You guys bangin'?"

"Get out," Zelda and I snap at once. Narrowing my eyes, I begin to feel my face burn with heat. Undoubtedly, Zelda is feeling the same, but I will not bring myself to check. And I bet she is a little more angry and offended than embarrassed.

"But I live here," chimes Sheik.

"You can come in." Zelda waves her arm in a welcoming gesture. Then, she looks at everyone else. "So can the rest of you. Just not Pipit."

Staring at us like a sad puppy, Pipit watches as everyone files into the dorm, and the door is shut in front of him. As the group shares awkward looks in silence, Zelda stares down at the floor, arms crossed, fuming. After another brief moment, I sigh, slightly amused, then go for the door and open it. Face brightening, Pipit clasps his hands together, staring at me like a surprised child. I wave him in with a warning glare.

"Well," says Sheik, looking around at his comrades. "I think we should address the elephant in the room."

"You're right," says Pipit, nodding solemnly once he rejoins the group. He pauses, expression stern as we stare at him expectantly. "…I did get a haircut. You're not going crazy, don't worry."

"Shut up," drawls Mido, rolling his eyes.

Sheik ignores the interruption. "What I was trying to say… is that we know that you two are involved in this Yuga situation. Link, you especially—and now you've dragged Zelda into this, for some reason. You were both gone all day, and almost everyone is too terrified to leave their homes, even when it's not past curfew."

The rest of the posse has a frown on their faces, nodding along with Sheik's assertions. Midna, who'd been standing behind everyone, steps forward and chimes, "And we want to know what happened to Dark."

"What happened?" Mikau cries, incredulous. "You saw what everyone else saw! He turned into a demon! His whole body turned ink-black—his eyes turned neon red."

"And now he's Yuga's bitch," mutters Mido.

"He needs to be killed!"

"Stop!" I shout, and an abrupt silence settles into the room. A saddened scowl buried in my brow, I look between my frightened friends. "We will not kill Dark," I proclaim, tone fiercely serious. "He is my best friend."

Sheik crosses his arms, put off. "He killed thirty people in one day."

I blink, faltering. "He's more of an acquaintance."

Pipit scoffs, looking to everyone else. "Right, so, Dark dies."

"No," comes the firm rebuttal, though it didn't come from me. Everyone turns to Midna, slightly surprised by her interjection. "Did you not hear him?" she asks, pointing to me. "Dark's his best friend. He's one of my best friends. He's our friend! You guys think killing is the first option? How do you know that same Dark isn't trapped inside that demon?"

Nobody presses the matter, and with that, the argument concludes. Dark will live. And I'll bring him back to normal. Catching Midna's eye, I nod my silent thanks.

"So," I say, "can we talk about the reason for this meeting? And your sudden… bloodlust?"

"Yeah." Sheik nods. "Like I said, we know you two are involved somehow. And we aren't too thrilled about having a terrorist run our city."

"And how the castle hasn't brought in enough military force," Mikau adds with disdain. "Bunch of spineless cowards."

Zelda and I share a nervous look, but are careful not to reveal much.

"So we've decided to help you," Sheik concludes.

"Help us," I repeat, blinking. Oh, boy, just what I need. More people I care about wanting to be put in harm's way. I swear—these idiots want me to have another anxiety attack. I can already feel my heart rate start to increase. I look to Zelda for guidance, but she returns the same lost expression. She's got the easy job—staying quiet. Sighing, I decide to give them a vague answer: "When we're ready."

Predictably, they stare at me with blank faces. Mido asks blandly, "What does that mean?"

I swallow hard. "Zelda and I have things to do first, and—"

"What kind of things?" interrupts Pipit.

"You wouldn't understand—"

"So explain it," growls Sheik, his irritation surfacing. "We're tired of you falling back on that weak excuse."

Frankly, I'm tired of their meddling. Let me have my little secret life. Curiosity doesn't outweigh safety. But they're too dense to even fathom that!

I grit my teeth, and I tell him flatly, "No."

He'd thought he had me trapped in a corner; instead, now, he gazes at me with muted confusion. "Link—"

"If you want to help us—" I pause, sighing. "You can. Just not now. I'm not going to say why. But you all have to trust me when I say that it's too dangerous for regular teens to go try to fight demons."

"Regular teens," says Midna, crossing her arms. "Then what are you?"

Zelda and I share another look, and I shrug. "You'll see. I promise."

"Can I just say something?" Zelda says meekly. Everyone turns, surprised that she finally has spoken up. "…You all know that, um, Link and I weren't on good terms." The group nods, as Zelda and I deliberately avoid eye contact. "But, I can tell you all that Link is right, and he's telling the truth. Please, just be careful."

If the crew were not satisfied with my attempts for appeasement, they are now, thanks to Zelda. They look toward each other, with Midna taking a considerable gander at Sheik that did not go unnoticed by me, and search for more points to be made. None come forth.

"Then," says Sheik, "I guess we'll have another meeting in the future."

Mikau, Pipit, Midna, and Mido turn to leave. Mido glances back, meeting my eyes. "We just wanna help, bro."

I don't answer. No matter how short he is, Mido isn't a little kid, and I won't be dealing him the sympathy of one.

They leave, shutting the door, and I remain alone with the enigmatic half-siblings. As Sheik plops down onto his bed, I catch Zelda's eye and mouth the words: Thank you. Zelda nods, expressionless. Strictly business.

She is smart—beyond her years. Maybe Nayru picked the right one to bear Wisdom. I wish the goddesses had picked someone else, however. And that is not of jealousy, but of fear.

"I'm going to bed. I assume you two will be gone by the time I awake," Sheik announces, a detectable sourness in his words.

"It's six-thirty," I counter, but Sheik's stubborn ass is already pretending to snore.

"Do you think you gave a little too much away?" Zelda asks.

"About what?" I question, meeting her green eyes. "Hero?"

"Yeah."

I ponder that as we sit at a booth in the well-populated lounge. We'd come here after Sheik had surely fallen asleep, and the venture posed no threat because it was inside the boys' dorm building already. The attendants, I've noticed, are chattering nonstop about their supposed experiences with the new thugs of the streets, the massive army of monsters. Tall tales of tragic or heroic instances are heard all about, and I can't help but eavesdrop on a few that blatantly stretch the truth. "Well," I begin, turning my attention back to the blonde before me, "maybe. But something you said today really struck me."

"What was it?"

"You said I'll never be a hero. Basically, on my own, I'll never be enough." I pause, flicking my gaze away. "…And maybe you're right."

The faintest of emotions surfaces on her features. "Link, I didn't mean—"

"No, it's okay, really." I meet her gaze again. "I always have secretly doubted myself. So it's good to know someone who once thought highly of me doubts me too. And that's not a call for sympathy. It's a reality check, because I'm not invincible. I could use the extra help eventually, so I mean, I'm going to have to reveal my identity to them at some point."

Now the sadness in her eyes is clear, though bringing it forth was not a goal of mine. "…I don't think it would be a big deal," she says quietly, eyes on her glass of water.

"Probably not," I agree with a nod. "But them finding out now would make them want to meddle sooner. That's why I'd like to wait until we're ready for their meddling."

With a solemn nod, Zelda takes a sip from her water before saying, "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"Sewer swimming," I answer with a grin, and she cringes in disgust. "I lined up the maps. We'll enter at the Tri-District and travel from there."

"…Do we actually have to swim?"

"Zelda, there are walkways."

She frowns. "How would you know? Have you ever been in a sewer?"

"No," I say, bemused. "As much as you may think, I'm not actually a pile of shit."

"Groundbreaking discovery," she comments with a hint of a smirk.

A grin tugs at my cheeks. Progress, says the little voice in my heart. And, for once, my brain does not argue back. Logic and passion agreeing with each other? Unheard of. They're sworn enemies, always vying for dominance and celebrating or sulking when I side with one or the other.

I look back at Zelda, who had turned to quietly observe the commotion. That old, familiar feeling in my chest begins to creep forth, and I sigh hopelessly. Does she hate me? Or is there still some lingering feeling?

She turns and meets my eyes; I shift my gaze elsewhere. "Big day tomorrow," I say quietly.

Nodding in agreement, Zelda says nothing. Perhaps she's a little nervous about it, too. I mean, we're breaking into a castle.

Now if only I could find some sort of disguise for her to wear…