COUNTING STARS

Chapter 28: Seeker

Saturday, December 22nd

"Ow!"

"Sorry, sorry," Zelda says with a little laugh, threading the stitches through the deep wound in my back caused by that pesky aeralfos.

She accidentally pricks me with the needle once more, and I grimace.

"It's… okay. Thank you for helping."

I sit shirtless on Zelda's comfortable bed, bent forward with my elbows on my knees as she works diligently behind me. My bloody, torn-up shirt lies on the floor in her dorm's kitchen area, which I don't think I'd prefer putting back on. Maybe she has another shirt for me I can wear.

As she finishes up the second claw wound, Zelda chimes, "Remember that time you walked in on me half-naked?"

"I'm a dude—of course I do."

She pricks me again, on purpose this time. I flinch, and she laughs. "Well, we're even now."

I toss a smile over my shoulder. Since confessing my love to her and then our kiss that marked the end of our two-month separation, Zelda and I have practically reverted back to our old selves and picked up right where we'd left off. Granted, it's only been a couple hours since, but it simply feels natural to be back with her. By opening up with honesty, I've found that words now come much more easily, and with her I sincerely couldn't be happier.

"There," Zelda announces, letting go of my shoulder to admire her stitchwork. "All better. Now what was it that hurt you so bad?"

I turn to face her, swinging my legs up onto the bed to sit criss-cross. "An aeralfos' stupid talons. But that wasn't even the scariest thing in the park."

She raises an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? What was then?"

"A fire-breathing, lion-headed centaur."

She blinks in incredulity, then laughs.

"I'm serious! It's called a lynel. And when I killed that gigantic tub of fur, it fell on top of me and drooled all over my face."

Zelda's lips widen into a grin. "Well thank you for sacrificing your face to bring me this," she says, reaching down to the floor to pick up the harp, cradling it in her lap.

"It got me my Zelda back, so I'd even drink that monster drool if I absolutely had to."

She cringes in disgust, and I lean over to press a single kiss on her cheek.

"That's gross. But it wasn't the harp," she says matter-of-factly. "It was everything you said."

With a shrug, I tell her simply, "It was all true."

"I know it was." Smiling warmly at me, she places a hand on mine.

Then, turning her focus to the harp, she idly strums at the strings with one hand, running her fingers along its golden neck with the other. I notice her digits lingering on the neck's middle, and upon closer inspection I notice three small circular grooves there, as if they could fit some marbles or round stones within. Zelda seems to think nothing of it, still lightly strumming up and down on the strings and producing pleasant sounds.

"Do you know how to play it?"

Zelda quirks a brow, then shrugs, her eyes set on the instrument. "When I was young I learned one little tune on a traditional harp, so not a U-shaped, handheld one like this. It belonged to my mother—or, stepmother, I suppose." A little crinkle surfaces in her brow at the sensitive topic. Zelda loved her stepmother dearly and even thought her to be of blood relations, and she had had plenty of time to accept her parting with the world. But with the discovery that a stranger—Sheik's mother, Ms. Stryker—has actually been her true birth mother, hearing about her late stepmother must reopen fresh wounds.

Aiming to shift her mind's focus elsewhere, I ask her gently, "Could you play it for me?"

Zelda meets my eyes. "I suppose I could try."

I send her an encouraging smile to urge her on.

She furrows her brow, moving her hand to different areas to find the best placement, then pauses, breathing. Then, her expression goes calm, and she plucks the first string—a middle note. Then a higher note coupled with a lower note in slightly quicker succession. She repeats this motif once more, then changes it up for the third time: middle, higher, highest, higher, middle, lower, lowest. A simple tune, yet charming, almost hauntingly so.

She lowers the harp and meets my eyes, somewhat abashed. "It's not much, just a lullaby..."

I take her hand in mine, rubbing it with my thumb. "That was nice. I liked it."

She smiles, her eyes falling down to our connected hands. Suddenly, with a gasp, she pulls hers away from mine and stares at it in shock.

I pull back, horrified. "Zelda, what? Did I hurt you?"

Zelda gets off of the bed, distancing herself from me. She swallows, her gaze still trained on the back of her right hand, and shakes her head. "No, no, you didn't, I just—" She grimaces. "Look."

Zelda turns her hand, showing me the cause of her sudden distress: there, glowing on the pale skin, is the Triforce of Wisdom.

My eyes widen—the dream came true. All from a gesture of love, I got Zelda back, she got her power back, and I solved my dilemma. My lips break out into a smile, and I leap to my feet.

"Oh my gods," I murmur in wonder, gingerly taking her dainty hand again, holding it in my calloused fingers. "What happened—did it hurt?"

"It just…" Zelda shrugs. "It burned for a second, and now it's like nothing happened."

"It had to have been triggered by the harp."

With a frown, she says, "It didn't happen until I played that lullaby. There's nothing even special about it!"

"Maybe there is." I look back at the mysterious harp lying upon her comforter, then reach over and pick it up. "This thing is strange," I comment knowingly. "Maybe it was destiny that I went to get it for you; maybe it was put there by the gods."

She nods, but was only half-listening as she has been since entranced by the recovery of her birthright. "I feel… energized," she breathes, flexing her fingers as her gaze moves from the golden relic to my intrigued eyes. "Like, really energized."

"That happened to me when I first got my own." I pause. "Now for the ultimate test," I say, dropping the harp back onto the bed and placing my hands squarely on my hips. "Punch me."

"What?"

"Punch me," I repeat with an urging nod. "I can take it."

Confused, Zelda only frowns. "Link, I'm not going to punch you."

"Why not? Most people would love to." To that, she nods considerably, and I press on: "I just wanna see if—"

Zelda winds back and punches me straight in the chest. I only cough lightly, barely taking a step back.

I press my lips, squinting. "I thought I'd have more convincing to do."

Smirking, Zelda shakes out her hand, fighting a humored giggle. "I've wanted to do that."

"I bet. But I thought it would be stronger. I guess different Triforce pieces have different effects." I pause, folding my arms across my bare chest. "How unfair. You don't have to go through all that strength taming that I did!"

"Nayru is much more intelligence-based, of course."

"Well, so are you. It's a good fit."

Her eyes fall back to her hand, locked onto the Triforce as if it will disappear again if she looks elsewhere.

I gaze upon her, somewhat proudly, and yet somewhat sadly. A moment passes before I speak.

"Zelda."

"Hm?"

"I, um…" I stop, clearing my throat. "I can't help but feel guilty for dragging you into this."

Lowering her hand, Zelda sends me a sad smile. "I've told you, Link, I want this," she says, nodding reassuringly. "It's nice to feel important. And we're in this together, Mister Hero. I've got your back."

Although the guilt persists, I send her a relieved smile. But if I have had any doubts about our future endeavors in this dangerous city, her words have now washed them all away. It's her decision, to carry out this divine plan, and to be with me. And because of that it's my job to ensure her safety.

In the following hours since recovering her power, Zelda's initial shock has morphed to a sense of relief, accepting the big picture and the destiny that bearing the relic entails. And after deciding we would worry about our next move on the morrow—since the day had been physically draining to my physique and had been an emotional rollercoaster for the both of us—we made casual conversation for the remainder of the night until fatigue and weariness finally caught up to us.

I offered to return to my dorm if Zelda wanted me to, but she insisted I stay with her. And as a gentleman, I cannot turn down such a fair maiden's request.

After we both have settled in under the covers of the somewhat narrow bed, I wrap my arm around Zelda's waist and pull her close to my bare chest. With my other hand I gently begin to caress her golden locks, and she hums in approval.

Zelda and I have shared beds before, but never with such mutual care for one another—our feelings had always been somewhat a secret, though an obvious one at that. Never have I felt such bliss, holding the person I care for the deepest so close, the both of us so at peace.

I sigh contentedly, then murmur gently into her ear, "I love you, Zelda."

"I don't love you yet," she answers back in softly, rubbing her thumb against the skin of my hand on her waist.

Although her honesty stings a little, I understand that she needs some more time before she's ready to tell me something so monumental. "That's okay," I tell her. And I mean it.

I can't see her face, but I know she's smiling. "Have I told you you can stop playing with my hair?" she asks teasingly.

I emit a fake groan of protest, despite actually enjoying the feeling of her soft locks running along my rough fingers. I resume the act of stroking her blonde hair, and she melts into me peacefully. Soon enough, her body relaxes and her breathing steadies, and I realize she has fallen asleep.

I shut my eyes, but not before pinching myself to make sure this is not just one tantalizing dream. Confirming that I am indeed in real life, I smile to myself, feeling oh so lucky.

A quiet creaking noise alerts my ears, and I deliriously lift my head to check the source. The door is cracked, and poking her head inside is Karane, Zelda's roommate. We lock eyes.

Well this is awkward.

But then, taking me by the utmost surprise, Karane simply signals the OK-sign with her hand, smirking at me as she silently retreats back into the hall. I nod her my thanks before the door clicks shut.

With a contented sigh, I lie my head back down and drift off to sleep, dreaming of wonderful things.

Sunday, December 23rd

"Are you sure you should tell Mr. Lux about it?" asks Zelda, a look of concern in her eyes as we walk down the empty halls of the academy toward the east wing.

"He was right all along," I tell her with a shrug. "And he's weirdly knowledgeable about the Triforce and the legends and such. Might as well have all the help we can get."

"But if he tells my father, he would expel you!"

"That's the least of my worries right now."

As the two of us near his classroom, Zelda frowns. "How do you know he's even here?"

I tongue a tooth, unsure of that myself. "I'd be willing to bet. I walked in on him meditating here once, so maybe that's a regular thing."

We come upon his classroom, and sure enough, we make out his still form standing in the middle of the room through the dark window. I push open the door, and Zelda follows behind. Inside, the lights come on after sensing the sudden motion, and Rauru nearly jumps, startled.

"Oy! I thought I told you—" He cuts himself off, putting his spectacles up to his eyes. "Link, Zelda! Greetings. What brings you two here?"

With my left hand, I pry the glove off the other and drop it to the floor, then turn my bare right hand for him to see the glowing triangles on it. Catching on, Zelda raises her own hand to show him as well.

"I'm ready to kill Yuga and end this madness. You were right about me," comes my blunt confession, speaking almost ruefully. "I'm not a normal teenager. I'm Hero."

Rauru only looks at the two of us, a knowing twinkle in his eye, and somewhat of a smirk on his wrinkled lips. "I suspected as much."

Although I suspected he suspected, the news still surprises me. "How did you know?"

"The fact that you witnessed Yuga's killing of Dragmire, when Hero is well known for targeting gang members. That, among your terrible attempts at hiding your lies."

I bite my lip. "…Right."

Rauru's lips curl into a sad smile as he turns to the girl beside me. "Zelda, dear," he says. "Your father is a great friend of mine. I've known you since you were just a girl, and I always knew you would grow up to be special. I had just not expected it to be in this way." He looks between us, sighing. "I hope you both know your destiny requires you to brave many hardships in your near future. You are both risking your lives for the greater good."

Zelda steals a glance at me, and I return a reassuring look, finding her hand and linking it with mine.

"Anyway," the old man continues, "if you do indeed wish to defeat Yuga, there is a weapon I recommend you seek out—but only if you are who I believe you to be."

I frown. "Okay…?"

Rauru takes a step forward, losing the smirk and staring down at me with an ominous seriousness. "The Master Sword, Link. The blade of evil's bane."

Pausing to check if he's kidding, I nearly snort. "That doesn't exist."

At that, Rauru puts a hand to his face, disappointed. "Goddesses, Link… Have you learned nothing?"

"Just about."

"It exists, Link. Just like the Triforce and the legends and everything else you refuse to believe in."

"Like talking boats, gigantic fairies, and possessive masks, right?"

"Listen. Long ago, I was contacted by the gods in a dream," he tells us. "They appointed me as the seer of the blade—hence the meditation. They told me to wait for the reborn Hero of Legend, and to guide him toward the three pendants required to unlock the path to the Master Sword."

As I only stare at him with a dubious frown, Zelda asks, "Where are the pendants?"

"The gods believe it to be part of your tests of power, wisdom, and courage to find their specific locations. The only information on them I know is that one resides in Eldinburg, Lakeside, and Ordonia," he answers, nodding at me upon saying the last location.

My heart leaps. Ordonia. I get to return home. It's been almost three months—what will it be like?

"After you acquire each pendant," continues Rauru, "you will be granted permission to enter the Sacred Grove in Faronville. And there, you will find it waiting for you."

"The Master Sword," I muse in a low murmur, still suspicious. "And it's guaranteed to kill Yuga?"

Rauru neither gives a nod nor a shake of the head. "It is your best bet against such a formidable foe."

Wiggling eyebrows. Hands jammed in his pockets. Leaning toward me. "So."

I roll my eyes. "What."

Pipit grins. "You know what. I visited late last night to steal some of Sheik's food. Guess whose bed was empty?"

Sighing, folding my arms in exasperation, I find myself cornered. "I'm gonna guess mine."

"Uh-huh."

I lean against the kitchen counter in my dorm as Pipit excitedly invades my personal space and personal life. Bored, Sheik lies on the couch, texting.

No longer able to keep it in, Pipit states with certainty, "You slept with Zelda again."

I close my eyes, cringing. "No. I slept beside her. Again. And how did you even find out?"

He points behind him, and Sheik raises up a peace sign, eyes still glued to his phone. Oh, right. Malon helped give me advice on my whole Zelda dilemma. Malon tells Sheik everything. And as I found out recently, Sheik likes to blab out many of my secrets.

"You seem very ecstatic about this news," I grunt to the blonde boy, regarding his blasé demeanor.

Sheik smirks. "Yeah, I mean, congrats, but we all kinda knew this was gonna happen anyway, right? The genre of this story is romance after all."

I snort, amused. "What are you trying to say?"

He shrugs, still not meeting my eyes. "I dunno. I just think your relationship isn't as interesting as mine and Malon's."

"Oh, please. You're not even a canonical character."

Sheik stands up abruptly, pointing a finger at me and barking, "You take that back!"

I only chuckle, and then Pipit chimes, "Where is Zelda, anyway, Link?"

Ah, right. Why I came here in the first place. "Packing," I tell him flatly.

Pipit and Sheik both look at me with confusion winkling their brows. "For what?" Sheik asks.

"Our trip. I'm taking her across Hyrule to find three necklaces that will let me find a magic sword. So I need you guys and the resistance to protect the city while we're gone."

When I finish, I'm met with blank faces and open mouths. Then they both bust out in laughter.

"Okay," Pipit says once they've both calmed down, "I'm gonna pretend like you didn't say half of that. But did you say magic sword?"

I nod.

Sheik scoffs. "Link."

"What?"

"What good is a sword? Ever heard of these things called guns?"

I roll my eyes. "Look, I'm not gonna explain this to you. You'll see it when you see it. But I just need to know that I can trust you to protect the academy while we're gone."

"Of course you can," Pipit says with levelheaded assuredness. "How long until you're back?"

"Five days tops."

Sheik folds his arms, knitting his brows. "Well what happens if we get attacked?"

"You'll hold them off," I say, lacking any doubt in my tone. "Yuga doesn't know who I really am, so he has no incentive to attack the academy. And if you do get attacked it would only be a few hungry monsters."

As they nod in understanding, my confidence in them grows. Impa's training of the resistance has turned these ordinary goofs into a ragtag band of fighters.

There comes a knock on the door, and I head over to open it. Zelda stands in the doorway, dressed warmly in a white jacket and scarf, charcoal pants, and brown boots, and carrying a large backpack stuffed with other belongings for the trip. "Hey," she greets me with a smile.

"Hey." I shoulder my own pack, bend down slightly to kiss her, then look back at my two friends.

They stand side-by-side, grinning at us.

"Good luck, guys," I tell them.

"Bye," Zelda says to Pipit and her half-brother with an amused wave.

They tried to play it off earlier, but it appears that they're happy about us too.

Traveling by rooftop made it easier to evade the monsters within the city limits, but once we neared the border, the fortifications were strong. Wooden barricades complete with rugged watchtowers blocked off all the streets, and many aeralfos patrolled the skies above. After stealthily taking out the bokoblins on the nearby watchtowers—which were all equipped with monster horns used for an alarm—and shooting down some aggressive lizalfos and aeralfos, Zelda and I were able to climb the barricades and cross over the border into Deya, the small city just southeast of Castle Town. With Zelda's funds (as she stubbornly insisted), we rented a fuel-efficient Camry to hit the road with. The clerk at the rental office denied our request at first, since renting a car is not permitted under the age of twenty-one, but Zelda explained that we were Castle Town refugees that were trying to escape the monsters chasing after us. Zelda's begging and personable charm ultimately swayed the clerk to give in, but only if she agreed to pay five percent extra. Zelda thanked the man and agreed.

After the last fiasco of the two of us driving in a car together, in which I crashed once and almost crashed twice more, Zelda has deemed it best that she takes the wheel this time.

We've decided it to be most convenient to head immediately from Deya to Ordonia, to Lakeside, to Eldinburg, and finally to Faronville in that order. So after that adventurous loop around the isolated Castle Town, we will reenter the city through the Westcastle neighborhood, returning to the academy where we will make our final preparations before confronting Yuga.

"How much longer to Ordonia?" Zelda asks me after a half hour on the road.

"An hour at most," I reply pallidly, staring down at my lap.

Noticing the dullness in my tone, she sends me a curious glance. "What's wrong?"

I take in a breath, release. "I, uh… haven't been back home since I left for the academy."

"Wait, really?"

I nod. "Time just got away. It isn't easy balancing schoolwork with saving the world."

Zelda smirks. "Don't you have mostly C's and D's?"

"I never said I was doing it well," I counter with a simper.

I think back to my time back at Ordonia, the tiny, impoverished town in the southeastern reaches of Hyrule. The shack houses, the dirt roads, the small farms and ranches. The running water was always a bit dirty, and electricity was fickle, with power outages lasting for days at a time, even. I think of Talo, who has since moved to Lakeside, and of Ilia, with whom I hadn't parted on the greatest terms. After growing up with both of them in a blissful childhood, unforeseen circumstances have since forced us all to grow apart. Since my move, my life has changed dramatically for what I'd consider to be the better (as staying rooted in Ordonia wallowing over my uncle's passing might've driven me insane). And I don't know if I can look my old friends in the eyes knowing I turned my back on them.

An hour later, after exiting the freeway and traveling down several long and winding backroads, the wheels of our red Camry roll onto the gravelly dirt paths that make up the little town of Ordonia, kicking up dust in our wake. A wooden welcome sign with faded, black-painted letters stands off the side of the road. And after passing a few crop fields, the town in its entirety comes into view. Though the village is clearly impoverished, the clear evening sky paints the homes in wonderful colors, making it appear undeniably quaint compared to the dreary wintry scenery of the cities we've passed through to get here.

We pass the basketball court, and I direct her around a cluster of small homes to a row of four houses that are small, yet considerably larger. Upon seeing the biggest house, my chest squeezes with guilt. Mayor Bo's house—but more importantly, Ilia's. I guide Zelda past it to the house just next door, my childhood home.

Zelda stops the car in the driveway, and looks at me expectantly. I make no move to get out.

"…Link."

I meet her eyes, raising a brow. "Hm?"

"Is everything alright?" she asks, concerned.

"Yeah, it's just…" I pause; inhale, exhale. "I dunno. It's a lot to take in. Last time I was here I was mourning."

Zelda's hand reaches mine. "I understand. It must be hard with all the memories." She smiles sadly, looking at me with those beautiful eyes. "But hey, I'm here. Anything you'd want to talk about, I'd be glad to listen to."

I put my other hand atop hers, sandwiching it, sending her a small smile of my own. "Come on," I say. I open the door, stepping out into the familiar air of my hometown.

After leading Zelda up the two steps to the porch of the uninhabited brown house, I unlock the door and hold it open for her. She steps past me, and I follow her inside as she observes the living room and kitchen, an indecipherable twinkle in her eye as she mills about.

The air inside is stale, as was expected for being empty for months, yet its distinct smell of hay and pine brings forth within me an overbearing sense of nostalgia. I breathe it in, then flip on the lights, which flicker before steadily washing the room in yellow light. The kitchen straight ahead is complete with a refrigerator, a couple cupboards, and a small roundtable seating two. To the left, where Zelda currently stands, is the living room, where a single couch stands in front of an old-school television. A couple end tables hold picture frames of old memories with me and Rusl, but I do not dare to look at them. Zelda seems particularly interested in one of the frames near the TV, picking it up and looking down at it curiously.

I move over by her side, taking a peek at the picture. It's me and my childhood friends at Fado's ranch, our arms around each other, big grins on our faces. Ilia and I were about thirteen, while Talo was eleven. "Those are my friends," I explain, "Talo and Ilia."

Zelda puts it back down and smiles. "It's a little sad we had to steal you away from them," she says softly, and I'd have to agree. "Are they here?"

"Talo moved to Lakeside shortly after I left. But Ilia lives next door."

After a brief tour of the other unimportant rooms, and intentionally leaving out Rusl's room from said tour, I lead her upstairs to my bedroom. I push open the white door, preparing for an onslaught of memories. Inside, the deep-blue walls, the desk with the little ocarina and stuffed loftwing on it, the small white closet with all my basketball gear inside, and the double bed off in the corner all send me back to much simpler times. Times when all I had to worry about was goats, my uncle, and my two close friends—not gang lords. I sigh, and Zelda looks at me questioningly.

"Are you okay?"

I deflect her question with a chuckle, then turn to meet her pretty eyes. "It's just… It's weird, the full circle I made. I never thought I'd go to Castle Town and bring a girl like you back to my bedroom."

Zelda raises an eyebrow. "A girl like me?"

"Come on," I say with a small, abashed smile. "My friends all think there's no way I could end up dating someone like… you know."

A hint of a smile peeks its way onto her lips. "Someone like what?"

"You're gonna make me say it, aren't you?"

Zelda only gives a shrug-like gesture with her head, smile growing slightly.

I breathe, gazing down at her expectant eyes, searchingly. "Someone… as sweet as you, as cool as you… and of course someone as beautiful as you," I admit, grinning, "and I can stop whenever you want, or I'll just keep—"

She laughs, effectively cutting me off, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "You think I'm out of your league?"

I shrug. "My friends definitely do."

"You're a superhero, Link."

"Then take that away, and what's left?"

She narrows her eyes, but I still detect her amusement. "So now you're gonna make me say it."

I give a shrug. "It's only fair."

"Well, then." Folding her hands in front of her, Zelda looks down, briefly, before meeting my gaze once again. "Someone who's cool, dependable, sweet, and handsome, not to mention incredibly charming. And though a bit stupid sometimes, you make up for it with your bravery." She smiles, and I look down, my face suddenly warming. "Where's all this coming from, anyway?"

"I guess I'm just still in disbelief, you know? And I consider myself a very lucky guy to have you."

Zelda looks up at me innocently through her long lashes, a tiny smile playing at her lips, her expression otherwise unreadable.

A moment passes where we just stare into each other's eyes, before I once again break the silence and speak.

"Come on, I wanna show you something."

After an acrobatic climb out the window and up some footholds, we arrive on the rooftop, where I'd often spent my nights thinking. Zelda takes a seat beside me—her physique as she climbed up here, I noted, appearing increasingly nimble.

"The roof," she says in somewhat of a statement, somewhat of a question.

"Yeah, I uh…" My hand instinctively moves to the back of my neck, and I look up at the clear night sky. "I came up here all the time as a kid, and I thought you'd like it."

Zelda follows my gaze, leaning back into the shallow-angled shingles, humming her agreement. "I love it."

We spend a long time stargazing, holding hands and picking out constellations. Inevitably, though, the frustrating topic of duty brings us back into the larger focus.

"Where do you think that pendant could be?"

I meet her eyes, feeling suddenly deflated. "I don't know. I guess I'll have to… ask around." My throat goes dry upon uttering the words, and I stare at my feet in trepidation. Everyone I'll have to talk to will offer the condolences they never had the chance to give, reminding me of painful memories. I'll have to look my old life in the eye.

She touches my shoulder, gently, understanding. "Whatever this pendant is, it's divine. That means wherever it is could be dangerous." Zelda pauses, her expression growing serious. "Link, you have to try your best not to let your past memories cloud your judgement, okay? If someone has it, I'm sure even your neighbors would fight for a treasure from the gods."

I stare at her with wide eyes, realizing that she's right. I hadn't even considered that. Of course, divine treasures always bear some corrupting influence within their elegant craftsmanship. The harp itself nearly put me in a trance when I stared at it for too long. I shudder at the thought of losing control of my mind to a god's overbearing power.

I clear my throat. "Then we'll have to take it from them."

Zelda's arms wrap around me, pulling me into a warm embrace on this chilly winter night. Then, reverting the subject back to easier things to think about, she tells me softly, "I like this place."

I turn and raise an eyebrow at her. "How much did the mayor pay you to say that?"

"No, I'm serious. It's like a slightly poorer version of Westcastle."

Now both my eyebrows shoot up.

"Okay, much poorer version of Westcastle," she corrects with a little laugh. "It's nice, though. Small and simple."

"Well, that's the way my life was before."

Zelda's eyes glimmer hypnotically in the starlight. "Would you go back to it if you had the chance?"

I pause, then take both of her hands and lock them with mine, smiling as I stare into her eyes. "I wouldn't trade what I have now for the world."

Monday, December 24th

We awake a couple hours after dawn when the sunlight spilling through the window shades has gotten too bright to sleep through. I roll to the side of the bed, stretching out sore limbs and feeling abnormally cold. When I look over to Zelda, wadded up in a cocoon of covers, I emit an amused chuckle. Zelda sends me an apologetic glance, still groggy from her sleep.

A half hour later takes us to the kitchen, where I'd promised to make breakfast for the two of us. I sift through the contents of the fridge, blanching at long-spoiled goat milk and every other expired item inside. So instead of eating three-month old grub, I opt instead to make a meal of non-perishable foods, picking out a can of pumpkin soup from the cupboard.

"Sorry about the low-quality meal," I say, setting her bowl down in front of her before taking my seat. "I haven't gotten groceries for a few months."

Zelda smiles. "I love pumpkin soup. Thank you, Link." I find her smile to be quite contagious.

I excuse myself mid-meal to use the restroom, finding myself staring into my reflection in the mirror above the sink. Sighing, I dip my head down to wash my face, then look back up.

I leap out of my skin when I stare into Dark's eyes in the mirror.

Not demon Dark, just normal Dark. I look left and right, feel at the wall that holds the mirror, then squint at his grinning face in disbelief.

"Hey."

I point my finger at him, surprised to see that he doesn't point back. "What the hell are you?"

He makes an offended face. "What, so not only are you gonna neglect saving me, but now you're pretending like you don't know my name?"

"You're not real!" I forcefully whisper, jamming my finger against the glass. "You're in my head."

"Hm. Right. Well it would sure suck if you didn't find that pendant." Not-Dark sneers, and I glare at him. "It'd be even worse if you had to… kill for it."

My eyes widen in repulsion when, suddenly, a girlish scream sounds off in the kitchen. Zelda.

I whip my head toward the door, stealing a glance back at the mirror only to find that Dark's face is gone. I burst out into the hall and around the corner, where I see Zelda held at gunpoint by a small jittery man in aviators.

"What are you doing in the Gaiden household, ma'am?!" demands the uneven voice of Ordonia's lone police officer, Hanch.

Zelda's hands hang straight up in the air, eyes wide in fear. "I—"

"Hanch! Hanch!" I shout urgently, running into the kitchen. "It's okay, it's Link, she's with me!"

At my sudden outburst, Hanch turns the gun on me, his hand shaking quite a bit, then sighs in relief and lowers it. "Oh thank gods… This is a water gun I spray painted black."

Zelda's eyes flash to mine, and I release a heavy breath, chuckling nervously. She smiles, relaxing, then moves over to stand slightly behind me. "Hanch," I begin to the short man, "did you really have to break in and point a gun at her?"

"I—I—I'm sorry, Link, but you haven't been here in months and all the neighbors reported a car out front and…" Hanch sighs, dabbing at his abnormally large forehead with a handkerchief, then hangs his head. "Who am I kidding… I'm a pathetic policeman…"

I meet Zelda's gaze, and surprisingly, the girl he'd just wrongfully held at gunpoint seems to show sympathy for him. "No," I drawl out slowly in an obvious lie, as Hanch picks his head back up with hope. "You're just… doing your job." Albeit not well.

Hanch smiles. "I—yeah... Thank you." His eyes shift to Zelda. "And, I must apologize to you, Miss… Sorry, who are you?"

She waves it off. "It's okay, really. I'm Zelda, Link's—" A pause. We lock eyes. "—girlfriend," she finishes, and I smile.

Hanch intakes a shaky breath. "Ah… Well, I best be going…" He pauses at the door, then, looking back at me. "Shall I… spread word that you've moved back in?"

I wince at the very thought. "No, actually, Zelda and I are only staying for the day."

He nods. "Ah… okay."

Zelda nudges my arm, and I'm reminded of what I must do. "Oh, hey, Hanch?" I ask; he turns around. "Do you know where I could find a certain necklace, one with a very large, vibrant gem?"

Hanch blinks at me. "Uh… you don't mean the one Mayor Bo always wears, right?"

My stomach sinks. Mayor Bo. Ilia's father.

I gulp. "…No, probably another one, then. Never mind."

"I don't understand—what's the problem?"

"The mayor, Zelda. Ilia's father. He has the pendant."

"Ilia is the mayor's daughter?"

"Yes."

"That's perfect!" she exclaims.

I blink slowly, deadpan. "…Perfect?"

Zelda begins to pace back and forth in my bedroom, glancing over at me on my bed from time to time. "Look, you told me once—she used to like you, right?"

"Yeah."

"So here's the plan. Invite yourself over to her house for lunch," she says, gears turning, ignoring my raise of the eyebrows. "While you get close to her, you can find the pendant and try to take it."

I fold my hands. "You haven't addressed two big problems, though," I tell her. "One being that I don't want to 'get close to her' after parting on such bad terms, and two being the fact that Mayor Bo is more than likely wearing the pendant."

Hand moving up to her chin, Zelda furrows her eyebrows. "Well then we have two solutions. One, you suck it up. Two, I'll have to sneak in and snatch it from the mayor while he's asleep, so you need to keep Ilia occupied."

I flinch at the idea. Does Zelda not know how awkward it will be between me and her? Ilia probably thinks I hate her—I hadn't even had the decency to leave a text. And she probably hates me now. But it's not my fault I got so caught up in an incredibly complex and dangerous gang war!

I blink, refocusing, then frown. "Except how can we be sure the mayor will be asleep in the middle of the day?"

Zelda's eyes light up. "Good thing I brought these."

She tosses me a bottle of arbitrary sleeping pills, which are unmarked and unnamed because no free brand deals.

"Drugs? You want me to drug the mayor?" I look at her in disbelief.

Zelda only shrugs as if nothing's wrong. "They're harmless. Look, I'll grind a couple up into some powder, you'll slip it into his drink, and then it's bedtime." She bends down to rummage through her backpack, pulling out a familiar Sheikah ninja mask, then turns to smile at me. "And I'll take it from there."

Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom, I can tell, has influenced her thinking to become slightly insensitive. Not that she doesn't care, though. Nonetheless, having heard enough of this ludicrous plan, I rise to my feet and place my hands on her shoulders. "Zelda," I practically plead, "do you not understand what could happen to my friendships if your plan fails?"

Zelda's lips move to speak, but she stops, looking aside. I lower my arms to my side, and she meets my gaze again.

"Link, I understand you're reluctant to do all this, but it wasn't my plan." Zelda shows me the back of her hand, the Triforce emblem glowing abnormally bright. "It was Nayru's."

"Nayru's plan or not, it's still invasive and manipulative—"

Zelda holds up a hand, cutting me off. "Link, I know. But what are we here for? Your revenge, protecting our friends, saving Dark—or to go back to your old life?"

My eyes widen, and I look into hers with a surprised intensity. Like always, Zelda's right.

"Alright," I finally acquiesce. "Let's drug a mayor."

"You're back."

With an awkwardly vigorous nod to the girl in front of me, I tell her, "Yeah… But actually only for today."

Ilia folds her arms over her chest, narrowing a pair of shimmery eyes, confused among many other apparent emotions. "Why did you come back? I… thought you moved on."

We stand out in the driveway, where I'd previously lingered for almost a half hour just to get her to see me and then approach me. Behind her, I catch sight of Zelda peering through the window shades, making a face that impatiently shouts, Get on with it!

"Look, uh," I begin, fumbling for the right words, "can we talk over lunch?"

With uncertainty prevalent in her expression, Ilia hesitates, mouth opening slightly. "…Lunch," she parrots. "With you."

"A-and your father, if that's okay," I add meekly, a tense grin stretching my lips. "I've, uh, been dying to see him."

We share the single most uncomfortable moment of eye contact since that time I woke up with naked Dark in a dumpster. Then, miraculously, for some unknown reason, Ilia decides to agree.

"Fine. But just as a heads up, my dad's been acting weird lately. He might not be happy to see you."

Stomach sinking, I grit my teeth and inhale sharply. "Lucky for me I have a lot of experience in that area," I say, trying but failing to quell my nerves.

Acting weird, huh? Could the pendant's influence have corrupted the mayor's mind?

Following another short but unbearable exchange of jumbled words and poorly-constructed sentences, Ilia leads me to her house next door, but not before I send a pointed glare to the window shades of my house. A single thumbs up is sent back. I growl quietly to myself.

Inside, I remove my shoes in the entry room as Ilia calls out to her father, "Link is here for lunch!" A quiet grunt is thrown back in reply.

The home is larger than the rest of those in Ordonia, but still incomparable to the massive houses in suburban Westcastle, for example. The decor of the mayor's house emits a strong country vibe, with wood-panel walls and saloon-like cowhide furniture.

I fumble around in my jacket pocket for the plastic bag of crushed pills, in what might be the hundredth time I've checked to make sure I hadn't dropped it. Jumpy and mildly paranoid, I follow Ilia as she leads me into the living room.

"My dad's making beef stew, his favorite," she informs me, taking a seat on the couch. "Probably not the best time you could've picked to come over for a meal."

I sit on the chair off to the side, observing the room. A cow skull crowns the archway that leads to the entry room. A hung-up lasso and pictures of rodeos are displayed on the walls, and a banjo sits on one of the end tables.

"It's alright," I say, twiddling my thumbs.

"Why'd you leave?"

The abrupt bluntness of her question catches me off guard. I hesitate, reluctant to delve into my personal feelings. But for the mission's sake, it's important for me to reconnect with her, gain her trust again; yet still, I feel guilty for taking advantage of an old friend like this.

Sighing, I meet her expectant gaze. "I needed to move on."

Ilia remains quiet, prompting me to explain.

"I could've stayed put and wallowed my life away, or I could make something of myself."

"Like what?"

"Hm?"

"What are you making of yourself?"

It's a perfectly fair question, one that I don't exactly know the answer to that doesn't involve being a wanted vigilante. "I… I don't know," I admit. "But at least I'm getting the opportunity. I never wanted to be a rancher."

Looking down, Ilia sighs. "I understand. And I apologize for getting angry with you after hearing the news. I just wish you would've talked to me about it beforehand." She looks up, then, an innocent twinkle in her green eyes.

A strong feeling of nostalgia rushes forth as I think back to all the time we'd spent together as children and young teens, adventuring through the woods and messing with Talo. I don't feel good about using her like this; she genuinely thinks I'm here by my own volition, when I probably would've just avoided her if I didn't have a job to do.

Snapping me out of my self-induced guilt trip, Ilia asks, "Why did you come back?"

Briefly, straight ahead, I catch sight of a faint figure out the window, a deep blue shadow against the dim scene of daylight. I gulp. Ilia notices my hesitation, turning to follow my eyes, but I stop her by speaking. "You haven't heard about Castle Town?"

My question succeeded in bringing her attention away from the figure in the costume outside. She looks at me, frowning. "Not much news gets out here," Ilia reminds me. "Did something happen?"

"On second thought, if you haven't seen it you probably won't believe it."

A shrug. "Lay it on me."

I press my lips, pausing. I may as well try to leave out as many unbelievable factors as possible to try to make it believable.

"Okay… well. A terrorist took over the city with an enormous army and is holding everyone inside hostage. We—er… my friend and I—escaped and fled here."

Ilia only gives a blank stare. "…You were right. I don't believe it."

"That's fine, but that's all I'm gonna say—"

"Lunch is ready," announces the deep voice of the mayor from another room.

Ilia and I share a look, and the reluctance on her face begins to concern me. She leads me through a hallway and into the dining room, right next door to the kitchen.

Mayor Bo enters the room carrying a trio of bowls of stew, then stops upon laying eyes on me. His thin brows furrow into an unpleasant frown, the separated, tusk-resembling mustache on his upper lip curling up with his sneer. Around the bald, rotund man's thick neck is a silvery chain that dips below a cooking apron, where a considerable bulge protrudes in a round shape from the fabric. My face pales. The pendant.

His narrowed eyes never leave mine as he sets the bowls down at the rectangular dining table, one in front of three of the six seats. He then folds his arms, leaning back to look down at me.

"Well if it isn't the traitor, Link Gaiden."

As my mouth runs dry, Ilia rolls her eyes. "Dad, stop."

"Just makin' a little joke, Ilia," Mayor Bo says humorlessly. "So. How's life with the fat cats of Castle Town, boy?"

I swallow the lump in my throat. "It's… good."

He keeps staring at me, unimpressed.

"Dad, you forgot the beverages."

"I'll get 'em!" I volunteer eagerly, bounding into the kitchen before they have time to refuse.

Once there, I see the three small glasses of fresh goat milk, and I narrow my eyes in determination. Reaching into my pocket, I step forward and take out the plastic bag, carefully opening it up before dumping its contents into one of the glasses. Finding a spoon from the sink, I stir the sleep-sugar in, and it disappears into the milk.

My phone rings, and I answer it quickly. "What?"

"Good work," says Zelda's voice. "I'm watching you right now—don't look for me! Ilia's coming into the kitchen since you took so long. But hey, after the mayor chugs his milk, help Ilia drag him into his bedroom. I'll sneak in and steal it while you're off occupying her."

I hang up and whirl around to meet Ilia's leery gaze.

"Hey, sorry. I had to take that."

She nods, then bends down and picks up the milks. My eyes widen and I reach out to protest, but stop myself before I raise suspicions. I follow her into the dining room as she sets them down at our seats, and I realize with dread that I've forgotten which one I drugged.

A bead of sweat forms at my brow; my stomach drops. Oh dear. This is bad.

I gingerly take one of the glasses and move to my seat, at the opposite end of the table to the mayor, while Ilia sits to my left. "Smells delicious, Mayor Bo," I praise, looking down at the very unappetizing bowl of beef stew in front of me.

"That's Mayor Bo to you, boy."

I blink. "That's what I—"

"I am not entirely sure why you're here anyway, fat cat," he grunts as Ilia sends him an annoyed look. "You made my daughter very upset when you left."

I frown to myself. So the mayor is acting angry with me because of how I left things with his daughter. Huh. That seems like a very normal reaction for a father to have. Then that could mean… maybe the necklace he's wearing isn't one of the three divine pendants; maybe he isn't being corrupted at all, and he's just pissed that I made his daughter sad. Oh, no. He can't drink that milk! It's not right!

I finally look up to find an empty milk glass in front of the mayor, his snoring face buried in the bowl of beef stew. My jaw drops.

I completely lost track of which drink I drugged, and somehow it ended up in the right place.

Meeting Ilia's shocked face, I knowingly ask her, "D-did he fall asleep?"

"Yeah," she breathes. Then, taking me by surprise, she turns and smiles at me. "He hasn't slept in days! I think that's why he's been so grouchy lately—ever since he found that stupid necklace."

I cock an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's special about his necklace?"

She waves it off, shaking her head. "Oh, nothing really. It just has a really pretty green gem in it. He spends hours just looking at it and guards it with his life."

I blink. Oh. My doubts were wrong. That definitely sounds like a divine pendant. Stupid Link.

"Will you help me take him to his room?" she asks, pointing to the sad blob at the head of the table. "I don't think it'd be a good idea to let him drown in beef stew."

I get up, joining her. "That's the only way I wanna go out."

After lugging the heavy man up the stairs and onto his bed, I take the pendant out from under his apron and steal a glance at the mystical gem. Ilia turns to send me a look as I gaze longingly at the swirling emerald beauty trapped within the hard green walls of the jewel.

"You, too? What's the matter with you?" Ilia exclaims. "Put it down."

I realize where I am, then, and refocus. I do as she says, then follow her back down to the living room to stall while Zelda prepares to initiate her stealthy break-in.

It isn't five minutes of awkward, pointless conversation that we hear a creak in the floorboards from within the house. Ilia's head snaps in the direction of the noise. "What was that?"

"Probably your cat. Hey, uh, why don't you tell me what's been going on while I've been gone?"

"I don't have a cat," she says, looking at me like I'm a madman. "And I definitely heard something."

"The wind!" I shout, panicking.

Behind her, I catch the eye of the Sheikah-clothed ninja creeping silently down the hall. All I need to do is keep Ilia from looking back there.

"The wind?"

"Yes, wind is…" I gulp, hearing the utter stupidity of my words. "…very heavy on floorboards these days. You know. Global warming. Speaking of that is it getting hot in here?"

Just a little more time—Zelda's dark figure is almost out of sight… almost…

"Okay, you're acting crazy, and I swear I—" Ilia spins around, and her eyes widen in terror. The girl shrieks upon seeing the ninja in her house, and I also emit a girlish shriek to imply that I too am seeing the intruder just now.

Zelda darts down the hall toward the stairs to the mayor's room. Ilia grabs me, fear in her eyes as she cries, "He's going to my dad's room! Come on, we have to get him!"

I intake a sharp breath of reluctance through clenched teeth, then nod and follow after her. After intentionally tripping over a few steps to make Ilia wait for me and therefore buying Zelda some more time, we barge into the mayor's bedroom, where we just catch sight of the intruder leaping out the large window.

"He's getting away!" I shout with staged enthusiasm, watching as Zelda darts into the woods.

Ilia rushes to her father's side. "He's fine—but oh, the necklace is gone!"

I move beside her, looking down at the results of our successful mission. I fight a grin, genuinely proud of Zelda. She will certainly help in all future heists and missions we'll be going about.

A half hour later finds me and Ilia in the driveway speaking to Hanch, the heroic protector of Ordonia himself. After she called him over the modest little cop arrived on the scene upon his trusty steed, the one and only police donkey.

When he's been filled in on the details of the incident, Hanch scoffs and asks in disbelief, "Who would rob the mayor's house in broad daylight?"

Ilia blinks. "That's… kinda why I called you here, um, officer."

"Say, Link…" begins the timid cop, "didn't you ask about a necklace this morning...?"

"What? No."

"Oh… Never mind, then."

I turn upon hearing footsteps quickly approaching, my eyes landing on Zelda, dressed normally and wearing a look of concern on her face.

"Hey, I heard the house was robbed. Is everyone alright?"

Ilia glances at me. "Who's this?"

"This is Zelda, my—" A pause. We lock eyes. "—girlfriend."

Zelda smiles at my old friend politely, then looks up at me and offers a little wink. I grin.

"Good work, Harkinian."

"Likewise, Gaiden. Cute scream back there."

I send her a glare, to which she giggles. "Look, I had to. I can't just not react to a burglar. That'd be suspicious, and Hanch would've caught me."

"I highly doubt he would have." She smiles over at me, stealing a glance here and there while keeping her focus on the road as she drives.

I hold the harp in my lap, running my fingers along its satisfyingly-smooth surface, sighing. "Zelda, I feel guilty for using my friend like that."

Zelda's eyes sadden, and she reaches over to find my hand on the car's console. "I know. And I'm sorry you had to do that. But my Triforce, it… it gave me a plan, and I ran with it. And look, it worked flawlessly."

"You're right," I say, impressed. "It did."

This mission did happen to seem decently easy. Something tells me, however, that getting the next two pendants will not be as much of a cakewalk.

"I can see why the mayor was so obsessed with this pendant," says Zelda, removing it from her pocket and dangling it out in front of her. "It's pretty."

"Don't put it on," I tell her sternly. "It did some weird things to Mayor Bo. And I'm willing to bet the other pendants have similar effects on people."

She nods, handing the necklace over to me. I pry my eyes away, ignoring the urge to get lost in its sea of ethereal emerald. Instead, I keep my focus on Zelda's harp, reveling in the feel of its smoothness.

Then, once again, my thumb traces along the three round indents at the base of the U-shaped instrument's neck. An idea forming in my head, I look between the pendant and the little grooves. Same size, same shape. Hmm.

I take the pendant and fit it into the first groove, hearing an audible snap in response. Immediately, the silvery chain begins to glow white, then disappears, and the emerald gem is left within the golden harp.

My eyes widen. "Zelda, I figured it out!" I turn the instrument toward her to show what I'd just done.

Zelda's smile drops. "Nice job, genius. You broke it."

"No, no—the pendants go inside the harp," I explain, showing her the two remaining indents for the two remaining pendants. "Then we use the harp to unlock the way to the Master Sword."

"That makes sense," she comments as we enter onto the northbound freeway toward Lakeside. "Hey, um, how was it?"

"How was what?"

Zelda's eyes meet mine, looking curious yet concerned. "Revisiting your hometown."

"Oh." I shrug. "It was good, I think. Going back made me realize how much I cherish my new life," I respond, gazing over at her lovingly. "I think I'm finally ready to move on from Ordonia for good. And you being there made it ten times better."

Zelda turns to send me a meaningful smile, visibly touched. "Well I'm glad."

Although I miss certain things, certain people from my old life without a doubt, it's important to realize that I'm never getting them back. Or in my friends' cases, never going back to how things were. Accepting that is the first step to moving on.

And when I look into Zelda's eyes, as we are about to brave phase two of our quest to free Castle Town, I know that moving on was the best decision I could've made.