Wow, it has taken ages to write this chapter. Again, it is a long one – about 8000 words, but I hope it makes everything less confusing. One day I will rewrite this properly and rein in my fingers – my imagination runs away with me a little too freely sometimes! Anyway, many thanks to my lovely reviewers La Generala and EmpKaylenatye. Thanks for the advice and encouragement. And I apologise in advance for the couple of swears in this chapter - not usually my style but it is rated T... :p
Chapter Seventeen – Realisation
(LINK'S POV)
I have sworn so many times over these last few days I fear that I have offended the ears of the gods. I can't help it though – every time I touch her I remember every reason why I am not supposed to behave this way, and every reason why I wish to. My hand reaches for hers when she walks by my side and even when I resist the need to touch her, our shoulders still brush - our step is in perfect unison. And when it happens, I know I cannot have her and the only thing I can do to release the tension in me is to swear. Not aloud, of course, I don't want to offend her, but I can say what I like in secret. So I have even learnt some ancient Hylian filthy words, which in some ways helps ease the tension in me.
Right now I am thinking of some of those insanely vile words. The reason – of course – is my beautiful princess. She walks at my side in silence but she is the one that reached for my hand. She is holding on so tightly, I think she feels that I might let go. Everything I know I am supposed to do is slipping away from me. If I am not careful, I am going to surrender to the battle my impulses are waging against my reason and just kiss her.
The gods know I am desperate to do so.
It doesn't help that she is unhappy either. Ever since that day in the shrine, she has withdrawn further and further into her shell and yet she clings more to me. Part of me is gratified - the other half of me is terrified of what will come of this deepening relationship. We are alone for the first time in what seems like a long time, Rheyan left early this morning, at the outskirts of Faron Province. There are trees all around us, and hopefully somewhere in this endless ocean of green, I will find Varjo and he can explain exactly what is going on with Zelda-I mean-The Princess (I can't forget that!) and whether or not she is the person I believe her to be.
"Link?"
Her voice disturbs my internal cursing and instantly lifts my spirits.
She smiles wanly at me. I don't know whether she intentionally presses closer to me or not, but it does not have the best of effects on me.
"Are you sure you believe in me?" She whispers.
"Of course I do." I try to reassure her by smiling, but my guess is, by the frown on her face, that she still doubts my word. I can hardly blame her – she has lost a lot of her confidence since we left the Zora's Domain three days ago. Rheyan told me of what happened between her and Ruto and how the Zora behaved towards her after the incident. She has lost more than her belief in herself – she has lost her faith in her father too.
"You have no need to lie, Link." She sighs. She stops and gazes up at me, her violet eyes filled with woe. It takes every ounce of willpower in my soul to remain still.
"I am not lying." I assure her. "There is a very good reason why I believe in you."
"What is that?" She still stares up at me making my blood rush around my body wildly and making more than a few curses rattle my mind.
"I-um…" Love you. I want to say. How wrong would it be for me to say those forbidden words? How terrible would it be if I did what I was longing to and pull her into my arms and kiss her passionately? I have to close my eyes and fight back this addiction and in doing so, I feel that I have lost a part of my soul again. "I have never had a reason to doubt you." I finish lamely.
I have disappointed her, I know, but what can I do? She frowns at me and shakes her head. "You have, Link. You have two reasons to doubt me, this I know. The first is I, and my laughable lack of ability; the second is my half-or-full sister, whichever she is. The Zora must have planted that seed of doubt in your mind, maybe you think that Priya really is the true heir to the Triforce, even if you do not acknowledge the fact."
"You are wrong, I know it's not true because I don't love Priya." Shit. Did I really just say that?
"W-what?" By the blush on her face and her stammering amazement I guess my thoughts finally escaped my bloody stupid mouth. "Link, did you just…?"
Crap. What do I do? I am still holding her hand too. Could this moment get any worse? I shake her hand from mine and see the confusion in her eyes. "Sorry, Princess, please…"
"NO." She snaps. "Link, do NOT call me "Princess". I am just Zelda – your friend, I do not want you to be formal with me. I just want you to tell me the truth. Please?" There is a good deal of hurt in her huge eyes lurking in amongst the confusion.
I cast a prayer to the gods for guidance – what the hell do I do now? If I tell her the truth I risk my very life, if I don't tell her – I risk losing her. Unfortunately, the gods must be very offended by my foul choice of language today and do not direct me. She stares up at me, angry because she is confused, I suppose, and suddenly I know I can't take this any more. I cannot stand this constant denial of myself - it is tearing my very soul apart. Maybe that is my answer from the gods.
"I don't know what the truth is, Princess…" She glares at me so I hastily add, 'Zelda' to the end of my little sentence. Even then I don't sound very convincing. I stare at her and wish I could admit to her that I love her – that is my sole reason for believing in her. I knew from the moment I saw her that I loved her, and why else would I if she was not the true Princess of Destiny? For a long moment she gazes up at me, she is trying to read what is on my mind and I counter by schooling my expression to one of deliberate blankness.
"Link, why can you not tell me the truth?" She asks finally. "Why do you have faith in me, even though the evidence is stacked up against me?"
"It just doesn't make sense." I reply, "The whole Priya thing. Why would my father have an affair with your mother, and run off with her, if she was already pregnant? I know he was a bit of a scoundrel but I know he would never do such a terrible thing as that." Whilst it is true that I didn't know my father very well, but I know enough of him to know that he was honourable. And running away with another man's pregnant wife is not an honourable thing to do.
"But Priya has visions."
"I don't know if she really does have visions or whether they are just dreams." I reply. "And it is only on the Zora's authority that we believe she knows magic. And there's one other thing…"
"What is that?"
"The Triforce. Ruto was insistent that I see if it appeared on her hand. There was no sign."
"But I do not have the sign either." Zelda holds her hand out to me and turns it over. She is right, I know, there is no sign of the Triforce on Zelda's hand. There never has been. Which is very confusing. Why would the King proclaim her as the 'Princess of Destiny – heir to the Triforce - if she was no such thing? And why do the Zora insist that the true heir is Priya? Are they right? Is Zelda a fraud? I feel my head aching as these thoughts run through my mind.
"Link?" Zelda's gentle voice prompts my thoughts to focus on her once again. She smiles slightly. "It is strange, I always resisted the thought that I was the heir to the Triforce – I hated the label it gave me. That was until it was suddenly taken away from me. When I realised that I was not the real heir, that is when I realised that I wanted the power. But it is not for the reason you would think."
She raises her hand to touch my face; the very motion makes my whole body quiver. "I wanted it because I wanted to mean something to you."
She what? I hope my facial expression is not horrified at this moment in time. A thousand and one reasons for how wrong this is spring to mind, but my whole being is focused on the gentle hint that she likes me. No matter how wrong it may be for my feelings to be reciprocated, it does not stop how I feel, nor am I so angelic that I can deny that I long for this.
"I am sorry I am a disappointment." She whispers and gently she kisses my cheek. She then rests her cheek against mine and sighs. "It is odd that I would miss something I always doubted I had."
"You always doubted?" I repeat the thought to myself. This still does not make sense.
"Yes. For as long as I can remember, I did not think I had the Triforce. It was only when I met you that I started to believe in myself. I began to imagine you could be right. I guess I was right after all." She murmurs, still her cheek is resting against mine. Her skin is so soft and fragrant it's a miracle I can still think straight(ish). Her hand moves from my shoulder and rests on my waist. If I wasn't blushing before, which I'm pretty sure I was, I am now. My whole body is burning up. I just hope she doesn't notice! "You always knew you had the Triforce of Courage, did you not?" She continues, in that same soft tone, which is honestly scrambling every thought in my mind. I don't think it's intentional but she is driving me mad. Her other hand presses against my chest, I can feel her smiling against my face. "I did not realise you had such a fast heartbeat, Link." She comments, and then chuckles softly. "How did you know you had the Triforce?"
"I always h-had the mark." I reply. I am surprised I managed to answer so credibly, even if my voice was a little high-pitched and quick. "Er, on m-my left ha-and." I jump as her other arm wraps around my neck. She sighs happily again.
"Yes, I know for I have seen it too." She says. "When you first came to the castle, when the guards pulled you forward, I saw a golden triangle on your left hand."
"I was scared." I admit.
"Scared, huh?" I can feel her smile again. She presses a little closer to me and rubs her cheek against mine. "Does the mark always appear when you are frightened?"
"Usually, f-for it is…is then that I n-need…um…Farore's…um… Farore's c-courage the most." I finish the sentence with a flurry. I make a small attempt to break free, not because I particularly want to, but because I am terrified of being caught with the Princess like this.
Zelda checks me by stroking the back of my head with her light fingers. I feel her smiling again. Her right hand clasps my left lightly as she whispers, "I guess that would mean that the mark should show on me when I am being smart, eh? Perhaps because I am not clever, it does not make an appearance. Anyway, you said once you were afraid of failure. Is that really the only thing that frightens you?"
"Er…haha… Well…" I stammer. It's getting increasingly difficult to piece together any coherent thoughts, she is rather distracting, "I…er…yes…fail…scared…"
What the hell was that piece of trite? Am I so smitten that I can't even make up a simple sentence? She must think I am a complete idiot. I know she does when she starts chuckling again.
"Ah, Link," She laughs, "You are so cute."
"Cute?" Whatever I had been expecting, it certainly was not that.
"Uh-huh. Very cute." She replies. She moves her head and gazes at me, a smile on her mouth. "Especially when you lie."
"…" My mouth opens in an attempt to make a defence to this allegation but she has completely immobilized my whole body apart from my senses. No thoughts pass through my mind but the pleasurable ones focused on her. Everything about her throws me into disarray. Her hand is still lightly clasped around mine.
"There is something that terrifies you more than failure, Link." She murmurs. There is a wicked gleam in her eyes that I have never seen before. "You are scared of me." She announces.
"B-but I…"
My sentence is cut short when she lifts my hand to my eyes and shows me the undeniable proof that I need Farore's courage the most when I am with her. The golden triangle that sleeps on my hand – the Triforce – glitters softly, outing my lie. She smiles sweetly at me, and glances at her hand. Suddenly I see a frown pass across her face.
"What? What is it?"
She stares at her hand for a while and then says, "I just had the strangest thought. I think I know why father said I was the Princess of Destiny."
"Oh, and why is that?"
"You." She smiles at my puzzlement, "Other people knew you had the Triforce, did they not? They must have. So think about it, my father hears that the heir to the Triforce of Courage has been born, the people start to fear the rise of Ganon again, for surely you would not be born with the mark of the gods if he was not preparing to return, but my father had no heir. When I am born two years later, the people must surely have sought a sign that the gods were with the Royal Family, and fearing losing their faith, he announces that I am the heir to the Triforce of Wisdom. Only three people witnessed my birth, yet it is well documented that when I was born, the Triforce shone more brightly than the sun that day. Nobody else saw that, yet everybody knows about it. Maybe that was deliberately published by my father to convince the masses."
"I suppose it is a possibility." I admit. It does seem like a reasonable explanation. The king might have announced Zelda to be the heir to the Triforce to save face with his people. But it doesn't explain everything. "But what about Priya?"
"Assuming she is my father or your father's daughter?" Zelda asks sharply. "If she is your father's daughter, then the Zora must be lying about her powers, for my mother was not of Hylian descent but a Catalian. If she is my sister, then I doubt my father knew either way if she was the true heir or not. Nor would he seek to discover the truth. If she is the true heir, then when the time comes, she will make it known. If not, she is safe enough in the Zora's domain. To be honest, even if my father knew the truth, he would probably want her to remain hidden there."
"What do you think, Princess?"
"I thought I had just told you?" She laughs.
"No, I mean – I thought you do not believe in the Triforce and the Gods."
"Oh that." She smiles at me, "I can hardly deny its existence when I see it so often on your hand, can I? I know I am a fool, but I am not that ignorant! I do not know about the gods, and I think even if I wanted their help, they would not help me after all the terrible things I have said about them and…Oh!" She jumps in surprise and gazes at her hand. She frowns for a long moment at her hand and then sighs. "Never mind, it was just a trick of the light." She laughs half-heartedly, "For a moment, I thought I saw a shadow on my hand again. I guess my mind is playing tricks on me…"
"Here, let me see!" I grab her hand rather unceremoniously and hold it before my eyes. There is nothing there. I cannot deny I am disappointed, I so desperately want to have my doubts disproved. Her words have made me feel more unsure about my beliefs. It seems like a plausible explanation. I gaze down at her and see the unhappiness is back in her beautiful eyes but as her gaze lifts to meet mine, I see something strange there. I see fear.
"Zelda?" I murmur her name but she is immobile, staring right through me, a slight frown in between her brows. Her grip on my hand tightens and her eyes close. The shadow of a tear trembles under her long eyelashes. I hate seeing her upset. I want to solve every problem in the world for her. I know I can fix things if she would just let me – if things were only different. If I were only anything but an ordinary man…
…I would not have stroked that tear away as I did. Nor would she have gasped in surprise as I raised her hand to my lips and held it there. I would not have ran my hand over her soft face and my finger would certainly not have rested on her lips as she attempted to remonstrate. I would have not felt my heart break as I kissed her forehead and whispered 'sorry' as she clung to me, holding my shirt tightly.
If I were anything but ordinary, I would beg her to marry me – run away and live forever together in happiness. I would forsake my world to be with her. I would travel to the depths of hell to make her smile. If only… if only I were not just a slave and she a Princess I would tell her why I will always have faith in her.
But I cannot change who I am, or who she is so I break away and gently move her hands from their resting place near my neck. "Come on, we need to keep moving."
She nods and smiles slightly at me, but I still see the confusion in her eyes. I wish I had the courage to ask her why she is hurt. She does not immediately follow me, and as I glance around to see if she is all right, I see that strange expression lurking in her eyes again. She is afraid.
Doesn't she realise I will protect her from all danger? Doesn't she know that I will give her my life if I have to?
She sees my eyes on her and she jumps in surprise and smiles a little too brightly. She skips to catch up to me.
It is twilight when we eventually find Faron Manor – Varjo's home. I feel like I have been wandering around in circles for hours. It was only after getting directions from a parrot (of all things!) that we were set on the right path. My feet are killing me. I can only imagine what the Princess is feeling right now. She is not used to so much physical exertion, but she has not made a single complaint. Even when she lost a shoe in a mud-hole, she only laughed and retrieved it.
She is resilient to say the least. Even now, as we gaze at the manor house from the massive metal gates, she does not complain that there is a distinct lack of life here. No welcoming lanterns light the windows. No servant potters around in the last light of the day. And no Varjo is here to greet us. It is strangely desolate. The only comment she makes is one wondering if Varjo has mistaken the day.
The dark house looks horrible in the fading light – so cold and inhospitable. I really don't want to get any closer to it; there is a strange aura about the place. But Varjo's letter in response to my correspondence sent via the World-Famous Sprinting Postman was that he would meet us here today. So where was he?
"You are scared." Zelda points out unhelpfully. She grins as I glare at her, completely throwing me out of my stride, "I know what to look for now." She comments and points at my hand. Sure enough, like a beacon, the Triforce on my hand glitters clearly in the darkness. Her laughter at my annoyance makes me smile too.
"I wish I knew some magic to hide that." I say.
"There is nothing wrong with being afraid." She replies in all seriousness. "I would be more worried if you did not get scared, Link." She shrugs, "I am always frightened and pathetic. I am afraid of the dark, of strangers, of public speaking, of water, of the future, for Hyrule – pretty much everything." She glances back at me, and smiles, "But when you are by my side I fear nothing. I know you will always be here to protect me and lend me your courage."
She turns around properly and bows, "And for that I thank you, my wonderful friend."
"What-what do you mean?"
"I mean that even when you are scared you go on anyway. Seeing you do that, makes me believe that I can go on, even when things seem hopeless. Even when I am at my lowest ebb, I find that I think of you and suddenly I find the strength to continue."
"I had no idea I was so influential." I laugh. She steps towards me and holds out her hands.
"You are very influential, Sir Link." She nods. "However, I have some advice for you – the next time you kiss my face, you should aim a little lower." She whispers with a decidedly naughty grin. I wonder if she has been secretly drinking today? There is no other way I can think of to explain her weird behavior. My mind has uttered every single curse word I have ever learnt and even then I am not cured. I don't think I can stop myself from kissing her anymore. She has to stand there smiling at me, her eyes lit up with excitement and happiness, doesn't she? Tempting me, as always, to be bad. I try telling myself that this is wrong, so very wrong, but I cannot stop my hands moving automatically towards her. Suddenly I don't care about the consequences anymore. I just want to have one, little moment with her. One moment of rewarding for all the sacrifices I have made to restrain myself.
I don't know whether to be pissed off or relieved when I hear a strange noise coming from inside the mansion.
"What was that?" Zelda whispers, as we break apart yet again. I was so close that time! A few more curses pass through my conscious mind.
I draw my sword and edge forward, making sure I stay in the shadows. That noise was not human. I squint into the darkness. In the growing night it is hard to see anything, but I can just about make out a group of shapes moving about in the overgrown shrubbery to the right. They are hunched over a small fire, giggling to themselves, chattering in a strange tongue. Their limbs are long and gnarled, their backs are hunched over even when they walk and their heads are strangely triangular. Their leathery black skin is painted with red and white swirls and lines.
I feel Zelda's body right behind me, "What are they?" She breathes. I glance at her and wonder if she is afraid. I gently pull her back into the shadows and hand her my bow and some arrows. It is the only weapon she is competent at using, I haven't had chance to teach her sword fighting yet. Not that I intend to let her fight if it comes to it. Still, it pays to be prepared.
"It's impossible." I murmur as I think back to all the bestiaries I have read and match the image to the one in my memory.
"What is?" Zelda checks the bowstring with a careless finger whilst watching me.
"They can't be…" Creatures of darkness can't be back in Hyrule, can they? I feel a sick feeling in my stomach and feel suddenly very incompetent. I don't think I am nearly strong enough, or prepared enough, to face this yet…
"Link?"
Again my thoughts are interrupted by her voice. I remember her words uttered only a few moments ago, she is confident because she believes in me. I can't let her down now, can I? I have faith in her, I have faith in the gods, but do I have faith in myself?
"I…I think they are Bokoblins." I explain, the sick feeling only intensifying as I spit the word out. In legends, these lesser creatures of darkness were always either summoned by their master, Ganon, or hired by him to be a vanguard for his invasion of Hyrule.
"Bokoblins?" She sounds like she has never heard the name before. I guess she probably hasn't, I mean, she doesn't even believe in the Legends of her own ancestors, so why would she be interested in the types of creatures they fought? "They look more like Bulblins to me but I could be wrong."
I look again and see that she is probably right, they are quite small creatures and look rather stupid. Bokoblins are apparently quite intelligent. So now I am amazed, breathless and panicking. Not really a good combination of emotions to go into battle with. Zelda smiles and whispers, "I did pay attention to some of my tutors, you know? Even if I did not believe them all of the time." She notches an arrow to her bow and gazes in the direction of the unsuspecting creatures. "I think I could hit them from here but it would be difficult to pick them off one by one once they were alerted to our presence. We might need to think up a different strategy."
"Um…aren't you scared?" I stammer. "They are not exactly kittens, you know?"
She smiles happily at me and shakes her head, "How can I be scared when I have my protector fighting right at my side? I cannot be frightened with you here, Link. I have every faith that you will be victorious. I thought I told you before, I steal your courage and use it myself."
I can only smile at this. "It is not just my courage you steal." I say, it was an almost unintentional slip-up, but it makes her chuckle. If she is relying on my courage, then I shall rely on her wisdom. "So, what do you suggest?"
I inch closer, treading carefully. My sword hand trembles slightly. I try to remember all the things I was taught back on outset – all the fighting techniques I learned. It sees a whole lifetime away now as I move forward. My left hand grips the hilt of my sword lightly and nearly my whole focus is on these beasts before me. Behind me, hiding in a tree (at least that is where she should be) Zelda is covering my back. The aim is to get them to come within range of her arrows and she will pick off the ones I don't get to first.
To be honest, I actually think I can deal with these myself. Unless the legends are false, or the heroes who went before me really were gods, Bulblins are notoriously weak and stupid creatures. There is about five of them in the group and they are oblivious to my presence as they dance around their fire. They are armed with clubs and little else. My main worry is that Zelda will lose her concentration and accidentally shoot me instead of these creatures.
I try not to think too deeply as I slide my feet forward, anxious to make as little noise as possible, but I cannot help but wonder how these foul beasts have escaped from the dark realm. The path to and from the dark realm has long since been sealed by the power of the sages, and to my knowledge, the sages are all still alive. Now let me think – there were originally six sages – light, shadow, forest, fire, spirit and water. Their spirits lived on in their descendants, lying dormant but still all-powerful, keeping those gates between the worlds closed. Something must have happened to open a fissure in the seal.
There is no other way that these creatures could have reappeared in Hyrule. The other weird thing is – what are they doing in Varjo's mansion grounds? And where is he? I hope he's not been captured…
I pause to gather my thoughts and try to rein my imagination in. There are five little creatures before me, I must first of all send them back to the darkness they came from, and then I can start worrying about why they are here. Anyway, it is my job to cleanse Hyrule of such fiends, so I shouldn't be too concerned. They are like hideous little demons – dancing around their pagan fire. My body shudders with involuntary revulsion as I watch them.
They have cut a few trees down to create a little clearing for themselves and are roasting some kind of boar over the fire. Nearby a couple more of the boar are tied to a tree, they seem to be dozing and are still wearing their full harness. The stench of them reminds me of a swamp, it makes me want to sneeze. They are on the far side of the camp. There is little breeze tonight, but I stop to check that I am still downwind of them. Judging by that terrible smell, gently buffeting my face, I am but it doesn't hurt to check.
I hold my sword behind my back as I get closer and crouch low – I don't want to catch a reflection of the fire and alert them to my presence. Their movements are erratic as they dance around, squealing and chattering, so it is difficult to know when to make my strike. They are still oblivious to my presence, but I want to make sure I have the best advantage when it comes to the battle.
Up close, I can see their sharp little teeth, and long, crooked fingers and beady eyes. Their bodies are gnarled and twisted and their voices eerie in the still of the night. Truly they are vile.
I take a deep breath and cast a prayer to Farore, for this is my first real battle, and I need her courage. My foe this time must be killed, not disarmed and if I lose, I will not be merely disappointing my spectators – I will lose everything I hold dear. Nevertheless, it is only five little beasts. After studying them from close up, I can see that their armour is scanty, their necks are long and thin – thus making them easy to snap and, from the looks of things, they lack any directional ability. Plus they seem slightly inebriated.
I see the look of shock on their faces and their squeals of surprise ring in my ears as I suddenly spring from the bushes. My sword is silver in the moonlight, but red in the light of the fire. My first foe is the easiest to kill. Taken unawares, my sword tears through his flesh with terrible ease. He chokes and screams and then falls.
Three of the remaining four charge at me, brandishing their clubs. In the confusion, I cannot see where the fourth has gone. My sword slices across the breast of one, it yelps and falls back. I feel a club smash onto my right shoulder. I have never before felt such pain. For a moment, my vision clouds over with red spots and I cannot breath. An arrow thuds into the ground to my left.
I had forgotten Zelda for a moment. Thank goodness I have her help… I slash my sword at one of the bulblins and it jumps back. All three are circling me now. They are like terriers harrying me. They attack then fall back in a pattern that prevents me from retaliating. It is impossible to determine which of them to target. Another arrow smashes into the earth, to my right this time. There is a clunk as my sword slams into one of their clubs. I try not to think of how much it would hurt if it had hit my head as intended. I wrestle the sword back from its lodging place in the thick wooden cudgel and slash at the bulblin's foot. I glance at the arrow. Something is a little strange about it… In the glimpse I had of it, the feathers looked black. I could have sworn I was issued with standard Cucco feathered arrows… I shove one of the bulblins back and glance back down at it. Come to think of it, the arrow is pointing the wrong way…oh Fu-
I look up and see, just in time, the fourth bulblin, standing a little way off – a black arrow notched to his bow, aiming directly at me. I dive to the left, slamming my body into one of the bulblins. We both fall. An arrow thuds into the ground behind me. The wind has been knocked out of me. I push against the bulblin under me, and fight to regain my footing. Its arms are wrapped around my neck, choking me. It takes every ounce of strength in me to prise it from off me.
I see its eyes alive with vile laugher as it looks up at me. These creatures know only one thing – darkness. They are bred to fight to the death. My sword lays a little way away from me, so I can only punch the fiend in the mouth. As I stagger to my knees, I feel a searing pain in my legs. There is an arrow lodged there. I wrench it out, without thinking and instantly my right thigh is washed in sticky warmth. I know it is my own blood. I don't know if I am screaming or not but as I try to stand, I find my legs have gone into shock and I can't move.
I feel like I am trapped in one of those awful nightmares – the one where you can't escape a terrible monster.
I feel another blow to my right arm, and another arrow hits home, this time in my left shoulder. I know I must stand up, and I desperately tell my body to, but it won't listen. But if I can't fight, I will not be able to protect her…
That is the medicine I need. I manage to stumble to my feet. I am pretty sure the vile words I can hear in my head are escaping to the outside world via my mouth, but I am also sure these fiends have no idea what I am screaming about. The archer is my main problem, I decide as I adopt a boxing stance. The two in close quarters are easy to fend off but that infernal rain of arrows is impossible to counter from this distance. I jump out of the way of an incoming blow, yelping in pain as I do, and I try to keep my balance as I land. A fresh wave of blood seeps down my leg. Quite honestly, I feel sick right now.
An arrow whistles by my ear. That…frigging archer…
Is staggering backwards?
W-what?
Another arrow flies right past me again. It slams into the bublin archer with a sickening thud. There is a flash of blinding light and the creature falls back, twitching. The other two pause to look at their comrade in apparent surprise.
Seeing their distraction, I take my chance and aim a left-hook to the one nearest to me. Considering the state I am in at the moment, it's a really good hit. I hit it squarely in the jaw and it is knocked back a pace. Its arms flail wildly and then there is another bolt of light and it flies backwards. Something hit it with amazing force. I watch in astonishment as it crashes to the ground and twitches.
And then there is an almighty crack.
I feel my eyes roll in their sockets and my head suddenly feels very heavy and so………hurt……the world goes mercifully black.
My vision is fuzzy when I open my eyes. My head aches terribly. Against such pain, I am useless… the red mists do not clear even when I close my eyes and my ears still ring. I can feel a strange tension in my jaw and slowly realise that my teeth are clenched tightly. It is very quiet apart from that ringing.
"Link?"
Is that me? I feel something touching my face, very softly, and I feel something wet splash on my face.
"Link, wake up…" The voice comes again, from very far away…
Am I… Link? I try to think but my head hurts so badly…I just want to stay here quietly for a while. I just want the flickering red light to die away and leave me in silent darkness. That voice mingles with the ringing in my ears furiously. I just want to be quiet…I…just want to…sleep…
"Oh God, Link…" The voice seems further away now. I am glad. I just want to be quiet. I feel sorry for the voice – it seems so sad. More water drips on to my face. If I had any strength in my body, I would wipe it away. It is irritating. I try to make a sound, to tell the voice to leave me but all I can hear is a faint moan coming from my lips.
"What do I do?" I hear her weep. Her voice is fading away. "Please – help me, I beg of you. Save him…please…I beg of you…gods of Hyrule" She is not talking to me? The ringing in my ears fades a little, but my head still aches. The red seems to be fading away into a strange pale blue colour…
I feel like a fire has been lit under my body. Pulsing through my body, this blue light gets stronger and stronger until it makes me cringe. I cannot look away because my eyes are already closed but when I jerk my head away, it doesn't hurt as badly as it did before. The world is silent… finally. The ringing in my ears gives way to the beating of my heart. I feel there is something resting against my chest. It is heavy but strangely comforting. It seems the warmth and strength is coming from this weight.
My eyes are slowly adjusting to the light; I can see strange shapes moving before me. My head lolls to one side again and out of the corner of my eye, I see a woman. She is gone by the time my mind forces my sluggish eyes to look back in that direction. The mist slowly disburses, taking with it the redness in my vision and my pain and fatigue.
"Open your eyes…" I hear a voice whisper as the last of that beautiful light slips into nothing. It is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard – so gentle and wise…
I don't know if I am merely obeying the voice or whether I open my eyes of my own volition but as I do, the memory of the last few moments flood back into my thoughts.
"Shit. Zelda?" I remember the bulblins and panic.
"Hey, there is no need to swear at me, Link." I hear the voice that invaded my subconscious mind before, how I didn't recognise it as my beloved Princess, I don't know. She seems to be… sat on me? I feel my body relaxing, good she is safe…and she is sat on me-oh crud. I struggle to move her, but if you've ever had somebody sit on you, you'll understand it is a lot easier said than done. Especially when the bad half of you is guiltily enjoying the experience and doesn't want to move at all. In the end, she stops my struggle by leaning over me and pinning my hands to the floor.
"I order you to remain still, Link." She says quite sternly.
"You order me?" I repeat blankly. Zelda has never once ordered me to do anything, what is up with her today? I glare at her but she only smiles gently back. Damn her for making my blood race around my body in this ridiculous fashion. Someone should tell her how inappropriate this is… I suppose I should, but somehow I can't bring myself to.
There is something hypnotic about her – the way her lips have curled into a rueful smile, the way her violet eyes dance with amusement, the way her shimmering hair falls all about us, like a veil. I cannot peel my eyes away from her. Her hands grip mine softly and she smiles.
"I thought you died." She whispers angrily.
"Sorry." I don't know why I am apologising, I didn't do anything wrong – I mean, it's not my fault I got clobbered, is it? Zelda seems to think I am to blame though.
"Don't ever do that to me again." She orders.
"I don't intend to." I reply, I can't help but laugh at her expression. She is so angry and bemused that she looks adorable. I don't think it's ever good to find an angry woman funny. I know it is definitely a bad move as she glares at me. Okay, so now it is time to change topics. I am definitely becoming too aware of the fact she is still sitting on me. This is not good…well it is but I shouldn't admit to that…I look around for some kind of conversation starter. It is almost impossible to think of anything other than this compromise I am in and how…
STOP IT, Link – you pervert!
…Bad thoughts, be gone! I repeat this mantra about twenty times until the impure thought that has just sullied my mind recedes a little. I take a deep breath and look around again. Surely I can think of something that will distract my attention. Hmmm, well how about why Zelda – the great unbeliever – was praying? No, that would upset her. I could ask her what happened to the bulblins I suppose. She would just tell me she shot them… I know the problem. I just want to ask her why she feels it necessary to sit on me. But I can't do that. Can I?
BAD LINK.
I repeat my mantra again, surely there is something I can talk about that won't lead to the question of why we are here in this position…
Her head is so close to me I can feel her soft breath on my face. Her hair tickles my neck as it spills over us and her eyes burn into my skin. I dare not look at her. Her grip tightens slightly and I glance at our hands.
Suddenly I sit up, pushing her away as I do. I grab her right hand and hold it to my eyes.
The mark – it is there!
Finally, I know the truth. She really is Zelda. The golden triangle is faint and fading, but it really is there. Our eyes meet and she grimaces. I release her hand and she immediately covers it with her left and she rubs it softly, as if smoothing the mark away. I have seen her do that so many times before – has she been lying to me all this time? Did she really know she had the Triforce? "Y-you have the mark-I mean-the Triforce after all?" Somehow, I just needed to ask to be sure.
She nods and flushes. "Does it hurt you?" She whispers as she lowers her gaze.
"Hurt? It hurts you?"
"I have never seen the mark before tonight, but I have felt it before…" She continues, still whispering. "I did not understand until I used its power to heal you what it was, Link. I did not know what else to do, so I prayed to the gods… and they told me to place my hand on your heart and feel our connection through your soul… and when I did, it was agony…and the mark scorched into my hand…"
"Princess?"
"Maybe it is their way of punishment – I have always doubted I was the bearer of the Triforce, but now I see that I really am the heir after all, the goddesses punish me for my disbelief." A large tear rolls down her cheek. Not good. "I – I am scared." She whispers. "I never believed…in any of this…but now I suppose it really is t-true…and now w-we really are in danger and I-I cannot…I cannot…"
"Oh Zelda." I whisper. I think I might have just crossed some kind of invisible line. I don't care anymore. She needs me, and that is all that matters in this world. I wrap my arms around her, and she buries her head into my shoulder. Her body wracked with violent sobs. I let her tears flow, even though it makes my shoulder uncomfortably wet and triggers my eyes to sting in sympathy. Of course, I will not cry. I hope. I kiss her hair, even as my hand entangles itself in it.
When her tears abate slightly, she raises her head and stares at me, just like she did earlier today. In the moonlight, I swear I have never seen any creature as beautiful and magical as her. Moonlight floods down on us from overhead, casting a bluish glow on her body, making her eyes glitter.
"You can do anything." I assure her. "You are Hyrule – you are the soul of this world. Nothing will ever defeat you…I won't let them…"
She frowns a little at my words, as she considers them and then she looks directly at me, "Link, will you promise to stay with me?"
"I promise I will always be with you." I answer in all sincerity. "Even if we are separated, I will be with you for all time. You are always with me."
"Am I?" She smiles at me, I'm glad to see it looks like she has recovered a little now. "How so?" She asks.
For a moment, I debate whether I should take this path or not – I know it is wrong and foolish but I think I will go insane if I keep denying myself. I have the feeling that even if I don't declare myself now, she will find out anyway. After all, she is learning how to gain the ears of the goddesses and they will tell her all about me if she asks. So I might as well go for broke.
"You are always in my thoughts and my heart." I answer gently. She is a little surprised by my words, but as I can feel the familiar glow of Farore's power pulsing in my left hand spurring me on, I guess I am doing the right thing. I raise my hand to her face and stroke the remains of her tears away. "Do you know why I always believed in you?" I ask.
She shakes her head and watches me in that stupidly expectant manner of hers. My hand slips to her chin and I gently tilt her head slightly, so I can better see her beautiful face. I can hear her breathing quicken as we gaze at each other. "I believe in you because I loved you from the moment our eyes met." I murmur. And then I lower my head and our lips meet for the first time. And as we kiss for that very first time, I feel that I am complete.
If I am not already convinced by my feelings that I have done the right thing, which I am for I have never, ever felt such elation before in my life, the smile on my beautiful Zelda's face tells me more than any words could.
"Link? I…" She whispers, her eyes still half closed, a grin plastered to her face. It probably matches the stupid big grin I can feel on my own face. I am just glad we are kneeling down, because I honestly don't think I could remain stood up right now. Not when I feel like I can fly.
I don't know what she wanted to say. I doubt if she knew either. I just respond to the pull I feel from her arms around my neck, and ever obedient to the wishes of my princess, our lips meet again in absolute, complete and blissful understanding of body and soul and I realise that nothing else really matters.
Yay, they've finally kissed and you finally know that Zelda is the real deal. But that still doesn't explain the Zora, Priya or Varjo, now does it? Maybe the next chapter will…
PS, please review! Even if it is to tell me to rewrite this terrible, rambling tale so that it makes sense! That's what I tell myself to do anyway...