Brutus stood at the gate, watching the princess.
"You know, no commoners ever come to the gate," said the guard, "the outer wall guards take care of them before they can get this far."
Zelda slumped, defeated, "Where could he possibly be?!" Her tone was urgent and hurt, "I watch for him in the windows and through the gate everyday, but not once have I caught a glimpse of him!"
"Hyrule Castle Town is quite large, the largest city in all of Hyrule. Surely he doesn't frequent the town square if he is a resident, especially if he is a student at a secondary school," Brutus sighed. "I don't think your parents, or Impa, would like to know how much time you put into looking for him."
The princess shot him a sour look, "Brutus! I'm sure they will never find out, right? Because if they do, I'll know just who told them. And that person would know how much trouble they would get in if they were to tell."
The guard's confidence faltered the slightest bit as he flicked his eyes towards the stained-glass window of the great hall.
"Brutus," murmured Zelda, "do you only guard the gate at night?"
"Erm, yes."
"Then why do you appear so drowsy in the daytime? It seems illogical that you would be sleepy after a full night's rest. No pun intended."
"Just, some things keep me up at night."
Zelda smiled. It was a knowing smile, like she knew Brutus's secret, whatever it was. "Now, Brutus, are you married?" The question seemed out of the ordinary, which thickened the princess's all-knowing look.
"No."
"But, why? You're quite dashing. You could have any woman you wanted. Surely you have a girlfriend."
Brutus took in a sharp breath, "No, I don't, princess." He didn't dare ask a reason for the questions.
"Then why are you so tired?"
Brutus paused at a loss for words. Just as he opened his mouth to answer, Impa walked through the castle doors.
"Zelda, there you are. Brutus," she nodded to him, acknowledging his existence. "What are you doing by the gate?"
The princess looked down, and bit her lip. It was now or never, she thought, "Well, Impa, I was thinking that for me to really understand my people, I should go and see what it is like to be like them." Impa began to speak, but the princess interrupted her, "Before you say anything, all I want to do is go out to a cafe, not a dirty one, nor an upper-scale one. Just a normal, regular, cafe."
"Still looking for him?" Impa looked down at Zelda, holding back a mocking smile.
"Impa!" Zelda scoffed, "I just want to understand my people!"
The Sheikah woman sent the princess a condescending stare.
The two arrived at a small cafe named Hi Hyrule! They took seats at the counter. Zelda sat quite a ways away from Impa, for she was disguised as a regular girl. If she were to sit with her nursemaid, it would blow her cover.
The shop's owner appeared from behind a door in the back, and walked straight up to Impa.
"Impa! Long time, no see. I thought taking care of the royal brat was a full-time job," teased the man. He was burly and hairy.
"Shut up, Gasto. She's not a brat, and she allows me breaks once in a while. Besides, it isn't even her who determines what I do, it is her parents," Impa rolled her eyes. "Now, are you going to take my order, or what?"
"Ah, yes. Well, I'm not. I'll get the new kid out from the back. He could use the training," Gasto laughed, and leaned in closer, "Actually, I'm trying to see if he'll get starstuck. I'm waiting to see him break his cool demeanor."
The man walked back into the door and was gone for a few minutes. A teenager appeared in the cafe's dining area. Zelda's eyes bulged. There he was, the brown haired, blue eyed boy who she saw both at the school, and at her party. It took everything she had not to scream at him to come over.
He walked right up to Impa, holding a notepad in his right hand, "May I take your order?"
"I'll just have some tea, thanks."
He scribbled something down on the notepad in messy handwriting, "What kind? We have special blends, flavored teas.."
"Just tell Gasto to fix up my usual."
"Of course. I'll have that out here right away."
As he moved onto Zelda, he whistled. Impa's sharp Sheikah ears caught onto the tune right away.
"Wait!" she snapped, grabbing his arm, "What's that song you're whistling."
"I-I don't know," sputtered the boy, "I just heard it somewhere. I can't remember where. Just.. somewhere."
Gasto burst in from the kitchen, seeing what all the commotion was all about, "Hey, hey! What's goin' on?!"
"You're lying, boy, I can smell it," sneered Impa, "Where did you hear that song."
"Just, somewhere! On the streets, maybe!" the boy put up an impressive fight against the Sheikah woman.
"I'm sorry, Gasto, but I'm going to have to take your new employee in for questioning."
The boy's eyes flared in panic. He looked not like a criminal about to be accused, but like someone with a secret about to be found out. Zelda observed his face. It looked so familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She thought that maybe it was because of seeing him at the school, but that didn't feel quite right.
Back at the castle, Impa sat the boy in a chair. "What's your name?"
"Link. Link Longrey," mumbled the boy. He looked up at her, taking in her reaction.
"Sounds familiar... Where do you live?"
"In a shack on the outskirts of Hyrule Castle Town."
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen, almost eighteen."
"All right then," said Impa, "I'm going to ask you one more time. Where did you hear that song?"
"I can't remember."
"Liar! Do you understand how important this is? Do you? No, of course you don't. That song is sacred to the royal family. Only the family and those extremely close to them are permitted to know it."
"I know that."
"And do you know that it can trigger mysterious things to happen? Open doors to places you should not go?"
"Yes."
Impa was baffled. This boy was so calm, so stoic. He refused to be broken. Something about him, something about his name, something about his face was so familiar.
"Where you at Zelda's birthday party?" The question seemed so out of the blue.
"Yes."
Perhaps that's where she knew him from. But he was wearing a mask, so there was no way Impa could have seen him. She was so confused.
"Uh... I'll be right back." She was at a loss for words as she scurried out of the interrogation room. She ran into Zelda as she closed the door.
"How did it go?" inquired the princess, her voice dripping curiosity.
"Well, it's not finished yet, but... My Goddesses, that boy is so familiar! I have this feeling, this tickling feeling at the back of my neck that I have seen him, known him, before. Not just a passing glance on the street, but this feeling that I knew him quite well..."
Zelda agreed, sharing her feelings with Impa. The two reentered the room.
"Hello," Zelda's voice was the ghost of a whisper.
"Hi."
"Um, could you tell me everything there is to know about you?" Zelda's words came out fast, rushing into each other.
Link looked at her, then smiled and said, "But you already know. Or have you forgotten?" He frowned, looking hurt, "I was afraid this would happen."
"No, no! I remember everything you told me at the party!" the princess tried hard to sound enthusiastic.
"I'm not talking about the party," Link's voice was a resentful growl, "You knew me once. We were friends, I would say. But then everything changed, went back to the way it was. Only you remembered. But I guess memories fade..."
"What on earth are you talking about?!" Impa yelled.
"Do you really want to know who I learned that song from?" hissed Link, "I heard it from you, Impa, Sage of the Shadow. You taught me that song in the inner courtyard of the castle. I stood there with Zelda after we'd talked, and then you escorted me out. You told me all about Zelda's Lullaby and what it could do!"
The two women were dazed. They had no recollection of this ever happening.
"Of course, this event came to never happen, because seven years after it, you,"-he looked to Zelda- "sent me back those years, back to my ten year old self, with nothing but my memories. You remembered me until I left for Termina. When I returned from saving them from the moon, you had no idea who I was. Nothing." Link slumped into his chair, looking like a grumpy kitten.
"I-I don't know what to say..." Impa's voice was soft, almost inaudible.
"I forgot you? But I just met you... I first saw you through a window in a schoolhouse..."
"No. You didn't. You first saw me in a dream you had, say, seven or eight years ago. A premonition. A vision of the future. You promised me you would never forget. Shows how much your really cared."
Zelda's eyes teared up. She was so confused. Here was this boy, this man she swore she had never seen before that day by the school, claiming that they had once been friends. So many emotions swirled inside her. Guilt, for forgetting him; anger, at him for claiming such erroneous things; sorrow, for she felt his pain; confusion, for she had no idea what was going on.
Impa took Zelda's hand, and looked into her eyes, "We'll get this straightened out, okay? Will you go and get your father? Please?"
The princess nodded, and rushed out of the room.