They found Saria and told her they were going to take a cab home; she could drive Zelda's car over and pick up her own.
"What happened?" she asked, staring. She could see that Zelda was pale, and Link looked irritated. "Did you guys almost vanish? Already?"
She reached out and grabbed at them, hugging them both tightly. They stood in a silent group like that for a few minutes.
"You guys sure you wanna leave so soon?"
"There are some things I want to take care of before we go back," Zelda explained.
Link looked at Saria. "I'm afraid I won't be coming back to stay with you for a while. In case…"
She nodded. "Should I bring over your clothes?"
"Ah, the old ones, if you can. Especially my belt."
Saria smiled and wiped at her tears. "Okay. I will." She hugged him again, and he gave her a little squeeze.
"I'm glad you're my friend here and there," he said in her ear. "Thank you."
He set her down, and Zelda hugged her as well. "I'm transferring my car title to you. Insurance is paid up for the year."
"What? Zelda, that's too much! No!"
Zelda smiled. "Don't worry about it. Sell your old car for a little extra cash, once we're gone."
Saria was bursting into tears all over again, and Zelda stroked her hair. "Come now. It's okay."
She walked with them to the hallway before the door. "I…I guess this is the way things should be, shouldn't they? You guys were never meant to be here at all."
"No, we weren't," Zelda confirmed.
"But I'm glad you were. I really have missed you terribly since you moved away, the other you, and even if you aren't the right ones, I'm glad I got to have some fun with you, in the end."
Link turned suddenly, seeing Ruto and Denno.
"You're going," Ruto stated, not really asking.
"So soon?" Denno added.
"Yes, unfortunately."
Denno eyed them, and sighed. "Y'know, it'll be a damn shame not having you guys around, even if you aren't actually them."
Link raised his eyebrows, and Denno chuckled. "Yeah, I knew. I just figured if you weren't going to say anything, I wouldn't."
He held out one hand to Link, and they shook.
"Hopefully this won't be the last time we run into each other."
"I certainly hope not."
Zelda hugged Ruto, despite that she was sweaty.
"What are you guys going to do?" Ruto asked.
"Can't say; but I still have a lot of things to take care of before I go."
Ruto nodded, and glanced towards Link. Zelda sighed and touched her arm. "Look… whatever bad blood there is between us, let's not separate on a bad note."
"Then…" Ruto started, and she pulled away, turning to Link. It surprised him when she grabbed him and kissed him deeply. Denno turned away and put his hands in his pockets, rather embarrassed.
Link broke away quickly. "Okay, okay—that's enough." Ruto punched him in the shoulder, the tears standing out in her eyes.
"You son of a bitch, leaving me for her again."
"Ruto, that's not fair. I was never with you, or her."
"But… if you stayed, you could've been."
Link stepped back and took Ruto's hand in his own, squeezing it. "We can't stay."
Zelda touched Link's shoulder. "Come on."
They returned to her apartment, and Zelda looked towards Link as she took the clips out of her hair. "I've got some things I'll need to take care of in the morning, would…?"
"I should probably go with you," he sort of interrupted. "In case…"
She smiled at him.
"What was the memory?" she asked, after a pause.
"Um… heard a similar song to what was playing, in a different time. It was me and Ruto."
"He was always her preferred DJ," she said, shrugging.
"But you were there."
"I was?"
He nodded.
Zelda ran her fingers through her hair and gave it a toss. "Well. Should probably go to bed, I think. Some things to do in the morning."
"Yes, you mentioned that."
They looked at each other.
"Are you nervous?" he murmured.
"Yes. What if it doesn't work, is my biggest worry."
He nodded again.
She turned and headed towards her bedroom, pausing on her way. "Link, will you be able to sleep right away?"
"I don't know that I will."
"Let me get changed," she replied.
When she had finished pulling on, she came back out to the living room and sat down on the couch with him.
"What else needs to be done?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
"Well, I have to find someone who can rent this apartment at a moment's notice, figure out what to do with my accounts... I don't have much, but—
"Give it all to Saria."
Zelda looked at him in surprise. "You think so?"
He shrugged. "Just don't tell her. Is there a way to set up some sort of trust where she would get the money after we are gone?"
She frowned, mulling it over. "I could talk to one of my law professors; we'd have to situate something where once they know I'm gone, they would contact her. Like a dead man's switch."
"What is that?"
Zelda gestured. "It's any mechanism or device wherein if the creator or holder or whatever, doesn't perform a certain action by a certain time, something activates. It can be as big as a bomb going off when a trigger is no longer depressed, or … something…" She trailed off and stood, turning and looking at the desk where her books and papers were still set up, along with a thin plastic object that to Link, resembled a book.
"An email," she muttered, walking quickly over and touching the computer. Link stood up to watch her.
"A what?"
Zelda was silent, ignoring Link's question. "Yes, maybe if I have to send some sort of email every night, even just one quick line, then the night that I don't, she would know to drop off the lease and banking information…" She nodded. "Yes. I think that is just what I will do. Alright."
She turned and looked at Link. "Well." And she fell silent.
Link waited expectantly, looking at her.
They looked at each other for a few minutes, as if waiting for the other to say something. Zelda broke her gaze first, looking out the window at the orange night sky and the towering buildings.
"You'll be able to see the stars at home," Link said, noticing her gaze. "And on full moon nights in winter, you'll be able to see for miles, with the reflection off the snow. It's almost like daylight."
She approached the window, and he went to stand next to her, and they looked out over the city. Zelda closed her eyes, and could feel one of the 'right' memories nibbling at the edges of her subconscious, standing at the window to one of the many towers they had and looking towards the fields where the soldiers were doing drills. She curled her hands into fists and squeezed until her nails sank into her palms, bringing her out of the memory. "Not yet," she said to herself. "Not until everything is settled."
Link put his hand on her shoulder, and gave her a gentle shake. "Zelda, if you're ready, we should just go for it."
"No. I don't want to leave anything behind unfinished. And… and Saria's right, you should really go to trial. You have Gaebora, he's very good. He'll work it out. I really think you need to at least do that."
"We have a few weeks yet," he responded. "How do we know I'll have many memories left by that time?"
Zelda nodded. "That's a good point, but as long as I'm able to remember where I'm supposed to be…"
"I wouldn't feel comfortable risking that."
She nodded in understanding. "I guess I just want to leave as little influence on this world as we can."
They looked out towards the smoky sky again, the faint sound of car horns and traffic filtering through the windows.
"How much of their relationship do you remember?" she asked suddenly.
"What? Oh… I can't tell, why?"
Zelda shrugged. "It would be a good idea if we are able to stay close at all times, in case of a memory…"
Link picked up on her train of thought. "Ah, yes."
"It is not that I want you to think I expect something, but I am wondering how awkward it would be if you stayed in my room at night."
"I can sleep on the floor," he offered.
"I don't want you to sleep on—
Zelda pursed her lips and looked down at the floor. After a minute of their awkward standing, she laughed a little. "I'm as bad as Ruto."
Link stared at her with longing. He'd certainly been making a concentrated effort to put up boundaries, to leave space between them, and to not say anything that could be misconstrued. But it was damned hard, and getting harder all the time, with each new memory, teasing him that they could share something, anything.
"I don't want to sleep on the floor, either," he admitted.
She looked at him and folded her arms. "What are we going to do?"
"Nothing," he replied. "We will sleep and that will be all."
Zelda nodded in agreement, and went to check that the front door was locked. She shuffled by him on the way back, glancing once over her shoulder. "Well," she said with a shrug. Link followed her into the room, and Zelda went to setting up a small flat object in some sort of stand or display.
"There's mouthwash in the bathroom, if you want something to clean your teeth."
He crept into the master bathroom and found the wash, reading the directions twice before using. While he swilled the sharp-tasting substance around, he looked around at the bathroom; in one corner was a massive bathtub, sunk right into the wall. Next to it was a thin glass-enclosed stall, with a spigot coming from the wall opposite. A neat pink robe hung on the back of the bathroom door, and there were a few odds and ends scattered on the sink counter; a toothbrush and paste, floss, Zelda's glasses in a case, some bottles of perfume, and an assortment of makeup powders. He paused at the mirror and looked at his nose; aside from some purple bruising under one eye (very faint), it looked alright. No wonder no one had asked about it.
"You've gotten quite a bit of stuff for six months," he asked, after spitting the foamy wash into the sink and rinsing it away.
"I work on a per-case basis as a legal aide at the courthouse. They give me a small stipend to keep me on call, and I get a bonus when I've helped with a trial."
"Must be some bonus," he said, looking around.
Zelda shrugged. "Impa also knows the landlord here; she worked out a deal with him for discounted rent."
"What about your father? I presume he knows you're here. What will happen to him?"
Zelda sighed. "He came to see me twice, while I was staying at Dr. Ivanova's. This was when… I was still transitioning, or having my memories replaced or whatever has been happening to me. I said some very ugly things the first time, said he wasn't my father and I would have nothing to do with him. The second time I apologized, but… in a way, I think he knew I wasn't his child. Instinctively."
"Have you tried to contact him at all since?"
She shook her head.
"I think you should, before we go. To explain to him what has happened. He may not take it well if his daughter vanishes, even if you aren't really his daughter."
"You're right. I should at least say something." She eyed him. "You'll have to go with me, though."
Link slowly nodded. "Of… course."
Zelda laughed a little. "You're not nervous, are you? You'll be fine."
There was another pause in the conversation, and they looked at each other.
"Well. We should get some rest, then," Zelda said briskly, turning and climbing into the bed. After a moment's hesitation, Link settled down on top of the covers, folding his hands on his chest. Zelda rolled over to face him, propping her head up on one arm. He turned his head and looked at her.
"What is it?" he asked.
She reached out and put her free hand to his cheek, then pulled it back again. "I don't know. So much to think about." Zelda sighed and shifted to her back and looked up at the ceiling. They were quiet for a few minutes.
"If you start to dream of a memory in your sleep…" she started.
"I'll reach for you," he promised.
But their sleep was unburdened that night.
Zelda walked with Link to her car the next morning. Saria had texted her saying that she had hidden the keys on top of one of the tires, and after careful checking Zelda found them.
"I want to go to Dr. Ivanova's office first and get the few things I need from her. Then I can ask her about setting up this dead man switch, then… we'll go see my father."
She took a deep breath before climbing in the car. Link climbed in on the other side as she started the engine, and after adjusting the radio, they pulled out into traffic.
"Saria said once that you went to her when you first got here, not… your father or her father or whatever we should call him. Do you remember that?"
Zelda glanced at him, then back to the road. "Hm, some of it. I know I spent a lot of time in bed. Ruto or Saria or Denno were usually there. I guess they used him to uh… keep me there. They told me I would go into hysterics, desperate to leave. Then when I was able to calm down a little, I would tell them I was waiting for you, because I knew you'd come. They must've thought I meant coming back… in a romantic way. And after a while I thought that, too. And you took so long, that I started to resent you."
"I picked up on that, but I cannot fault you for it."
Zelda glanced at him. "I'm thankful for your understanding."
They were silent in the car ride the rest of the way.
Impa lived just outside of the city in a suburb, in a two-story house that Zelda swore was amazing. Impa's house was made of red brick, with a wide porch before the front door. The roof that overhung the house was supported by white columns, which gave it a regal and stately effect. They parked in the driveway and headed to the front door, where Zelda rang the doorbell, and they waited.
Impa looked more or less the same; except for her outfit and the lack of the Shiekah facial tattoos. She wore a clean, fitted suit jacket and slacks over a loose blouse, and she smiled warmly at Zelda, embracing her.
"Come in, come in." She eyed Link and he swore he felt a chill as her gaze went dead and cold.
"So, Zelda, how have you been?" Impa asked as they headed into the kitchen, which was huge and airy, with an island counter in the center of the room with chairs on one side. "Want anything to drink?"
"Water, please. I've been doing fine."
Impa set down a glass for her on the granite countertop and leveled her gaze at Link. "Is this the man that left?"
"Dr. Ivano—
"Impa, please."
"Impa. I am here to discuss that with you, actually. I am returning with him, but we're not sure when, and I wanted to get some of the things I left here."
Impa didn't move. "You're going back? Where?"
"To… where we live. Where I should be."
"Fine. You come up with me. You stay here," Impa said, looking at Link. She took Zelda by the shoulder and they left the kitchen, heading up a carpeted staircase towards the master bedroom. Zelda shivered a little as she followed Impa; she did not want to call up the time she spent here.
Impa went into her walk-in closet and knelt down, pulling out a large cardboard box and holding it out to Zelda. "Here," she said softly. "Check and make sure it's all there."
Cautiously, Zelda opened the box and gasped a little when she saw the clothes. She recognized them, she really did. She pulled out the lightweight cotton dress and shook it out, looking it over, neatly folding it and looking back into the box. Underneath that was a corset meant to go from bust to hip. There was also a thin cape with an elegant clasp to hold it closed, one side being the Hylian family crest, the other being the Triforce. She touched the clasp, feeling a memory coming on, and she gasped sharply, pulling her hand back. The memory rapidly faded.
"Are you alright?" asked Impa, standing.
"Yes, fine. Just… the pin. A little sharp." She smiled at Impa.
Impa nodded, dusting off a bit of lint from her pants, and closing up the closet. "Zelda. Why are you going back with him? I do not like the look of him; you do not remember how frantic you were when you came here. Quite frankly, I'm stunned you came here first."
Zelda was still staring at the clothing, and looked up at her mentor. "Impa, look at these clothes. Do you think these are the garments of a modern woman? Do you think I came here, dressed like this, half-mad, on a lark? The truth is, I am not the Zelda you think you know."
Impa looked at her for a long time, as if trying to decide if Zelda was crazy or what. She finally sighed, and shook her head. "I won't deny that this outfit you came to get is… unexpected. If you really believe following him is the right path, I can't stop you. But do not follow him just because he is the one telling you to do so."
"It isn't like that at all, I assure you." Zelda was gently petting the cloak in the box. "You have to believe me."
Impa watched Zelda closely. "If something goes wrong," she finally said, "you can come back here."
"Thank you," Zelda replied, bowing her head.
Impa put her hands on Zelda's shoulders, looking at her closely. She finally smiled. "I trust you to make the best decision for yourself. That is the best I can offer you."
Zelda nodded, and Impa let her go, gesturing towards the door.
Impa followed Zelda down to the kitchen, where Link was waiting patiently, standing in place at the kitchen island. He turned when he heard Zelda walking in, and glanced at the box in her hands. She set it down on the counter and folded her hands, resting them on top of the box.
"Also, Impa," she started, pausing to mull over her words, "I… I'm not sure when I'm leaving. It could be at any time. When I do leave, I want to ensure that the things I leave behind go to someone who could use them."
Impa frowned. "It sounds more like you're going to be dying, not moving away."
"It's nothing so drastic as that. But once I'm gone, I won't be able to come back. I would like to set up a trust so that when the time comes, my apartment and finances can go to a benefactor."
"Then you want a will."
Zelda sighed. "But I'm not dying, I… I won't exist. Anywhere."
Impa raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
Link spoke up, regardless of how crazy it would make him sound. "She's in the wrong dimension. I'm taking her back."
Zelda looked towards Impa, keeping her face serious and impassive.
Impa looked between the two of them, folding her arms and leaning back a little. She was debating whether or not to call them on the oddness in that statement, but instead she sighed.
"I would recommend having a script running on your laptop that automatically sends an email to your lawyer about releasing the information, unless you input a code ahead of time. How quick do you want the notification sent?"
Zelda frowned. "A week or so. But I'm afraid I don't know much about code."
"Find someone. I understand the general idea of it, but unfortunately I cannot sit and write over it."
"Would you be that lawyer, Impa?"
She smiled a little. "Why me?"
"I feel as if I can trust you most, and that you will do what I ask without question. Well, too many of them," Zelda amended.
Impa sighed, leaning against the counter. "Of course. Bring over the necessary papers you want me to hold when it's ready."
"Of course. Thank you."
Impa looked at Link, and he lifted his chin and stared back. After a moment or two, she grinned.
"Take care of her."
"I will."
Impa sighed and looked back towards Zelda. "Can I help you with anything else?"
"Do you know anyone who can write code?"
Impa had sent them on their way with a phone number for her nephew or some other sort of relative, and Zelda tucked the number into her pocket.
"So… to… your father's?" Link asked as he climbed in.
Zelda sighed and gripped the wheel, giving it a brief squeeze. "Yes. Might as well."
But her father wasn't at home, and when they went to see him at City Hall, they were told he was in a meeting and wouldn't be able to speak to anyone. Zelda looked rather put out, but she thanked the receptionist and left quickly.
They climbed into the car and Zelda muttered curses under her breath. "I was hoping to have everything done today," she said in response to Link's curious glance. "I wanted to have everything ready, in case something happens tonight."
"Why not approach him later? Maybe when he will be at home?"
"Perhaps."
They stopped at a restaurant before heading to her apartment, ordering food for carry-out. Link let Zelda do the ordering, and she promised that he would love what she was getting.
They returned to her apartment, and Zelda set out the food containers on the counter, getting down two plates. She asked Link to pour them both glasses of water to have with, as she portioned out the foods. Link was startled, albeit briefly, by how easily they'd fallen into a sort of domesticity together. He wanted to blame the unwarranted memories, the pressing of another person's personality onto his own, but at times he wasn't sure if it wasn't simply that they had a connection to each other, whether through the Triforce or other reasons. He leaned against the kitchen counter and watched Zelda finish scooping out the food, pausing to lick a bit of sauce from her thumb. She paused and smiled at Link when she realized he was staring.
"What is it?"
He hesitated, then asked, "Do you… well."
Zelda turned completely to face him, waiting for him to finish.
"It will be a shame when we return, I guess. This… is sort of nice, in its way."
"What is?"
Link sort of gestured vaguely in the air. "This… feeling."
Zelda smiled again, slowly, and she nodded. "Yes. I'll miss it."
"As will I," he admitted. "It's nice to not have to be on guard all the time."
"Do we live in dangerous conditions?" she asked suddenly, a little surprised.
"No, not necessarily. It is just that I am part of your Royal Guard, and we must always be prepared for… an event. I mean, there is always some small dangers, but there would be anywhere."
"And you, my brave protector," she said. "Never tiring in your duty to the queen?"
"Of course not, Your Majesty," Link even managed to look a little offended that she would insinuate such.
"Oh, you haven't called me that in a while," Zelda laughed, and handed him a fork. "May as well eat, before it gets cold."
"Do you like it when I call you that?" He was holding the fork but looking at her.
"Of course I do," she answered after a pause. "It… helps me to remember." But there was something in her eyes when she looked at him, and Link turned to grab his plate of food before he went forward with something he shouldn't.
They ate at the coffee table and idly watched TV, and when she finished, Zelda went to her computer, opening it without a word to Link. There were clacking sounds from her direction, and he turned to look at her a few times.
"Is everything alright?" he called.
"Yes, everything is fine. I may not have to call this person after all; seems my email has a scheduling function."
She had lost him in the second half of the conversation, and he simply nodded and glanced again at the TV, before taking their plates to the kitchen and washing them by hand. When he returned, Zelda was nowhere to be seen, and he also noticed that the box with her clothes was missing. Hesitantly, he approached her bedroom, where the door was shut tight, and he knocked.
"Just a moment," she called out. Link stepped back from the door and waited, and after a few minutes, Zelda opened it, fully dressed in her queenly attire.
"You look very nice," Link said, looking down to the floor. Zelda went to stand before her floor-length mirror, looking at the long, light blue dress that trailed over the floor with hand-sewn embroidered scenes in gold along the hem, the lightweight green cape with that immense gold clasp, and the long flared sleeves with a hand-stitched lettuce edge, giving it a gentle ripple.
She was silent, staring into her reflection. Link went cold and walked towards her. Zelda's breath started to hitch, and he could see her flickering and fading, going dim like a candle about to expire.
"No!" he shouted, and threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around Zelda and closing his eyes. If they were going to vanish now, she couldn't leave him behind. But he miscalculated his jump, and they ended up falling over hard, onto the floor.
"Oh—" Link started to apologize, but Zelda pushed herself up to a sitting position, and looked at him over her shoulder.
"I'm glad you stopped me; I'm not quite ready to go yet." She unhooked the cape and let it crumple to the floor, before slowly standing up. Link took up her cape and folded it over his arm.
"This is too heavy to carry around in a bag with me," she muttered in annoyance. She turned and took the gold closure from the front of her cape in his arms, carefully unpinning it and holding the heavy object in her palm.
"This was a gift?" she asked softly, looking up at Link.
"I do not know, Your Majesty." Her attire had forced a sense of deference back into him. Zelda stepped towards him, and Link went rigid.
"Your Majesty?" he asked tentatively.
Zelda stopped and stepped back again, clearing her throat. "Sorry. Let me… I want to change, if you don't mind."
"No, of course not." He put the folded cape on the bed and bowed on his way out.
Link went back to the couch, and after a few minutes, Zelda returned to sit with him, dressed again in the clothes she'd worn that day, but with the cape closure hooked around her wrist like a bracelet. They remained there in silence for a few minutes, with Link facing the television but not really watching it.
"If I keep the closure on me, I can perhaps use it as something to call up memories of my true Hyrule," she said, by explanation.
"That's a good decision," Link answered.
She fiddled idly with the clasp, then turned to look at him. "What now?"
"I should probably get ahold of Saria; she said she would bring over my old clothes."
"She didn't specify when?"
"No." He looked around for the phone, and Zelda found her cell in her pocket, handing it over to him.
"Do you know how to use it?" she asked.
He flipped it open and studied the phone carefully, pushing buttons until he thought he figured it out.
"Hit the green button," Zelda muttered, pointing. "That will call her."
He did so, and reluctantly put the device up to his ear, listening to the ring on the other end.
"Hello?" Saria sounded distracted.
"Marvelous," Link muttered. "Saria? Is that you?"
"… Link?" She laughed a little. "Hey, what's up?"
"Uh… hello. Yes, um…"
Zelda watched Link use the phone for a few minutes, amused, then finally lifted herself up and went to get a new glass of water from the kitchen. She looked at the glass, then around at the kitchen, in one of the cupboards at the pots and pans. All random odds and ends that had been gotten for her so that she could survive. All things that she had rarely used, and at any time, she would never use again. She played a little with her new bracelet, swallowing down her apprehension. But it wouldn't be easier if they stayed, and it wouldn't be fair to her country.
"Okay, we'll see you in a little while. Uh… good bye." Link pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it, finally closing the phone, then reopening it to check that it had ended the call. Satisfied, he set it down on the coffee table, and stood up to find Zelda.
"Are you alright?" he asked, when he poked his head around the corner of the kitchen wall and saw her.
"Yes, there's just… a lot of things I've never gotten to do here. I didn't think I would miss that."
"Like what?" He stood next to her, leaning back on the counter.
"Well, I've never cooked a meal here. Usually I just grab takeout. Honestly, I don't even know if I can cook. I've never held a huge party here, I never had…" she stopped herself, waiting a moment, then continued. "You're the only man I've had around to spend the night."
She set down her glass, and continued. "I mean, it's not as if I need to have done these things, but won't all this stuff go to waste?"
"But you're giving it all to Saria, so… it shouldn't."
"Link… do you think we came here for a reason? That there's something that needs to be done?"
"Maybe, but wouldn't we have been.. given some sort of sign?"
"Like what?"
They looked at each other blankly.
"Truly, all I've really felt is an urge to get us back to Hyrule. To home." Link put his hand on Zelda's shoulder. "And I've sworn to do that."
"I want more than just home, now," she confessed, looking into his eyes. After a pause, she added, "I want to change things for the better for our people, as well."
"I hope that when we are back, you will see that your country is a good place, with prosperous farms and honest, hardworking people. We may not have modern conveniences, but some of them we don't need. We make our way as we can. And I've promised to help you. I intend to keep that promise."
"Thank you," Zelda said quietly. "I'm glad to have you. And I hope to keep you."
"For as long as you need my assistance, I'm here for you."
Zelda hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her. They slowly started to pull apart, and at the last second, Zelda pulled him into her again.
"I need you now," she said earnestly, looking into his eyes.
He wasn't sure what to say, so he settled for one word. "Zelda."
She touched his lips with her fingertips. "I at least want to do a few things I wouldn't have the chance to do otherwise. If you don't want to, if I've overstepped our relationship, then I understand, and I apologize." She slowly loosened her arms, giving him the chance to pull away. He did step back a little bit, putting his hands on her waist.
"What exactly would be the nature of these things that you have not done and are not able to do and wish to do?" He stopped and laughed. "Kind of an awkward phrase, isn't it?"
His laughter mellowed the tension between them, and Zelda smiled, stepping back once more and leaning on the kitchen counter again.
"Well. What should we do until Saria arrives?" she asked. "I imagine you're probably sick of television by now."
"Oh not completely; it's terribly interesting. It's helped me to learn a great deal about the future."
Zelda went into the fridge and brought out the wine they'd been drinking the night before, and poured them both a small glass. Link took a small sip, and Zelda stared into hers for a minute, swirling it around the glass.
Saria came along not too much later, when they'd finally decided to settle in on the couch in silence, making a little comment to each other about nothing of consequence now and again. She hugged Link tightly when he let her in, and waved to Zelda with a little smile.
"Ah, here you go," Saria said, handing Link a heavy cloth bag, green with an image of an all-white tree on it and the words "Kokiri Research Labs" around it. He looked inside and made sure all of his clothes were together.
"Oh, and—" She also handed him another parcel, but this one wrapped up around an object a little too long; quite obviously his sword.
"Thank you very much," Link said as he carefully unwrapped the sword, looking it over. He checked its blade, though it had only been out of the sheath a few times since his arrival, and it was still in fine condition.
"Can I see it?" Zelda asked, holding out her hand.
Carefully, Link sheathed his sword and turned it around, so that she could pull it free by the grip. She did so, holding it aloft and keeping one hand free under the blade, should its weight prove to be too much.
"Careful with that," Link warned her, stepping forward and putting his palm near the end of the sword, to take some of the weight off Zelda's wrist. Zelda turned it over, looking at it, her face studious.
"This isn't the right sword?" she asked, looking up at him. Saria furrowed her brow and looked at Link. Link stared at Zelda.
"What do you mean?"
Zelda looked back down at it, chewing her lower lip. "It's… just not what it should be. It's a stand-in."
Link was surprised by this observation, and he realized what Zelda meant. "The other sword… I am not permitted to carry it until a time of great need. We are at peace right now."
Saria was confused and looked back and forth between them. "Is anyone going to explain this to me?" she threw out, half-jokingly.
Zelda nodded and sheathed the blade, handing it back to Link. He sighed heavily. "When we're at war, when evil has risen again, there is a specific holy sword I have to use."
Zelda gave herself a little shake and looked to Saria, smiling a little. "Thank you for bringing these items over."
Saria shrugged. "Well, I figure he'll need these things when you get home, so it's the least I can do."
"Do you want some water or anything?" Zelda offered.
"No, actually, I should be getting back. I'm going to have to go to the labs tonight anyway and check on the growth of some sample plants."
"Well, have… fun?"
Saria laughed. "It's fascinating for me, at least." She hugged them both on her exit.
"If you get hungry, come by and we'll get something to eat, okay?" Zelda said as she embraced her.
"Thanks," Saria responded, turning back to the door. She paused with her hand on the handle, looking back at both of them and smiling a little bit. Then she opened the door and left.
Link put his hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
She nodded, rubbing her forehead. "Yes. Just a bit of a headache. Maybe some water…"
She went to the kitchen partition and poured herself a glass, abandoning her wine for now, and drank it all in one swallow. Even now she was mulling over the sight of that sword, its wrongness in Link's hands. She could see the proper sword before her even as her headache progressed, with its blue grip and cross guard, the Triforce engraved on the blade itself near the rain guard. She braced herself on the counter, her headache building to a migraine and nausea broiling in her guts. She started heaving in the sink, and Link was there in a flash, grabbing her shoulders.
"Zelda!"
He pulled her hair back out of her face as she gagged, only spasms from her stomach. Link put his left hand over hers and closed his eyes, pressing against her. But she did not flicker, nor give the hint of fading away, and after a few more dry heaves, she sagged heavily on her arms, the knuckles of her hands white with her grip.
Link let her hair down and stepped back, watching her carefully. She took slow, even breaths, and the color slowly returned to her face.
He rubbed her back in circles, and moved the water glass away from the edge of the counter.
"Are you alright?" he asked again. "Should you lay down?"
"It was just so odd," she said quietly. "I just knew, holding it, it wasn't the right sword, but just a stand-in, a placeholder. And I could see the true sword, the one that is yours to wield."
"I had to put it back. You were there. It's residing safely in the Temple of Time."
Zelda closed her eyes and shook her head, taking one final deep breath. "Yes. It's…" She straightened, opened her eyes again, and looked at him.
"Link…" she started.
He stepped forward and put his hands on her arms, waiting for her to finish her thought.
"Perhaps I should lie down, after all."
"Are you feeling weak?"
"No, but I still have a bit of headache. I think I should lie down, after all."
He nodded and let her go, respectfully stepping back. Zelda tucked a lock of hair behind one ear. "Come with me," she said.
"Are you asking, or commanding?" Link replied.
"Well, wouldn't it be smart if you were at least in the same room?" Zelda answered with a shrug.
He followed her down the hall, pausing outside of her room while she changed. When finished, she opened the door and gestured him inside, where she climbed in under the bedcovers, and pulled them back to let him in as well.
He paused and looked towards her, questioning with just a glance.
"It will be warmer, and I'll sleep better," she offered immediately.
"Your Maj…"
"I know that this is probably uncomfortable for you. I have explained to you before that with these memories, I am used to the idea of you being there, next to me. And quite frankly, it's hard to toss and turn under the covers when you're pinning them down." She grinned at him.
"What if it leads to something… inappropriate?" he asked, realizing a little too late that this might not have been a good question.
"And why would it do that?" she countered.
Link looked at her in silence, and Zelda tilted her head up slightly in defiance. Finally, he sighed and walked over, climbing into the bed next to her. Zelda left a few inches of space between them, and once he was settled in, she closed her eyes and tucked one arm up under her pillow.
Link lay on his side and watched her sleep for a while, even after the sun set and the room grew dark, taking on some of the orange glow of the sky through the windows. As he gazed at her, he could feel his protective instincts of her strengthening. She was dear to him, more than she really had any right to be, even as his queen. He thought, not for the first time since he'd met her, of kissing her. It was clear by some of her actions that she would be more than responsive to it. But he still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that it would be wrong, that is wasn't something they needed to start while in this new place.
Link's internal turmoil was broken when he heard a dull rattling noise echoing through the apartment. His senses sharpened and adrenaline flooded through him. He slid from the bed carefully, cursing that he had not brought his sword or the belt into the room with him. He breathed shallowly through his mouth, pausing when he thought he heard the rattling again, and able to pinpoint it as coming from past the living room area.
He checked the door on his way through, glancing over at it as he crept by the couch, but it was locked up, and nothing seemed disturbed. Obviously, it wasn't a thief. He relaxed a little, genuinely curious now, and he shuffled onward, heading into the kitchen. He studied the cabinets and the dishes they held, then the immaculate counters. The rattling came again, from behind him, and he whipped around, seeing only the massive fridge. He approached it and checked inside the main compartment, but all was still. He peeked into the freezer, looking at the little bin of ice, and realized quite suddenly that it had to be this machine. He shut the doors and waited, his arms folded. It took several minutes, but eventually he heard the clattering noise again, and when he whipped open the door to check, there was in fact an extra ice cube or two at the top of the bin.
Satisfied he had solved this brief mystery, he headed back towards the bedroom. It was a relief to find mundane answers for unexpected noises. He paused in the bathroom to relieve himself, flushed, and washed his hands with some soap before climbing back into bed. When he approached it though, he realized Zelda was sitting up and looking at him, and she waved him over.
"I heard a noise," he explained. "It was the ice maker."
"Mmm," she nodded, slinking back under the covers a little and looking up at him. "I hardly notice it any more."
"A miraculous device, to be sure," he replied as he climbed back under the covers, pulling her in close.
"It's certainly useful." She moved her hands up to his face, putting her fingers in his hair and pressing into him. Link sighed and shifted forward. They kissed slowly, Zelda's fingers curling against his scalp, her pulse quickening. Link took his time, learning the feel of her lips against his, touching his tongue to hers and wrapping his arms tighter around her. She moved her arms downward, somewhat awkwardly, and wrapped her hands around his waist, pulling at the tail of his shirt to free it from his pants so she could touch his bare skin.
"My love," she whispered, somewhat sadly, at a brief break in the kiss to shift the tilt of their heads.
"My queen," he replied, almost automatically, and he went in for another kiss, but his mouth froze against hers, and he snapped out of the trance he'd been put in. That brief sleep of becoming the other Link, of accepting mundane things like running water that flushes away waste and ice makers and foaming anti-bacterial soaps. Of laying in the bed of a powerful monarch and handling her body like she was common.
Zelda leaned back when she realized he had locked up, confused. "Link?"
He cleared his throat and wiped his mouth. "My apologies. I would…" He could think of a million things to say to her, to apologize, but none of them quite sounded adequate, or explanatory enough. "Did I intrude on you?" he settled for, finally.
"Link, I am not a queen here, and you are not my soldier," she reminded him gently.
"No, but we are over there. I should not be treating you like this—"
In case I should get to like it.
In case it leads to something.
In case we don't want to stop when you have to pick a king.
"Maybe I want you to treat me like this," she said firmly. "Maybe I want you to share my bed, my heart, my… body."
He sat up and leaned back from her, to keep himself in restraint.
"We will have to go back to our roles when we get home. We won't have this kind of closeness. Do you not think it will be more painful there?"
"Then we should take what we can now." She sat up, and pulled him in. "Won't it be worse to never be together, knowing we had this chance?"
They looked at each other for a long moment, and Link leaned in, kissing her once more. Zelda reached up and started to unbutton his shirt, and he stopped her.
"Whoa—whoa—"
"I'm sorry if I'm moving too fast for you," Zelda said, backing off. "But I haven't been touched by anyone in six months."
"Technically, you've never been," he pointed out, hating himself for it but trying to keep her from associating with the other Zelda too often and too much.
"Ugh, I still can't believe that," she muttered darkly. "So backwards."
"Well, it is the surest way to prevent bastard children, is to keep the royal body int—
"Oh, I'll find something to do about that," she replied. "I'll talk to Saria, contraceptives have to come from somewhere. Goddesses, maybe I should buy a box of condoms to take home."
"We really shouldn't take anything outside of the items we came here with," he warned her.
"I know, it's just ludicrous! Surely the women of that time period have some way of preventing pregnancy!"
They sat in silence, and Zelda looked at him apologetically.
"I ruined the mood, didn't I?"
"It is probably for the best," Link assured her. He lay back down, and she joined him, turning towards him and tucking one arm up behind her head again, reaching out to grasp his hand. Link turned towards her as well, letting her take his hand and hold it. He kissed her hand and looked up at her. "Go back to sleep, Zelda. I'll see you in the morning. I'll be here, all night."