Impa sat up, staring at her half-finished scotch as she debated her choices. She had a phone in her hand as well, and it sat, quiet and waiting, in her palm. The papers Zelda had brought over sat on the coffee table, too.
She remembered very well the day Zelda had showed up on her doorstep. There had been a furious pounding on the door that had quickly faded to half-hearted slaps. When she opened it, she saw Zelda in those strange clothes, her hair messy, and the annoyed cab driver waiting at the road, his arms folded.
"She hasn't paid fare!" he shouted as Impa ushered Zelda inside, then rushing to pay the driver his exorbitant fee, and quickly getting back into her house. Zelda had collapsed on her knees on the floor, shaking and pale.
"Zelda, are you alright?" she asked, crouching and reaching out to her with one hand.
"What is this place? How did I get here?" The panicking queen looked towards Impa, tears standing out in her eyes. "Oh Goddesses, Impa, where are your marks?"
Impa was alarmed; Zelda seemed to be having a nervous breakdown.
"Come on, let's have you lie down and drink some water. I'll call your father."
"My father is dead!" Zelda shrieked.
"What?" Impa knew damn well he wasn't; she'd seen the mayor that morning. "Zelda, he's alive. He survived the heart attack. And what are you doing in Hyrule? I thought you moved to Termina with Link?"
"Oh Goddesses… Link!" Zelda gasped. "He must know where I am—he has to come for me! Impa, you have to get ahold of him!"
"What's his number?"
"His what?"
Impa was perplexed, but Zelda was growing more agitated in her confusion and the sensory overload. She broke into tears there, on the floor, and buried her face in her hands.
When she could, Impa hauled Zelda up and took her upstairs, helping her to undo the corset when it was time.
"Were you at a costume party or something?" she couldn't help but ask.
Zelda sniffled and looked at Impa over her shoulder. "What? I was going to meet with dignitaries…"
Impa shook her head and silently offered Zelda an old Goron Gym shirt and pants for clean clothing. The items were hilariously too big, but Zelda walked in them with stately grace regardless.
"Who are you here with?" Impa asked her.
"No one; I'm not supposed to be here. I fell through a hole!"
"What? Zelda, you're not making any sense."
"It's the truth!"
Impa shook her head. "Lay down and get some rest. You're in hysterics."
Zelda did go and lay down in one of the guest beds, and while she was asleep, Impa called the mayor.
He came over an hour later, and they shook hands at the front door.
"What is she doing here?" he asked in exasperation.
"I don't know, sir. She's in hysterics, she's been claiming that she's not from here. I'm worried that she is having a nervous breakdown."
The mayor sighed heavily. "I don't understand what she's doing here though; last I talked to her, she said she was doing great, she loved her job, and she and Link were doing fine."
"How long ago was that?"
"Last week or so," he responded, after some deliberation.
"A lot can happen in a week, sir."
"Where is she?"
"She's upstairs, resting. I wouldn't go up there just yet, though."
The mayor sat down and Impa got him a glass of scotch.
"How were you two when you talked? Did you argue?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Sir, she… claims that you're dead."
"What?"
Impa cleared her throat. "I asked her if I should call you. She said no, it was impossible. She claimed you're dead."
The mayor felt a chill.
"She did come in… very odd clothes, as well. She was wearing a sort of medieval dress, she even had on a corset."
"But Zelda has little interest in such history," he said, perplexed. "As far as I know, she's more interested in the future."
Impa poured herself a glass and they sat down at the table, mulling over the strong drink.
"This is completely out of nowhere," he muttered.
Impa nodded, not sure what to say.
"I'd really like to go up and talk to her, while I can."
Impa hesitated, but decided perhaps another familiar sight would calm her frightened guest.
"Alright."
Impa directed him to Zelda's room, following him in.
"Zelda? Sweetheart?" he said softly.
She stirred and sat up, staring at him, uncomprehending. Then—
"Oh Goddesses, am I dead? Father?"
"No dear, you're fine."
He sat with her, patting her knee. "Why do you think I'm dead?"
"You… you passed away. Your heart gave out a few years back. You're supposed to be dead!" She was starting into hysterics again, and he felt strange.
"Are you saying you wish I was dead?"
"No! But you're not supposed to be here! I'm not supposed to be here!"
"What happened? Did something happen to Link?"
"Link? He's… I can't find him, he's not here either. Oh Goddesses, how am I to get back?"
"Back?"
"Home! This isn't my home! I'm supposed to be in Hyrule, at the castle!"
"But… this is Hyrule."
Zelda shook her head frantically. "You're a damned liar, whatever you are! How dare you come round the queen with that makeup, trying to look like my father! If you think you're going to startle me into some sort of ruse with you, then you'd better leave now! Impa, throw him out!"
Impa hesitated, but put one hand on the mayor's shoulder.
"Come on, sir."
He looked upset, understandably so, but he followed Impa out of the room and back downstairs.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" he asked Impa, downing the rest of his scotch.
"I don't know. She's been like that since she arrived at my doorstep."
"How did she get to your doorstep?"
"A cab, apparently. I had to pay him."
The mayor sighed. "Well, see that you're reimbursed by the city for it." He hesitated, staring into his empty glass. "Do you think perhaps… something happened between them? I always pinned Link as a good man, but I've been wrong on that count before."
"Would she go to this level of hysterics though?" Impa countered.
"They are very much in love, Impa."
She frowned. "I'll talk to her about it when she has some rest."
Impa escorted the mayor out, then returned to Zelda's temporary room. Zelda was still awake, and glowered at her.
"That was a fairly cruel trick, Impa," she said coldly.
"Calm down, Zelda. Your father is worried about you, as am I."
"My father is dead! He died!"
"Zelda, is this about something else? Did something happen between you and Link?"
Zelda stared at Impa in confusion. "Something? Like what?"
"Did you two break up? Did he leave you?"
"Leave me? He came back from Termina years ago."
"But you moved back out there."
Zelda laughed a little. "Why would I live in Termina? I am part of the Royal Court of Hyrule."
Impa sighed. "Clearly, we're unable to reach an understanding here. Why don't you go back to sleep for a while?"
Zelda fidgeted a little and looked around, then back to Impa.
"I… alright."
Impa gathered up Zelda's clothes while she slept and went to wash them. She paused as she looked them over, unable to find any manufacturing tags or anything. The seams were hand-sewn, she noticed, and the heavy gold clasp on the cloak looked handcrafted, bore no logo, no mark. The hems of her dress and cloak did have dirt and little clumps of mud on them though; as if they'd been dragged through a muddy place. She could have picked it up from the park, if she'd walked through it. But Impa was unsure.
Even now, as she sat reflecting on this, she was still unsure. Zelda seemed in much better mental faculties, but she was sticking to this strange story of ruling a country, of being from another time. But what if she wasn't crazy? At the same time, what if Link was manipulating her, keeping her wrapped up in some sort of lie to control her? Not to mention his own arrest that had transpired, where he had been declaring the same sort of lunacy; they came from another world, another dimension.
Impa finished her scotch and went to pour another one.
Link was showering in the master bathroom. He stood under the hot water, running his fingers through his hair to dampen it for washing. He scrubbed his face with his hands, thinking back on last night, and this morning. For when they woke up, she'd pulled him in close and they had kissed with longing, as if Zelda was determined to never miss a chance to touch him. And he admitted to himself that it was not just the influence of this world's Link. It was their own desire. Even so, he stopped short when she tried to take it further, and she was understanding, but he didn't know how long it would stay that way.
He used the soap Zelda had pointed out to wash up, using it on his hair as well, and stepped out, wrapping up in a towel. He felt far cleaner than he ever had taking a bath in a tub.
He dried off and stepped out, pulling on the clothes he'd brought into the bathroom. When he finally left, Zelda was still in bed, on what she called a laptop, and she turned and smiled at him.
"Feel better?"
"Cleaner than I have in ages," he assured her, nodding. She turned back to her computer, typing away.
"What do you want to do today?" she asked him.
He ran his fingers back through his hair and shrugged. "Should we go see your father?"
She thought, and nodded to herself. "Yes. We should try to catch him today, if only so that I can apologize to him, and try to explain."
She finished typing her passage, and closed the computer.
"I should probably wash as well," she added, climbing out of bed. "Hopefully the water will still be warm." She paused, looking at him, and kissed him. "Not another missed moment," she said, solemn.
He ran his hand down her cheek and they kissed again.
"At this rate we'll never get anything done," he said with a chuckle.
"We will, we will," she assured him.
A few hours later, they were again at City Hall. The receptionist assured them the mayor was in, and recognizing Zelda, he handed them visitor passes. Zelda led them down the hall to the office, and politely knocked on the door.
A few moments of tense silence, then, "Come in."
The mayor was the spitting image of the dead king (big surprise) and Link had to restrain himself to stop from bowing. Zelda smiled at the mayor, who smiled back, but faintly.
"My darling daughter, and Link as well? What a surprise." He stood and embraced Zelda, and he and Link shook hands. "I heard you were in town again."
"I came to take Zelda home, Y… sire."
The mayor raised an eyebrow but let it slide.
Zelda went ahead and spoke, clasping her hands together. "I wanted to leave on a good note with you, because I worry how this may strain relations with your true daughter."
"I appreciate that," he said in a dry tone.
"I apologize for the hurtful things I've said to you, and for anything I may have done to mislead you, or make you think that I… that your daughter does not love you. You see, in my world, you are lost to me. It has been difficult for me to come to terms with your… my father's death."
Link watched the mayor, standing slightly behind Zelda. He watched the mayor, and felt a chill. He wasn't buying it.
"Zelda," he responded. "I'm worried about you. You've been talking in nonsense since you came home six months ago, you were starting to normalize and come to terms with a nasty breakup with… this gentleman, and he shows back up and now you are starting to tell these lies again!"
"They're not lies, they're the truth."
"Do you know how ridiculous this sounds? Do you?"
"Yes, I know it—
"Then why do you persist in believing it? It's not the truth!" They stared at each other from either side of the desk. Finally, the mayor picked up a pamphlet and threw it to her side of the desk, and Zelda looked at it.
"What is…" she went silent. "Kakariko Gorge Resting Home?"
"It's a facility for young people to recover from stressful situations. It doesn't mean you're crazy—
"But… you think I am." Zelda put the pamphlet back down on the desk. "I won't be going."
"You may not have a choice…" he hinted ominously.
Zelda stood up, her jaw tense. "I have every choice. I am not going. You have to prove me incapable of making decisions for myself before you can force me anywhere."
The mayor sighed heavily. "I do hope you come around. I want to help you."
Zelda wheeled and walked out, and Link followed her. They climbed into her car and she pulled into traffic, her hands tense on the wheel as her speedometer crept upwards.
"Zelda?" Link asked quietly. She forced herself to take a breath and slow down, and she glanced at him.
"I mean, what did I expect?" she said softly. "It does sound insane. I still don't believe it sometimes."
"Maybe we can't fix everything before we go, but perhaps our leaving will prove the point," he responded.
"Maybe…"
She drove around a while longer, drifting slowly through the streets. Link wandered where they were going, but he was hesitant to ask. Eventually, they ended up on a scenic road near a beach, and he looked out towards a lake with a bridge spanning its length.
"Lake Hylia?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered, and that was all.
There was a knock at the door, and after a few minutes wait, the mayor put down the pamphlet he'd been studying and looked up.
"Come in."
Ganondorf opened the door and stepped in, laughing and stepping forward to shake the mayor's hand.
"Hello mayor! How's your day been?" he said, greeting him jovially.
The mayor nodded. "I've been well enough, though my daughter decided to visit."
"Your daughter?" Ganondorf exclaimed in surprise. "She's back in town, right?"
"Yes, and I'm sure you're familiar with her friend; Link Nobel."
"Didn't I prosecute him a couple weeks back? Endangering people at a restaurant, leaving the scene of a crime, resisting arrest?"
"Yes, the very one."
"What the hell is he doing consorting with your daughter?" Ganondorf sat down, leaning back in the chair and looking at the mayor quizzically.
"She claims he's there to take her home."
"This sounds very dangerous," Ganondorf said with concern.
"Very dangerous indeed," the mayor answered. "And the damndest thing is, I've met him. And he seemed so normal."
"You'd be surprised how people can change at the drop of a hat. Mental illness is a grey area we don't understand completely."
The mayor sighed deeply. "Should I…"
Ganondorf waited, his hands neatly folded and resting on one raised knee.
"Should I declare her…"
"Legally insane?"
The mayor winced. "But she's my daughter."
"The hardest choice to make, is often the right one," Ganondorf replied with a sagely air.
The mayor buried his face in his hands. "I just don't know where I went wrong…"
"You can't blame yourself for her problems. All you can do is try to help in the way you see it best."
"Is this the best way? It's just… when she calls me, she seems fine, like everything's okay, but she says she's still in Termina. She acts as if she is still with this character. Should I have her declared?"
Ganondorf shrugged. "That's up for you to decide. If you'd like, I'll help you file the paperwork when the time comes."
The mayor sighed and looked out the window, then back to Ganondorf. "My apologies, what did you need?"
"Oh, I wanted to see if you were interested in having lunch."
"Eh, not today. Too upset."
Ganondorf nodded sympathetically. "You know, it's funny you mention this Link Nobel."
"Oh?"
"His case may be moving up soon. If you wanted to declare Zelda legally unfit, I would do so after he's put away. He's a dangerous person and may try to stop anyone who tries to take her away."
The mayor eyed him. "You really think he'll be jailed? After all, Gaebora's representing him."
"Gaebora's case is flimsy at best. The boy has drawn your daughter into his madness; he was waving a sword in a full restaurant, for Goddesses' sake! He will be put away."
The mayor rubbed his forehead. "Maybe once he's incarcerated we can give her the help she needs, get her away from him."
"I think that's the best path."
The two men were silent. The mayor looked back up at him. "I suppose I'll need that paperwork, then."
"Of course," Ganondorf answered. He stood up and shook the mayor's hand. "I'll go get it for you."
"Thank you."
Unsure where they should go, they ended up parking Zelda's car near the boardwalk by the river that fed Lake Hylia, and sat in her car, staring out at the water. Link watched massive freighters float by, seemingly silent.
"What are those made of?"
"Steel," Zelda answered in a low voice.
Link stared at them. "They made steel float? Goddesses."
"Yeah, pretty amazing," she said, sighing.
Link looked at her; it was obvious she was still upset, and he put his hand on hers. She looked at him with a little smile. "Thank you. If it wasn't for you coming for me, I'd be stuck here forever."
"It's my duty to you."
She leaned over and kissed him, and he put a hand to her cheek, prolonging the kiss.
But they did not kiss as long as they had been, and they mutually broke away from each other, looking each other in the eye.
"What should we do?" he asked after a beat.
"What can we do?" she countered.
Link shook his head. "I wish I knew. Should we go out somewhere? Should we stay in?"
"I don't know," she grumbled.
"Hey," he nudged her.
She looked at him balefully.
"Why don't we try cooking something?"
Link was wishing he hadn't said anything; the place they were in now was falsely cheery, and the sheer amount of brightly colored packaging under bright lights and everything made him feel a little nauseous.
"What should we make? Have you ever cooked?" Zelda asked, looking at him.
"No, never."
"Well, what's easy to make and cook that we're familiar with?" she muttered, thinking.
They walked along for a few minutes, when Link turned and looked at her. "Pancakes? Do you know…"
Zelda smiled. "Pancakes. Perfect."
They wandered through the aisles, and Zelda had to stop a few times and call Link along as he got distracted. She picked up a box of pancake mix, and the milk required to make it as well as syrup and butter, and at Link's suggestion, a packet of blueberries.
Finally getting to use her pots and pans cheered Zelda up; they got home and Link greased the pan with a little butter while it heated and she made the mix. They worked on the pancakes together, with Link pouring the batter and Zelda adding in the blueberries, and though most of them burnt around the edges, Zelda declared them the best pancakes ever. Link agreed that they were fit for a queen, and she nudged him in the shoulder with a smirk. They ate the pancakes with glasses of milk and Zelda put on a movie on television, but once the food was done they paid less attention to it and more to each other.
"Even if he doesn't believe me," Zelda said quietly during a pause in their kissing, "we do. I believe that we can get home."
"I believe we can, too. We just have to wait. Though I admit I'm getting concerned; I haven't had any urge of memories in a while."
Zelda nodded. "Hopefully I can call up my own memory of our true time, perhaps we can use that."
"Should we try now?" he asked.
She thought, looking at him. "Yes, I think we should."
"Alright."
They stopped to get off the couch and gather their items. Zelda pulled her box of clothes into her lap, and Link strapped on his sword and belt. They settled back on the couch and clasped hands, and closed their eyes. He could feel the weight of her bangle on his leg, and Zelda was whispering to herself quickly, over and over, "remember, remember."
They sat for several minutes; and Zelda eventually stopped whispering. Link waited a little longer, and finally opened one eye.
Zelda was looking at him apologetically. "Nothing," she muttered.
Link squeezed her hands. "I'm sorry."
She smiled a little and lowered her head. "I was hoping I could call it up on command. I guess we're not so lucky."
She moved a little closer to him and freed one hand, touching his cheek. Link took her hand, kissing the knuckles.
"We can try again later," he assured her.
He leaned back on the couch and Zelda curled up on him. He put his arm around her shoulder, and they turned their heads back to the television.
Some hours later, after they'd fallen asleep on the couch a couple of times, Link woke up to a dimly lit apartment; the sun was starting to set. He sat up and shook Zelda gently. She groaned and joined him, rubbing her sore neck from her awkward position.
"You should lay down," he urged her. She nodded her agreement, and they got up, heading towards the bedroom. Link paused and made sure the door was locked on their way by, and Zelda continued walking. He followed at a few feet behind, waiting outside her door.
She hesitated as she was climbing into bed, and looked towards the door. She thought of calling him in right now; that had been her original plan after all. She looked down at herself though, and sighed. No matter what she wanted, above all she didn't want to push him away, and he'd shown such extreme reluctance that she knew he would not appreciate her thrusting this upon him. Zelda climbed back out and got her pajamas from the floor and pulled them on, then got back under the covers.
"Okay," she called out.
Link walked in and smiled at her, pausing in the bathroom to swill some mouthwash. Zelda burrowed under the covers, waiting for him. When he finished, Link climbed into bed with her.
"Are you comfortable in those clothes? You don't have pajamas, do you?" Zelda propped herself up.
"Ah, I can manage. I'm not really…"
She nodded. "No underwear?"
Link didn't respond.
Zelda smiled and pulled him in, resting her cheek on his pillow. Link put his arms around her. They started kissing again, their urgency picking up. They shifted around, Zelda starting to sit up and bringing Link with her. After a pause, she reluctantly straddled his waist.
He stopped kissing her and gently pushed her back. Zelda sighed in frustration and climbed off him, and pulled away completely. He leaned his head back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. Zelda left and went into the bathroom, and she sat down on the floor, leaning against one wall and holding her breath, willing the tears in her eyes to dissolve. A small part of her, the part that she had shunned and ignored, pointed out that as much as it hurt, he was doing this for her.
She curled up a little tighter, bundling her raging emotions and packing them down inside herself.
"Are you alright?" It was Link, who'd crept into the bathroom cautiously, and crouched down in front of her with his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm…" she started, then shook her head and put a hand over her eyes.
He put his arms around her, and Zelda pushed at him, the one to push him away now.
"Either go all the way or not at all," she snapped. "I can't keep this up, not being able to be with you physically. We are just torturing ourselves every time we kiss and can't go further. And I am trying to be understanding but I cannot help it; I have the mind of a modern woman and I cannot keep denying myself for the backwards ideals of that time period."
Link waited, looking at her. She stared back at him in defiance.
"Honestly, Link, do you want me or not? Because if not, I'd rather you stay on the couch until we're able to get home."
He sighed and stood up. Zelda watched him, waiting for his reaction and keeping her face unreadable. He reached down with his hands and helped her up, and they went together back to the bed.
They made more pancakes at about two in the morning, sitting on the couch and eating in silence. As they took swigs of milk, Zelda's cell phone went off, and after a few minutes of scrambling she found it and answered.
"Hello? … Hey, Ruto. What is it? … yeah, yeah we're awake. … um, I dunno, it's kind of late. I'll… oh? Oh yeah?" She chewed her thumbnail. "I can ask him… yeah he's right here… we were sleeping. Yes, we were." She pulled the phone from her ear, and Link could faintly hear Ruto jeering on the other end. "Ruto wants to know if you have any interest in meeting her and Denno at Light Temple."
Link raised his eyebrows. "Now?"
Zelda shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
"Well…" he thought about it. "Can you sleep?"
"I could but I don't have to. You?"
"I think I can stand a couple hours."
Zelda pulled on clean clothes, and Link shook out his pants and shirt before pulling them on, hoping it would smooth out most of the wrinkles. Zelda grabbed the few things she needed from her purse, and they left together.
They arrived at Light Temple hours later, an all-white brick building with LED lights sunk into its surface in geometric paths, tracing their way up to the roof. Zelda explained who they were with and the bouncer let them in without even asking for cash. It took a little while, but eventually they tracked down the rest of their party, mostly with the help of Denno's height.
Ruto shrieked with delight, her eyes huge and dilated, and she latched onto them both in a hug.
"I'm just glad you guys are still here!" she shouted. "It was a total fluke calling you, yeah?"
She handed them both little pills, and Link put his in his pocket. Zelda hesitated, then chewed hers up.
"So what's going on?" Zelda asked.
"Well Saria is sleeping so we needed someone sober to drive us around!"
Zelda swore. "Why didn't you say so before I took that damn pill?"
"I'm clean," Link called out. "I can drive."
"Can you?" Ruto asked. It seemed a rude question, but Link knew she meant it out of genuine curiosity.
"I can try," he answered.
"Well let's at least dance or something while we're here," Ruto replied.
Zelda grabbed Link's hand, and while that made Ruto raise an eyebrow, she left it alone when Denno came up to her to dance.
Link was able to understand the music a little better, which didn't calm him down. Instead, it left him more nervous; he had adjusted a little too easily to this place and he didn't like it. With every passing minute, he knew their chances of getting home were narrowing.
After a couple hours, Link wanted to plead rest, but Ruto commandeered him for a couple dances, which turned into another half hour. Finally, he pulled away and headed for the bar, getting a glass of water.
"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Denno shouted in Link's ear, joining him.
"What?" Link turned and looked at Denno in surprise.
"The girls. I mean yeah, Ruto wants nothing to do with me, really. She likes to think of us as friends."
Link nodded.
"But it's okay, you know? I like spending time with her."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Well—"
Denno shifted. "Because for a while there, you and Zelda have the same thing going. You want to be with her but you can't. And it sucks—
"Denno, I'm not sure what you're talking about," Link replied. "We… kind of are together."
"Oh? Oh! Really? Well then, forget all of what I just said and enjoy it, man."
Link shook his head. "I just hope we don't regret it."
"You two are great together here. Trust me." Denno slapped Link's shoulder and headed back into the crowd, and Link stood at the bar a minute longer, wondering what in the hell just happened.
Finally, finally, Ruto said she was ready to go home. They piled in Zelda's car and Ruto insisted on turning up the radio. Zelda helped walk Link through a driving crash course, and he picked up easily on her instructions.
They dropped off Ruto, and she invited Denno to spend the night, and she would take him home in the morning. Zelda waved as Link pulled out into traffic, and she turned the radio down, yawning.
"Stay awake, please; I'll need directions to get home."
"You call it home and not my apartment," Zelda said softly, smiling.
Link shivered. "Yeah." He swallowed against his nerves.
It was after six am when they finally returned, and Zelda was humming as they went into her room. Link stopped before her bedroom door like usual, but she left the door open, pausing and turning to look at him with a smile.
He hesitated even as she waved him in, and she pulled off her shirt.
"Wait—wait." Link walked towards her, and Zelda turned, her gaze smoldering.
"Here." He turned her back around and put his fingers on a spot on her back. "You have a small scar here. You took a fall off a horse when you were younger, onto a rock. It was lucky you didn't snap your neck."
Zelda froze, and she looked at him in confusion. "What?"
"Come here." She followed him into the bathroom, and he fiddled with the mirrors there, until they could get a fairly good angle of her back. Zelda craned her head over her shoulder, bending her arm awkwardly and trying to touch the scar.
"I don't remember that," she said quietly. "Oh Goddesses, I don't…"
Zelda gasped and looked at Link.
"What have I been doing? What am I—oh. Oh." She wrapped her arms protectively around herself, and set her jaw. Link thought he could almost see her switching between personalities; the passionate Zelda of this world, and the intelligent and calm Zelda he knew so well.
"Please get my robe from the back of the door," she commanded. Link grabbed it for her, wrapping it around her body. Zelda tied the belt tight and she looked at Link, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry. Oh… what have we done."
"Your Majesty." He touched her cheek, and Zelda took his hand away, dropping it.
"Are you sure that… it hasn't been what you wanted?"
She sighed. "I do not know anymore."
Zelda laid down in her bed, alone, and Link went to sleep on the couch that night.
He woke up only a few hours later to a furious pounding on the door. Zelda came dashing out from her bedroom, still wrapped up in her robe, and opened the door. Saria rushed in with wide-eyed panic, clutching an envelope and hunting for Link.
"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, his heart sinking.
Saria thrust the envelope at him, already torn open, and he removed the piece of paper inside.
ATTN: Link Nobel
RE: Court Date
To Mr. Nobel,
We wish you to know that your court date for case number 75032289 has been moved from Augiste 18th to Jole 26th at 9:00 am. Please report to Court Room D7 at City Hall. Should there be any conflict with this change, please contact City Hall at
He stopped reading and looked at Zelda. "Jole 26th."
"That's tomorrow," she said. His look of shock struck her. "Oh Goddesses, they moved your date."
They dressed quickly and sped to Gaebora's law office. Irritatingly, they were put on a waiting list, and Link was constantly fidgeting while the next person and the next went into the inner sanctum of Gaebora's office. It took near an hour until he was finally able to get in. Zelda followed him into the room and Link didn't even stop for pleasantries or greetings.
"They moved my court date," he said, all in one breath.
Gaebora adjusted his glasses and nodded sagely. "I am aware." He invited Link to sit down. "Keep calm, it doesn't mean anything bad. It happens all the time."
"How could they have moved it up? They need his consent," Zelda said.
Gaebora folded his hands. "The D.A.'s office wanted it moved up, I agreed. I felt it would be best to get this over with quickly. Wouldn't you prefer that?"
"Why did he want it moved?"
"Supposedly, the D.A. has other engagements that day, and wished to get what he feels is a minor case out of the way."
"But so soon?" Zelda countered.
"Like I said, wouldn't you prefer to have it over and done with?"
"But what if we lose?" Link snapped.
Gaebora looked at him for a long time, pondering. "Well, I'll volley for time served, then for appeals—
"We don't have that kind of time! He can't spend any time in jail!" Zelda shouted.
"Calm down, Miss Harkinian," Gaebora ordered. "I understand that as well as you do. No one wants to spend any time incarcerated."
"No, he literally can't. We have to get home. We cannot lose, I cannot have him carted off to jail."
"That is up to the jury, and you know that. Now, as I imagine you would know, I have not been able to back up my theory on a misunderstanding brought on by a low blood sugar reaction, medically, at least. However, I still think it is our best defense in pleading your case."
"Even if we don't have proof?" Zelda asked sharply. "It would be our word against the restaurant management's, the witnesses…"
"People do odd things when they are delirious. Those dying from hypothermia will frequently strip naked—
"But he wasn't dying! He was panicked!"
Gaebora continued to speak in measured tones, but his voice grew firmer, as if explaining a point to a child. "We have very few options; either we vouch that he has a mental illness, which will get him hauled to a psych ward, we claim that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol which can bring on additional charges, or we can claim deliriousness on account of lack of food at the time of the incident. Given that it was a restaurant, this makes the most sense to me."
"What if we told the truth?" Link asked.
Gaebora watched him steadily. "And what is the truth, Mr. Nobel?"
Link hesitated, so Zelda spoke up. "That he's from another dimension. A separate timeline."
Gaebora looked between them both. "Didn't I tell you that an insanity defense will possibly get him incarcerated?"
"But it's the truth!" Link protested.
"If it is the truth, if it's as mad as that, you will not win this case."
It was clear that he had nothing more to offer them, and Link hesitantly stepped back. Zelda remained rooted in the chair, and Gaebora stared her down, until she finally, slowly, stood and left with Link.
They said nothing on the ride to her place, and almost mechanically, they sat down on opposite ends on the couch, and stared at the blank television.
"What'll we do?" he asked her.
"All we can do, is proceed with the trial, and hope for the best. Stay calm and state the truth."
"Even if the truth is insane."
"Yes."
They looked at each other, and Link reached for Zelda's hand. After a few minutes' pause, she gave it to him.
"Was everything about the past few days a mistake?" he asked her. "Honestly?"
"If it was, it was a mistake that… I'm glad we made. But we can't go back now."
"Not from here, I suppose."
"No."
"Then we have to go forward, don't we?"
"Yes. And that means…" she sighed in exasperation, "facing this trial."
He squeezed her hand, and they laced their fingers together. Link turned and pulled her in, and they kissed.
"We'll get through this together," she said softly, smiling at him.
Impa was sitting at her desk at City Hall and looking through the paper, when she felt a bristling at the back of her neck and turned her head sharply. "Oh," she muttered, eyeing Ganondorf. "What do you want?"
"Oh nothing, just passing by," he responded coolly. "Have some paperwork for the mayor to sign."
Impa felt a chill as she looked at the innocuous papers. "Oh? What for?"
"Ah, you know. His daughter is crazier than a bat on fire."
"Wait, is he having her declared insane?" Impa turned to face him in full, setting down her pen.
"Yeah, guess he's going to send her to a rest home. Kinda sad to see, but oh well, what can you do?"
Ganondorf chuckled and headed down the hall. Impa waited for five seconds, then she turned to her computer and began searching for Zelda's phone number in the employee and temp database. She stopped herself; this was the same thing she'd been wanting to do, and had almost done last night. But she hated Ganondorf and thought he was a sneak, and suspected he would spin this to his advantage, somehow. It was irrational, she realized that, but she wanted Zelda to get actual help, not shut away in a resting home for years. She feared that was the mayor's daughter fate, just a problem to be tucked away and forgotten, and she felt sure that was how this would end. Though she had to work with him, she loathed Ganondorf, though she never really could place why, and thought he had something to do with the mayor's sudden decision. Impa glanced at Zelda's cell number on the screen.
"The girl is sick," she muttered to herself. She closed the window, and went back to work.
They didn't sleep much; Link stayed out on the couch again, and Zelda laid in her bed alone. Zelda sighed and left her bed, heading to the kitchen for water and stopping when she saw Link was definitely awake.
"Don't be nervous," she said, going and sitting at his feet on the couch. Link sat up.
"Honestly, from all you've learned studying law, how good of a chance do I have?" he asked her.
Zelda sighed. "Not a very good one. I mean, this blood sugar defense; it's total bull. He has no proof you have such a condition, and anything he would admit to prove it, if it's found false it will ruin the case." She sighed. "And I've been with you almost constantly, I know he has never come for you to have your blood tested."
Link straightened. "Maybe we should try one last time, to summon a memory, and get home."
"Okay." She got their things together in a pile on their laps, and they took each other's hands. The two of them closed their eyes, and Link let his mind wander.
Zelda went very tense, and he could hear her breathing through her mouth, murmuring about a center or remember or some other word.
But nothing.
Zelda sighed in frustration. "I can't understand the way this works," she muttered. "It's so random and spontaneous."
"Well, we've determined before that it is triggered by a familiar sight or sound. Isn't that why you're keeping that clasp on you, as a talisman?"
She looked down at the bangle then up at him. "Should we go for a walk?"
"In the middle of the night?"
"Why not?"
So they pulled on their shoes and headed out.
The city was utterly dead. The traffic lights were blinking yellow one way, and red the other. Now and again a car drove by them, but they didn't meet anyone on the street. They wandered through the city towards the fountain in silence. Zelda looked into the waters at the dozens of coins scattered at the bottom.
"We should come here after the trial tomorrow," she said quietly.
"Why is that?"
"Has this fountain changed at all?"
Link paused, thinking back, dredging up the memories that were harder and harder to recall.
"… no. I don't believe so." He looked at her. "Does it…"
She had her eyes closed, and one hand was towards the fountain, and she was pointing in one direction. "I can see the children," she whispered. "The urchins, orphans, abandoned bastards. They play in this fountain in the summer."
Link grabbed onto her, thinking that she was starting to flicker. And she did, a little bit, and he began to flicker with her. He could see as she saw; the cobble streets which were now paved over, the old buildings of chiseled stone instead of mass-produced brick. He even thought he could smell the old town. Zelda gasped a little, and suddenly kicked her foot into the stone sides of the fountain.
She yelped in pain and let go of Link, falling over.
"Zelda!" he shouted in surprise, leaning down to her. "What did you do? You okay?"
"Not yet, just not yet." She groaned and held her foot.
"Surely there had to have been a smarter way to keep yourself from going," he said, chastising her. "Do you think the toes are broken?"
"No… at least, I hope not." She sighed. "I'm an idiot."
"Definitely not your smartest moment."
He looked at the fountain, then at her.
"Take off your shoes. The cold water will help."
They ended up sitting at the fountain for a while, Zelda's feet in the cool water, and Link sitting the other way next to her.
"I think my feet are getting numb," she said softly.
"Alright then. Let's get you home. We should probably try to get some sleep, anyway."
She stood and brushed away the water on her feet, giving them a little shake before putting her shoes back on. They headed back, taking their time.
"Maybe we'll be able to sleep, this time," he suggested.
They took a few more steps, and Zelda looked at him. "If you want… I think I'd sleep better if you were nearby."
Link looked back. "Are you sure I won't make you feel uncomfortable?"
Zelda shook her head. "It still isn't right, and I know that. But… it's a little too late to try to do the right thing now." She slipped her hand into his.
They walked a little longer in silence, then
"Even if we lose the case, I will find any way I can to take you away before they haul you to jail."
"I certainly hope you can move fast," he replied. "Especially with your foot."
She stopped and looked him dead in the face. "We will get home. Together."
They returned to her apartment, and Zelda invited him to her room. He followed her, knowing that even if they did get off scot-free, they had no actual proof they would return to the proper time. They could be lost forever even if they won the trial. This was a sobering thought, as he realized he could be facing his final hours of life.
Zelda sat on the edge of the bed as she disrobed, facing away from him and towards the windows. He watched her, and after a beat, he began to undo his shirt as well. She watched his reflection, and looked at him over her shoulder.
He shook off the shirt and climbed into bed with her. Zelda got into her pajamas and climbed in, turning towards him. "Alarm is set for eight," she murmured. "Should give us time to get cleaned up."
"Alright then." He glanced at the clock. They wouldn't get much sleep, but that would be a problem for tomorrow. They kissed a few times, and Link pulled Zelda in closer, lifting himself up over her.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes bright.
"If everything should go wrong tomorrow, I don't want any regrets."
She smiled, and nodded her agreement.