Will Work for Food

Jill had been walking for…thirty minutes? She wasn't even sure. The field just stretched on and on. Hyrule Field was a lot larger than how it was portrayed in the games, maybe even larger than the Twilight Princess version. She was beyond thirsty and her legs were becoming stiff. She had one good thing going for her, though, and that was the fact that she happened to be wearing comfortable clothes. She wore a loose, long-sleeved shirt and slightly stretchy jeans. She had to roll up her sleeves due to the change in temperature, but she was otherwise okay.

It wasn't until after she had fled from the monsters that she realized she still had her messenger bag. She had already fished out her phone and tried to call her mom. Of course, there was no signal. She somehow knew that would be the case, but she was still disappointed. She really wanted to go home. She really wanted to talk to her parents.

She also started thinking about Alex and the other friends she'd made. Would she ever see them again? She wished Alex could have made it to the union that day. For all she knew, that was her last chance to see her. She shook her head. It would not help her to get depressed.

Just go. You'll see them again. You just have to keep moving forward.

She was still having trouble wrapping her head around her current situation. Everything felt so surreal. Could she really have been pulled into the Legend of Zelda game world? Which game was she in? Was she in a never-before-seen version? These questions darted around inside her mind. All she could do was keep going and pray that she would get some answers at the place she was going to.

She couldn't even recall the name of the place, though. She knew the Sheikah had told her the name, but her mind was racing too much at the time to take in such details. All she knew was that she was going in the right direction.

She was pretty sure, at least.

Her thoughts returned to that Sheikah. She hoped he got out of that fight in one piece. From what she saw of his skills, she wouldn't be surprised if he did. Still, he was surrounded by those monsters. She couldn't help but be a little concerned.

She also wondered how he knew to come save her in the first place. He had said that she wasn't brought there by accident and that she had a duty to fulfill. What could Hyrule need from a college animation student?! She wished she didn't have to separate from him so that she could ask him some questions.

At long last, she came to the top of a hill and saw a village below. She assumed it was the village he told her about. It was still a good distance from her, but the mere sight of it gave her renewed energy. Finally, she could have water! She began jogging toward it.

-.-.-

Alex and Aidan were walking through Hyrule Field together. Alex's mind was still reeling from the experience she just had. She was sure Aidan's was, as well. It was just a little over an hour ago that she was at school heading to the student union. She had been running because it had been raining.

The puddles on the sidewalk had been shallow so she ran right through them. One of them, however, turned out to be very deep. It hadn't looked any different from any of the other puddles, so Alex didn't think anything of it as she ran over it.

Then, before she knew it, she was underwater. She remembered the feeling of being pulled down by some force until everything had gone black. The darkness only lasted for a short moment before she felt herself be pushed up and into some light. She remembered seeing the surface above her, but something had held her down. Her mind had raced, trying to figure out what was going on. Nothing about her situation made sense. She had panicked as she kicked with all her might, trying to reach the surface and get some air.

She had just been about to run out of oxygen when an arm reached into the water and yanked her up. She had been flung from the water and had landed on some grass. She gagged and coughed as she lay there. An urgent voice had gotten her to force herself into a sitting position. The sight before her had left her dazed.

There had been a lake in front of her. There had also been a woman and…a tentacle? The tentacle seemed to be completely made of water. Alex remembered watching the tentacle make a grab for the woman in dark blue garb. The red-eyed woman had turned to Alex and shouted at her. She couldn't remember exactly what the woman had said, but she remembered her making a gesture with her arm, which Alex had followed with her gaze.

When she had turned her head, she saw Aidan on the ground, soaking wet. There had also been a man in dark blue clothing similar to the woman's. He had been standing between Aidan and another tentacle. Alex had been shoved and kicked into a standing position by the woman and driven away from the scene. Aidan had been quick to follow. She remembered looking back as she ran and seeing the two ninja-looking people perform acrobatics to dodge the tentacles.

When she and Aidan had gotten a fair distance away from the scene, they stopped to catch their breath and gain their bearings. After a moment, they had begun talking. She learned that Aidan had just gone through the same exact thing she did. He had somehow been swallowed by what appeared to be a shallow puddle. She also learned from him that they were apparently in Hyrule Field. The man, whom they agreed must be a Sheikah (as well as the woman), had told Aidan where they were and why they were there. Aidan hadn't been given any details, but they apparently were there for a reason.

Unfortunately, they had no idea where they were going. They had decided to keep walking straight and hope for the best. They were both soaking wet from the encounter, which made the walk a little unpleasant. Aidan had already dumped the excess water from his shoes and taken off his jacket, which was currently tied around his waist. Likewise, Alex had to remove her leather jacket and tie it around her waist and shake out her combat boots. She was thankful that her tank top was a dark, opaque color. At least they didn't have to worry about being cold. They had both been dressed for cool autumn weather, but the weather in Hyrule was currently much warmer.

As they walked, Alex thought about her family. She hoped she could return to them soon. Her phone and all her other belongings in her purse were of course soaked from her little dip, so there was no calling them. She would've lost the purse completely if it weren't a shoulder bag. She had thought about taking the phone apart and letting the parts dry in the sun. But what would be the point? If she was truly in another world, her phone wasn't going to reach any cell towers. Aidan's phone, having been in his pocket, suffered the same fate. Once again, did it matter?

Alex also briefly thought about Jill. She remembered that she had been on her way to meet her in the union before being…taken. She knew Jill must be wondering about her whereabouts by now.

"Look!" Aidan shouted and pointed.

Alex was slightly startled. They had been walking silently for a while. They were each in their own world with their own burdens, so that was to be expected. She looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that they were approaching a cluster of buildings. In front of those buildings was an archway with a sign that read, "Lon Lon Ranch".

Lon Lon Ranch. We really are in Hyrule, aren't we?

"Finally! Some civilization!" she exclaimed as she and Aidan began to run.

-.-.-

Jill approached the entrance to the town and instantly felt very out-of-place. Never mind the fact that she was from another world, but she realized that she would stick out like a sore thumb because of her clothing. There was nothing she could do about that, though. Anyway, her priority was water. She entered the town and saw that it was busy and bustling. It reminded her of Castle Town, but there was no castle in sight. She wondered how far she was from there. At least the people here were too busy to look at her clothing.

She made her way through the crowds and found the town square. She looked around and spotted a couple of food stands and a bakery. The wind wafted the smell of fresh bread to her and she began to feel a little hungry. She still felt more thirsty than anything and wondered where she could get some water. Although, if she had to buy it, she knew she couldn't afford it. She realized that she may as well have used the little cash she had in her wallet to help start a campfire.

Eating and drinking would have to wait. She needed money, which meant she would have to work. On the bright side, whatever she did would be a nice change of pace from her fast food job. That's what she told herself, anyway, for the sake of staying positive. She wished she could just cut some grass and find some money like Link did. Where was Link, anyway? Did he exist too? And Zelda? She had to wonder. She walked into what appeared to be a pawn shop and walked straight to the counter.

"Can I help you, miss?" the man greeted her.

He was well built with a big, bushy beard. He would look intimidating, but he had a kind smile. She noticed him looking her up and down, obviously noticing her strange clothing. She ignored this and smiled back.

"Hi. I'm new here, and I have no money. Is there any work you can offer me? Or do you know of anyone who could use some help?"

The man stroked his beard as he thought.

"Hmm. I'm afraid I don't need any help here. But there is the man who owns the dojo here. His name is Akio. I heard he's looking for someone to clean the dojo for him."

"Great! Where can I find him?"

He directed her where to go and soon Jill found herself standing in front of the dojo. It was a simple wooden building but much larger than the karate studio she went to back home. She opened the door and walked inside. She looked around and didn't see anyone.

The place was bare except for the two long walls, which were covered with a large variety of weapons. There were different types of swords, daggers, spears, staffs (with and without blades), and bows. There were also a couple of flails, maces, and shields. Each weapon was mounted on a hook or two. In the back, there was a single doorway with a curtain hanging in it, concealing what was behind it.

"Hello?" she called.

An elderly man (whom she assumed to be Akio) walked out from behind that curtain holding a glaive (a staff with a blade attached to the end). He was bald with a long white beard and walked upright with a steady gate, despite his elderly appearance. He barely glanced at her as he hung the weapon on one of the walls along with all the others.

"Yes, hello. What do you want? If you're hoping for some lessons, you're out of luck. I have too many students as it is who want to waste my time."
"Actually, I'm looking for work."

"Hm?"

He finally looked at her.

"You heard that I'm looking for someone to clean the dojo in the evening?"

Jill nodded.

"Yes."

"And I suppose you expect lessons in exchange."
"What? No, I just need money. I just arrived in this town and I need food and water, but I have no money. That's it."

"Very well, then."

He turned and disappeared into the back room. He came out holding a broom in one hand and a bucket of soapy water and a cloth in the other. He tossed the broom to her and set the bucket down.

"I hope I don't have to explain to you how to clean."

"No. But…"

"Good. I want this floor spotless. You will not get a single rupee from me until then."

He turned around again to return to the back room.

"And don't you touch any of the weapons. I will know if you do," he said, never turning around to face her.

"O-okay…"

She watched him disappear behind the curtain once more. Her shoulders slumped. She wanted to ask him if she could at least have a glass of water. She was so thirsty, she could almost drink the soap water. She found it very odd that the man hadn't bothered to introduce himself or even ask her what her name was. He also didn't seem to notice her clothing. That was fine. She didn't feel like trying to explain it. She sighed and set her bag down to begin sweeping. She got what she wanted, at least. Eventually, she'd have some money.