The morning of the Fall Festival dawned with promising clarity. The sun peered up from behind the mountains and washed the sky with red, and it slowly transitioned from red to orange to yellow to blue over the next few hours until the sun was blazing overhead in a cloudless sky.
Link awoke to the sunlight shining right onto his face and yawned, trying to drain last night's dream from his mind. It had been remarkably inappropriate. Better not let Ashei find out... He turned to get out of bed...
"-Woah! Ashei!"
Ashei's eyes bolted open and she glared up at him from her spot on the floor.
"Trying to sleep," she reminded him, and Link just stared incredulously.
"Why are you- how did you-"
"Really should lock your doors at night," Ashei added, and turned away. Link just gaped in bewilderment from the mattress.
"I thought you were staying with Ilia."
"Nope."
"But... Why?"
...
"You kicked her out of your house?!"
Ilia's eyes widened and she tried to slam the door shut at Link's accusation. His hand stopped the door mid-swing and he let himself into the house.
"Okay, first of all, you had no right to do that. This is the mayor's house, not yours. Ashei was his guest, too. Second of all, where did you think she was going to go? She doesn't know anybody in this village and it was cold outside!"
Ilia backed away as Link advanced toward her, dodging several pieces of furniture and ending up opposite Link over the dining table.
"I'm sorry!" she squealed, ducking down a little bit. "I was tired, it was late-"
"Liar," Link said immediately, brushing off the comment completely. "You wouldn't even- OW!" he cried as an apple clunked against his forehead. He rubbed it aggressively. "Ilia!"
"She was being really rude, okay?!" Ilia cried, and ducked for cover even though Link had no intentions of hurting her back. "Listen, Link, she was being mean to me! Victimizing me! She told me I was weak, told me I was feeling sorry for myself and that that made me useless to you... It really hurt."
Link had grown still. "...Feeling sorry for yourself?"
"Never mind that," Ilia huffed. "It's just... I want to do everything I can to be important to you. But it's become clearer over these past few weeks that there's nothing I can do to help you, and..." She hung her head.
"...And?"
"And I want to be there for you, Link, I do. I want to make you happy but I know now that I can't. Everything Ashei said was true. I knew that the moment she said those things. But I didn't want to admit it to myself... I've been awfully afraid of that lately."
"Afraid of...?"
She caught his eye. "Afraid of realizing that you and I have fallen apart. Afraid of admitting that I don't matter."
Link stared at her vacantly for a second. And then he leapt over the table and pulled Ilia into an embrace, holding her so tightly that she thought she might pop.
"You do matter, Ilia. You've always mattered, you always will matter more than everyone else combined."
Ilia sniffed. "You mean it?"
"Of course I mean it."
"But you're in love with Ashei. Don't deny it, it's really obvious."
Link's grip slackened a bit. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "And you think that makes me love you any less?"
"I-"
"-I'll always love you, Ilia. You know that. So don't think for one second that any part of what Ashei said is true. Arguing over me was a stupid thing to do."
Ilia screwed her eyes shut to hold back any tears that might be trying to escape. And then she fell back into Link's arms.
"I love you, Link."
"I know, Ilia. Love you too." And then, for closure, he placed a kiss on her forehead.
...
Shad woke up to the slamming of a door downstairs. Well then.
The voices after that were muffled. He couldn't tell who was down there, only that their tone of voice was very passionate. He slipped out of Ilia's empty bed and pulled his bathrobe around his shoulders. Coffee. Coffee. Needed coffee. He grabbed his book off the nightstand and used it to muffle a yawn before placing his glasses on his nose and moseying downstairs.
He realized suddenly that it had gone very quiet, and stopped short halfway down the staircase.
"...You think that makes me love you any less?!"
It was Link. But... Who...
"I'll always love you, Ilia. You know that. So don't think for one second that any part of what Ashei said is true. Arguing over me was a stupid thing to do."
Shad froze in horror. But Ilia... But Link... They were completely platonic! They'd made that so clear!
"I love you, Link," Ilia said, and Shad's heart dropped into his stomach. But... No, this couldn't be...
"I know, Ilia. Love you too."
Shad poked his head down just in time to see Link plunk a kiss in Ilia's hair. He drew back immediately in terror and pressed himself against the wall. How was this even happening?
He dragged himself back upstairs and plopped down in front of Ilia's vanity. He figured it was a stupid thing to do, but he sat and stared himself down, anyway.
Nose long, eyes wide. Glasses placed crookedly in the middle Hair always swooping off to the side in ways he couldn't control. Ears long, hands big and clumsy. Wrists and arms slim...
He untied the bathrobe and let it fall around his hips. Shoulders: very slim. Chest and stomach flat, ribcage nearly showing. He yanked the bathrobe back up and slumped over, his chin falling into his hands.
Oh yeah, chin: pointed. Thin. Anything but masculine.
Why would a beautiful girl like Ilia fall for anyone like Shad? Of course she would want Link, he was the hero, for Nayru's sake. He was strong, he was handsome, he was the ranch-hand with the broad, charming smile and a deep, smoky voice that made all the ladies swoon. The literal embodiment of the ideal man.
And Ilia... Well, Shad was quick to label Ilia as the perfect girl. She WAS the perfect girl. Silly and strange and optimistic and drop-dead gorgeous. Shad's stomach turned just thinking about all of it. Ilia who liked horses and rivers and suction-cup frogs, who liked the rainbows over the springs and who loved Telma with all her heart, Ilia who told Shad he was brainy and her best friend and who thought for SURE that he could be a doctor.
Ilia who Shad had fallen in love with, was in love with someone else.
And that killed.
...
"A little to the left... No, to the right... Scratch that, back to the left... No, that's not right-"
"-Oh, for Gods' sakes!" cried Jaggle, dropping his end of the long feast table with a crash. "You've been doing this all morning, Mayor Bo!"
The rest of the men murmured in agreement, and the feast table found its final resting spot in the center of the village.
"Forgive me," Bo sighed. "I just want everything to go smoothly tonight. This is the first time my Ilia's been home in several months, and I don't want her thinking we don't care 'bout anything..."
"She already thinks that!" Jaggle remarked. "Your daughter's seen sixteen of these festivals already! What makes this one any different?!"
Bo sighed and leaned forward onto the table. "This is the first one we've had since the war," he stated. Jaggle, Hanch, and Rusl nodded solemnly.
"Of course," Rusl said. "We should have thought of that."
The conversation stopped short as the kids came swooping into the area.
"Finished! We're all finished!" Beth cried, pulling on her father's hand. "Come and see, come and see!"
Hanch rolled his eyes but followed his daughter as she dragged him to the giant trees in the middle of the village, all of them decorated with strings of colorful paper lanterns.
"Wonderful," he said dryly.
"Colin's getting fairies from the spring to go inside the lanterns!" Beth added admiringly. "Oh, and look, look at this!" She dragged her father along and the others followed curiously. "Look, Talo's making Jack o' Lanterns!"
Talo looked up from where he was carving pumpkins and grinned. Jaggle gasped from nearby.
"Yo!" he cried in alarm. "Don't waste food!"
"We're not wasting food!" Talo grumbled at his father. "Ilia's gonna make pumpkin pies outta what's left over!"
"Ilia said she'd make pumpkin pies?" Bo remarked.
"Well, not yet," Beth sighed. "But she will! She's super nice."
"Say that again, kid," somebody muttered from nearby, and everyone glanced up to see Ashei walking past.
"Ashei? Where are you going?"
"To meet Link," she answered. "He's supposed to be up at the ranch right now."
"Oooookay," said Talo. "Anyway, Ilia will make pumpkin pies..."
...
Rusl made the ascent to the ranch with little difficulty. He climbed the hill and peered over the fence. Sure enough, Link and Ashei were together.
They were both astride horses, riding near each other and laughing about something. The horses galloped at an unsteady pace, Ashei's horse taking a few steps in front of Link's before doing a 180 so Ashei could face him. A few more paces, and the steeds were parallel once more.
Rusl observed Link for a minute- he was sitting up straight, shoulders back, but relaxed. He watched Ashei with a grin on his face and then threw his head back and laughed when she said something. Without any warning, Ashei drew her feet out of the stirrups and threw herself across the gap to land behind Link on Epona. She landed perfectly, as if she'd been doing it for years, and threw her arms around Link's shoulders, both of them laughing at something as if they didn't have a care in the world.
Rusl had been meaning to have a serious discussion with Link and Ashei. After all, he had many unanswered questions. And yet he knew at that moment that there was no reason that he should interrupt them; he hadn't seen such profound happiness on Link's part in a long time.
And so he turned and began the tread back to the village, leaving Link and Ashei to themselves.
...
The kids crowded around as Ilia pulled the final pie out of the brick oven. She placed it among the others and they all inhaled deeply; pumpkin pie, spicy, but sweet.
"Mmmm," said Beth, clasping her hands adoringly. "You're such a good cook, Ilia."
"She'll make the perfect wife," Talo remarked, and Beth glared at him.
"Women don't just have to be cooks if they don't want to!" she claimed, crossing her arms. "Right, Shad?!"
Shad was on the other side of the room, his nose buried in a thick book. He mumbled something incoherent.
"See? Shad agrees with me."
"ARE you gonna get married, Ilia?" Talo now asked, leaning forward on the wooden table. Ilia shrugged.
"Yes. I think I will."
"Someday soon?" Malo pressed.
"This town could use a good wedding," the elder brother remarked.
"But who would you marry?" asked Beth eagerly.
Ilia gave a slight smile. "Oh, I don't know," she intoned.
"Liar!" cried Beth. "You have someone in mind! Who is it?!"
"Ilia has a crush, Ilia has a crush," Talo sang.
"Is it Link?" asked Colin immediately.
"Oh, I'm not saying," Ilia replied. "Everyone knows the old legend: if you reveal who you're in love with, they'll never love you back."
"But what if they already love you back?"
Ilia smiled sadly. "I think anyone would be silly to love me back right now."
There was another murmur from the other side of the room. Ilia and the children glanced over to see Shad peering up from behind his book.
"What's that, Shad?"
"I said, I don't think that."
"Think what?"
"That somebody is being silly to love you back. Somebody is very lucky to have you love them."
"So you say."
"So I do say," Shad remarked. He had gone rather pink in the face. He ducked back into the cover of his book again, and Ilia might have said something else if the door hadn't burst open at that exact moment.
"Ilia, honey! Shad, honey! Little honeys! Come here, let Auntie Telma give y'all a squeeze!"
The rather large woman slammed the door behind her and let her suitcases clatter to the ground. It took her all of two strides to gather Ilia into a tight embrace, and when she released her she gathered Shad out of the armchair and pulled him into an embrace as well, crutch and all. When Shad was released, his expression was mortified.
"Ooh, pumpkin pie! My favorite!"
"Uh- those are for tonight- Telma, what are you doing here?"
"Isn't tonight the Fall Festival?!" she exclaimed. "I couldn't miss it!"
Ilia and Shad eyed her skeptically.
"Are you... sure about that?" Shad asked, who was still recovering from the hug.
"Shad, honey, 'course I am!" Telma exclaimed excitedly. She turned to Ilia. "Word on the street is that we have to dress up for this thing tonight. Why don't we give each other a hand getting ready?"
Ilia blinked. "Now?!"
"Yup. Over here. No, over here! Follow me, honey!"
And they marched upstairs together, suitcases and all.
...
When Telma was positive she and Ilia were in privacy, she threw the suitcases aside and gazed at the girl with surprising urgency.
"I came as quickly as I could," she began. Ilia's eyes widened.
"What's wrong?!"
"Princess Zelda has released an official announcement that she will be sharing power with a new elected official, Chancellor Crevan."
Ilia smiled. "Why, that's wonderful! Unless... Isn't it wonderful?"
Telma shook her head. "Not wonderful. Not at all. Ilia, honey, this is all of it, don't you see?! Renado losing his position, the disruption of other leaders- the entire Hyrulian Army has been disbanded and replaced!"
"Why are you telling me, and not Link?!" cried Ilia.
"Because I trust you to keep it secret."
"Why in earth would I keep it secret?"
"Because... Well, you know how things have been with those other three. Up and down, quite tumultuous... I want them to enjoy tonight. Especially Link. You understand?"
Ilia stood quietly for a moment. Then, she nodded.
"Of course I understand... Who would I be not to?"
...
The sky shone golden with the slowly setting sun, and the colors settled over the village with a bright, promising glow. The fiery leaves rustled in the autumn breeze and the spicy scent of pumpkins wafted through the warm, thick air. The trees sparkled with paper fairy lanterns, Talo's Jack O' Lanterns lined the riverbank, and the glen echoed with the sound of Hanch's fiddle. The long feast table had been set with a white tablecloth, and it was set with food from one end to the other- goat, lamb, pig, potatoes, squash, stews with celery and onions and meet and barley, spices, garlic, mushrooms, pies, cakes, fruit, ale, wine, even whiskey.
The villagers milled around the center of the village, children banding together around the feast table and eyeing its contents greedily. Others danced to the sound of the fiddles. Others still played games that the children had set up, particularly a ring toss, or they bobbed for apples, which Shad declared was disgusting and likely ridden with disease.
Link sat on the outskirts of it all, watching the scene from his spot atop a boulder bordering the river. He caught sight of Ilia, who looked quite pretty in a plain purple dress, and Shad, who looked slightly downtrodden. Shad was gazing at Ilia openly, eyes wide and sad and longing, and Link only smirked. Shad had fallen. Hard. So why did he seem so sorrowful about it? Link dragged his eyes back to Ilia, who was dancing to the tune of the fiddle with some of the children, and then glanced back to Shad, who couldn't take his eyes off of her. He looked like he'd fallen in love only to lose her, which was confusing, because Ilia wasn't in love with anyone else... Right?
After a few more seconds Link dared to look at Ashei, who looked drop-dead gorgeous to him. She was wearing a golden tunic and had woven a mum through her braided hair. Link supposed that she had done this back at the mayor's house, but he was still unaware of how well- or poorly, for that matter- Ashei and Ilia were getting along after last night's row. Link didn't know why he thought she looked so beautiful. She really didn't look much different from usual, except for the way the light fell on her and the small smile on her face and the way she had swept her hair off to one side...
She looked more feminine than usual, and Link supposed he liked being reminded that she was a girl, a real, palpable, human being that was a girl and that was there in front of him. A girl that was living, breathing, barely ten feet away. Real. There. Not just a memory that he had immortalized, perfected, made an object of an impossible fantasy. Not like Midna.
No, Ashei was better than Midna. She was like a piece of Midna that the goddesses had left in Hyrule for Link alone, and she never ceased to amaze him. She was there to give him a kick in the pants, to keep him going, to keep him feeling.
And it was there, sitting on that boulder in Ordon Village, that Link had an important epiphany. He realized in that moment that Ashei was the keystone of his life. She filled the gap in his chest that Midna had left- no, scratch that. The gap Midna left would always be there. But Ashei had filled a gap right next to Midna's gap, which was pretty much the same thing, but different. And Link appreciated that. He appreciated that in a way he couldn't begin to describe.
He noticed suddenly that Ashei was staring back at him, and tore his eyes away. She was at his side in seconds.
"Keeping a lookout?"
"I tend to," Link answered, and Ashei smirked, plopping down beside him.
"Look at Shad," she scoffed with a grin. "He's a lovesick little puppy, and everyone knows it but Ilia."
"No kidding."
Ashei scrutinized Link. "Why the long face?"
"It's nothing."
"It's something. Tell me!"
Link shifted in sudden discomfort. "I just think that... I don't know how to explain it..."
"Go on."
"It's corny."
"So?" Ashei pressed.
"So I think... I think I'm very lucky to have you. All of you!" he added hastily. "You and Shad and Ilia and... Telma?!"
He whipped his head to the side as Telma came marching into the heart of the celebration. She was overcome with some strong sense of initiative, and Link was just beginning to wonder what she was up to when she grabbed Mayor Bo and dragged him to the edge of the party.
"Look over there," Link said, nodding in Telma's direction. "What is she doing?"
"Looks like she knows something, yeah?" Ashei mused.
"Has she been here all day?" Link continued.
"I thought I saw a new horse outside of Ilia's house, but..." Ashei glanced at Link, they nodded in unison, and then they both hopped very suddenly off of the boulder and dashed across the lawn to where Ilia was dancing with the children. Link gripped her wrist and she was whisked off to the side with a small gasp.
"When did Telma get here?" he asked. Ilia's eyes widened.
"This afternoon, but-"
"Why?"
"She- she wanted to be here for the festival, so she-"
"Lies," cried Ashei quickly.
"I'm not lying! I mean, I'm sort of lying, but Link-"
"Ilia! This is-"
"LISTEN TO ME! Gods, when you two are on to something, you get all worked up and never stop to listen! I was going to say that Telma was here to deliver a message, but she didn't want you to know what it was until later."
"Why?!"
Ilia hesitated. Then, with a sigh, admitted, "Because it's not good news."
Link and Ashei paused in their speech, and then drew back.
"Well... what is it, then?"
"It's about Princess Zelda. Oh, gosh. Telma will kill me for this. Um. Okay." Ilia exhaled and combed her hand through her short, feathery hair. "You know how all of these rulers are being booted out of power? Well, Princess Zelda is sharing power with-"
Link stood up straight very suddenly. "-Chancellor Crevan," he finished.
Ilia narrowed her eyes. "You already know?"
"We had a run in with some soldiers," Ashei proclaimed. Ilia groaned and threw her arms up in apparent exasperation.
"Well doesn't that just figure?!" she cried. "I got so nervous about keeping that a secret, and the lot of you already knew." She turned on her heel. "I'm going to get a slice of pie."
"Wait!" Link shouted, and Ilia stalled. "Why did Telma want you to keep it a secret?"
Ilia didn't even bother to turn around. "She wanted you to enjoy the evening," she answered, and continued on her way.
Link and Ashei gave each other a very odd look.
"Apparently Telma thinks we've never seen worse than a suspicious chancellor," he joked, and started walking. Ashei was slow to follow.
"I don't think it's the chancellor that she thought would worry us," she decided. "A greedy politician is nothing we can't handle."
Link stopped walking and turned around. "Well what are we all worried about?"
"Zelda," Ashei answered quickly. "Telma's alarmed because Zelda's losing her resolve. She's letting someone take over, and that's exactly what happened last time. She didn't fight hard enough. She never does-"
"Stop," Link said quickly. "Stop saying that. Princess Zelda has a lot of heart. She knows what she's doing. You've never been involved in politics, so who are you to judge?" And he marched on his way. Ashei scrambled behind him.
"It's always her! No matter the circumstance, you'll always defend her! Why?"
"She gave me aid when I didn't want it. Princess Zelda saved my life!"
"Is that why you fell in love with her?!" Ashei cried.
Link turned around very quickly. "It's none of your business whether I was ever in love with her."
"It's been my business ever since you kissed me a week ago!"
Link held her gaze for a second. Then he turned on his heel and marched off without another word.
Ashei sat back down on the boulder and scowled. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder a few seconds later and glanced up irritably.
"Piss off, Ilia," she grumbled, and her face fell into the crook of her arm.
"There's no use grumping about him," Ilia said. "Better to just brush it off. Link will come around sooner or later. He always does with you."
"I said piss off."
"It's true, though," Ilia continued, and fell silent for a moment. "I want to apologize for how I acted last night. I didn't have any right to kick you out of my house."
Ashei didn't answer, so Ilia kept talking.
"But at the same time, I don't think you had any right to say those things to me. I opened my heart up in front of you and you shot me down. You made me feel worse than I already did. And I think that was terribly rude of you. Terrible rude."
"Probably," Ashei grunted, and Ilia gave a tiny smile.
"Sometimes you seem to forget about the rest of us," Ilia said. "Especially me. You forget that I'm younger than the rest of you. And that I've seen less than the rest of you. The truth is too big for me, and while it's not your job to know better, I still think that you could have been a little more considerate."
She stood up and offered a hand. "I'm not going to take the blame off of my shoulders, but I'm not taking it off of yours, either. Neither of us our perfect. I think it's time that we settled our differences and carried on like nothing happened."
Ashei finally withdrew her head from her arms. Ilia was eyeing her with clear sincerity. With a sigh, Ashei took Ilia's hand and was helped to her feet. She gave the small hand a squeeze, and then dropped it.
"You're right," Ashei said. "You're right, you're completely right about all of it. I was wrong to say those things, and you were wrong to react that way..."
She glanced around the village. Children and adults danced to the music, and the girls' skirts whirled like currents of violet, orange, and red. The feast table was laden with steaming food, the fires burned warm and inviting in the cool, darkening air, and there was something about that moment that made Ashei want to stay forever.
"You have a life I've never had. People who love you more than I'll ever be loved. And a home to return to. You'll have to forgive me for being more than a little jealous, yeah?"
Ilia smirked sadly and walked beside Ashei as they returned to the party.
"You're not unloved," Ilia promised her. "I know you think you are, but you aren't. Um... Do you want to dance with me?"
Ashei smirked. "Seems a little..."
"Nah," said Ilia quickly, and she pulled Ashei out to where the others danced. They moved to the rapid stream of music, and after a second both girls were giggling at the absurdity of it all.
"You see," Ilia said, "I don't think you and I are as different as you think we are. I mean, sure, I don't go off fighting hobgoblins or whatever-"
"-Bulblins-" Ashei cut in.
"-Same difference," Ilia commented. "See, none of that has to matter."
Ashei was quiet for a second as the dancing slowed down. Then, she stopped moving altogether.
"I don't want it to matter," she decided. Ilia smiled.
"Me neither."
The moment was glorious, and altogether too short, for suddenly the fiddle stopped, and Hanch gave an outcry of, "HORSES!"
Chaos ensued as villagers disbanded in separate directions, making way for a throng of horsemen- at least two dozen of them. They stormed into the village and stopped in ranks of two, the horses stamping and shaking their reins.
Ashei stepped forward, recognizing the men immediately. Crevan's soldiers.
"What is going on here?" she demanded. One soldier lifted his cap and peered down at her.
"We are here under the orders of His Grace, Chancellor Crevan. This district is hereby under immediate observation by our legion. Who is the leader here?"
The villagers crowded together nervously. After a few seconds, Bo broke free of the group.
"I am mayor here," he announced. The soldiers scowled.
"I see," one of them said, and gave a light chuckle. "Very well. You are now on approval by our legion. We will scrutinize your history and behavior, and report our findings to the chancellor."
"That's not fair!" Ilia cried suddenly, bursting forward. Ashei grabbed her shoulders and held her back.
"We will be staying for several weeks, at least," the soldier continued, disregarding Ilia's outburst. "I expect that you will be hospitable in accommodating us."
"You'll get no such thing!" Talo screamed, and several of the children hollered in protest. They were shushed immediately by an exasperated Rusl, who stepped forward.
"It would be an honor to play host to embassies of His Grace," Rusl said, and Ashei felt slightly disappointed that an honorable man like Rusl would resort to flattery. "We hope," Rusl continued, "that you will find us deserving."
Ashei cast a glance over to Link, who looked ready to burst, and then to Shad, who was clearly terrified. Finally, she turned her gaze to Ilia, whose eyes were wide with apprehension.
"We thank you on behalf of His Grace," the soldier declared, and Ashei couldn't help but detest the amusement in the soldier's voice. She was tempted to protest, but something told her that this time was different than other times. This time, protesting wouldn't work.
The soldier smirked. "The next several weeks shall be quite enjoyable," he decided. "Now, where is your rancher? We must find suitable resting places for the steeds!"
Fado stepped forward meekly. "The ranch is up this way, Sirs," he said, and led the soldiers up the dusty trail to where the stables were. Once they had dispatched, the villagers glanced at each other nervously.
"Do not fear," said Rusl quietly, gathering the villagers round. "We will find a way through this. We will all be quite all right..."
But Ashei could sense the lie behind his words.
Next chapter: The soldiers are in town on investigation, ruining seemingly everything. When Link is challenged to a duel, he must choose between his passion for the villagers and his moral values...
New goal: let's get this puppy up to 100 reviews. I've never hit 100 before! It would be very meaningful to me. Plus, I'm being quarantined for radioactive treatment, so you can do it as a get-well present. :)
