Just a quick note I've changed the chapter titles to let you all know which ones are post Calamity.
Thanks for the reviews and favorites since I uploaded the last chapter. I get all excited when I see it pop up in my email. It's really great to hear some feedback.
Treeforest thanks for the support mate, glad you like the story and I'm sorry it just had to happen. The lesson is never trust an Alfonzo (I apologize to all Alfonzos offended).
To the guest review on the last chapter thanks! I won't lie, I did have to think a little bit about your question. I guess they don't eat seeing as they're plants and it's a little difficult to eat when you have a leaf for a face. So I'm guessing he drank lots of water and laid outside in the sun for a little too long. (My high school knowledge of photosynthesis is serving me well)
Andrew, counted it out probably another nine chapters, so I think I heavily overestimated how close I was to the end. Looks like you're stuck with my story for a little longer.
Chapter 16- A Matter of Perspective (Post Calamity)
The two Hylians ripped from each other gasping. Link looked around the floor of the house in a blind panic. His mind was racing almost as fast as his heart, which seemed to be tearing him apart at the seams.
"Link…it's okay, calm down." Zelda held her hands out like she was trying to tame a horse but, it wasn't helping. Link's mind was swirling further and further down and the anger was bubbling up around it.
That sense of loss, which had plagued him over the past since waking up, he had thought it was over his memories or over those he had lost in the past. He understood now, why when he learned of his mother's death he felt nothing and why now he felt nothing over his father. Link felt that dreaded emptiness because part of himself had been taken.
"Tell me what's wrong please," Zelda urged.
She was trying to approach Link slowly but he was regarding her with large open eyes and backed away as fast as she could approach. His sword felt hot on his back, like it was about to burn through the fabric of his tunic.
"Link please…don't cut me out again. I don't think I can take it this time."
He couldn't take it anymore he unclipped the sword from his back and stared at it in his hands.
"Every memory, all the way from the beginning, I was being controlled. Every decision I ever had wasn't even mine to make." Link susurrated.
Zelda's lip was visibly trembling, he was hurting her again but Link couldn't stop, it was all hammering down on him too hard, filling up the enclosed space his mind was creating. He felt cornered and he didn't react well when he was cornered.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Link said firmly. "How much more do I sacrifice, for a fight that I was drafted into before I could even walk?"
"I didn't know how you would react…" Zelda's voice had turned small and she was pulling in on herself now. "It's not like I was any different Link, do you think I chose to be the Princess, I'd do anything to have been given a normal life."
Link shrugged as his face began to scowl. "Part of me is still in there isn't it…?" The sword suddenly felt heavier than ever. "I thought remembering would make me feel more whole but I just feel more empty."
Zelda's eyes brimmed with tears. "You and the sword are one Link, you just need to remember, we found a way to-"
"No!" Link spat. "No more memories, I can't take a single one. I already know what happens next. I already know I die."
"There's more to it than that, I need you to see the rest Link, we can do it together I promise," She ran forward and gripped his free hand. "Please…"
Link hesitated and looked from Zelda to the sword. "I…I can't."
Their hands slipped from each other as Zelda took three hesitant steps back and looked to Link in disbelief. Link closed his eyes and allowed the swirling vortex of thoughts to come to a sudden stop. He had made up his mind, he knew what he had to next and he had to do it alone.
"I feel like I'm trapped. The cage I'm in is filling with water and no matter how hard I bang on the walls I can't get out. There's something I need to do and I'm not sure if I'm coming back."
He dropped the Shieka slate to the ground and walked out of the house as Zelda dropped to her knees hugging herself tightly. Link paused as he heard the sobs coming from the other side of the door but he did not go back inside. He pushed the sword onto his back and made his way out into the night.
Zelda returned to the camp early in the morning. Her eyes had been red from crying so she washed them in the river. All strength had deserted her but somehow she found her way into Impa's tent.
The monk was the only person she truly knew here. There were so few of them left from before. A virtual apocalypse and 100 years of time tend to do that.
"You're finally back. Don't worry it's not like there's a Kingdom to revitalise," Impa's expression immediately softened as she saw the state of Zelda.
With a slap of her thigh she growled, "That stupid boy… What did he do."
Zelda took a seat on one of the plush cushions in front. The room encapsulated the monk in the best possible way. The warm red fabrics that lined the tent were beautiful and yet not overly elaborate, and filled the room with a kind glow. It was the sort of place you felt safe in.
Impa's granddaughter Paya was stood to the side and looked like she would take being invisible over any power in this moment. But that feeling Zelda had been getting for the past few days overwhelmed her, she didn't care who saw her, quickly fat tears began to roll down her cheeks and Impa immediately looked to Paya.
"Comfort the poor girl!"
Paya let out a quick shriek and quickly Zelda felt warm arms around her. They helped a little, still that aching feeling of utter loss shrouded her in an inescapable shadow. She was wondering around her own lost woods, trapped there for an eternity.
"You got to the memory of the sword didn't you?" Impa asked.
Zelda nodded as a shaky sob hiccupped though her body. "I knew it would be bad but… He's angry Impa, he's angry at everything. That there was never any choice in his life."
"If I was half my age I'd have enough sense to grab the boy and shake some sense into him," Impa snorted. "But the boy does have a point. For you it was always obvious there would be no choice but Link was fooled from youth into thinking his life was free."
"He left Impa. Said there was something he had to do alone."
Impa looked to her side at the image of the field of destitute guardians, the place where Link had lost his life all those years ago. In a few years it would be a beautiful painting to the average collector, but to Zelda and Impa it was a haunting reminder of how far you can fall.
"That is regrettable… I'm afraid there's been a bit of a situation while you've been gone."
Zelda fumbled with her fingers Paya had released her now and her breathing had returned to normal. Though she had washed her face for nothing, it must've been just as puffy and red as it was this morning.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Relations between the Rito and Gerudo delegation have broken down since the Rito Elder has arrived. They want someone to mediate their discourse, someone with a little more elegance than me. All I want to do is slam their heads together and get them shove their pride up their behinds."
"Grandmother, please!" Paya cried. She had turned quite red from the statement.
"What?" Impa cackled.
Zelda knew exactly what they wanted: "Link, that's who they're looking for. That's the only reason why they're all here. They look up to him."
Impa slapped her leg again in outrage. "And yet we have no Link among us and it doesn't look like he's coming back anytime soon… But thank the goddesses we have the actual heir to the Hylian Throne."
Panic began to flood through Zelda. The delegates talking had been overwhelming enough, she wasn't suited to negotiations, she had never been taught. Any discussion over politics was immediately suspended in favour of praying.
"I can't mediate. They don't see me in the same way they do to Link, I can't replace him."
Impa let out a long and drawn out sigh. "Have some faith, you're singlehandedly the most stubborn person I've ever met in my life."
"Grandmother!" Impa yelped.
"What? She was a stubborn girl from birth never did what she was told, took years for us to get her to act somewhat like a princess, even then she was a right pain in the arse. But to top things all off she was stubborn enough to hold the incarnation of evil at bay for one hundred years, just so some lazy hero could wake up and take all the credit. Most of the time I'm not sure if I should kiss you for saving the world or slap you over the head for pretending you had nothing to do with it."
The room immediately went silent. Paya's mouth had dropped to the ground in outrage. Zelda half expected her to collapse there and then under the shame. She met the sparkling eyes of the Shieka monk and couldn't hold it anymore.
Both women erupted into laughter. Paya looked in horror between the two, any grasp she thought she had on the social arena was now utterly destroyed.
"I don't get it, what?"
Of course the statement only worsened the situation and soon Zelda had tears once again, only she didn't mind these ones.
Impa quirked up. "Speaking of trouble…looks like we have a visitor."
The flaps of the tent swirled as someone attempted to enter.
"Impa I can't stand that feathered freak anymore," Riju growled as she burst into the tent. She looked a little taken aback when she saw the princess there, most of the delegates seemed unsure of how to treat her. "I'm sorry princess, I'll come back later."
Zelda hesitated. Bloody say something!
"I'm sure you can share your grievances with the princess present, please sit," Impa said with that fake maturity she showed to those who didn't know her closely.
Riju looked hesitantly at the princess before relenting and sitting down.
"Kaneli has decided that the price of wheat is unfair under our current system and that if we are to become a Kingdom, his people must get a better deal."
"Not an outrageous request…" Impa mused.
Riju was having none of it and slammed her feet to the ground as she stood suddenly. "The price he's asking for is extortionate and my people rely on those supplies. What really got me though was that Teba just nodded along. He was meant to be leading everything on the Rito side. I accepted negotiating with him not this oversized owl."
There was a rustling from outside. Zelda could make out the voices of several of the Rito warriors from beyond the flaps of the tent.
Oh goddess this is not going to end well.
Sure enough Teba stormed into the tent.
"I can't take that stuck up brat," he quickly paused when his eyes fell on Riju who was stood up straight in defiance.
"Don't let me stop you," Riju growled. "Finish that fascinating thought."
Impa let out a giant groan as Teba walked forwards, towering over the small girl, rage visible on his face. "If you weren't such a stuck up brat we'd all be well on our way out of here. Everything was going well before the rest of the Gerudo arrived. You're just trying to prove your strength. You can push over the other races but I'm standing firm."
"I bet your boss told you to say that puppet boy," Riju sneered.
"You just told my chief to go shove ten eggs up himself, so you can see why I'm jumping to his defence a little."
Suddenly they erupted into argument, both not even listening to the other. It had turned into a match of who could yell the loudest over the other.
Zelda sat there quietly. Do something! You're the last of the dynasty, how are they going to respect you if you can't even stop a squabble.
"Quiet!" Impa yelled, shocking everyone in the room to silence. "I swear you two just make me want to prematurely let go of life. We will reconvene later with Zelda as a moderator. Okay…?"
Both nodded and looked to Zelda.
"Princess I'm sure you can see completely where I am coming from," Riju coaxed.
"She assumes the worst of you, I know you will make the right decision," Teba assured.
"GET OUT!"
Both immediately fled the tent, along with probably scaring most of the camp awake in the early hours of the morning.
"What in Hylia's good name was that? Speak up more child you have a voice of authority, use it!"
Zelda sighed and fumbled. Authority and confidence went hand in hand for her and she felt utterly drained of all confidence. Still it could be nice to drown out the overbearing images of Link that constantly popped into her mind. She couldn't escape from it at the moment.
"Look," Impa encouraged. "It's not complicated, you just have to understand each point of view, keep asking them questions and eventually these things just resolve themselves."
Zelda stood up. "I guess I have a meeting to prepare for."
She couldn't mistake the smiles of admiration from both Impa and Paya as she exited the tent. Sure she was going to go into a negotiation with two of the most shrew diplomats of this age and only Hyrule's future lay on the line. What was the worst that could happen?
Link's axe slammed into the tree. He didn't realise how much he had grown to rely on the Shieka slate, he was beginning to regret leaving it on the floor. Still tonight was going to be a cold one and there wasn't any wood left in the saddlebags.
"You know you can't ignore me forever…"
Link threw a rock at the apparition and it disintegrated only to reappear right next to him.
"You must hate it now knowing that the gleaming blue ball that's been following you was me this whole time." Alfonzo face gleamed across at him. "I was so tempted to show you but I didn't want to ruin the reveal and I must admit you didn't disappoint."
Link slammed the axe into the tree a little harder than normal. Splinters sprayed everywhere as the axe hit it with a loud thwack. The group outside the stable glanced over from the cooking pot and Link looked away nervously, hoping none of them recognised him. It was all too obvious no one else could see the spirit.
"I mean that reaction…it was just delicious. You pushed away the one person who's been by your side this whole time. And you think I'm the villain in this."
"Do you have an off button?" Link muttered quietly. If he could he'd bury the length of the axe in the forehead of that stupid smile he would but, in that form it would only cheer the thing on.
"Oh don't be like that Link, I know you wondering why I'm still with you. I just can't wait for the next load of memories."
Link growled: "There aren't going to be any more memories, Zelda isn't here to take me back."
Alfonzo shrieked with manic laughter and wiped a fake tear from his eye. "I don't believe it! It just gets better and better. You actually think you can escape from your past, you still think you have control over your own life."
"Shut up…" Link murmured through bared teeth. His swings were getting more uncontrollable.
"Though you know what the funniest thing is?" Alfonzo pressed. His voice was like nails to a chalkboard, Link just wanted to rip his ears out. What made it worse was that smug face he permanently wore and how he leant all relaxed on the tree. "The fact that all your sacrifices were for nothing. Even if its years after you die Ganon will still return and still destroy all you built up. And anything you do now is meaningless. I was right the whole time."
Link let a loud yell fall off his tongue as he slammed the axe into the tree sending it to the ground with a crack. Even the people in the stable had come out to see the show, 'Hylian loses his mind over a tree'.
"Wow…you are really not in a great mood. I guess that's what happens when there's trouble in paradise. Just remember, I wasn't the one who made you lash out at your darling."
Alfonzo let out a quick yelp as an arrow slammed into the wood where his ghostly hand rested. He studied it for a second before realising he was no longer part of the physical realm. "That was rather rude you know…"
Link leant on the axe as he placed it to the ground. "Look what will make you shut up? I'd rather face Ganon all over again then listen to you for another second."
Alfonzo chuckled. "Wow look at you with your flashy personality. Let's start with where we're going. Don't worry I kept my calendar open for you."
Link pulled out the scrap of paper in his pocket. The map led to Hyrule Forest. It was strange to not be able to rely on teleportation, it almost seemed second nature to him now. He must've given half a dozen heart attacks when he forgot there were people around to witness him evaporate.
"We're going back to where it all started," Link stated. "To where I lost myself, I'm getting what I lost back. I don't care about the consequences.
"Sounds eerie…" Alfonzo cooed.
Link sighed slightly and looked out over the expanse of Hyrule field. It seemed darker than usual. Maybe it was just a change of perspective but, since he had woken up all the colours had seemed more muted.
The charm around Links neck began to glow again.
"No, not here not now..." Link groaned. Alfonzo wasn't lying there was no escaping the past. He was an idiot to not expect consequences when the strange man gave him the charm over nothing.
Alfonzo clapped his hands in glee. "Here we go, round four! Can you wait a minute? I need to find a snack."
Link collapsed to the ground as he began to lose his grip on reality. It was like he was being dragged away from his body. He shook harder than the leaves on the trees above him. He tried all he could but there was no preventing it. Soon his eyes rolled back as the kaleidoscope of images flashed into his mind.