While the snow around the inn continued to pile up, the now birthday celebration inside the inn continued just as they would any other weekend night. The villagers laughed, sang, and danced as the music echoed through the halls, and yet one of them remained quiet, silently watching as he ate a meal at one of the tables alone. His eyes weren't on the fun in front of him, but the woman at the counter who kept everyone's joy high with her self-made food and drinks. While he wanted nothing more than to go talk to her properly— something he had been actively attempting for the past week— he chose to stay at his table and watch from afar, something that didn't really bother him as it had done before. His eyes remained on the beautiful woman until his name was heard over the dining hall's ruckus.
"Manny? Is that you sitting alone over here?"
Manny tore his gaze away from the clerk and up at two tall farmers walking from out of the crowd toward him.
"Medda… Nack…" he replied as the two farmers stopped at his table.
"What are ya doin' over here by yourself?" Nack asked as he adjusted his tall straw hat.
"Yeah, we didn't know you had come tonight," Medda added. "You haven't been here in weeks; not since your first time here now that I think about it."
"Ah, well… You know…" Manny mumbled, subconsciously glancing over toward the clerk. Both Nack and Medda looked over at where he was looking, in which the answer dawned on them.
"Still goin' after Prima, eh?" Nack asked, patting Manny on the back. "I'm proud of ya. After that first try, we thought you had given up."
"What made you come back?" Medda asked.
"I had a little bit of encouragement," Manny answered simply.
"Well, if that's the case, what are you doing over here?" Medda prodded, bending down to press his hands against the table. "Why not go try and talk to her again?"
"I mean, because she's working," Manny answered. "I wouldn't wanna mess up her flow."
"Sounds like you're bein' afraid again," Nack said, yet Manny shook his head.
"I'm not. I swear, I'm not!" he argued after he looked at the farmers' faces. "I'll have you know that I've been here helping out all week. I've had plenty of time to talk to her."
"And have ya?"
"Yes. Sorta…" Manny mumbled out.
"Was it small talk?" Medda asked. After a short pause, Manny nodded. "Well, hey, that's something. I'm honestly surprised someone like you actually came to help… and then actually helped."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Manny asked with a furrowed brow.
"It means you needa start helpin' out in the fields," Nack answered. "At least during this time of year. We could really use the help."
"Yeah, yeah," Manny groaned. "I know… Wait, isn't it winter? What do you need help with—"
"We still need to do our best to keep as much alive as we can, and make sure the fields stay healthy enough for the upcoming year," Nack explained. Manny blew air through his nostrils.
"Hey, we aren't asking that much from you," Medda laughed, pushing himself back up. "Anyway, if you helped out, then you knew it was Link's birthday today, didn't you?"
Manny simply grunted in response.
"It's good to see him out an' about," Nack said as he and Medda looked toward the table where the man in question sat. "Feels like we haven' seen him around a lot. He hasn' been travelin', has he?"
"He wasn't then, and I doubt he ever left since," Meda said. "The guy's just been busy, I guess. What do you think, Manny?"
"Beats me," the large sitting Hylian said.
"Well, it looks like he's havin' a good time," Nack suddenly chuckled. This prompted Manny to set his fork down and look over as well. At the table was Link, sitting with who was clearly Zelda in his lap. "Been a while since I've seen him actin' that goofy. Zelda seems to be havin' fun too."
"Look at him; He must've had a drink or two with that little bit of swaying," Medda laughed. "He deserves a good rest with all that fighting and traveling he had done this past year."
At this, Manny clicked his tongue and turned his attention back to his food.
"Look who's also had a few drinks" Medda suddenly said, pointing a finger toward another part of the crowd.
Unable to help himself, Manny looked up to see where he was pointing, and sure enough, there at another table was a taller, silver-haired man with extremely red cheeks.
"I'm surprised Prima is lettin' Teli have so many drinks," Nack said. "I'm kinda jealous, though he's gonna hate seein' his tab later."
"He's getting free drinks," Manny corrected.
"What? How'd he manage that?" Medda asked, surprised at Prima's sudden generosity.
"He helped her by cleaning the stalls outside," Manny answered, taking his fork back into his hand. Medda and Nack blinked.
"The stalls?" Medda repeated.
"The ones that man Joute had his horse in, yeah?" Nack asked. Manny nodded. "Well, I'll be… How'd she get someone as spiffy as Teli there to clean somethin' like that?"
"Even with free drinks, she must've put up a good fight to get Teli of all people to clean those," Medda said. "Still, maybe that's just it. It's Prima. Teli and her seem awfully close, don't you think?"
"Ya think there's somethin' there?" Nack asked, once again adjusting his hat.
"Anything's possible," Medda said before looking back at Manny. With a lighthearted laugh, he said, "you may have some competition!"
Manny frowned at the sound of this, but before he could say anything, Nack spoke.
"Well, if Teli is gettin' all those free drinks, we should ask him to spare us a few cups when we get back," he suggested to Medda.
"Where are you guys going?" Manny asked as he looked between the two of them.
"I'm off to check on my daughter, while Nack here is going to check on that wife, Nikki, and their kids," Medda explained. "The snow out there is getting pretty tough, even for up here in the mountains. We thought it'd be best to go make sure they'll be alright before we continue having fun."
"Right, I heard Nikki and Amira both don't come during the weekend anymore…" Manny mumbled. Medda nodded.
"Speaking of which, we better get a move on," he turned to Nack and said.
"Righ' then," Nack said, fixing his straw hat one last time. "We'll see you later in the evenin', Manny."
"Yeah, I guess," Manny said. "I'll see you two later."
With that, the two farmers walked away and out of the dining hall. With a sigh, Manny looked back at Prima at the front of the hall before looking at Teli, and then Link, who was sitting in the back with Zelda still in his lap. Blowing air through his nostrils, he took a large bite of his food, trying to rid his mind of all the new thoughts that now flooded it.
"Is this seat… taken?" another voice suddenly said. He looked up again, this time to find the purple-haired woman who had been keeping him company the past week now standing next to him.
"What are you doing here?" Manny asked as Jules decided to take the seat without an answer. "I thought you were helping Prima out."
"She… told me she wasn't gonna work me the whole night since I'm not a… proper employee," she explained, taking a swig from the mug she had brought with her. Manny looked between her and the mug.
"Are you already drinking?" he asked. After what he considered an awkward pause for Jules to finish swallowing, she set her mug back down.
"You haven't started?" she asked.
"I… Well…" Manny stuttered before looking back at the front counter. "I've been a little… preoccupied."
"I see," Jules replied, but when Manny looked back at her, her focus was on the two flirts near the back of the hall.
"You want to be over there with Link, right?" he asked irritably, beginning to play with his food. "Why are you over here?"
"I was over there," Jules said blatantly. "I'm just not very welcome. It's… fine. It's not like I would've been fully— hic— satisfied anyway. I never will be when…"
She didn't finish her sentence, instead choosing to take another drink of her ale.
It's always about him, isn't it? Manny thought to himself as he listened to the gulps Jules took. Link this, Link that… Why does everyone—?
"At least you won't shoo me away…" Jules suddenly mumbled when she lowered her mug from her lips.
"Oh…" was all Manny could say. Again his eyes landed on Link. His brow began to furrow in anger before he pushed himself up to his feet.
"Uh? Where are… Where are you going?" Jules asked as Manny began to walk away.
She watched as he went to the front of the hall where Prima was working. To her surprise, the clerk actually slowed her hands to give Manny proper attention. Jules gave a sad smirk.
"Well, at least he's giving it his best," she said, looking back at the end of the hall where Zelda was. "He might actually have a shot, unlike—"
"Alright," she heard Manny's voice. She looked back over to see the large Hylian sitting back down in his seat next to her with a new mug in his hand. Jules blinked. "There we go… You wanted to drink with someone, right? Well, you're in luck! Why drink with that jerk when you can share a drink with the village's one and only overseer!"
Jules blinked as Manny began to take a drink from his mug. He violently shook at the taste, something he still hadn't gotten used to during the last few times since he had become of age. Still, he drank until half his mug was gone. With a loud burp, he set his mug back on the table and laughed.
"No one gets past me in this village!" he laughed as he began to sway. Jules remained silent for a moment, still in shock at the scene he was making in front of her before chuckling herself.
"Didn't I get past you?" she asked between her laughs. "You must not be too good at your job."
"You did not get past me," Manny argued as a red tint quickly grew on his large cheeks. "I saw you before you even came up the mountain!"
"Wow, from that far away— hic— huh?" Jules humored drunkenly. "That's very impressive."
The two continued talking, though this only went on for a few minutes. Soon, Manny stood from his chair, spouting something about him not wanting to farm. While Jules would have usually laughed at this, even she could hear how loud he was being.
"Manny, come on, sit down!" Jules said, grabbing at his overalls near the waist. "I forgot you were a—hic— lightweight…"
"I'm fine!" he practically shouted as Jules pulled him down into his seat. "I'm fine standing in front of the inn, that is! I don't want to work out in the fields!"
"And I'd rather be the one in Link's lap right now. We don't always get what we want," Jules said in a much calmer voice now that Manny had seated himself. "You can complain to me all you want, just do it quietly before Zelda thinks I'm—"
"Is that you causing all this noise?" said a flamboyant voice.
Both Jules and Manny looked up to see a thin and colorful older man walking toward them. He stopped in front of the table, his face glowing from the ale he had drank throughout the night, and looked down at the younger Hylian.
"Manny, dear? I asked if that was you," Bolson practically sang when he wasn't given an answer.
"Yeah—hic— that… That was me…" Manny managed to slur out.
"Well then, I need you to stop, please," Bolson said. "I am trying to dance to the music and put on a show, but you are throwing me off the beat, my friend."
"Hey! I'm—hic— just as loud as everyone else!" Manny complained, yet the retired carpenter leaned in.
"The rest are cheering to the music or having a good time, not complaining about needing to help around here," he said in a surprisingly stern tone. "So—as I've asked before— pretty please put a stop to it, or I'll have Prima make a stop over here. Understand?"
At the sudden intimidation, Manny quickly nodded.
"Well, I'm glad we've come to an understanding!" Bolson said cheerfully, clapping his hands together.
"Just eat the rest of your food, Manny," Jules murmured. "Try and sober up a bit."
Manny grunted.
"Weren't you supposed to be leaving town to find a spouse or something?" he mumbled under his breath to Bolson before grabbing his fork to take a bite of his meal. Thankfully, Bolson hadn't heard his comment, and in fact, his attention had turned to the woman who had just spoken.
"Jules, yes?" he asked, to which Jules slowly nodded, confused as to why he had chosen to focus on her. He stared her down for a moment before asking, "why are you bringing down the mood, hun?"
"I… what?" Jules asked, completely taken aback by the man's question.
"Your frown, your mood! Your foundation is nothing but depression!" Bolson sang. "Don't you think that's just unacceptable on such a special day!"
"It's not like I want to be a downer…" Jules grumbled, subconsciously glancing over at the two sitting at the other end of the hall. Bolson turned to see what she was staring out before humming in understanding.
"Ah, a story of unrequited love. Tragic," Bolson sang. "I must apologize. I didn't realize your frown came from wounds so deep."
"Yeah, well, now you—"
"Stand," Bolson suddenly demanded. Jules blinked, prompting the man to sigh. "I said stand, girl. Come on, now. Up, up."
Feeling as though she had no choice, the woman stood. Waggling his fingers, Bolson signaled her to step out from behind the table and into the open, where he began circling her.
"Hmmmm, you're pretty. I'll give you that."
"I… what?" Jules asked, turning her head as she watched the man inspect her.
"You're supposed to say thank you," Bolson said without pausing his inspection. After another brief pause, he loudly cleared his throat. "Say thank you."
"Thanks, I guess?" Jules managed out.
"If only you weren't so stiff," Bolson murmured, to which Jules frowned. "It's like you're nothing but foundation. Short, and sturdy, yet nothing on top to show off!"
"Well, last time I loosened up, I ended up causing a scene," Jules mumbled, thinking back to her first encounter with a certain golden-haired girl.
"Is that why your clothes are so dreary too?" Bolson asked, pinching at the dark dress she wore. "Don't you have anything more flashy? More… bright?"
"Okay, really? What do my clothes have to do with—?" Jules began to ask, yet Bolson snapped his fingers, demanding silence.
"Answer," he demanded simply in a singing tune.
"I… Um…" Jules thought out loud, still confused as to why the carpenter was asking. "I don't— hic— think so. Now why do you care about what I'm wearing?"
"Because, hun, like I said, you're bringing down the mood," Bolson said, finally ending his examination as he stopped in front of her. "And now that I know this is a love issue, I simply cannot ignore it. So, we're going to try and bandage your heart, even if it's just for a second."
"Bandage my heart?" Jules asked unenthusiastically. "Right, well, I appreciate that, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible, at least not right now. Look at those two all… Kind of happy. I can't compete with Zelda."
"Ugh, you young people these days," Bolson sighed as he whipped his hand through the air. "You sound older than me. Baby, you're not supposed to heal by wishing you were her. You heal with a different kind of love. The love of oneself, sha-ding!"
The man struck a pose at that last word, clearly promoting himself as the pinnacle of self-love. Jules stood unamused by the sudden dance move, which Bolson quickly took note of.
"Do you not know this one either? More of you are out of the loop than I thought," he said to himself. "Regardless, at least for tonight, we're making you the center of attention— alongside me, of course."
"Yeah, no thanks," Jules said, taking a seat back down. "I'm too tipsy for this. I'll try and turn my frown upside down, so don't worry about me."
"Using alcohol as an excuse to run away, hm?" Bolson asked.
"Aren't you drunk too?" Jules asked lazily, having already gotten comfortable in her chair as she took her ale mug back into her hands.
"Indeed I am, but I'm actually having a good time and showing my greatness off to the world!" he said. "But you. You're just doing… this."
"Okay, so, let's say I did go along with whatever… this is," Jules said, gesturing towards Bolson. "What is it you'd be having me do?"
"You'd have the honor of dancing with me on the floor!" Bolson said, once again making a quick dance move. Jules, who had started drinking her ale again, almost spit everything back up.
"You want me to do what?" she coughed out.
"To dance, hun. Dance!" Bolson said.
"Not a chance," Jules said, attempting to recollect herself. "Zelda would lose her mind if I tried something like that."
"Zelda this, Zelda that," Bolson mocked. "And here I thought that girl said she wasn't a princess anymore, yet here you are, letting her rule over you."
"I'm not… letting her rule over me…" Jules murmured. "I just—hic— can't make a scene, or I'd be proving her right…"
"And how would dancing and having fun for yourself be something that proves her right?"
"For myself?" Jules asked curiously.
"I said before, didn't I?" Bolson sang. "I'm actually having a good time, and that's all I'm trying to have!"
"And what if someone thought you were trying to do something else?" Jules asked.
"Well, that's their problem, sweetie!" Bolson said. After Jules grunted thoughtfully, he turned around. "Well, I've been here far too long, especially if you won't be joining me. I thought I could turn that frown upside down, but if you'd rather stay dull, then ta-ta!"
Waggling his fingers, he began to walk away, but before he could get far, Jules suddenly stood. Confused, Manny (who had gotten very focused on stuffing his face) looked up at her, yet Bolson turned with a twinkle in his eye.
"I…" Jules mumbled, averting her eyes from the older man. "I may have something… An outfit… from Gerudo Town."
Bolson grinned mischievously as he whispered, "backup dancer acquired."
...
"Zelda, what are you looking for?" Celessa groaned, revealing her pale face from her folded arms that were resting on the table.
While it seemed as though Zelda had been silently enjoying the amount of physical touch she was getting (with Link's arm still wrapped around her waist as she sat in her lap), she couldn't help but mimic her paranoid lover as she too kept peering over her shoulder into the hall. After another quick look of her own, she sighed.
"I just can't help but feel something's wrong," Zelda said. "Like… Like something's going to happen…"
"Zelda, Jules went away," Celessa said, resting her cheek on her arm. "I don't understand what more you could want. You're literally the closest person to Link right now."
"What?" Link asked without looking away from the room.
"Nothing, Link," Celessa said from her arms. "Keep doing whatever it is you're doing. Look, Zelda, at this rate, you're just looking for a fight."
"I'm not looking for a fight," Zelda exclaimed, sliding her fingers into Link's dirty blonde locks. "I'm just… I'm not sure how to explain it. I—"
Suddenly, a loud cheer came from the other end of the hall. Zelda turned, trying to get a look at what all the fuss was about, while even Celessa raised her head once more in curiosity. With a grand smile on his bearded face, Bolson stepped out into the open center of the floor, raising his arms high in pride.
"I deeply apologize for the wait everyone," he cooed. "I know it was a while, but I have taken care of our little distraction, and while I was away, I managed to snag a present for you all. Give welcome to my backup dancer!"
As Bolson stepped aside, Zelda's (along with others') eyes grew wide. Appearing on the floor was Jules, dressed in what looked to be a set of silky, light blue Gerudo clothing. These were different from the set Zelda remembered her and Link wearing during their time in the desert. Instead of the usual loose pants, she wore a wavy, silky skirt with a slit, revealing much of her smooth thigh. Gold accents decorated her arms, waist, and ankles, allowing the torchlight in the room to sparkle against her.
"Woah, is that Jules?"
"She looks incredible…"
"She's beautiful!"
As the murmuring and clapping continued, Jules frowned awkwardly before stepping closer to Bolson.
"Uh, Bolson," she said in a low tone. "You didn't really tell me what I'd be doing here other than dancing…"
"Dancing, girl. Dancing!" Bolson said excitedly, more focused on the crowd around him. "Just do the dance I do! Everyone knows it, it's all the rage with the young ones."
"Wait, I don't know the dance. Even you said earlier that I'm out of the loop—"
"Those playing the music!" Bolson suddenly shouted. "Give us a… Give us a nice Gerudo tune, would you now? Help us fit the theme going on here."
"Bolson—"
"Hit it!"
Upon his signal, the music grew louder as Bolson jumped forward, beginning to dance his signature choreography. As he displayed his skills, Jules stood motionless while the crowd began to cheer for the older man, yet even then she could feel some eyes upon her, questioning why she stood still.
Ugh… What now? She thought to herself as she looked around. I must've already had too much to drink letting him talk me into this. I don't know the dance…
With a sigh, she turned, ready to walk back to her table where Manny had stayed. There was no point in just standing out in the open, especially with her new clothes. She shivered as she began to step away. A drink would warm her up nicely. After only a few steps though, the crowd surrounding her and Bolson began to clap to the music's beat. Confused, she looked around to find even more eyes on her than before.
Seriously? But what am I even supposed to dance? I don't know Bolson's moves… She continued to herself. After a pause, an idea dawned on her. I… could do that. I haven't actually done the dance myself before, but I watched enough Gerudo do it… I think. I don't have their hips, but…
With a sigh, she stepped back into the center of the area before placing a foot out in front of her. With a deep breath, she raised her arms high.
I think it went something like… this…?
She slowly began to move her hips from side to side, matching the beat of the music as best she could. She began to spin her body around, trying her best to mimic the dance steps of the Gerudo she had seen do it back in the Noble Canteen. As she danced, the clapping began to grow louder as the cheering continued, until soon her name was being chanted throughout the hall.
Well then, she said in her head as a grin began to spread on her face. I guess I'm doing it right enough.
With newfound confidence (and allowing the warmth of the alcohol from earlier to take over), she began to spin and shake her hips faster, allowing the roar of the crowd to ring through her body. Her feet carefully moved as she stepped, allowing the silk around her waist to flutter dangerously high as she twirled. For the first time in a while, she felt as though she could enjoy herself, without the need to conform. She finally felt as though she stood on solid ground, instead of a sheet of thin ice.
She continued to dance, allowing the cheer to consume her. Still, while everyone else seemed to be enjoying the rather suggestive dancing, one person seemed bothered.
"What is she doing over there?" Zelda asked irritably, to which Celessa rolled her eyes.
"Zelda…" she moaned.
"No! Look at her!" Zelda said from Link's lap. Tiredly, Celessa looked at Jules before meeting Zelda's eyes once more.
"What about it?" she asked. "She's just dancing."
"But look at how she's dancing," Zelda tried to explain. "I'm sure it's for—"
She looked down at Link, whose eyes were stuck on the scene in front of him. Something in Zelda snapped.
"No, I'm putting an end to this right now," she said, beginning to squirm from Link's arm, who snapped back to reality.
"What… What are you doing?" he asked as Zelda fought to get out of his grip.
"You stay here," she said, successfully yanking his arm off of her. "I'll be right back. I just need to take care of something."
"But, what—"
"Just stay there, Link!" Zelda snapped before rushing away.
"Zelda, hold on—" Celessa began to yell as she started pushing herself up from her chair. Despite her efforts, she quickly covered her mouth before sitting back down, trying her best not to throw up. Link looked between her and Zelda running off as his face grew pale.
"Something's wrong… Something's wrong…" he said, standing up.
"Link… Just stay there, will you?" Celessa groaned. "Please, just stay there… and make my life easy for once."
Though Link obeyed, his eyes continued to scan the room as his heart began to pound against his ribcage. As he and Celessa stayed at the table, Zelda hurried across the room, forcing herself through the crowd before taking Jules by the arm, stopping her dance.
"Zelda–?" Jules began, yet Zelda cut in.
"Can I talk to you for a second?" she practically demanded before pulling Jules out of the center of the crowd, much to the displeasure of the onlookers.
"Don't worry, my darlings!" Bolson cried out, taking his chance to step back into the center of attention. "You still have me! Keep the music going!"
Though still disappointed, most in the crowd drunkenly shrugged, accepting the original entertainer's moves. As they continued to watch, Zelda pulled Jules away until the two of them were standing in front of Manny's table, where the large Hylian had finished his food. He had been sitting idly until the two women appeared in front of him. Still swaying slightly with his cheeks burning from the earlier drink, he tried to focus as best he could on the two.
"Zelda, what are you doing?" Jules asked, yanking her arm away from Zelda's grip.
"What am I doing? What are you doing?" Zelda asked. "What is this?"
"What does it matter to you?" Jules asked, letting her frustration seeth into her tone. "You didn't want me around Link, so I left and went to have my own fun. Can I not do that either, Princess?"
"You're causing a scene!" Zelda argued, to which Jules scoffed.
"That's the point of dancing!" Jules said loudly. "Seriously, what is your problem? I left you alone with Link, someone I'm not trying to take from you!"
"This isn't about Link." Zelda shot, yet Jules rolled her eyes.
"Then what is it about?" she asked. "Come on, be honest."
When Zelda didn't respond, Jules laughed.
"It is!" she said. "What do you want from me, Zelda? I'm friends with him, so what? Why does that bother you so much?"
"That's not what bothers me," Zelda argued. "You wouldn't understand what bothers me, Jules."
"Oh, that's hilarious coming from you," Jules scoffed, "the person who can't even see why her partner is acting the way he is."
"I've told you before: you don't know what I know!" Zelda said furiously. "You haven't seen what I have; experienced what I've been through! What he's been through. I saw what it did to him. I watched it right before my eyes multiple times. Don't tell me I can't see anything!"
"Then what do you see?" Jules asked.
"I see someone interfering where they shouldn't," Zelda said. "I need Link to focus on me. I'm the one that can get him to see why he needs to rest, and you're taking that focus away!"
"You're not the only person in his life! This isn't a hundred years ago!" Jules said. "You aren't the only one he talks to anymore! And your plan to force him to rest beyond what he should? It's stupid—"
"Being able to take a moment and breathe without having to think about what lies ahead is something I wish I could have had back then!"
"Yeah? And how long is a moment supposed to be?"
There they go… the onlooker told himself from the table as he watched the two continue to verbally battle. Link this, Link that. Link, Link, Link… The stupid hero himself. Causing these two beautiful women pain. Look at them…
He turned his head toward Link, who still stood in place, swaying in front of his chair as he anxiously watched the room.
There he is. Right there… he continued to think. Maybe now's the time. Maybe I can finally put him in his place…
He stood and as carefully as he could, he started to make his way across the hall toward his target.
Always in the way… Always gets everything he wants… But he can't see… what's right in front of him… I just… can't stand him…
With each step, he grew closer to Link. He could feel the warmth in his chest beginning to grow. The desires in his heart were taking over. He couldn't watch anymore. He needed to do it. He couldn't hold back everything that was inside. The women—no, everyone was too distracted to see the hero for what he really was: a lost fool. No more.
Just as he watched Link turn his head to get a better view of the entire room, he came beside him and placed an aggressive hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, you—" he began, but he never got to finish.
For a split second, he felt Link's body tense up before everything became a blur. The last thing he saw was a glimpse of a pair of rage-filled azure eyes before being engulfed in darkness and pain. The strike echoed across the hall, causing every head to turn towards them. The music came to a screeching halt, along with Bolson's dancing. Celessa looked up from her arms just in time to see the person now in front of her table begin to fall. Even Zelda and Jules had stopped their argument to look over at the repercussions of the impact. It was almost as if time in the room had begun to slow as he tumbled down, watching as he came slamming into the wooden floorboards.
"So it was you," Link said, keeping time slow as he watched the body fall to the floor. He bent down, trying not to fall over as he took the tall man by the collar before pulling him up to his feet. Allowing time to go back to normal with the attacker now securely in his grasp, he continued. "I knew you would appear here. I knew you'd use some sort of transformation, or whatever it is you do."
Link pulled his arm back, ready to strike again.
"You won't hurt anyone while I'm—"
"Link! Stop!"
Immediately a pair of arms flew around him from behind, trying to pull him away.
"Zelda? What are you doing? Let go!" he shouted. "It's him! It's the Yiga! He's trying to–"
"That's not the Yiga, Link! It's Manny!" she said over him.
"What? No, it's not!" Link said furiously. "Yeah, it looks like him, but that's not—"
He looked back down at where the body of Manny was laying on the floor, gasping for breath as he brought his hand up to his now bloody nose. Celessa (who was forcing down her vomit) crouched down next to him while Jules and Prima rushed over to the large Hylian's side.
"No, stop, get away from him! He's dangerous!" Link said, yet now other villagers, at least the ones that were able to stand, had gotten up to hold him down. Before they could grab him he swiped his hand, pushing Zelda away while keeping the rest at a distance. "That's the Yiga! They can turn into people we know! I'm telling you!"
"What is he talking about?"
"Yiga don't appear here…"
"Aren't they all the way out near the desert?"
"Link, you need to calm down," he heard the voice of Dantz say. He turned and looked at the man, who had his hands up in peace. "You're drunk. Just take a second to breathe, and then listen—"
"No!" Link shouted. "I'm telling you it's him! Jules, tell them that—"
"Link," Jules said in a low voice, still crouching down next to Manny, who Prima and Celessa were trying to slowly bring back up. "He was over there with us… Zelda and I didn't notice him walk away, but… Link, it's not him."
"What?" Link asked, the anger in his voice now fading. "B-but… But, then why did he—?"
"Link…"
At the gentle call of his name, he turned his head to see Zelda, the one he had pushed away only moments ago, slowly stepping toward him.
"Link, Manny is… He's probably just drunk," she tried to explain. "It's fine… Everything's okay…"
"Just… Stop for a moment…" she asked quietly. "Please…"
Usually, he would have listened. He would have let the gentle call of Zelda's voice ring through his entire body before obeying. It's how it always worked, at least for the most part. And yet, at this very moment, he couldn't. All he could hear was the slight shake of nerves in her throat. He pulled away.
He stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. After a few ragged breaths, he looked around the room. All eyes were on him, filled with worry and concern. He looked behind at the three women helping Manny to his feet. He could barely hear Prima request Celessa and Jules to help her guide the large, drunk Hyian up the stairs to one of the beds. He could faintly hear Teli, calling over the crowd's murmur, asking what was going on, before his eyes finally landed again on Zelda, who still looked surprised at the fact he had pulled away from her.
Their eyes stayed locked for what felt like an eternity before finally, Link walked away.
"Link, where are you going?" Zelda called out to him, yet he didn't answer. He simply continued out the hall and towards the front doors before walking out of the inn and into the heavy snowfall. As he walked down the stairs, his name was called again. "Link, stop!"
"Why am I always being told to stop?" he murmured as he turned and looked up the staircase. He watched as Zelda forced herself out the double doors and into the harsh winds and snow.
"Where are you going?" she yelled over the storm.
"To find this Yiga. I'm tired of this!" Link shouted as he continued down the stairs.
"What? Link, you can't!" Zelda called out, following after him.
"You always say that!" Link said, stopping and turning to face her as she hurried down, trying her best not to slip. "You always stop me!"
"And you always say something's there when there's not!" Zelda said back, looking down at him from a higher step. "Link, you're drunk, just come back inside—"
"No! I'm going out."
"In this?" Zelda asked, gesturing to the snowfall. "Link, come back inside—"
"I said no!"
"Link, what are you going to do if you find him?" Zelda asked. "You're wasting your time trying to fight drunk, and in a snowstorm! I forbid you from going out there, do you understand?"
"I'm getting tired of that, Zelda!" Link shouted. "You're not my princess! You aren't in charge here! I'm going out there!"
"No, you're not!" Zelda shouted back, grabbing him and tugging him by the arm.
"Let me go!"
"I refuse!" she yelled over the snow. "What if you don't come back? What if you get yourself killed?"
"That won't happen! I'll be fine—"
"You've never been fine!"
This made Link stop and turn around. He looked up at Zelda's face, now glowing red from the fierce cold. Snow stuck to the side of her shivering face as tears fell from her eyes, threatening to freeze against her cheeks. Before he could say anything more, a loud crack, followed by a thundering boom echoed through the mountains. Their ears rang at the echo, with them only barely hearing a voice over the winds and aftermath.
"Hey! Who is that?"
Link turned as the both of them looked out to see two men walking as fast as they could through the thick snow toward the inn. One of them had shaggy dark hair, while the other had on a noticeably large straw hat.
"Medda? Nack?" Link shouted through the winds.
"Link? And is that Zelda?" Medda yelled back. "What are you two doing just standing out here? You know what, it doesn't matter; we need your help!"
"What is it?" Zelda shouted.
"The storm's gettin' worse!" Nack yelled. "It's not safe! We need to get everyone home if they're not stayin' at the inn!"
Another boom echoed across the mountains, causing the group to flinch.
"The horses…" Link mumbled under his breath before looking up at Zelda. "Help them get everyone to safety! Especially if they're going to try and get home!"
"What about you?" Zelda yelled. "Link, you can't go try and—"
"I'm getting the horses out of here and to a stable below the mountain!" Link shouted. "They can't stay here. Zelda, I'm going!"
Worriedly, Zelda looked out into the storm before taking another step down the staircase to take Link's hands into her own.
"You'll come back?"
Link looked at her, with their eyes now at the same level before nodding.
"I'll be back."
"The storms gettin' worse! We gotta get up those stairs!" Nack said.
"Are you sure you're not too intoxicated?"
"I'll be fine, Zelda!" Link said loudly. "I promise!"
After needing another moment to look into his eyes, Zelda nodded before releasing her grip. He quickly ran down the stairs, gesturing towards Nack and Medda to head up before disappearing into the storm. As Nack and Medda hurried up, Zelda stepped aside, allowing them to pass as she looked out at where Link had disappeared before following them up the stairs.