Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction ❯ Back In Her Hands ❯ Reunion ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Grey Fox 
Again, no summary. Just read the chapter.
Anime/Manga: Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.25.2004 | Updated On: 06.15.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.9K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Again, no summary. Just read the chapter.
Anime/Manga: Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.25.2004 | Updated On: 06.15.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.9K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Back In Her Hands
a Legend of Zelda romance fic
Chapter 2: Reunion
6-11-2004
by Grey
Disclaimer: I don't own the Zelda series or any of its characters; Nintendo and the series' creator Shigeru Miyamoto do. So don't sue me or anything.
This fic is dedicated to CubedCinder128, for what I hope are obvious reasons.
******
Link took a good look all around him; Lake Hylia was just as he remembered it. He briefly wondered if the rest of Hyrule would be the same as he remembered it.
If it was, he wasn't going to find out by standing around in Lake Hylia. He reached into his supply bag and pulled out another mask, this time it was the Goron mask. After putting it on and transforming into Darmani, he curled up and rolled towards the entrance to Hyrule Field. And once out into the field, he could head straight north, where the castle and Kakariko Village were. Sure, he could have easily used the Ocarina of Time to warp to the Temple of Time, but it was more fun this way. Besides, he wanted to see a bit more of Hyrule before he found Princess Zelda.
Once Link made it out onto Hyrule Field, he had picked up so much momentum he crashed right through the fence surrounding the entrance to Lake Hylia. *Whoops,* thought Link absent-mindedly, having forgotten about the fence. *Oh well, guess I'll have to go back later and-- huh?* His thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of running over something... squishy. *Oh yeah, Stalchildren,* Link thought to himself, remembering about the pesky undead entities that roamed the field at night.
Less than a minute later, Link saw out of the corner of his eye that he was passing Lon Lon Ranch. He loudly skidded to a halt and uncurled himself to get a good look at the ranch. It, too, was exactly like he had left it. He could even hear Epona neighing happily within its boundaries. Link smiled, remembering his trusty horse, then curled up into a ball again and continued rolling northward at top speed.
As he neared the north end of Hyrule Field, Link considered where Zelda could be at the moment. *Now, let's see, Zelda will probably be somewhere in Kakariko Village, or if they've rebuilt it already, the castle....* As he neared the drawbridge, Link skidded to a halt again and uncurled himself, taking a good look around. Far to his right was the mountain entrance leading up to Kakariko Village and the Goron City. Right in front of him was the entrance to the market down. *Drawbridge is still out,* Link noticed, *but....* He looked upward; thanks to the like of the full moon, he could see the outline of a tall structure that vaguely resembled Hyrule Castle before Ganondorf's takeover. Reasoning that was where Zelda would most likely be, Link, still in his Goron form, walked through the entrance to the market.
It was obvious that a lot of work had gone into renovating the market town. No longer was it an abandoned, ruined town infested with ReDeads, like it was when he saw it last. Now many of the buildings had been rebuilt, and lots of building equipment was still lying around, meaning that more work was going to be done. In fact, he saw two or three people still at it, even during the middle of the night! *Good thing THIS place isn't the same as I last saw it,* he thought happily as he made his way toward the castle.
Link couldn't help but recall the first time he had come this way to meet Zelda. The Great Deku Tree's dying wish was that he come here to Hyrule Castle to meet Princess Zelda. Back then, 'Zelda' was just a name like any other, just a person he had to find to get information. *And now, I can't imagine going through life without seeing her again,* he thought to himself.
Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly found himself in front of the gate blocking the way to Hyrule Castle. "Hey, who're you?" barked the soldier standing guard, who Link only now realized was there.
*Aw great, here we go again,* thought Link dejectedly. *I'm going to have to sneak past all these soldiers again to get in the castle.*
But the guard continued. "Never seen you before, but then again, all you Gorons look alike to me. Guess you're here to see Darunia. Well, I'll let you pass," he said, and then signaled for the gate to be opened. Link slowly walked through the gate, shaking his head with disbelief. If only the soldiers had let him through like that the first time he had come here!
*Wait a minute.... Darunia's here too? What's he doing here this late at night?* thought Link, reflecting on the guard's words. Sure enough, as he neared the castle's entrance, he saw the outline of a rather tall Goron who was unmistakably Darunia. A wry smile formed on Link's face; this opportunity was too good to pass up.
Link continued to walk up to the castle, making sure that Darunia would see him coming. Sure enough, he did, and he stared Link down with a disapproving, gruff look, not unlike during the first time he met the leader of Hyrule's Goron tribe. "Who are you?!" he demanded. "I've never seen your face around here. Why have you come here?!" Link continued to smile broadly, and even let out a low chuckle. Darunia was always one to be baited easily. "What's so damn funny?!" shouted Darunia. "ANSWER ME, DAMNIT!"
"Darunia, is that any way to greet your sworn Brother?" said Link at last.
"Huh... sworn Brother?" said Darunia, clearly confused. "Liar! I've never seen you before!" Then he reached out grabbed Link by the shoulders and shook him violently. "Who are you REALLY?!"
Link said nothing and made no motion to pry Darunia loose. All he did was reace for his face and remove his mask, thereby trnasforming himself back into his normal self.
Darunia was completely thunderstuck. "L-Link...?" he managed to get out. "How did... what are you..."
"Surprise," was all Link said.
******
Enough of the castle was now rebuilt for some people to start living in it again, and Zelda was grateful for that. She desperately needed a good place to rest after such a rough day. Zelda stared out her room's window into the cloudless night sky. It was truly a beautiful sight, with a full moon and so many stars in full view. Still, it did little to lift her spirits.
For one thing, her back was still aching from all the work she had done earlier that day. And she was still feeling lonely. Even after finally being able to shed her Sheik disguise and rejoin the world as Zelda, not everything turned out as happily as she thought it would. She was finally reunited with all her old friends and family without having to hide behind another identity, but none of that seemed to matter. She still missed who was perhaps the best friend she ever had....
"Eh?" muttered Zelda; something had caught her eye down below. Leaning over the windowsill to get a good view of the grounds below, she saw Darunia standing by the front entrance, obviously leaving for Death Mountain after his late-night meeting with her and Impa. But there something else. Straining her eyes to see what it was, Zelda could make out the shape of another Goron. But there was something different about this one.
"That hat... it looks like...." Zelda thought out loud, remembering just where she had seen a hat like that before. "No way, couldn't be him. He can't disguise himelf like that...."
Then, right before her eyes, as if to defy her statement, she saw the second Goron change. Now she could see the outline of a human. Upon closer inspection, Zelda could make out just who it was, but she only half-believed it. Could it really be.. HIM?
She had to find out.
Zelda quickly turned from the window and ran out of her bedroom. With lightning speed she tore through the castle, darting through the hallways and descending the stairs. More than once she almost tripped over her dress in her haste, but she didn't slow down for an instant. She HAD to see if it was really him.
It took her only about two minutes to reach the front entrance, but to her, it seemed to have taken an eternity. She peered out the entranceway, and still standing there was Darunia. And right beside him was unmistakably Link. He looked exactly like he did that day when he defeated Ganondorf once and for all.
"LINK!" she shrilled happily, running out to him. Her yell immediately caught Darunia and Link's attention. Before Link had a chance to react, Zelda threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tightly. "Oh Link, you're back! I missed you so much!" she cried.
Zelda suddenly felt Link's arms being wrapped around her as well. "I missed you too," she heard him say softly. Zelda's heart began racing. She really hadn't expected a reaction like that. Could this mean he felt the same way she did?
"Er, well, I guess I'll leave you two alone to catch up," Darunia said sheepishly before rolling back toward Death Mountain.
Zelda wasn't sure how long she and Link were in each other's embrace, but they finally pulled themselves away from each other when they heard a voice calling. "It's good to see you've finally returned, Link," said Impa, having just walked out of the castle. "Many were wondering if you would ever return."
Oh, I couldn't stay away forever," replied Link. "I've made too many good friends here to never come back again."
Zelda, still overflowing with joy, spoke up. "Well, let's not just stand around out here! Come on in, Link!" she cried happily, grabbing Link by the hand and leading him into the castle.
******
Zelda immediately had the castle cooks prepare a meal for Link, reasoning that he must have been hungry after his long journey home. Link tried to tell Zelda that it was really unnecessary, but she insisted, saying that he deserved a hero's welcome home. And Link, not wanting to seem rude for refusing her hospitality, reluctantly agreed.
And so, over dinner he listened to Zelda tell him exactly what had happened in the months after Ganondorf's fall. Most of it was rather uneventful, and for some reason, that bothered Link.
"So it's been totally peaceful ever since we beat Ganondorf? All you've had to worry about is rebuilding?" he asked in a curious tone.
"Well, yes," answered Zelda. "You sound worried about that."
"It's just that, well, Ganondorf had a lot of soldiers and monsters working for him, and I know I didn't get them all. I just figured they'd still be around afterwards, that's all," said Link.
"I though about that too," said Zelda. "But Impa, Darunia, Nabooru and I searched everywhere in Hyrule trying to find Ganondorf's remaining forces, and nothing came up. I reasoned that they panicked and disbanded after we sealed away their leader."
It was as reasonable an explanation as any, but for some reason, it didn't really sit well with Link.
"But enough about me and Hyrule. I want to hear about you!" said Zelda, leaning over the table and smiling broadly at him.
"Uh, w-what about me?" said Link nervously, very mindful of the way Zelda was staring at him. Zelda smiled even more broadly. That had to be one of Link's most charming traits: his incoherence and nervousness around girls. It made him all the more.... lovable.
"I mean, what have you been up to ever since I sent you back? What have you been doing the past seven years?" she asked him, and she couldn't help chuckling after seeing his uneasiness about the prospect of talking about his life.
"Nothing much, really. Just travelling from place to place...." Link began.
"Oh! And I wanted to ask you, how DID you disguise yourself as a Goron?" asked Zelda, interrupting him. "You were never able to do that before!"
Link breathed a sigh of relief. That was something that had a concrete answer. "It was because of this," he said as he put his supply bag on the table and rummaged through its contents. He pulled out a mask that looked like a Goron's face. "It's this mask. When I put it on, I turn into a Goron."
"Whoa, cool!" cried Zelda, her interest now aroused. "I never heard of a mask doing that. Where did you find something like that?!"
Link smiled. "It's a long story. In fact, it's probably the only story about my travels worth telling."
And so, Link launched into his tale of his adventures in Termina, telling Zelda about everything that happened there. Zelda listened attentively as Link told her about the Skull Kid's troublemaking antics, all the problems Link had to fix and how he had to relive the same three days over and over, how he had to free the Four Giants to keep the moon from crashing into Clock Town, and finally, how he defeated Majora's Mask and destroyed the evil force within it.
Link's tale took several hours to tell, and Zelda sat through all of it, completely enthralled. When he finally finished, Zelda said, "Wow, that was amazing! Not only did you save Hyrule, but an alternate world too?!"
"Yep," answered Link coolly, getting up and strecthing.
"It's just so strange, an alternate world," said Zelda, more to herself than to Link. "I've heard stories, but never imagined there was actually a place like that! So, there were different versions of everyone there?"
"Well, not exactly EVERYONE. There were no Kokiri, for one thing. But most everyone here in Hyrule had counterparts there. Darunia, Nabooru, Ruto, the carpenters, that researcher by Lake Hylia.... even that Poe salesman that used to be in the market town! No double of Ganondorf though, thank the goddesses," he said with a little laugh.
Zelda laughed too. "But, I'm curious, was there a counterpart of me?"
"No, and it's a good thing there wasn't," said Link.
"Huh? Why?" asked Zelda, wondering why he would say something like that.
"Becuase, if you ask me, there could be no double of you," answered Link.
Zelda felt her cheeks flush. Did Link just say what she thought he said. Did Link get over his shyness around women and just complement her? Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Link yawning. "Oh my. Link, are you tired? The guest rooms are finished, if you wish to stay...."
"Nah, that's OK," said Link, cutting her off. "There's one more place that I wanted to go tonight: my home back in the Kokiri Forest."
"Huh, why's that?" asked Zelda, trying not to show her disappointment that Link wouldn't be staying in the castle.
"It's where I grew up, and I'd like to see it again," explained Link. "And I never did tell them exactly who I was last time I went there as a grown-up, never had the time. Can't wait to see the looks on their faces, especially Mido's."
Link then got the hint that Zelda was unhappy about hearing this. "Please, don't worry like that," he implored. "I'll be back here tomorrow. You have my word."
Zelda looked at him longingly. "You promise?"
"Of course!" cried Link. "Because, after all, you were the real reason I came back."
Zelda blushed an even deeper shade of red, and after seeing that, Link's traditional nervousness around girls set back in. "Uh, well, I might as well get going," he said as he grabbed his supply bag and left. But in his haste, he forgot to refasten the cover....
******
Link made his way through the market town towards the drawbridge, but it had gotten darker and it was harder to see where he was going. So it came as no surprise when he tripped over some metal rods near one of the houses, making him fall flat on his face. Muttering a curse as he got back up, he heard a voice call his name from behind him; Zelda's voice.
"Link, wait!" Zelda cried out from behind him, running up to him. When she finally reached him, she was completely out of breath. "Link, wait," she repeated.
"Zelda, what's wrong?" asked Link, suddenly concerned.
Zelda struggled to find the right words. "It's that... just now, well... you said I was the reason you returned."
"Yeah, and I meant it," replied Link nervously, not sure where this conversation was going.
"I-It's j-just that, ummm..." Zelda stuttered, trying to muster the courage to say what she had to say. "I-I've been waiting for you to return to, and, I-I think it's the same reason."
"Uh, really?" said Link, totally as a loss for what to say.
Zelda desperately tried to think of what to say next, but even with the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, she couldn't come up with anything. So she chose to let her actions speak for her instead. She reached out and grabbed Link, pulling him toward her. Then, before he could do anything else, she kissed him, taking Link completely by surprise. Zelda wrapped her arms around him and kissed him harder, using her tongue to pry open his mouth.
Link just stood there, nonplussed. He had never been kissed by a girl before. He'd been hit on plenty of times, but never been kissed. He didn't really know what to do.
Zelda broke the kiss and backed away. Link just stared at her, trying to process all that had just happened. "L-Link, I-I...."
"Zelda.... y-you r-r-really...." Link stammered.
"I-I'm sorry Link," said Zelda, suddenly ashamed of what she had just done. "I-I couldn't think of a way to tell you, s-so I just...."
This time, Link was the one who reached out to Zelda. He forcefully pulled Zelda to him and planted a kiss of his own. After overcoming her surprise, she wrapped her arms around him again, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
After a while, Link broke the kiss and looked into Zelda's eyes -- those beautiful blue eyes he could easily lose himself in. "Zelda, for a long time now, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," he told her, the two of them still holding each other close. "I was serious: you're the reason I'm back. I had to see you again."
"Oh, Link," Zelda said breathlessly. "It's been the same way with me. I couldn't get you out of my mind... I've been hoping you would return... I was afraid I would never see you again."
"Well, I'm here now," said Link. "And I'll be back tomorrow, I promise you." With that, Link gave Zelda another tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. Then he went on his way, with Zelda just standing there watching him walk away.
Well, that was it. Link really did feel the same way she did. Zelda could feel all the sorrows of the past few months fade away; Link was back, and he admitted he had feelings for her....
"Eh, what's that?" Zelda thought aloud, noticing something on the ground that gave off a metallic glint in the darkness. Zelda walked over to it and bent down to get a better look. It was still hard to make out, but it looked like some sort of.... mask. "Oh, one of Link's masks!" she said to no one in particular. Evidently, it must have fallen out of Link's bag when he tripped.
Zelda picked it up and examined it closely. It had a long, stretched-out shape to it, and the face on the mask looked really strange. It was vaguely reminiscent of the face on an Ironknuckle's helmet. "Hmmm, I wonder what this mask does," Zelda thought aloud. Curiosity got the better of her. She quickly looked around her, trying to make sure no one was watching, then she put the mask on.
Nothing. Not a thing happened. Zelda didn't feel any different. Sighing, she took the mask off. She had been hoping that this was one of those special masks Link had told her about in his story.
Zelda let out a deep yawn. It had been a long day, and Zelda was now dead tired and needed to get to sleep. Still holding Link's mask, she turned to walk back to the castle....
And she tripped over the same metal rods that Link had moments before, making her too fall flat on her face. This also made her accidently drop the mask, and it landed hard into an open pot of metaldissolve, smashing it and splattering its contents everywhere.
"Oh, by the goddesses, I'm such a klutz!" shouted Zelda as she picked herself up. She walked over to the mask and the shattered pot of metaldissolve. The silvery liquid had gotten all over the place, and the mask was covered in the stuff. "So much for Link's mask," she said sheepishly, picking it up and trying to dry it off with a rag that had been lying around. "Oh well, it's not like it actually DID anything."
And so, Zelda started walking back toward the castle, holding the metaldissolve-soaked mask at her side. As she walked, she didn't notice the mask was giving off an odd glow....
******
Eventually, she was back in the castle as was heading for her room. But she stopped when she heard Impa's voice calling out to her. "I assume everything went well."
Zelda turned to face her. "What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about. I mean about you and Link. I knew you must've run out to talk to him again. I'm a Sheikah, remember? You can't get anything past me," said Impa, smiling.
"Hey, I'm not a little girl anymore," snapped Zelda indignantly. "You don't need to...."
"Oh please, I'm not THAT overprotective anymore," retorted Impa, cutting her off. "And besides, there's nothing to protect you from. You and Link are perfect together." Then she added with a sly smile, "You two are so cute together."
"Stop it!" shouted Zelda, her cheeks now getting hot.
"Oh, I can hear the wedding bells already," said Impa, turning away and humming a little tune to herself.
Zelda just sighed and continued walking toward her room. Impa could be so pesky sometimes.
Finally, Zelda made it to her room. She didn't even bother changing out of her dress; she just collapsed onto her bed. As for the mask, she just threw it across the room, then she fell asleep.
As she was sleeping, though, the mask she had thrown aside began glow even brighter. But all of a sudden, the glow dimmed, and deep cracks began to form in the mask. Obviously, the metaldissolve had had some effect on it. And from out of those cracks, a white, pulsating light shone through. Soon, what looked like a white, glowing liquid seeped out of the cracks. Tendrils of energy shot out everywhere from the mass as its power pulsated. It was like a parasite in search of a host.
And soon, it found one, in Princess Zelda.
******
The following morning, Zelda was slowly awakened by a combination of the sunlight filtering into her bedroom and the singing of the birds perched all around the castle's towers and walls. *Hmmm, I wonder if Link is back yet,* she thought to herself.
Then Zelda suddenly felt as if something was just.... wrong. She couldn't put her finger on it, though. She sat up in her bed....
And her head hit something hard.
"OWW!" she shrieked loudly, rubbing her aching head. "W-what the.... What'd my head hit?" she said, looking up. All she saw was the ceiling only inches away from her face. "W-what's happening? H-how did the ceiling get lower?"
She took a good look around her. Something DEFINITELY wasn't right. Her room looked exactly the same, yet everything seemed.... smaller. It was as if she woke up in a scaled-down version of her bedroom. She then looked down at the bed she woke up on. It, too, was only half the size it should have been; it was little more to her than a seat cushion now, and she could feel it beginning to buckle under her weight now that she was sitting up.
Either everything around her had shrunk, or somehow she had doubled in size overnight. As impossible as it seemed, it looked as if the latter had just happened.
Zelda's mind was blank. This sort of thing was impossible, and yet, it had happened to her. She couldn't contain her frustration. "WHA-WHAT THE...."
******
Zelda said that last word so loudly, she scared away every single bird perched on the castle....
And they weren't the only ones to hear her super-loud outburst. Down in the market town, her echoing yell caught everyone's attention and they turned their heads toward the castle....
And in Kakariko village, everyone heard it too. So did all the Gorons up on Death Mountain, where it resounded throughout the interiors of Goron City....
And so did everyone in the Kokiri Forest, except for one certain Hylian who was still sleeping....
And all the Zoras in Zora Hall heard it too....
And so did all the Gerudos in their canyon hideout....
And her yell was heard as far away as Lake Hylia....
And her loud shout also reached the ears of everyone at Lon Lon Ranch. Leaning out a window, Talon said, "What in tarnation?! That was the loudest profanity I've ever heard!"
******
Impa raced towards Zelda's bedroom, having heard her impossibly loud scream. She had never heard anyone scream so loudly before; it had been so loud, it was almost inhuman.
At last she had reached the door to Zelda's room. She drew her dagger and rushed inside, prepared for anything that she might find.
Except for the sight that greeted her a second later. Sitting in the middle of her room was Princess Zelda, only somehow she had doubled in size. "Oh my," was all Impa could say.
"I-Impa...." she muttered softly, huge tears streaming down her cheeks. "I think we have a problem."
******
That's it for the second chapter. Ended it with a big teaser, huh? Well, stick around!
So long,
Grey
a Legend of Zelda romance fic
Chapter 2: Reunion
6-11-2004
by Grey
Disclaimer: I don't own the Zelda series or any of its characters; Nintendo and the series' creator Shigeru Miyamoto do. So don't sue me or anything.
This fic is dedicated to CubedCinder128, for what I hope are obvious reasons.
******
Link took a good look all around him; Lake Hylia was just as he remembered it. He briefly wondered if the rest of Hyrule would be the same as he remembered it.
If it was, he wasn't going to find out by standing around in Lake Hylia. He reached into his supply bag and pulled out another mask, this time it was the Goron mask. After putting it on and transforming into Darmani, he curled up and rolled towards the entrance to Hyrule Field. And once out into the field, he could head straight north, where the castle and Kakariko Village were. Sure, he could have easily used the Ocarina of Time to warp to the Temple of Time, but it was more fun this way. Besides, he wanted to see a bit more of Hyrule before he found Princess Zelda.
Once Link made it out onto Hyrule Field, he had picked up so much momentum he crashed right through the fence surrounding the entrance to Lake Hylia. *Whoops,* thought Link absent-mindedly, having forgotten about the fence. *Oh well, guess I'll have to go back later and-- huh?* His thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of running over something... squishy. *Oh yeah, Stalchildren,* Link thought to himself, remembering about the pesky undead entities that roamed the field at night.
Less than a minute later, Link saw out of the corner of his eye that he was passing Lon Lon Ranch. He loudly skidded to a halt and uncurled himself to get a good look at the ranch. It, too, was exactly like he had left it. He could even hear Epona neighing happily within its boundaries. Link smiled, remembering his trusty horse, then curled up into a ball again and continued rolling northward at top speed.
As he neared the north end of Hyrule Field, Link considered where Zelda could be at the moment. *Now, let's see, Zelda will probably be somewhere in Kakariko Village, or if they've rebuilt it already, the castle....* As he neared the drawbridge, Link skidded to a halt again and uncurled himself, taking a good look around. Far to his right was the mountain entrance leading up to Kakariko Village and the Goron City. Right in front of him was the entrance to the market down. *Drawbridge is still out,* Link noticed, *but....* He looked upward; thanks to the like of the full moon, he could see the outline of a tall structure that vaguely resembled Hyrule Castle before Ganondorf's takeover. Reasoning that was where Zelda would most likely be, Link, still in his Goron form, walked through the entrance to the market.
It was obvious that a lot of work had gone into renovating the market town. No longer was it an abandoned, ruined town infested with ReDeads, like it was when he saw it last. Now many of the buildings had been rebuilt, and lots of building equipment was still lying around, meaning that more work was going to be done. In fact, he saw two or three people still at it, even during the middle of the night! *Good thing THIS place isn't the same as I last saw it,* he thought happily as he made his way toward the castle.
Link couldn't help but recall the first time he had come this way to meet Zelda. The Great Deku Tree's dying wish was that he come here to Hyrule Castle to meet Princess Zelda. Back then, 'Zelda' was just a name like any other, just a person he had to find to get information. *And now, I can't imagine going through life without seeing her again,* he thought to himself.
Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly found himself in front of the gate blocking the way to Hyrule Castle. "Hey, who're you?" barked the soldier standing guard, who Link only now realized was there.
*Aw great, here we go again,* thought Link dejectedly. *I'm going to have to sneak past all these soldiers again to get in the castle.*
But the guard continued. "Never seen you before, but then again, all you Gorons look alike to me. Guess you're here to see Darunia. Well, I'll let you pass," he said, and then signaled for the gate to be opened. Link slowly walked through the gate, shaking his head with disbelief. If only the soldiers had let him through like that the first time he had come here!
*Wait a minute.... Darunia's here too? What's he doing here this late at night?* thought Link, reflecting on the guard's words. Sure enough, as he neared the castle's entrance, he saw the outline of a rather tall Goron who was unmistakably Darunia. A wry smile formed on Link's face; this opportunity was too good to pass up.
Link continued to walk up to the castle, making sure that Darunia would see him coming. Sure enough, he did, and he stared Link down with a disapproving, gruff look, not unlike during the first time he met the leader of Hyrule's Goron tribe. "Who are you?!" he demanded. "I've never seen your face around here. Why have you come here?!" Link continued to smile broadly, and even let out a low chuckle. Darunia was always one to be baited easily. "What's so damn funny?!" shouted Darunia. "ANSWER ME, DAMNIT!"
"Darunia, is that any way to greet your sworn Brother?" said Link at last.
"Huh... sworn Brother?" said Darunia, clearly confused. "Liar! I've never seen you before!" Then he reached out grabbed Link by the shoulders and shook him violently. "Who are you REALLY?!"
Link said nothing and made no motion to pry Darunia loose. All he did was reace for his face and remove his mask, thereby trnasforming himself back into his normal self.
Darunia was completely thunderstuck. "L-Link...?" he managed to get out. "How did... what are you..."
"Surprise," was all Link said.
******
Enough of the castle was now rebuilt for some people to start living in it again, and Zelda was grateful for that. She desperately needed a good place to rest after such a rough day. Zelda stared out her room's window into the cloudless night sky. It was truly a beautiful sight, with a full moon and so many stars in full view. Still, it did little to lift her spirits.
For one thing, her back was still aching from all the work she had done earlier that day. And she was still feeling lonely. Even after finally being able to shed her Sheik disguise and rejoin the world as Zelda, not everything turned out as happily as she thought it would. She was finally reunited with all her old friends and family without having to hide behind another identity, but none of that seemed to matter. She still missed who was perhaps the best friend she ever had....
"Eh?" muttered Zelda; something had caught her eye down below. Leaning over the windowsill to get a good view of the grounds below, she saw Darunia standing by the front entrance, obviously leaving for Death Mountain after his late-night meeting with her and Impa. But there something else. Straining her eyes to see what it was, Zelda could make out the shape of another Goron. But there was something different about this one.
"That hat... it looks like...." Zelda thought out loud, remembering just where she had seen a hat like that before. "No way, couldn't be him. He can't disguise himelf like that...."
Then, right before her eyes, as if to defy her statement, she saw the second Goron change. Now she could see the outline of a human. Upon closer inspection, Zelda could make out just who it was, but she only half-believed it. Could it really be.. HIM?
She had to find out.
Zelda quickly turned from the window and ran out of her bedroom. With lightning speed she tore through the castle, darting through the hallways and descending the stairs. More than once she almost tripped over her dress in her haste, but she didn't slow down for an instant. She HAD to see if it was really him.
It took her only about two minutes to reach the front entrance, but to her, it seemed to have taken an eternity. She peered out the entranceway, and still standing there was Darunia. And right beside him was unmistakably Link. He looked exactly like he did that day when he defeated Ganondorf once and for all.
"LINK!" she shrilled happily, running out to him. Her yell immediately caught Darunia and Link's attention. Before Link had a chance to react, Zelda threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tightly. "Oh Link, you're back! I missed you so much!" she cried.
Zelda suddenly felt Link's arms being wrapped around her as well. "I missed you too," she heard him say softly. Zelda's heart began racing. She really hadn't expected a reaction like that. Could this mean he felt the same way she did?
"Er, well, I guess I'll leave you two alone to catch up," Darunia said sheepishly before rolling back toward Death Mountain.
Zelda wasn't sure how long she and Link were in each other's embrace, but they finally pulled themselves away from each other when they heard a voice calling. "It's good to see you've finally returned, Link," said Impa, having just walked out of the castle. "Many were wondering if you would ever return."
Oh, I couldn't stay away forever," replied Link. "I've made too many good friends here to never come back again."
Zelda, still overflowing with joy, spoke up. "Well, let's not just stand around out here! Come on in, Link!" she cried happily, grabbing Link by the hand and leading him into the castle.
******
Zelda immediately had the castle cooks prepare a meal for Link, reasoning that he must have been hungry after his long journey home. Link tried to tell Zelda that it was really unnecessary, but she insisted, saying that he deserved a hero's welcome home. And Link, not wanting to seem rude for refusing her hospitality, reluctantly agreed.
And so, over dinner he listened to Zelda tell him exactly what had happened in the months after Ganondorf's fall. Most of it was rather uneventful, and for some reason, that bothered Link.
"So it's been totally peaceful ever since we beat Ganondorf? All you've had to worry about is rebuilding?" he asked in a curious tone.
"Well, yes," answered Zelda. "You sound worried about that."
"It's just that, well, Ganondorf had a lot of soldiers and monsters working for him, and I know I didn't get them all. I just figured they'd still be around afterwards, that's all," said Link.
"I though about that too," said Zelda. "But Impa, Darunia, Nabooru and I searched everywhere in Hyrule trying to find Ganondorf's remaining forces, and nothing came up. I reasoned that they panicked and disbanded after we sealed away their leader."
It was as reasonable an explanation as any, but for some reason, it didn't really sit well with Link.
"But enough about me and Hyrule. I want to hear about you!" said Zelda, leaning over the table and smiling broadly at him.
"Uh, w-what about me?" said Link nervously, very mindful of the way Zelda was staring at him. Zelda smiled even more broadly. That had to be one of Link's most charming traits: his incoherence and nervousness around girls. It made him all the more.... lovable.
"I mean, what have you been up to ever since I sent you back? What have you been doing the past seven years?" she asked him, and she couldn't help chuckling after seeing his uneasiness about the prospect of talking about his life.
"Nothing much, really. Just travelling from place to place...." Link began.
"Oh! And I wanted to ask you, how DID you disguise yourself as a Goron?" asked Zelda, interrupting him. "You were never able to do that before!"
Link breathed a sigh of relief. That was something that had a concrete answer. "It was because of this," he said as he put his supply bag on the table and rummaged through its contents. He pulled out a mask that looked like a Goron's face. "It's this mask. When I put it on, I turn into a Goron."
"Whoa, cool!" cried Zelda, her interest now aroused. "I never heard of a mask doing that. Where did you find something like that?!"
Link smiled. "It's a long story. In fact, it's probably the only story about my travels worth telling."
And so, Link launched into his tale of his adventures in Termina, telling Zelda about everything that happened there. Zelda listened attentively as Link told her about the Skull Kid's troublemaking antics, all the problems Link had to fix and how he had to relive the same three days over and over, how he had to free the Four Giants to keep the moon from crashing into Clock Town, and finally, how he defeated Majora's Mask and destroyed the evil force within it.
Link's tale took several hours to tell, and Zelda sat through all of it, completely enthralled. When he finally finished, Zelda said, "Wow, that was amazing! Not only did you save Hyrule, but an alternate world too?!"
"Yep," answered Link coolly, getting up and strecthing.
"It's just so strange, an alternate world," said Zelda, more to herself than to Link. "I've heard stories, but never imagined there was actually a place like that! So, there were different versions of everyone there?"
"Well, not exactly EVERYONE. There were no Kokiri, for one thing. But most everyone here in Hyrule had counterparts there. Darunia, Nabooru, Ruto, the carpenters, that researcher by Lake Hylia.... even that Poe salesman that used to be in the market town! No double of Ganondorf though, thank the goddesses," he said with a little laugh.
Zelda laughed too. "But, I'm curious, was there a counterpart of me?"
"No, and it's a good thing there wasn't," said Link.
"Huh? Why?" asked Zelda, wondering why he would say something like that.
"Becuase, if you ask me, there could be no double of you," answered Link.
Zelda felt her cheeks flush. Did Link just say what she thought he said. Did Link get over his shyness around women and just complement her? Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Link yawning. "Oh my. Link, are you tired? The guest rooms are finished, if you wish to stay...."
"Nah, that's OK," said Link, cutting her off. "There's one more place that I wanted to go tonight: my home back in the Kokiri Forest."
"Huh, why's that?" asked Zelda, trying not to show her disappointment that Link wouldn't be staying in the castle.
"It's where I grew up, and I'd like to see it again," explained Link. "And I never did tell them exactly who I was last time I went there as a grown-up, never had the time. Can't wait to see the looks on their faces, especially Mido's."
Link then got the hint that Zelda was unhappy about hearing this. "Please, don't worry like that," he implored. "I'll be back here tomorrow. You have my word."
Zelda looked at him longingly. "You promise?"
"Of course!" cried Link. "Because, after all, you were the real reason I came back."
Zelda blushed an even deeper shade of red, and after seeing that, Link's traditional nervousness around girls set back in. "Uh, well, I might as well get going," he said as he grabbed his supply bag and left. But in his haste, he forgot to refasten the cover....
******
Link made his way through the market town towards the drawbridge, but it had gotten darker and it was harder to see where he was going. So it came as no surprise when he tripped over some metal rods near one of the houses, making him fall flat on his face. Muttering a curse as he got back up, he heard a voice call his name from behind him; Zelda's voice.
"Link, wait!" Zelda cried out from behind him, running up to him. When she finally reached him, she was completely out of breath. "Link, wait," she repeated.
"Zelda, what's wrong?" asked Link, suddenly concerned.
Zelda struggled to find the right words. "It's that... just now, well... you said I was the reason you returned."
"Yeah, and I meant it," replied Link nervously, not sure where this conversation was going.
"I-It's j-just that, ummm..." Zelda stuttered, trying to muster the courage to say what she had to say. "I-I've been waiting for you to return to, and, I-I think it's the same reason."
"Uh, really?" said Link, totally as a loss for what to say.
Zelda desperately tried to think of what to say next, but even with the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, she couldn't come up with anything. So she chose to let her actions speak for her instead. She reached out and grabbed Link, pulling him toward her. Then, before he could do anything else, she kissed him, taking Link completely by surprise. Zelda wrapped her arms around him and kissed him harder, using her tongue to pry open his mouth.
Link just stood there, nonplussed. He had never been kissed by a girl before. He'd been hit on plenty of times, but never been kissed. He didn't really know what to do.
Zelda broke the kiss and backed away. Link just stared at her, trying to process all that had just happened. "L-Link, I-I...."
"Zelda.... y-you r-r-really...." Link stammered.
"I-I'm sorry Link," said Zelda, suddenly ashamed of what she had just done. "I-I couldn't think of a way to tell you, s-so I just...."
This time, Link was the one who reached out to Zelda. He forcefully pulled Zelda to him and planted a kiss of his own. After overcoming her surprise, she wrapped her arms around him again, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
After a while, Link broke the kiss and looked into Zelda's eyes -- those beautiful blue eyes he could easily lose himself in. "Zelda, for a long time now, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," he told her, the two of them still holding each other close. "I was serious: you're the reason I'm back. I had to see you again."
"Oh, Link," Zelda said breathlessly. "It's been the same way with me. I couldn't get you out of my mind... I've been hoping you would return... I was afraid I would never see you again."
"Well, I'm here now," said Link. "And I'll be back tomorrow, I promise you." With that, Link gave Zelda another tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. Then he went on his way, with Zelda just standing there watching him walk away.
Well, that was it. Link really did feel the same way she did. Zelda could feel all the sorrows of the past few months fade away; Link was back, and he admitted he had feelings for her....
"Eh, what's that?" Zelda thought aloud, noticing something on the ground that gave off a metallic glint in the darkness. Zelda walked over to it and bent down to get a better look. It was still hard to make out, but it looked like some sort of.... mask. "Oh, one of Link's masks!" she said to no one in particular. Evidently, it must have fallen out of Link's bag when he tripped.
Zelda picked it up and examined it closely. It had a long, stretched-out shape to it, and the face on the mask looked really strange. It was vaguely reminiscent of the face on an Ironknuckle's helmet. "Hmmm, I wonder what this mask does," Zelda thought aloud. Curiosity got the better of her. She quickly looked around her, trying to make sure no one was watching, then she put the mask on.
Nothing. Not a thing happened. Zelda didn't feel any different. Sighing, she took the mask off. She had been hoping that this was one of those special masks Link had told her about in his story.
Zelda let out a deep yawn. It had been a long day, and Zelda was now dead tired and needed to get to sleep. Still holding Link's mask, she turned to walk back to the castle....
And she tripped over the same metal rods that Link had moments before, making her too fall flat on her face. This also made her accidently drop the mask, and it landed hard into an open pot of metaldissolve, smashing it and splattering its contents everywhere.
"Oh, by the goddesses, I'm such a klutz!" shouted Zelda as she picked herself up. She walked over to the mask and the shattered pot of metaldissolve. The silvery liquid had gotten all over the place, and the mask was covered in the stuff. "So much for Link's mask," she said sheepishly, picking it up and trying to dry it off with a rag that had been lying around. "Oh well, it's not like it actually DID anything."
And so, Zelda started walking back toward the castle, holding the metaldissolve-soaked mask at her side. As she walked, she didn't notice the mask was giving off an odd glow....
******
Eventually, she was back in the castle as was heading for her room. But she stopped when she heard Impa's voice calling out to her. "I assume everything went well."
Zelda turned to face her. "What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about. I mean about you and Link. I knew you must've run out to talk to him again. I'm a Sheikah, remember? You can't get anything past me," said Impa, smiling.
"Hey, I'm not a little girl anymore," snapped Zelda indignantly. "You don't need to...."
"Oh please, I'm not THAT overprotective anymore," retorted Impa, cutting her off. "And besides, there's nothing to protect you from. You and Link are perfect together." Then she added with a sly smile, "You two are so cute together."
"Stop it!" shouted Zelda, her cheeks now getting hot.
"Oh, I can hear the wedding bells already," said Impa, turning away and humming a little tune to herself.
Zelda just sighed and continued walking toward her room. Impa could be so pesky sometimes.
Finally, Zelda made it to her room. She didn't even bother changing out of her dress; she just collapsed onto her bed. As for the mask, she just threw it across the room, then she fell asleep.
As she was sleeping, though, the mask she had thrown aside began glow even brighter. But all of a sudden, the glow dimmed, and deep cracks began to form in the mask. Obviously, the metaldissolve had had some effect on it. And from out of those cracks, a white, pulsating light shone through. Soon, what looked like a white, glowing liquid seeped out of the cracks. Tendrils of energy shot out everywhere from the mass as its power pulsated. It was like a parasite in search of a host.
And soon, it found one, in Princess Zelda.
******
The following morning, Zelda was slowly awakened by a combination of the sunlight filtering into her bedroom and the singing of the birds perched all around the castle's towers and walls. *Hmmm, I wonder if Link is back yet,* she thought to herself.
Then Zelda suddenly felt as if something was just.... wrong. She couldn't put her finger on it, though. She sat up in her bed....
And her head hit something hard.
"OWW!" she shrieked loudly, rubbing her aching head. "W-what the.... What'd my head hit?" she said, looking up. All she saw was the ceiling only inches away from her face. "W-what's happening? H-how did the ceiling get lower?"
She took a good look around her. Something DEFINITELY wasn't right. Her room looked exactly the same, yet everything seemed.... smaller. It was as if she woke up in a scaled-down version of her bedroom. She then looked down at the bed she woke up on. It, too, was only half the size it should have been; it was little more to her than a seat cushion now, and she could feel it beginning to buckle under her weight now that she was sitting up.
Either everything around her had shrunk, or somehow she had doubled in size overnight. As impossible as it seemed, it looked as if the latter had just happened.
Zelda's mind was blank. This sort of thing was impossible, and yet, it had happened to her. She couldn't contain her frustration. "WHA-WHAT THE...."
******
Zelda said that last word so loudly, she scared away every single bird perched on the castle....
And they weren't the only ones to hear her super-loud outburst. Down in the market town, her echoing yell caught everyone's attention and they turned their heads toward the castle....
And in Kakariko village, everyone heard it too. So did all the Gorons up on Death Mountain, where it resounded throughout the interiors of Goron City....
And so did everyone in the Kokiri Forest, except for one certain Hylian who was still sleeping....
And all the Zoras in Zora Hall heard it too....
And so did all the Gerudos in their canyon hideout....
And her yell was heard as far away as Lake Hylia....
And her loud shout also reached the ears of everyone at Lon Lon Ranch. Leaning out a window, Talon said, "What in tarnation?! That was the loudest profanity I've ever heard!"
******
Impa raced towards Zelda's bedroom, having heard her impossibly loud scream. She had never heard anyone scream so loudly before; it had been so loud, it was almost inhuman.
At last she had reached the door to Zelda's room. She drew her dagger and rushed inside, prepared for anything that she might find.
Except for the sight that greeted her a second later. Sitting in the middle of her room was Princess Zelda, only somehow she had doubled in size. "Oh my," was all Impa could say.
"I-Impa...." she muttered softly, huge tears streaming down her cheeks. "I think we have a problem."
******
That's it for the second chapter. Ended it with a big teaser, huh? Well, stick around!
So long,
Grey