#fewer books about quests and more books about them doing nothing in a castle please

[sickfreaksirkay]

the image of arthur sitting in the great hall moping while gawain plays chess next to him is so so adorable i need someone to hold my hand and also sedate me

[atomic-taco-muffin]

The Lost Princess Chapter 39

Warnings: it’s pretty obvious by now

Rating: SFW

A girl with black and silver hair was playing with her sister with the same hair color in a beautiful garden. The girls were laughing as they chased each other around. A woman was watching them play and saw the time.

“Yui! Roxy! Time to head home!” she said. 

“Aww, do we have to?” Roxy asked. 

“Yes. Your father is expecting us back.” 

“Okay.” Yui and Roxy ran over to their mother and headed back to the castle. On their way back, they stopped at a small shop so that their mother could pick up some flowers. As they were walking back to the castle, a giant Heartless had appeared. 

“Get behind me, girls,” their mother said. Yui and Roxy hid behind their mother as she summoned her weapon. She fought the Heartless but it stabbed her before she could attack. 

“MOMMY!” Yui and Roxy yelled. Their mother fell to the ground, blood coming out of her. The Heartless walked away and they ran over to their mother. 

“Mommy! Wake up!” Yui said. 

“Come on, mommy! Please wake up!” Roxy said. A Dark Corridor opened up and their father walked out of it.

“Daddy, help!” Yui said. Their father ran over to them and placed their mother on his lap.

“What happened?” he asked. 

“A-a giant monster came and attacked us,” Roxy sobbed. Their father quickly grabbed a potion and used it on their mother but it didn’t work. 

“No...” he said. 

“Is she...?” Yui asked. 

“I’m afraid so.” The girls sobbed and hugged their father. A few weeks later, there was a funeral for their mother. Everyone had attended. Their father, their uncles, and their aunts. After the funeral, their father locked himself in his office. The girls looked at the closed door, wanting to go in. 

“Come on, little ones. Let’s give your father a minute,” one of their uncles said. The girls followed their uncle to the seating area and everyone did their best to make the girls smile again. 

~~~~

Yui looked at her locket that had a picture of her and her mother on it. She closed the locket and hid it in her pocket. 

“So, where do you think this Spirit is?” Roxy asked. 

“I don’t know. But I think we should start in Hollow Bastion. Father might head there to take care of the Keyblade wielder,” Yui said. The girls summoned their weapons and headed into Hollow Bastion.

The train rolled out into the open sky. Soon, the train pulled onto the base of a mysterious tower, emblazoned with moons and stars like the train. You, Sora, Donald, and Goofy left the train, which then disappeared, leaving only the tracks. Sora giggled nervously.

“There goes our ride...” he said. In the distance, there was someone standing at the doorway of the tower.

“What's goin' on?” Goofy asked. 

“I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this here tower's as big and tough as they say. Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer. Which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See, it don't matter how tough he is---once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!” Pete said. 

“A Heartless?” Donald asked. 

“That's right. They're those things that come outta the darkness in folks' hearts. Why, with all those Heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything! And since I got me a debt to pay, I'm goin' 'round to a bunch of different worlds and buildin' an army of Heartless, special for her. Why am I talkin' to you pipsqueaks anyway? Go on, scram! I'm behind schedule as it is.”

“You oughta find somethin' nicer to do,” Goofy said. 

“Says who?” Pete turned around and spotted you, Odile, Donald, Goofy, and Sora.

“Wha...AAAH! It's you!” he said. 

“Pete!” Donald and Goofy said. 

“What are you two nimrods doin' here!?”

“What are YOU doing here?” Donald asked. 

“You know him?” you asked. 

“We sure do! Pete's been causin' trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped,” Goofy said. Pete laughed.

“You wanna know how, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now your world---no, no, no, all the worlds---are gonna belong to yours truly. Cause Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em!” he said.

“Maleficent...huh,” Sora said. You and the trio giggled. Odile looked at you confused.

“What are you laughing at!? Why, Maleficent's power is so great---” Pete said.

“She's toast!” you said.

“Huh?”

“Sorry, but Maleficent can't help ya now,” Goofy said. 

“Whaddaya mean!?” Donald snickered. 

“You! So you're the ones that did it!” Pete said. 

“Well...we mighta had something to do with it,” Sora said. 

“Heartless squad! Round up!” Pete said, angrily. Some shadows came out of the ground. Sora conjured his Keyblade while you grabbed your and the two of you fought them.

“You just wait! Nobody, and I do mean nobody, messes with the mighty Pete!” Pete said. 

“So, ‘mighty’ Pete, who lives in this tower, anyway?” you asked. 

“Oh, ya don't know, eh? Well, it's old Yen Sid. 'Course he's probably a Heartless by now!”

“Master Yen Sid lives here!?” Donald asked. He ran up the steps and into the tower.

“Yen Sid is the King's teacher!” Goofy said. 

“Wow. Sounds powerful!” Sora said. You, Sora and Goofy then ran up the stairs, leaving Pete and his dropped jaw hanging. The four of you ascended the stairs until you all reached the top floor, fighting Heartless along the way.

“Heartless, Heartless, Heartless! Things haven't changed one bit!” Donald said. 

“Well, it's a good thing we're on the job, then,” Goofy said. 

“So the worlds aren't at peace after all?” you asked. The four of you soon reached the Sorcerer's Loft where an old wizard was sitting at his desk. Donald and Goofy bowed to him.

“Master Yen Sid! It's an honor!” Donald said.

“Hey there!” Sora said. 

“Hi!” you said. Goofy and Donald were slightly shocked at you and Sora.

“Sora! (Y/N)! Show some respect!” Donald said. The wizard calmed Donald down.

“So, you are Sora and (Y/N). Now then, have you seen the King yet?” Yen Sid said. 

“Yes, we did, Master. But we didn't get a chance to talk to him,” Goofy said. 

“Yes...the King has been quite busy of late. Therefore, it would seem that the task of instructing you four falls upon my shoulders. You have a perilous journey ahead of you. You must be well prepared.” 

“You mean...we have to go on another quest? I was looking forward to finding my friend Riku, so we could go back to the islands,” Sora said. 

“And I’ve been wanting to find my parents and the history of my powers,” you said. 

“Yes. I know. However, everything in your journey, Sora adn (Y/N), is connected. Whether you will find your way home to the islands... Whether you will return alone or with your friend or finding your parents... And, whether or not the islands will still be there. And the key that connects them all is you.”

“We’re...the key?” Sora asked. Sora held out his hand and the Keyblade flashed into it. You grabbed your dagger and unsheathed it.

“Chosen wielder of the Keyblade and Spirit of Light! You are the key that will open the door to light,” Yen Sid said. You and Sora nodded. Yen Sid looked to Donald and Goofy who quickly stood up straight and nodded. Yen Sid waved a hand over the table and a thick book appeared. He made it float into the air and spun it towards you and Sora. It opened and landed at the edge of the table.

“This book contains valuable knowledge you will need for your journey. Study it carefully. Once you have finished, we will speak of the enemies you will surely confront,” Yen Sid said. You and Sora read the book from beginning to end. 

“But wait a sec---how come the Heartless are still running around?” Sora asked. 

“Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness; make no mistake about that. However, the Heartless are darkness made real---and darkness lingers yet in every heart. The Heartless are fewer. But while darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them,” Yen Sid said. You and the trio sighed. Odile rubbed her cheek against yours in a comforting manner. 

“Gawrsh, that must mean...if everybody's heart was full of light, them Heartless'd go away!” Goofy said. Yen Sid nodded.

“Now it is time to speak of the enemies that you will encounter,” he said. Yen Sid waved a hand and an image of Donald appeared near the wall. The image then changed to a Shadow Heartless.

“If one such as you, Donald, yields to the darkness in their heart, they too will become a Heartless. But you know this. The Heartless are always lurking and ever seeking to capture new hearts. Never let your guard down! Now then...” Yen Sid said. Yen Sid waved his hand again and an image of a Dusk Nobody appeared next to the Shadow.

“At times, if someone with a strong heart and will---be they evil or good---becomes a Heartless, the empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of its own,” he said. The Shadow image disappeared.

“An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away... A soul that goes on even as its body fades from existence---for you see, Nobodies do not truly exist at all. Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse---they only pretend to have hearts. You must not be deceived!” Yen Sid said. 

“Nobodies... They don't exist...” you said. Two more images of Dusks appeared around you and Sora.

“Now then...the being you see before you is known as a Dusk. They are the most common form of Nobody. But there are others---some larger, some with frightening and unique powers. Be vigilant! On your journey, you will meet an alarming number of Dusks. They will all attempt to do you harm,” Yen Sid said. The images vanished.

“Still, they are nothing but empty shells, destined to return to the darkness. But---” Yen Sid waved his hand again and images of figures in black appear in the Dusks' place. You, Odile, Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked wary.

“The beings you see before you now are different. These powerful Nobodies have formed a group called Organization XIII. It commands the lesser Nobodies,” Yen Sid said.

“Organization XIII...” Sora said. He looked to you, Odile, Goofy, and Donald, but you shook your heads.

“While Heartless act on instinct, Nobodies function in a higher manner. They can think and plan. And it seems they are working towards a goal. What that goal is, we do not know. The King sensed the danger, and journeyed forth to fight it. He found the dark realm's Keyblade, and with it, closed the door. Now he's traveling from world to world, fighting the Heartless as he seeks the answer to the riddle of the Nobodies and Organization XIII,” Yen Sid said. The cloaked figures disappeared and Yui and Roxy appeared. They wore a beautiful outfit almost similar to yours.

“(Y/N), your goal is to show these girls the true power of a Spirit,” Yen Sid said. 

“There are other Spirit’s out there. I thought that I was the only one” you said. 

“Well, it seems that you are not the only one. Now, these girls are stronger than your dagger alone. What you need is a guardian.” 

“A guardian? What’s that?” 

“A guardian is an angel that helps and protects a Spirit. And it looks like you’re little friend is your guardian.” 

“Odile?” You and Odile looked at each other, shocked and confused. 

“Yes. What she needs is a little help,” Yen Sid said. He used his magic and she turned into a beautiful swan. She then disappeared into your dagger.

“Huh? Where did she go?” you asked. 

“She is safe in your dagger. When you feel like you need assistance, you may summon her and she shall help you,” Yen Sid said. You took out your dagger and saw a swan pattern engraved on the blade.

“Well, I guess we better go find the King first!” Sora said. 

“But where could he be?” Donald asked. 

“Well, we won't know 'til we look,” Goofy said. 

“Yeah. And the King must know where Riku is, 'cause the two of them were together in the realm of darkness when we closed the door. You know, after defeating Ansem,” you said. 

“So, before you go, you will need more suitable traveling clothes. Those look a bit too small for you,” Yen Sid said to you and Sora. Yen Sid motioned toward a door.

“Through there, you'll find three good fairies. If you ask, they'll create for you appropriate garments,” he said. 

“Gawrsh, you two, you sure are growing fast,” Goofy said. 

“Uh, I guess...” Sora said. You and Sora giggled nervously and pulled at your clothes. The four of you entered the Wardrobe. Three fairies, one red, one green, and one blue were chatting near the window.

“Me, you guys, Riku, and the King. I don't care who this Organization is or those girls or what it's planning. With the six of us---I mean, seven of us---there's nothing to worry about, right?” Sora said. 

“Yeah!” Donald said. 

“Well, look who's here, dears! Sora, (Y/N), Donald, and Goofy!” Flora said. 

“Ooh, if you're looking for clothes, you've come to the right place!” Merryweather.

“I'll do the designing,” Fauna said. Flora and Merryweather pulled you and Sora away from Goofy. Fauna sent out a spell which turned you and Sora's clothes green.

“Oh, that will never do,” Merryweather said. Merryweather flicked her wand and you and Sora's clothes turned blue.

“Now, now, dears,” Flora said. Flora turned you and Sora's clothes pink.

“But don't you like this better?” Fauna asked as she made you and Sora’s clothes green again.

“Hold on!” Flora said as she turned them pink again. By now, you and Sora were looking helpless.

“Are you certain?” Fauna asked as she changed them green again.

“Blue!” Merryweather said as she changed them to blue. The fairies exchanged more spells, making you and Sora's clothes continue changing colors. A raven watched from the window, squawked, and flew away. A green clothed Sora finally decided to break the feud.

“Aww, would you just decide?” he asked. The fairies gasped and then giggled. 

“All right, then. Together now, dears. And no more squabbling!” Flora said. All three fairies turned their spells on you and Sora at once, and his clothes turn black with red and gold bands while you had black dress with red covering it.

You smiled and twirled around, admiring the beautiful colors. 

“Oh, my!” Flora said.

“Ooh, it's lovely,” Fauna said.

“Oh, yes! He does look very dashing. And she definitely looks like a Spirit,” Merryweather said. Sora was fine with it, and the Keyblade appeared in his hand.

“Now, those aren't ordinary garments,” Flora said. 

“They have very special powers,” Fauna said. Flora magic up two glowing orbs which hovered in front of you and Sora.

“Take the orb, dears,” Fauna said. You and Sora grabbed for the orb and took it in.

“And watch what happens,” Merryweather said. Sora was struck with immense power. A light flashed and his clothes were suddenly red. You, Donald and Goofy looked in awe. Sora now was holding a second Keyblade in his left hand. You also felt an immense power and saw a bigger version of Odile behind you. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were amazed.

“Whoa!” Sora said. 

“Wow!” Donald said. 

“This journey's gonna be twice as difficult as your last,” Merryweather said. You and Sora sighed.

“Your garments also have other powers---but you will have to discover what they are as you continue on your journey,” Fauna said. Sora looked at both of his Keyblades while you petted Odile.

“Okay, We'll do my best. And thanks a lot!” you said.

“Oh, and there's something else for you---from Master Yen Sid,” Fauna said. 

“Oh boy!” Donald said. The four of you walked back into the hallway, where Yen Sid motioned them over to the window. A gummi ship rose into view.

“Hey! It's the Gummi Ship!” Donald said.

“So you guys ready to go?” Sora asked. You all nodded, then stood up straight in the wizard's presence.

“Now, now, just a moment,” Yen Sid said. The four of you relaxed a bit.

“Because of your previous endeavors, the worlds have returned to their original states. That means the pathways between them have disappeared,” Yen Sid said.

“How do we get around?” Goofy asked. 

“Do not fear. If what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel. These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates. How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I do not know... However, the Keyblade will serve as your guide. When a beam of light radiates from the Keyblade, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do our hearts.”

“Our hearts are connected,” you said. 

“That is correct.”

“Got it!”

“But be warned. As you proceed... The Heartless and the Nobodies will be using their own paths: Corridors of darkness, to travel from world to world. They may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between the worlds. Even those two girls.”

“Hey! That's not fair!” Donald said.

“Now then, that is all the information I can give to you. Go forth, (Y/N), Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Everyone is waiting.”

“Okay, let's get going!” Sora said. The four of you stood up straight again.

“Master Yen Sid!” Donald said. 

“We sure do appreciate the help,” Goofy said. Each of you gave the wizard a salute and ran down the corridor. Yen Sid disappeared in a whisk of light. In the Gummi Ship, you, Sora and company were hailed by Chip and Dale.

“Howdy, Sora and (Y/N)! How ya doin'?” Dale said. 

“It's your favorite Gummi engineers here, ready for duty: Chip...”

“...And Dale!”

“Happy flying!” The two of them said. You and Sora saw Hollow Bastion on the map.

“Only one?” you asked. 

“That's no good!” Donald said. 

“Wait! I think it's a world we know!” The four of you then headed off to Hollow Bastion.

[dietaku]

Amazing Quest 1: Chapter 8

Here it is, the penultimate chapter. Only a little bit more!

Chapter 8: Collect-a-thon! Alright, team, ready to get all the items necessary for the best ending? Of course you are! The first and most important thing in this chapter is that we can get Hiro's ultimate weapon now. We actually need to go back to the small, otherwise-useless lake near Toruble Castle and you need to go noodling a few times and then sit and wait 5 real-world minutes. Go ahead and grab yourself a drink or a sammich or something. Hiro: Doo-doo-dee-doo~ Hm? Suddenly, the water in the lake glows and a lovely, buxom lady rises slowly from the light. Hiro: What the heck--?! Woman: Fear not, Hiro of the Pudding Tribe, I am Eroustei, goddess of light and mercy. Eroustei then presents two swords, one a glimmering gold color, and one with an ornate hilt and silvery blade. Eroustei: Did you drop this Sword of Power, or this Gold Blade? Hiro: But I didn't drop a sword. I have mine right here. Eroustei: … Let's try this again. Did you drop a sword that will grant you great might, or this sword that will bring you great fortune? Hiro: Oh, I don't need either of those. I have my friends. So long as I have them, then I don't need to rely on artifacts and legends to find my way. Eroustei: YOU BITCH!!! Eroustei very angrily winds up and hurls both swords at Hiro, who bash him with their hilts. Hiro: GYAAAAH! Hiro is knocked flat. Eroustei: YOU THINK IT'S EASY DOING THIS LADY IN THE LAKE THING, YOU INGRATE?! Hiro: Owww... Eroustei: YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S FEELINGS, YA JERK! Eroustei drops back into the water and out of sight. Hiro gets: PdngSword and GoldSword! Hiro: Wh-what just happened...? Hiro's best sword is, obviously, the PdngSword which is a huge step up from any other weapon in the game for him. The GoldSword is, in itself, useless (Loyroll can equip it, but it's not terribly strong), but leads to our next quest! We have to find the little encampment to the south of ToneLand's island, which can be a little tricky to get to. But once we're there, we'll meet an old man. Old Man: Hey there! I'm the weapons maniac! I dedicate my life to things that cut others short! Haha! A little dark humor there! Hiro: That's pretty dark alrig-- Old Man: Hey, is that a sword made of gold?! M-may I please see it? Hiro: Sure. Not doing us any good anyway. The Old Man takes it, admiring it lovingly. Old Man: The sheen. The weight. The beauty... Loyroll: The inability to retain an edge? Old Man: I... I must have this! W-what if I traded you for something of equal value?! Hiro: Um. I guess... that's fine? The Old Man runs into his tent and returns, giving the party the TinFlStar, the strongest weapon for Kimaywa! Kimyawa: Yatta! Old Man: This weapon is deceptively powerful. Treasure it always! Hiro: Um. Well, one man's trash, I suppose... At this point, wander around and get into a fight with Kimyawa and Loyroll in the fray. Have Loyroll use the Mirror of Ki and you'll be treated to an amusing scene where Kimyawa's new weapon gets caught in the fire and all the enemies get incinerated. Kimyawa: Nii-chan! Baka! You nearly cooked us all! Loyroll: Even after all this time, this legendary artifact of our ancestors contains fabulous secret powers! Perhaps we could harness this more constructively? You've unlocked Kimyawa and Loyroll's strongest dual tech: Over-Arcing. This deals huge light-based damage to all enemies. And now it's time to revisit an old friend: you have been taking care of Stinky the Griffohump this whole game, right? Well, if you have, by now, he's likely evolved into his adolescent form, where his wings are more developed and his mismatched eyes have evened out. Once all his stats are over 500, which should happen around now-ish if you've been taking good care of him, he'll evolve into his adult form, where he actually resembles a majestic creature of myth and even has a Pudding Warrior Knot on the side of his head, like Hiro's. Hiro: Yes! I knew you had it in you! You were just like me – you just needed a guiding hand to help you out! At this point, the rancher from before walks up. Hiro: Have a look! It's all thanks to you! Rancher: Who'd have guessed you'd really do it? Well done. Hiro: The last of his kind, the proud Griffohump~! Rancher: Oh. Right. That. Yeah, no, he's not the last of his kind. Hiro: W-what? Does that mean... you found him a mate? Rancher: … Dude, Griffohumps are everywhere. They're overpopulated in most regions of the world where they live because nothing wants to eat them. People that try usually end up in the hospital from food poisoning and depression. Hiro: … Rancher: We tell people they're the last of their kind to give them some kind of marketing appeal. I'm genuinely amazed that you made something of him. So I guess the joke's on me. Hiro turns to Stinky as the rancher walks off. Hiro: You and me. We are more alike than you know, my friend. Now with Stinky fully grown, we can ride him around on the overworld map! This not only moves us faster and reduces the encounter rate, he can even fly short bursts when you get a running start, allowing you to clear mountains and get into areas previously inaccessible, including one north of the ocean of Mermania to get Mancala's ultimate weapon, the Abacus of Ages. But as no one uses Mancala, who cares? There's also a neat, but ultimately useless trick you can use because the game maintains Stinky's speed regardless of turns, so if you have him run back and forth over two spaces rapidly, you can cause him to fly anywhere at any time. This is dubbed by the fans as The Stinky Shuffle. Anyways, now it's time to address a particular plot thread that's been dangling since chapter 2. Return to Toruble and speak to the King. King: Siigh... Hiro: … King: Siii-iiigh... Ozma: … King: Siii-iii-iii-i-- Ozma: What's wrong, daddy? King: Oh! Ozma! When did you get here?! See, I've just been a little melancholic lately. Can't quite shake it. It's just been so quiet here in the castle without you running around randomly braining people. Ozma: I have never done such a thing!! … Recently. … in the past few months. King: I just wish I could shake these blues. I haven't been nearly so proactive in banishing people recently either! Hiro: So some good has come of this at least. Ozma: Seems that way... The party exits and fans out. Kimyawa: Dame desu. This is no good. A king can't rule his land like this. Moore: There must be some means by which to cheer him up. Loyroll: It seems more severe than just having a rainy day. Perhaps he is coming down with a bad cold? Ozma: There's a doctor we could ask for help from, I suppose. Let's go have a chat with him! So, now it's time to return to the Mountain of Outcasts. Thankfully, this time, the Dreaded Mountain Maze is in rubble due to Ozma's last temper tantrum here and we can take a shortcut through it and monsters no longer spawn here. Once on the other side, there seems to be quite a change: there's way fewer NPCs here than last time. Eh, probably not important. Go back to the doctor's house and Ozma will knock. You go, JeffCom, reuse those art assets for great justice! Ozma: Doc, it's me. Please open up. The door opens a small bit. Doctor: W-what do you want?! Oh. Princess Ozma. Ozma: Daddy's been really down in the dumps lately. Would you please come have a look at him? Doctor: That's... not really a very good idea. Reasons, you see. Valid reasons, mm, yes. Ozma: I... what? Please, I'll talk to him about overturning your banishment and-- Doctor: No, no, quite busy here, please, and thank you! He slams the door shut and there's a sound of many, many locks being slapped into place. Ozma: W-what...?! What's he trying to pull?! Why that! I'll turn this door to splinters!!! Ozma winds up and slams into the door. When she hits it, she's stopped cold and overblown, comedic tears rush down her face. Ozma: … G-gimmie a hand, please! Hiro: Right. Ozma: On the count of three. Ozma backs up a few paces and counts on her fingers with an accompanying “click” sound so the player knows when to go. If you mistime it, Ozma will back up and count again, signaling you when to go again. If you both hit the door at roughly the same time, your party will go plowing through it and enter into a cave-like bedroom. Ozma: Alright! Doctor, now you listen here-- eh? Hiro: No one's home? Ozma: He couldn't have gone far. C'mon, how deep could these caves go, anyway? Let's find him! There's a bed you can rest in and a save point here, which is a none-too-subtle hint that this is more than just a town. You venture deeper into the caves and monsters start appearing like Banished Munchkins, Outcast Ostriches, and Willow Whips, ghostly plant-like monsters. Most monsters here fear fire attacks, so Kimyawa and Loyroll are excellent choices. A few floors down, the caves change and suddenly have crystal structures laced in the walls, giving this place a weird sense of style. Around here, new monsters like the Crystallis Caterpillar, and Wind-Up Golems start appearing around here and despite looking very rock-like, they're weak to earth attacks. Go fig, right? A little further in and the caves are completely replaced by metal corridors and what looks like a lab setting. Ozma: W-what in the world is this...? Loyroll: This is no mere hide-a-way for the untouchables. Whatever is happening here is happening on a grand scale. You can then go forward, but the puzzles here get a bit dickish. There's one room where you have to rush into a library and sort out books via Dewey Decimal System in a very short span of time, otherwise the room resets due to “Radiation” as a nearby sign will say. After that, you play a minigame not unlike the board game operation, and failing at it causes the miniboss monster, Chimantera, to spawn an infinite number of times. At least, in the SNES release. In the GBA remake, it'll only spawn once and win or lose, the door to the next room opens. Here, you play hopscotch against a kangaroo to cross electrified floors. There's a reason fans of the series call this area “The Cut Content Dungeon” as there doesn't feel like there's a unifying theme here. But once you're past that, you can then go to the last area here, a massive, circular room with a large tube in the center of the room with a woman inside of it and the doctor standing before it. Ozma: Doc! What are you doing?! Doctor: Gah! H-how did you get here?! Ozma: We let ourselves in. What is this? What were all those weird things we passed to get here?! Doctor: N-now that you've seen this... my, you've really put me in a bind... Ozma: What is that...? Oh my God! Is that... my mom?! Party: Say whaaaaaaat?! Doctor: … Well, since you're here anyway and you're so damn curious, I'll enlighten you. Your father hired me to save your mother from her unfortunate condition. At first I thought it a fool's errand – to find a cure for Disney Parent Syndrome! Preposterous! But... as I began my work, I started making breakthroughs and discovering new things... things previously completely unknown to modern medicine. Curiosities in the genetic structures of what we once believed to be ordinary humans. “Golden Tribe” indeed, I must say. Ozma: What are you...?! Doctor: I don't suspect a silverback gorilla such as yourself could appreciate it, but I've been wanting to tell someone about these discoveries for such a long time and I'm about to kill your asses here and now... well, let's just call this two birds; one stone. Hiro: Ozma! Ozma: I'm fine... Doctor: You see, true humanity is no longer with us. They haven't been with us in eons!! The mitochondria here indicates that there was an extinction event of some magnitude. Deima: Cough-cough-hack! Doctor: And now, modern chimerism is nigh-omnipresent! Every tribe! Every person! It's just a matter of dose! Ozma: I don't get any of this! And what's any of that have to do with my MOM, you creep?! Doctor: As I thought, you don't appreciate the meanings of the truth I've discovered here... very well. Let us cut to the heart of the matter then, shall we? The King tasked me to save the Queen... and abandoned her. I was the only one there with her in her twilight years! I realized she was... perfect. Ozma: Oh God, please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going... Doctor: She had to be... preserved. By any means necessary. Ozma: Oh God, it is!!! Doctor: She was too beautiful. Too pure... Ozma: Oh God, I'm gonna barf... stop lusting after my dead mom, asshole!!! Doctor: Dead? Dear girl, she is not dead. She is alive and well and I was just putting in my finishing touches on her new, perfected chimeran body! Ozma: You... you what?! Doctor: Arise! Perfect Human-Chimera 01! The tube's glass slides upward into the ceiling as the green goop pours out. In the Japanese version, the nude woman falls flat before standing up and throwing up some of the green fluids. This was removed entirely in the international release and she was even given a white towel from out of nowhere she clearly did not have previously. Woman: Where... where am I? Ozma: M... mommy?! Woman: O... Ozma? Is that you? You're so tall now... And, um, buff! Like, um, damn. Doctor: Oh-ho-ho... her memory is perfectly in tact too. Seems the “donations” made by my fellows here on the mountain weren't spent in vain! Loyroll: Stand down, you dastard and know when you're defeated. To flail about helplessly is disgraceful. Doctor: You think I am helpless? I'll show you the fruits of my labors, such that even simpletons like yourselves can appreciate them! The Doctor runs to a control panel and messes with buttons. Hiro and Loyroll advance, but the Queen steps into their path. Hiro: Y-your majesty?! Loyroll: Heh. Truly, this is not the first time a naked woman threw herself at me. I'm just not interested. Queen: H-help! I can't control my body! Doctor: Haha! Yes! It's better than I could have dreamed my perfect woman, my perfect creation, and your perfectly beautiful demise! Hiro: You're sick! Doctor: Prepare to die! Ozma: No! Mom!! -Boss Fight!- PHC-01 LP: 70000 MP: 6000 This is a dangerous fight as her stats are not dissimilar to Ozma's, having very high physical stats with very low magical abilities. Equally so, Ozma cannot attack directly during this fight, as you get the unique message “Ozma can't bring herself to do it!” so she's either benched or on support during this battle. Oddly enough, if you invoke her double techs with another character, this circumvents this – so punching her mom is a “no-no” but slapping her with a fish is A-OK! Focus on Kimyawa's elemental abilities or have her and Loyroll use Over-Arcing, use any attack items you have (which are calculated vs. magic defense) and heal often as her physical blows are enough to drop the likes of Mancala in one blow. When her health dips below 25%, then you have to worry about her special attack, Chimeran Rage, which hits the entire party for physical, melee damage and runs the risk of reducing physical attack and defense stats in the party. If this happens, you must heal quickly or she'll just reduce you to paste. -Boss Fight!- Queen: Ah... something just snapped. Doctor: No! Dammit! Move! Move! Queen: I'm free. Ozma: Mommy! Queen: My Ozma. You've grown so strong. And you have such wonderful friends. I couldn't be more proud of you. Doctor: This is an unforeseen turn of events. I didn't think they could go toe-to-toe with Perfect Human-Chimera 01!!! Queen: And as for you... The Queen turns to face the Doctor. Doctor: Oh... shit. Queen: My name is NOT “Perfect Human-Chimera 01”! My name is Valerie Po Toruble, Queen of the proud nation of Toruble! And as its Queen, I must establish justice within the boundaries of my beloved nation! Submit yourself to the court and beg for mercy as your sins will be dredged up before the light of day! Hiro: Um. Wow. I better take notes... Ozma: Mommy!! You're so cool!!! Doctor: Very well, Plan B it is. The doctor messes with the control panel again. PA: Emergency! Self-destruct sequence is initialized. This entire mountain is about to be leveled to the ground in 60 seconds. Have a nice day! Hiro: Quick! Grab him! There's time! Queen: There isn't. You lot get out of here. I'll ensure the evil of this place never spreads beyond this God-forsaken mountain!!! Ozma: Mother! Queen: Ozma. As the Princess of this nation, you must never forget... your heart gets a vote, but your brain has veto authority. Tell your father you love him, dry your eyes, and continue on your journey. You are our beloved land's future! Ozma: Mommy! No! Not without-- Hiro and the others restrain Ozma and pull her out the door. Queen: That's right. Be a good girl and listen to your mother. The Queen turns around, then just puts her entire arm through the Doctor's body. Doctor: BARF!!! Queen: This is the way it should be. The past is in the past and the future, set free into tomorrow. Farewell. The screen whites out here. In the SNES version, the party is returned to the overworld without further delay, but there's an extended scene that cues in the GBA remake when the party enters Toruble again. The House Man we saw briefly before walks in through the ruins of the lab. House Man: My, my what a loud explosion that was... He moves around, exploring the ruined boss chamber. House Man: Hmm... his research was thousands of years behind my own... but I must admit, he had some good ideas. I could probably put these to some good use, even if it takes some time. House Man chuckles to himself, as he uncovers a charred remains of one body. House Man: But then again, I have all the time in the world~! The party returns to the throne room of Toruble. Ozma: Daddy, I-- King: Oh-ho! Ozma! How good to see you! Ozma: Huh? Daddy?! King: I don't know why, but... it seems that funk I was in has been lifted from my shoulders! I'm ready and chipper and ready to start some banishing! Ozma: Ugh. Father... King: Oh, before I forget! The King goes to Ozma and gives her the Queen's Knuckles. Ozma: What on Earth? King: These were your mother's. I found them while taking my little trip down memory lane. I'm sure she'd want you to have them! Ozma: … King: What's the matter, dear? I thought you'd be happy! Ozma: I... I am. I have great friends and my whole future before me. I love you, daddy, but my travels aren't over just yet. See you soon! King: Do your best! Now Ozma has her ultimate weapon and unlocks her final attack “Regal Rampage” where Ozma bequeaths royal beatdowns, which hits six times and runs the chance of lowering one corresponding stat with each blow! Hiro: Your mother had a set of custom brass knuckles? Ozma: Yes, why? Hiro: No reason... And now, the only character without their ultimate weapon is Moore. At this point, we need to return to Moore's hometown and they'll mention a “legendary weapon of the miners” had recently surfaced and that a weapon's expert had it. So that's your cue to return to the weapon maniac from before. Old Man: Oh, hello. Here to discuss weapons? Hiro: Sort-of. We're looking for the legendary weapon of the miners. Deima: If this just ends up something dumb like a shovel, prepare for pain, old-timer. Old Man: No, no! Not a shovel! Much more sophisticated than a shovel! Moore: W-what? What is it? Please, tell us! I'd do ANYTHING to be not be rock-bottom tier in this game! All: … Moore: It's never going to happen, is it? Hiro: A-hem. Show us the weapon. Old Man: Can do! Got: Rusty piece of crap! Deima: Okay, so clearly, you want to die... Old Man: Eep! I just dug it up! If you want to see its true power, you'll have to go see the Old Lady Weapon Maniac! Deima: There's another one of you?! Old Man: Just head east from here! You'll find her there! Well, this is just a damnable lie. You need to go WEST from here to find the small hut in the middle of an island that's otherwise quite easy to overlook. Going east is useless as that section of the map is impassable. When you go there. Old Lady: Good morning! Are you here to ask about my weapons collection? I do love weapons! Moore: Sort of! This is... Old Lady: Ah, yes, the legendary weapon of the miners, unrivaled in their tribe as the pinnacle of design and form. Moore: So it can be repaired? Old Lady: Yes, yes! But I'll need the POLISH. Hiro: Special polish? Old Lady: Yes, but you're saying it wrong. It's POLISH. Hiro: Of course it is. Moore: Where do we find it? Old Lady: A merchant in Mermania has some! Mancala: Sounds simple enough. Let's go. So head to Mermania and speak to the merchant guild merman. Moore: So we're looking for the, uh, POLISH. Did I say that right? Guildmaster: Well, you're too late. I just sold the only POLISH I had to a man in Toruble! Hiro: Is this weapon really that great? Moore: It must be! It's the very best weapon of my people! Deima: Yes, God forbid we overlook the tallest of the dwarves. So head to Toruble! There, we find a wealthy looking fellow. Merchant: Oh? You want this POLISH? It cost me quite a lot! Moore: You don't understand, it's a matter of pride... Merchant: Hmm... okay! I'll give it to you! Moore: You will?! Merchant: But first-- All: ugh! Merchant: Bring me a Lucky Rabbit's Foot! Moore: Just... a rabbit foot? Merchant: No, ding-dong, the LUCKY RABBIT'S foot. The Lucky Rabbit only lives on Mushroom Island. Moore: That doesn't sound so hard. Let's go guys! So now, you need to head north-east-ish until you find a newly-made bridge and cross over to the previously-inaccessible island. There, you'll enter a cave and see a large, white rabbit sitting in front of many, many mushrooms with different spot patterns. Rabbit: What-ho! Welcome to the sacred ground of the Rabbit Clan! How can I help you? Moore: um. I am of the miner clan. I wish to request you for, uh, a Lucky Rabbit's Foot. Rabbit: That's all? That's not really a problem, but would you mind doing something for me first? Deima: HISS!!! Rabbit: Go to the top of the hill here and find me a mushroom that looks like... this! The rabbit places down a mushroom with a particular spot pattern. What pattern this is varies in each playthru. You then head up the mountain dealing with Mushkins, Hedgeshrooms, and Ecobandits, all of which can inflict poison. At the top of one of the four staircases are sets of mushrooms, so one of the 12 mushrooms up here is the one that matches Lucky Rabbit's request. Take it back to him. If you bring the wrong one, he'll scold you for being “dumber than a miner” and show you the one he's after once again and you'll return. Once you get it right, he'll speak to you again. Rabbit: Oh, frabjuous day! Here you go! Obtained: Lucky Rabbit's Ruler. Hiro: What? But this is a ruler and-- oh. Wait. I get it. Lucky Rabbit's... foot. Moore: Let's go guys! You then return to Toruble and speak to the merchant. Merchant: Excellent! Just what I needed! Hiro: Odd, I thought you wanted a, y'know, like a foot-foot. Like the Rabbit's actual hind-quarters leg. Merchant: Eww. You're weird. And gross. Here, take the POLISH and get outta here, ya weirdos. Hiro: Grumble... Then head to the Old Weapon Lady. Old Lady: Awright! Now I'll apply the POLISH and... there! Moore: Is it ready?! Old Lady: Almost! Head back to the Old Weapon Man and he should apply the finishing touches. All: Ugh! Moore: C'mon, guys! For all this work we're putting in, this weapon is going to be the best! So return to the Old Weapon Man. Old Man: Why, you lot have been busy. Now, let me just use my RUST REMOVER here and it'll be ready before you can say “Done”! And... Do-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooone! Got: Pickax! Moore: Of course!! Where a shovel fails, the Pickax prevails! All: … Deima: That tears it, everyone dies. Moore: But-- Deima thrusts her hand skyward and the Old Man's tent is blown away. Old Man: Oh noooooo! Moore: Cough. Cough. W-well, on the bright side I got my best weapon in the ga-- wait, does this mean I only HAVE two weapons in this WHOLE GAME?! Hiro: … The Pickax is... a little better than his shovel, I guess? But now that we have all the legendary weapons, we can finally go to that random forest in the north stretch of the game, with the healing spring in it. When we go to heal in it this time, Hiro and the party just jump into it. You'll then follow a spiral staircase downward until you reach a Pudding Shrine at the bottom. “But wait!” I hear some of you call out, “How the hell were we supposed to know about this?!” All I can say is: Player's Guide Sales! Go inside and Hiro will pull away from the party. Hiro: The final shrine... A small, strange, hairy creature appears before him. Hiro: Um. Lulz: Greetings, Hiro. I am Lul Invictus, but you can call me Lulz for short. Hiro: Very short. Lulz: Oh, the wit. Never heard THAT one before! You do remember my voice, do you not? Hiro: Um... Wait... you were the one who spoke to me when my powers first awoke! Lulz: Indeed so. Your journey is nearing completion, Hiro. You will need the fullest extent of your abilities now. Do you know what I mean by that? Hiro: Yes! My friends! Lulz: Indeed! You've learned much! I now release the limitations on your abilities and bless you with the mighty power of the Final Swirl Flavor Fusion! Hiro glows brightly. Hiro: Thank you, Lulz. Lulz: Fare thee well. And remember: Pudding is meant to be enjoyed! Not contained! Keep those snack packs a popping! Hiro: The more you speak, the less I understand. But I'll do my best despite that. Hiro returns to the others, draws out his sword and poses. Hiro: Do that which is right, live your life for others, and never, ever give up! That is the oath of the Light Puddings! Ozma: Heart~! Kimyawa: Sugoi, Hiro-ni-chan! Loyroll: Well said, friend! Deima: Heh. Hot. Moore: Mm! Mancala: Ooo, we should copyright that phrase and make mint after the war's over! And with that, the last optional quest is finished and we're ready to get us the best ending of the game! It's time to enter the next chapter, with our heads held high!

[tfloosh]

Water

And the Zelink fic rises from the dead! Chapter four of my Zelink Week Master Quest is here!

Prince Link and Princess Zelda are shipped off to the beach to spend some alone time, but their mini-vacation is crashed by our favorite Zoran Princess Ruto, who has some mischief planned up her sleeve.

Light | Forest | Fire | Water | Shadow | Spirit | Time

Now that Zelda had stopped fighting with Link, she threw all her energy into researching ways to get around the Courtship and Marriage Contract Clause of the alliance treaty. She faced many dead ends and road blocks, but the image of King Clement’s smug face at the Midsummer Bonfire kept her going. Since she was no longer looking for ways to annul the contract outright, it opened many options for her. Zelda was sure that if she worked it right, her parents could pressure the Bathory’s enough to extend courtship or even the engagement past her twenty-fifth birthday. Then she would assume the full rights and privileges of the matriarch of House Hyrule and could deal with King Clement one on one as the Head of House Hyrule.

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Link started one day as he sat with Zelda in the Calatian Royal Library. “But why is it so important that we marry after you’re crowned Queen? I know before it was because you didn’t want to be seen as unworthy of your title without a man, but we’re past that now.”

“Not to cause offense,” Zelda replied without taking her eyes off the book in front of her. “But it’s mainly because I don’t want your patriarchy destroying what little is left of the matriarchal tradition of Hyrule.”

“Since when did my patriarchy become such a threat?” Link snorted as he idly flipped the pages of the text he was skimming.

“Since that ‘King of Two Nations’ nonsense your father spouted on your birthday.”

Link’s head thudded against his book as he let out a muffled wail, “Goddesses, please don’t remind me.”

It had come as a shock to both of them. During the State Dinner held to honor Prince Link’s twenty-second birthday the previous July, King Clement had toasted Link by calling him the Future King of Two Nations. The title had taken off with the court despite Zelda arguing with the King that Link, by Hyrulean law, could not be crowned with the title King of Hyrule. It infuriated Zelda to no end, and Link was thoroughly embarrassed, but there wasn’t much they could do besides sit in the Royal Library and research when they really should be out in Calatia City celebrating National Day.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into my father lately,” Link sighed as he stood to grab yet another dusty law book. “First this King of Two Nations nonsense, and then threatening to disown me if I don’t marry you. What a Goddess’ Day present that was.”

“Did he actually make that decree like he threatened?” Zelda finally shut the book in her hands and gave it a nasty look for being utterly useless.

“No,” Link rolled his eyes as he searched the stacks. “But I’m sure it’s already written up, just waiting to be signed if I step one toe out of line.”

“I don’t understand why he would go to such extreme measures,” she heaved another large book toward her. “This past year of courtship has gone rather smoothly, and we’ve shown our willingness to be married.”

“It’s just the time frame, I know,” Link let the book he was holding fall to the table with a thud. “I think my father has it in his head that you won’t seek to annul the contract if you know my crown is at stake.”

“Jokes on him then,” Zelda laughed. “I haven’t wanted to annul the contract for months.”

“Really?” Link moved to stand beside her chair. “So you’re fine with being the Queen of Two Nations?”

“Now how fair would it be if I was titled the Queen of Two Nations and you were only King of a Nation and a Half?”

“Ah yes,” Link laughed. “King of Half of Hyrule. I’m sure my father would be pleased.”

They spent one more fruitless hour in the library before finally heading into the city for the National Day festivities. Zelda enjoyed the celebration much more than she did the previous year, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes watching her the whole time.

“We could try appealing to my mother,” Link suggested over breakfast the next morning. “I know she’s become concerned with Father’s erratic behavior as of late. She just may be the voice of reason we need to convince Father to extend the courtship.”

“Are you sure she would help us?” Zelda asked. Since the King of Two Nations incident, their Calatian allies in extending the courtship were growing fewer by the day. “Do you really think she holds enough sway to change your father’s mind?”

“We can only try,” Link shrugged. “I can pull the concerned son card for good measure. ‘I don’t want Father to push us into an engagement when we’re not ready’ and all that sappy nonsense.”

Zelda started to laugh but was cut off by a knock at the door.

“Enter,” Link called.

‘Who is that?’ she mouthed, but he only shrugged back in confusion.

“Sorry for the intrusion, Your Highnesses,” the butler, Haas, Zelda thought his name was, said as he walked in. “But His Royal Highness, King Clement, wishes to speak with Princess Zelda.”

Zelda kept her face straight and refused to turn to look at Link, “When will the King be expecting me?”

“Immediately,” Haas stated.

“Then I will go with her,” Link stood quickly.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” the butler shook his head. “The King requested Princess Zelda’s presence alone.”

“But there’s nothing against my partner escorting me to the King’s Study,” Zelda smiled pleasantly. “Would you mind walking with me, darling?”

“Of course not, my dear,” Link walked around the table to help Zelda out of her chair. “Thank you for the message, Haas. I shall escort the Princess from here.”

Haas bowed and left, leaving both of them reeling.

“What could he want on such short notice?” Zelda whispered as if the butler could hear through the closed door.

“Nothing good, I can tell you that,” Link looked livid. “But it’s best not to keep the King waiting.”

They walked to the King’s Study quickly, whispering the whole way and speculating what the King could want.

“He’s probably just upset that we didn’t spend as much time in the city yesterday as we should have,” Zelda rolled her eyes. “He would blame something like that on me.”

“Then you tell him it was my fault because I wanted some alone time with you,” Link smirked. He turned to face her as they stopped in front of the door to the King’s Study. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

“I can handle anything,” she smirked back at him. “I’m a Future Queen of Two Nations.”

“Alright then, Future Queen,” Link rolled his eyes. “I’ll be in the library when you’re done.” He gave her a playful shove toward the door, which helped Zelda’s nerves a touch.

The butler outside the door announced her presence, and Zelda let her face fall into an emotionless mask. King Clement was sitting at his desk writing, which Zelda knew was just a ploy to make him seem busy.

“You summoned me, Your Majesty,” Zelda said as she gave the King a small curtsey.

“Yes, Princess,” Clement finished one last flourish on his paper. “I’m glad you could make it.”

You didn’t give me much choice, Zelda thought viciously. But outwardly, she smiled.

“Anything for my future father-in-law.”

“Your future marriage is exactly what I wished to talk about,” Clement smiled in return. “Please, sit down.”

She sat down slowly, trying to hide her hesitance. Nothing good could come out of this conversation, especially without Link to back her up.

“I would like your opinion on announcing your engagement to Prince Link here at the Calatian Royal Castle,” he started. “I thought it would only be fair considering the courtship was announced in Hyrule, but if you think it would be better to announce it somewhere more neutral, then I would like your opinion.”

“I’m flattered you would ask for my opinion,” Zelda began slowly. She was unsure of how to word what she wanted to say. “But it seems, er, a bit early to be planning for the engagement announcement?”

“Actually I feel like a year is plenty of time to plan for an event as high profile as your engagement announcement will be,” he answered.

Zelda froze; what had he just said?

“I’m sorry,” she smiled though it didn’t reach her eyes. “But why would the engagement announcement be held in a year? Link and I have only been courting for a year.”

“Yes, but it has been two years since the Courtship and Marriage Contract Clause has been signed,” Clement smiled back, as equally unpleasant as Zelda’s. “Which would put the engagement announcement right on schedule.”

“I’m afraid I still don’t understand,” Zelda gave up on pretending to be pleasantly confused. “The contract I signed called for at least three years of courtship before an engagement could be publically announced.”

“And you and Link have been courting for a total of two years.”

“No, Link and I have only been courting for eleven months; therefore our engagement cannot be announced for two years. That is what the contract specifically said, at your request, Your Majesty.”

Clement gave her the ‘you foolish child’ smile, “It was implied to mean the full duration of courtship, which started when the contract was signed.”

“I hate to disagree, King Clement,” Zelda tried not to grate her teeth in irritation. “But, by Hyrulean tradition, my courtship to Link did not start until my father approved of it. To suggest that our outings before we were officially courting to be dates is to suggest I had an illicit affair behind my parent’s back.”

She could see Clement about to make a retort so she pressed on, “It would give my parents grounds to end our courtship and possibly make me ineligible for marriage in the eyes of my court. Neither of us wishes for that to happen, so it is best if we define the courtship as starting at the announcement in Hyrule.”

The King smiled ruefully, “It is clear you win this round then, my dear Zelda.”

“For the record, when the time comes I would love to hold the engagement announcement in Calatia,” Zelda’s cheeks were starting to hurt from all the fake smiling.

“I would be honored to hold the event here,” he narrowed his eyes. “Eventually.”

“Is there anything else you would like to discuss?” she asked. “If not I would like to spend some more time with Link before I leave after lunch.”

“Yes, yes” the King waved his hand flippantly. “You are dismissed.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Zelda stood and curtseyed. She left the study as quickly as she could and rushed to the library.

“Zelda!” Link’s voice sounded from the stacks as soon as she slammed the door shut behind her.

“How was it?” he asked coming up to her. “What did he want?”

“He wanted to plan our engagement announcement for next year.”

“Next year?” Link’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “But we’ve only been courting for one year.”

Zelda explained everything that happened in the King’s Study. Link’s face grew progressively angrier, and his fists ended up balled into fists.

“What is that old man trying to do?” he exclaimed. “Why does he care about us getting married so quickly? We already signed a damn contract; what else does he want?”

Zelda felt utterly in shock. At least this fight had been in private, but what if Clement brought up his next attack in public. She and Link wouldn’t be able to deny the King without seeming like they didn’t want to get married, even though their aim is to simply wait longer than King Clement wished. It felt like there was no way to win and get what they want.

“Hey, Zelda, look at me,” Link’s voice cut through Zelda’s spiral of doubt. “We’re going to make it work, alright? I don’t care what my father says and does. We will be married after you become Queen.”

Link pulled Zelda into his arms to help calm her down.

“Why would you do so much for me?” she asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

“I take every chance I can to screw over my father,” he laughed.

But Zelda could tell it was more than that. There was something deeper and unspoken hovering between them, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure it out.

***

Link and Zelda didn’t see much of each other for the next few months. On the rare occasions they did get to spend time together, it was always at formal functions where they couldn’t have private conversations. Zelda had a sneaking suspicion it was done on purpose, but she could never prove anything. Their outings were cancelled or moved for perfectly valid reasons. Link had to accompany his father to a diplomatic meeting in Calatia so he couldn’t attend Zelda’s birthday. The new Foreign Minister of Lorule made a surprise visit to both countries scrambling plans to celebrate Armed Forces Day together in Kakariko. Queen Adalynn came down with a sickness ruining plans to travel to the Royal Hunting Lodge in Hyrule for a hunting trip. It wasn’t until July that they finally got some time together before the State Dinner honoring Link’s birthday.

“I can’t believe this,” Link exclaimed as he slammed the door behind him. He had just escorted Zelda up to her usual room in the Calatian Royal Castle, huffing and in an obvious bad mood the whole way.

“First, my father makes up excuses to try and prevent you from coming early, and then they plan to ship us off to the beach for three days,” Link pouted slightly, making Zelda laugh.

“What’s so bad with getting a little alone time?” she asked. “We haven’t been able to talk privately for months, and we certainly haven’t been able to make contingency plans for the engagement.”

“I know but,” Link paused for a second. “We’re going to be completely unchaperoned.”

“It’s about time,” Zelda rolled her eyes as she hung up some of her nicer dresses. “I turned twenty last November, a full, legal adult in both our countries mind you, and they haven’t let us be alone together since.”

“Now you know it’s not just because of our age,” Link smiled. He stood up and wrapped his arms around Zelda. “They know we’re too smart together and don’t want us thinking up a way to change the contract.”

“At this point, I’m more worried about who ‘they’ are,” she looked up at Link. “But we won’t find out who ‘they’ are if we’re alone on a beach, hm?”

“I suppose that’s one draw-back,” Link smiled nervously.

Their conversation was halted by a knock on the door. A maid entered informing them it was time for dinner, and Link and Zelda reluctantly left to go entertain whatever courtiers stayed for the meal.

The next morning, Zelda felt rushed out of the castle by the maids attending her. They packed her bags for her while she bathed and even brought them out to the carriage while she dressed. Apparently Link had a similar morning because instead of escorting her to the carriage when they met at the front doors, he detoured to the stables so they could choose horses to ride.

“Only two things make me feel better when I’m like this,” Link explained in a gruff voice. “But we’re being forced out of the castle apparently so I can’t use my favorite shooting gallery. Mother hasn’t really forgiven me for breaking that one vase anyway.”

Zelda frowned as they reached the stable, “I’m hardly dressed for riding.”

Link gave her a quick scan, “Yes, you are. That skirt is flowy enough.”

“I’m sure this is exactly what my maids had in mind when they picked this out,” she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

They entered the stable, and Zelda took in the welcoming, relaxing smell. Stalls lined one side of the building while the wall facing them was almost completely open to a fenced in field complete with a track to exercise and train the horses.

“I’ve never ridden with your horses before,” she said as Link ordered tack and a saddle be brought out for his horse. She walked to the open stall that was closest to her and began stroking the nose of the beautiful red mare standing in it. “Which would you recommend for me?”

“Well most of the horses are well accustomed to multiple riders and styles, so any is—Great Goddesses, what are you doing?”

Zelda froze, “What? What’s wrong?”

“Sweet Hylia,” the stable hand dropped the saddle he was carrying. “She hasn’t kicked you or nothing.”

“Do you mean this sweet horse?” Zelda laughed as she resumed stroking the red mare right on the white diamond patch between her eyes. She looked so calm and gentle; Zelda would never guess she would randomly kick strangers.

“That’s my horse, Epona,” Link said hesitantly.

“The great Epona that lets no one but you anywhere near her?” she asked with raised eyebrows. It took everything in her to not burst out laughing. The look on Link’s face was priceless.

Link and the stable hand nodded, never taking their eyes off Epona and the Princess as if they expected to rush in and save Zelda at any moment.

“Then I am honored, Epona,” Zelda ignored the men and bowed her head slightly to the horse. Epona whinnied approvingly.

Zelda turned and smirked at Link, “She totally likes me.”

He scowled and took the tack from the stable hand, “Go prepare Magnolia for the Princess.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the stable hand picked up the fallen saddle and handed it to Link before quickly rushing away.

“Is someone upset they’re no longer the only person Epona likes?” Zelda teased as Link began preparing Epona for riding.

“No,” he pouted. He threw the saddle on Epona’s back a little roughly, making the horse neigh indignantly.

“I think he’s upset,” she whispered loudly to Epona. She glanced over at Link and saw his scowl deepen. “But I think I’ve hurt his ego enough today.” She patted the horse one last time before going to find her own mount.

The stable hand brought Magnolia, a pure white Calatian Quarter Horse, out for her, and she took the reins.

“She’s beautiful,” Zelda stroked the horse’s neck.

“That she is, Your Highness,” the stable hand nodded. “Magnolia, here, is very gentle and won’t give you no problems as long as you’re kind to her.”

“I’ll take good care of her,” she smiled. Zelda glanced at Link and saw that he was finished readying Epona.

“So are we riding all the way to the beach?” she asked as they walked out of the stable.

“Yes, there isn’t much room in the cart anyway,” Link said pointedly, obviously still sour about the Epona incident.

“The cart?” she asked. “They can’t even lend us a carriage.”

Link shook his head as they neared the small covered cart that sat on the drive in front of the main doors.

“A carriage would require a driver and coachman, which violates the completely unchaperoned rule.”

“Oh,” Zelda paused. She watched Link check the tack that secured the work horse to the cart. They wouldn’t even have any servants with them. She had not been expecting that; she didn’t think they would be completely alone at the beach. It would be just the two of them for three whole days. That made her feel nervous, like butterflies were flying around in her stomach.

“Are you ready to leave?” Link asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Zelda smiled to hide her sudden nerves.

She gracefully pulled herself up to sit side saddle on Magnolia. They set off at a quick pace, soon leaving Calatia City and entering the grasslands that led into the forest. Zelda took the first opportunity she could to change from riding side saddle. It caused a good sized rip in her skirt (“See, it’s not flowy enough, Link”), but she didn’t care. The feeling of freedom that came with riding was worth the ruined fabric. Once they left the small forest that ringed Calatia City, they were met with rolling hills filled with only pasture and farmland. The calm air and gentle breeze gave Zelda a sense of peace that eased the last of her nerves away.

They reached the beach just after lunch. As soon as she could smell the salt of the ocean, Zelda leapt from her horse and ran past the small cottage they were staying in straight to the shore, leaving Link to unpack their bags all by himself. She stared at the endless waters, captivated by the way the waves moved and how the light reflected off the surface. She stood there staring at the blue water for ages until Link came up behind her.

“Have you ever seen the sea?” he asked.

“No,” she answered quietly. “I’ve never been to a body of water I couldn’t see the other side of.”

“It always unsettled my mother,” Link said. “She always complained that looking out at the sea with no end made her anxious.”

“It makes me feel free,” Zelda smiled looking up at Link. “I love the feeling of not knowing what’s coming.”

“Not having your future planned five years in advance,” Link agreed with a chuckle.

“Not having an itinerary for each day.”

“Not planning parties for months and months.”

“Not having your fiancé chosen for you.”

“Well,” Link looked down at the Princess. “That one hasn’t turned out too bad.”

Zelda looked away quickly as she felt her face heat up. Her mind went blank, and her mouth opened to automatically spit out the first thing that came to her head, “I’m getting hungry. How about you?”

“I am hungry now that you mention it,” he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Link led them back to the small cottage they were staying at. It was rather modest for a Royal residence, only two bedrooms, two baths, a living room, and a combined kitchen and dining room, but Zelda loved the quaintness of it. She got to work preparing lunch, rambling about how, when she was younger, she would spend time in the castle kitchens when her friends were at school. Though she only made some sandwiches and salad, Link complemented her, making her blush again.

“So what are we supposed to do alone at a beach for three days?” Zelda finally asked as she placed their meal on the table.

“Do you know how to swim?” Link asked as he piled food on his plate.

“Yes, but I’m not very good,” she smiled. “I don’t get much practice.”

“Then we can start with swimming and talk contract ruining later.”

“Sounds perfect.”

They spent the rest of lunch catching up on gossip from their months apart. Link filled Zelda in on the diplomatic visit that caused him to miss her birthday, Link assured her that his mother had recovered completely from her illness, and they shared points on their meetings with the new Foreign Minister of Lorule.

“What did you think of Minister Yuga? I thought he was a rather suspicious character.”

“What? I thought he was a woman!”

Eventually they cleaned up their lunch plates and split off to change for the beach. Zelda stood in front of the mirror in her room for five minutes staring at the outfit the maids had packed for her to wear. She silently agonized over the amount of skin she was showing. The one piece swimsuit had a simple halter strap and continued down to shorts that cut off at her mid-thigh. Bare shoulders and an open back she could deal with, but the shorts were just so short. She had never worn anything shorter than a skirt cut off below her knees in public, and the sarong packed with it did little to help with the slit it made when she tied it around her waist. And now she was about to go out with a man dressed like this. It felt scandalous yet exhilarating. She twirled around in front of the mirror again. Her court would die of shock if they ever found out. That thought spurred her on to finally head out the door.

Zelda waltzed out of the cottage with an air of confidence she didn’t know she had. She spotted Link already on the beach laying out a blanket. She couldn’t help but pause and stare at him. He only had swim shorts and a plain white shirt on, though as he bent to straighten the blanket it slid up his torso a little, which was particularly distracting. But Zelda pushed past that. This outing was about finally forming a plan to bypass the marriage contract. And maybe getting a tan; she thought she was getting a little pale sitting in libraries all day studying. So Zelda continued down to the beach and stopped by Link.

“Are you ready to swim?” she smiled.

“Yes, as long as you are,” Link straightened up and paused, blinking owlishly.

“Is there something wrong?” Zelda panicked slightly. Did she put the swim suit on wrong? Did it not look good on her? Goddesses, what was she doing worrying about her appearance in front of Link?

“No, it’s nothing just,” Link’s face grew red. “You look good, no great, amazing, no Goddesses; that’s not enough. Sweet Hylia, I’m messing this up; I’m sorry.”

Zelda giggled, “I hope you don’t flail that much in the water.”

“Oh shut it,” he shoved her half-heartedly. “Would you like to swim or not?”

“I would love to swim, thank you,” she smirked. She untied the sarong from around her waist and dropped it on the blanket.

“Farore, save me,” Link’s mumble drifted just far enough for her to hear and laugh at. But Link was the one laughing when Zelda slipped and fell straight into the water when she saw Link without his shirt on.

They spent the next couple of hours in the water. Link tried to teach Zelda how to properly swim but failed miserably as Zelda kept getting water up her nose. They stayed in the shallows after that, picking up seashells, having a splash fight, and attempting to tackle each other into the water. Well, Zelda attempted; Link succeeded. As the sun started to sink, Zelda finally pulled herself from the water to grab some parchment and a pen and ink from the cottage.

“We’re going to plan out here?” Link ran his fingers through his wet hair.

Zelda’s eyes followed its movement for a second before answering, “It’s far too nice outside to go in now.”

“If you say so, Princess,” he rolled his eyes and sat down on the blanket next to her. “Now where to begin?”

“I’ve thought on this a lot,” Zelda started scribbling on the parchment. “And I think the best way to delay the wedding is to delay the engagement. Once the engagement is announced, your father will take no excuses to delay the wedding. We could try, but I think nothing short of a national disaster will stop the wedding plans once we’re officially engaged.”

“I agree,” Link nodded. “Father’s behavior is unpredictable at best. So what can we do to delay the engagement? Father’s already shown he wouldn’t mind that happening early.”

“Well, if they keep us apart like they have the last few months it would be easy to say we don’t feel ready because we haven’t spent enough time together,” Zelda suggested.

“Alright, that could work,” he shrugged. “And if they suddenly decide we need to spend every possible moment together?”

“We complain about spending too much time together,” she continued writing her thoughts. “It’s a distraction from work; we’re not getting anything done; we’re getting sick of each other. There are plenty of excuses.”

“So we’re spending a decent amount of time together, showing proper affection in public,” Link continued. “The Calatian people love you, and the Hylian people tolerate me well enough. What’s our excuse then?”

“Hmm,” Zelda brushed the end of the quill across her face as she thought. “I could take on more responsibilities from my father in anticipation of becoming the Head of House Hyrule. This could create plenty of excuses of being too busy to go on outings and such.”

“A few more responsibilities isn’t going to be enough,” he pointed out.

“Do you have any ideas?”

“Well I’d rather we come up with a solution that doesn’t involve us spending less time with each other,” Link mumbled.

“There is no better indicator of our relationship than the time we spend together,” Zelda smiled sadly. “Not spending time together is the most feasible way to show we’re not ready to get married.” She looked down at her scribbled page of notes. “If it weren’t for all the politics involved, I, I wouldn’t mind-”

“Oh Zelda it is you!”

“What?” she looked out to the water and saw one of the last people she expected to see swimming in the ocean. She stood quickly to reach her friend. “Ruto, what on earth are you doing here?”

“I was visiting the Ocean Tribe and decided to soak in the salt water,” Ruto explained with a giggle as she swam up to the shore and hugged Zelda. “But whatever are you doing here? I thought you were spending the week in Calatia City.”

“Prince Link and I got shipped off to the beach to spend some time together,” Zelda gestured back to Link, who sat shocked on the blanket. “Completely unchaperoned, they didn’t even spare us a carriage to ride down here in.”

“Oh how could they?” Ruto gasped. “And you Hylians can’t even swim your way down here. How awful!”

“I know,” Zelda rolled her eyes and started leading Ruto to where Link was still sitting. “But the ride was quite nice. Link lent me a Calatian Quarter Horse; you’ll have to meet her.”

“I’m sorry,” Link finally found his tongue. “What is going on?”

“Oh Goddesses, how could I be so rude?” Zelda laughed. “This is Princess Ruto of the Zora, well I guess I should say River Tribe, yes?”

“Yes, sometimes others get confused,” Ruto nodded.

“Thank you,” Zelda smiled. “And this is Prince Link of Calatia. You would have undoubtedly heard of our courtship.”

“Yes,” Ruto smiled widely. “I have been dying to meet you, but you weren’t at Zelda’s birthday celebration.”

“Yeah,” Link rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Something came up, and it couldn’t be avoided.”

“I’m sure,” Ruto narrowed her eyes at him. She turned to Zelda. “And you’re madly in love with him?”

“Publically,” Zelda shrugged. “We’re really just trying to survive the next few years.”

“I completely understand,” Ruto nodded sagely. “You wouldn’t believe the man my father has set me to marry. He’s a complete idiot, just swims around in circles all day.”

“Well,” Zelda smirked. “At least Link isn’t a complete idiot.”

“Hey,” he yelled indignantly.

“Oh don’t take anything by it, Link,” Ruto waved her hand dismissively. “Zelda likes to joke to hide her true feelings.”

“I resent that,” Zelda laughed swatting at Ruto, but the Zora was too quick for her.

“So what have you two been doing all alone out here on the beach?” Ruto plopped herself on the sand next to Link.

“Plotting,” Zelda wagged her eyebrows.

“Oh, my favorite,” Ruto rubbed her hands together excitedly. “May I offer my expertise?”

“Now that you mention it,” Zelda started.

“Wait,” Link cut her off. “Is it safe to trust your friend with this information?”

“Please,” Ruto rolled her eyes. “Who do you think always told Zelda to never settle for anything less than exactly what she wants?”

“Ruto was practically my older sister growing up,” Zelda explained. “Which is exactly why she is the perfect candidate to help us with our timing issue.”

“However I am able to assist,” Ruto saluted mockingly with a giggle.

“Ruto could give us an excuse to skip outings together,” Zelda grinned triumphantly. She starting speaking in a very high pitched voice. “Oh I’m sorry King Clement, Princess Ruto and her father, King Zora, have invited me to an event in the Zora’s Domain.”

“That is perfect,” Link smiled. “But we can’t have Ruto cover for us every time.”

“Yes, but she can cover for us just enough to make it count,” Zelda batted her eyes at Ruto. “With just,” Zelda scribbled furiously on her parchment as she did quick math in her head, “three events postponed in a year or eighteen months could force your father to push back the engagement six months.”

“And it won’t seem suspicious that your Zoran friends keeps inviting you to events on top of ones we’ve scheduled together?” Link raised an eyebrow.

“Well if you could get out of some events, too, that would be great,” Zelda fired back.

“I think I could help with that as well,” Ruto smiled. “We Zora have been on rather good terms with the Gorons on Death Mountain for generations. I could pull a few strings with their Chief, Darunia.”

“That could actually work,” Link nodded, impressed. “We have been needing to visit them ever since the treaty was signed. Calatia needs to work out their own agreement with the Gorons like Hyrule has.”

“That’s worth at least two postponed dates,” Zelda smiled triumphantly. She scribbled a bit more on her parchment and added up her numbers. “Maybe three, and we could stretch them out and postpone the scheduled engagement by two years.”

“Good,” Ruto flexed her fins. “Postpone marriage for as long as you can, Zelda. It’s not as amazing as everyone tells you.”

“So everyone says,” Zelda rolled her eyes. “But hopefully we can put it off until I am Queen like we originally wanted.”

“So that’s the reason,” Ruto’s eyes winked. “I have never been more proud of you, Zelda. Always top, just like I told you.”

“No, Ruto, that’s not,” Zelda’s face turned bright red. “It’s not like that.”

“Sure it is,” Ruto winked again.

“Stop,” Zelda whined reaching over to try and cover Ruto’s mouth or somehow stop her from speaking.

“And you remember all those tips I gave you last year, right?” Ruto teased as she quickly stood to escape Zelda’s reach.

“Ruto, stop,” Zelda chased her friend around the beach in attempt to silence her. But Ruto just cackled and skipped out of Zelda’s reach.

Link finally cleared his throat loudly, and Zelda looked over to see his face was as red as hers.

“It’s, ah, it’s getting dark if, uh, if you want to,” he gestured to the cottage vaguely and trailed off.

“See,” Ruto laughed. “Link agrees.”

“Ruto!” Zelda screamed in shock and began chasing her again.

Link only rolled his eyes and headed toward the cottage, leaving the girls up to their shenanigans.

The next morning, Ruto dragged Link and Zelda up and down the shore showing them a lagoon filled with coral, a small cave where the water sparkled like diamonds when the light hit it just right, and a sandbar where they spent hours just floating and soaking in the warmth of the sun.

Ruto talked for hours about her own courtship woes, “He’s a sculptor. Can you even believe it? Not a warrior or even a scholar but a sculptor. Granted he’s one of the best sculptors in the Domain, but I just don’t see myself loving him.”

Zelda nodded, “I understand.” She glanced over to Link who was diving into the deep water just off the sandbar. “If I hadn’t thought Link would at least make a comfortable ally, I would have never allowed the marriage contract to be made.”

“So there is something between you?” Ruto’s eyes lit up.

“Well after the initial bumps, we have become rather good friends,” she explained. “He will be a great partner in leading Hyrule.”

“But do you love him?” Ruto pressed.

Zelda pursed her lips to stop herself from answering without thinking, “I need to focus on getting past this contract first.”

“Uh huh,” Ruto didn’t sound convinced but didn’t press her any further.

Zelda was glad. She wasn’t ready to confront her feelings.

When dinnertime finally rolled around, Ruto insisted on going fishing for them and provided enough Staminoka Bass to feed them for the rest of their stay at the beach. She then surprised them with a bottle of Zoran spiced wine. While Ruto prepared the fish, Zelda set the table with silverware and on a whim decided to decorate with some small candles and a few shells they had picked up from the beach.

“So tell me about yourself, Link,” Ruto asked as she poured them all a glass of wine. “What makes the Calatian Prince so special?”

“Ruto, you don’t have to be so intrusive,” Zelda rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink.

“No it’s alright,” Link smiled. “It’s a rite of passage, getting approved by the best friend.”

“See, he understands,” Ruto smirked.

So Link started talking about himself as they ate. Most of it Zelda already knew, but soon he started letting little things slip.

“Well what brought you two together in the first place?” Ruto asked. “Who started this whole marriage idea between you two?”

“That would be my mother,” Link responded before drinking some of his wine.

“Really?” Zelda was shocked. “I was going to say my mother.”

“Well our mothers were very good friends when they were younger, even though they aren’t as close now,” Link explained. “They went to the same finishing school in Hyrule and all. So when Mother was pregnant with me, they talked, as women sometimes do, about how lovely it would be if their children fell in love and got married.”

“That damn womanly gossip,” Zelda chuckled and took another sip of wine.

“I know,” Link laughed along. “But at the time Elaina was engaged to be married to Prince Gerrik, so her and Mother’s fantasies could actually become reality under the guise of political alliance. And their dreams came true when Zelda was born; she would be a perfect match for young Prince Link. And so it was always there, the potential marriage between Hyrule and Calatia, at the bottom of agendas, at the end of meetings, whenever Hyrule was mentioned basically. Obviously I rebelled against the idea.”

“We both did,” Zelda added.

“Well, yes, but my rebellion was much more public.”

“How scandalous,” Ruto chuckled and refilled their glasses. “Do tell.”

“I began a relationship with our Court Sorceress.”

“No,” Ruto gasped. “How naughty. I’m rather impressed.”

“There is no social standard for the Court Sorcerer or Sorceress to be celibate in Calatia like there is in Hyrule,” Zelda explained quickly.

“But still,” Ruto smiled and leaned forward excitedly. “It’s a pretty ‘bad boy’ move.”

“Well like I said, I was rebelling,” Link shrugged and took a gulp of his drink. “I wanted some measure of control over my life, and Cia was willing.”

“Of course she was willing,” Zelda rolled her eyes. “She’s still obsessed with you and her freaking cherry trees.”

“Oh, Hylia,” Link groaned. “I’m going to have to suffer through those damn crepes when we get back.”

“So it was a bad break-up?” Ruto questioned as she filled Link’s glass again.

“Prob’ly the worst in history,” he answered, slurring slightly. “She’s manipulative and power-hungry and-”

“And a crazy bitch,” Zelda muttered a little too loudly, causing Link and Ruto to laugh.

“Alright, I think I can grant you approval now,” Ruto smiled and sipped her barely touched glass. “And I should probably get back to the Ocean Tribe. Sleep well, you two.”

As Ruto shut the door behind her, Zelda remembered that Zoran wine was almost twice as potent as Hylian-made wine. She stared down at her glass and cursed her best friend. Normally she could take up to four glasses without getting too tipsy, but after just a glass and a half of the spiced wine, she was already feeling light-headed.

“We should probably head to bed,” Zelda said slowly so she wouldn’t stumble over her words. “We have to pack and head home, I mean, back to the castle tomorrow, so.” She trailed off awkwardly. Link nodded, and they walked (or stumbled in Link’s case) up the stairs to their rooms.

“Good night,” Zelda said before pausing and leaning against the door frame.

Link was looking at her with the intensity of someone trying to solve a complex puzzle.

“What were you going to say?” he finally asked.

“I don’t know,” she furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Before Ruto showed up yesterday,” he explained. “You said something with time and if it weren’t for some politics or something with the contract. I don’t know.”

“Oh, that,” Zelda nodded. An hour and a glass and a half of wine ago, she would have lied and said she didn’t remember, but Zelda was beyond thinking before she talked. “I was going to say that if it weren’t for all the politics involved and all this contract business, I wouldn’t mind marrying you at all.”

Zelda looked up at him and saw realization slowly dawn in his eyes. He took a halting step forward and as if in slow motion, reached out to touch her face. The air around her felt charged with energy, but Zelda couldn’t move a muscle, and slowly, yet somehow so quickly at the same time, Link leaned in and kissed her.

It wasn’t what she expected. It wasn’t magical; fireworks didn’t start shooting off in her mind; music didn’t start playing nor did flower petals start descending around them. But it did feel good. So good that Zelda almost leaned in for another kiss when Link finally broke away.

“Link,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry,” he said, a frown overtaking his face. “I’ll, I’m sorry.”

“Wait,” she called after him, but Link had already retreated into his room.

In the morning, Zelda was cursing Ruto three-fold for the pounding headache reverberating through her skull. She walked downstairs to see Link with his head in his arms and a hot cup of coffee next to him.

“I’d say good morning, but there’s nothing good about it,” Zelda smiled wanly.

“Tell me about it,” Link’s voice was muffled by the table. “What was in that wine?”

“Zoran wine has a much higher alcohol content than anything made by Hylians,” she explained as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “It’s a closely guarded secret of theirs that leads to Hylians spilling their guts while being asked embarrassing questions by their Zoran friends.”

“Was I really that bad?” Link finally lifting his face slightly so he could see Zelda. “I’m sorry. I swear I’m not normally like that at all.”

“Oh I know,” she sat next to him. “You did tell us a lot of embarrassing stuff.”

“Oh, Farore,” Link groaned. “Do I even want to know?”

“Well the worst story was probably the time your mother put a bow in your hair when you were a baby and a visiting dignitary thought you were a girl.”

“Din, kill me now,” he groaned again as Zelda cackled. “And you’re not helping my headache.”

Zelda sat silently and sipped her coffee, but couldn’t resist asking, “Do you not remember much of last night?”

“The last thing I clearly remember is gushing about Epona and thinking I sound weirdly obsessed with my horse.”

“Oh,” Zelda frowned. That was pretty early in the night, so Link probably didn’t remember kissing her. Why did that disappoint her so much?

She sat in silently for a while thinking far too hard for the pain that was going through her head. Should she bring the kiss up? He had a right to know. But he seemed so regretful afterwards. Would it be better if she just kept it to herself?

“I’m thinking we should just pack up and leave now.”

“I’m sorry?” Zelda reined in her thoughts.

“We aren’t going to go out and swim with these headaches,” Link shrugged. “So we might as well start heading back to the castle.”

“Alright,” she nodded then winced.

As she packed up, Zelda dreaded the inevitable awkward silence that would surely take up the whole of the ride back. It made her think of that feeling, that ineffable thing she had felt back on National Day. Could it be? No, she still wasn’t ready for that.

Zelda took one last glance toward the sea before mounting Magnolia for the ride back to Calatia City. She would really miss the water.