And so passed the first day…the first of the final 72 hours that they'd left to spend with one another... both the Princess and Hero's souls were filling with even more sorrow now, their hearts growing ever closer to shattering like glass. Even the Hero's heart had gotten the better of him, it seemed. No blade had ever cut him as deep as the knowledge that he would have to leave his beloved Princess forever in just a matter of days. So many things he had meant to tell her, to show her, to ask her…but none more then the question that had burned upon his lips for what seemed eternity. It seemed the young Kokiri who had pestered him for so long had managed to unearth a deeper wound then any beast had ever caused him. As the Hero lye their in his ten-year-old body that night, wide awake as his small fingers gently enveloped the Princess's, he silently made a decision…
“Link! Cecilia! Wake up! It's already 10 o'clock!”
They both moaned for a moment, until what the Kokiri had said finally sank in. “What!?” Zelda was the first to spring up, Link following soon after. They exchanged shocked glances for a moment; their second day was nearly half over! The Kokiri who had called them giggled and ran back into the other room.
The room was empty, it appeared that all of the other Kokiri had already packed away their things, and there was laughter coming from where the Kokiri who had awakened them had fled. “We have to get to the Temple of Time!” She spoke frantically, hastily packing away her blankets.
“I know,” Link replied, “but I…” He closed his eyes, looking in the direction of the window as light poured through it onto his face. “I have to do something first…”
“What might that be?” She looked at him curiously, “We don't have much time to spend as it is…”
“I won't be long, just go ahead without me. I'll meet you at Lake Hylia.” He turned back toward her, “But if you like I'll walk you to the Temple…”
“Oh…no, I'll be fine…thank you, anyway. It's just that you'll get whatever you need to do done faster if I go alone. It's not like…it's not like I don't want you to. I'm sorry…I…please don't be angry I~”
He put his finger to her lips. “Shh…it's ok!” He was beaming from ear to ear now. He loved it when the elegant Princess of Hyrule tripped over herself. “You go ahead. Do you have the Ocarina?”
He slid his fingers from her, allowing her to speak. “Yes, I'm sure I've got it with me somewhere…”
“All right, just making sure. See you soon, charismatic.” Zelda nodded as they headed out the door, Link then kissing her cheek.
So the two parted ways, Zelda bound for the Temple of Time and Link staying behind to do whatever it was that he needed to do.
Zelda neared the gates of Castle Town, the warmth of midday upon her. “Hello!” She said to the young soldier who stood, looking rather hot, by the gate in a full-body suit of armor.
“Why hello to you too, little girl!” He lifted his mask and wiped his brow. “What's your name, anyway?” He asked as she began to enter town, making her freeze.
“Cecilia.” She replied calmly after taking a breath.
“Oh, I just thought I'd ask. You look rather similar to our princess…”
She nodded, “I get that a lot.”
The soldier nodded, “I can imagine, with a resemblance like that! Your face is nearly identical to our Princess Zelda's!”
She couldn't help but giggle as she walked on by. That alias had come in quite handy a lot of times. Yet again she felt enthralled out how much easier this must be for her versus Link. Even if he used an alias people would surely be suspicious of a man who looked exactly like the Hero who was supposed to have left forever, who was hanging around, and obviously in love with, the Princess of Hyrule whom the Hero had never wanted to leave the side of.
She wondered through the bustling town, forcing her way through the crowd toward the decrepit building known as the Temple of Time.
There were shops all over, ringing bells and trying to get the attention of potential customers, and all she could hear besides them was a buzz of voices blending together. Castle Town was so lively! She stumbled as a fat woman in a huge red muumuu with her arms filled with shopping bags nearly trampled her.
“Sorry, little girl!” The woman yelled over the crowd, holding out a hand to help her up.
“That's ok!” She too had to strain her soft voice in order to be heard at all.
“Wait a minute…Princess Zelda!? What are you doing here!” The woman paled, gasping.
“Oh…I fear you are mistaken,” Zelda quickly said, “my name's Cecilia.”
The woman blinked, “What?”
“I'm not Zelda, my name's Cecilia…” She repeated herself.
“No, no, these eyes never lie, you are Miss Zelda, I know! What are you doing? You should be up at the castle. Don't try to fool me, young lady!”
“But I'm not~” The woman grabbed Zelda by the arm.
“I know! I'll take you back to the castle! Perhaps then that darling Daphnes will notice me!” Zelda thought for a moment at how anyone could find her father even remotely attractive.
“Ohh! That handsome Daphnes will surely reward me for finding his daughter! Come along, young lady!” She began to skip in the general direction of Hyrule Castle, dragging Zelda with her.
“No! Stop! I really have to go somewhere!” She began to try and pull away, but the lady was too heavy for her to even budge. “Please! I'm not Zelda! You have to believe me!”
The woman was paying no attention, however, and was singing away. “Daphnes, Daphnes, oh so fine! Come to me great king so sublime!” Her muumuu was swaying in the wind, and her brown hair that was shaved nearly to the scalp and mounds of groceries hanging from her obese arms made her look pretty comical.
Zelda felt pretty stupid as she felt the eyes of pedestrians and shopkeepers staring and laughing at she and the fat lady, and she wished she had taken better care to not show herself. In her rush to get to the Temple, she had completely neglected that!
The fat lady skipped with her for about ten minutes, and then stopped at a house. “Oh, but if I am going to meet that gorgeous Daphnes, I'd better look my best! I have to go get ready!” She then slammed open the wooden door and led her inside.
The fat lady's house was small and not very well kempt, there was rubbish laying everywhere and tons of dishes left undone. Zelda wrinkled her nose at the foul smell of the place, and the fat lady threw her bags into the corner, their contents spilling everywhere and adding to the already enormous mess. She then sat Zelda down at a little table and went to the counter. After lifting some plates around, she picked a grilled cheese out from under the mess and plopped it on a semi-clean plate. “Here you go! Eat up! I've got to go get ready!” She sat the plate in front of Zelda and then began skipping up the stairs.
Zelda grimaced at the cold grilled cheese that sat on the half-spaghetti-sauce-covered plate in front of her. Still, she was hungry and hadn't eaten all day… and it had to be afternoon by then. Afternoon! She thought, I have to get out of here! I have to get to the Temple! It crossed her mind just to leave right at that moment and ditch the fat lady. That would be terribly mean, she thought, but Link and I've got very little time to spend together as is…and I can't let her take me to the castle! She nodded to herself, pushing the grilled cheese aside and getting up. Maybe I'll get Link to set her up a date with Father later… She smiled to herself and quietly made her way out the door.
The Princess was much more careful about being seen now, she took back alleys and such whenever possible, having learned her lesson.
She finally did reach the familiar old oaken doors to the Temple, though, and shoved them open.
She shivered; the room was dark and filled with shadows. It felt like ice, like the very top of a mountain, and she noticed that the oxygen seemed rather thin. She began to feel lightheaded, and was practically gasping for air… the closer she neared the room that held the Sacred Blade, the worse it became.
Her skin was numb, her heart pounding, and her lungs burning. Just being in this temple was becoming hell in and of itself. It was worse every day. She wondered blankly if Link felt like this when he was going to use the Door. He never complained if he did… what he'd endure to be with her was amazing! She felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. “I love you…Link…” She spoke aloud, the words echoing off the stone walls.
As she entered the room where the Master Sword's pedestal was, she noticed that the sword was no longer there. Link must have already been there! She was keeping him waiting! She felt more urgent now. A shiver shot down her spine as she reached into her pocket for the Ocarina. She stopped in front of the cold blade, her equally frozen hands putting it to her lips. She began to play the notes of the song she knew so well, the song that could take her to the arms of her lover whenever she needed.
She felt faint as the area where the sword had been began to glow, forcing herself to continue playing the Song of Time. Her skin began to burn, she felt as if she were on fire.
Still she played.
What's happened to this place? She thought numbly, until her mind could work no longer, and she felt herself fall to the floor.
Back to Part 4 | Continue to Part 6
