Alex woke up, and saw the face of the Hero of Time very close to hers. She flushed hotly as she realized just how good-looking he was in person. He smiled and helped her back onto her feet, then spoke to Saria and Amy, who were talking together a short distance away. Amy came over with a worried look on her face, asking Alex, “Are you ok? You fainted.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Alex. Link was looking at her and trying not to smile, and it made her even more embarrassed. He probably thinks I’m such a spaz, she thought to herself. Then she noticed that Amy was wearing a necklace with a strange stone on it. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing.
“Oh!” said Amy, digging in her pocket, “They’re translator stones. Here, I have one for you.” She gave Alex one. “They help us understand and speak Hylian!”
“ ‘Hylian’?” echoed Alex, eying her stone. “So, we’re really in Hyrule, aren’t we?”
“Yeah! Isn’t it nuts?” Amy waved at Saria and the Skullkids as Alex slipped the necklace over her head, and they came over. “I’m sure you know who Saria is,” began Amy. Saria extended her hand with a friendly, “Hello!” and Alex shook it, feeling awkward. “The two Skullkids are Gibo and Jakal,” continued Amy, “but… I’m not sure which is which.” They both took one of Alex’s hands and gave them a hearty shake, giggling as Alex’s whole body shook. “And you know who Link is, of course.” Link also shook Alex’s hand, but much more gently than the Skullkids had.
“We were expecting you,” he said, and Alex’s heart jumped at actually hearing his voice. “A traveling magician came to our castle yesterday and told us when you would arrive. We didn’t believe him at first, but when Saria contacted us a few minutes ago telling us that you had come to the forest and was headed her way, he gave me the translator stones and told me to meet you here. So I went!” He smiled again, and Alex began to get red in the face again. That smile…
“I’m glad to see you’ve both arrived safely!” said Saria. “There have been sightings of monsters lately, and we were worried you might be attacked.” Alex and Amy looked at each other worriedly, but Saria reassured them. “It’s ok. You’re safe while Link is around. A few monsters never bothered him!” She laughed in that funny way she had of laughing, and the Skullkids staged a mock battle between Link and a monster with their flutes.
“I just explained to them all that happened,” said Amy, “and they’ve decided that we get to go to Hyrule Castle and meet Princess Zelda! Isn’t that exciting?” Alex made a noise like a half-hearted woot. The truth was, she wasn’t nearly as excited about the situation as Amy was. She just wanted to wake up home in her bed, and pretend that it was a bizarre but interesting dream.
Link seemed to pick up on her thoughts, and he placed a hand on her shoulder, saying, “Don’t worry. We’ll get all of this straitened out once we’ve had a talk with Lupus. He’s the wizard I was telling you about.”
“Ok,” said Alex weakly, giving him an appreciative grin. She was glad to see that he was nice in real life, and not a jerk like in some fanfics she’d read.
“Come on, let’s get going!” said Amy, who was eager to see the castle and meet the Princess. “Are we going to warp there?”
Link looked at her for a moment, and then asked, “Do you… want to?” Alex didn’t answer, but Amy was nodding her head vigorously, so he said, “Ok. Hold tight to me.” He pulled out his Ocarina, and the girls put their arms into his. They waved good-bye to Saria as he played Prelude of Light, and when he’d finished, the three of them disappeared.
Alex felt as though she was being pulled like taffy and spun around in a tilt-a-whirl. Her head seemed miles away from her toes as she was flung through space, and she held tight to what she was sure was Link’s arm, desperate not to let go and fall into oblivion. Their ride ended with a jolt that forced Alex onto her knees, clutching her stomach and trying not to vomit. “Sorry,” said Link sheepishly as Alex looked over to see that Amy was no better off. “You kinda need to get used to it.”
“I think I’ll pass,” muttered Alex, struggling to her feet. She looked around, and saw that they had indeed warped to the Temple of Time, just like in the game. She helped Amy to her feet, and the three of them headed outside.
The marketplace was very busy that day, but the group didn’t stop to chat or play any of the games. They walked right up the road to the castle, and the guards tipped their hats as they passed. Zelda was waiting for them at the gate. “Welcome to Hyrule Castle!” she said brightly. She seemed amused at their appearance, and now that Alex thought about it, she had full right to be: they had round ears, and they were wearing jeans and T-shirts. Not exactly proper garb for ladies of that world, excusing Impa, who was standing directly behind the Princess and looking equally amused. Alex was just glad they couldn’t read Amy’s T-shirt; it would only raise awkward questions.
“Thank you for your kind hospitality, Your Highness,” said Alex, trying to mask how nervous she was. She looked back at Amy, and saw that she was too excited to speak, as though she were meeting a celebrity.
“Of course!” said Zelda warmly. “It’s not every day we get visitors from another world, you know.” She turned and motioned for them to follow. “I’ll show you to your room, where you can freshen up. Dinner will be served promptly.” She walked into the keep, and the girls followed close behind, waving good-bye to Link, who was going to ride Epona, his horse.
The castle was even grander up close and personal than in the game; the stone walls reached so high that the ceilings were lost in darkness, and the halls seemed to stretch on and on. They were lead up a spiral staircase to the second floor, and stopped at the first door on the right. “This will be your room,” said the Princess, allowing the girls to walk past her. “I put you two together so that you would not be lonely. Is it to your liking?”
The room had two beds and two wardrobes, and a small fountain where they could wash up. It also had a lovely view of the grounds from the single ornate window on the far wall. “It’s great!” said Amy, speaking for the first time. Alex nodded in agreement.
Zelda smiled. “Very good. There are some clothes in the wardrobe if you would like to change before dinner, and I will send a nurse up to keep an eye on you in case you need anything.” Zelda closed the door softly, and her light footsteps disappeared down the hall.
When she was sure the Princess was gone, Amy gave a squeak of joy and jumped onto the bed to the right, farthest from the door. “Isn’t this amazing?” she asked Alex, eyes wide with excitement. “We’re actually here! In Hyrule! In Hyrule Castle even!!”
“Yeah, it’s great,” mumbled Alex, sitting down on the remaining bed and staring at her feet.
“What’s wrong?” asked her friend. “You’re not still embarrassed about fainting, are you? Because I talked to Saria, and she said it was perfectly understandable…”
“No, I mean, yes, a little, but that’s not…” Alex sighed and looked at her friend. “I’m scared, ok? This is all just, really weird.” She looked back at her feet. “I just want to go home.”
Amy stared at her. “What? How…”
“I just do, ok?” Alex snapped. She kicked off her shoes and lay down on her bed, facing the wall. Amy looked at her, troubled, then looked at the floor.
They were like this when the nurse came and knocked on their door a few minutes later. “Ladies!” came her squeaky voice. “Are you decent?” When no answer came, she opened the door and waddled in. She was a portly woman, but had a kind face and an even kinder heart. “ Here you are m’dears!” she said, going over and placing some things on a table near the fountain. “Some fresh towels for ye, and some bars of soap…” She saw that they weren’t happy, and said, “Oh my! What’s wrong?”
“Alex is homesick,” explained Amy. Alex sat up, but still faced the wall, arms crossed.
“Oh, no,” said the nurse, moving over to sit with Alex on the bed. “Don’t worry, deary,” she said. “We’ll figure out a way to get ya home very soon.” She saw a tear trickle down the girl’s cheek, and placed a pudgy arm around her shoulders, allowing Alex to rest her head on her shoulder. “There there, dear. It’ll be alright, you’ll see. There there.”
Amy sat on her bed, fiddling with her translator stone and watching as the nurse comforted her friend. The woman then came over and said in a low voice, “Don’t worry about her. She’ll be alright. She just has to be sure it’s safe here, then she’ll feel better.” The nurse gave her a pat on the shoulder, then walked out of the room, saying, “I’ll be right here if you need anythin’!”
Amy looked over at Alex, who was still staring at the wall, then got up and went over to the wardrobe on her side of the room. She opened it up, and then gasped when she saw its contents. “Oh, how pretty!” she said, removing one of the dresses and putting it up to her to see how it looked. Alex looked over, and Amy could see that her eyes were red from crying. “Aren’t these lovely?” Amy asked tentatively.
“Yeah,” said Alex, rubbing her eyes. She got up and went to her wardrobe, opening and having the same reaction Amy had. “Wow! These are really nice…” She pulled out a blue one. “They even got our sizes. I wonder how?”
“Maybe the warlock told them,” Amy guessed. “He knew we were coming. He might have known our sizes, too.” They looked at each other, blushing with the thought, then forced it out of their minds.
“I’ve been thinking about him,” said Alex, putting the dress on her bed. “There’s a pattern concerning wizards in Hyrule: they’re all evil. Aghnim, Wizrobe, all of them. Why should this one be any different?”
“You’re right,” said Amy fearfully. “I don’t know if we should trust this Lupus person.”
“Dearies! Dinner will be starting soon!” The nurse was calling to them from the other side of the door. “Do you need help getting ready?”
“We’re fine!” called Alex, running over to the fountain. “I don’t trust him, either,” she said to Amy. “Let’s keep an eye on him. If anything funny starts happening, we’ll tell Zelda or Link or someone.”
“Princess Zelda,” corrected Amy, hurrying to join her. “I can’t believe we’ll be dining with Link! It’s so nuts!” Alex reddened at the mention of his name, and focused on washing her hands very thoroughly. Amy caught this and smiled. “You have a crush on him, don’t you?”
“No!” cried Alex, drying her hands off on a towel. She was even redder than before.
“Yes you do!” insisted Amy, laughing. “I can’t believe it! You don’t ever get crushes. Although, I don’t blame you. He is good-looking.”
“I do not have a crush on him!” Alex said defensively, trying to slip on the dress she’d picked out. “Button me up in the back, will you?” She moved her hair so that Amy could get at the buttons on the back of the dress, then helped Amy with hers. “You know, I don’t usually like to wear dresses, but these are incredibly comfortable, not to mention beautiful.” They looked each other over, and then headed for the door.
“You do so have a crush on him.”
“Do not!”
Alex had been worried that she wouldn’t know which fork to use that night at dinner, but it turned out they were having soup and bread rolls anyway, and there was only a spoon. She was also worried that she wouldn’t be able to make small talk with her hostess and the Hero of Time, but they were both very friendly. They chatted about normal, everyday subjects, and Link told stories of some of the adventures he’d had, as well as ones about the soldiers and knights of the castle. These made the girls laugh, especially the way he told them. They could tell even Zelda was trying hard not to laugh too hard. The food was good as well, and they had eaten their fill before sitting back from the table. They remembered their appetite, however, when dessert was brought in by the head chef.
After dinner, they relaxed in a small sitting room where a cozy fired was blazing, content to sit and dose without talking. The girls fell asleep in front of the fire, and where briefly woken up by the nurse, who escorted them to their room. It wasn’t long after they slipped on their nightgowns and climbed into bed that they fell back asleep, and their dreams were bright and blissful.
Outside their window, two glowing eyes peered out of the darkness, looking in at them as they slept. Then they left as the figure who owned them bounded away over the rooftops, disappearing into the night.
