Who We Are; Zelink, Modern (The Legend Of Zelda)

No Happy Endings (14)

As Zelda settled into the new hotel she came to realize that she was already bored with this routine. Hotel, discovered, escape. New hotel, discovered again, escape. How were they tracking her? Was it the cellphone? No, she replaced that often enough... what could it be?

Maldus has eyes everywhere. 

Even in the Province he wasn't campaigning in? What had this guy done to become so influential? Why was he so determined to kill her?

She sighed as she leaned against the headboard and pulled out her phone and set it on the bed. Maybe it was time to get a new one. She reached into her belt and removed the two guns. She never thought she would carry; never thought she'd need to.

A princess with a gun, hiding from the world she could no longer trust.

She sighed as she put one of them on the bed side table and the other she put in her bag. She was liable to shoot herself if she didn't handle the guns exactly how she had been taught.

Zelda turned off the light and eased herself into sleep.

-_-_-

The dreams were getting all too frequent. She did her best to try and evade them, while at the same time she couldn't help but want to see Link again. Even if was only in a dream.

Zelda was walking through a forest this time. She enjoyed looking at the kind, warm colored trees. She kicked at the leaves on the ground as she walked; something would happen. Something always happened.

She heard a crack from behind her and she turned on the spot and stared at the trees. "Who's there?" she asked.

A figure dressed in all black stepped out from the shadows. "Hey Zel..." he said softly.

Zelda stared. It was him. He'd threatened to kill her the last time they had spoken in the dream world. "Link, are you working for Maldus?"

Link hesitated. "Where did you hear that name."

"Answer me."

He looked away and then he nodded. "Yes... I am."

Zelda turned her back on the trees. "I don't want believe you," she said as her body angled away from him and she crossed her arms.

"Well you should."

Zelda turned back to him and saw the look on his face. It was screwed up in what looked like pain.

Link's face turned neutral as he held out his hand and closed his eyes for a second. With a flash of light, a sword materialized in front of his palm. He grasped it steadily in his left hand. Then he met her eyes and his narrowed. "You have to realize that there are no happy endings."

Zelda's eyes flashed open and her hand flew to the gun on the night stand. The cool touch of the metal soothed her racing heart, if only somewhat. She rubbed her chest with her free hand, grimacing at the pain that rang through her from the area just beside her heart.

Just then she wasn't sure what hurt more - the confirmation that Link really was her enemy, or the aching from being stabbed through with a sword.

Sure, it hadn't been real, but it had felt like it was. Zelda knew it was the pain that had wrenched her out of the dream - or nightmare; at this point she couldn't tell the difference anymore.

She leaned back against the pillows and then curled up like a cat. A single tear formed and then slid down her cheek. They weren't just dreams. She had always known that... but...

Had that really been Link?
Had he really just killed her?
Was it just a representation of him?
Had they both been transported to the same realm of dreams, or had it just been an ordinary nightmare?

Zelda already knew the answer... she just didn't want to admit that her first prospective friend had really been nothing but a lie.

The same unanswered argument came to her mind again; if he was working for Maldus, and Maldus wanted the royal line ended, why hadn't Link just killed her when he had the chance? He had had plenty of opportunities... and yet...

She screwed her eyes up, trying to prevent anymore weakness from leaving her. She failed, and she cried until she fell back asleep, a dull ache in her chest, and her heart. She didn't know what to think anymore... she didn't know who to believe.

Trust no one.