Free to Love - A Zelda x Link Fanfiction

XXXI: The Lab

Link's Perspective:

I didn't believe that the building in front of me belonged to the the esteemed scientist and historic technician, Purah. The house was more eccentric than any other building I had ever seen before. The first part looked like some sort of large shack with metallic plates attached to roof. The rest of the building, the eccentric part, was a tall tower with a set of winding and rickety stairs that were built into the outside. The chimney attached to the shack released a constant stream of puffy white smoke. The room left on the roof, somehow crammed between the plates, jutting tower, and chimney, was supporting a humongous metallic cylinder that tilted towards the sky. Most bizarrely, right in front of the tower and seemingly welded into the side of the shack, was what looked like a fireplace that held a strange blue flame.

Zelda, despite my wariness of the location and building, looked thrilled. Perhaps because she always had an interest in the eccentricities of the world,  she was so fascinated. In certain ways, the scene looked whimsical but that didn't stop me from being wary about any unseen dangers. However, it prompted Zelda into trying to touch the blue flame. I smacked her hand when she reached forward.

"I want to know if it's hot," she exclaimed, holding her hand to her chest. She looked rather offended that I had whacked the back of her palm.

"Don't touch it, then," I said, glowering in annoyed confusion. "You could burn yourself!" She shrugged, as if the concept of third degree burns wasn't that much to worry about. When face to face with eccentricity, she tended to act irrationally which meant that my duty of protection usually turned into what felt like looking after a child with a sugar rush. She grinned then turned to the door, rapping on it excitedly.

We waited a long moment as Zelda marveled at the house, waiting for the door to open. "Maybe she's not home," I said, grabbing for Zelda's elbow. She reached her arm up again, prepared to knock on it again, when the door swung open.

"I don't need anymore screws!" the woman that opened the door said angrily, not looking at us as she scribbling on a note pad. "I have enough stuff and if you try to sell me one more goddamn ancient guardian piece, you can take it and shove it up your—!"

Zelda coughed loudly, causing the woman to glance up. Her eyes widened in confusion then recognition. "Oh, Princess Zelda!" she said, flushing and then dropping into what looked like a half-assed curtsy. The woman, albeit bearing a resemblance to Impa, looked as eccentric as her lab was.

She wasn't very tall, only reaching my chin, with a round friendly face. She couldn't of been that old, maybe 20s or 30s, but her round face make her look younger than she probably was. Her outfit played into her childish appearance, with a tan fluffy smock, that fit tightly to her torso but then flew out at her hips, reminding me of a tutu. She had what look like a metallic bow holding her pure white hair in place on top of her head. Finally, perched on her nose, was a pair of glasses, thick lenses making her round eyes look larger than they were, with bits poking out, making her resemble the eyes of an owl.

"I didn't know you were coming," she continued, smiling, tucking the pad and pen into a pocket of her smock. She jumped forward and shook Zelda's hand excitedly. "Impa talks about you all the time, about how you're so bright. I almost can't get her to shut up!" She laughed at her own joke, head falling back as she cackled at the blue sky, then she turned her sharp gaze to me. "And you must be Link! Impa also talks about you, amazing guard and swordsman, loyal friend, too! Blah, blah, she talks about your skill a lot so I can't remember everything she says, but I'm sure you understand my point just fine!"

She shook my hand, as well, grabbing my palm with both of her small palms and shaking it excitedly. I grinned nervously. She seemed to mean well, albeit that didn't excuse her if any potential to harm Zelda. Her large eyes flicked over my cautious stance, quickly understanding what was going through my head. She ignored it, clasping her hands together tightly then turning to smile at Zelda.

"I wish I knew you were coming so I could've prepared somewhat," she rambled opening the door further and ushering is inside. "Maybe I would've cleaned up. I probably wouldn't have, but it's the thought that counts anywho! Besides, I like the way my lab is organized. A place for everything and everything in its place." She gestured around the main lab, a large rectangular room with several crude tables, all of which were piled high with books. All of them were opened or closed, but tabbed to all hell, pages marked with any spare papers or bits she found. Zelda had to walk carefully, avoiding the scattered pieces of paper, research papers, notes, doodles of what looked like the four divine beasts doing a boogie dance.

"Still would've been nice to know," Purah continued. "Nobody talks to me, though, leave poor old Purah up on the dumb hill with all of this awesome tech! Whatever, I get groceries there sometimes and have some family friends deliver food when I don't wanna walk all the way up and down from this stupid hill. I manage. So you guys are my first guests in a long time, albeit, you probably want something from me. Do I get anything in return because I'd love some new hair accessories, but that's not the point here, because what do you guys need?"

Zelda nodded politely and smiled. Damn her and her kindness. If she had interrupted Purah's monologue to talk about our purpose for traveling here, we probably would've already been leaving.

"It's a piece of Shiekah technology," Zelda explained slowly, reaching into her satchel. "The champion Mipha told us that you could do something with it to help me harness my power? I'm not sure what that means but I'm sure you'll—" She finally managed to dig the slab out of her bag, presenting it to Purah. The scientist didn't even ask before taking the device in her small hands, interrupting with an excited "Oh!"

"Yes, I've always wanted to do some hands-on research of these things," she said excitedly. She stomped her feet excitedly, tapping on the screen quickly as she rambled. "I mean, I've read the books, of course I have, but there's only so much you can learn from those boring textbooks. Hylia, I'm so fucking excited! I just need to get accustomed to using this, though. Like I said, the textbook can only describe so much. Because it's so ancient, I'm sure it can tie in with your genetic powers, probably why Mipha was so sure I'd know something. Thank her for me, would you? She always talks so fondly of my work, although she understands only five words of every conversation we have. Yes, I see what's wrong, so yes! Yes, I can very much fix it!"

She grinned, pulling out s tool box from beneath her desk. With that, she began taking apart the Slate.