It was a struggle to keep my eyes open as I watched the pot in front of me.
After that crazy dream, I'd woken and found Link and Zelda getting back, plenty of meat and other ingredients he wanted me to cook. I did what I could to prep it, before mixing it together and setting it in to cook.
I let my gaze wander to Link, who sat eagerly awaiting the food.
"It might not taste good, y'know," I said.
"Your cooking was always the best, it's gotta taste good!"
"Well, he remembers something."
Zelda giggled from my other side as she adjusted in her seat.
"He couldn't stop talking about it while we were gone. You should've seen how excited he was out there."
I smiled, looking back to the pot. After a minute, I reached over, adjusting the meat to another side.
"Is it ready yet?" Link whispered.
I could feel the excitement radiating off him as I shook my head.
"I haven't seen you this excited in a long time, Link. What brought on my cooking so suddenly?"
"In the last memory over in the woods. I'd been talking with another soldier about how good your cooking was, cause I missed it."
"Aaaaand you're hungry."
He nodded eagerly as I got an empty pan from the stable ready.
"Well, it has been over a hundred years since I last cooked. I don't know how it'll turn out, so don't get your hopes up too much."
I stood up, checking the meat. I glanced at Link, before moving it over to the pan. Link moved closer to the edge of his seat, and I snickered. I set the pan on my seat, pulling over the plates I'd borrowed.
I cut a few sections, making sure it was cooked through, before handing a plate to Link and Zelda.
"Be careful, it's still hot," I said, taking my plate.
Link stared at his food in awe, before stuffing a piece in his mouth. His eyes lit up as Zelda took her first bite.
"Oh! That is hot..."
I shook my head, watching as Zelda's face slowly lit up.
"This is amazing! Meymey, this is amazing!"
I looked at my plate, frowning. I cut up a piece, before taking a bite.
"It could be better..." I mumbled.
My gaze moved between the two as I watched them scarf down the food on their plates.
"If you scarf it down, you can't enjoy it for as long," I said.
Link paused, blinking.
"I won't make more for a while, so enjoy it while you can."
I took another bite of mine, feeling the slightest bit queasy.
"I haven't tried eating in a while..."
"There was no need for you to. Your body's needs changed that night."
"I've noticed..."
I set my plate on a stool nearby. Zelda glanced at it, before turning to me.
"Are you not hungry?" she asked.
"Not really," I mumbled.
"You haven't eaten much while we've been out. Are you sure you're not hungry?"
"Yeah, I didn't get to eat much while I was out traveling for Impa."
She frowned, glancing at Link.
"Well, I think someone would like the rest of it."
Without a glance in his direction, I handed my plate off to Link.
"Thank you!"
He began scarfing the second plate down, and I smiled, shaking my head.
"Once a dork, always a dork."
"Nuh uh!" he cried in between bites.
I snickered again, standing up.
"I'm gonna go sit by the pond for a bit."
Zelda nodded, and I headed over to the sand. I checked back behind me, before sitting down, curled in a ball.
"Why am I still tired?"
"Because we switched too fast for your mind to handle. It's just like that night when you first got it and I entered your mind."
I paused, glancing at the stable.
"This doesn't count as questions I'm not allowed to ask, does it?"
"I wouldn't think so. And I haven't been told off for saying anything, so we can assume you're safe."
"Well... is there any way I can be not tired?"
"I don't think you'd like to be asleep for a month or two. Or maybe you would, considering you haven't really slept this past century."
"That's how long I was asleep the first time?"
"Yep."
"Then why wouldn't Impa tell me?"
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that one. I don't know what goes on in that woman's head. I never have."
I rubbed my eyes, letting out a quick sigh.
"Why don't you go back to sleep?"
"Haven't I slept enough already? I didn't sleep for years, and now I've been sleeping my days away. I don't have time to sleep."
"You can't deny the amount of exhaustion you felt when you didn't sleep."
"I can't... But I couldn't sleep. No matter how hard I tried. It was... more of an empty state, I guess? Like I was asleep, but I wasn't."
"So, you were daydreaming?"
"Not quite. I... don't really know how to describe it properly."
I rested my chin on my knees, holding my head.
"Why are you suddenly being nice to me?"
"I can be nice, if I want to."
"But all this time you haven't been. So why?"
They were quiet for a moment, before a long sigh filled my mind.
"We all just needed someone to be kind to us. I don't regret what I did in the past. I only lived to serve my Master, and I completed my purpose. But the others weren't like that. They weren't treated right, or fairly. Of course, the world isn't fair. But it doesn't hurt to be nice to others, y'know? I've been with you for a long time, now. I've seen your struggles. Especially your mental ones. And right now, you're at war with yourself. With my Master saving you as he did, you now live for him. Every action you take is for him. And you're naturally being led to choose his side. But you want Hylia's people to be safe. I wanted mine to be safe. I lost someone very dear to me to the Goddess Hylia. And I've lived the rest of my days in anger."
"Are you suddenly trauma dumping on me?"
There was a quiet chuckle as I let my eyes close.
"No. Even us 'bad guys' have our soft moments, you know."
"It doesn't seem like that, sometimes."
"Yes... it doesn't..."
I could feel my body fall to the sand, but I couldn't make myself move. I opened my eyes and watched as the fish's reflection moved under the water.
"I have a couple others who will take over for me. They aren't the greatest pair, but it's who we have available right now."
"Why are you leaving again?"
"You don't want me to leave this time?"
"You're better than all the others..."
The voice grew quiet, and I blinked.
"Hey, are you there?"
"Yes!"
"We are here!"
I winced at the two shrill voices filling my head.
"I wasn't asking for you."
"Well, too bad!"
"We are here now!"
"Just shut up."
"Hey, that's not very nice!"
"Agreed, sister! She should be nice to us!"
"Mhm! Mhm! We convinced Lord Ganon she'd be a good asset to our goal."
"The least she could do is be kind!"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, finally able to move again.
"Please, don't listen to them. Ignore them."
My brows furrowed at the soft voice.
"I heard you in the Zora's Domain."
"Yes. I've been tasked with guarding you for the time being. We know those two will only make things worse for you."
"I guess you could put it that way."
I let my eyes close again as I took a shaky breath.
"I hope I can bring some peace of mind that the others won't bother you. And, unless you ask, I won't speak to you if that is what you wish."
"I guess if you can do that, it's fine. Unless it's something important or whatever."
"Of course."
The voice faded away, and I pushed myself to sit up. The sand crunched to my right, and I turned. My eyes met with Link's, and he looked away.
"Um... Zelda headed to bed early. She wants to be ready to go as soon as possible."
I nodded, turning back to look at the pond again. Link hesitated, before moving over to sit next to me.
"How have you been feeling so far?" he asked.
"I... don't know. It's just felt like everything's been a mess inside of me for so long. It's hard to know how to take things in sometimes."
"Yeah, I get that."
He reached over, taking my hand. My eyes widened as he pulled my glove off, looking at it. I turned my gaze away when he looked up at me, frowning.
"When were you going to tell us about this?"
"I... I..."
"Don't tell him anything!"
"Don't say anything about us!"
"Tell him, Amethyst. He needs to know."
"Don't, I say!"
I bit my lip, squeezing my eyes shut.
"When did you get a piece of the Triforce?"
~ * ~
We've really been caught this time.
I wasn't totally sure how to build up to that moment, but I'm happy with how I did. I figured Link would be slowly piecing it together the more he saw, until he just confronted her.
It felt like this chapter was mostly a filler to lead up to that moment, but that could just be me hehe
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!