Zelda's POV
"You know the drill," I say to Malice, who's playing a game on the Nintendo Switch. Link lent it to me so I could offer her some kind of entertainment other than books. "Don't make a sound and don't leave the room until I'm back."
She rolls her eyes at me. "I haven't been caught yet, give me some credit."
I grab my bookbag and car keys, ready to leave for school, but I stop at the door and turn around one last time. "I almost forgot to tell you," I say, waiting for her to press pause on her video game. "I will be home late tonight."
Malice puts down the console to give me a confused look. "What about your dad? I thought you said I'm not supposed to be here by myself when he's home."
"He won't be home," I reply. "He's never around on my birthday."
"It's your birthday?" She asks and I nod.
"I know you're wary of being out in public, but I'll ask anyway... Would you like to join me and my friends for a small birthday gathering today? We plan to spend the afternoon at the beach."
"Sure," she answers sarcastically. "If you want all of us kidnapped and executed on a yacht right off the Pacific coast."
"I figured you'd say something like that."
"Birthdays aren't my thing anyways," she shrugs.
"They didn't used to be my thing either," I admit. "Up until last year, I never really celebrated my birthday."
"Why not? You'd think a girl like you would have extravagant celebrations, as if you've won something just by getting a year older."
"Not me," I smile. "I didn't have a family to celebrate with."
"Why? They gone for business all the time?"
"Something like that."
"Poor little Princess," Malice mocks. "Her parents were sooo busy making money to support their spoiled only-child that they couldn't make it to her 10-million-dollar birthday party."
Her words sting, and I thought I had grown accustomed to her rude remarks but sometimes she still manages to get under my skin!
With frustration and sadness, I retort, "My mother passed away on my 6th birthday! That's why my father disappears on this day every year. He says I remind him too much of the pain. It doesn't help that I'm named after my mother and bear a striking resemblance to her."
Having said my piece, I leave with a slam of the door.
...
Thankfully, my lectures go by quickly today. My last class is with Pik, which always feels like a breeze even though it's my longest class of the week.
While Pik takes attendance, I talk to Mipha. I want to convince her to live with us but it's not an easy topic to bring up. Especially because I don't know how she feels about Link. They haven't really been talking much since she found out we're dating.
I start with a classic, "How are you doing?"
"Very well," she smiles. "And you?"
"Same."
"It's sure getting cold outside," she says, rubbing her arms.
"I noticed that too," I nod. "Do you walk to campus or do you drive?"
"I walk," she tells me. "I don't have a car."
"I see." During a short pause, I consider how to start the conversation about living together. "You still live in the dorms, right?"
"Oh, yes. It's much cheaper than off-campus housing."
"Do you like living in the dorms?" I ask.
She gives me a cute little chuckle, "I doubt anyone truly enjoys living in the dorms."
"What if I told you there was another, affordable option for you?"
She tilts her head, eager to learn more.
"I've been thinking about moving out of my Father's house to live with some friends. Link and Revali." Her eyes widen but she remains silent for now. "We found a townhome near campus, right next to the beach. The application already got approved but I haven't signed the lease yet. I suppose I was just wondering... Would you be interested in living with us?"
I can't read her reaction. She looks startled and overwhelmed, but also intrigued.
She's about to answer when Pik interrupts our conversation. "Today's class is going to be a very special one!" He says. "Because we have a guest musician!"
The students begin to whisper to each other, wondering who it might be. Could it be someone famous? Or just someone local?
"She's going to sing an original song, for your ears only," Pik continues. "Here she is, everybody! Give it up for Impa Tsutaeru!"
The door flies open and Impa rushes in with an E-guitar strapped around her shoulders.
This can't be good.
"Thanks for the introduction, Pik," she says, grinning at the class. "This one's for you, Zelda!"
Time to run!
"Happy birthday, my lifelong friend," she starts to sing, her fingers hitting random strings of the guitar with all her force and no sense of musical talent whatsoever. "Our memories, they never end," she rhymes, completely off key. "Through thick and thin, you've been by my side. In you, I find my joy and pride!"
It's sweet of her to do this, but I still hate the attention. It doesn't help that Mipha is giggling next to me.
"So here's to you on this special day, let's celebrate yeah-hay," she sings, followed by a brief guitar solo. "Happy birthday, Zelda. You are truly stellar!"
She plays some more ear-wretching chords for a dramatic outro, rocking her head back and forth, her hair wild as her spirit.
When my classmates begin to clap, she bows and cheers, "Thank you! Thank you!"
Pik claps along, "Truly wonderful, Impa."
The applause settles and Impa places the guitar back on its holder. "I'll be joining the Sheika as their new guitarist and lead singer soon," she jokes confidentially.
I get up to give her a hug. Trying to look serious, I say, "I should have known that you two were plotting something for my birthday."
"Did you like it?" Impa asks. "It was hard to find something that rhymes with Zelda but I think I made it work."
"It was really bad," I laugh. "But I loved every bit of it. Thank you."
As I hug her, we receive more applause from the class and a couple of Aww's.
"Love you," I say as our hug loosens.
"I love you more, Princess."
"Now please get out of here before my social anxiety kicks in," I whisper with a smile.
She laughs, patting my shoulder. "I couldn't stay even if I wanted to. I have to study for an exam. Who would've thought criminal justice is such a tough major?"
"Everyone," I say and the class agrees, nodding their heads.
"Welp, good luck in class and I'll see ya later," she says, heading toward the door. "Be at the beach by sundown, okay!"
Nodding my head with a smile, I take my seat again and pretend none of this just happened because if I start to overthink it, I'll probably die of embarrassment.
Thankfully, the class goes by faster than usual, and besides a few people wishing me a happy birthday on their way out, nobody mentions Impa's stunt to me. And as far as I could tell, nobody recorded it this year.
I pack my things and get up. Mipha is waiting for me, checking her notifications.
"You're coming to the beach too, right?" I ask her as I pick up my bag.
"I wouldn't miss it!" she beams. "Though I'm still trying to convince Revali."
"I wouldn't count on him to show up," I laugh.
She giggles lightly, "Social gatherings aren't really his thing. You know how he is sometimes. "
"Sometimes?" I laugh. "Anti-social is kind of his default setting."
We're the last students in the room. As always. But today we have a good excuse to stay longer; I'm actually waiting for Link. He said he'd pick us up after class so we could all ride in one car.
Pik packs up his things, making small talk with us as we wait.
"So, you guys are having a beach party tonight?" He says.
"Yes, Zelda is having a little birthday get-together," Mipha explains.
"Sounds like a good way to celebrate," Pik smiles. "I'm glad you're doing something fun for your birthday!"
"You should come," I say.
He declines with a soft smile, "I can't. Thank you though."
"Why not?" I prod.
"I need to start packing up my things. I'm moving on October 1st, which I realized is only two weeks away."
"It can't wait a day?" I tease him.
"With my condition, I should start as early as possible... It'll likely take me 10 times longer than the average person to move my stuff into the new place."
"Why don't you just hire a moving company?" Mipha asks.
"Those are price," he explains, "and I'm hesitant about stuff getting stolen. You know, it's fairly easy to rob a blind man."
Poor Pik. I can't even begin to imagine having to move from the dorms into an apartment without sight.
"Link and I will help you move," I offer.
"Oh, I can't accept that."
"Come on," I practically beg. "It's really not a big deal. That way you can come to the beach tonight. You deserve a fun little break. It'll be good for you! It's just Link, Revali, Mipha, Impa, and me. It's just a comfortable little gathering with music and smores!"
Pik doesn't say anything. He just blesses me with another sincere and grateful smile, and continues to pack up his things. He's searching for the off button on the projector again, but per usual, he doesn't ask for help. I really wish he would. Needing a hand sometimes is completely normal and he shouldn't feel bad for accepting help.
I reach for the button, eager to help him, but he reaches it right before me, making our fingers touch. "You beat me to it," I say, trying not to sound too proud of him.
He chuckles, "Yeah, I'm slowly starting to get a sense of where things are."
"That's good."
"Hopefully soon I won't need help turning things on and off anymore."
"It's okay to ask for help," I assure him.
Mipha notes, "It must be challenging to navigate the campus sometimes."
"I've actually been thinking about adopting a guide dog!" Pik reveals.
"A dog?" I grin ecstatically, "Really?"
"Yes!" he smiles just like a puppy. "I could bring it to class and teach it how to bark on beat to my music or something," he laughs. "A guide dog is definitely the best and only perk of being blind."
"You should definitely get a dog," I say in agreement.
"Any name ideas?" Mipha asks.
"I was hoping you'd have some."
"Beethoven!" Is the first one that comes to mind. "Or Bach. No Barch!"
"Oh, I love that!" Pik chirps.
"How about Jazzy if it's a girl," Mipha suggests, radiating with the same level of enthusiasm. "Or how about Melody? Or Harmony?"
"Those are all great!" Pik says.
"Wait I have more," I jump back in. "What about Sonnet? No, Sonata! No, name him Wolfgang!"
"Or Woofgang," Pik laughs amused. "Oh, what about Lyric!"
"Lyric is cute!" Mipha exclaims. "Or maybe Calliope?"
Here we are getting all excited over dog names on my birthday, and somehow it's my favorite part of the day!
"Cabriole," I throw in a ballet move for fun.
"Rhapsody," Pik grins.
"Tempo," I grin wider.
"Maestro," Mipha grins the widest.
And suddenly the door opens and all our attention shifts from dog names to Link, who's standing in the entrance of the spacious room.
"Link," Mipha and I greet him simultaneously.
Pik ponders, "It would be a bit weird to name my dog Link, don't you think?"
"No, Link is here," I laugh.
"Oh," Pik laughs embarrassed. "What's up, Link?"
"Yo," Link nods at us. "What's that about naming a dog after me?"
Pik chuckles, "We're brainstorming names for my guide dog."
"Ah," Link says, leaning against the door frame. "What about Navi?"
"What does Navi stand for?" Pik asks.
"Navigation?" Confused, Link shrugs. "It's just a random name, I guess."
"I see," Pik nods. "I like it."
"Or what about Fi," Link offers another dog name that is unrelated to the arts. "By the way, are you guys ready to head out?"
"Yes," I say, turning to my professor. "Are you sure you can't join us, Pik?"
"Well..." he pauses, only to decline once more.
"I told you, Link and I can help you move. Which means it won't take 10 times as long, giving you plenty of free time to come to the beach with us." I turn back toward the door, "Right, Link? We can help him move?"
Link walks up to me, laying his arm around my shoulders while keeping his eyes on Pik. "Of course we can help you," he says coolly, placing a kiss on my head.
Pik seems hesitant. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."
"Impose on whom?" I laugh at his ridiculous logic. "Where is the confident Pik I know? It's my birthday and I'm inviting you," I assure him.
His head turns toward Link. "You're okay with it?"
"Uh," surprised by Pik's question, Link glances at Mipha and me before returning his eyes to Pik. "Sure, man. Why would I mind."
"See?" I smile up at him. "We need some live music anyway to make it a real party and there's no one more qualified than you!"
"Well, there's always Impa," Pik laughs, and I finally get a small nod out of him. "Alright, alright, you've convinced me."
Pik grabs his guitar and his cane, and follows us to Link's car. The sun hangs low over the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the HU campus as we pile into Link's car, ready for our evening escapade.
Mipha and Pik share the backseat, and I sit in the front with Link. He revs the engine and pulls out of the parking lot. Pik convinces us to turn up the music, and Mipha requests to lower the windows to let in the ocean breeze.
The wind plays with our hair as Pik sings along to Blank Space by Taylor Swift. Passing by the picturesque coastal roads, he convinces Mipha to sing along. He tries to get me to sing as well, but he gives up fairly easily as he already knows it's pointless to try to make me sing in front of people.
As we approach the pier, the ocean stretches out before us, bathed in the soft hues of the setting sun. The sky changes colors like the songs on the radio, from warm oranges during Maroon 5, to shades of pink for One Direction, and purples as Coldplay comes up.
And before we know it, we reach the sandy shores. The sun is now a fiery ball dripping into the ocean. Impa is already at the beach, waving to us as we park.
The scent of saltwater and the distant crackle of the bonfire greet us as we step onto the sand. Impa has created a cozy spot for our friend group, with drinks and smores waiting for us.
"Hey guys!" She says when we arrive. The sand is still warm between my toes, despite the sun having set. "Ready to party?" She asks and gasps loudly as she spots Pik behind me. "Pik! You came too!"
"Let's get this party started," he laughs in response.
"Heck yeah!" Impa roars.
"Oh, but someone please keep me away from any unsupervised sandcastles," Pik says, sounding a bit apologetic as if he's accidentally stepped on some during his last visit to the beach.
As we gather around the flickering flames, Impa instantly hands each of us a bottle of beer from the cooler.
As Pik clinks his bottle with Impa's, he jokingly remarks, "Don't tell HU that I'm drinking with my students."
The light in the sky disappears gradually and the bright flames heat our faces. We each grab a stick and make smores while the beach clears of people.
Time slips away unnoticed, as nobody is checking their phones tonight. We're all just sharing stories and laughing while making memories. The sky darkens and the night arrives with a sky free of clouds and worries.
Hours pass, and we're the only people left at the beach. Mipha, Impa, and I are eager to hear some live music now, so Pik takes out his acoustic guitar to play some songs for us.
Nestling against Link's side, I feel the warmth of both the crackling bonfire and the love between us. As Pik's fingers dance across the guitar strings, I snuggle up to Link, thanking him for this amazing evening.
"Happy birthday," he quietly returns with a soft smile, giving my forehead a small kiss.
"You're the best," I say. "I've never enjoyed my birthdays this much!"
"Get used to it," he smiles, leaning his head against mine.
"This is what it's going to be like?" I ask in awe.
"Year after year after year..."
"I can't wait to live with you," I say.
"Only a few more weeks," he smiles.
"More like months... The move-in date is set for early December."
"Time will fly by fast, you'll see."
I nod, chewing on my cheek as I think about the rest of the semester. We're already a month in. Midterms and Halloween are right around the corner and then there's Thanksgiving break. Next thing you know, we'll be moving into our own place!
"Hey, maybe we can celebrate Thanksgiving at the lodge in Mammoth Lakes," I suggest. "With all our friends."
"That's a great idea," Link agrees.
We look at each other for a moment that appears frozen in time. The flickering beams of yellows and reds reflecting in the blues and greens of our eyes, we lean in closer.
"I love you," I whisper, caressing one of his hands on my lap.
His eyes shift their gaze to my lips, where they linger for a brief moment. His hand reaches up to my jaw, cupping my face and pulling me in for a kiss. With less than an inch of space between our lips, a voice startles us from behind.
A man, approaching our bonfire from the darkness, rebukes, "Well, well, well... what do we have here?"
Link and I jolt instinctively, pushing away from each other to see who it is.
Revali mocks, with a hint of disgust and amusement in his deadpan expression, "The one time I decide to show up to a party and I walk in on a teenage romance novel cover shoot."
"Revali!" I jump up from joy and hug him.
"Careful!" He tries to dodge my hug, "You're going to spill your drink all over me again!"
"Don't worry," I say, tilting the bottle upside down, not a drop of beer reaching the sand below. "It's empty."
"Drunk already?" He mocks, finally accepting my hug. "You know I hate hugs."
"You also hate parties and half the people at this beach, yet you still showed up," I argue, then whisper into his ear as I hug him tighter, "Thank you."
"Yeah yeah, whatever. I just came for the free food really. Carry on with your smoochfest."
Once I let him go, he instantly finds his place next to Mipha, greeting her with a gentle kiss on the cheek. Looks like those two talked and everything is back to normal. I'm glad it worked out.
"Yo, who's down to go swimming?" Impa asks the group.
"You really shouldn't swim in the ocean at night," Mipha warns. "It's dangerous."
"Aw, come on!" Impa whines. "I'm a good swimmer, I swear."
"Not as good as Mipha," I say. "And if she says it's dangerous, you should really listen to her."
"Lame," Impa says, poking the fire with her smores stick, burning the marshmallow until it's nothing but black goo.
"Here," I get up and extend my hand to her. "I'll go dip my toes with you."
Impa, still pouting, looks up at me like a 5 year old who's been denied a toy. "Fine, fine. Toes it is then."
Impa intertwines her fingers with mine as we make our way to the water's edge. We move away from the group, the fire now in the near distance and their voices fading into the background while the soft crashing of waves steps into the foreground.
Creating some distance between us and the group was intentional. I need to talk to her and figured it's best if we discuss it in private.
Hand in hand, we stroll along the wet sand, where cool streams of waves occasionally reach our feet.
"Impa," I begin, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. "There's something I need to tell you."
Impa doesn't look at me. She hardly reacts to my words at all. Calmly, she continues the stroll and says, "I already know."
"What?"
"You're moving in with Link."
"How did you know that?"
"Link," she says. "A few days ago, when he told me where the bonfire was going to be, he said it's right next to your guys' new apartment."
"Oh..."
"He didn't know that you hadn't told me yet." Impa's hand is still holding mine when she comes to a stop. "It's a really nice place," she says, looking at the townhomes near the beach. You can spot the roof of our house from here. It's the one with the tallest palm tree, near the hills.
"I meant to tell you sooner."
"I'm not mad," she says. "I'm happy you finally get to move out of your dad's place."
"Really?"
Her head tilts to look at me. "Really." But there is a tinge of bitterness on her mien. "What pissed me off though was finding out that you're planning on moving with all your friends but me."
"Impa–"
She removes her hand. "So like..." she continues walking, "Is there a reason why you don't want me to live with you?"
"That's not–"
"Is it because of Kiroh?"
"What? No, of course not," I follow her. "I have no issue with Kiroh. And I do want you to live with us."
She comes to a stop again. "Wait, what?"
"I want you to live with us," I repeat, my heart pounding, as I am about to tell her about Malice and why Impa can't live with us quite yet. "There is only one problem," I say.
"Which is?"
"You have to promise me not to get mad."
"I ain't promising shit," she says, waiting for me to speak.
I stand my ground. "It's my birthday wish."
"Me not getting mad is your birthday wish?" she asks with one eyebrow raised. I nod, lips pressed together. "Must be something pretty bad then. Let's hear it."
"Promise you won't get mad?"
"Mh... we'll see."
"Fair enough..." I take a deep breath, gathering the courage to tell my best friend that the person she hates most has been living with me for the past month. "Sooo..." I stretch the word in a shaky voice, "that night when we went to Telma's Bar, after you left to go after Kiroh, Pik and I–"
"No way!" she quickly interrupts, mouth agape.
"What?"
"Nothing, sorry, carry on."
"No, say it."
"You and Pik..." She says, and, in a not-so-subtle way, stares at him back at the bonfire. Then, in an alluring tone, she repeats, "You and Pik?"
"No!" I gasp and shove her toward an incoming wave.
"It was just a split-second thought! That's why I said 'sorry, carry on'!" She laughs shamelessly.
"Pik and I are just friends!"
"If you say so."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I see the way you look at him. Thank glad he's blind otherwise he'd be all over you."
"Stop it," I say. "I'm not interested in Pik."
"Think he's still into you?"
"He hasn't done or said anything," I tell her. "He knows we are just friends."
"Okay." She nods. "But just for the record, you can't start a sentence with 'Pik and I'..."
"I didn't start the sentence with 'Pik and I...', and if you hadn't interrupted me you'd know that there was more to it than that."
"Okay okay," She laughs, hands up in surrender. "So after Telma's Bar, you and Pik...?"
"We went for a walk," I say, "And found a homeless person who turned out to be Malice."
I watch Impa's reaction closely. There's a twitch in her eyebrow, her eyes debating whether to look me in the eye or not. She clearly didn't expect this, and when she finally does look at me, she looks confused and perhaps a tad disgusted. But there is empathy on her face too, though she decides to hide it beneath a layer of confusion.
"Malice is homeless now?" Impa scoffs.
"Yes, and she was in pretty bad shape. Pik and I tried to wake her up but she was unresponsive. And so we..." I pause, take a deep breath, and come forward with it. "We took her in."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I took her home to... to help her get better."
Impa laughs, "Of course you did."
"Why are you laughing?"
"It's just so typical of you."
"I'm confused... Are you upset?"
"Let's see... Malice has been bullying you all year; she threw nachos at you, targeted you during gym class, took photos of you and spread rumors about you and Link, and even tried to sabotage your relationship on multiple occasions. Yet you always stood up for her, even stood up to Ganon, asked if she's doing okay, and worried about her abusive relationship. And now you've taken her in after finding her on the streets. Let's just say I'm not surprised."
Impa is right... It shouldn't come as a surprise that I am trying to help Malice despite everything she's done to me and my friends. Sometimes I do wonder if that's a bad trait of mine.
"So you're not upset then?" I ask.
"Malice is a horrible person," Impa says. "She did a lot of really bad things. I'm still convinced she's the one who framed me for that fire at the stadium last year, but... I think a lot of even more horrible things must have happened to her to shape her into that person, and as much as I hate myself for saying it, Malice doesn't deserve to be homeless."
I fall into Impa's arms, relieved and proud of her attitude. I can't believe she's okay with all of this.
"Malice better be kissing your ass though," Impa says as the water retreats below our feet.
"I think she's incapable of uttering the words 'Thank you', but I do see some progress. She's definitely less hostile toward me."
A new wave pushes the ocean past our ankles. "If she hurts you in any shape or form, she'll have to deal with me."
"I know," I smile. "I'm counting on it."
We slowly make our way back to the bonfire. Impa, gazing at the townhomes again, asks, "So how does Malice stand in the way of us living together?"
"Oh, right," I almost forgot about that. "The townhome only has 3 rooms. Link and I will share one, Revali and Mipha will share the other, and–"
"Malice gets the third," Impa nods annoyed. "Gotcha..."
"Just until she has fully recovered from her life on the streets. Once she's well enough to live on her own, you can come live with us. I mean, you could love with us from the start, but you and Malice would have to share a room and I don't want to find any dead bodies."
The laughter and music gets louder as we return to the crackling fire. Even Revali wears a rare smile, his arm around Mipha. She's determined to get Link to sing along to Pik's music, but he seems more interested in snacking on marshmallows straight from the bag.
Joining the circle, Impa and I settle in. I take a seat between Link and Mipha, aiding her attempt to get Link's singing voice out of him. But he remains resolute, munching on marshmallows and avoiding the spotlight.
"Come on, Link," Pik laughs, playing the guitar with so much passion that my throat aches to sing along.
"Yeah, come on, Link," Mipha, Impa, and I prod the poor boy some more.
"I'll sing if you sing," he challenges me.
"Deal," I say.
"Yeah right," Link shakes his head. "I already know you don't sing in front of anyone."
"Are you sure?" I smirk.
Taken aback, Link hesitates. "You're actually going to sing?"
I exchange a quick glance with Pik, who looks just as surprised as Link. "Can you play 'Count on me'?" I ask.
"You bet," he nods, seamlessly transitioning into the chords. As he begins the first verse, I soak in the melody, and when the chorus arrives, I sing the lyrics to the song with a bright smile.
Link is right, I don't typically sing in front of people. My singing was reserved for my mother, a tradition I upheld even after she passed. It was our intimate connection, a way to keep her memory alive. When I sing, I feel her presence–listening, watching, perhaps even singing along from the celestial realms.
I was always hesitant to share these moments with anyone else, but as I sing, I realize I'm not sharing my mother with others; I'm sharing my world with her. I want her to meet my friends, witness the love and support I have found, the family that has become my anchor and source of growth. A family to create memories with and one that will always stand by me.
As the second verse begins, the laughter and chatter blend into a collective chorus, each of them joining in, their voices blending seamlessly with mine. The unexpected surge of harmony catches me off guard, and tears well up in my eyes. Even Link sings along. He places his arm around my shoulders to pull me closer.
Together, a symphony of voices echoes under the night sky, blurring the lines between past and present. It's not just a song; it's a celebration, not of my birthday but of my mother who after all these years is still with us. I can't help but feel grateful for the family I've found and for the love that surrounds me.
Mipha, leaning closer to me, tells me with a bright smile, "Okay," She nods as the song continues, "I will move in with you guys."
"You will?!" I cheer and embrace her in a joyous hug! "Oh Mipha! It's going to be a blast!"
"I'm certain of it," she grins, hugging me back.
The night continues to unfold in a symphony of laughter, music, and shared joy. As the song fades, and the bonfire's embers glow softens, Mipha's decision to move into the new townhome with us adds an extra layer of happiness to the night. Last year's quiet birthday celebration with Link may have been memorable and cherished, but this one, shared with the people I love so much, is hard to top.
Life just feels better when you're surrounded by those who matter most.
---
Happy birthday Breath of The Wild! <3 Can't believe it's been 7 years since the release of this gem (Yes, we are all getting old ;_;)