The morning dawned surprisingly cheerfully, though the skies overhead were an ominous overcast. I was already half-awake and going through the motions of opening up the shop before I remembered the ball. I glanced at the grey sky as I locked the front door, half-expecting it to start pouring as soon as I stepped foot out onto the street. But Nayru seemed to be feeling merciful today, for no rain fell.
People milled about on the back streets in the usual Castle Town way, as I made my own way towards South Road--how many were invited to the ball? I wondered as I walked. How many were even aware that there was a ball at all? I stepped off the back streets and brushed by Dargero's springwater shop with a wave. He and Koro both called out a greeting as I passed, but I had no time to stop and talk today--if I were late Eliza would have my head.
The instant I stepped into Telma's Bar, Eliza swept me off towards the tailors' to see about something to wear. Thanks to Ethan's foreknowledge, she'd managed to place a couple of dresses on hold for the both of us a week before the public announcement of the ball, so there was no rush. They were simple dresses, two linen kirtles dyed with woad's blue and indigo.
In the end we settled on renting the dresses out for the night; while cheaper than outright buying them, it still cost us a sizable amount of Rupees. But we didn't complain; we had our dresses, and we had been granted the privilege of attending a royal ball. This was an opportunity--the money could be replaced. By the time we swung back around to the bar, it seemed as though the rest of the Resistance had awoken. Ethan was talking animatedly with Shad when we returned (it seemed to be something about Selthrus' recent patrol scheduling), and I was informed by Telma that Link had headed out to South Road--most likely around Jovani's house. Eliza elected to stay at the bar and speak with Ethan and Telma about the Resistance, so I went out to find him. The hero in question was actually hanging around the infamous apple stands, debating whether or not to buy anything, but as soon he spotted me he dashed over, and we went for a walk around East Road to pass the time.
We passed Jovani's house and Link stopped dead in his tracks. I walked along for a few more minutes before I realized, and turned around to see Link holding his hand out to a cat that had walked up from Jovani's yard.
"Heya, Gengle! You remember me, right?" The cat seemingly purred his approval.
"Link, you can't just go picking up cats and carrying them around Castle Town!"
"Says who?" Link shot back defiantly while at the same time scooping up Gengle.
"I...do..." I said, quickly realizing how idiotic that sounded. Gengle was purring loudly. "But..." I struggled for a good rebuttal. "But they're not your cats!"
"Doesn't mean I can't pick them up." Link said stubbornly, somehow attracting three more. I was about to retort how one can't just go around snatching people's cats, when suddenly the whole situation struck me and I burst out laughing. Here I was, about to have an argument with the Hero of Twilight about a bunch of city cats. I'd never thought I'd see the day...
"Oh, goddesses, this is silly." I said between chuckles, and dropped the whole subject. Link had carefully put Gengle down in Jovani's yard, and we both stood watching as the other cats encircled him, looking for all the world like a neighborhood council. I wondered what their meetings would be about. "So these are Jovani's famous statute-breaking cats Selthrus was going on about, huh?" I knelt and scratched behind Gengle's ears absentmindedly.
"The very same." Link rolled his eyes. "I will never understand that man's obsession with rules."
"Jovani..." I said thoughtfully. "You know, one of the first things I heard when I moved here was how happy everyone was that Jovani was around again. You have anything to do with that?"
Link shrugged. "He helped me out of a bind once--helped me save someone's life. I figured the least I could do was defeat the ghosts that had stolen his soul."
I'm sorry, the--the ghosts that...?
"Yeah, sure, I mean, that--that seems reasonable to me," I stuttered, not sure exactly how to respond to that. He seemed to catch himself at my words, and laughed. "Sorry. I know that sounded casual..."
"I'll say," I replied.
"Can you tell I don't talk about things like this with other people often?" He half-smiled, and glanced back over to the cats. "It's nice, being able to talk like this."
Speaking of which..."Link, I've been meaning to ask you about something for a while now."
"Yeah?" His attention was immediately brought back to me.
"Before we head out to the next...place we're headed to," I started, fumbling for the words, "I feel like we should take some time to have a conversation about what it is we're doing. I know you gave me the basic gist of what we're looking for but...after Kakiriko, I'm starting to feel like I might need more than that. At the very least, I'd like a heads-up about where we're going next, so--aheh," I laughed ruefully. "So we don't have any more mental breakdowns, you know?"
For some reason, Link looked uneasy. "...I agree. We should. I don't know why...why I hadn't thought about how you might be feeling before. Sorry, Y/N." There was a strange look in his eye I'd never seen before.
"It's alright," I said, searching his face to try and figure out what it was. "We can talk about it after the ball, if you want."
He nodded, and finally glanced back at me, seeming more himself. Whatever in his eyes was gone now, and in an effort to try and convince myself nothing was wrong, I tried to put it out of my mind.
"Come on, Link." I took his hand and led him out of the yard. "If we don't hurry we'll miss Eliza and the rest."
***
The day passed in a blur, and it was only in the tailor's shop that I really came back to myself.
"Oh. My. Gosh. Y/N!!! You look so pretty!" Eliza was crowing excitedly as she laced up the back of my dress.
"Thanks, Eliza," I said, studying myself in the mirror. I certainly felt pretty. Yes, I felt pretty in my rented dress, and totally not blindsided by the sudden formal event or preoccupied by why we were even going. Eliza and I stayed quiet all the way back to the bar, and I took the time to reflect on the day's events.
Afternoon had faded into evening without much in the way of events--it seemed the most we could do was just sit and wait for the ball to begin. As the hours passed, more of the Resistance filtered in and out of Telma's Bar--including a member named Auru who I hadn't had a chance to get introduced to just yet. He expressed curiosity as to why everyone came and went so quickly, but upon learning that it was a ball we were preparing for, he quickly lost interest. He claimed that he had 'some sort of business to attend to' near Lake Hylia and beat a hasty retreat, and at this, Shad (with some amusement) only said that Auru "didn't dance."
The excitement was fun, but it did little to distract me from my worries. As hard as I tried not to worry, the questions started playing in my mind once again. I tried my hardest not to worry about them, at least not for tonight. We'd been personally invited to a ball by Queen Zelda herself, and I was not about to let pressing, direly important questions about the man I was traveling with undermine that!
...okay, maybe I was, a little.
It was too late to fret about it anymore. I was so preoccupied in my own thoughts that it was no time at all before Eliza and I left the others at Telma's Bar to head to the tailor's. So here I stood, feeling pretty in my blue dress and completely unprepared for what this dance might mean.
Our group reconvened in front of the castle gates. Link was out and about in his Magic Armor again--there was no disguising that hat--but the other members of the Resistance had on long robes, both to protect and conceal their ballroom wear. I half-wondered why Eliza and I hadn't thought of it. It was too late to go back, though--we had already walked through the high gates and were at the great double doors of the castle.
Before we could even walk in, a guard held out his hand, barring the door. "Her Ladyship has requested that all weapons or possible weapon-concealing items be laid out here, at the entrance." He stated, before taking a second glance at who was with us. "...My apologies, ladies and gentlemen." He made a deferential nod towards the Resistance, and another in Link's direction.
This was a reasonable request, but as our party moved to do so, I noticed Selthrus skulking about near the double-doors of the ballroom. "Psst," I whispered to Link. "Overzealous military commander, dead ahead."
"Wonderful," Link said, narrowing his eyes at Selthrus. "Ethan, do you know why--?"
"The queen put him in charge of the security for the night." Ethan replied resignedly. "I think it was to get him off her case about something in East Hyrule--probably the boars."
"Great." Link sighed. "Well, as long as he stays in his shadowy little corner and doesn't give us any trouble, we should be fine." He stepped forward a little, and straightened his collar. "This is supposed to be our night off--we might as well try to make the most of it Y/N?" He smiled over at me as he offered me his arm, and I smiled back as I took it. Try to make the most of it. Yes, that's just what I would do. Questions, concerns about our trip--all of that could wait. For now, I peered forward into the ballroom as the great castle doors opened.
The Resistance Ball was beginning.
***
You had to hand it to Zelda and the royal planners; only the Queen and her team, it seemed, could make a gathering of less than fifty people feel as extravagant as a dance of two hundred.
The ballroom chosen for the event doubled as the castle's foyer, so it was naturally large; and chandeliers and balconies lined the walls. But instead of the dim and forbidding atmosphere that Link had described the castle as giving off during Ganon's occupancy, the ballroom was brightly lit and almost shiningly white. The green marble floors had been swept until they shone, and the balcony columns were decorated with white and gold hangings. A banner in the very back of the room declared that the dance was being held in the Resistance's honor.
Elegant lords and ladies in every shade of fabric imaginable had already arrived; but somehow our entrance was announced with trumpets and fanfare. I half-turned on my heel to see what all the fuss was about before I remembered that the guests of honor themselves had entered just behind us. As the procession moved through the doorway I picked out a few more familiar faces. The crew I'd met in Telma's Bar were there, obviously, but I hadn't expected to see Renado's friendly face smiling at me from the crowd. Nor did I expect to see the young girl who locked eyes with me and dashed out of the crowd towards me--at least, not so soon.
"Luda!" I exclaimed as she crashed into me by way of a hug.
"Y/N! I'm so glad to see you! How have you been?"
"I've been doing better," I said truthfully. "This is your first ball, right? What do you think so far?"
"It's really fun! Queen Zelda even came over to speak to me! She asked how things were back in Kakiriko. ...She's actually really nice." Luda said excitedly. But then she looked away, glancing at a specific corner of the ballroom. "But...um, I'm not really sure what to make of that."
What—oh.
She was staring at her father, dressed in a regal-looking garb that I recognized as the formal robes reserved for Kakiriko's leaders. Dancing with him, in an impeccably tailored white gown, was Telma, looking as though she was having the time of her life. Renado, by contrast, looked subtly terrified.
"That is, uh....definitely something that's happening." I wasn't sure what to make of it either.
But before either of us could say anything more, a crowd of other guests swept by us suddenly, laughing, as the band struck up a livelier tune. It was evidently the beginnings of a longways dance, as the party guests swiftly formed two lines, and bowed to their partners to begin. Several Resistance members joined in on the fun--I saw Rusl and Uli, wearing green and yellow, grinning as they bowed to each other to start the dance--but I was again surprised to see Colin dancing with little Amy at the end of the line.
Ashei and Shad were also there--Shad in a green tailcoat, and Ashei in a matching red one--weaving through the other dancers with surprising style and grace. I hadn't taken either of them to be fond of dancing--and yet there they were, looking as though they were having the time of their lives. Both of them cleaned up rather nicely, I decided.
"Care to dance, milady?" A voice said from behind me. I turned to see Link, smiling as he offered me his arm.
In spite of it all, I grinned. "As long as you never address me that formally again, I'd be happy to."
***
After we had danced ourselves out for the time being, Eliza, Ethan, Link and I settled in a group near one of the smaller tables laden with refreshments. The general members of the Resistance soon joined us; Renado and Telma were still off dancing somewhere, but Uli was nearby bouncing Amy on her knee and an eye on Colin and Luda, who had moved on to dancing with each other.
Selthrus was there too--glaring vaguely in our general direction from the far opposite wall.
"Is he alright?" Rusl questioned, sipping a drink and nodding over towards Selthrus' little corner. "Got some kind of problem with us...?"
"He's my commanding officer--and he's not a real big fan of Link, or anything to do with Link--so I bet he just loves the idea of the Resistance being honored like this." Ethan sighed.
Rusl nodded knowingly. "Yes, I've had to deal with soldiers like that. Trust me when I say they don't last very long--it'll get better with time."
Something about the way he said that..."...Were you a soldier once, Rusl?" I asked, surprised, and he only winked. "I can't go telling all my secrets now, Y/N."
I just smiled and shook my head, then tuned back into the conversation at hand. "It's strange, though," Shad continued. "I see the commander almost every day now in the library." At this, we all turned to him incredulously.
"Selthrus, in a library? What in blazes was he doin' there?" Ashei asked.
"That was the question I had, and after a couple days I figured it out." Shad said. "He just sits in there for hours at a time, feverishly researching everything he can...about the Sky people."
We were all too confused to even say anything for a few minutes. Finally, Link spoke up, voicing what was probably on the minds of the entire group. "I'm-I'm afraid I don't follow."
"It doesn't make any sense to me either. Once or twice I even offered to help him, but--" Here Shad was stopped by the mortified glances of the rest of The Resistance, and he quickly went on the defensive. "--but, every time I offered, he just spat something like 'if you don't know anything about the Wind Waker, then you can leave me alone."
"The Wind Waker?" A brief What? expression crossed Link's face, and then he frowned. "But...what does the Wind Waker have to do with the Sky people?"
"I don't know, but I intend to figure out the connection."
"I'm sorry, what's a Wind Waker?" I asked, for the benefit of those of us who weren't in the know--Ethan and Eliza were just as blank-faced as I probably was.
Link answered after a moment.
"If it's what I think it is...a conductor's baton. A magical conductor's baton. They used it to conduct the sages when they played music for the gods."
What? "Why would Selthrus be after something like that? He's an...army...commander--what, does he have a secret hobby?"
"I have no idea..." Link said, glancing at the commander, "but I think we need to find out. Shad, can you start researching what he's been researching? We need to figure out what he's up to."
Shad's face suddenly went blank.
"Let me get this straight," Shad finally said. "You're...giving me an excuse...to research the Sky People?"
As soon as she heard the words 'Sky People' fall out of Shad's mouth, Ashei stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to glance at Link with an expression that I could only describe as abject horror. Slowly, the look on Link's face shifted from 'conspiratorial' to one that could only be described as 'dear gods, what have I done', but he winced and nodded. "...Yes."
"You...want me to research the Sky People."
"...Mm-hm..." Link now looked to be heavily reconsidering his offer.
Shad looked as if Link had just handed him a billion Rupees and immediately made a break for it.
Ashei snapped out of it long enough to make one final plea to stop Shad's apparent obsession. "Wait! Shad! You promised me another dance!" Shad, giving no indication that he had heard, was now making a beeline for the door--no doubt headed for the royal library. Ashei glared daggers at Link over her shoulder as she raced to catch up with him.
Link winced again. "..Did I just kickstart another one of his week-long research benders?"
Rusl nodded somewhat ruefully. "You should probably go after him."
"I think I will," Link said, staring after Ashei's fleeing form. And then he was gone, following after her through a side door into the rest of the darkened castle.
"...May I ask what that was about?" Eliza asked, beating me to the question. Rusl was staring off into the middle distance with the face of a man who has seen many hard battles and was about to face another one, but he spoke after a moment. "..Strange, obsessive things happen when Shad researches the Sky People--I'll just leave it at that." He sighed. "Guess I need to ask Telma to start stocking slow-burning candles again..."
"...I see," Eliza finally responded, perhaps too afraid to press any farther. She glanced at me and went over to talk to Ethan, maybe as a way to get out of the conversation. I couldn't blame her.
A part of me felt a little disappointed at the turn of events--I was hoping to have at least another dance with Link. But I composed myself, and resolved to just take in the ball while it lasted. A passing butler was walking through the crowd with drinks. I took one, thanked him, and sipped while half-listening to the Resistance's ongoing discussion, catching snippets of other conversations here and there.
One particularly loud one caught my ear. "--I simply cannot believe how crude you're being," one of the nobles was saying. "You simply cannot convince me that Ordon is the top producer of Hyrule's royal--!"
Ordon?
I set down the drink and sidled my way through the crowd to find the source of the conversation--it appeared to be two noblemen having a rather heated discussion about cattle of all things.
"No, see--you're going about it all wrong, Cromwell," the nobleman he was speaking to said snidely. "From a purely technical standpoint, I would have to say you're being far too narrow about the whole thing."
"And I would have to say that you, Stevens, are being quite—you, miss! You there!" The first nobleman interrupted himself as he glanced my way and seemed to recognize my face. Oh, goddesses, his attention had actually been turned towards me. "You're the famed owner of the famed East Road Apothecary!"
The famed what of the what now? In what universe am I famous? Eliza, what have you been doing???
Luckily, the nobleman--Cromwell?--seemed oblivious to my internal confusion. "Surely you of all people would realize that that backwater town of Ordon would never produce the kind of quality cattle needed to sustain the nobility!"
This man was speaking to me about 'the kind of cattle needed to sustain the nobility.' Who exactly did he think I was? I did bristle at the disparaging comments, though. "I think Ordon is a rather nice hamlet," I responded stiffly, "and theirs is the largest livestock production I've seen in Hyrule yet." Granted, I've only ever seen the one livestock production, but...he doesn't need to know that!
Cromwell then actually looked down his nose at me. "Its contribution to the livestock market, while commendable, is of rather low quality—"
"Oh please." I'd had to deal with his type of customer before--the type that seem to look down on commoner folk than they just for existing--but right now I was off the job, and I wasn't going to take any of this. "So what would you prefer? Genuine authentically aged Lon Lon goat cheese? Lon Lon's a dead brand and you know it." The ranch had fallen into disrepair years ago, and was so overgrown now as to be unrecognizable. "Ordon goats are known across the kingdom for their quality, and the Queen herself said she prefers them—why do I know that? Why am I even talking about this!?" I'd been unlucky enough to actually overhear an argument between a member of the royal guard and a disgruntled customer over the livestock preferences of our new ruler. The lows that our beloved guards would stoop to just to get out of doing their job...
I shook my head. "Anyways. My point still stands--Ordon's the only brand that anyone has ever heard of anymore. And I hope you realize one of the members of the Resistance is actually from Ordon--he and his family are here to be recognized today." I narrowed my eyes. "I highly doubt coming to this ball and insulting their hometown to their faces is going to make anyone from that village willing to sell to you."
The man scowled and opened his mouth to retort. But before he had a chance to make any sort of reply, a sonorous voice cut him off.
"Gentlemen, I believe that is quite enough." The lady of the hour herself interrupted them. Zelda had unexpectedly entered the conversation, and she looked quite nettled. "This dance should be a time for celebration, not petty squabbling amongst my honored guests." The two noblemen actually bowed their heads in shame. "Our apologies, Your Grace." they said at nearly the same time. Once she was finished rebuking them, to my infinite surprise, the queen of Hyrule turned towards me.
She regarded me for a moment. "Miss L/N--just the woman I was looking for. Would you care to step onto one of our balconies? I think you would especially appreciate the fine work of our gardeners."
There was a look in her eyes I couldn't quite place. I nodded, unsure of where this was going, and she promptly took my arm. She guided me through a quiet corner of the ballroom, up a small stairwell, and past a pair of waiting guards flanking a pair of doors on the second floor. "Niles," she nodded to one of the guards, and he and his partner immediately opened the double doors. Zelda motioned me into the doorway, and the two of us stepped out onto the balcony.
***
I wasn't sure what warranted a private audience with the Queen of Hyrule. But Queen Zelda and I were alone on the balcony. The door clicked behind us, and I thought I heard the lowering of a bar as well--probably Niles' doing. Whatever we were going to talk about apparently required absolute privacy.
The gardens really were beautiful-- several flowering hedges were arranged neatly beneath us, giving off sprays of muted color in the torchlight. Though the light was dim, I thought I spotted some of the herbs that I used for healing climbing up some nearby trellises. Cracks and holes in the garden walls--probably from the war-- were tastefully covered over with collections of wildflowers and ivy, and a long row of parallel trees formed a sort of arched path leading to and from the ground entrance. It really was quite beautiful--but I had the distinct impression we were not here to discuss the work of the castle gardeners.
"How fare your travels?" The queen spoke after a long silence. It seemed clear by the tone of her voice that this wasn't what she was really getting at.
"I...they've been going...well..." I answered, not even sure if that was the truth anymore.
"Has he told you..." The queen actually hesitated. "Has Link told you anything about what exactly he is looking for?"
Okay, what? I forgot my place and stared at her, thoroughly offput. "No, he hasn't...Ilia asked me that same question. May I ask why it seems to be so important?"
Zelda was silent for a long while, staring at the castle grounds below.
"...Ilia knows only the bare minimum--which is a good thing, because too much knowledge of these things can, in all seriousness, corrupt your mind." I started at that, but Zelda, perhaps not noticing, continued on. "The gods, in their wisdom, sealed the knowledge of these things away. Only a few people have been granted the full truth about them. I am one of those people, and Link,"--here her voice gained a hard edge--"Link should be another." She paused. "Please tell me everything he's told you about what you are looking for."
I obliged, beginning with his initial request for help and ending with our ill-advised trip to Kakiriko--I figured she already knew about Ordon, given that was where they'd sent our invitations. When I finished, she was quiet for a long while.
"I don't mean to scare you..." Zelda hesitated again. "But I have an idea that what you two are seeking may, in fact, be dark magic."
"Dark magic?" I replied, bewildered.
"Of the same brand that cursed our world into twilight. Older than that, actually. And more powerful."
...More powerful than the magic that killed my mother and so many others.
"It is ancient magic. In fact it was once used to attempt to seize the Sacred Realm, in the old wars of the dark interlopers."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Magic is not inherently evil. It only becomes so when it is used by the wrong people for the wrong reasons. And this...friend of his, if that is truly what he chooses to call them, could use this 'dark' magic properly--could and did, for it was their people's magic by rights. But this magic in the hands of a Hylian--especially one who has been chosen by the gods, and who already holds a piece of the Triforce..." Here the queen stopped, as if trying to check her words. "...Even so-called evil things can be reworked for good--we have seen this often enough in Hyrule's history. But you must understand: the original power of the Fused Shadows was to corrupt, and--if given the chance, and placed in the wrong hands--corrupt they shall." Zelda shook her head. "It would bring disaster if, in the heat of the moment, the power was too much for him to handle."
"He--" I was almost too scared to even speak at this point. "He says he's only focused on finding them. I...I don't think there's much room in his mind for anything else...any other way that he could use it..." Here I trailed off. What did I know about it? If the Queen of Hyrule herself was concerned, who was I to say what Link would or would not do, given the chance?
"...I sincerely hope that what you say is true." Zelda hesitated a long while before replying. "Link is...one of the most noble people I have ever had the privilege to meet. But even he was tempted--for a moment--when he was first told by the light spirits of the kind of power this magic could bring. He willingly gathered this magic for his friend, and never once sought to take it for himself--there were bigger problems to deal with then. But there have been two years of relative peace in the meantime--his composure may have slipped. The very fact that he has resorted to looking for this power in the first place says something to me."
"Which is why..." Zelda sighed. "Which is why I am not sure of his intentions with this."
"He says he is only seeking out his friend, and I am sure that is what he intends to do. But the magic I speak of, in the hands of a Hylian...its corruptions run far and deep in our history, and I am sure it can tempt a man without his even knowing it. And Link got close enough to touch them--remained close enough to touch them for several months.It is true that the Triforce of Courage could have protected him from being corrupted...but years have passed since the land of Hyrule was truly in a crisis. This magic the two of you are seeking, it was created from malice--the anger of the interlopers that burned against the gods--and malice grows. It can seep in and cloud even the most disciplined of minds." The queen had turned back towards me now, and was staring at the ground.
"It disturbs me that he has been so secretive about some elements of his plan and so forthcoming about others. He is seeking out the Fused Shadows; that I am sure of, after everything you have told me about where he's been. But if he means to use them for good, why would he not say so? Speaking in generalities, deflecting questions, avoiding explanations until the critical moment--that is what really bothers me. It is not that I don't trust Link--I have trusted him with my life many times over, and I still do. But these powers I speak of may have him in their grasp already. No doubt, when he finds he will use them to find his friend--but after that, what then? Because when all of their power and potential is there, laid out at his feet..."
Zelda finally looked up at me, and the fear in her eyes shook me to the core.
"I am not so sure he'd be willing to throw away all of that power after just one use."
***
I stepped back into the ballroom, thoroughly shaken. The uneasiness I had been feeling ever since we had gotten back from Ordon had graduated into full-blown dread.
Zelda had followed behind me, her face like a cheerful mask as she smiled to the waiting guests. She had tried to reassure me after that intense conversation, but I wasn't having it. Now I watched as she stepped up to the nearby podium to give the address she'd prepared as if the last ten minutes hadn't even happened. "Dear friends, honored guests, we are gathered here today in celebration of the accomplishments and heroic resolve of the organization known as the Resistance. Their resourcefulness in battling the forces of Ganon and willing cooperation with the Hero allowed them to..."
I tried to be respectful and pay attention to the speech, but my mind was a blur.
How in Din's name was I even going to begin to bring this up with Link?
Where even was he? I scanned the crowd as Zelda continued her speech. Link was still nowhere to be found, and as I glanced over the rest of the Resistance, it became apparent that he hadn't been for some time. Rusl and Uli were glancing over the crowd with confusion, and Eliza seemed to be looking for him too. Shad--apparently Ashei had caught up to him after all-- caught my eye, a worried look on his face. He mouthed from across the room. Have you seen Link? The best I could do was give a weak shrug in reply.
Sighing, I began searching the ballroom with my eyes, trying to see if we'd missed anything--and then suddenly I didn't need to, because the hero in question had just called my name. He waved and walked over from a corner of the ballroom. As he walked over I noticed a castle door sliding shut behind him. Shad was already back--so what had Link been up to all night?
Making this easy for him, I decided to just ask. "Hi, Link." I said quietly. "Where'd you run off to?"
"Busy," he responded. "Had some things in the castle to take care of. I'll tell you later."
All delightfully vague answers--though I couldn't tell if that was because we were out in public or for some other reason. But I just nodded, tried not to let my suspicions show and fell in line as we made our way back to the crowd. I clapped politely as Zelda ended her speech, and followed the rest of the crowd out as the ballroom doors were closed and we gathered our weapons and items back.
The Resistance Ball was officially over.
***
I stayed silent all the way back to Telma's.
For once, Eliza didn't seem to catch on to the nature of my silence, or if she did, she didn't think it wise to speak up. Which was good--I wasn't sure if I had a good answer ready for her.
Zelda's words were important to keep in mind--but I didn't need to start getting too paranoid. After all, I hadn't been pushing for answers or even asking questions as much as--I guess--I should have. If he were willing to talk about it, maybe we could get this resolved.
As Ethan pushed open the door to Telma's and let us in, I thought about the best way to go about bringing this up with Link. The bar was subdued--half the usual suspects were not at their barstools, and even the 'left table near the back' crew of Hyrule soldiers had dispersed. Whether this was because of the ball or the lateness of the hour I could not say.
In any case, the members of the Resistance converged on their own private table. Link gave some short farewells, and told me he was headed out to make some preparations for the next part of our journey. He turned and made his way towards the door, but I followed.
"Hey, Link?" I began quietly. "That--uh, that conversation we talked about earlier? I think now would be a good time to have that."
Link turned back to me, surprised. He cast a glance at the few soldiers who were still hanging about the bar, and then to the unabashedly curious faces of the Resistance, who had noticed his delay. "Y/N, can't this wait until tomorrow?" He cast a wary glance at all the listening ears and prying eyes around us. "...I really think this should wait until tomorrow..."
I looked around too. Link probably figured that such sensitive information shouldn't just be talked about in the open. Right. That was reasonable.
I'm definitely not justifying this to myself at all.
"Then..." I lowered my voice. "Can we at least talk outside? Or somewhere more private? I just really think we should discuss what we're—"
He took a large step back and sighed. "No. Y/N, we will talk about this in the morning," he said, as if the decision was final. I stared at him blankly, and noticed that strange look in his eyes again.
Again, Zelda's words rang in my head. "Speaking in generalities, deflecting questions, avoiding explanations until the critical moment--that is what really bothers me."
Well, it bothered me too. But fine. We could talk in the morning, if that's what he wanted.
This didn't seem like him at all--but pointing that out would probably lead to this getting worse somehow. I sighed, and was about to concede when I noticed Link's face had gone blank. He turned toward the door to leave--and as he did, I heard him mutter something.
"...and if you keep pushing me about this you might not get any answers at all."
I'm sorry, what?...No. That's it. I'm putting my foot down.
"Link!" I grabbed him by the arm just as he went to push open the door.
"We need to talk--right now--or this little deal of ours is off."