I N T R O D U C T I O N

Hello! I'm pyropandaemonium on Fanfiction.net, so if you see the same stories, it's not plagarism.

I thought I'd put up my story here...

I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT MY ORIGINAL PLOT AND CHARACTERS.

Current Project: Underground Dream
2/15

A R C H I V E

Underground Dream (In Progress)

“There,” Aryll suddenly said, and she was uncharacteristically quiet and serious. Link, shaken out of his musings, immediately turned to look at his sister and followed her intense gaze until he spotted what they had come searching for.

“Yes,” he said softly. “That is Zelda Nohansen.”

Ch. 1
Ch. 2

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She squinted her eyes, pulling the edge of her sunhat a little over her eyes. The bright glare was unforgiving and harsh to her; after all, the thirteen year-old spent most of her life underground. Even so, Aryll thought with a smile as she smoothed the wrinkles on her dress, it was a pleasant change to be outside.

The young preteen waited patiently on the sidewalks of the busy streets. People barely gave her a second glance, and she hid a secretive smile. She knew how to remain inconspicuous; in fact, it had become second nature to all of…them.

A few minutes later, a tall, well-built young man strolled nonchalantly through the crowds in her direction. His somewhat messy, dirty blonde hair surprisingly attracted little attention; neither did the blue earring that he sported.

“Goddesses, Link,” Aryll greeted cheerfully as she fell into step next to her brother, “you took your sweet time getting here, didn’t you?”

The young man in question simply smiled a strained smile at his younger sister. “Yeah,” he replied absent-mindedly, searching the crowds. “Do you really think the Nohansen will be here? Today?”

Aryll rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yes, she really will be. Stop worrying; it doesn’t suit you.”

Link visibly relaxed, and his smile was much more natural and confident. “Right; sorry, Aryll. It’s just, if she is a Nohansen…”

His sister merely smiled and nudged him. “Come on, let’s walk a little faster. We can sit at one of those little tables at the café. We’ll have a clear view of her from there.”

With a decisive nod from Link, the two quickened their pace. They made their way easily down the block, barely glancing at the dirty and rundown stores that lined the streets; they knew the area like the back of their hand, having grown up in the general vicinity.

Within a few minutes, the two siblings arrived at the café, and Aryll hopped into the shop while Link seated himself at one of the tables outside. Pensively, he studied the passers-by on the other side of the sidewalk, and every time the sunlight reflected off a head of blonde, his gaze became piercing for a moment before returning to his previously polite indifference.

A few seconds later, Aryll triumphantly returned with two cups of pitch-black liquid. “The best coffee in Hyrule,” she announced sarcastically, grinning as she handed Link his paper cup.

Without tearing his gaze from the crowd, Link put the cup to his lips and drank slowly. He couldn’t help but grimace at the bitter and cheap taste of the drink. Even after years of it, he still wasn’t accustomed to the sour unnaturalness of the café’s coffee.

“There,” Aryll suddenly said, and she was uncharacteristically quiet and serious. Link, shaken out of his musings, immediately turned to look at his sister and followed her intense gaze until he spotted what they had come searching for.

“Yes,” he said softly. “That is Zelda Nohansen.”

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“Oh, come on, Zelda. You can’t be serious. It’s been two hours, and we haven’t bought a single item of clothing yet.”

Zelda Nohansen averted her eyes as her best friend, Midna, shot her an exasperated look. “Well,” the elegant young woman replied defensively, “I just can’t find anything I want.”

Midna groaned loudly and turned her eyes skyward. “Oh, Goddesses,” she seemed to appeal to them, “Did you hear that? She can’t find anything she wants, even though she has a body any sane girl would kill for.” Turning back to the blonde in question, Midna sighed. “Everything looks good on you, Zel. Why don’t you just choose one? The dinner party, or whatever, is the day after tomorrow.”

Midna’s tone turned sour near the end, as it usually did whenever she mentioned one of her friend’s expensive gatherings. For the umpteenth time, Zelda tried to apologize. “I’m sorry, Midna. You know I don’t like the parties, but I don’t have a choice in whether or not I attend. My father—“

“Yeah, yeah,” Midna interrupted moodily. “Your father is the governor of the town and has to maintain his reputation. Of course, you’re rich and can afford hundred-dollar dresses for the frequent parties. I’ve heard it before, Zel; you don’t have to keep telling me.”

The other girl bit her lip, feeling guilty that her friend was upset about the difference in their statuses. While Zelda was the daughter of the governor and considered as one of the highest class, Midna was…well, Zelda wasn’t even sure what Midna was. She never spoke of her life, but Zelda knew that Midna was not of the same

class. “I’m sorry,” she repeated quietly, but Midna simply looked away. “I know my life seems overly extravagant and luxurious, and I’m spoiled senseless,” Zelda continued, trying to make amends, “but…Midna?”

Her friend did not respond and continued to look across the street, and Zelda turned her head to get a glimpse at whatever had caught Midna’s attention. “Midna?” she curiously asked again.

“What?” Midna asked, turning around to shoot her friend a reassuring smile. All previous animosity was mysteriously gone, but Zelda was simply grateful that her friend seemed in better spirits.

“What was so captivating about a coffee shop?” she teased, glancing at it again. There was nothing interesting there; no patrons were sitting at the tables in front of the café. In fact, it looked quite empty, save for a few customers in the shop itself. They were dressed in clothes that were more like rags, and Zelda felt a pang of sympathy which she quickly crushed. She had done all she could to persuade her father that the homeless should be attended to, but he had not listened and simply laughed her requests off as childish desires.

“Did you see that hot guy?” Midna asked breezily, turning to Zelda. “That blonde one, sitting in front of the café?”

Zelda frowned. “No.”

Midna’s smile turned mischievous. “Pity; I know you like those blonde-hair-blue-eye types.”

Zedla flushed. “I do not. I have a boyfriend, you know.”

Her companion merely rolled her eyes and took hold of her wrist. “Let’s go; this is the slummier part of Hyrule, and you’re definitely not going to find a store for evening gowns around here.”

Midna all but dragged her friend a good way down a few streets before they stopped at a flashy-looking store. “Come in here; this is a really famous brand. They’ve got all the current styles.”

Before she passed the doorway, Zelda gave the coffee shop one last thought. There was nothing – and definitely no one – outside of the café except an empty coffee cup, rolling gently on one of the tables.

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Zelda smiled in appreciation as she handed her bags to her chauffeur. “Thank you for coming on such a short notice,” Zelda said graciously. “I’m afraid Midna left quite suddenly.”

Indeed, Zelda reflected as she climbed gracefully into the car and seated herself in the back, immediately after she had purchased an evening gown, Midna received a call on her battered cell phone and excused herself. Zelda sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back slightly. Midna was a very interesting person, Zelda decided. Although the two of them had only known one another for two years, they were quite close.

It seemed odd to many that Zelda and Midna, two so very different people, were friends, but after they had met at the local bookstore, they had become the best of friends, oddly enough. Even as Midna’s best friend, Zelda knew practically nothing about her life. Midna indicated that it was a sensitive subject, and Zelda respectfully refrained from asking questions. She had met Midna’s parents once, and she thought they were quiet and somewhat shady. Their house was really a shack that Midna had been too flustered to invite her into. That was a surprise; Midna was rarely embarrassed about anything.

“Anything the matter, miss?” the chauffeur asked politely as he skillfully navigated the crowded streets.

“No, no,” Zelda assured him and smiled briefly. “I’m simply a little tired from today’s outing.”

The chauffeur nodded knowingly, and they lapsed back into a comfortable silence. Zelda barely registered the chauffeur parking in front of the mansion. Only when her door opened did Zelda look up in surprise, shaken out of her quiet reverie. She stepped out of the car and gazed at the familiar sight of her home.

Zelda admired the elegant architecture of her house. Although the Lake Hylia residential area was filled with expensive houses, Zelda liked to think that the mansion she lived in was most majestic. In the bright sun, the white mansion looked almost like something out of a fairytale.

In an instant, all quiet was shattered as the front door burst open, and a young woman wearing a T-shirt and jeans bounded out. Zelda smiled at her younger sister as she approached the car. “Well, Zelda,” Tetra declared grandly, “Did you happen to buy me anything?”

Zelda smiled at her tomboyish sister and dug around in her bag. “I did, in fact,” she said, pulling out a skirt. Tetra’s face fell comically, and Zelda couldn’t help but giggle. “Not this,” she reassured and held out a dress.

Her sister sighed in relief. “Oh, you’ve saved me. I was afraid I would have to go shopping with Impa for my dress. Thanks, Zel!” Tetra gave her sister a one-armed hug and dashed away into the house to put the dress away.

With an amused smile, Zelda took hold of her bag and walked up the stairs. At the doorway, a maid relieved her of the shopping bag, and Zelda thanked her. Immediately after the maid disappeared, Zelda spotted Impa making a beeline for her, and she had to hide a smile at the sight of her stern nursemaid and bodyguard.

“Did anything happen to you?” Impa asked testily, giving Zelda a protective once-over to ensure that nothing had harmed the young woman.

“No,” Zelda said, fighting to keep from laughing. “I told you it was perfectly safe. See? Not a single bruise or scratch.”

Impa didn’t seem to relax her tense posture, but Zelda knew her bodyguard was reassured. “Hm,” was all the stern woman said before Zelda smiled. “How was your work today?”

Impa worked with a government group called the Sages. Zelda couldn’t help but wince at their name – the Sages? – but greatly respected their work. The group attempted to locate and disband gangs, a huge problem for all those not of the highest class in the city of Hyrule. Zelda had once asked Impa what the gangs did that posed as such trouble, and Impa replied, curtly, that the underground market thrived because of them. All sorts of illegal things occurred due to the gangs, and, then, they were always fighting one another in an attempt to gain complete control of the underground. It was a thankless and almost hopeless task.

“Good,” Impa replied, snapping Zelda out of her thoughts. “But we still have no leads, and it’s been a few years. It’s rather dispiriting.”

Zelda frowned sympathetically. It really had been several years, and they had only located a few of the minor gangs. Sensing Impa’s frustration, Zelda changed the subject to lighter matters. “Where are my brothers?”

At this, Impa sniffed and looked mildly annoyed. “Having another brawl, I suppose,” she said, gesturing with a hand towards the upper levels of the house. “Earlier this afternoon, they decided that ruining the carpet upstairs was good fun.”

Zelda hid a smile and shook her head at her sibling’s antics. “Oh, dear,” she sighed and made her way upstairs.

As Zelda stepped onto the carpet, she felt her weight sink into water. The boys had flooded the floor with it! Unfortunately, the carpet had absorbed most of the water, and Zelda gingerly picked her way up to the third floor. A good portion of the carpet on the stairs was soggy, too.

Once she made it to her destination, Zelda knocked on her brother’s door.

“Come in,” a voice called from inside.

Zelda let herself into Sheik’s room. Her brother was at his computer, typing quickly, and he didn’t bother to turn around. “Is that you, Zel? You’re the only one who ever knocks, besides the maids. Tetra just barges in, and Ralph practically kicks the door down.”

He heard his sister sigh and stopped typing to turn around and look at her with his mahogany eyes. “Look, sis,” he began in his naturally quiet voice, “I know what you’re going to say. Yeah, Ralph is our half-sibling, and I should set a better example, but it was just a little fun, okay?”

Zelda couldn’t help but sound a little upset. “Sheik, we’re both seventeen. You have to grow up sometime, right? Dad and Ambi just got together a few months ago, and Ralph is new to the family, but you’ve already turned him into a partner in crime.”

“Not my fault,” was all Sheik said, and Zelda sighed in frustration. She appealed to her brother, “Look, the party that Dad’s throwing is the first time that he’ll appear in public with Ambi and her son. They have to make a good impression; otherwise, the public will question him.”

Sheik had turned back to his computer and seemed to ignore Zelda. She waited a few moments longer for him to say something before she shook her head and exited the room. When she put her hand on the doorknob, Sheik finally warned, “Don’t reprimand Ralph.”

Zelda rolled her eyes. As if she would even try it; he had quite the devil-may-care attitude, and nothing seemed to faze him.

The young woman retired to her room and sunk into the armchair next to the wall that was made completely of glass. While she was free to enjoy the scenery, anyone on the other side who tried to peer through the wall would simply see their reflection. Zelda loved the view; her room overlooked their land behind their house. She liked to think of it as the backyard, although she was sure most backyards didn’t contain a grove of trees or a small pond and acres of grass.

After a few quiet moments, there was a soft and polite knock at her door. “Yes?” Zelda called tiredly, unable to find it in herself to rise and open the door.

“Master Nohansen says that it’s time for dinner, ma’am,” a maid called from the other side of the door, and Zelda replied, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

She heard the soft pattering of feet die away on the carpet as the maid left, and Zelda remained in her armchair for another minute before hauling herself up to join the rest of her family for dinner.

When she arrived in the dining room, everyone was already waiting for her. She murmured a quick apology, and the talking resumed with spirit. Zelda took a seat to the left of her father and smiled at Ambi, who was sitting across from her. Zelda’s mother had died after giving birth to Tetra, who was a year younger than Zelda and Sheik, the twins. After thirteen years of grief, Daphne Nohansen met Ambi. A year later, they were happily married, and Ralph, Ambi’s son, joined the family at eighteen years of age.

“So, Zelda,” her father rumbled, “How was your trip with Media?”

“Midna, father,” Zelda gently corrected him, but he seemed not to hear her. “It was…fun. Quite tiring, actually, but I did find a suitable dress to wear for the party.”

“Good, good. What of you, Tetra? Dressing suitably has always been a problem when it comes to you and parties.”

The girl scowled and tugged at her shirt. “I hate parties. And, yes, I have a dress.”

Zelda smiled good-humoredly, and the talk was light and cheerful after that. The young woman glanced around the table, studying each of the faces that she came to love so much: her father, her new step-mother, Sheik, Tetra, and Ralph.

After dinner, she and her brother joined her father and step-mother in the study. The four of them discussed the state of the city; while Zelda’s father had an optimistic opinion that the once-reputable Hyrule would soon return to its former state. Zelda and Sheik exchanged glances at this; they were aware that Hyrule had been a place of peace and loveliness in the past, attracting visitors from places as far as Subrosia, but, for the past decade, Hyrule gradually degenerated until it was infamous for the numerous amounts of illegal activity. Other places, such as Labrynna and Holodrum, mocked Hyrule and its governor, but Zelda steadfastly believed that, one day, things would get better.

After an hour of conversation, Zelda and Sheik joined their other two siblings, and the four of them laughed and argued and exchanged gossip about their friends: Quill, Makar, Medli, and Komali, who was Zelda’s boyfriend. The others politely did not mention Midna; Zelda’s father disapproved of associating with those who were not of a reputable social status.

Later that night, as Zelda prepared to sleep, she smiled joyously, content.

Even though Midna was bitter and even contemptuous about the life that Zelda led, she couldn’t help but be joyful of what she had. The happiness and peace that she felt was overwhelming; what more could anyone ask for than a happy family and a roof over their head?

Her life was perfect in every way.

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“Come on, Zel,” the voice on the other end laughed, and Zelda smiled fondly in appreciation at the sound. “It’s just one tiny little drink.”

“We’re underage, Komali,” Zelda protested, cradling her cell phone. “We’d be promoting what Impa anfd the Sages are attempting to prevent.”

The voice sighed. “We’re not going to go join a gang or something like that. It’s just a few drinks! If you’re worried about getting caught, I can get you in, no problem.”

“I don’t like this idea,” Zelda hedged, reluctant to partake in anything that was even remotely illegal. It just felt wrong. She didn’t doubt that Komali could sneak her in, but she still didn’t like the idea of going so strongly against what her father practically stood for: the law.

“It’s just a bit of fun,” Komali persuaded. “And, hey, Quill, Medli, and Komali are going to be there. So, how bad can it be?”

Zelda frowned as she heard of all her other friends. Unlike Midna, these four were offspring of powerful political figures in Hyrule, like Zelda was.

“I…” Zelda trailed off, knowing that her hesitation was driving Komali up the wall. “I just…”

There was a heavy sigh, and Zelda could practically imagine her boyfriend’s frown. “Well, I was going to save this as a surprise, but…Ruto’s going to be there, too.”

That definitely changed things. Ruto had been one of her closest friends, and she was practically like another family member to the Nohansens.

A few years ago, the Sages offered Ruto a position as one of the team; it had been her lifelong dream, Zelda recalled. After Ruto joined the group as their youngest member, she barely had time to send Zelda an email, much less spend the day with her. As the newest addition, Ruto had to prove her worth, and, consequently, she was always very busy. The last time Zelda talked to her friend was almost a year ago, and Zelda desperately missed Ruto.

There was silence for a few seconds before Komali asked, “Zelda? Zel? You there?”

Zelda huffed in response. “You know, I could just call Ruto and ask her to spend some time—“

“No such luck,” Komali interrupted with a hint of smugness. “I already asked her. She said she has some business to wrap up and won’t be free until tonight, but…well, if you really don’t want to, that’s okay. Forget I asked; I can’t persuade you into doing something you don’t want to do. Never mind, Zel.”

“No, no,” Zelda hastily replied, cursing herself for making Komali sound so sad. “I’ll go.”

“Excellent,” Komali crowed, and Zelda couldn’t help but smile wryly. He was such a shameless fraud, and she was ridiculous to give in so easily. “Bring Sheik and Tetra, too, if you want. Oh, and Ralph!”

“No,” Zelda said firmly. “It’s enough that I’m breaking the law, but I’m not getting my brothers and sister into this.”

Komali scoffed. “Your choice. We’ll be meeting in front of Latté at around seven. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty. Sound good?”

“Sure,” Zelda mumbled, feeling her heart sink.

“Great! Love you lots. See you then!”

As she slowly slid her phone shut, Zelda couldn’t help but wonder what she had gotten herself into.


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“Oh, dear, Zelda,” a mischievous voice came from her doorway. Surprised, Zelda turned towards the door and pretended to scowl. “Oh, it’s just you, Tetra. What do you want?”

Her younger sister bounced into the room and smiled widely. “My, my. I don’t think I’ve seen you wear that since…I don’t know, actually. Never, perhaps? Are you trying to look – dare I say it? – sexy?”

Zelda felt her cheeks flush and whacked her sister with the wooden coat hanger she had been holding. “No! Of course not. I just…I don’t know. Ruto will be here tonight, and…I didn’t want to dress like a slob.”

Even to her, the excuse sounded lame. Tetra rolled her eyes and let it slide, perching on the edge of her sister’s bed. “So, dressing to impress? I don’t think that’s going to really change the way Komali acts, you know.”

Zelda bit her lip and turned back to the full-length mirror to look at the pendant that Komali had given her. Self-consciously, she fingered the necklace before adjusting her off-the-shoulders top and skirt. Tetra sighed. “Look. I know you love him a lot, but Komali…he just gives me a weird feeling. Don’t you think he’s a bit of a player?”

Stubbornly, Zelda shook her head. Tetra frowned but hopped off the bed and put her hand on Zelda’s arm. “Just be careful. Okay? I’ll be here if you need me to kick Komali’s ass.”

“Tetra,” Zelda whispered, half-heartedly admonishing her sister, but Tetra just smiled brightly to lighten the mood. “So, why aren’t Sheik and I – and Ralph – invited? We all like Ruto!”

Zelda felt a pang of shame, and she turned towards her sister. Tetra saw the guilt in Zelda’s eyes, and she held up her hands, backtracking. “No worries. I won’t ask.”

Silently, with eyes full of gratitude, Zelda hugged her sister. “I have to go; Komali will be here any moment.”

“G’bye!” Tetra called as Zelda made her way downstairs, where a maid immediately approached her. “Is there anything you need, ma’am?”

In response, Zelda bit her lip and averted her eyes, feeling incredibly guilty for what she was about to do. “Do you know where my father is?”

The maid promptly replied, “In his study, ma’am. Shall I fetch him?”

“No, thank you.” The maid curtsied and bustled off, leaving Zelda to wallow in her regret. Quickly, Zelda walked across the mansion. Once she stood in front of her father’s study, Zelda took a deep breath and knocked.

“Come in.”

Zelda pushed open the door, and her father smiled affectionately at her. “All dressed up, eh? Are you going somewhere?”

“Actually,” Zelda began, hating herself, “Komali told me Ruto came to visit tonight. Might I spend the evening with her?”

Suspicious flared briefly in Daphne Nohansen’s eyes. “And what do you two girls intend on doing tonight?”

“Shopping,” Zelda replied, her mouth dry. She licked her lips and shifted nervously as her father seemed to ponder his decision. Finally, gruffly, he said, “Don’t forget your cell phone.”

Zelda murmured her thanks and closed the door behind her with a knot in her throat. She never lied this drastically to her father before, and she began to wonder where all her integrity had gone.

Distantly, Zelda heard the doorbell ring, and she hurried across the mansion. A maid met her halfway and curtsied. “Master Komali has arrived, ma’am.”

As she spotted the young man, Zelda nodded, dismissing the maid. “Well, hello there,” Komali grinned and slipped his hands easily around her waist to pick her up and twirl her around once. Seeing her forlorn face as he set her down, Komali planted a light kiss on the top of her head. “It’ll be fun,” he promised and led her out the door.

They walked down the round stairs to the car parked on the driveway below. Zelda waved at Quill, sitting in the passenger seat, and she opened the door to the backseat. Medli immediately greeted her warmly, and Zelda smiled in response. Quill was the only one of legal drinking age, she noted dimly but quickly shook her head as if to dispel the negativity she was feeling. She was going to enjoy herself, Zelda decided firmly.

“Where’s Ruto and Makar?” she asked as Komali started the car.

“Ruto’s meeting us at the bar,” Quill replied in his serious voice. “Makar said he would be late.”

Zelda nodded and closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the glass. It was going to be fun, Zelda repeated to herself for the umpteenth time.


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The club pulsated with people, inside and outside. Flashy neon lights spelled “Latté” in fancy cursive, and the throngs of people that waited to get into the club milled about in front of the club, bathed in pink and purple glow. Inside, loud music reverberated throughout the entire club, and booths lined one wall of the floor. Tables and chairs covered some of the ground level and most of the balcony, and the stage dominated the wall opposite of the booths.

Komali excitedly led the group through the club, greeting people left and right. Latté was a place for the highest class of Hyrule to mingle and relax; Zelda, too, knew most of the people there but kept her head down to avoid meeting anyone. It wouldn’t do for the underage daughter of the governor to be seen at a club, although they didn’t seem to mind Komali.

When they reached one of the booths, Zelda let out a small sigh of relief. Threading their way through the crowd of dancers was difficult, and the young woman had begun to feel slightly claustrophobic. Quill, followed by Medli and Komali, had already slid into the booth, opposite of a lone figure seated on the other side.

“Zelda!”

Slowly, Zelda realized that Ruto was the person who had been seated at the table and was now practically throttling her in a hug. “Ruto?” Zelda asked, astonished, “Goddesses, Ruto, what happened to your hair?”

Ruto disengaged herself from the young woman and proudly flipped her sea-blue hair over her shoulder. Normally, she messily pinned her hair to the back of her head, but, tonight, she let her once-black hair frame her face. “You don’t like it?” Ruto crowed, “I did it myself.”

Zelda shook her head, amused. She teased, “Is that for professional purposes?”

“You won’t believe how easygoing working with the Sages is,” she replied, sliding back into the booth and pulling Zelda with her. “I mean, when it comes to work, they’re down to business. But, as people, they’re so cool. I love it!”

Zelda hid a smile and adopted a severe-looking expression. “Why didn’t you call me when you got into town?” she asked, pouting.

Ruto hugged her friend and laughed. “Komali said to keep it a surprise, that’s why! You know I would have called you.”

Zelda smiled fondly at her friend, and Ruto replied with a grin before turning to greet the others. Medli was delighted to see Ruto, and the two exchanged a few words before Komali interrupted them, bearing drinks for everyone. Deftly, Quill poured everyone a cup, and Zelda’s stomach clenched at the sight of the alcohol.

“To Ruto’s return,” Komali intoned gravely before cracking a grin and downing his shot with a single gulp. The others followed suit, but Zelda meekly sipped at the vodka.

“Gah! Oh, Farore! My throat burns!”

Medli peered sympathetically over the rim of her empty cup at Zelda’s plight, but Ruto simply rolled her eyes. “You drink it all at once, silly,” Ruto instructed, pouring herself another cup and demonstrating. “It’s alcohol.”

Zelda moaned and clutched her glass as Ruto tipped more vodka into it. Squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn’t have to see Ruto’s encouraging grin, Zelda swallowed the alcohol and gagged.

Ruto giggled and shook her head. “Silly Zelda, so young and inexperienced,” she sighed mournfully, patting her friend on the back.

“Come on, come on,” Komali said cheerfully. “Tonight’s the night that Zelda is educated!” He poured more alcohol into Zelda’s cup, and she hiccupped, staring unsteadily at the clear liquid. “I have to drink this?” she asked, and Ruto outright laughed. “Yes, smartie.”

At the urgings of her friends, Zelda downed two more shots; when she opened her eyes, everything seemed to blur together for a second. “Wow,” she said, blinking and feeling slightly confused when her sight cleared. “My tummy…feels…Bleh.”

Komali seemed extremely entertained that the sophisticated and graceful Zelda could not hold her liquor very well. “Bleh indeed,” he repeated, amused. Zelda giggled and hiccupped at the same time, eliciting a snort from Ruto. “Zelda, want to dance?”

Zelda blinked once or twice, taking a moment to process Komali’s offer. For some reason, there was a haze that shrouded her brain, but she found it not unpleasant. “Hmm? Dance?” Zelda eyed the dance floor, which seemed so, so far away…but Komali was the one offering.

“Sure,” she replied, slurring the word a little and laughing at herself, feeling buoyant.

Zelda wriggled out of the booth, tripping a little as her foot caught on something. Komali caught her by the arm, and Zelda blushed a little, appalled that everyone had seen her undignified display. She glanced at Komali, but he seemed to be staring elsewhere. Zelda sighed a little before holding tightly onto Komali’s arm. “To the dance floor,” she proclaimed seriously and giggled again.

Komali led Zelda to the middle of the floor, where groups of people pressed against one another, dancing to the beat of the music. Zelda had been staring, wide-eyed, at the other dancers when her boyfriend suddenly spun her around, holding her close. In the flashing lights, his smile looked more like a cold smirk, but Zelda was too inebriated to see.

Feeling Komali’s hands on her lower back, Zelda began twisting and turning, mimicking the others. At first, she was clumsy, and she could practically feel Komali’s laughter, but Zelda was determined. Halfway through the song, her movements had become more fluid, her torso moving one way and her hips the other. Komali’s smirk had disappeared, and Zelda glanced up at him to see that he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Success, Zelda thought wearily. Komali had always been so hard to please, she admitted. And, what Tetra said was right; Komali really was a player, but Zelda hadn’t wanted to admit it. She firmly wanted to believe that Komali had changed after they began dating, but Zelda knew he hadn’t. Abrupt despair washed over Zelda, and she threw an arm over her eyes. The lights were suddenly too bright for her, and the feel of so many others in such a close proximity made Zelda want to vomit.

Komali, realizing that something was wrong, led Zelda back to their booth. Quill and Ruto had gone off to dance, and Zelda spotted Makar and Medli walking towards the floor, too. Gently, Komali helped Zelda into the seat and slid in after her. He threw his arm around her and asked, “What’s up, Zel? It was just getting good, too!”

Zelda propped her elbows on the floor and placed her hands over her face. “Komali, do you love me?”

“Of course I do,” Komali said easily, playing with a lock of Zelda’s brunette hair. “Why ask?”

Zelda removed her hands and looked away, embarrassed. “It’s just…oh, never mind…I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s the alcohol,” she lied weakly, but Komali seemed to accept her explanation.

“Look,” he said, taking her chin with his fingers and running his thumb lightly over her bottom lip. “I’m different from before. I won’t look at anyone but you, and I want you to know that.”

Zelda thought that a troubled look seemed to flash across Komali’s face, but she convinced herself she was seeing things because of the alcohol. “Okay,” she whispered trustingly, and Komali smiled. “Alright! Now, cheer up. Look, here come the others.”

Indeed, Ruto, Medli, and Makar piled into the booth, chuckling uproariously. Their cheerfulness was infectious, and Zelda found herself laughing madly along with them. Quill appeared, a goofy smile on his usually solemn face, and he held up another bottle. “Drinks all around!” Makar cried and poured everyone a cup.

As she reached for hers, Zelda smiled inwardly. The night hadn’t turned out so bad after all.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The entire group continued to talk and enjoy themselves immensely for another hour; Zelda felt incredibly happy and couldn’t stop smiling. Ruto noticed and made suggestive jokes, but Zelda laughed them away; she felt on top the world.

Medli stood up, excusing herself. “Bathroom,” she explained, and Makar whispered loudly, “She’s already had too much to drink.”

Amidst laughter, Medli disappeared into the crowd of people. Komali stretched and said, “I’ll go get us some more drinks.”

Zelda gave him a dubious look, and he beseeched, “Just one more round.” Zelda rolled her eyes, acquiescing.

“Hey, Komali,” Quill called after the young man as he left the table. “Mind if I have one dance with Zelda?”

Komali waved his consent and vanished amongst the pack of people. Quill smiled and held out his hand to Zelda; she blushed and took it, wobbling as she stood up.

On the dance floor, Zelda moved to the beat, feeling more confident. After two songs, Quill murmured, “You’re quite the dancer.”

Zelda flushed with pleasure and hiccupped absently. “I haven’t ever danced before,” she admitted, and Quill quirked an eyebrow in surprise.

Silently, Zelda wished that Komali would compliment her; he hadn’t said a word about her outfit, either. Quill, taking in her slightly frazzled expression, chuckled quietly and took her arm, preparing to steer her back to the table. “I assume you’ve never drank alcohol before?”

At this, Zelda giggled and shook her head. Unfortunately, the action caused her to lose her balance, and she stumbled to her right, bumping into someone.

“Oh, Nayru! Oh, I am so sorry,” the young man apologized profusely, his hands fluttering over the stain that was rapidly spreading across her shirt.

Zelda dumbly stared at it for a moment before brushing off the man with a gentle smile. “It’s alright,” she said. “I’ll just go wash this off.”

With a quick nod to Quill, Zelda made her way to the bathroom, stumbling slightly along the way. As she neared the hallway that led to the bathrooms, Zelda spotted two people pressed passionately against one another.

For the love of Nayru, Zelda groused. Why did the couple have to display in such saccharine emotion in front of her? Speaking of which, she wished Komali would give her a decent kiss. And, speaking of Komali, one of the couple coincidentally looked a lot like him…

Oh, Din.

It was Komali.

Komali and Medli.

Zelda took a horrified step backwards, her heart pounding. Everything seemed to drain away until she was only aware of Komali and Medli, holding each other.

With a gasp, Medli broke away from Komali. Her expression was completely terror-stricken, and Komali turned his flushed face to see Zelda standing near them.

“Oh, Farore – Zelda – I – this isn’t –“

“Save it,” Zelda replied calmly, surprised that she still had a grip on her composure. “I knew you were lying. I should have listened to Tetra; why didn’t I listen to Tetra? Why’d you do this to me?”

The words tumbled out faster than she could stop them, and Zelda took a deep breath to steady herself, realizing that Komali and Medli hadn’t separated. “Forget it,” she whispered and turned on her heel, striding quickly out of the hallway.

She had to get out of here.

Zelda passed the booth without glancing at the others. She ignored their queries and calls and kept her head down until she was out in the fresh air. Zelda took a deep breath, her mind still in turmoil. She just wanted to keep walking without stopping.

So she did.

Zelda didn’t realize that she was crying until she felt the wetness streaming down her cheeks and falling on her collarbones. “Stupid Komali,” she murmured, brushing a hand roughly across her eyes. “Stupid everything.”

A few minutes later, Zelda found herself in a secluded alley. Completely forgetting about the dangers that could have been lurking in the dark recesses, Zelda sat down heavily on the ground and pressed her back against one of the walls, hugging her knees to her chest and pressing her head tightly against them.

Finally, she let go of her tears.

Her sobs were muffled and full of heartbreak, wracking her petite frame. Blindly, she reached up to tear the necklace off and flung it away angrily.

“Whoa, princess!”

Zelda exhaled sharply and looked up, petrified. She hadn’t heard anyone enter the alley, but a young man with dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes was crouching in front of her.

“Who—” Zelda began, but, with an apologetic look, he covered her nose and mouth with a cloth.

She spiraled into darkness.