Chapter Five: A Secret Love's Pain

Pharaoh just sat there, letting me cry into his tunic. He had already asked Yugi what to do but even he wasn’t much help. He sighed as he held me, a single tear fell from his face, blending in with my own. For half an hour we stayed like that, me crying softly into his tunic, and him holding me as if to attempt to comfort me. I knew that he wanted to know the contents of my dream, but I could not tell him until I was sure I could without bursting out in tears. Slowly, I stirred. “Are you ready to tell me what happened now?” I lifted my head and looked into his eyes. His once jet black eyes were now light purple. Maybe the night had some kind of effect on his eyes and made them appear black in the darkness. I sniffed again. Ever so lightly in a voice that was hardly above a whisper, I replied, “Yes. I am ready.” Although it could barely be heard, I said it with confidence. “Go on, please tell me what happened.” I sat with his arm around mine, and him close to me, closer than had ever been before. As I regained more confidence, I told him every single little detail of the dream.

I began telling him about what Yugi told me and that I was afraid of it actually happening. And I told him the details about the battle, like how Link’s sword was knocked out of his hand, and the ring of fire when he tried to go get it. Then I told him about the final moments of the dream. “Then, as the battle starts to end, the creature swats Link down and traps him in a cage. The girl ran to him as he tried to get out. The monster knocked her out of the way and laughed an evil laugh. I couldn’t stand it anymore and I had to try to help him. I ran to the cage just as the girl had done. The monster saw me and grabbed me. Then it saw Yugi. It trapped him in a cage just like Link. It ranted something about it would now rule the world and that I could never set him free. Then it clenched the fist he grabbed me with and tried to crush me. I yell out in pain as I scream a wordless cry for help even though it seems that none will come. Then the dream starts to get foggy as the world shakes. It gets foggier and foggier as it shakes violently as a voice calls out, “Wake up! For the love of Nayru, wake up!” Then I get smacked and immediately wake up.” He admitted that the shaking and yelling was him trying to wake her up. “So…that’s…what happened?” I nodded. Then I looked into his eyes. The peppy light purple I had seen in the morning sunrise was now a dark magenta, looking down on me with care and love. It made me want to hold him and kiss him passionately. Yet I hardly knew this person. Why did I want this so badly from him? I sighed. It seemed that I craved attention, something I hadn’t had in seven years. Something inside me stirred, an unbreakable promise that one makes to themselves and will keep alive at all costs. Even if they have to die to keep it, they will. He held me close once more. Muttering something like, “I didn’t think anything like this would happen…” I ignored his mutterings and sat back, relaxing and listening to the beating of his warm, caring heart.

My eyes wandered to the little island in the middle of the lake. Link was still there, only he looked less shocked. He was unaware of my emotional troubles, but I couldn’t blame him, as he had many troubles of his own. After a long period of silence I finally spoke out loud. “Um…think we should return the horses to the ranch soon? Malon said we could have them for a day, not for a day and a half!” Pharaoh looked to the horses as I ran happily across the bridges leading to the island.

“Stupid guays.” I mumbled as I crossed the thin bridges leading to the island. The guays around here aren’t usually this pesky. Sure they’ll annoy the heck out of you, but the don’t usually try to peck your eyes from their sockets. I wondered if these guays were under Ganondorf’s control as well as all the other creatures around Hyrule. Every creature in Hylia started to act strangely since he took over the castle about six years ago during which he obtained an item of great power. Still, guays aren’t the most dangerous things at Lake Hylia. There are exactly five ferocious Tekities around the edge of the lake. Even when they aren’t under the control of an evil force, they can still get pretty nasty.

I step off the last bridge and call to Link, “Hey, you! Malon told us we could keep the horses for a day not for a day and a half! Are coming to return them with us or not?!” He didn’t seem to respond. I walked closer to him and repeated it again, not noticing a giant blue blur swimming silently in the water. He sighed. Was he still in shock? Sure he was badly shaken yesterday, but shouldn’t he have gotten over that by now?  I moved next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Link, are you okay? I know that Epona is your horse, but can you come with us…” I started to babble, behind me, a giant amoebic creature rose from the water. Link’s visible eye flickered over to the creature. It tried to lash at me, but Link got there first, pushing me out of the way and blocking the attack with his shield. I gasped out of sheer horror, staring the monster in the face…er…um

…tentacle? Whatever it was, it sure didn’t look friendly. Link shot his Longshot at the floating orange thing inside the monster. When it came out of the creature I yelled out with glee unknowing that this was far from over, “Yeah, you did it!” “No, I didn’t.” “Huh?” he slashed at the orange object a few times then it went back in. “What!? I thought you got it!” Seeing that Link was unable to reply, I decided to shut up and let him concentrate.

He was at it for several minutes, and then at the worst possible moment, it used another tentacle and grabbed him by one of his legs. I tried to grab Link but grabbed his satchel instead. The monster swallowed him whole and some little green things were trying to eat him with very little success. It seemed that it was up to me. Lucky for me, his scabbard had been attached to his satchel and I pulled out his sword. Then I rummaged around in his satchel and found the Hookshot (since Link had the Longshot with him inside the creature) and I was ready for battle!

I targeted the little orange thing using Navi, who was glad to help. (Considering that this thing just ate her best friend!) I picked up Link’s shield and blocked the monster’s first array of attacks. Then I got in a little closer and shot the orange thing. It came out and I slashed it several times, as many times as I could. (Man, that sword is heavy! Out of the usual ten strikes Link might get I got, well…four.) It went back in. Again. I sighed, realizing that this was not going to be easy. I blocked one attack after the other, slash after slash after slash. This thing would not give up! Was it under Ganondorf’s control? It had to be, otherwise it wouldn’t be doing this. Amoebic creatures are harmless and won’t even try to attack unless provoked. I locked in on the little orange thing again. Taking it out and slashing it with a amazing seven slashes, I weakened it. As it was trying to recover, I saw my opportunity for a direct hit. I summoned a wave of water from the lake and slowly built up its power. But before I could complete a full tidal wave, the monster recovered some of its strength. Unfortunately for the amoeba, I had just enough power to take it down.

“Hey, you! Jell boy! Look over here!” It lashed at me. Perfect. Just what I wanted. I slammed the wall of water against the giant creature splattering the guts all over the lake and freeing Link (who was covered in light blue slime and had a number of fuzzy green creatures sticking to his clothes). I dropped everything and ran to him.

“Link! Link, are you alright!?” He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at me then he rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Do I look alright!? I’m covered in slime!” I looked at him in the exact same way thinking, “You’ve been worse.” He jumped in the lake the get deslimed. When he came back up he looked okay but he could have smelled a wee bit better. “Now…what do you say?” “What?” “Do I hear a, “Thank you for saving my life,” or a, “Thanks for getting me out of there?” He gave me the same look as he dried off his slime covered sword, “Technically, you didn’t save me. Those little green things were just the remains of a ReDead. If it had been a whole ReDead, yes there might have been danger, but the remains…not so much. But the wall of water thing was pretty cool, I just have to give you credit for that.” Well, okay he gave me credit for the wall of water, and now I’ve got to remind him about what I really came for. Part of me says he deserves this, and part of me wants to spare him from this emotional bit of news. My expression starts to change from being happy and content to being worried and insecure.

I start to stutter some words to him, “Link? I know that you were still affected by what I told you yesterday..” He broke me off saying, “No, wait, I’m over that. I had a good long thought about it and I just hope it won’t come true.” Did he realize that this was no ordinary evil? “I’m just warning you in advance, be prepared. You don’t really know what he could be planning in that citadel of his..” He looked at me playfully, his eyes full of happiness. “I guess you’re right. Now, you were saying something about returning some horses?” I smiled as part of the sadness was lifted with Link’s caring humor.

We returned the horses as promised and had a bit of fun on the way out. “Hey Link! Where are you going next?” He thought for a second. “Hmm…maybe Kakariko Village? I don’t really have any clues as to where the next temple is, so I guess I might find some answers there.” “Hmm. Not exactly the best of logic, but hey, if it’s what works for you, then use it.” “Come on. We can’t be out here at night or else the Stalchilds will get us.” Pharaoh looked at me oddly. “Stalchilds? What are-“ I grabbed his arm and dragged him with me saying, “Uh, you don’t want to know.”

He came with me back to my home, where I cooked up some lunch, (you know how fast time flies in Hyrule) and I tried to forget about what had happened this morning and the dream. Part of me was able and willing to forget, but part of me somehow needed it and couldn’t forget about it. I hid my sadness by humming a song that my mother used to sing to me when I was little. As I sang, my sadness virtually peeled away, sadness and ponder were replaced with happiness and contentment. I danced and hummed this song suddenly remembering the words as I hummed it.

Dancing bears, painted wings, things that I barely remember,

And a song someone sings, once upon a December.

 

Someone holds me safe and warm,

Horses prance through a silver storm,

Figures dancing gracefully, across my memory.

 

Far away, long ago, things that my heart yearns to remember,

And a song someone sings once upon a December.

 

(music plays for several minutes)

 

Far away, long ago, things that I barely remember,

And a song someone sings once upon a December.

 

And a song someone sings…….

 

Once upon a…..December………..

 

I brought Pharaoh some fresh baked bread with steak and mashed potatoes. A feast for a king, I thought. But he was Yugi’s friend after all, and with me being so peppy now, I had more energy than I had in a long time. “Well, you seem to be happy now.” I sighed looking into his eyes. I spoke, “Signing or playing an instrument help me cope with depression. I’m not a peppy, happy person. My life would have been perfect and happy if my village hadn’t been set on fire by those blasted Gerudo bandits.” He looked up from his lunch and tried to say something through a mouthful of food, “Tefy dif wuffat?!” Then he swallowed and tried again. “They did what!? How could they?”

I looked at him sighing, “The Gerudo are bandits. They destroy what they want and take what they wish! They’re not exactly one of Hyrule’s more peaceful tribes.” I cringed when I realized that I didn’t mean to yell at him.

“Sorry.” I said, “I just really hate the Gerudos and their tribe. They do that to you and your family and then poof, it’s all gone in a flash.” I look towards the window and realize I’m depressed again. Will I ever truly be happy? I run my fingers midway through my hair and set my head in them. I look at the pattern on the tablecloth that I salvaged from the fire the day my village burned down. The design made me think of wild horses in their natural state of beauty. So clam, so peaceful, so soothing. Just thinking about the sandy shores of Clock Town Beach made me think of sleep. I started to doze when Pharaoh spoke. “Hey, you want Yugi to talk with you?” I looked up, my eyes tired and dull from lack of sleep. “I take that as a yes. I’ll be right back.”

He washed off his plate and walked into the bedroom. I heard a light hum and Yugi came out, looking at me with worry. My eyes told him I wanted him to hold me, to love me, to give me the attention I had long been deprived of.  He came to me and held out his hand. Eagerly, I took it, and he led me to the bed. I laid on it, awaiting his love, his attention, his sweet, soothing voice. He laid himself next to me, his eyes calling me to sleep. I kissed his lips deeply and relished it for just long enough to fall into his chest, with his arms around me, giving me the love and attention I truly deserved. But a part of me was buried deep, and it wanted more. It wanted to make love to him and call out to him in earnest. But it had not yet reached the surface and it had not yet been seen or felt. I leaned into his soft, caring bodice as he stroked my hair gently. Slowly and softly the stroking stopped, and I knew he was asleep. I reached up and lightly caressed his left cheek, slowly drifting off to dreamland in my lover’s arms. When I awoke it was nearly dusk and I was still in Yugi’s arms. As I watched his mouth drool slightly into the pillow, for one teeny, tiny second, I felt happiness.

As slowly as I could, I scooted up to his face, smelling his dark, wavy hair. I put my hand once more against his cheek and lightly caressed it, again waiting to see his gentle blue eyes open and dissolve my troubles into mere specks of dust.

His eyelids flickered for a second, a reflex that sometimes occurs during sleep. I watched him for what seemed like an hour. He slowly opened one sleepy blue eye and murmured to me, “You feel better now?” I smiled back at him and signaled to him to stay. My parent’s deaths would never truly heal, and I knew that, but a part of me had been deprived of the love and attention that any growing teenager needs to not be emotionally stricken. But I had not had that kind of love in years, and with me feeling I had not had the love that was rightfully mine, my heart’s already frayed emotions could barely hide my depression and anguish. The only thing I had to help me was my music, but only for a time.

But now that I had met Yugi, my desire for love had drawn me to him. I had to tell him, but when I got the courage to, would it be too late? What if all he could do for me was give me comfort? My worried mind buzzed with questions as I stared at the ceiling of my cottage. My love for him was greater than any love I had ever felt before. This was a love that made me want to protect him. I knew that he could do so on his own, but I cared for him too much for someone to even cause him a flicker of hurt.

I had no explanation for this feeling or why it was there. Suddenly something in my mind clicked and I knew what it was. Everyday that passes hurts me when I can’t tell him how I truly feel. But does he feel the same way for me? When will I have the courage to tell him? What will he say? All I know right now is my secret love’s pain.

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