underFlorence

Sorry for the delay, it was hard to find motivation these past few weeks.

Link woke up to a rummaging sound that had become quite familiar to her at this point. She opened her eyes and turned to look at what was going on, only to immediately feel a soreness all over her body. Her chest hurt the most; the wound was acting up once again; her legs were… fine, actually, which was impressive considering the sheer distance she’d run over the past day. Though that also likely explained her chest aching this much. The fact that her sleeping arrangements had been suboptimal at best likely hadn’t helped things, either. Although she was used to sleeping under the stars, she’d normally have packed at least something to make her rest more comfortable. However, she’d only been intending the trip to Hyrule Castle that started all this to be a mere dungeon crawl—get to the top, rescue the princess, get out, and then restock later whenever she’d have to travel somewhere else. Naturally, she hadn’t taken into account that she might be dropped into an entirely new world in the middle of nowhere.

She looked towards Bee, and the merchant still hadn’t noticed Link being awake. She hadn’t really made much of an effort to actually communicate that fact, so this was unsurprising. They were presently digging through their stuff, trying to find… something. She tried to make herself known, just a simple “Good morning!”, but her voice came out as a croak that soon turned into a nasty cough. It was then that she noticed that, amongst all the other things bothering her body, her throat was as dry as desert sand. Thinking back, that was only reasonable, of course, considering that she had only drunk two potions in the last day or so. But she really should’ve spoken up about this sooner. Bee seemed like a well-prepared person, so they probably would’ve had at least a little water to sell.

Link’s coughing fit soon attracted Bee’s attention, and they immediately hurried over to her side with a worried look. “Woah, uh… you okay?” She shook her head when she wasn’t busy coughing and pointed a finger at her throat. Bee looked at them with a puzzled look. “What do you… Oh. I see.” They dashed back to her bag, the sounds of carelessly throwing out stuff mixing with the still-ongoing fit. Finally, the rummaging sounds stopped, and then Bee was at her side again, holding Link’s head still with two hands while pouring water from a waterskin down her throat with the others.

Link spit out some of the water at first, spilling droplets onto herself and Bee’s clothes. Thankfully, the coughs soon subsided and she was back to normal. Well, her throat still hurt like crazy, and the rest of her body was in rough shape, but at least she didn’t feel like she was coughing her lungs out anymore. Bee handed Link the waterskin before warning her not to drink it all at once, as tempting as that might have sounded. They sat against the tree Link had been sleeping on, giving her a worried look. “Goddess, next time tell me when you’re this dehydrated. I know most people need to drink more often than me, but I expect you to watch out for yourself, y’know?”

Link nodded meekly. “Sorry, it’s just been a lot of stuff vying for my attention, so I kinda…” She scratched her head and looked away. “…Didn’t really realize? I know that sounds silly, but I genuinely didn’t notice there was anything wrong until this morning. Or at least not that it was this bad.” She really ought to start paying attention to what her body needed. No more neglecting herself from this day on! She pumped her fist to emphasize her plan before drinking a big gulp of water.

With an uneasy smile, Bee looked down at Link. “Yeah, with that wound I can imagine you being too preoccupied to notice. How’d you get that, anyway?” Link looked down at her abdomen, recalling the fight against Agahnim. How she’d failed to block the orb. How he’d electrocuted her. How she’d thought she’d had the upper hand, only for him to have sent her here. How she’d looked back then; how she’d thought of herself. She shuddered; she really didn’t want to tell Bee about that. Besides, Agahnim was likely unheard of in this realm. She could say it was just some powerful wizard, but then she might get in trouble if they asked for a name. “Hey, Link, you there?” Bee’s inquiry once again almost made Link jump up in the air. Almost. She’d gotten better at controlling her reflexes. Although all her muscles did tense for just a second.

Link leaned her head on her palm. “Yeah, sorry, just… reminiscing, I guess. There aren’t really any good memories related to that encounter.” How would she best explain this in a way that was least likely to be contradictory? Best to keep it as vague as possible. “I was fighting this wizard, and a fireball hit me. Weirdly enough, my shield did nothing to block it—it went straight through it. And then, it slowly passed through my insides. It hurt like crazy.” Link took another sip from the waterskin. Talking for a long time still wasn’t very pleasant to her throat.

Bee looked lost in thoughts. “Huh. Can’t say I’ve heard of any magic like that before. You’d think a mage like that would be more well-known. What’d you say their name was?” Agahnim’s name was famous all over Hyrule, of course. Whether you were supporting his tyranny, fighting it or cowering in fear, even the most remote areas of Hyrule had caught wind of his vile doings.

However, as for what she’d tell Bee, Link thought it’d be best to keep it vague. While Agahnim was so full of himself that she couldn’t imagine any encounter with him ending without him spitting out his own name at least a few times, more information meant more material to be contradicted with down the line. Everyone knew of Agahnim back in Hyrule, so describing his power was bound to bring up issues when Bee wouldn’t recognize the name. Or worse yet, they would recognize the name, and Agahnim would turn out to be the ruler of this place. “Ah, I don’t think he told me,” she simply stated. That ought to do it.

Bee looked at Link with a worried look in their eyes. “I really hope this doesn’t lead to any further complications.” When Link looked at them with a confused look in her eyes, they elaborated. “Well, the issue is that with magic you never know the full extent of it until either you’re dead or they’re dead.” She pulled out a green rupee from her pockets and began playing with it absentmindedly. “We know that upon impact, the magic burned you, yeah? But who knows what other magic had been embedded in it? It’s usually easier on one’s resources to afflict someone with long-lasting effects, so it’s possible that those could be even more severe.” Link gulped. “And if we don’t know who it was,” Bee continued, “there won’t be any way to confirm what’ll actually happen—wizards tend to have some kind of established pattern to their magic. Or, in the worst case, you might have to kill him to undo the effects.”

That was definitely not something Link had heard of back in Hyrule, so she was hopefully safe. But, then again, Agahnim had clearly known about the Dark World, so maybe he’d learned these kinds of curses? “Wh-when would I… realize the effects?” she mumbled. She really didn’t want to deal with yet another issue. Her abdomen was far from healed, and if a curse could be even worse, she didn’t know how she’d be able to take that.

With a shrug, Bee replied. “Sorry to say, but I’m not an expert on these things. Just heard that from some customers, y’know?” They looked at Link with a remorseful glance. “That said, maybe you could describe how he looked? I could ask around about it and then tell you if we ever meet up again.”

“Uhh, yeah.” Link didn’t have high hopes of this actually working out, but if Agahnim had gone to the Dark World to learn this curse, there was at least a chance that someone might’ve seen him. “So, basically, he wore this big red cloak. Also seemed full of himself, always going on some big rants about how he was the greatest or whatever.”

Bee raised an eyebrow. “And he didn’t mention his name once during those? Nothing like, ‘Oh, I am the great something something, and I shall be your end’?” Link cursed herself for contradicting her earlier statement. She should’ve kept it as vague as possible.

So all she did was give an uncertain shrug. “I guess he just didn’t think it necessary?” Then she had an idea. “Also, to be honest I was just ignoring him whenever he started doing one of those. You know, voice raised, makes himself look massive, but then it just went in one ear and out the other for me. Maybe he mentioned it? I didn’t pay attention, though.” Best to sprinkle in some truths here. If she hadn’t known Agahnim’s name before the confrontation at Hyrule Castle, she definitely wouldn’t have known it afterwards.

Bee laughed at that comment, and Link cherished that sound. She was really glad that she could enjoy Bee’s presence in the midst of this strange situation. It made her feel at home in a way that she hadn’t felt in a long time. “Oh, Goddess,” they said through their laughter, “I wish I could’ve been around for that.” Between their sentences, they took a long breath. “This guy thinking he’s the greatest and you just standing there nonchalantly.” They wiped a tear out of their eye. “Now I wanna help you find him even more so that I can be around when you smash his face in or whatever.”

Link just nodded wordlessly at that. Bee was right, she had to confront Agahnim eventually. Rescue the princess, save the kingdom, all that stuff. In the midst of these thoughts, her stomach grumbled. She supposed finally eating something would be as good of a start on that journey as any. “So, do you have, erm, any rations or something like that you could sell me? I haven’t eaten since com— I mean, in over a day.”

With a sigh, Bee covered their head in their palm. “Goddess, you sure weren’t very well-prepared, huh?” They got up and went towards their backpack. “Lemme see what I can find…”

Link felt incredibly frustrated at that. She had been prepared—for a dungeon raid. Not for getting thrown into a whole new world. She thought back to her food stash at her home and all the rations she’d stored there because she might’ve needed them eventually. And now she did need them, but they may as well have been nonexistent at this point. And Bee probably thought she was just… just some idiot kid who first got injured, almost died of dehydration or something and didn’t even pack any rations. She couldn’t tell Bee the truth, because who in their right mind would believe her, and yet this didn’t feel like it was in any way a better situation.

“Hey… you okay, little bunny?” Link looked up to see Bee gently smiling down at her, and her cheeks were wet with tears. She hastily wiped them away. How come all these things were now getting to her? She used to be so good at just… keeping a neutral expression. “Link? You there?” they inquired.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Link replied shakily. She didn’t really feel fine, but she shouldn’t be burdening them with that. They’d been nothing but kind to her.

However, Link didn’t see what she was expecting to see. She was preparing for that “Oh good, I won’t have to take care of this” expression she’d seen drawn on many people’s faces whenever she’d deflected their mock concern.

Bee, however, looked even more concerned if anything. In spite of that, they merely nodded in response. “Alright, if you say so.” It didn’t sound like they really believed her, but that was okay, they’d forget about her worries soon enough, just like everyone else had. They obviously had more important things to worry about than Link of all people.

“Either way,” they explained, “I don’t usually sell rations because, well…” They scratched the back of their head. “Well, usually the people I meet don’t really need rations. So this is part of my rations.” Link immediately raised her hands in protest, not wanting to take even more things away from them after the water she’d been given. Bee, on the other hand, immediately shook their head in response. It felt like a well-studied routine, as if Bee had known beforehand that Link would refuse. “Listen, Link, I don’t want you to starve, alright? Plus, it’s fine, I packed more than enough. So here, just take this. No arguments.” With those words, they practically pushed a wrapped bundle of what she assumed must’ve been rations into her hand. Link swore she could tell they were glaring at her. Crap. Did she piss them off? But she’d done everything she knew to avoid confrontations!

Link put the rations aside for the time being and rummaged through her pocket. “So, how many rupees will that be?” she asked over her shoulder.

Bee sternly shook her head. “No payment.” Link opened her mouth to protest, but this time there was no room for doubt that they were glaring at Link, and that was enough to shut her up. “You’re gonna take this, and you’re gonna eat it.”

Link felt sick to her stomach accepting it. She was just being a nuisance. Why did Bee even bother? They must have lost so many rupees to her already, just offering her all these things. But she also didn’t want to make them even angrier, and in this case being reasonable and refusing this gift seemingly wouldn’t help with that.

So she gave in and unwrapped the bundle in her hands. She’d almost expected something completely outlandish, like monster guts or something, but it was just… bread and cheese, from the looks of it. Bee was still watching over her, so she tentatively tasted a bit of the bread. It weirdly enough felt sweeter than she was used to, but aside from that it wasn’t much different from Hyrulean bread she’d enjoyed since her childhood. The cheese was a lot more intense than anything she’d ever tasted. She’d heard that cheese from goats would taste somewhat like that, so was that what they used for their milk? Or, more likely, some goat monster? Either way, it was just what Link needed on her empty stomach, and she chomped it down in record time.

With that, Link was well-rested, rehydrated and nourished again. Only thing left to do was get going to the Palace of Darkness, conquer that dungeon and move on to whatever Sahasrahla would indicate as the next target. She knew it was roughly where Eastern Palace would be in Hyrule, but she had no idea where she even was right now, neither in Hyrule terms nor in Dark World terms. She didn’t really want to risk agitating Bee again, but they were her only choice if she didn’t wanna blindly walk around until she’d find someone else. And chances were that they might be more murder-y than Bee was.

So with a sigh, Link decided to ask Bee for directions. “Hey, Bee.” They looked at her intensely again, and it made Link shiver. “Listen, uh, w-would you happen to know where the, erm, Palace of Darkness is?” she asked while tripping over her words. Their glance didn’t let up.

“Well yeah, there’s a few prominent landmarks around it,” they explained offhandedly. “Why.” There was the stare again.

“I-I need to go there.” She didn’t elaborate on why; she figured that’d only make even more of a mess out of this whole already-a-mess situation.

Bee’s glare intensified. “On your own?” they asked. Link’s mind raced with ways to answer this. It was clear which answer to that question Bee didn’t want to hear, and that exact answer was, unfortunately, the truth. So Link either had to tell the truth or invent some imaginary person that would be going with her. And Link knew that, at this point, further lies would only contradict each other eventually. So she told the truth.

“I’m gonna go on my own,” she replied while standing up. She didn’t know why Bee was so focused on these things—she surely didn’t matter to them—but she was going to stand her ground on this. She was Link, an esteemed knight of Hyrule, and although that title might not mean much in this realm, she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Hyrule needed her; the kidnapped women needed her—the “maidens,” as Sahasrahla kept referring to them. And neither Agahnim’s troops nor her former classmates in Hyrule nor Bee were going to stop her.

Bee shook her head. “You can’t,” they muttered quietly. “Do you have a death wish?” Their voice erupted, causing birds (or other kinds of winged animals, Link hadn’t seen any of them close enough to make sure that those weren’t snouts on some of them) to flee from the treetops. 

Link could once again feel tears welling up, but she didn’t care. “I get it,” she replied with a sobbing voice, “You think I’m incompetent and can’t do shit on my own, but I don’t care; I’m gonna do this. I-I have to do this.”

Bee pounded one of their fists against a tree, sending branches flying. “Do you seriously think that’s what this is about? I couldn’t care less about how strong you are, but the Palace of Darkness is not just a place you go to all by yourself! You should know that, for the Goddess’ sake!” Link could swear she could see liquid pooling up in their eyes at this point.

Bee might have had a point, but that couldn’t deter Link. Surely Sahasrahla would know about that, and yet he’d suggested she go on her own. It couldn’t be that dangerous, then. “I don’t know your measurement for that, but listen, I’m strong; I can do this; I—”

“Would you just shut up?” they exploded. “This isn’t about strength or whatever,” they added in a smaller voice. They dropped down, propping themself up against a tree. “It’s just, first you run around with a wound worse than any I’ve ever seen with barely any healing on it; then you just… forget to drink? Then you don’t wanna take my food even though you’re clearly super hungry? And now this? Adventurers only go to the Palace of Darkness on their own if they don’t ever plan on coming home.” They chuckled darkly. “Is that what this is? Do you not want to live? Or do you just… not value your life?”

Link didn’t know how to respond. She expected anger, and she got some of that, but she didn’t expect… whatever this was. She simply didn’t want to make her problems someone else’s issue! Was that so hard to understand? “I-I’m sorry; I just didn’t want to be a bother… I thought you had better things to worry about.”

Bee looked like they were at their wit’s end. “I was literally saying that I was giving you the rations for free! Would you rather starve than be a bother?” Link hesitated for a few seconds before slowly nodding. “Oh Goddess. So it’s like that, huh. It’s not that you want to die, you just don’t care about living. You don’t care about yourself.”

Link contemplated those words. Wasn’t that what had always been expected of her? Do this, do that, excel in classes, excel in training, follow her teachers’ words, follow Sahasrahla’s words. “I’m just not being selfish, that’s all,” Link protested meekly.

“Listen,” Bee’s words came from behind a nearby tree, softer than she’d heard them be so far. “I’d love to be able to magically make you believe that your life has value, that your opinion, your enjoyment, has value. However, I can’t do that in a few seconds. But…” They lifted themself up, stretching out a hand to Link. “Well, I’m gonna make myself be your problem from now on. I’ll come with you to the temple and make sure you take care of yourself, alright?”

Instead of taking their invitation, Link buried her arms under her thighs. “I don’t wanna bother you even more; it’s fine. I can handle myself. Don’t wanna disrupt your business even more.”

Bee shook their head with a sigh. “Listen, I’m gonna come with you whether you want to or not. Someone needs to show you the way, y’know?” They smiled gently before looking away for just a few seconds, avoiding eye contact. When they were looking at Link again, they added, “Plus, I wanna be with you, alright? I don’t wanna say goodbye indefinitely just yet, so I’m doing this for me just as much as I’m doing it for you, if not more.”

Something about those words triggered something in Link. That outstretched arm was now looking like a piece of rope someone had hung down for her, her one way out of a dark pit. She grabbed it, and she pulled; she pulled because some internal part of her needed this, needed someone to care about her. It wasn’t a very strong pull for someone of Bee’s stature, all things considered, but the surprise proved to be enough to make Bee lose their balance and come tumbling down right on top of Link. Thankfully, they managed to stop their fall by grabbing the tree Link was leaning against.

With Bee now so close, Link threw all that she’d been taught away. She’d thought she’d done this already, but clearly there was more about her that was somewhat messed up. Something more deep-seated. She’d always been able to enjoy herself just fine, to some extent. To take care of herself. But only when it was her and only her. Other people had always imposed restrictions and made her feel awful about herself. But Bee… they were different. They were like her uncle, if her uncle was also a pretty bug person and cooler and even more caring, somehow. Instinctively, Link grabbed hold of their chest and hugged them tightly. She needed that contact now; hugs had always calmed her down when she’d been with her uncle.

Bee seemed a little surprised at first, but soon kneeled down to make this whole embrace more comfortable. They hugged Link back with their lower arms, firmly but securely, almost as if they were afraid to break her, and ruffled through her hair with their upper arms, making sure not to disturb her ears. Link thought she’d felt good about herself before, but this was the first time she’d really felt whole. After a lifetime of being someone else and a lifetime plus a day of being alone, Link finally felt whole. “It’s gonna be okay, little bunny,” Bee reassured her, and Link believed them.