Babble - Beyond Dimensions

Chapter 30: The one where you do some damage control

Stepping out of the shower you felt like you had just been reborn. Breathing in the misty air you sighed contently before slipping into your favorite pajama that you had stashed at your best friend’s house. Toweling your wet hair you slipped on a set of poofy slippers before leaving the bathroom bordering on the room you stayed in whenever you slept over at your best friend’s house – to the point where Zelda had started calling it your second bedroom - and followed the long hallways back the stairs down and into one of the many living rooms from which you heard loud noise coming.

Entering you quickly realized your mistake at leaving Zelda alone with a bunch of her favorite fictional characters. Because your friend was currently in one of the most epic dance offs of this century with Warriors to “Bad Romance”, with Wind on the sidelines cheering them on, obviously thanks to whatever medicine Impi had given him feeling worlds better and Twilight watching from the nearby table where a forgotten Scrabble laid and a sleeping Sky.

Quick steps and rhythmic movements with elegance and more grace than you could ever even hope to reach, swirling skirts and twirling scarfs and both participants unwilling to allow even one misstep, their dance contest truly was a sight to behold.

The song ended while you stood in the doorway calculating the mess because there were definitely some Links missing in this chain and you did not want to know what exactly the others were up to. When the resulting points were loaded up you gaped at the ridiculously high numbers both participants had gotten and finally Warriors cheered while Zelda gaped and sputtered: “H…how?! That’s my best song! How have you beaten me? Rematch! I demand a rematch!”

Because Warriors had beaten your best friend by one little point.

Quickly seeing your chance you slipped in and pulled your fuming friend aside: “Sure, but first we’ve gotta have that looong talk you promised me. With all the deeds and stuff.” “B…but!” she started to protest pouting but you gave her the “not now” look and she quietened.

Quickly you then turned to Wind and Warriors and announced: “I dare you to do Gangam Style next.” Both heroes instantly squared their shoulders never to back down from a challenge and the youngest hero quickly snatched the control remote from Zelda and once the music played you two quickly slipped out of the room under the watchful gaze of Twilight.

Once surely out of earshot you asked: “What was that supposed to be?!”

“A distraction, duh” Zelda stated with a shrug. “You wanna keep them from snooping you’ve gotta keep them busy.” Then she gave a self-satisfied grin and crossed her arms waiting for your praise.

Instead she only gained your raised eyebrow: “You do realize that there are more than just these four Links to keep busy?”

At that Zelda narrowed her eyes: “Yeah, I know, I’m not dumb after all. I kept them busy with other things, of course, that are sure to keep them invested.”

She smiled smugly and pulled you along into the nearby small theatre, where a lonely Time sat staring unblinkingly at the ridiculously large screen where a ten hour documentation about the first moon landing ran. Zelda smugly showed you the DVD cover and gave you a grin that said: “See, I’ve got everything control.”

You only gave her a doubting glance and quietly stated once you two had left the room behind: “I’m not quite sure how using someone’s childhood trauma against them is a good way to keep them busy?”

“As long as it works I’m not complaining” Zelda gave a shrug and an uncaring grin before pulling you along into the direction of the nearest kitchen and you already knew what was coming before the smell hit you.

Both of you exchanged a worried look before you jogged to where the kitchen was, only to pause in the doorway at the glare that Impi hit you with as she stood there ankle deep in some kind of foam, scrubbing with a mop the dark smoke stains from the ceiling, behind her the smoking remains of an electric herd. Next to you Zelda gasped in surprise: “Impi, what happened?!”

“Luck and two of your guests did” the woman answered dryly, obviously inwardly boiling if judging by the murderous gleam in her fire red eyes.

That was the moment when both of you decided to make your exit because an angry Impi is not one you want to be near.

“So guess Luck’s now on Linksitting duty” you commented dryly. Zelda shrugged: “Well, at least these two then won’t pose a problem anymore. They’re probably by now lost in one of the cellars if they put Luck on guiding duty.”

Too true. Your brother was utterly miserable at directions.

“Well, that makes seven Links taken care of” you gave now with a relieved smile. Apparently Zelda really had decided to wisely plan everything through for once. “What about the last two?”

“Ooh, I’ve got a whole garage full of stuff prepared for them. Mountains of books on modern blacksmithing and newer techniques they can take home and use to bring their times forward immensely” she stated proudly. You doubted that this was such a good idea to give their technologies such a rapid improvement but then a thought came to you.

“Did you say prepare? As in ‘they’re not there yet’?” you voiced, feeling dread settle into your stomach.

“Yep” Zelda said calmly, popping the “p”. “Poor Legend needed to use the toilet direly and sweet Four went with him, so he does not get lost.”

You resisted the urge to facepalm at that statement, given with such trust and conviction it was admirable.

“Zelda…” you began, unsure how to break it to her. “…you do realize they were on the toilet just before we got picked up by Impi? And Legend was not carsick? And he’s the one who’s got the most experience on his back, so definitely is not one to get lost easily?”

Zelda’s eyes widened at that and her face quickly lost its color: “Oh.”

Well, she was a genius in creating plans, only her executing them was troublesome.

“Well, their curiosity is well understandable, this is a whole other world after all” she finally said helplessly. “A bit exploring won’t hurt them, right?”

“As long as you Linkproofed the house before, it should be alright.” Her now ghostly pale face told you another story.

“You have at least locked the Hall of Obsession, right?!” your own voice was trembling by now and you felt like being ready to pass out, a feeling your best friend reflected due to the “Oh Sh’t” look on her face.

A monster headache set in, as did a feeling of existential dread.

Zelda looked ready to hyperventilate.

Okay, time for some damage control.

“Okay, okay, this is fine. There’s no point stressing if they have not found it yet” you stated, forcing yourself to stay calm and optimistic. A plan to do some damage control was direly needed and apparently you were the only one able to think straight in a Link’s presence so that duty fell to you.

“Zelda, you’ve gotta hurry and lock it. Hide the keys somewhere on your body if you can and not where they can find it and hope their game logic extends to real life. I’m gonna search for the missing Links and let’s pray we’re not too late” this gained you a determined nod and then the two of you quickly sped up into opposite directions.
You really, really hoped the Links had not found the Hall of Obsession yet, for that would definitely have only horrendous outcomes.