Captain N: Alternative N:

A Chance Meeting

MazterZword had been talking to Tetriad for over two months now. They had met by chance in a chat room on DragoNet and had quickly become more than just friends. They had agreed to meet this day at this hour but both were having doubts. “What if he doesn’t like me?” thought one. “What if he thinks I’m too klutzy?” thought the other.

“Too late,” thought both of them unknowingly at the same time. MazterZword walked out of the warp-train and looked around for the person that he had come to meet – the person he knew would be in blue jeans and a white shirt with tetrads morphed into the shape of a sphere on it – the person he knew as…

“Lyle!” he yelled, dropping his bags as his mouth fell wide open.

“Li-Link!” stuttered Lyle in return.

“You mean you’re…”

“And you’re…”

The two laughed and embraced in a hug. They smiled and Link picked up his dropped bags. After Lyle told about where they were staying for the next few days they slowly walked off towards the hotel.

Soon after Link and Lyle reached the hotel they found themselves each sitting on a bed, facing each other. They were talking about why they had kept who they were secret.

Lyle nodded. “Yes, it would be a bit of a scandal if the media found out!”

Link laughed. “Yeah! The Prince of Videoland being caught with a guy!”

“And that guy being the protector of Princess Zelda, no less!”

Link lowered his head and frowned.

“What’s wrong, Link?” asked Lyle, moving over to Link’s bed.

“I’ve never been around a guy that I know is… and that knows that I’m…”

Lyle rubbed Link’s back. “It’s okay, Link. Don’t worry about it. Your secret is safe with me.”

“And I’m scared.” A tear fell from Link’s eye. “Really scared.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” He continued to rub Link’s back, not quite sure how to react. “Let it all out.”

Link held his face to Lyle’s shirt tightly. Through his muffled cries he said. “I’m so scared… so very scared.”

Lyle looked down at Link and rubbed his hand through the Hylian’s hair. “It’s okay, Link. I’m here and I’m not going to let you go.”

The next few hours went by slowly as Link cried into Lyle’s shirt, which became quite wet from all of Link’s tears. Eventually, though, Link stopped crying and became able to talk again.

“I had no idea what to expect when I came…” Link trailed off.

“It’s okay. It’s starting to get late. Let’s try to get some sleep.”

Link nodded. “Okay.”

Lyle smiled and went back to his bed. “Sleep well,” he said as he went under the bed covers. As Link followed suit he turned off the bed lights Lyle smiled. “I think you’ll like these next few days.”

The next morning Link woke up to the sound of a door closing. He sat up in his bed and looked toward the door to see Lyle walking in with a platter of pancakes, coffee, a sliced orange, and maple syrup on the side. Lyle smiled when he noticed that Link saw him.

“I thought you might like breakfast in bed. You seemed a bit down last night and I thought that this might cheer you up.”

Link smiled as Lyle put the platter down on his lap. “Thanks, Lyle. I really mean it. I mean—“ he laughed. “I’m sorry. I feel so scared still!”

Lyle nodded back and smiles. “It’s okay. Take your time with getting used to it.”

“You seem to be doing okay, though.”

Lyle nodded. “Yeah, I guess. I’m a little nervous but I’m alright with all of this. I’ve had a long time to think about it. One of the reasons I left the palace was because father wasn’t very accepting of it.”

“He knew?”

Lyle shook his head. “No, but I was too scared to tell him and risk rejection so I left. I was going to go back someday but then he disappeared and…” He sighed and closed his eyes. “Then it was too late.”

Link nodded. “There’s always a chance. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ve always been finding myself attracted to guys… even when I was little,” he replied, trying to change the subject.

“I had my first crush on a guy about two years ago.”

“Two years ago. Wait a second: two years ago was about the time you met Captain N!”

Link laughed. “Yep! He’s not the brightest boy but he is so cute!”

Lyle laughed back. “Yeah, I have to agree there.”

Lyle looked down at the breakfast he had brought for Link. “You better eat it before it gets cold.”

Link smiled and poured on an ample amount of maple syrup before cutting off a piece of the pancake and bringing it to his mouth, chewing slowly. After he swallowed he asked, “Where did you get these? I can’t imagine that this hotel made them!”

“Actually, it was me.”

Link stared at Lyle with a smile. “Really?”

Lyle shook his head. “Mr. Klutz? No. I can’t cook for beans!”

“Then where are they from?”

“Princess Peach’s Pancake Palace, across from Kirby’s Kitchen.”
“You’re kidding, right?”

“Not at all! This world has some of the strangest and greatest restaurants in the world!”

“Without a doubt!”

“Now eat!”

“Okay, okay!” Link smiled as he ate another piece of the pancake.

Twenty minutes later Link had finished his breakfast and Lyle had cleaned up for the day in the bathroom.

“Your turn, Link,” he said as he walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel and nearly falling to the floor as he stumbled over a shoe.

“Kay.” Link walked by Lyle and smiled as he saw the look on his friend’s face. “Forever a klutz.”

Lyle smiled. “Of course!"

After about a half hour had passed by Link emerged from the bathroom, his hair already dry.

“Took you long enough,” smiled Lyle.

“Yeah, so?”

Lyle laughed and grabbed Link’s hand. “Come on, let’s go! I know of this one amusement park near here! Let’s have some fun!”

Link pulled his hand away. “But… but what if we’re seen?”

“Then we’re seen! It’s not like we’re going to be caught making out or anything!”

“But, but!”

“Goose!” Lyle grabbed Link’s hand again and pulled him out the door with him.

Link, still worried, and Lyle, ready to have fun, soon reached the amusement park and were walking down the busy paths created by the many booths. After Lyle and Link made a few failed attempts at winning a blue moblin with a smiling face they made their way over to the Hall of Mirrors. After paying the fee of eight tokens for the both of them they walked in and began to walk into the center of the maze-like passages.

“Close your eyes and spin!” said Link commandingly.

Lyle nodded and smiled, closing his eyes and beginning to spin. As he did so Link went into a corner and smiled as his reflected self appeared on a dozen other mirrors around him. “Okay! Open your eyes! Bet you can’t find me!”

Lyle opened his eyes and looked at the many reflections of Link around him. “I’m in heaven!” He laughed and looked around for a reflection that seemed more real than the others. Pushing his glasses up he finally chose one. “Look out, Link, here I come!” He began slowly running toward Link. As he neared what he thought to be Link’s position he hit the mirror and fell back to the ground. “Ow…” he said and rubbed his head.”

“Oh… poor baby. Come here and I’ll make it all better,” said Link playfully.

Lyle stood back up and turned to where he had heard the sound. He grinned and began running toward Link again but once again hit the wall, this time harder, falling to the ground with a thump.

“Lyle, you okay?” asked Link worriedly. “Lyle?”

Link, not hearing a reply, slowly moved his way over to Lyle and looked down at him with a worried frown. He sat down by him and propped him up against the mirror wall, rubbing his hair softly as he slowly began to regain consciousness.

“You okay, Lyle?” asked Link in a kind and caring voice.

“A little pain… but I’m alright,” Lyle said with a small moan as his headache increased in intensity.

Link helped Lyle to his feet. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Mmm…”

Link smiled as they slowly found their way out of the Hall of Mirrors and the amusement park.

When the reached their hotel room again Link retrieved an icepack and put it against Lyle’s head.

“Sorry that this happened.”

“It’s okay,” said Lyle, smiling even though he was still in a bit of pain.

“Want to order a movie?”

“What’s on?”
Link walked over to the guide on top of the small television and opened it up, beginning to read from it. “Cosmos: The Ultimate Journey, Time to Change, Part 3, and Shootout on Death Mountain.”

“Sounds like a bad group of movies.”

Link nodded. “To say the very least.”

“Shootout on Death Mountain.”

“Seriously?”

“Sure, why not?”

“It’s $5.99.”

“Good reason.”

“So what should we do?”

Lyle shrugged. “No idea.”

“Tetris?”

Lyle laughed. “No!”

“Chess?”

“Nah.”

“Talk?”

Lyle smiled. “That works.”

“Do you still want to get together?” asked Link bluntly.

“You mean knowing who you are?”

Link nodded. “Mmhmm. Considering what could happen to either of us if we were found out I can understand why you wouldn’t want to…”

Lyle smiled and held Link’s hand softly. “Link, there is no reason at all that I could possibly imagine that would make me not want to be with you anymore just because you’re you.” They both laughed. “That was awkward.”

Link softly kissed Lyle on the lips. “Now what happens from here?”