Chapter 12: Link's little adventure

A couple of weeks had passes since Link's awakening. The night he shared his painful past with Zelda had allowed for their relationship to grow a certain level. Zelda now knew more about him and learned to deal with his way of being while the mercenary took small steps to adapt to his new personality. He took the extra weeks to remain in bed, slowly recovering from the coma, but it had left him weak. Fortunately he began walking the first week, and regained his stamina by the second week. On the downside, his strength had diminished to the point where he wasn't sure he could fight like before. Zelda began working once more in the Shark's Cove now that Link was well enough to take care of himself. She would arrive home in the evening, cook for Link and herself, and the two would spend hours talking about past experiences or silly anecdotes unaware of the bond that was forming between them.

One early morning Zelda stood in her kitchen preparing the daily breakfast when she noticed the young mercenary was nowhere to be found. "Link?" she called out, no response. She found it odd and decided to investigate by going up the stairs towards her room.

"One, two, one, two," Link huffed as he laid on the floor doing his daily pushups.

"Link?" Zelda called quietly as she entered the room catching the teen for the second time, shirtless, and sweating. "Work…ing… out?" she asked rather awkwardly as he faced flushed.

Link noticed her come in and quickly stood up. "Morning Zelda," he smiled as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I think I'm regaining my strength back but if I stay here cooped up all day I might just lose it."

"You're not the only one…" she mumbled as she stared at his toned chest, her face as red as a beet.

"Zelda?" he leaned forward trying to catch her attention.

"Oh!" she giggled nervously, "got spaced out there…"

"Um, ok," he nodded skeptically. "Anyways, you going to work now?"

"Yes, I left you some food on the kitchen," she answered quickly before turning towards the door. She stopped and turned back, "why not take a walk towards the town? Everyone is always asking about you. Don't you think it's time you showed your face?"

Link frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Maybe later on tonight."

Zelda pouted slightly and shrugged before leaving the room.

"I guess I should go…" Link thought as he resumed his workout session.

Zelda reached the tavern by midday and took a deep breath. "Back to work!" she mumbled to herself. Opening the door, she came face to face with the Ruby whose face lit up the moment she saw Zelda walk through the door.

"WELCOME BACK ZELDA!" the red head squealed as she hugged the embarrassed blonde.

By now, the entire tavern was aware of Zelda's entrance. Some of them paid no mind while others who had a little more to drink raised their drinks in the air and shouted "HEY!" followed by "CHEERS!" and concluded with emptying their drinks into their mouths as if it was the last drink they would ever had.

Zelda sighed and greeted her back. "Hi Ruby. Long time."

"I KNOWWW," the small girl began jumping up and down like a hysterical puppy. "You gotta tell me what happened? How's… Link, right? Is he better? You two still lovers? Is he available?"

The blonde glared at the girl and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Coral who intervened. "Easy there girl," she said while pulling Ruby back by the collar of her uniform. She looked up at Zelda and smiled. "Welcome back. Ms. Crystalis is waiting for you in the back.

Zelda nodded. "Thank you Coral," she said before making her way towards the back.

"You better answer my questions, you hear?!" Ruby shouted but her words unfortunately fell on deaf ears.

"Ms. Crystalis?" Zelda asked as she poked her head through the door of the small room in the back of the tavern like a little girl who knew was going to get a scolding.

The tavern's owner sat on a small desk going through a mess of papers. The room was small with pictures hung all over the walls, some of them including Zelda when she first began working there.

"Ms. Crystalis?" she asked again as she took two steps forward.

"Damn bills," the large woman mumbled. She looked up and noticed Zelda standing in front of her. "Zelda dear, good to have you back."

The young blonde smiled. "Good to be back."

"How is Link?" she asked, a question that Zelda did not expect.

"He's better now, but it's like he wants to isolate himself from the rest of the town… he still feels guilty about what happened."

Crystalis nodded in understanding. "It's normal… just give him some time, he'll come around. You just make sure to stay with him no matter what… and also focus on your job… of course."

Zelda smiled brightly and nodded.

It was late in the afternoon when Link arrived at the town's entrance. He wore a long sleeve dark green jacket with a white undershirt and black pants that Zelda had bought for him. She used to say that green suited him for some reason and he didn't complain. A cool autumn breeze caressed his skin making him adjust the collar of his shirt for comfort. With a deep breath the teen walked on towards the crowded town, unsure of the kind of welcome he would receive.

He walked along the stone covered streets with his hands tucked inside his jacket's pockets half hoping no one would notice him. His wish had been denied however as a few of the townsfolk noticed the young teenager walking awkwardly through the side of buildings trying hard not to get noticed. His plan had backfired.

An elderly man approached him with a warm smile. "Link my boy, how are ye doing lad?" he asked while softly pounding the young mercenary's shoulder.

"Um… fine sir." Link said while trying to come up with a convincing smile.

Just when he thought it couldn't have gotten more awkward more people began surrounding him. A group of middle aged women mumbled among themselves while "discreetly" pointing at him. Others simply commented on how glad they were that he was ok and how sorry they were for the trouble they had caused. Even the children tugged at his sleeves so that he could play ball with them. Link wasn't much of a people person so he tried to smile and struggle his way through the crowd with little success.

"Oy, if it isn't Link!" the Elder spoke through the crowd earning the much needed silence.

The young mercenary wasn't very fond of the old man, since he did try to kill him at first, but nevertheless he was happy to see a semi familiar face other than Zelda. Without missing a beat Link rushed to the Elder's side, happy to be out of group of eager people.

"Why is it that whenever I'm surrounded by people you seem to pop out of nowhere?" Link commented as he tried to regain his breath.

The Elder chuckled and rubbed his white beard. "It's my job to know what the fuss is about. I 'am the Elder after all."

Link sighed and looked back at the crowd which was slowly starting to dissipate. Some continued on their daily routines, others stayed behind and kept chattering, but they all gave Link warm smiles which gave him a sort of tingly feeling.

"It's good to feel loved, is it not?" the Elder asked, almost as if he could read Link's mind.

"It's… nice," the mercenary responded uncertain whether or not that was the correct word to use.

The Elder turned towards the teen and smiled. "Why don't you join me for some tea? I'd love to hear all about your ordeals with Zelda." He laughed all knowingly and that made Link rather uncomfortable, and the fact that it made him uncomfortable made himannoyed as well. To think a couple of months ago it was Link who made the Elder uncomfortable or better yet, fearful. Nevertheless, he agreed.

"So have you recovered well?" the Elder asked while sipping a bit of his tea.

The two sat on a small table in a wooden balcony of the Elder's house that overlooked the entire town. It felt good to be able to relax and enjoy the scenery without having to worry about missions or killing, Link had to admit. He took his time gazing the view and allowing the ocean breeze to overtake him. The Elder couldn't help but feel amused at the young teen's expression and paid no mind when he completely ignored his question.

Link noticed the old man staring at him. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"I asked if you had recovered well," the Elder repeated.

"Oh," Link smiled sheepishly. "I feel better now, but I'm not as strong as before."

The old man nodded. "It's what happens when one is in bed as long as you have."

The young mercenary nodded as well and took a sip of his tea before looking back towards the horizon. "So…" he hesitated. "How is…"

"Darien?"

"Yeah," he mumbled.

"He is better now. He might leave the hospital soon if he keeps recovering as fast as he's doing. He is a very determined person," the Elder said.

"Does he still…"

"Yes, he still wants to kill you," the man finished with an amused grin.

Link lowered his head and frowned. "I see."

"Don't feel bad Link. Darien might seem like the kind of person who holds grudges but he has a pure heart just like you. Deep down he understands that what you did was necessary and I'm certain he's taken a liking to you."

Link raised an eyebrow. "I can hardly see who someone can take a liking to a person who stabbed him."

"Just have faith," the Elder smiled with a wink.

The teen shrugged and took another sip of his tea.

The Elder then took it upon himself to change the topic. "So are you and Miss Harkinian lovers yet?"

The questioned took Link off guard and made him spew some of his tea on the table top. "What are you talking about?!" he choked.

The Elder grinned mischeviously. "Do you truly wish to play dumb with me Link?"

The teen blushed. "I… it's… complicated."

"What makes it complicated?" the Elder questioned.

"This is something I know nothing about… besides, Zelda deserves someone better than some lowly mercenary," Link mumbled sadly.

The old man played with his beard and smiled. "I'm not supposed to take sides…"

"Sides?"

"But I'll offer you some advice. There is an upcoming event called the Harvest Festival. It is celebrated every autumn as a sort of thank you to the Goddesses for blessing us with good harvest year after year. There is music, games, and fun. Miss Harkinian has always enjoyed the festival, but every year I see her alone without anyone to accompany her. Why not ask her to go with you? I'm sure she'd be delighted."

Link pondered the thought for a second. "Harvest… Festival…" his face lit up with determination. "I'll do it! I'll ask her to go with me!"

The Elder smiled as well. "Good luck to you Link."

"Thank you… Elder."

"You're welcome Link."

"It's just," Link shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Zelda isn't like anyone I've met. I've never thought such a kind person existed in this world. Just being with her is… intoxicating… as if the whole atmosphere will adjust to the way she feels at the moment. It's strange…"

The Elder rubbed his beard and stood up. He walked towards the edge of the balcony and motioned Link to join him. The teen quickly stood as well and joined the old man in looking at the ocean in the distance.

"Zelda is an extraordinary girl… and not in the way you think," the Elder began.

Link looked at the man with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

"Her mother and father were amazing individuals. They were always eager to help around the town and they made sure things were always peaceful. Her father was the commander of the Guard Squadron back in the day. It was him who taught Darien and eventually led him to take leadership. A wonderful soldier who always looked after the people's interest, the town adored him. And her mother, she was a very beautiful woman, much like Zelda. I would often see her in the clinic nursing the sick or down by the market helping the people in their everyday lives. Her best friend was Minerva Crystalis, owner of the Shark's Cove."

"That's where Zelda works," Link remembered.

The Elder nodded. "Minerva and Zelda's mother were really close. She decided to look after Zelda once her parents passed away."

"How did her parents die?" Link asked soberly as he stared into the ocean.

"It was a stormy night when Zelda's father heard news that a fisherman was caught out at sea near the barrier that divides this island and the outside world. Without thinking it twice he set off on a small fishing raft to search for the man. Darien, Minerva, Zelda's mother, who had heard of his ordeal too late, and myself waited near the docks for countless hours for his safe return. Eventually the lost fisherman appeared on her father's raft and we quickly helped him ashore. When we asked where Zelda's father was the man responded that he was floating on a piece of wood when he suddenly spotted the raft, but there was no one in it. When Zelda's mother heard the fisherman's story she quickly cast off on a fishing boat before we could stop her. She was determined to find her husband. We yelled at her to come back, but it fell on deaf ears. Her last words to us were "Please keep Zelda safe." When never found them after that."

Link stared at the man in disbelief at the story. The pain Zelda must have gone through much like himself. The images of the night when her mother was murdered filled his head and he shuddered in anger at the thought. "What… happened to Zelda?"

"I then raised Zelda by myself for the following years until she decided to move back to her parent's house. The first years were hard on the girl. She was only five when she lost her parents and that caused her serious damage. She fell on an incontrollable depression and became very ill. All of us did our part to make her feel loved and luckily she healed and learned to cope. She became just like her mother, always helping out whenever she could. The people couldn't help but adore her as well."

Link leaned on the wooden railing of the balcony and sighed. He had no idea of the past she had and felt twice as guilty for acting so rotten towards her. He began to doubt whether or not he should even try to be with her. She deserved better in Link's eyes. "Zelda…" he mumbled.

"Do not feel bad for her Link. She is a very strong person, stronger than one might think. All she needs is someone who will give her the love she deserves."

Link sighed. "The love she deserves…"

It was already sunset when Link left the Elder's house. He waved at the old man who smiled back from the top of his balcony. It was nice Link had to admit, being able to talk to someone other than Zelda, just being himself. And he learned about Zelda's past, one he could relate to. The Elder's words echoed on his mind 'the love she deserves.' He doubted whether or not he was the right person for that, but decided to wait it out and see where things would take him. The teen sprinted across the town towards the Shark's Cove with a lit up face and bright determination.

"That's enough for today Zelda," Ms. Crystalis said as she walked pass the girl who stood in the kitchen washing some dishes. "You can go home now."

Zelda finished her chore, wiped her hands and went over to front door. She looked back at her two co workers. "I'll be going then."

"See you tomorrow," Ruby said without looking at her. She stared at the dusty floor while holding a broom. She held the kind of look that said 'I don't wanna clean' much like a little kid faced with the task of cleaning his messy room.

"Be careful on your way back," Coral added while carrying a mountain of clean plates towards the back.

Zelda nodded and left.

As soon as she closed the tavern door's behind her she found herself face to face with the young Guard Squadron lieutenant. She jerked back in shock. "Kain! You startled me!"

The raven haired teen chuckled. "Sorry Zel."

"What are you doing here? How's your leg?" she took her time to glance at him. He wore his normal soldier uniform and his leg seemed fine enough.

"My leg healed up pretty quickly thanks to the doctor's medicine. I'm about to start active duty soon patrolling the town and I decided to see you. After all, I haven't seen you since Link woke up," he ran his hand through his hair. "How are things?"

Zelda blushed slightly at the thought of him coming to see her. It didn't seem like a big deal, it wasn't supposed to be a big deal, but for some reason it was to her. "Oh," she said rather awkwardly. "Thanks," she smiled.

Kain stared at her as if waiting for her to say more. She noticed this and stuttered. "Um, things have been well. Link is better now and I've begun to work again."

"That's good. I guess that means I'll see more of you again," he said sincerely.

Zelda said nothing but nodded quickly.

The young teen looked away for a moment as if thinking about something. "Hey, Zel…?"

"Yes?"

"The Harvest Festival… I mean… remember what we agreed? If Link was awake…"

The memories of that day came flooding back to Zelda's mind; the tea, the proposal… the kiss they almost shared. Her face became red and she quickly looked down at the ground hoping he wouldn't notice. "I remember…" she mumbled.

"So," Kain couldn't hide the fact that he was nervous as well. He had it all planned so smoothly in his mind. He would see her, he would ask her to go the festival with him, she would smile and say yes, and he would smile back and nod. Nothing ever goes as planned. "Will you go with me?

Zelda was unsure of what to do. A little voice inside her head kept pestering her to say yes, but something else kept her from acting quickly. She had agreed to go with him if Link recovered from his coma, and that was the case so why was she so hesitant? Still, the more she prolonged the answer the more it seemed she was trying to find an excuse not to go, was she? In the end the little voice persevered and she nodded slightly much to Kain's relief.

The young soldier smiled and exhaled deeply. He had been holding his breath since he asked the question and he was beginning to doubt whether or not he would die of suffocation. "I guess I'll see you then?"

Zelda looked up and smiled at him. "Till then."

Kain smiled back and leaned down towards her giving her a small peck on the cheek. "Later," he said and walked off leaving Zelda completely stiffened on the sidewalk.

Across from the couple Link stood. He had ran all the way from the Elder's home towards the Shark's Cove and stopped suddenly to catch his breath when he spotted the pair talking among themselves in front of the tavern. His heart suddenly sank when he saw Kain kiss her on the cheek. Link was a mercenary, he was used to fighting, he was used to getting hurt, but this, this was something he wished no one had to go through. His determination wavered and suddenly he was unsure of himself, he was unsure of his whole reason of being.

The young teenager took a step back, ready to turn around and leave but was stopped by a high pitched squeal that drilled a whole in his ear drums. Zelda turned around as well trying to find the source of the voice and all she saw was a blur of red that made its way towards the lone mercenary in the corner.

"Ruby?" she tilted her head to the side in confusion. Her gaze then shifted from the small girl towards the grief stricken blonde teen. "Link???"

Ruby had finished her work as well and was on her way outside the tavern to speak to Zelda who stood too shocked to see her coming when she noticed Link standing across the street. Being the over dramatic friendly person she was she couldn't help but squeal in excitement. She had always wanted to meet the famous outsider, she couldn't hide the fact that she even held a bit of a crush for him. Zelda was completely oblivious to this of course.

The small red head rushed to Link's side and gave him a bear crushing hug. The young mercenary couldn't help but wonder how a girl so small could posses such tremendous strength. "Link! I can't believe I finally get to meet you!"

"Um… errr," the teen blushed at the sudden affection but tried ever so desperately to shake her off. "Can you please… get off me?"

The girl giggled and released her death grip. She placed her hands behind her back and leaned forward with a huge smile plastered on her face. "Sorry about that! My name's Ruby by the way!"

"Link," he answered with certain uncertainty.

Zelda suddenly appeared behind Ruby quite unexpectedly with a look that would make disturbed spirits cross into the next life faster than a cheetah on mating season. Link winced involuntarily and edge back a bit.

The short red head turned and smiled. "Zelda, hi!" she said in her normal cheery tone.

The disturbed mercenary didn't know if the girl was seemingly unfazed by Zelda's glare or that she was too dumb to process anything at the moment.

"Ruby," Zelda said uncomfortably calm. "What are you doing?"

The tension reminded Link of the eerie silence that takes place just before a volcano erupts and engulfs everything in a sea of flames.

"Not much, jus chatting with Linky!"

"Linky?" both Link and Zelda thought in unison.

"Right… well, it's getting pretty late so Link and I must be getting home," the blonde girl smiled at Link, an act which made him stiffen in fear. "Right Link?"

"Um… yea?" he answered pathetically.

"Oh," Ruby looked at the floor with a hint of disappointment. "That's ok. Link will come by more often right Linky?"

Link looked at Zelda as if asking her whether or not he should respond. Zelda shrugged and so did he. Ruby took it as a yes and squealed in delight. She hugged him once more, much to Zelda's annoyance, and skipped away while she waved goodbye at them, mostly at Link.

Once the red head left, Zelda retained her normal happy attitude. She turned towards Link and smiled. "So, shall we get going?"

The mercenary half smiled and nodded.

"I wasn't expecting you to drop by so suddenly," Zelda said happily as she walked through the forest trail with her hands behind her back.

Link walked beside her with his hand tucked in his jacket pockets. The images of that afternoon, of Kain and her, replayed over and over in his head. "I wish I hadn't," he mumbled ever so softly.

Zelda looked up at him. "Did you say something?"

Link shook his head and smiled.

Zelda couldn't help but smile back. "You know, seeing you smile…" she looked down and blushed slightly. "I can't understand why, but it makes me feel happy, like I have to smile as well."

Link's eyes widened in surprise. For a split second he could have sworn his heart had skipped a beat. Her words lingered in the air and he looked down as well enjoying the warm silence that followed. The happy couple walked slowly through the trees where a couple of the setting sun's rays shone through giving the moment an ethereal feel to it. It was one of the times Link could say with complete honesty that he felt at peace.

They eventually reached the house. Zelda stopped suddenly causing Link to stop as well. He looked back at her in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

The young girl stood with her hands in front of her staring at the setting sun like someone who had witnessed a miracle for the first time. She smiled brightly and ran towards the beach. A confused Link followed slowly.

She stopped near the water's edge and closed her eyes letting the ocean breeze play with her golden hair. "The ocean, the sunset, the wind, we should always take these times and treasure them. They are a gift of the Goddesses. It is love. Love exists in the form of all these things, the sun, the sky, the wind, the sea, you just have to stop and feel them." She turned and smiled warmly at Link much like the first time they met. "Don't you agree?"

Link stood lost for words. He could only stare at the beautiful scene before him. The setting sun shone ever so brightly as it sank into the blue sea and the sky turned into many different shades of pink and orange like something out of a painting. But all he could see was the girl who stood in front of him smiling at him, the girl who took care of him, the girl who was always there for him. It was at this particular moment that he was completely certain, this girl, this beautiful girl that outshined nature itself, was the girl he loved and nothing would ever change that.

A/N: I'm so terribly sorry for the extremely late update. I'm still getting used to college life, and the works are horrible. Having to balance studying, working, guitar, the story, social life is a pain, but there is no valid excuse. I hope people still remember this story XD but anyway, I hope to make it up to everyone in the next chapter but till then, enjoy and please review.