Before this chapter begins, there's something I have to say! I don't know how many of you have heard of a Zelda lets-player who goes by the name of Olizandri… but he posts my favourite videos on YouTube! I can't begin to tell you all the sheer amount of entertainment I got watching him, I've never really been one who believed in using walk-throughs for games unless you're REALLY stuck. I only ever watched him for the entertainment value! I seriously recommend you go check him out! Anyway, this chapter makes a very large reference to this hilarious LP-er! Enjoy :)
Anyway... 200 REVIEWS! I honestly can't even summon the words to tell you how absolutely awesome each and every single one of you is! Gaah! You're all more fabulous than the diamond loving Demon Lord! THANK YOU to TheMysteriousDude, ScarRhyn, PrincesscharmingKnight, Hanyoualchemist1, LeilaEditer, ShadowNinja1011, GameCivilization, Bleachshowlover1, Pitrus, prettyguardianofhyrule, TechyZeldaNerd, Neez, Franne, CreCra, The Supreme, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, and my 200th reviewer... burning book! Thanks for all your awesomeness, I can't even begin to tell you how happy you've all made me!
Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!
There they all stand, crowded around me. I carefully look around at my group of friends, Sheik, Zelda, Dark, Midna, and Saria. Every single one of their faces is soft with an expression of fondness and adoration. I turn quickly, looking back at my mother. She's lying in her bed, watching us all. There's a soft smile set on her lips as she turns to me. She looks tired, pale, there are large bags under her eyes… but even that doesn't hide her sparkling pupils. I feel a small smile playing across my own lips as I carefully look down, letting my eyes fall onto the tiny bundle in my arms. Wrapped in a tight green blanket, tiny eyelids closed, buried beneath a thin layer of black hair… is my little brother.
"Everybody…" I whisper, "I'd like you to meet Oliz."
There's a chorus of cooing from Zelda, Midna, and Saria as I rock him gently back and forth in my arms. He smacks his tiny lips together, moving his head slightly as Zelda reaches out one warm hand. Her fingers gently stroke the soft skin of his cheek as she gives me a friendly smile… and just like that her stunning eyes drag me in again. I swallow hard, snapping my attention back to my little brother who's sleeping soundly in my arms.
"How much does he weigh?" Sheik asks, gently touching the tip of his finger to Oliz's tiny little nose.
"Seven pounds," mum replies. She watches me with a soft admiration in her eyes. I don't want to get my hopes up… but I think she's starting to see a change in me. That same change that I promised myself I'd make. As I carefully look down on the innocent little bundle in my arms, I suddenly feel a swell of emotions. I want him to be proud of me. I don't want to be Link, his grumpy brother who doesn't care about anyone else. I want to be the older brother that Oliz looks up to; I want him to have fond memories of the two of us. I want to be a good brother… just like Sheik is to Zelda. I try to ignore the tiny voice in the back of mind that tells me I failed with Aryll, that I let her down. I won't let myself think that way anymore. I hold that tiny little baby up, his body rests again my chest and his little head lolls onto my shoulder. I smile, turning to whisper into his tiny pink ear.
"I won't let anyone hurt you Oliz, remember that."
"Can I hold him?" Midna asks, looking a little hopeful.
I glance over to my mum, waiting for her response. But she replies with an encouraging nod.
"Of course you can," I say, slowly turning to Midna. I gently move my arm, supporting Oliz's head with my hand as I pass him over the Midna. She holds her arms up and receives him carefully. I let his little head rest in the crook of her elbow as she smiles, slowly swaying from side to side.
"He's gorgeous Mrs Faron…" Midna whispers.
She smiles, "You're all Link's friends, just call me Luana."
I turn to her, giving her a wide smile as I slowly walk over to her bed. I stoop down, pulling my mum in for a tight hug. She understands, she always has done… no one knows a boy better than his mother. She knows exactly how much my friends mean to me, that they never gave up on me. And somewhere… deep down, I think she knows how much I care for Zelda. She lets her hand slip down my arm and take my hand as we pull apart.
"Link," she says. "Aryll will be finishing craft club in about twenty minutes. I hate to ask, but would you walk and pick her up for me?"
I pause for a second, my smile faltering. "I'd happily do it, but I don't know the way to the school from here…"
"I'll show you!" Zelda replies, giving me a bright smile. "It's only a fifteen minute walk from here and Tetra needs picking up anyway…"
I feel myself beaming with excitement. "Sounds great!"
The side walk of the Gerudo town is dry and dusty, powdering a thin layer of brown dirt onto the soles of my converses. The sun glares into my eyes as we turn the corner. It's late winter… and the sun is very low in the sky at this time of day. It casts a bright golden amber glow over everything, making it all look a little sepia. Rays of light bounce off of Zelda's long golden hair, even though it's pulled back into a plait. She's wearing her school uniform, and her school skirt pokes out from underneath her heavy navy coloured coat.
I feel myself sighing happily as I slip my hands into the front pockets of my coat. I guess I'm starting to like it here; it's not so bad after all. My friends in the village are lovely, and although Groose and his cronies enjoy picking fights with me, it doesn't bother me all that much. They're nothing but school yard bullies. They'll never amount to much. I smile to myself as I picture Groose dressed in dirty brown overalls, wiping his sweaty forehead as he washes the windows of people's cars as they pull up at the traffic lights.
"What are you looking so happy about?" Zelda asks, turning to look at me.
Her skin is bathed in that beautiful golden light, and it honestly just makes her look even more stunning. There's a tiny scattering of freckles dotted over her nose, just enough to make her look cute, especially when she smiles. Her eyelashes are long as she blinks a few times, trying to shield her gorgeous eyes from the sun. I feel myself swallowing my pride as I look down to my feet, trying my best to hide the blush I can feel on my cheeks.
"Oh nothing…" I reply, "Just… I think I might be starting to like it here…"
There's a brief moment of silence between us. And it's only when I look up to see her reaction that I notice she's not walking with me anymore. I frown, turning around to look over my shoulder. There she stands, just a few feet behind me, beaming like a Cheshire cat. Her eyes are sparkling in that late winter glow as she giggles slightly. I can feel happy confusion running through me. My lips break into a smile as I turn fully to look at her.
"What?" I ask.
She giggles aloud, rushing forward and grabbing my hand as she squeals in excitement.
"I knew it," she exclaims excitedly, "I knew you'd come around!"
I look away again, feeling myself laughing a little. I wish I had the courage to meet her gaze right now, but whenever I do it's like my brain melts… I can't think straight.
"So…" she says, gently squeezing my arm as she turns me round, continuing to walk. "What changed your mind?"
Everything… it was the way that you and Sheik were so kind to me. You never gave up on me, even when I was a complete and utter ass to you. Your family just accepted us into your home. You welcomed us with open arms… You introduced me to your crazy friends and made yourself a part of my life. Your little sister was so sweet to mine, your mother took care of mine, and you put up with all my nonsense… you even stopped me from running away from my own mistakes. You taught me that you can't just turn your back on your problems. It was you Zelda; it was everything you did for me. You've made me change, made me realise what's actually important, what really matters. You made me see that life's not so bad. You made me a better person and I love you for that…
Of course, I don't say any of that. If I tried I'd just stumble on my own words or say the wrong thing. I can paint my emotions into a picture, or tell people what I'm feeling through a line sketch. But words and I don't work… I can't put my own emotions into a tangible sentence. That's just something I've never been able to do… So instead of verbalising all those thoughts I've kept inside of me, I just settle for a shrug and a small blush.
"I don't know…" I simply mumble, "It just kind of… happened."
She smiles anyway. "I'm so glad that it did."
We turn another corner, and I can see Aryll and Tetra's school at the end of the road. Large red gates line the outer boarder and just behind them I can see snakes and ladders and hop scotch chalked onto the playground. The faint sound of laughter and childish shouts resonate in the air as we walk closer. I want to speak up, to say something to Zelda, but I can't seem to verbalise the words. My tongue simply lies clumsily in my mouth.
"I mean," I stammer, "maybe one day I might even love it."
Zelda looks at me for a few moments, her eyes clouding in confusion as she tries to understand what I meant. I can already feel my face heating up as she stares at me in silence.
"In the c… countryside, I mean," I stutter. "I could learn to love it in the countryside."
Eventually, a smile dances across her face. Her hands are deep in her pockets, but she quickly takes one out. She reaches out, gently taking my arm as we come to a stop just in front of the school gates. Her beautifully complex eyes are looking down as her lips move silently. She looks nervous, deep in thought, unsure of what to say.
"Do you think…" She murmurs, "Do you think you could maybe learn to love something else?"
Silence falls over us like a curtain as I stare at her, mouth hanging open slightly, awestruck. I can see her cringing beneath my gaze as she realises what a cheesy line she just used, but my insides are bubbling with excitement. Was she trying to hint something? Did she mean her? Could I learn to love her? Is that what she was saying? I silently curse myself for being so utterly clueless on such things. Damn it… if I were Sheik I'd be able to smooth my way over this situation, him and Midna have got it all sorted.
"Wait…" I whisper, leaning a little closer. "Are you asking me if I-"
But before I can finish, she steps a little closer. One hand rests against my chest as she looks up at me. Her gorgeous eyes meet mine as I feel the very breath catch in my throat. She places one dainty finger on my lips to silence me, exactly the way I did on that crazy night…
"Let's not say anything just yet… " She says. "How about we just see how we feel afterwards, ok?"
My heart begins thumping a little harder as she carefully removes her finger from my lips, smiling a little. My body begins to heat up a little as she moves in closer.
"Afterwards? After wh-"
But before I can finish my sentence I feel her lips touch mine. I'm startled, astounded, and as a result I just stand there for a few moments, utterly still. My first real kiss… It's only as she reaches up one warm hand and places it on my cheek that I realise how gormless she must think me right now. I carefully close my eyes, allowing myself to kiss her back. Her lips are soft and tender and she gently tilts her head a little. I reach up one hand, resting it on the back of her neck as she deepens the romance. I can feel my heart leaping inside of my chest… this is real. This is actually happening. I'm standing right here, kissing a beautiful girl. I let my emotions take over, moving deeper into the kiss as I begin to playfully nibble at her lower lip. I feel her other hand take the other cheek as she grips me tighter… she really likes me… she really really likes me…
"ZELDA'S GOT A BOYFRIEND!" Comes a loud, high pitched scream.
We pull apart quickly. Zelda is clearly flushed as she tries to smooth out her long golden hair. I stare at her in complete silence, my mouth still hanging open a little. My arms ache to hold her again but I distract myself from that thought as we both turn to look at the doors of the school. Tetra and Aryll stand in the doorway, giggling and laughing with each other. I can feel my face reddening as I carefully open the gate way, walking closer to my little sister.
"Hi Tetra! Hi Aryll!" Zelda says, trying to act natural as we near our siblings.
"Link and Zelda sitting in a tree," they sing, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
"Aryll…" I say quietly, reaching down and sweeping her up into my arms.
"First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes a baby in a carriage!" Tetra continues to sing as Zelda desperately tries to bundle her loud little sister into her coat and shut her up. I feel myself smiling as I slowly bounce Aryll up and down in my arms.
"Is Zelda your girlfriend now?" Aryll asks, playing with a piece of my fringe.
I turn to look at Zelda, watching as she stares at me. Her blue-indigo eyes are hopeful. I know what I want to say, and there's a small part of me that hopes it's what she wants me to say too. Aryll, however, quickly grows bored of waiting for an answer, and begins pulling at a clump of my hair. I scowl and carefully put her down on the ground, taking her hand as I turn to Zelda.
"Am I your boyfriend?" I ask, hoping for clarification.
She watches me for a few moments, her mouth opening and closing as she struggles to find an answer. It's just as my confidence begins to wane that she speaks up.
"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"
I feel myself smiling as relief washes over me. "Yeah… I do… do you?"
"Yes!"
I feel myself laughing in delight as I drop Aryll's hand, reaching out and pulling Zelda closer to me. Her slender body shudders with giggles as I spin her round and round, her long golden plait flying out around her. She throws her head back and my mind begins spinning with all the possibilities. This is it! This is what I've wanted so badly! This is everything I was waiting for! I can finally say that Zelda is a really and truly my girlfriend.
I carefully put her back down. She's still beaming in my arms and I know that I am too… She looks so beautiful when she's smiling. It's like her whole face suddenly becomes alight with happiness! I've never seen anything so beautiful. Aryll begins tugging at the sleeve of my coat, clearly bored. I sigh, reaching down and taking her hand, dragging myself away from Zelda and everything I've wanted.
The four of us begin to walk towards the gate. Zelda holds Tetra's hand in one of her hands, and mine with the other. I do the same with Aryll, and the four of us make our way over towards the gate.
"It's so cute!" Tetra squeals, "Are you going to get married? Can I be a bridesmaid? I want a pink dress!"
Epona is quiet and still as she lies on the floor of the stable. Her long sandy coloured mane is smooth and silky from where I just brushed it, and she rests her velvety nose on my knee where I sit cross legged on the floor. In my hands I hold a sketch pad and a soft pencil. Lines are beginning to form on the page, resembling my adorable little foal. She blinks her large dark eyes as I pause the sketching, reaching out and stroking her long mane. She's a little bigger than when I first met her. The regular feeds are making her grow bigger and stronger. Sheik reckons if I keep up the regular feeding and care for her properly, she'll be ready to start light exercise in about two years or so. I thought that was a long time when he first told me, but apparently that's normal for a horse. Either way, she's a beautiful little foal, and I intend to take good and proper care of her.
Honestly, the majority of the reason that I came out here is to sketch while I'm still in a good mood. I find if I'm in a better mood, I tend to do better quality work. Everything with Zelda today has put me in the best mood I've been since I got here. I finally feel like I'm putting my change into action. There's finally a reason for me to be happy now, and it just turns out that it's the most beautiful girl in the world causing me to smile…
But my day dreams are cut short as the door of the stable swings open. A long beam of light shines through the doorway and it causes me to squint. There's a tall silhouette stood in the doorway, but I think I already know who it is. He stands proud, arms crossed, looking very authoritative as he begins slowly walking towards me. I'm unable to read his expression because his back is turned to the sunlight, but I'm guessing he's angry…
"Hi Sheik," I mumble, carefully flipping the sketchbook shut. Epona slowly raises her head, studying Sheik with her deep brown eyes as he walks closer to me. His heavy boots thud against the flooring. I feel myself holding my breath, dreading whatever comes next. But luckily, much to my surprise, he simply sighs and collapses onto the floor next to me.
"Hey," he replies, reaching out his palm and offering it to Epona. She watches him to a few moments, letting herself sniff his open hand. She quickly realises he has no food to offer her, so returns to resting her head on my knee. I find myself staring at Sheik in confusion… I thought he might be mad? I thought he'd at least want to give me the big brother talk… but he just sits still and quiet, trying to summon up the words.
Eventually he speaks. "So you and Zelda, huh?"
"Uhh… yeah," I reply, "Me and Zelda." There's an awkward moment of silence between us as I try to figure out what to say. I need to let him know that this is something serious, that I don't want to hurt her. I want to tell him that his sister means a lot to me and that this is special. I feel like I should apologise for not telling him before I kissed her. Maybe I should have gone to him first? Should I have told him that I liked her?
"Listen, Sheik," I say. "I want you to know that I really care about Zelda. I don't want her to get hurt. I know it might cross a line… for a friend to go out with your twin sister, but-"
"Would you just relax, Link?" He replies, laughing. "I couldn't exactly be mad at you for going out with her! I'm with her best friend, it would be hypothetical!"
I frown. "Hypothetical? Don't you mean hypocritical?"
He rolls his eyes, leaning back a little. "You know what I meant!" He says, "I'm might not be the sharpest tool in the box, but I'm smart enough to realise that you're not a complete jack ass! You'll treat her right, I know that."
I feel a wave of relief wash over me as I grin, patting him on the shoulder. "Thanks Sheik, it really means a lot."
"No problem," he replies, looking down a little. "Although, and I mean this in all seriousness…" He turns, looking directly at me. His fiery red eyes are serious, stern. It's almost a little frightening. I swallow hard, noticing how the light and relaxed atmosphere has all but faded from the room. He reaches out one hand, taking my shoulder tight in his grip. He gives me and sharp meaningful shake as he leans forward a little, making me feel intimidated.
"If you ever," he says, "And I mean ever hurt her, if she ever cries over you, I'm going to make you regret even laying eyes on her. Have you got me?"
I nod silently, unable to conjure words for the burning pierce of his gaze.
"I'm being serious, Link," he growls. "If you break her heart, I'll break your bones. If she even sheds a tear I'll be shedding your skin. You got that? You have to promise me you won't hurt her."
I swallow hard, nodding again. "I promise."
He gets up silently, clapping me on the back to say he's satisfied. And with that, he silently walks away. His steps thud against the floor as he approaches the door, before shutting it with a loud bang. Leaving me and Epona, sitting in silence…
I've never been more scared in my life.