Thank you all for continuing to read, and especially to those of you who take an extra moment to leave feedback for me. It's really wonderful to read those and I appreciate it so much! Thank you!
I thought things were going to calm down this month, but it hasn't happened so far, what with household duties, snow removal, all the little odds and ends that seem to take so much time... But through it all, somehow, I managed to finish this tale. So now I present to you this last chapter, which really is the longest one.
Keeping Hope for Christmas - by Pseudo Twili
Chapter 15: Christmas At Last
Link slowly became aware of light seeping through his eyelids. He wanted to sink back into the blackness and oblivion of unconsciousness, but it remained elusively beyond his grasp. He also gradually became aware of the faint ache that flexed with every breath he drew, of the weary discomfort of nearly every muscle of his body, and of a weight that pressed over him. His mind struggled with the reason for all those sensations, and with his further awakening he remembered. He tensed and his eyes flew open.
He had no clear notion of where he was or what had happened to him. He rather expected that he was still imprisoned in that room, yet the clean white walls which met his gaze were unlike the grungy gray of which he'd seen nothing else the last two weeks. He was in a bed, he realized, and not on the lumpy, moth-eaten thing that the crooks had dragged in and dumped him on. He was also covered with several blankets, which accounted for the weight and for the fact that he didn't feel quite as cold.
He realized all this within the space of a second or two, when something else caught his attention. There was a pressure on his hand. He swiveled his gaze and spotted Zelda, seated in a chair at his bedside and leaning forward slightly as she grasped his hand between both of hers. Her eyes were wet, and yet within them was a deep gladness that spilled out and seemed to light her whole face. She'd had a puckered little frown, but she lost it when she looked at him.
"Oh, Link! I'm so glad you're awake!" she exclaimed quietly. She squeezed his fingers a bit more firmly as a tear slipped from her turquoise eye. "How are you feeling?"
She'd been distraught with anxiety the day before when he'd collapsed. Her relief that they'd found him vied with a new terror that he'd be taken from her yet again, this time by death. She hadn't left him out of her sight while Auru and Zauz carried him out to the car. She sat in the backseat with him, clutching at his cold, limp hand while her father drove them to the nearest hospital. Even there she couldn't sit still and paced in the waiting room and hallway while the doctor and nurses worked on Link. She felt as though she could finally breathe again only when the kindly smiling nurse came out and told her that, with the proper treatment, the young man would be all right. Then she'd wept and clung to her father.
They allowed her to go in and see Link and she contented herself in watching him sleep. She didn't want to leave his side and might have spent the whole night there, but the same nurse came back and told her that he wouldn't awaken until morning anyway. She offered Zelda a cot in the nurses' quarters, which the young lady eventually accepted. Her father had returned home when he saw that she would not be budged. She had already called Aryll, but she made him promise to reassure the other girl that Link was in good hands and was resting. Then she slept for a few hours in the borrowed cot, but she rose before the sun and returned to Link's side.
"Zelda…" he breathed. He was never so glad to see anyone in his life, and for just a few seconds his heart swelled. Then a cold fear went through him and his heartbeat quickened as he tried to raise himself to get a better look at his surroundings. "…What is this? Where…where am I?"
She stood up and leaned over him, making sure she was within his line of sight. "Link, it's all right! You're in the hospital. It's all right."
"Hospital? How…?" he rasped, and found that he hadn't the strength to remain upright and sank back into the pillow.
She sat on the side of the bed and queried, "Don't you remember last night, Link? You were in that place… We came and found you… and then you passed out and we brought you here."
"I…thought it was all a dream…" he mumbled, and closed his eyes. A moment later he opened them again and peered wearily at her. "What day is it?"
"It's the twenty-sixth, Link."
His faced seemed to crumple a bit. "I… I missed it…"
"Do you mean Christmas?" she asked as she pulled at his hand. "Yesterday was Christmas Day, yes, but it's only the beginning of the season. You didn't miss so much, really. You're here now, so that's all that matters. We have twelve more days of Christmas and all that beyond, starting right now." Her voice caught on the beginnings of a sob and new tears pricked at her eyes. "Oh, Link… I was so worried about you! You disappeared and I didn't know what to do. I'm so glad we found you!"
He met her gaze, his own eyes weary and with dark shadows beneath them. "I'm sorry…" he whispered.
"It wasn't your fault! It was those horrid gangsters, not you!" she declared, her eyes alight with turquoise fire. Then she was as soft as butter on warm toast. "…I couldn't stop thinking about you, Link. Aryll and I were both lost without you."
He tried to lift himself up again, an anxious, tortured look twisting his already gaunt features. "Aryll? …Is she all right?! Where is she…?"
Zelda disengaged her fingers from his and pushed on his shoulders ever so gently. "She's fine, Link. It's all right. She's at my house and she's been there with me and my family ever since that first day. She'll probably be here during visiting hours, if not sooner. Lie back now. You need all the rest you can get, the doctor said so."
He allowed himself to fall back, and even then his vision swam. He closed his eyes and just tried to concentrate on breathing evenly so that it wouldn't add to that slight ache of his ribs.
"After we brought you here yesterday, the doctor gave you something to make you sleep, and to help with the pain. He says you're going to have to take it easy for a while and not to overdo it. He…" She paused and swallowed, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. Her voice became smaller and she clenched at his hand. "…He said that if you'd been under those harsh conditions much longer…you might not have made it. He…he said it's a lucky thing you are Hylian and have such a robust constitution."
His eyelids were heavier than before, but still he opened them and looked upon her again. His heart gave a painful twist and he frowned. He tried to move his other hand toward her, but it seemed to be tangled or lost beneath the many blankets covering him and he gave up when his strength failed him.
"Don't cry…" he murmured. "I think I'm going to be all right."
"Oh, it's not that, Link! These aren't tears of sorrow. Not really. I'm just so glad to see you! I'm happy that you will be all right. I'm glad you're back…and…and that we're together again." She squeezed his hand.
"Zelda, do you have something I can eat…? I don't think I can feel my stomach anymore…"
She almost laughed with the absurdity of his timing. She smiled wanly even though her tears. "Oh, no Link. The doctor said you mustn't have anything solid right away. He says you must take it slowly, otherwise you could get very sick. They gave you some vitamins and fluids earlier," she explained, gesturing to the other side of the bed and a stand with a long clear tube hanging from it. "Oh, and how could I forget?!" She reached to the nightstand on her side of his bed and handed him a glass. "The nurse said I should get you to drink some of this when you were awake."
He eyed it as if he expected it to sprout fangs and strike him.
"It's just water with glucose and vitamins and…what did she call them? Oh yes, electrolytes. I guess they're something new. I've never heard of them before, but the doctor said they are vital for the proper functioning of our bodies."
She helped him to prop himself up on the pillow so he could take some sips of the vessel's contents. His hand shook as he lifted it and she hovered very close by as she was afraid he would drop it, but he didn't. She took the glass, set it back on the little bedside table and grasped his fingers again.
"How do you feel, Link? Really now?"
He groaned and scowled feebly. "…I'm as weak as a baby mouse, I ache all over, and it hurts to breathe, but not as bad as before, I guess. I liked it better when I was asleep."
She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at being able to hear his sour words again. "The doctor said you have a couple broken ribs and you'll just have to let them heal with time. He wants to keep you here for a day to make sure you don't develop pneumonia." She shivered a bit at the thought, but pushed it away quickly, telling herself that it wouldn't happen. "As soon as you can leave, we're taking you to my house. We didn't finish opening the gifts yesterday, and we all want you to be there. Father was relieved when we found you, and I know Mother must be as well. Oh, and Joel and Zill will be so glad to see you too! They didn't do a good job of hiding it, so I knew they missed you."
"I bet they missed running into me…" he muttered drowsily, his eyelids giving up the fight of staying open.
"And I can't believe those men had the gall to kidnap you like that! The police have them all in jail now, though, and I hope the judge throws the book at them! Detective Zauz was wrong about you, just like I told him all along. I knew you wouldn't do any of those things those men tried to frame you for. Some of the houses in our neighborhood were broken into, but it was mostly ones that were empty for the time being. I'm so glad to have you back, Link! When you get out of here you're coming home with me."
She paused to take a breath when she realized his own inhalations had become gentler and more even. She smiled as she looked down on him and watched him sleep, a few more tears slipping down her cheeks. Then she leaned forward, kissed him softly, and returned to her chair.
Link awakened again later that morning. He stirred and made some sounds, but hardly had he cracked open his eyes and his vision was all but filled with a girlish face and a cloud of golden waves. His heart gave a little leap, which wasn't quite the same as what he'd felt when he saw Zelda, and his hand trembled as he reached out to touch her arm.
"Link! Oh Link! I can hardly believe you're back with us. But it's not a dream and I'm so glad!"
"Arrie…" he whispered.
With tears shining in her eyes and on her cheeks, she leaned forward quickly and made her best attempt to hug him.
A second later he exclaimed, "Ow!" and jolted under her touch.
"What is it? What did I do?" she queried tremulously, drawing back gingerly.
He gasped and narrowly missed biting his tongue. "It's… it's all right. It's just my ribs, that's…all."
"Oh Link…" she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you! Zelda told me…and I forgot."
"…You're getting the blanket all wet," he grumbled, but his tone betrayed nothing but the tenderness he felt for her.
"Of course I am. It's because I'm crying," she retorted back.
All the same, she carefully dabbed at her face with her hanky and then mopped her eyes. She reached for his hand and grasped it between her gloved ones while a few more rebellious tears trickled down her cheeks despite her resolve to keep them back. He shivered and didn't resist her touch.
"Are you sure you're warm enough, Link?"
"I don't know… but I didn't think I'd ever be warm again," he replied with another shudder.
She moved his arm back under the blankets until just his fingers were exposed. "That's another thing she told me: the doctor said we need to keep you as warm as we can while you get your strength back."
He'd already glanced around the room and noticed with a sigh that he was alone with his sister. "Where is Zelda?" He thought perhaps that she'd returned to her home and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. He liked her company very much and he felt more complete when she was there, but on the other hand he also didn't like her to see him in such a sad state.
"She went to find something to eat. She's just downstairs in the cafeteria, I think, unless she decided to go out and get something else. Oh, which reminds me… Here."
Aryll grabbed the glass from the bedside table and proffered it to him. He grumbled faintly under his breath, but he accepted it anyway and took some sips from it. After giving it back to her, he tucked his hand under the blankets again and closed his eyes while he tried not to breathe too deeply. The bruises received at the hands of the gangsters still hurt, though considerably dulled by the medicine he'd been given earlier, and all his muscles felt like jelly and seemed just as useful. He wanted just to sleep again but he couldn't yet, especially when he heard a sniffle from his sister. He cracked his eyes open again and once he could focus on her he saw that she was gazing upon him with such softness, such an earnest expression on her face. Tears were sliding down her cheeks.
"Hey now… don't cry…please," he rasped.
She sniffled. "Oh, Link! Haven't you learned by now that we females need to cry sometimes? You don't have to understand it, but just let me cry, hold my hand and you can hug me when your ribs aren't broken."
Staring at her for a few long moments, he didn't say anything at first but he gave her fingers a rather feeble squeeze. "…I still don't like to see you cry."
"Well, I suppose that's all right, just as long as you understand why."
"Does Zelda feel that way too…?"
Aryll nodded. "Of course. Most females are that way, I think. Though I guess sometimes there are those whose tears aren't genuine and who try to use them as a device to get something from other people. You have to be careful of those women."
He raised one tired brow. "And how do you know so much about it?"
"I told you about Orielle, one of my friends from Tarrey Town, right? Well, she had an older cousin who was always manipulating everyone around her into doing what she wanted. One of the things she used were tears. I only met the cousin once and I didn't like her. I heard from Orielle that her cousin's husband left her because he finally found out what she was doing behind his back."
One side of his mouth quirked upward in what could not quite be considered a smile. "You're a smart one, sis."
She managed a little smile even through her tears. "Thanks, big brother, I guess maybe I am." Then she pursed her lips and stared at him, hard. "I'm also smart enough to know that you need to talk to Zelda. Whatever's been bugging you, you need to get it off your chest before it drives a wedge between you two."
He paled, if that was even possible, and his eyes took on a sort of haunted look. He swallowed thickly and his hands trembled as his heart beat quicker. He suddenly felt lightheaded again. "Wh-wha… Wh-what..?" He knew she was right, but he hadn't a chance to work up his courage yet.
Her expression softened, nearly melting. "Don't wait too long, Link… when you're feeling stronger, anyway. She's been desperate without you… we both were. She always told me to keep hope, that you were alive and…would return to us, somehow, some way. The police couldn't find you and she got it into her head to look for you herself. Oh, we didn't find anything really useful, but we talked to people who know you. Thanks to her efforts, we met this group of Mr. Shad's friends who help people in trouble. Did she tell you about them yet? They're the ones who found out where you were."
"You were really worried too…weren't you Aryll? I'm…I'm sorry…"
She dipped her head and more dewy tears squeezed out between her lashes and trickled down her cheeks. "I was so worried and afraid. We didn't know what had happened to you! I would have been alone except Zelda brought me to her home. That's where I've been staying all this time, you know."
Her brother nodded slightly, never taking his eyes from her. "Yes, she told me…" he murmured. "I'm…glad you weren't alone."
Aryll brightened a bit and her tone took and upward tilt. "Oh, and you know what else happened? Yesterday my parents came to the city. I didn't think I'd be able to see them, what with all the snowstorms and bad roads. Wasn't that a wonderful Christmas surprise?" She squeezed his hand.
"Sure…" he mumbled, and despite how tired he was, he almost smiled himself at seeing her so happy.
"It was splendid! Almost like last Christmas' surprise when I saw you again. But, oh! I think I'm even happier to see you right now, Link!"
He pressed his lips together and let his eyelids fall. He wanted to tell her how glad he was to see her too, but he was afraid he would break down if he so much as opened his mouth. He couldn't do that; it would hurt too much.
"Do I hear voices?" said a young woman who had her head stuck through an appropriately sized gap in the door. "Oh, you're awake again!"
Aryll twisted her head around to see her, and Link lifted himself just slightly as Zelda let herself the rest of the way into the room. Her feet ate up the distance between the door and the bed in several strides. She perched on the side which was not already taken by the younger girl, and she gazed down into Link's blue eyes with her own turquoise ones shimmering with gladness and unshed tears.
"What were you talking about?" she asked.
When she opened her mouth, Link thought he smelled potato salad and cheese, and possibly something else he couldn't distinguish, though perhaps he was going crazy. For some reason, his mouth was watering.
Aryll filled her in the latest thing she'd said, and from there both young ladies kept up a string of conversation, telling Link about everything that had happened while he was missing, such as Joel and Zill's escapades, the burglaries, and about the group. He was grateful for their chatter, more of which was Zelda's, and he tried to pay attention to it all, but after a while his mind wandered further and further away. He couldn't forget what his sister had told him and it just seemed to add to the deep ache in his chest.
Their words faded when they realized his eyes were nearly closed again. Zelda gave him the glass of sweet water, of which he took a few more sips, and then they let him rest. Before long he was asleep again.
The next thing he knew, the sky outside was dark and bedside light was angled toward Zelda, illuminating her nutty brown tresses and making them shine. She sat in her chair, leaning over something in her lap, but she seemed to sense movement, glanced upward and noticed his open eyes. She set something—a book, Link supposed—on the table, rose from her seat and settled on the edge of the bed again. She gave him more of the glucose-infused water and continued to do so at regular intervals while he was awake.
"How are you feeling, Link?"
"Tired," he replied, his tone bearing a testy edge.
Clasping his hand, she said, "Detective Zauz was here. Those horrible men who held you prisoner are all in jail and are facing charges of kidnapping, burglary and so on. Turns out they're wanted in some other cities for the crimes they've pulled off. And that one who looks a bit like you… what's-his-name… he's wanted for setting a fire at an orphanage that destroyed a lot of their records. Is it the same one you were at?"
"Probably. I don't know that Daupple was in any others."
She wrinkled her nose and made a face. "He may bear some resemblance to you, but the moment I saw him I knew he wasn't you. He doesn't look so much like you, I think. He has such a mean, sneering sort of face, nothing at all like you."
He cocked one weary eyebrow toward her, but didn't know what to say to her in reply.
"Anyway, the detective wants you to come down to the station once you're out of here. He told me they figured out what happened and they know you didn't commit any of those crimes. He said you need to make a statement though, and you'll have to be a witness at the trial later, I suppose. I asked him if he could just wait until you're feeling better, but he was insistent."
Link released a breath slowly, so as not to aggravate his ribs. "I don't mind. I'll be glad to do it and nail them…the filthy scum!"
She clutched tighter to her hand as she took in his scrunched eyebrows and the grimace of both anger and discomfort. He shifted on the bed and bit his lip as he did so.
"I'd like nothing more than to get out of here," he declared, but when he tried to rise up, he was disappointed at how weak he still felt.
"You'll have to ask the doctor, Link. And don't you dare think of trying to leave on your own either. I'll camp out in here if you so much as think about leaving without me!"
He stared at her for a moment and then his expression gentled. "…I won't."
Silence bloomed like weeds before them. Zelda gazed down at her hand, and her fingers which were entwined with his. It seemed as though she was always the one to get closer to him, to take his hand or his arm and hold it against her own. Even if he didn't shrug away from her touch, he never seemed to initiate it himself and she found herself wishing he would. She wanted to ask him about what had been eating at him, to impress upon him the feelings that had been building up within her, but her tongue stilled before she could say anything. She was so entrenched with her own thoughts that she didn't notice the deep furrow of Link's brow as he also wrestled with himself.
He shuddered. "This can't be real…it can't be…" He trembled as he said it. "Pinch me, Zelda. I… keep thinking this is all a dream…"
Instead she used her other hand to grasp his all the firmer between both of hers. "…Does this feel real to you?"
"Zelda… I…"
"Yes, Link?" she replied softly, capturing his gaze with her own and holding it unwaveringly.
Still shaking, he averted his eyes and bit at his lip. Then he lifted his face toward her again and struck out like a blind man suddenly dropped in the middle of nowhere. "When I was locked up, I thought about you a lot and… I was afraid I'd never see you again." He pressed his lips together and swallowed something in his throat. His eyes were moist.
Her heart did a crazy flip, worse than her stomach had when she'd been heckled by her brothers to go on a crazy roller coaster ride. She choked on a little gasp of her own and she clutched at his hand as if it was the only thing keeping her from sinking into a sea of grief, misery and despair. She kept silent and waited for him to finish.
"…I wanted to tell you so many things… and I thought I never would… But now, if I'm not dreaming, then you're really here…"
"Yes, I'm here," she said, her voice hardly above a whisper.
He looked quite stricken, his breaths coming in painful gasps and the sound of his heartbeat echoing in his ears. He stumbled over his words and felt an utter fool, but he wouldn't stop. He'd lain upon the mattress in that basement room too many times, thinking yearningly of her and wishing he had just two minutes to tell her what she meant to him. He'd promised himself that if he somehow managed to get out of there alive and did see her again, he wouldn't waste the opportunity. He didn't imagine it to be quite so difficult, however, nor that his head would pound and his insides to feel like they were bumping around in a boneless body.
"Zelda…I-I care so much for you…" There. He'd said it. It was as if he'd been carrying a tremendous weight on his shoulders and now it had fallen from him like a snake shedding its skin.
Her smile grew and grew until it enveloped her eyes, her lips, her cheeks, her whole face. Tears slipped down the sides of her nose, completely unnoticed in her relief and delight. Her heart was suddenly trying to take flight.
"I know," she said simply.
Progressing still further wasn't quite so hard after that, and seeing the joy in her face gave him more courage. "…I think I must have loved you since we first met…only I didn't know it then."
"You never told me," she murmured, but her tone was only slightly chiding.
He bit at his lip. "I was afraid… I am afraid… that I would only hurt you. I…I couldn't do that, not for the world! …But I am still afraid"
She lifted one hand to touch his gaunt cheek, while she still held his fingers in the grip of her other. Unable to keep her tongue still any longer, she burst out, "I am not afraid. I know you, Link. You are the sweetest, gentlest, most admirable man I could ever know! I think you would make a devoted husband and an even more wonderful father. Children must have an innate sense about people. I've seen the way you are around children, especially Zill and Joel. They idolize you! And that little girl, Saria, admires you so. She has a crush on you, did you know? I think that no one like that could possibly be a bad father. You must be worried because you were shifted around so much, right? Because of that horrible man you escaped from?"
He inhaled too quickly, causing him to cough and the pain to flare up in his ribs. Once he had recovered sufficiently, he rasped, "How… how did you know?" His face, which had already been quite pale, looked completely bloodless.
"You told me," she replied, her eyebrows dipping worriedly. Then she reached for the book she'd set on the table, holding the ledger up so he could see. "The police found it in the room you were in, and Detective Zauz let me have it. Link…"
Feeling the sharp burning of shame, worse even than the ache in his chest, he closed his eyes and turned his head away. Oh, why had she read it?! Now she knew everything! He frowned weakly to himself and kicked himself mentally, over and over again. He was at the edge of cliff and below it was darkness; he seemed to be teetering at the edge, but then Zelda's hand pressed over his and his opened his eyes. She was clasping the book to her chest as if it was a precious thing, and she beheld him with such a soft, tender look that made him want to protect her.
"I didn't think anyone would ever see it…" he said, his words trailing off.
"And I'm glad I did," she replied, her tone gentle. "I'm glad I read it. I love you, Link. Whatever affects you affects me too."
She could well guess at the reason for his dismay. After all, he had poured his heart and soul into the journal of his captivity. He had bared all his tender and most human thoughts, his darkest secret, his struggles, his hope and despair on those pages. Perhaps he felt he should only receive ridicule for such a thing, but she was so immensely grateful that she could taste it on her tongue. It seemed to her to be bittersweet, for she felt all the closer to him because she knew, but now she also shared his pain.
Her expression eased and her fingers curled softly around his. "It's not all bad, Link. There was one good man in your life. He cared about you. I want to meet him more than ever now!"
He gazed back at her, his own eyes wide and almost unblinking as he nearly lost himself in her turquoise depths. "I-I guess you're right… He was more of a father than anyone else. And he would like you and approve of you, I know he would."
"You're so sweet," she said, unable to keep her lips from curving upward.
"No… I'm not. I'm just telling the truth. You're too good for someone like me."
"Don't say that. You're more wonderful than you think." Then she frowned and shifted her gaze downward. She loosened her hold on the book and let it rest on her lap. "Link, there is… something I must tell you…"
He looked at her with the warm blue eyes that weren't anything like the icy blue she'd seen in her dream. She swallowed, bit at her lip and then in a quiet voice told him about her former fiancé and the experience she'd had. By the time she had finished, Link's tired eyes were alight with the fire of a righteous wrath, his free hand was knotted into a fist, the other one clenched tightly around hers, and he set his mouth into a fierce scowl. He rose up, trembling as he did.
"The filthy scum!" he declared through clenched teeth. "I just wish he was here! I'd… I'd knock his block off!"
Zelda was unsuccessful in keeping the tears back as she relayed her sorry little story, but at his reaction her heart gave a lurch as if she'd jumped off a cliff and suddenly found that she could fly. She wondered for just a moment why she was so grateful that he would be so incensed on her behalf, and then her better sense took over. Her brow wrinkled with some considerable concern as she tried to push him back down, thinking that getting worked up was perhaps detrimental for him in his weakened condition.
"Link, lie back please!" she begged him. "I don't think this is good for you. Oh, maybe I shouldn't have told you!"
He sank back to his pillow again, closed his eyes and inhaled several harsh breaths. "He'd better not ever come near you again, or I'll…I'll knock his daylights out!" he rasped.
He opened his eyes and lifted them to meet hers again, his expression both frightfully fierce and woefully weak. His hand trembled in her grasp and she clung all the tighter to his not quite warm fingers. She'd only wanted to tell him about it because she wanted him to know all the more what he meant to her. His feeling about the whole matter was more vehement than she'd expected and because of it she thought he was such a dear… and also that maybe he was overreacting in typical male fashion.
"You don't have to worry about that," she told him. "I haven't seen him since. For all I know, he's still in Labrynna City."
And suddenly she knew she didn't mind talking about it at all. Her untrue fiancé meant nothing to her now that she had Link. She was elated still further because she knew by testimony of his own lips how much he cared for her. Her own affection swelled within her and spilled from her like a bright light that had abruptly been uncovered. She leaned forward and kissed him quickly.
"Wh-what was that for?" he stammered.
She grinned back at him, the tears not quite dry upon her face. "That's for being you. And because I'm so glad you're here."
He made a hmphing sound low in his throat and she was tempted to roll her eyes. But then she sobered considerably when she turned everything he'd told her over and over in her mind. She understood far better now why he'd been so prickly and pushed her away sometimes, despite the fact that they both enjoyed each other's company. She wished he'd tried to explain to her sooner. She glanced down at her fingers intertwined with his, the latter of which were mostly hidden by the blanket. She'd been so afraid that she'd never see him again that she hardly wanted to let him out of her sight again.
She stared into his deeply blue eyes. Saria had said they were like the summer sky and she was absolutely right. "Link… I know I can be terribly impatient. I've been selfish, thinking of myself and what I wanted from you, without thinking that you had a reason… I wanted our relationship to grow, to deepen because I think it's special to both of us. But if you're not ready yet, then I will wait for you until you are," she said quietly.
He swallowed thickly a couple of times and she could see that his eyes were moist. He returned the squeeze of her hand for a minute before his allowed his much weakened muscles to ease up.
She quickly wiped away a few tears of her own and put on a smile that became more genuine the longer she maintained it. Her eyes shifted to his mouth and jawline. "You know, I feel a little silly for thinking so much about this, but… will you be shaving off your beard?"
His brows lowered and he looked confused, until he lifted a hand to feel his face. Going without shaving for two weeks had left him with long stubble that was itchy, dry and annoying. It was just a couple shades darker than the hair on the rest of his head and was at that stage where it wasn't just mere stubble and wasn't yet an actual beard. He might have shaved during his imprisonment, except for lack of his razor.
"Or are you going to adopt a new look?" she queried further, a mischievous quirk playing about her lips.
Frowning slightly, he replied, "No, I'm not."
He had no intention of keeping it, for it would just be a more physical reminder of the dark time through which he'd passed. When he had enough of his strength back so he could operate a razor without nicking himself in the throat, he would shave it off, or perhaps he would have a barber do it. Good riddance to it! If only he could forget his experience as easily as he could separate himself from two weeks' worth of beard…
"That's just as well," Zelda was saying. "I do believe I like it better when you are clean-shaven, anyhow. Or perhaps that's because I'm used to seeing you thusly…" She shrugged. "No, I think I like seeing more of your face. Not that I have anything against beards, you know. My dad has one, after all. When I was a very little girl I thought everyone could grow a beard. Isn't that silly?!"
As he listened to her chatter, he let his eyes slowly close, but he snapped them open again when all he could see in his mind's eye were the sneering, nastily gleeful faces of his captors, and the basement room where they'd put him. The images plagued him, but the intensity of the memories lessened when he focused on her.
A nurse entered the room as Zelda was telling him about her brothers' various escapades and Navi's departure. Upon seeing that the patient was awake, the petite woman in starched white uniform introduced herself as Ciela. She checked Link's temperature and pulse and asked him how he was feeling.
"Weak as a lamb waiting to be shorn," he responded sourly. "Hungry. And I want to get out of here."
The nurse laughed at his unusual metaphor. "We'll try giving you a bit of broth. You know you have to reintroduce yourself slowly to food, do you? This is very important. Your body has been starved all this time, so you have to allow it to work up to taking in food again. "
He nodded, but his scowl wasn't nearly as intense as he could usually make it, since he simply hadn't the energy to keep it up. He didn't have to tell her anything else, for she could see his listlessness and the twist of pain about his mouth. She finished making notes on his chart, gave both him and Zelda a quick, curious look, and then pressed her lips together and let herself out.
A short while later the doctor came in with the same nurse following him, interrupting yet another rambling tale of Zelda's. Doctor Bandam, as he introduced himself, was a quick-moving man who prodded the patient with impassive swiftness, asked Link a few questions, examined his ribs and other bruises, and requested him to cough, which was something of a painful process. Bandam, who was a researcher by heart, was disgruntled to be doing mundane clinical work, but his excitement was aroused by this case and his desire to prove the efficacy of gradually refeeding a starved patient so as to return him to optimal health.
After questioning Link thoroughly about any symptoms he was feeling and checking him over, the doctor told Ciela to bring him a cup of broth and note the time that she did. Then Bandam reiterated the warning the nurse and Zelda had already told Link, and the man in the white coat swept from the room and on to his next patient.
Hardly able to pay attention to Zelda's words, Link awaited the promised broth with such ravenous anxiousness that he even surprised himself. He almost couldn't believe he would finally get some small amount of the nourishment he craved, even if it was just broth. His ear twitched at every footstep in the hall, and he was sure he could smell something warm and delicious before Ciela even opened the door. Then, when the nurse gave him the mug, he was terribly afraid that it would slip from his trembling fingers.
"Careful, Link," Zelda cautioned him. She was sitting on the side of the bed again and she reached over to steady his hand.
Ciela's eyes were on them, and she murmured something about love being a beautiful thing before she blushed and hurried out again. Meanwhile, Link took sips of the broth and let it slide down his throat to a pitifully, painfully empty stomach. He wanted to gulp the liquid as quickly as he could, but it was a touch too hot and he was forced to be patient. He downed the contents of the mug long before he could ever have been satisfied.
He remained awake for the rest of the evening, listening to Zelda's talk, and all the while she held his hand mostly under the blanket so that he'd stay warm. After evening gave away to night, the nurse and doctor came in again and gave Link some medicine. It dulled the pain and also made him sleepy, so it was only a short time before he began drifting off while his friend still held his hand.
When he awoke many hours later and the morning light was invading the room, she was by his side again. Or perhaps she'd been there all that time…? He didn't know. His brows crinkled as he looked over at her. He was still a bit groggy.
"…Did you sleep at all?"
"Of course I did," she replied, almost too airily. "It wasn't as long as yours, but I must have slept some few hours at least." She cocked her own brows at him. "Now don't you go worrying about me, Link. The most important thing is that you get well. Once we get you home I'm sure nothing will be able to keep me from a good night's sleep again."
Link had a breakfast of very thin gruel and more broth, which left him hungering for more. Then, after more poking and questions, the doctor gave him his release later that morning. Bandam gave them a specific list of exactly what Link should consume for the next week and orders to get plenty of rest, to stay warm, to try and take deeper breaths every once in a while to keep his lungs clear, and to take one of the pills he provided if the pain became too much. Bandam told the patient he wanted to see him again in a few days so he could assess Link's progress.
Zelda made sure he was well bundled against the cold, with a couple of sweaters underneath his topcoat. He was sitting on the side of the bed, feeling a little more alive than he had right before the police had found him, but he was still wondering if he could make it downstairs and into a cab without having his knees buckle under him. But Zelda was already taking his arm and he thought he could make it with her support.
There came a knock on the door and Nurse Ciela and an orderly entered. A second or two later, before the door could close behind them, in stepped Zauz, his hat in his hand. He stood by while Ciela explained that it was hospital policy to give their just-released patients a ride to the door. She gestured to the wheelchair the orderly had brought along.
"I can walk on my own," Link protested with some disdain, as if he hadn't been doubting himself just moments before.
The nurse insisted in her own quietly firm way, Zelda encouraged him to take it easy and accept the ride, and the muscled orderly guided him to the wheeled chair with the kind of forbearance of one used to dealing with fractious patients. Only after that dispute was settled did Zauz open his mouth with the reason for his visit. He wanted Link to come down to the station to make his statement.
"Can't that wait until later?" the young lady interjected before her friend could respond. "He needs to rest!"
Hardly a moment later, Link replied, "I'll come." He set his mouth resolutely, but his hands trembled as he fumbled with them uselessly in his lap.
The detective's expression changed but little. "I have a car waiting downstairs. I'll meet you there," he said, and then he was gone.
While the orderly pushed the wheelchair through the hall and to the elevator, Zelda kept by her friend's side and fretted. "Are you sure, Link? You shouldn't try to do too much, you know. The doctor said you need lots of rest."
"I know," he returned, his tone a bit short because he was feeling mite dizzy and disconcerted. "But it's something I have to do. If I were to wait too long, perhaps Daupple and his pals would find some way to get out of it. I… have to do whatever I can to make sure that doesn't happen."
She had little to say in opposition to his unwavering resolve. She decided she wasn't going to leave his side, however. When they were settled in the squad car, with Zauz and another policeman in the front, she insisted that Link cover himself with the blanket she'd brought along; he complied, but with a grumble under his breath. She held onto his arm as they got out in front of the precinct station, and she was very glad she had done so when he faltered and almost fell as they mounted the steps. Zauz took his other arm and held him in a much firmer grip until they reached his office.
A photographer took a couple of pictures of Link just as he was, stubble and gauntness and all. Then, with a stenographer standing by to take down his words, he told both Zauz and another detective what had happened to him. It took longer than he'd expected, with both men putting to him all manner of inquiries. They wanted to know everything the crooks had said to him, including any reference to their activity. He felt completely worn out and wrung out by the time they were finished questioning him.
The detectives told them that thanks to Telma's information, they'd found the bartender of the Woodfall Tavern, who had been in cahoots with Daupple. With the bartender's confession, the evidence they'd found in the place where Link had been imprisoned, his condition when they found him, the things he'd written in his journal, and the crooks who were spilling their guts, the police had a fairly good picture of what exactly had taken place. After a thorough search of the abandoned restaurant that had been the gangster's hideout, they recovered nearly all of the money, jewels and other valuables the crooks had burgled, lifted and otherwise stolen, which amounted to quite the hefty sum.
Then Zauz brought in a couple of witnesses who had seen at least one of the gangsters at the scene of one of their crimes. Both eyewitnesses each scrutinized Link for a moment and shook their heads. The man they'd seen was clean-shaven and looked perfectly healthy. The detectives thanked them for coming and showed them out. By that time, the stenographer had returned with the typed copy of Link's statement, which he signed with a shaky hand.
Zelda rose from her chair on the other side of the room where Zauz had asked her to wait. "Is that all?" she demanded, putting one hand on her hip, while the other rested on the back of Link's chair. She saw the tiredness in her friend's face and in the way he held himself and her only thought was to take him home so he could rest.
"Yes, that will be all for now," Zauz replied as he looked up from whatever he was writing. "Thank you for coming down. Where can we reach you?"
The young lady was pulling at Link's arm and glanced up at the detective momentarily. "He's going to stay with my family for now. You can reach us there," she said, and helped her friend to his feet.
She was relieved when they were outside again, for she'd been a bit apprehensive that the police would suspect Link for things she knew he hadn't done, and want to lock him up. She held onto his arm even when they were in a cab and she'd covered his legs with the blanket again. He didn't say anything but merely leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes as though the lids were too heavy to hold up anymore. He shivered again and she wished she'd brought another blanket.
Almost everyone was at the house to greet them. Techer opened the door for them and he hurried forward to take the arm of the stumbling, drooping young man. Aryll was there just seconds later, bouncing between gladness that he was there again, and renewed concern over his condition. Joel and Zill had known something was up and easily escaped from Honey while she was telephoning her boyfriend for the eighth time. They peeked over the top of the bannisters, took one look at Link and bounded down the stairs toward him, hollering with glee. They might have run into him, too, but both young ladies stopped them before they could.
"Gee, you have a beard!" cried Zill in too loud a tone.
"I can't wait until I can grow a beard!" Joel declared, feeling his own chin.
Giselda entered the scene and added her own welcome. She pulled her boys aside just a moment later as she noticed Link's weary appearance. She marched them upstairs to their room again, scolding them and telling them that the young man needed quiet and rest.
Zelda and Aryll wasted no time in ushering him up to one of the guest rooms; it was actually the same one in which he'd stayed for a few days the previous Christmas, until he'd gotten back on his feet again. He hardly said two words as the girls took him in and left him sitting on the side of the bed, with Techer there to help him. Just minutes later, Link was beneath the blankets and he still felt cold. Both his sister and his friend came in to check on him, but he was already half asleep.
For the next few days he rested. Aryll and Zelda both hovered over him like anxious mothers, but he only complained a little under their ministrations. They made sure he ate and drank just what Doctor Bandam had ordered, and they spent much of their time with him. Zelda amused him with all her retellings of what had gone on while he wasn't around, Aryll brought books from the library and read to him, and they played games together. Even the boys came in and wanted to play; their two favorite games were war and slapjack. Link didn't even mention gin rummy.
Sometimes he got to be very quiet and restless, as if he couldn't stand being cooped up all the time. He would rise suddenly from the bed or one of the big chairs, go to the window and stare out for an hour or more, looking out at the wide open world as if he couldn't get enough of it. When Zelda saw him like that, her heart twisted and she wished she could help him, could understand better what he was going through. She figured he was reliving the terrible memories of being confined and having no escape. She held his hand, but she wished she could do something more for him.
One day she knocked on his door and received no answer. She entered slowly, calling his name. On one arm she bore a tray with the soup and crackers he was supposed to eat next, but she set it on the nearest table when she saw him hunched over in one of the armchairs near the fire. He was shivering and trembling, despite the warmth of the flames, the blanket half askew on his lap, and the layers of clothing he wore. She immediately hastened to his side and grabbed his hand.
"What's wrong, Link? What is it?"
His eyes seemed an even deeper blue because they were filled with tears that slowly trickled down his face. His heartbeat seemed to jump in his throat and his breaths left harsh sounds in her ears. His body was as taut and tense as a rubber band stretched to its limit before breaking.
"Please tell me, Link. Whatever it is, perhaps it will help if you tell me about it. Please don't shut me out!"
She half sat, half knelt on the floor, gazing up at his anguished face and not looking away for anything. She lost count of how many seconds, how many breaths went by before he finally parted his lips.
"I-I keep remembering…" he moaned. "…I was alone… I thought I was…going to die… I thought I wouldn't ever see you again… I was so close to giving in!"
Once he was started, he couldn't stop. The tears flowed freely as he aired his fears, his voice sounding cracked and broken. All she could do was listen and hold his hands. She cried too, because he was so shaken and she didn't know what to do for him.
"It's all right. It's all over," she whispered, wishing she had better words to help heal him. "I'm here. We're together again. Nothing's going to separate us again."
Afterward, he was exhausted and a bit gruff when she insisted that he drink the weak soup she'd brought up. But when she looked into his eyes and glimpsed the gratitude therein, she felt pretty sure she'd done the right thing. It was difficult for him to admit that he needed help and comfort, that the experience still haunted him and gave him nightmares, and that he was ashamed for feeling so vulnerable. He was worn out, and as soon as he'd finished slurping the soup, he crawled into bed and took a nap, as if he was just five years old.
Telma called a couple of times and asked how the young fellow was doing. Zelda spoke to her on both occasions and thanked her warmly and repeatedly for all the help both she and her friends had provided. Without them, Zelda was afraid that she wouldn't have seen Link again. Telma merely chuckled and the young lady could hear her smile through the telephone wires.
"Once that young man of yours is well again, I want to meet him properly. Come down sometime and we'll have a nice little party in my back room. The others would like to see him, too."
"Thank you!" Zelda replied, grateful tears springing to her eyes. "We will be sure to pay you a visit."
A couple of days after Link's return, the family decided to open up the rest of the Christmas presents. Aryll's parents were still there and they joined in the festivities as well. This time, Zelda felt complete and she couldn't stop smiling as she glanced over at Link and grabbed his hand yet again. She'd just unwrapped the gift he'd picked out for her and she was exulting over how gorgeous it was. It was a brooch depicting a loftwing with its head held up and its great wings folded partway down. It was a valuable piece, as he had been giving up little personal luxuries and saving his money for many months so that he could afford it.
"Link, it's just wonderful!" she exclaimed, a pink hue in her cheeks and a light in her turquoise eyes. After admiring it and thanking him more than once, she pinned it near her collar where the crimson of the loftwing contrasted prettily against the kelly green of her dress.
She'd finally decided on a gift for him too, but she didn't think it was nearly good enough, especially after his. It was a thin package that she handed him, just the right size for a painting. She held her breath and watched his face closely while he peeled back the paper. The expression on his face suddenly told her that she couldn't have picked anything better.
He held the canvas in his hands like it was a portrait made of gold. She had been in such a rush that she hadn't had time to find a proper frame for it. Her painting skills were rusty, but when she hadn't been with him, she'd used all her time to paint a picture of his grandmother, using the photograph he'd tracked down for Aryll as her inspiration. When she looked at her work, she saw all the mistakes and the areas at which she should have used more paint, or a different color. When he gazed upon it, he saw his beloved grandma as seen through the eyes of his dearest friend, and his heart was full.
"I know it's not too great. I could have done a much better job if I'd spent a longer time on it," she said awkwardly, wondering why he didn't say anything.
He met her eye for a moment. "It's perfect…just the way it is," he murmured, his voice strangely husky. "Thank you, Zelda…"
She noticed later that he placed the painting on his dresser, in a spot where he could see it from just about any position in the room. She tried to see it like he did, but she always got stuck on the imperfections. She wouldn't ask him to take it down for all the world, however, as she knew how much it meant to him.
Zelda always felt a little sad once all the Christmas gifts were opened and none remained under the tree. Ever since she was a child she'd always liked that time when she would look at the presents, and speculate and dream about what might be in them. It was almost as good as opening them and had endless potential before the paper was torn away. Each gift was a surprise for someone, and she always thought it was a shame when none of them were left. There was, however, one surprise left.
Just a day later, she went racing up to Link's room and found him playing slapjack with Aryll and the boys. They were all so focused on the game that no one was paying attention to her, so she put her hand on the cards in play and they were forced to notice her then.
"Zellie, what are you doing?!" Joel howled.
"Hey, that's not fair! I was gonna slap that jack!" Zill cried, adding his own lamentation.
"What is it?" Aryll questioned, noting her friend's flushed appearance.
Zelda had eyes for none but Link, however. He sat in the armchair with the fewest cards left in his pile, for he was almost always too slow in slapping the jacks. He returned her gaze and raised his eyebrows quizzically.
She gasped a couple of hasty breaths. "Link, do you remember when you told me about the first robbery at the store, and later that there was a reward? And I said it would be wonderful if you could collect it?"
Joel and Zill complained and protested again about her disturbing their game, but she shushed them. Link stared back at her, his eyebrows lowered and his mouth curved downward in some confusion.
"You don't mean…?" said Aryll, her eyes growing wide as she began to catch on.
"What?" Zill piped up.
"Yeah, what?" Joel echoed, not to be outdone by his brother.
She ignored them, her eyes elsewhere. "You have earned the reward, Link! Detective Zauz called and he said it was only fair that it should go to you…after everything…and because you were holding a gun on those men, the police were able to capture them without firing a shot. It's yours! It's all yours, Link! Isn't that wonderful?!"
He still didn't say anything, but the boys made up for that by throwing their cards into the air, and shouting and hollering loud enough to be heard clear out to the sidewalk. The other three glared at them, but Zill and Joel just grinned back like the miscreants they were.
"Are you rich now, Link?"
"Can you buy us some comic books?"
"I want the new one on Captain FD! It just came out and I heard it's a pip!"
"And I want the Atomic Minish! I missed the last one, so now I'll have two new ones!"
"Be quiet, you two!" Zelda commanded them. "Hush, or you'll have to go back to your room."
Aryll was beaming and almost crying, she was so glad to hear of the good turn in her brother's fortune. "Oh Zelda! Oh, Link, it's wonderful! But are you sure?"
The elder girl nodded. "I talked to Mr. Shad as well. He assured me that the reward will definitely go to you, Link."
The young man sat there as if he was stunned almost into paralysis. His hands hung limply over his knees, as he'd already let his cards fall back to the table. At first he stared unfocused at the scattered mess of cards at the center, but then he slowly lifted his eyes to meet Zelda's.
"…I don't know if I want it," he mumbled. "It doesn't seem right…"
"But, Link! It's yours!" she returned, and she pressed at his not quite closed hand. "You deserve a reward after everything you've been through! But don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to get used to the idea. Mr. Shad said that it'll take a while before they'll pay it. The police must go through the goods and money they recovered, and return it to the rightful owners. When they get everything back, Mr. Shad says then the reward will be yours. And if you're not sure what to do with it, you can always put it away for a while. Or, better yet, you can make it work for you. Dad could find some worthwhile venture for you to invest in, I'm sure."
He hardly mentioned the reward after that, but he didn't refuse it either. It took him a while to accustom himself to the idea, and he determined that he would find some worthwhile purpose for which he might eventually use the money.
Link was slowly getting his strength back. He returned to see the doctor, who examined him and told him he was progressing nicely and warned him about what he should and should not eat just yet. After the new year he felt well enough to accompany Zelda to the Maple Home for Children and perform in a play that was long overdue. Aryll, Joel and Zill came too, for none of them wanted to miss it either. Even Saria was there, at Zelda's invitation.
The little ones all cheered to see them, gathering around Link and Zelda and hardly letting them move, and the older children who were assisting with the performance were bustlingly busy backstage. Mrs. Banji had to pull the youngsters away so that the two volunteer actors could put on their costumes.
While they were waiting in the wings, Zelda watched her friend, and smiled to herself because he was hardly scowling and seemed to be enjoying himself. Then he put on the monster's mask and his face was hidden from her, but even with his affected growls and the bad-natured actions of his role, she had the distinct feeling that he was as glad to be there as she was. Her own heart lifted and soared, and she had no difficulty in playing her own role as the benevolent Miss Holly. Her reprimands to the monster were firm but kind, and he was so sorry that he decided to change his ways. Once his heart was free from the malice and misery he'd tried to spread, his whole appearance transformed as well. Link appeared with his own face at the end of the play and promised Miss Holly he would build her a castle in the sky. They were riding off together in the sleigh, with its bells jangling at its sides, as the curtain fell.
The children clapped, cheered, yelled, and jumped to their feet. They'd laughed and screamed hardest when Link was his growling, snarling monster-best, and they were so pleased with the performance that they tried to swarm the stage and get closer to the performers. Chaos abounded, until Mrs. Banji and the other adults calmed things down and told them all to go to the big dining room and have their little after-play party.
Some of the children insisted that Link and Zelda should continue wearing their costumes, to which Zelda complied gladly and Link with little reluctance. However, he quit protesting when he found out he didn't have to wear the monster's mask. As they enjoyed the refreshments the staff of the home had so thoughtfully prepared, he kept glancing at her with a particular, rather intense, almost yearning look. She was determined this time to ask him what he was thinking, but she knew a noisy room crowded with children wasn't quite the place to do it.
After the celebration was over, they returned their costumes backstage, where some of the older children had begun putting things away. Zelda began folding up one of the makeshift curtains, and Link, seeing her example, helped one of the boys push a large piece of scenery. Mrs. Banji approached and clucked, telling them they'd done enough.
"Thank you for making the play something special for the children," she said warmly. "You might not know how much it means to them…but I just want to let you know that it does. They loved it."
"We were glad to do it," Zelda replied, her own easy smile mirroring the elder lady's.
"But you should go home now. Leave that to the children. They know how to do it. Thank you again for everything… and I'm very happy to see you both here." Mrs. Banji was looking straight at Link.
He mumbled something in return and they bid the kindly lady farewell. He held Zelda's coat for her and donned his own. Then she was distracted by a child who came up to her, hugged her fiercely and didn't want her to leave. Link was about to huff a sigh of impatience when he felt a tug at his sleeve. Upon glancing down, he saw Saria, and the grumpy twist of his lips eased up into a near-smile as he greeted her.
"I really liked the play," she said softly.
He knelt down to her level and his smile widened slightly. "That's good. I'm glad you liked it. And thank you for the soup you brought me."
She smiled sweetly. "I helped my mother make it. Was it good?"
"Best soup I ever had," he declared with a nod.
She grinned proudly. "I liked doing it. Maybe I'll be a cook when I grow up!"
"You could always count on me for a customer, then."
She shifted her gloved hands and fiddled with the little bag she carried. "Mr. Link…" she began, and then faltered.
"Yes, Saria?"
"Mr. Link, are you…" She fidgeted some more. "…Are you going to marry Miss Zelda?"
His eyes went wide and his throat bobbed. It was a full minute before he could trust himself to speak. "Wh-why do y-you ask?"
"You like her, right? I think she likes you," the girl told him. She seemed to gain courage the more she said. "I-I wanted to marry you, but Mummy says I'd have to wait years and years 'til I'm grown up enough to marry. I think… I think you should marry Miss Zelda. She likes you."
Link knew his mouth was open, but he didn't bother to close it. He stared back at Saria, wondering how the little girl's words had hit the very center of the deepest part of his recent thoughts, truer than the bullet of the best marksman. He stammered something incoherent, but then Saria's mother called to her, she bid him a quick goodbye, kissed him on the cheek and left him there. He stood up slowly, his head spinning again.
Aryll had already offered to take Joel and Zill home just a little while earlier, and Zelda was secretly glad. Link hailed a cab and moments later they were both huddled in the backseat. With the coming of night they seemed to be wrapped up in a blanket of snow and muted city lights, just the two of them.
"What were you thinking earlier, Link? You kept looking at me like you'd never seen me in a red dress before."
He licked his lips, swallowed several times and tugged at his collar. His heart was in his shoes, then then jumped up to his throat. Finally he spoke, fixing her with such an intense look that she was startled at first. "I w-was thinking… that you look beautiful. Y-you always look beautiful…especially when you smile. I hope you'll always smile… and I will try to smile with you."
She felt a movement and glanced down automatically, her own heart giving a fantastic leap. He was holding her hand.
~ Fin ~
I realized recently that I seem to have collected a bunch of names that start with Z. First of all, there's the most important character of all, Zelda. Then there's her brother, Zill, the detective, Zauz, the family's chef, Zunari, and of course, one of the villains, Zant. It's kinda funny that it worked out that way, but I certainly didn't make a conscious decision to specifically use all the Z names I could. Say, there are a few others I didn't use though, being Zubora and Zanc, plus some NPCs from Breath of the Wild.
There are also a number of redheaded characters that I used, but that just turned out that way too. It was a matter of trying to find a character who fit the role I had in mind. Can you remember all the redheads?
This story became a monster! Have you ever seen a cartoon or illustrated story in which a room is filled with dough or some other gooey substance, to the point that it bulges out the doors and windows and keeps going? The prequel, Christmas After All, was going to be a oneshot, but by the time I had it all written down, it was 25,000 words and much too long for that. So I broke it up into the eight chapters in which you'll find it. When beginning this story, I figured I'd be doing pretty well to have about ten chapters, probably about the length of the first two or three. And now it's ended up being four times as long as the previous story.
I've had a love/hate relationship with this story. I've been working on it for about three months, and at least a month when I first began writing it. I don't remember how many nights I sat down at my computer after a stupidly busy day and tried to plug away at this thing. There were times when I felt like chucking the whole thing out and forgetting about it. Yes, I hated it and wondered what possessed me to write the stupid thing. Other times I was fairly well pleased with it and grinned to myself after coming up with something I liked. Seeing your feedback and theories was also rewarding. What else can I say but that it has its ups and downs, and that writing is a struggle? Those of you who are writers surely know of which I speak.
I'm glad it's done! My brain feels like mush left out to harden for a few months. But I am satisfied to reach such a conclusion to this particular tale. Who knows... Maybe one day I'll write more about these characters. But for now I need a much-overdue break...and the chance to catch up on some other stuff!
Until we meet again...
01-17-2020 ~ Published (11,504 words)