Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! I was so flattered by some of the reviews...thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter eight: fragdemon, Gouf_2k2, Seproth, MiKoMiTeNsHi, alskwolf, Demon Kurai, Lulu, Cheri Belle, guitargrlC, Darkiegal, Tigress the Oracle of Legends, Hyren Breeder, SweetSaria88, and Maniac Mosli. No, I'm not a professional writer...I've gotten a couple poems published, but I'm only thirteen.
Note: It has been seven months since the last chapter...
Chapter Nine: A Birth and a Death
Malon sat uncomfortably on her bed, trying to take deep, calming breaths but failing miserably. Every ten minutes or so she would have another contraction, and she had never imagined anything could be so painful. She would have been worried had it not been for Impa, who had told her it was supposed to hurt.
Link was sitting on the other bed, looking ashen and worried, and suddenly a sharp pain went through Malon's body again and she cried out. Link sighed and said, "I wish none of this had ever happened. I don't know what I was thinking..."
In a small voice full of pain, Malon said quietly, "Link, grow up."
Link stared at her. "What?"
"I said, 'Grow up.' And I meant it, too! Do you think I like having my husband constantly talk about how he wishes he had never been with me? Do you think I want to be going into labor? I don't like this any more than you do, but I don't regret it. I never will."
Link was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean it like that. I don't regret that we got married, Malon."
"Really?"
"Really." There a moment's pause, and then Malon started gasping. "Malon," said Link, looking worried, "that wasn't a very long time between those two, was it?" Malon managed to shake her head and Link grabbed his ocarina, went outside the house, and called Saria on his ocarina.
~~~
Saria was tramping through the Lost Woods when she noticed her ocarina glowing. She knew it was most likely Link, and for a moment she thought of maybe not answering him, since she knew Malon was going into labor and that's why he was calling. But then she realized that would look suspicious on her part, and she didn't want to take any blame if the baby died, so she answered.
"Hello?"
"Saria! It's me! Malon's going into labor, so would you get Impa? I know you can travel as a light beam and everything, so..."
Saria paused, debating. Then she said, "All right. She'll be there in less than five minutes." She transformed herself into a beam of light and zipped off to the castle at top speed.
~~~
Ruto stared at her reflection in the pool of water, smiling to herself. Everything was perfect. Jabu-Jabu's old home had been brushed up and decorated, with plenty of floating islands added for people who weren't Zoras and couldn't swim very well, and her wedding dress looked perfect. Ruto felt like a princess...then again, she was a princess, so that made sense. She twirled around a couple times before heading back over to Zora's Domain to greet her guests.
When she walked in, she was surprised at how many people had turned up. Half of the crowd were people she had never even seen before, let alone know them personally, and the hall was so packed that Ruto barely had room to step inside.
She walked to the top of the waterfall where everyone would be able to see her more clearly and smiled cheerily, waving to everyone. A hush fell over the crowd as Ruto began to speak, and a moment later her father had joined her at the top of the waterfall.
"Ladies and gentleman," she said, starting out loudly but soon realizing there was no need, "thank you for being here on my special day. It gives me great honor to-to...Father?" Her father was making gasping sounds, and when Ruto turned to look at him, he was clutching his chest. An instant later he fell from the waterfall and landed with a giant splash in the water.
"FATHER!" Ruto dived into the water after him, wedding dress and all, and knelt beside him underwater. "Father, are you all right?" Her father was gasping and yelling in pain, and Ruto cried, "Father, what's wrong?"
He took her small hand in his and said, "My heart...my...heart...I love you...Ruto, my...daughter..." And then his eyes closed slowly.
"Father, no...not now, not my wedding day! No!" Ruto burst into tears under the water, reminded suddenly of Brandon's death, and the way she had saved him...she gently kissed her father on the cheek, expecting him to spring back to life, but nothing happened. He lay quite as still as before, looking as though he were asleep.
"But...why...?" Suddenly Ruto felt a splash beside her, and Brandon was holding her. She sobbed into his chest, suddenly wishing she could just meld into him and not exist anymore.
~~~
Michael walked out onto the stone patio of the Spirit Temple, smiling to himself as he watched Nabooru. He loved watching Nabooru when she didn't know he was watching her, the way she looked as though she was concentrating hard on something that only she could see.
He noticed her hand was resting on the lower section of her stomach, as it had often for the last few months. He often wondered why she did that, but he had never bothered asking before. He decided he would now.
He crept up quietly behind her, and then, at the last possible moment, said, "Nabooru, can I ask you something?" Nabooru jumped, making him laugh, and he picked her up and said, "Why do you always hold your stomach like that?"
Nabooru looked away for a moment, and then she answered, "I was wondering if you'd noticed that." Michael waited, but she didn't say anything else, and he said, "Well...?" Nabooru smiled.
"Michael, I think we're going to have a baby." Shocked, Michael nearly dropped Nabooru, but caught himself and just gently put her down. Then he said, "Nabooru, that's great!" Then he added, thoughtfully, "Nabooru?"
"Yes?"
"Did you ask me to marry you because you knew you were pregnant?"
Surprised, Nabooru stared at him. "Of course not! I wasn't even pregnant when I asked you, and even if I had been, the women here always have children without fathers. Haven't you noticed there are no men? The women here get themselves knocked up by men from outside, and then they always have girls. The last man here was Ganondorf, sadly, but generally boys born here are meant to be the kings."
Michael hugged Nabooru gently. "Do you think were going to have a boy?"
Nabooru smiled. "Maybe."
The wind blew gently through Nabooru's hair, and she smiled, content. She didn't care if it was a boy or a girl. She was just glad she was pregnant at all. For a while she had thought she couldn't have children, because she had been with so many men and she never got pregnant. But finally, finally, her dream had come true, and with just the right person.
~~~
Impa arrived suddenly in Malon's bedroom, smiling in a reassuring way and telling Malon to lie down. Malon obeyed. Then Impa turned to Link and said, "You don't have to stick around if you don't want to, Link. Most men don't." Link just shook his head, however. It wasn't that he thought Impa was lying, as she had delivered far too many babies to not know the truth about such things, but he felt it would be wrong for him to just leave Malon like that.
"I'll just make some tea for Malon. Would that be okay?" Impa smiled and nodded, and Link scooped some tea leaves into a mug, turned on the gas stove, and put some water on to boil.
"I've had tea almost every day," said Malon softly, smiling with effort. "It really helps me relax, and a woman in Kakariko Village told me that kind of tea helps women have their children. That's why I drink it so much."
Impa smiled warmly. "I think you'll be a good mother, Malon."
Suddenly Malon cried out again, and Impa said, "Are you sure you don't want to leave, Link? That makes it easier sometimes."
Link sighed. "Fine. But I'm only going downstairs."
He went downstairs and sat back in the spot where Talon used to sit, and waited. About fifteen minutes later, Impa came downstairs and said to him, "Link, I have bad news."
Link stared at her. "What is it?"
"Something is horribly wrong with Malon. I don't think the baby is going to make it, Link."
Shocked, Link said, "Why not?"
"I have no idea. I've never seen anything like it before." Uh-oh, Link thought. This was bad news. If Impa didn't know what to do, then nothing could help that baby.
"I have to get back upstairs," said Impa as Malon suddenly screamed, "but pray for the baby, Link."
"I will," said Link quietly, and as soon as Impa left he got up and began pacing. The baby couldn't die...that was the reason he had married Malon...but that was a selfish thought.
But was being selfish such a bad thing in a situation like this?
~~~
Zelda sat on her bed, tears streaming down her face and staining her white silk nightgown. Tomorrow was her wedding night. She didn't want to marry Rauru, but there was nothing she could do about it, and the strange sense of calm that came with this all made her all the more upset.
Zelda couldn't stop thinking about Link. She thought of Ruto, who had loved him but then fallen in love with someone else, and Nabooru, who had been fortunate enough to have the same thing happen to her. But Zelda had never been able to shake off her feelings for Link, and she didn't know why.
Perhaps it was because there was no one else in her life. Ruto had saved Brandon's life, after all, and Nabooru had rescured Michael from a life in prison. Zelda hadn't saved anyone but Link. She could still remember leading him down from the top of Ganon's Castle as it began to fall down...
Impa had left half an hour ago to help Malon with her baby. Zelda wondered how the birth was going. She certainly didn't want anything to happen to Malon or the baby. And unlike other women she knew, she meant it when she thought that.
~~~
Note: It has been seven months since the last chapter...
Chapter Nine: A Birth and a Death
Malon sat uncomfortably on her bed, trying to take deep, calming breaths but failing miserably. Every ten minutes or so she would have another contraction, and she had never imagined anything could be so painful. She would have been worried had it not been for Impa, who had told her it was supposed to hurt.
Link was sitting on the other bed, looking ashen and worried, and suddenly a sharp pain went through Malon's body again and she cried out. Link sighed and said, "I wish none of this had ever happened. I don't know what I was thinking..."
In a small voice full of pain, Malon said quietly, "Link, grow up."
Link stared at her. "What?"
"I said, 'Grow up.' And I meant it, too! Do you think I like having my husband constantly talk about how he wishes he had never been with me? Do you think I want to be going into labor? I don't like this any more than you do, but I don't regret it. I never will."
Link was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean it like that. I don't regret that we got married, Malon."
"Really?"
"Really." There a moment's pause, and then Malon started gasping. "Malon," said Link, looking worried, "that wasn't a very long time between those two, was it?" Malon managed to shake her head and Link grabbed his ocarina, went outside the house, and called Saria on his ocarina.
~~~
Saria was tramping through the Lost Woods when she noticed her ocarina glowing. She knew it was most likely Link, and for a moment she thought of maybe not answering him, since she knew Malon was going into labor and that's why he was calling. But then she realized that would look suspicious on her part, and she didn't want to take any blame if the baby died, so she answered.
"Hello?"
"Saria! It's me! Malon's going into labor, so would you get Impa? I know you can travel as a light beam and everything, so..."
Saria paused, debating. Then she said, "All right. She'll be there in less than five minutes." She transformed herself into a beam of light and zipped off to the castle at top speed.
~~~
Ruto stared at her reflection in the pool of water, smiling to herself. Everything was perfect. Jabu-Jabu's old home had been brushed up and decorated, with plenty of floating islands added for people who weren't Zoras and couldn't swim very well, and her wedding dress looked perfect. Ruto felt like a princess...then again, she was a princess, so that made sense. She twirled around a couple times before heading back over to Zora's Domain to greet her guests.
When she walked in, she was surprised at how many people had turned up. Half of the crowd were people she had never even seen before, let alone know them personally, and the hall was so packed that Ruto barely had room to step inside.
She walked to the top of the waterfall where everyone would be able to see her more clearly and smiled cheerily, waving to everyone. A hush fell over the crowd as Ruto began to speak, and a moment later her father had joined her at the top of the waterfall.
"Ladies and gentleman," she said, starting out loudly but soon realizing there was no need, "thank you for being here on my special day. It gives me great honor to-to...Father?" Her father was making gasping sounds, and when Ruto turned to look at him, he was clutching his chest. An instant later he fell from the waterfall and landed with a giant splash in the water.
"FATHER!" Ruto dived into the water after him, wedding dress and all, and knelt beside him underwater. "Father, are you all right?" Her father was gasping and yelling in pain, and Ruto cried, "Father, what's wrong?"
He took her small hand in his and said, "My heart...my...heart...I love you...Ruto, my...daughter..." And then his eyes closed slowly.
"Father, no...not now, not my wedding day! No!" Ruto burst into tears under the water, reminded suddenly of Brandon's death, and the way she had saved him...she gently kissed her father on the cheek, expecting him to spring back to life, but nothing happened. He lay quite as still as before, looking as though he were asleep.
"But...why...?" Suddenly Ruto felt a splash beside her, and Brandon was holding her. She sobbed into his chest, suddenly wishing she could just meld into him and not exist anymore.
~~~
Michael walked out onto the stone patio of the Spirit Temple, smiling to himself as he watched Nabooru. He loved watching Nabooru when she didn't know he was watching her, the way she looked as though she was concentrating hard on something that only she could see.
He noticed her hand was resting on the lower section of her stomach, as it had often for the last few months. He often wondered why she did that, but he had never bothered asking before. He decided he would now.
He crept up quietly behind her, and then, at the last possible moment, said, "Nabooru, can I ask you something?" Nabooru jumped, making him laugh, and he picked her up and said, "Why do you always hold your stomach like that?"
Nabooru looked away for a moment, and then she answered, "I was wondering if you'd noticed that." Michael waited, but she didn't say anything else, and he said, "Well...?" Nabooru smiled.
"Michael, I think we're going to have a baby." Shocked, Michael nearly dropped Nabooru, but caught himself and just gently put her down. Then he said, "Nabooru, that's great!" Then he added, thoughtfully, "Nabooru?"
"Yes?"
"Did you ask me to marry you because you knew you were pregnant?"
Surprised, Nabooru stared at him. "Of course not! I wasn't even pregnant when I asked you, and even if I had been, the women here always have children without fathers. Haven't you noticed there are no men? The women here get themselves knocked up by men from outside, and then they always have girls. The last man here was Ganondorf, sadly, but generally boys born here are meant to be the kings."
Michael hugged Nabooru gently. "Do you think were going to have a boy?"
Nabooru smiled. "Maybe."
The wind blew gently through Nabooru's hair, and she smiled, content. She didn't care if it was a boy or a girl. She was just glad she was pregnant at all. For a while she had thought she couldn't have children, because she had been with so many men and she never got pregnant. But finally, finally, her dream had come true, and with just the right person.
~~~
Impa arrived suddenly in Malon's bedroom, smiling in a reassuring way and telling Malon to lie down. Malon obeyed. Then Impa turned to Link and said, "You don't have to stick around if you don't want to, Link. Most men don't." Link just shook his head, however. It wasn't that he thought Impa was lying, as she had delivered far too many babies to not know the truth about such things, but he felt it would be wrong for him to just leave Malon like that.
"I'll just make some tea for Malon. Would that be okay?" Impa smiled and nodded, and Link scooped some tea leaves into a mug, turned on the gas stove, and put some water on to boil.
"I've had tea almost every day," said Malon softly, smiling with effort. "It really helps me relax, and a woman in Kakariko Village told me that kind of tea helps women have their children. That's why I drink it so much."
Impa smiled warmly. "I think you'll be a good mother, Malon."
Suddenly Malon cried out again, and Impa said, "Are you sure you don't want to leave, Link? That makes it easier sometimes."
Link sighed. "Fine. But I'm only going downstairs."
He went downstairs and sat back in the spot where Talon used to sit, and waited. About fifteen minutes later, Impa came downstairs and said to him, "Link, I have bad news."
Link stared at her. "What is it?"
"Something is horribly wrong with Malon. I don't think the baby is going to make it, Link."
Shocked, Link said, "Why not?"
"I have no idea. I've never seen anything like it before." Uh-oh, Link thought. This was bad news. If Impa didn't know what to do, then nothing could help that baby.
"I have to get back upstairs," said Impa as Malon suddenly screamed, "but pray for the baby, Link."
"I will," said Link quietly, and as soon as Impa left he got up and began pacing. The baby couldn't die...that was the reason he had married Malon...but that was a selfish thought.
But was being selfish such a bad thing in a situation like this?
~~~
Zelda sat on her bed, tears streaming down her face and staining her white silk nightgown. Tomorrow was her wedding night. She didn't want to marry Rauru, but there was nothing she could do about it, and the strange sense of calm that came with this all made her all the more upset.
Zelda couldn't stop thinking about Link. She thought of Ruto, who had loved him but then fallen in love with someone else, and Nabooru, who had been fortunate enough to have the same thing happen to her. But Zelda had never been able to shake off her feelings for Link, and she didn't know why.
Perhaps it was because there was no one else in her life. Ruto had saved Brandon's life, after all, and Nabooru had rescured Michael from a life in prison. Zelda hadn't saved anyone but Link. She could still remember leading him down from the top of Ganon's Castle as it began to fall down...
Impa had left half an hour ago to help Malon with her baby. Zelda wondered how the birth was going. She certainly didn't want anything to happen to Malon or the baby. And unlike other women she knew, she meant it when she thought that.
~~~
