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Disclaimer -- I do not own Super Smash Bros. Melee. The characters and such are property of Nintendo. (*Although, I do wish I owned Link! He's my fav!*) All of these writings are pure fiction and came from my imagination! (*Um.. what little imagination I have, that is!*) I am also sorry if any part of my story resembles anything else that has already been done or any other idea.

On another note, I do not own Kairi, Sora, or Kingdom Hearts since I used them in the story. ^_^

See Chapter One for additional author's notes and information.

Fiction By Sherri

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SSBM: What The Future May Hold

Chapter Nine -- Guilt

"I don't get it."

"Zelda, listen to me," Dr. Mario said. "You were pregnant. And you were about a little over a month along, too."

"I was... pregnant?" She moved her hand down to her stomach. "And was for almost a month without even knowing? I... I can't believe that."

"It's true. I have already told Link. He wanted me to wait on telling you until you were better, but then we agreed to go ahead and let you know. Of course, your husband was absolutely devastated."

"We... Link and I... were planning a child. But it seems that I was already pregnant. Was." Zelda bit her lip. She wasn't sure how to feel or what to think. Though it was obvious that Link was heartbroken.

She squeezed Link's hand as she thought about the news she just recieved. Only a few days ago, she had discussed with Link how she wanted a child. Now, she felt slightly numb. If only she hadn't have decided to go to Nabooru's to plan a party for another princess...

"I guess I should have known. I was beginning to wonder why I hadn't started my period. I was due to start only a few days ago," Zelda said softly. "But I was already carrying a baby inside of me."

Dr. Mario frowned. "I'll leave you two alone now. And Zelda, if you need anything, and I do mean anything, let me know. I'm going to check on Roy. See you later, guys." Dr. Mario left the room.

Link looked at Zelda with sad eyes. "Sweetheart, how are you?"

"Confused," she said, tears filling her eyes. "Why did this have to happen to us?"

"I don't know," Link said quietly. "To think... we would have had a baby in just about eight months..."

Zelda bit down harder on her lip. Almost hard enough to make it bleed. She did not want to cry in front of him, seeing as though he were weak, and he needed someone strong... but it couldn't be her. So she broke down, not holding any tears back.

Link sat up straight and took his wife into his arms. Neither one of them said a word. They just cried.

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Young Link sat outside in the lobby. He was getting very tired, and hadn't even changed out of his pyjamas when they came over. He had also decided to call Impa and the King to let them know about Zelda's wreck. Both of them were on their way over.

However, he himself was still very shaken. It was hard for him to take in everything at once. Zelda, whom he had gotten very close to over the past three years, was now lying in a hospital bed. And she had been carrying a baby. A baby that would have been not just a joy to its parents, but to him, too. The baby would have been someone for Young Link to play with.

But he finally smiled for the first time since he heard the news when Kairi stepped out of Roy's room.

"I heard," Kairi said. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. She'll be fine. But it will take a while for her to heal emotionally from losing her baby."

Kairi sat beside him. Now would have been the time to tell, but by Roy's wishes, she didn't say a word.

"What about you?"

"Me? I'll make it. We'll all get past it. Zellie will get pregnant again, no doubt about that one. You should hear all the times in the castle I hear screaming through the walls... I've asked for a room clear on the other side of the castle!"

Kairi began to giggle. "By the sounds of it, you'll have more than one baby running around the castle."

Young Link grinned and shook his head. "Kairi?"

"Yeah?"

"Link and I talked earlier... about me going back to public school."

"Really?" she asked, excitedly. "That's cool!"

"I know! I can't wait. I hope Zellie says yes. Link was supposed to talk to her about it. Link agreed it would be for the best."

"I couldn't stand being privately schooled. You learn from computers and school books, but there's not recess or school dances or anything like that."

"I know. I used to be publicly schooled, but that was until my older self became the Prince of Hyrule."

Don't remind me, Kairi thought to herself. "Do you think Link should have made me tell?"

"What do you mean? Oh, tell Roy. It seemed to be the right thing to do, Kairi. He was only looking out for Roy. Please don't point any fingers about this whole mess... "

"Roy was on his way to Hyrule Castle to talk to you when Zelda and he got into that wreck. He wanted to discuss... me... with you. Before that, Link told me to tell Roy. So I did. That's what this was all about."

"Don't blame this on Link. He's already going through enough," Young Link said sadly. "But Link and I discussed you, too."

"Really?" she asked, not suprised.

"And I came to a conclusion."

"What?" she asked, somewhat scared.

Young Link's frown then turned to a smile. "Stay with Roy. I'll find someone else. You and I should just be friends. There's not much good chemistry between us anyway. And I'll admit, I think Roy treats you better. Maybe you're just not my type. Someone more my age would be more suitable anyway. We're good as friends, but I don't think anything romantic could happen between us and last for very long."

Kairi smiled and agreed, but tried not to look too excited. This had been easier than she thought it would be. Too easy... as if it were part of a bigger plan.

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"I'm shaken about the whole ordeal," Roy admitted to Dr. Mario. "I can't believe it. I killed Zelda's baby. I will never be able to live that down."

"It was an accident," Dr. Mario replied. "But your medical records look splendid. You'll be out of here in no time if you keep recoverng like this. Your body took to the transfusions very well, and your scans came back fine. It was mainly your arms and legs that got hurt. And suprisingly, there was no internal bleeding. You're one lucky man, you know that?"

"No, I'm not. I took a life in order to keep myself alive," Roy stared at the wall in front of him. "I hope you can understand this pain and guilt."

"I've never had anything happen to me, at least not like this. I can't begin to understand how you feel. But please, concentrate on your health."

"But Zelda!" Roy exclaimed, sitting up in bed, hurting himself in the process. "Zelda... that pain is never going to go away! She's physically worse than I am... not to mention emotionally! She won't ever forgive me -- and it's all because I ran a stupid red light!" Roy pounded his fists down on his bed. "I won't ever be able to make it up to her. Ever."

Dr. Mario placed his clipboard on the end of Roy's bed. "Listen to me, Roy. Stress right now is not the best thing for you! Please, push this out of your head -- "

"How? And why?" Roy asked tearfully. "My best friend and his wife... I ruined their lives. What if Zelda is never able to have children again? Huh? It will be all my fault, and there's nothing that can erase it!"

"We've run tests on Zelda, and overall, she's fine. Please, Roy, keep from getting too upset. Just get some sleep. I'll be checking on you all throughout the night." Dr. Mario picked up his clipboard and left Roy to keep thinking about the day's events.

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Dr. Mario paced back and forth in his office.

So many thoughts. Melee was of course, the first on his mind. He was not only the official doctor, but also a competitor in the competitions. And now, two of his fellow competitors -- and friends were lying in a local hospital, both suffering greatly. One with the loss of a life inside her, the other with guilt in his chest for being the cause.

But what was going to happen? Surely these two would not be able to compete for quite some time; he wasn't stupid, he knew that the wreck that the two had been in was more that a simple collision.

The authorities had already been informed. Melee had been cancelled for the next two weeks for sure. Dr. Mario knew that he had to tell the rest of the Smashers this as well. They all needed a vacation anyway, but it seemed almost wrong to go on a "vacation" when two of his closest friends were seriously injured.

He sighed heavily and took a step outside of his office. He noticed that Impa had now joined them, as well as King Harkinian.

"Hi everyone," Dr. Mario said.

"Anymore news?" Samus asked hurredly.

"Just that Melee has been cancelled for the next two weeks. At least."

"That's a shock!" Luigi said. "They never cancel Melee for anything!"

"This time, the authorities felt it was right. Master Hand felt it was right. Something like this has never happened before."

"That's true. Sure, we get some pretty harsh injuries at times on the battle fields, but never could we have imaginged this," Mario said, placing his magazine down. "It all happened so suddenly."

"Of course, you can never predict tragedies. Let's just be thankful that they didn't end in any fatalities."

"Yes it did!" Young Link suddenly shouted. "Zellie's baby died! How could you be so insensitive! The baby was still alive, regardless of whether it was outside of Zelda or not!"

"He's right," Marth said, taking a stand for younger Link. "Until you have children, you can never know what it's like. Link and Zelda were about to become parents. Becoming a parent changes your whole life. I know this one well. And I guess I should, being the only Smasher besides Peach to have a child."

Marth's statement silenced everyone in the room. "I'm going to see them now. I'll be back in just a few minutes." Marth got up from his seat and walked to the door. He knocked on it lightly.

"Come on in," Link said quietly. Marth stepped in and smiled warmly.

"I have a bit of news for you guys. Link, Melee has been cancelled for the next two weeks. You guys will certainly have time to concentrate on Zelda's health."

"I never thought I'd say this, but wonderful!" Link exclaimed. "I've been worrying about it."

"And now you don't have to. Relax. Zelda, your father and Impa are here. They'll be in in a moment. Dr. Mario is with them, telling them the news."

"Thanks for letting us know," Link said.

"Father wanted a grandchild," Zelda said quietly. "He's going to be devastated."

"We all were when we found out," Marth replied. "And Young Link isn't taking this easily. He wanted that child."

Zelda smiled as best she could. "I'm sure he would have been a great 'older brother'."

"Speaking of Young Link," Link said. "He wants to go back to public school. He says it's nothing against Impa, but he wishes to be back with his friends."

"That can certainly be arranged," Zelda said. "He has seem quite depressed. And he's getting himself into a lot of trouble. Maybe sending him back to a public school would be the best choice for all of us."

"And I told him that he could meet a girl his age there. No more worrying about Kairi and Young Link anymore, Zel. I think he's getting past her now."

"I was very worried about that, to be honest. He's so young... she's almost legally an adult. But as we said, he'll get past it."

Silence filled the room before Marth spoke. "Earlier, Dr. Mario said something about being happy that this wreck didn't end with a fatality. And Young Link went crazy. He was basically accusing him murd -- "

"What?" Link asked after Marth cut his own sentence short.

"... Murder... " Marth finished. "Zelda, you wouldn't think of pressing charges against Roy, would you?"

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Author's Notes -- There's Chapter Nine!!

Hrm... not much in this chapter. Just a few more added details. The next few chapters... hrm... I have a few plans for them. ^_^ And as for the pressing charges... I'm not too good on legal matters, lol! So sorry if there's any false information.

But right now, I have also started my first Legend of Zelda fiction! It's not published yet, but it's called "Deceiver". I don't know if it's going to be one chapter a multiple chapter story. Just depends. Because I wrote this based off of a dream I had. And after having the dream, I decided to turn it into a fanfiction.

In other news, my website is also up! It's at http://sherrilynn.oo.to or http://www.geocities.com/sherrilynn_04 if the first URL isn't up and running. It's mostly a personal site with a few fan art drawings and some of the parts of my fanfictions. (I haven't gotten around to putting up most of the chapters to the stories, but every section does have something in it. Even if it is only just a little. ^_^)

Also, if you want a LOT of screen captures, go visit http://ganondorf10.tripod.com . That's my brother's page, and it has a huge collection of shots taken from Camera Mode of Melee! (Somewhere around 100 shots!)

I hope you are enjoying the story so far! Thanks so much for the positive reviews!! Please let me know what you think! [I'm also sorry about any typos or anything of that nature!!]

More to Come!

-- Sherri