The Legend of Zelda :
Fate VS Destiny
Chapter 9: Awkward Moments
~
Link, Saria and Zelda soon emerged from the guardian's hiding place. None of them said a word. They didn't need to. They had just killed a sacred creature without knowing it. Such an action can be highly disliked.
That's what each of them felt, anyway.
Link wasn't too shaken, but he didn't think it had all been nothing, either. After all, he had killed many creatures in the past, and he had destroyed large amounts of Deku Scrubs and Boko Babas before. So, that was okay, right? And besides, there wasn't any other way of breaking that curse on the guardian, was there? That evil form attacked and he had reacted. It wasn't entirely his fault. But then, maybe there could have been another way. . . Maybe, maybe there had been another cure. Could he have saved her? Had there been another way to free her from the spell? Link kept skating back and forth through his thoughts, each bringing up an unlikely conclusion. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere at this rate, and he just let it drop.
Saria wasn't having any better thoughts in her mind. She had just witnessed the death of a creature she was close to call a goddess. A forest creature. Why did it all have to be this way? Why is it that whenever a curse or spell had to be cast, it was always the forest it had to torture? Why? This wasn't right. Nothing seemed to be right anymore. She was the Sage of the Forest, for Farore's sake! Wasn't she supposed to know when something as horrible as this was about to happen, especially near her home? Wasn't she the chosen sage blessed with the knowledge of her forest? And why is it that -
Her thoughts are interrupted as a huge headache came to greet her. She stopped thinking.
The one that seemed the most affected, though, was Zelda. The Hylian Princess was completely shaken, unsure of what she had seen, and, for once, confused. It was the first time, in all of her royal, care-free and spoiled life, that she had ever helped kill something. Sure, it was Link who had done the job, but with her weapons, and her help. A sudden mind breakdown was about to erupt, so her thoughts drifted to the guardian. That creature had died in the hands of Fate. The big, slimy, dirty filthy, spoiled hands of Fate. She knew she shouldn't curse life like that, but she couldn't help it. It was all too much for her. She had to remind herself to tell a small prayer when she got back to the castle. Sudden images of her Father popped up in her mind, and she thought no more.
The three of them stood silent for a few seconds. And Link finally spoke first,
"Well . . . that was something," he said in a voice he couldn't quite recognize as his own.
"Yes, it was," replied Saria in a whisper.
"Indeed," said Zelda. "I've never witnessed anything like this before . . . "
It was as if Link had just realized she was there. "Um, right . . . about that . . . I'm sorry you had to get involved into this mess," he said apologetically.
The Princess shook her head. "It's all right. We had no idea what was to come. I just hope that none of the others will notice the scratch in my arm. I will have to fix that."
"Sorry again," he said, then grinned. "By the way, thanks for saving Saria back there."
"Yeah!" piped Saria. "It was awesome! The way you shot that vine thingy with your Fire Arrows - " She suddenly clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyes big and round in horror, as if she shouldn't have said that.
She shouldn't have.
The Hylian Princess was gaping down at her in total surprise as she tried to find her voice.
"Oh, so that's what you used? I wondered," said Link, a bit confused.
There was another of those déjà-vu feelings. A sudden flashback appeared in his head.
//Man, what a day . . .
I hope I won't have to do that again . . .
Wait a minute.
Where the heck am I?! I'm standing on an island. A very small island. With a lone tree on it.
Great.
I hope it's not one of those crazy visions I'm having again . . .
Cause I'm tired like hell of those. They totally freak me out. They also make me feel uneasy . . .
And the worst part . . . is that I feel like I've seen those things before . . .
Yep.
I'm definitely losing it.
Hang on. Looks like I'm not alone. Only I can't see who it is . . . Farore, why does it have to be so dark at night?! The sun's about to rise, though. That's good.
Now the sky's slowly turning purple . . . then pink . . . Now, the sky is blue, and a small patch of yellow rises between the trees.
Wow.
I gotta watch the sunrise more often . . .
My attention turns back to the figure next to me. He's a tall guy, older than me . . . He's wearing what looks like white pants and shirt . . . Um . . . He's also wearing leather boots and gloves and a leather belt, too. Is that a Kokiri tunic?! Gee, I never knew those were popular. Hang on. It's blue. A blue tunic. With a blue hat, too. I think I'm gonna have a seizure.
If I look closer, I can see that the guy has got SOME muscles. I mean, LOOK AT THEM! Gee, what kind of super-advanced training did he use anyway? I bet a lot of girls fall for this guy.
Oh.
I can't believe this. I don't want to believe it one bit.
I think the guy's me. I'm not kidding! He has the same, untidy, dirty blond hair, with electric blue eyes. But what I find harder to believe is that he's - I'm . . .
Handsome!
Cool! Now, I know any girl would fall for me in the future!
But anyway, back to reality (which I don't think this is, but anyway . . . ). The big guy (me) seems to be reading something written on a stone nearby. He then reaches into his back and takes out a big bow (not exactly like the one Zelda has, but still big), and an arrow. He sets his aim - and his target is . . . the sun?! What's the guy playing at?! - He fires - and something red and shiny slowly settles down on an even smaller island than the one we're standing on.
That red and shiny thing is actually a weird arrow with its head completely covered with this red gem-like thing.
The name just pops in my head.
The Fire Arrows.//
Link quickly shaked his head and blinked. Navi and Saria were both staring down at him from above with concern written all over their faces.
Wait a minute -
From above?
He took a look around. He was back in his hut, lying on his bed and wide awake, now. Had he passed out? Great Goddesses, that would explain the huge bump on his head.
Both girls looked relieved.
Especially Saria. "Are you OK?!" she asked.
"Yeah," he grumbled as he sat up, rubbing his sore spot on the head. "What the heck happened?"
Navi's tiny lips pursed, well, that's what he thought anyway. Fairies are too small. "You sorta passed out at the mention of the arrows, I think. And you eyes were wide open and black. Just like in Hyrule Field. By the Winds of Farore, Link, are you sure you're okay?"
Link smiled. As much as he'd hate to admit it, he really liked Navi. That little fairy had such a temper, and yet, she's too much of a softy when it comes to Link's safety. Just like a mom. Or a sister.
"I'm fine Navi. Gee, the way you sound, you'd think I had a heart attack or something."
She sighed. "I know . . . I was just worried about you."
Link smiled, then noticed that someone was missing. "Hey . . . Where's Zelda? Don't tell me the Deku Scrubs took her, because if they did, then it WASN'T my fault. I took care of those like you told me - "
Saria suddenly burst out laughing, which made Link feel stupid all of a sudden.
"Oh, she didn't get kidnapped, Link! You're so silly!" She took a breath. "Zelda's outside, preparing something for you head, I think, while waiting for Skull Kid to bring her some mushrooms."
Link looked puzzled. "Mushrooms?"
"For her Dad. Link, don't you remember?"
"Oh! Yeah, yeah, I just . . . forgot."
The Kokiri girl frowned, but shook her head as he looked away. By the winds of Farore, how could he have forgotten THAT?!
Saria suddenly looked excited. "You should have SEEN her! She brought all these weird-looking ingredients from her cape and started smashing them and mixing the stuff! It was so cool! Anyway, she should be here any minute, now."
Clunk, clunk, clunk.
Someone was climbing up the ladder to his tree-house. A hand soon emerged holding a brown bag and settled it on the floor. Then, slowly, a blond head popped up and the Princess entered the house. She picked up the bag, while Link settled himself to sit at the edge of his bed, and she walked up to him.
"Are you alright?" she asked, clutching the brown bag.
He grinned. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
She returned the grin, reached into her bag, and pulled out a wooden bowl (Kokiri material, he guessed) with what looked like blue cream inside. She handed the bowl to him.
"Here," she said. "This should make that nasty bump of yours go away."
He gladly took the bowl and rubbed the cream onto the sore part of his head. He soon felt the bump shrink and shrink until it wasn't there anymore.
He just stared at her for a while. "Zelda, have you ever considered being a doctor later on? Cause you'd be good at it."
She beamed. "I've never thought of that." She then shook her head. "But I don't think my future has that in store for me. My step-mom says that I was to be Queen and follow my Family's footsteps. I guess I shouldn't argue."
Link nodded and looked at the floor, deep in thought. Being a Princess must be hard. Saria's voice tore him from his mind.
"Oh, are you leaving?" she asked Zelda, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
The Hylian boy looked up again and noticed that the Princess was indeed dressed in her brown cape again, ready to leave.
"Yes," she said with regret. "I still need to go to Kakariko Village after I receive the mushrooms so the old woman can make the potion I need. I still need to help Father . . . "
Link could only nod. Why was he feeling upset all of a sudden?
He jumped when Navi said, "Hey, look! Skull Kid's here!"
The four of them rushed outside to meet the fellow. He was wearing a rather strange skull mask and holding a tiny basket full of red slimy-looking mushrooms.
"Is this Skull Kid?" whispered Zelda from behind Link. "Isn't he one of the creatures that attacked us in the woods?"
"No, he's a friend. I'm not sure why, though. He claims that I gave him that skull mask when he didn't have any." Link smirked. "The worst part is that I don't remember doing any of it."
The Princess raised her eyebrows and turned back to Skull Kid. He bowed politely and held up the freshly picked mushroom-filled basket.
"Here you are, miss! I hope I picked enough!" His voice was light and squeaky. The Princess couldn't help but laugh. Everyone here looked so happy. Oh, why couldn't she feel just as light-hearted and care-free, like them?
"Yes, thank you, Skull Kid. These will be more than necessary to help my Father," she replied.
Skull Kid's smile widened at that. "You're very welcome! Any friend of Link is a friend of mine!" He handed her the basket, but as he stepped back, his jovial face turned serious. "I must warn you, though," he said with a tone Link had never heard before, "these mushrooms rot after an hour exactly! You must hurry if you want to take them safely to your destination."
Zelda gave him a reassuring smile (much to Link's surprise) and nodded her head. "I'll hurry, don't worry. My horse is very fast, there's no need to worry, yet."
"Okie-Dokee(A/N: How in the world do you spell that?! O.o)! Good bye and good luck! Bye Link!" he added quickly before he disappeared during back flips.
Silence hung between each of them once again. None of them said a word.
It was then that they realized all the Kokiri children were surrounding them with a distant, blank stare on their faces, as if waiting for something. Saria seemed to know what, and she broke the silence.
"You ARE going to visit us soon, aren't you?" she asked Zelda, an obviously hopeful tone in her voice.
The Princess looked surprised, for a moment. The little children were now looking at her with big puppy-eyes she couldn't resist. She smiled. "Of course I will! VERY soon," she assured.
For a moment, she thought Saria was going to burst into tears, but her expression changed so quickly it was hard to tell if she had really seen it. The little Kokiri girl was shaking slightly, like she was fighting the urge to do something that would embarrass her.
She had to fight it.
But she couldn't.
Saria suddenly ran up to her, flung her arms around her waist, and hugged her. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. She knew that the Princess would be widening her eyes with shock at that moment. She knew it wasn't right. But she couldn't help it. And neither could Zelda. Under the heavy weight of shock and disbelief she was carrying, a little prickle of longing boiled to the surface. She hugged her back. This was strange. This felt familiar. Too familiar. Had she done this before? When? She was too preoccupied with her current state to think about it.
Link could only watch in awe. It was like mother and child. This was the first time he had seen her show such an affectionate action to someone other than himself. He didn't dare interrupt, nor had he the intention to. But a small question kept nagging the back of his mind. Why Zelda?
Saria suddenly snapped her eyes open, as if realizing what she was doing. She tore herself from Zelda, ending the hug. The little Kokiri girl muttered a muffled apology, and dashed as fast as she could towards the village.
Link wanted to run after her, but his feet were somehow glued to the ground and he couldn't move. He watched as Mido dashed after her, and he turned to the Princess. She was wearing a concerned expression on her face and her eyes were distant and hurt, as if the previous event was her fault. Link read her mind, and said,
"Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine. Mido will take care of her." Seeing that she didn't believe him, he pressed on. "It's the first time someone ever comes to the forest, and she was probably over-emotional about it," he assured her, recalling his first departure after talking with the Deku Tree's spirit.
After a moment, she nodded. "Alright, then . . . I . . . I guess I better get going, I only have an hour to get to the village."
"I'll come partway with you," he said automatically.
After saying good-bye to the Kokiris, Link and Zelda exited the forest and mounted their horses, who had been waiting for them. And then, the two of them rode to Hyrule Field.
"So, where is Kakariko Village?" he asked after a while.
Zelda grinned. "To the east, near Hyrule Castle Town. Have you ever been there?"
He shook his head.
"It's a nice place. We usually go there to check on the citizens, but mostly for political reasons. We also went to other places, but that was when Mother was around." She kept quiet after that.
Silence hung between them once more. For a while, anyway.
"Are you going to be fine on your own?" he asked (using a lot more concern in his voice than he intended to).
Zelda, noticing this, smiled and nodded. "I'll be fine. Thank you. Besides, you need to comfort Saria, AND you still need to find a new guardian, since we . . . er . . . took care of the first one," she said in a small voice.
He mentally slapped himself. How could he have forgotten THAT too?! Not fair . . .
Zelda chuckled to herself. "Funny," she said. "I'm going to be in so much trouble when I get home. But I'm not too worried. I'm sure they'll be glad to see their 'precious Princess' again, and besides, they must have fixed my window by now."
Link suddenly remembered something.
"I almost forgot," he said. He reached into his back and pulled out her bow and quiver, which he handed to her. "Thanks for you help. I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome. It was a bit fun." She admitted shyly. She put her weapons away in her cape (somehow) and added, "And thank you for helping me, Link. I couldn't have done it without you. And I hope you find what you've been looking for."
She held out her hand, smiling, and he gladly shook it with is own.
None of them spoke for a few seconds.
Then,
"Well, good luck, Princess. Farewell."
Her lips suddenly formed a mischievous smile. "What for? You'll hear from me soon enough!"
Before he could ponder what she had said, the Princess kicked Demon's sides and she was off, dashing towards Kakariko Village.
**************************************************
Author's Notes: Good-Bye Zelda! Sayonara! Adios! Ciao! Au revoir! ^.^
Anyway, thought I was dead, huh? Well, I'm not, and I won't be for a LONG time. Didja like my little scene with Saria and Zelda? I sure liked writing it! So cute! By the way, I'm SO sorry for the long wait (again). Stupid school really keeps me busy. But I made up for it, didn't I?
I'll make you a deal (Don't worry! It's not one of those 'gimme-ten-reviews- and-I'll-update' sort of deal!): If I get nice reviews, the chapters will be nice and long. Flames are accepted, although the chapters won't be as long as the previous ones. So the nicer the reviews, the longer the length! Not too much, is it?
So that's that! Now, here's better news! If you guys are looking for some great z/l fics, check out my favourites (already full *weep* ¬.¬), where you'll find the best Zelda/Link stories!
And also: Don't get your hopes up yet! The romance isn't going to come (for now). Link got brainwashed and doesn't remember his relationships with Zelda in the alternate future. Neither does she for that matter. But for now, it's only action and adventure. The romance and the REAL relationships will come later on. Just be patient! ^_^
I think that's all . . . yeah . . . that's it! So you guys stick with me! You won't regret it! This story's long from over!
Ani1 ^.^
Fate VS Destiny
Chapter 9: Awkward Moments
~
Link, Saria and Zelda soon emerged from the guardian's hiding place. None of them said a word. They didn't need to. They had just killed a sacred creature without knowing it. Such an action can be highly disliked.
That's what each of them felt, anyway.
Link wasn't too shaken, but he didn't think it had all been nothing, either. After all, he had killed many creatures in the past, and he had destroyed large amounts of Deku Scrubs and Boko Babas before. So, that was okay, right? And besides, there wasn't any other way of breaking that curse on the guardian, was there? That evil form attacked and he had reacted. It wasn't entirely his fault. But then, maybe there could have been another way. . . Maybe, maybe there had been another cure. Could he have saved her? Had there been another way to free her from the spell? Link kept skating back and forth through his thoughts, each bringing up an unlikely conclusion. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere at this rate, and he just let it drop.
Saria wasn't having any better thoughts in her mind. She had just witnessed the death of a creature she was close to call a goddess. A forest creature. Why did it all have to be this way? Why is it that whenever a curse or spell had to be cast, it was always the forest it had to torture? Why? This wasn't right. Nothing seemed to be right anymore. She was the Sage of the Forest, for Farore's sake! Wasn't she supposed to know when something as horrible as this was about to happen, especially near her home? Wasn't she the chosen sage blessed with the knowledge of her forest? And why is it that -
Her thoughts are interrupted as a huge headache came to greet her. She stopped thinking.
The one that seemed the most affected, though, was Zelda. The Hylian Princess was completely shaken, unsure of what she had seen, and, for once, confused. It was the first time, in all of her royal, care-free and spoiled life, that she had ever helped kill something. Sure, it was Link who had done the job, but with her weapons, and her help. A sudden mind breakdown was about to erupt, so her thoughts drifted to the guardian. That creature had died in the hands of Fate. The big, slimy, dirty filthy, spoiled hands of Fate. She knew she shouldn't curse life like that, but she couldn't help it. It was all too much for her. She had to remind herself to tell a small prayer when she got back to the castle. Sudden images of her Father popped up in her mind, and she thought no more.
The three of them stood silent for a few seconds. And Link finally spoke first,
"Well . . . that was something," he said in a voice he couldn't quite recognize as his own.
"Yes, it was," replied Saria in a whisper.
"Indeed," said Zelda. "I've never witnessed anything like this before . . . "
It was as if Link had just realized she was there. "Um, right . . . about that . . . I'm sorry you had to get involved into this mess," he said apologetically.
The Princess shook her head. "It's all right. We had no idea what was to come. I just hope that none of the others will notice the scratch in my arm. I will have to fix that."
"Sorry again," he said, then grinned. "By the way, thanks for saving Saria back there."
"Yeah!" piped Saria. "It was awesome! The way you shot that vine thingy with your Fire Arrows - " She suddenly clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyes big and round in horror, as if she shouldn't have said that.
She shouldn't have.
The Hylian Princess was gaping down at her in total surprise as she tried to find her voice.
"Oh, so that's what you used? I wondered," said Link, a bit confused.
There was another of those déjà-vu feelings. A sudden flashback appeared in his head.
//Man, what a day . . .
I hope I won't have to do that again . . .
Wait a minute.
Where the heck am I?! I'm standing on an island. A very small island. With a lone tree on it.
Great.
I hope it's not one of those crazy visions I'm having again . . .
Cause I'm tired like hell of those. They totally freak me out. They also make me feel uneasy . . .
And the worst part . . . is that I feel like I've seen those things before . . .
Yep.
I'm definitely losing it.
Hang on. Looks like I'm not alone. Only I can't see who it is . . . Farore, why does it have to be so dark at night?! The sun's about to rise, though. That's good.
Now the sky's slowly turning purple . . . then pink . . . Now, the sky is blue, and a small patch of yellow rises between the trees.
Wow.
I gotta watch the sunrise more often . . .
My attention turns back to the figure next to me. He's a tall guy, older than me . . . He's wearing what looks like white pants and shirt . . . Um . . . He's also wearing leather boots and gloves and a leather belt, too. Is that a Kokiri tunic?! Gee, I never knew those were popular. Hang on. It's blue. A blue tunic. With a blue hat, too. I think I'm gonna have a seizure.
If I look closer, I can see that the guy has got SOME muscles. I mean, LOOK AT THEM! Gee, what kind of super-advanced training did he use anyway? I bet a lot of girls fall for this guy.
Oh.
I can't believe this. I don't want to believe it one bit.
I think the guy's me. I'm not kidding! He has the same, untidy, dirty blond hair, with electric blue eyes. But what I find harder to believe is that he's - I'm . . .
Handsome!
Cool! Now, I know any girl would fall for me in the future!
But anyway, back to reality (which I don't think this is, but anyway . . . ). The big guy (me) seems to be reading something written on a stone nearby. He then reaches into his back and takes out a big bow (not exactly like the one Zelda has, but still big), and an arrow. He sets his aim - and his target is . . . the sun?! What's the guy playing at?! - He fires - and something red and shiny slowly settles down on an even smaller island than the one we're standing on.
That red and shiny thing is actually a weird arrow with its head completely covered with this red gem-like thing.
The name just pops in my head.
The Fire Arrows.//
Link quickly shaked his head and blinked. Navi and Saria were both staring down at him from above with concern written all over their faces.
Wait a minute -
From above?
He took a look around. He was back in his hut, lying on his bed and wide awake, now. Had he passed out? Great Goddesses, that would explain the huge bump on his head.
Both girls looked relieved.
Especially Saria. "Are you OK?!" she asked.
"Yeah," he grumbled as he sat up, rubbing his sore spot on the head. "What the heck happened?"
Navi's tiny lips pursed, well, that's what he thought anyway. Fairies are too small. "You sorta passed out at the mention of the arrows, I think. And you eyes were wide open and black. Just like in Hyrule Field. By the Winds of Farore, Link, are you sure you're okay?"
Link smiled. As much as he'd hate to admit it, he really liked Navi. That little fairy had such a temper, and yet, she's too much of a softy when it comes to Link's safety. Just like a mom. Or a sister.
"I'm fine Navi. Gee, the way you sound, you'd think I had a heart attack or something."
She sighed. "I know . . . I was just worried about you."
Link smiled, then noticed that someone was missing. "Hey . . . Where's Zelda? Don't tell me the Deku Scrubs took her, because if they did, then it WASN'T my fault. I took care of those like you told me - "
Saria suddenly burst out laughing, which made Link feel stupid all of a sudden.
"Oh, she didn't get kidnapped, Link! You're so silly!" She took a breath. "Zelda's outside, preparing something for you head, I think, while waiting for Skull Kid to bring her some mushrooms."
Link looked puzzled. "Mushrooms?"
"For her Dad. Link, don't you remember?"
"Oh! Yeah, yeah, I just . . . forgot."
The Kokiri girl frowned, but shook her head as he looked away. By the winds of Farore, how could he have forgotten THAT?!
Saria suddenly looked excited. "You should have SEEN her! She brought all these weird-looking ingredients from her cape and started smashing them and mixing the stuff! It was so cool! Anyway, she should be here any minute, now."
Clunk, clunk, clunk.
Someone was climbing up the ladder to his tree-house. A hand soon emerged holding a brown bag and settled it on the floor. Then, slowly, a blond head popped up and the Princess entered the house. She picked up the bag, while Link settled himself to sit at the edge of his bed, and she walked up to him.
"Are you alright?" she asked, clutching the brown bag.
He grinned. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
She returned the grin, reached into her bag, and pulled out a wooden bowl (Kokiri material, he guessed) with what looked like blue cream inside. She handed the bowl to him.
"Here," she said. "This should make that nasty bump of yours go away."
He gladly took the bowl and rubbed the cream onto the sore part of his head. He soon felt the bump shrink and shrink until it wasn't there anymore.
He just stared at her for a while. "Zelda, have you ever considered being a doctor later on? Cause you'd be good at it."
She beamed. "I've never thought of that." She then shook her head. "But I don't think my future has that in store for me. My step-mom says that I was to be Queen and follow my Family's footsteps. I guess I shouldn't argue."
Link nodded and looked at the floor, deep in thought. Being a Princess must be hard. Saria's voice tore him from his mind.
"Oh, are you leaving?" she asked Zelda, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
The Hylian boy looked up again and noticed that the Princess was indeed dressed in her brown cape again, ready to leave.
"Yes," she said with regret. "I still need to go to Kakariko Village after I receive the mushrooms so the old woman can make the potion I need. I still need to help Father . . . "
Link could only nod. Why was he feeling upset all of a sudden?
He jumped when Navi said, "Hey, look! Skull Kid's here!"
The four of them rushed outside to meet the fellow. He was wearing a rather strange skull mask and holding a tiny basket full of red slimy-looking mushrooms.
"Is this Skull Kid?" whispered Zelda from behind Link. "Isn't he one of the creatures that attacked us in the woods?"
"No, he's a friend. I'm not sure why, though. He claims that I gave him that skull mask when he didn't have any." Link smirked. "The worst part is that I don't remember doing any of it."
The Princess raised her eyebrows and turned back to Skull Kid. He bowed politely and held up the freshly picked mushroom-filled basket.
"Here you are, miss! I hope I picked enough!" His voice was light and squeaky. The Princess couldn't help but laugh. Everyone here looked so happy. Oh, why couldn't she feel just as light-hearted and care-free, like them?
"Yes, thank you, Skull Kid. These will be more than necessary to help my Father," she replied.
Skull Kid's smile widened at that. "You're very welcome! Any friend of Link is a friend of mine!" He handed her the basket, but as he stepped back, his jovial face turned serious. "I must warn you, though," he said with a tone Link had never heard before, "these mushrooms rot after an hour exactly! You must hurry if you want to take them safely to your destination."
Zelda gave him a reassuring smile (much to Link's surprise) and nodded her head. "I'll hurry, don't worry. My horse is very fast, there's no need to worry, yet."
"Okie-Dokee(A/N: How in the world do you spell that?! O.o)! Good bye and good luck! Bye Link!" he added quickly before he disappeared during back flips.
Silence hung between each of them once again. None of them said a word.
It was then that they realized all the Kokiri children were surrounding them with a distant, blank stare on their faces, as if waiting for something. Saria seemed to know what, and she broke the silence.
"You ARE going to visit us soon, aren't you?" she asked Zelda, an obviously hopeful tone in her voice.
The Princess looked surprised, for a moment. The little children were now looking at her with big puppy-eyes she couldn't resist. She smiled. "Of course I will! VERY soon," she assured.
For a moment, she thought Saria was going to burst into tears, but her expression changed so quickly it was hard to tell if she had really seen it. The little Kokiri girl was shaking slightly, like she was fighting the urge to do something that would embarrass her.
She had to fight it.
But she couldn't.
Saria suddenly ran up to her, flung her arms around her waist, and hugged her. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. She knew that the Princess would be widening her eyes with shock at that moment. She knew it wasn't right. But she couldn't help it. And neither could Zelda. Under the heavy weight of shock and disbelief she was carrying, a little prickle of longing boiled to the surface. She hugged her back. This was strange. This felt familiar. Too familiar. Had she done this before? When? She was too preoccupied with her current state to think about it.
Link could only watch in awe. It was like mother and child. This was the first time he had seen her show such an affectionate action to someone other than himself. He didn't dare interrupt, nor had he the intention to. But a small question kept nagging the back of his mind. Why Zelda?
Saria suddenly snapped her eyes open, as if realizing what she was doing. She tore herself from Zelda, ending the hug. The little Kokiri girl muttered a muffled apology, and dashed as fast as she could towards the village.
Link wanted to run after her, but his feet were somehow glued to the ground and he couldn't move. He watched as Mido dashed after her, and he turned to the Princess. She was wearing a concerned expression on her face and her eyes were distant and hurt, as if the previous event was her fault. Link read her mind, and said,
"Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine. Mido will take care of her." Seeing that she didn't believe him, he pressed on. "It's the first time someone ever comes to the forest, and she was probably over-emotional about it," he assured her, recalling his first departure after talking with the Deku Tree's spirit.
After a moment, she nodded. "Alright, then . . . I . . . I guess I better get going, I only have an hour to get to the village."
"I'll come partway with you," he said automatically.
After saying good-bye to the Kokiris, Link and Zelda exited the forest and mounted their horses, who had been waiting for them. And then, the two of them rode to Hyrule Field.
"So, where is Kakariko Village?" he asked after a while.
Zelda grinned. "To the east, near Hyrule Castle Town. Have you ever been there?"
He shook his head.
"It's a nice place. We usually go there to check on the citizens, but mostly for political reasons. We also went to other places, but that was when Mother was around." She kept quiet after that.
Silence hung between them once more. For a while, anyway.
"Are you going to be fine on your own?" he asked (using a lot more concern in his voice than he intended to).
Zelda, noticing this, smiled and nodded. "I'll be fine. Thank you. Besides, you need to comfort Saria, AND you still need to find a new guardian, since we . . . er . . . took care of the first one," she said in a small voice.
He mentally slapped himself. How could he have forgotten THAT too?! Not fair . . .
Zelda chuckled to herself. "Funny," she said. "I'm going to be in so much trouble when I get home. But I'm not too worried. I'm sure they'll be glad to see their 'precious Princess' again, and besides, they must have fixed my window by now."
Link suddenly remembered something.
"I almost forgot," he said. He reached into his back and pulled out her bow and quiver, which he handed to her. "Thanks for you help. I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome. It was a bit fun." She admitted shyly. She put her weapons away in her cape (somehow) and added, "And thank you for helping me, Link. I couldn't have done it without you. And I hope you find what you've been looking for."
She held out her hand, smiling, and he gladly shook it with is own.
None of them spoke for a few seconds.
Then,
"Well, good luck, Princess. Farewell."
Her lips suddenly formed a mischievous smile. "What for? You'll hear from me soon enough!"
Before he could ponder what she had said, the Princess kicked Demon's sides and she was off, dashing towards Kakariko Village.
**************************************************
Author's Notes: Good-Bye Zelda! Sayonara! Adios! Ciao! Au revoir! ^.^
Anyway, thought I was dead, huh? Well, I'm not, and I won't be for a LONG time. Didja like my little scene with Saria and Zelda? I sure liked writing it! So cute! By the way, I'm SO sorry for the long wait (again). Stupid school really keeps me busy. But I made up for it, didn't I?
I'll make you a deal (Don't worry! It's not one of those 'gimme-ten-reviews- and-I'll-update' sort of deal!): If I get nice reviews, the chapters will be nice and long. Flames are accepted, although the chapters won't be as long as the previous ones. So the nicer the reviews, the longer the length! Not too much, is it?
So that's that! Now, here's better news! If you guys are looking for some great z/l fics, check out my favourites (already full *weep* ¬.¬), where you'll find the best Zelda/Link stories!
And also: Don't get your hopes up yet! The romance isn't going to come (for now). Link got brainwashed and doesn't remember his relationships with Zelda in the alternate future. Neither does she for that matter. But for now, it's only action and adventure. The romance and the REAL relationships will come later on. Just be patient! ^_^
I think that's all . . . yeah . . . that's it! So you guys stick with me! You won't regret it! This story's long from over!
Ani1 ^.^