A/N:
Zippity doo dah I'm BACK! (duh) I would like to say that NYC is one of the most claustrophobic cities EVAH! And very very VERY crowded. You see, since I'm a hick at heart (even though I don't actually live on a farm nor have I ever lived on one…) I really like big, open spaces and fresh air, not to mention sunlight. N.O. to those NYC people, either, of course. I guess it just depends on how you were raised. ^^ But I did have fun. YEY! =B
Disclaimer: I running out of sarcastic things to say. Aww…so sad. Anyway, I don't own Zelda. All those silly Japanese people do. Yup, it's true. (yeah you know it's true, ooh ooh, I want er you… MILLI VANILLI AAAAAAAAAAH!)
The Carnival
Thoughts of Love and Black Eyes
It was a little after dawn when Zelda left the Stock Pot Inn, not to mention Link. She hadn't desired to wake and inform him of where she was going; he would have only whined about it anyhow. Making certain she had enough rupees, Zelda was off to her destination – West Clocktown.
Not many people were about this early in the morning. Shop-owners were setting up while servants bustled about outside for their masters and mistresses. Zelda, carrying the cloth that she had purchased the day before, was heading for a tailor in the area. She desired to have a gown made by the end of the week, preferably Midsummer's Eve, where that night she hoped to do something special with Link.
A blush stained her cheeks – oh, she certainly wasn't thinking about doing that. She only wanted to dine at a fine restaurant in a new gown with him. Of course, he wasn't to know until that day. How she hoped he would be impressed.
Zelda had found herself thinking of Link in a new light – a light that displayed him as thoughtful and mature, not to mention the fact that she believed that he was even more handsome than before. She felt her infatuation growing steadily.
Zelda shook her head. What in Goddesses' name was wrong with her? It was Link. It didn't make sense. Oh, he was charming and strikingly attractive and talented and intelligent (even though he attempted to feign stupidity), but he was also irritating at times and slightly perverted and…was she insane? Could Link even be considered husband-material? Zelda laughed softly at the thought.
There was no reason to fall in love with a man who would never desire to settle down. Zelda had to marry someday, whether it be for love or politics, and it would be a waste of time to give affections to someone who didn't want such a position. Her infatuation, in all actuality, was pointless.
Yet…Zelda found herself inexorably drawn to Link: drawn to his vibrant personality, the rather random and surprising displays of understanding, his soft, mushy center which she knew existed, for she had seen it before…all of those culminated into something that could be considered infatuation.
Maybe even love.
Rounding a rather dark corner corner, Zelda's thoughts were distracted when a burly, sleazy man pulled her into the nearby alleyway.
"Give me your rupees," he commanded while attempting to pilfer through her pockets and find her purse. The man smelled of sweat and grime and only Goddesses knew what else.
Zelda found herself both frozen in fear and livid at his impudence. Her anger overcame her alarm. "Unhand me!" she cried as loudly as she could. She smacked him upside the head with her parcel of cloth; he, in response, grabbed her by the arm and gripped her wrists tightly, to the point of bruising. With the other hand, he attempted to find her purse. Zelda struggled like a wild-cat, but to no avail. She then did the only thing she could do: she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"HELP! I'M BEING ROBBED! HELP!"
Fortunately, help was on its way.
* * * *
Looking around the corner of the Stock Pot Inn stable, Link watched as Zelda left in the direction of West Clocktown. Curious, he followed her, but not close enough should she notice.
He had absolutely no idea where she was headed, and he had absolutely no idea as to why she hadn't informed him of this little venture off into the town. Zelda certainly had the right to go wherever she wanted, of course, but that didn't mean that he shouldn't at least know beforehand. Was that so difficult? Frowning, Link continued ever-onward.
He made certain to not be close enough to Zelda that she should hear him. Goddesses have mercy on his soul if she discovered him following her; Zelda had the temper similar to the dragon Volvagia, and Link didn't particularly desire to face such a female again.
Walking along, Link's mood brightened a little. It was a lovely morning, just like yesterday's. The sky was a cheery cerulean without a cloud in the sky; the early sun shone warmly upon the land. It was difficult to be so adverse to such weather. Unfortunately, while Link was distracted, he lost sight of Zelda.
He continued on in the general direction, but he still couldn't find her. Scratching his head, he went the other way, but there was no trace; slightly frustrated that his curiosity might not be fulfilled, Link went back to the original vicinity, for he still believed that she would be most likely in that area. He leaned against a wall to wait, hoping he would see Zelda pass by.
Suddenly, he heard a scream, making him jump in surprise. "HELP! I'M BEING ROBBED! HELP!" the voice screamed. A very familiar voice at that…
Link was instantly on his feet, running, in the direction of the shout. Coming upon an alleyway, he saw Zelda being, well, robbed, by a large man. Fear for Zelda and anger at the man instantaneously bloomed in Link's chest. Sprinting head-on, he threw a punch at the man's face, one with a surprising amount of force behind it. Unfortunately, it practically bounced off of the man, but it did distract him from Zelda.
"Who the hell are you?" the robber demanded, looking rather amused. "Are you the little boyfriend here to save the day?" The man guffawed at his own joke.
"Let her go," Link replied, watching Zelda. She seemed more annoyed at the situation than anything else – figures. Their eyes met for a moment before Link looked back to the man. "Right now," he added.
The man blinked and seemed to ponder the demand for a moment. He eventually answered, "I think not." As Link was about to respond once more, the robber struck him with a dizzying blow to the right eye.
Stars began running the circumference of Link's head as he found himself falling to the ground on top of some rather sharp rocks. With a moan, he passed out right after he had decided that this moment had been the most embarrassing in his entire life.
* * * *
Zelda groaned inwardly when Link was hit, then fainted onto the ground. With a cry, she attempted to go to his side, but the man held her back. "Now, about that purse…" he said, grinning. She began screaming again and ran out into the open before he could get a hold of her again. Thankfully, nearby guards had finally heard all of the noise and rushed to her side. They instantly took the man into custody.
"This man tried to rob me!" Zelda cried.
The guards nodded. "Everything is under control, ma'am." One went to her side, while the others dragged the robber in the other direction. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, I'm alright. But, my friend, he was hurt." She looked behind her, to see Link slowly raising his head.
"Will you need assistance, medical attention-?"
Zelda waved a hand. "No, we'll be alright. Thank you for your help."
The guard saluted. "Just doing my job, ma'am. I was happy to help." Then he left, going in the same direction as his fellow guards.
Zelda went straight to Link; he was now slowly getting to his feet. She made a point to pick up her parcel of cloth. "Will you be all right?" she asked him concernedly.
Link leaned up against the wall for support and put a hand over his quickly swelling eye. "Yeah, I will. My head feel's terrible though." He laughed bitterly. "A lot of help I was, huh?"
Zelda took his hand and led him away in the direction of the inn. "You tried," she replied, smiling. "He was huge, you know. Not to mention that you didn't have a sword on you."
"He would have been skewered through and through if I'd thought to bring one."
"That's a lovely thought. C'mon, we need to return to the inn and have you cleaned up. Your eye is swelling terribly."
The pair walked quickly as they could manage to the inn, and when they finally reached it, they went up to Zelda's room, at her command, but not before Anju saw Link's bedraggled appearance. "My word!" she exclaimed. "What happened?" She bustled over to them.
"Fistfight," Zelda replied simply. "Anju, could you get us some clean water and cloths?"
She nodded without question and soon returned with the items. "Will you be alright? Should I call a physician?"
"No, no, but thank you, Anju," Link murmured. "I've had worse."
Zelda took the proffered items. "Yes, thank you. Link'll be fine, don't worry."
The pair went upstairs, Zelda holding the water pitcher and cloths and Link trying to see out of one eye. Opening the door, Zelda set the items down. "Sit, Link," she commanded, pouring the water in a small basin. She brought both over to him and dipped one cloth into the cool water.
"Zelda," Link said softly, "I can do this myself, you know." He grimaced as he felt the cloth against his eye.
"Shush, does it matter? It'll be quicker this way, anyhow." She gently began cleaning the little bit of blood that had formed along his eyebrow. "This is a nasty bruise. You look like you had gone to war or something."
"Well, I can blame it on you, can't I? You were the one going off somewhere without telling me." Zelda pressed the cloth a bit harder; he groaned inwardly.
"You shouldn't have been following me, Link," she snapped. "I have a right to go wherever I please, without having someone watching my every move. Really, Link, you should know better." She dipped the cloth in the water once more.
He frowned, but flinched when she pressed a particularly tender spot. "Ouch, Zelda, be careful… That hurts."
"Baby."
"I'd rather do it myself if you're going to injure me even more," he growled. Zelda complied with his wishes. Eventually, he asked, "Where were you going anyway?"
"That is none of your business."
"Fine. Then I have the right to tell you that I don't ever want you to go off alone again."
She snorted. "Oh, really, now? When have you assumed the role of my father, hmm?" she asked sarcastically. "You can't order me around, Link."
"Yes, I can because I don't want to have to be beaten up again because of you, that's why!"
"How heroic."
To Zelda's surprise, Link took her hand. "I'm serious, Zelda. Don't do that again. You could have been hurt." His voice was soft and suddenly very serious.
"I can take care of myself," she replied, not certain as to how to respond him.
"That's not the point. It's a matter of safety." He gripped her hand tighter, but let go when she flinched. Noticing the bruises along the circumference of her wrist, Link swore colorfully. "Did he do this?" he demanded.
"Yes, but it's no matter. No need to become angry."
"Zelda, please, promise me that you won't go off alone again. Please. You could have received more than just bruises," he replied earnestly.
She was silent a moment. Eventually, she said, "Alright, I won't. But," she added, "only if you promise me the same."
Link rolled his eyes. "Fine. Happy?" His facial expression turned to a grin. "Now, I got a few scratches on my back and I would really like you to help me with those too…"
Zelda responded by smacking him hard on the back; he yelped in pain. "Guess you were telling the truth," she replied.
Link simply scowled at her.
Eventually, she had him strip off his tunic and undershirt, where she found a long laceration upon the middle of his back. It bled sluggishly. Zelda dipped another cloth and began cleaning it. Link, in response, hissed at the stinging pain.
"I'm sorry it hurts," she said softly, feeling badly for how she treated him earlier. He had meant well.
"Doesn't matter," he replied. "Had worse."
Silence ensued for a time. Zelda found herself cleaning the wound slowly, transfixed by his body, even if it was just his back. He had so many scars etched into his flesh: sword wounds, by the looks of it. She unconsciously traced one next to his left shoulder blade.
"What are you doing?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.
Fumbling, she took another cloth and began drying his back. "Nothing," she murmured, dodging the question.
"Will you still not tell me where you were going?" he eventually asked, as he stood up from the bed.
"Nope. You'll find out soon enough," Zelda replied. "Just wait," she murmured, eyeing the parcel of cloth she had made certain to save, "just wait."
Sheesh, that was long. Was that funny? Is this just totally plotless or what? Lol, I know, I've said that a bizzilion times, but it's kinda bothering me… [sigh] oh well. But I LOOOOOOOVE your guy's reviews! I love 'em soooo much that I had my mom read them to me over the phone when I was in NYC! =B Yeah, I know, it's sad. OOOh, and I also have written a new one-shot that's gonna be in a whole assortment of LxZ one-shots, and I'm taking requests! So just review with one, k? YEY!
To my reviewers from last time…:
Psyco-Chick: Thanks a bundle. I thought it was cute toooooo. ^^
magnum326: You know, I'm such a nice person b/c I update so fast. Yeah, I'm totally getting kudos in heaven for this. =B Thanks for reviewing!
SoulessCalibur: Actually, I wanted to ask you what the BULB OF NO RETURN is. ^^ Poor Luigi. He must be traumatized. ANYWAY, thanks for reviewing my story. I'm so nice b/c I update fast. ^_~
Jacob: Hey, look! MORE CHAPTER! Er… YEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAW!
Lost Soul 01: Thank you thank you thank you for your cute/great/awesome/amazing/fantastic review. ^^ You know, I bet you have more of a life than I do. Is it a bad thing to have memorized one's library card number b/c you go to the library so often? Oops ^___________________^ PS: You gotta update your own story! It's been a while…[nudge nudge]
anyone: I think you're one of the first anonymous reviewers to have continually reviewed my work. [throwing of confetti] You should get a special award! YEY! Thank you so much, too. Reviews make me so pathetically happy…
Midnight*Starfire: Thank you soooooo much for your reviews. And for reviewing my recent but tragic one-shot. But I can't believe that you actually cried! Lol, that must mean it was good! (^^) Thanks again for all of your wonderful encouragement (cheesy, I know, but TRUE! ^^)
obsidiandreams: Yey, more ficcy! WAHOOOO!
ayachan21: Well, I can't very well tell you what's going to happen, now can I? mwahaha You'll just have to keep reading and of course, reviewing… ^_^
BerlinBrownEyes (who is now Berlin'sBrownEyes): You think it's wonderful? [tear] Thank you so much! Do you know when you put me on your fave author's list that I was sooo HAPPY?! I think that you are one of the best (and popular hehehee) writers that I've found for Zelda ficcys. I know, it's cheesy, but now I kinda feel affirmed that I actually might have talent b/c of you (and everyone else tooo) and everyone's reviews. Oh, the cheesiness, but it's true! LOL I'll shut up now. ^^
ZeldaChik63: I'm STILL surprised at how much people like this story, and it truly does only give me more of an incentive to write more. I'm so glad it's one of your faves! ^^
link-fan: I updated. Yey! But if it makes you feel better, I always try to finish stories, especially if people seem to make a point that they want me to continue. So I won't go fall off the face of the earth or anything like some authors do... ^______~
sawyerzelda: Don't worry. I'm not much for babysitting, either. LOL Truthfully, I guess I'm more of an animal (cough: cat) person than a baby person. Oh, well. XD Thanks for your continued reviewing!
Cat of Darkness: I kuntinyoo-ed. And I hope this one was funny…
links#1fan: I'm glad you've enjoyed it so much this far. I've really enjoyed writing it. ^^ And look, I updated. YEY!
silent-angel510: Thank you for the encouragement. I'm such a perfectionist. [smacks head against wall] OW… ANYWAY…I will most definitely be finishing this. I have the PERFECT ending in mind. Hehehehee
Farah: Linky and Zelda are around 17 or 18. I'm glad you think it's hilarious, too. ^^
Keiko Matsumori: I know, I ADORE pink. It's been my fave color since, like, I was five. Anyway, I'm glad you like my story. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now.
