A/N: Hello. Sorry bout the insufficient lack of updates. The virus hasn't been killed yet, so yeah…
Crash: Darn… (all of the darn sudden, Dr. Cortex falls out of the sky and lands on top of him) OW!!!
O.o Wow, that was quite random. Hey, Cortex. Welcome to the fic.
Cortex: Ooh, me head…
Crash: (in pain) Your elbow… (cough) is in a very bad place right now…
Cortex: (gets up) Sorry!
XD Here's the chappie.
The Secretest Santa: Chapter 3: To the Mall!
The two swordsmen strolled around in the snow, their thick boots crunching in the powdered ice. The flow of snowflakes had ended, only to start again the next evening. The gray, morning environment greeted the two with a chilly breeze.
Marth wore a simple, leather jacket over his clothes, whereas Link wore a fleece jacket with furry cuffs and collars. A hood fell back over his shoulders.
"There it is," said Marth, a puff of warm breath flowing through the cold air. "The mall's up ahead."
With that, Link silently pulled the hood over his head, mostly covering his features. "Let's go."
They stepped casually into the mall. It was thankfully a warm, indoors mall with two levels and over 80 stores and counting with the wing being built. Many pairs of feet walked on the polished tile floor, with the building filled with all the hustle and bustle one would expect this time of year. Christmas lights and ornaments hung from the high ceiling.
The two walked slowly by the shops, looking around. Marth already knew where he needed to go, so Link just followed, window shopping with little interest. They passed by toy shops, with random toys ranging from wooden dolls to remote-controlled cars. There were also clothes shops, hardware stores with tools hanging on the shelves, and many others. Suddenly, one window caught Link's attention, and he stopped his stroll, staring into the window of the Ancient Blades Shoppe.
"Hmm?" Marth stopped, looking at Link oddly. "You find something?"
Link didn't respond, looking at one knife in particular. The hilt was decorated with forest-type carvings, a steel handle in a deep green color. The blade itself was stainless steel, shaped to look like a leaf. Its matching sheath sat next to it, and both gleamed in the light. Link pressed his hands against the glass and stared at it like a child stares into a candy store.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" said Link, not fully aware he was speaking out loud. "If I bought it, I'd dub it Razorleaf…"
Marth smiled. "Well, well, seems like even you have your own Christmas wishes."
Coming back to himself, Link straightened up. "What are talking about? I've wanted that knife for quite a while now!"
"Well, who knows? Maybe your Secret Santa will get it for you."
Link didn't respond at first, stepping away from the window. Then he decided to change the subject. "You think I'll find anything for Roy in here?"
"Nah, he's got enough swords," Marth answered.
"What DOES he like, anyway?" Link asked as they continued their stroll.
"Mostly music. You can get him a CD or something, and he'll be happy."
"Okay." Link didn't think it was going to be so easy, but only minutes into this place, he already knew what to buy. Glancing back into the Ancient Blades window briefly, they continued.
They reached the Electronics store, the kind that sold both movies and CDs. Upbeat music played in the background.
"Well, I'm gonna go look around," said Marth. "Meet you at the counter."
Link nodded, and the two split up in their separate aisles in the music section. As Link searched around the Rock section for a certain CD, he didn't look up until someone bumped into him.
"Hey, HEY!! Watch it, punk!"
"Sorry," Link automatically apologized, but soon recognized the snarling voice, and looked up. "Bowser…?"
Bowser looked up at Link with a contorted look. "Link? That you?"
Link sighed. "Yeah."
"Heh. Funny seeing you here," the Koopa chuckled.
"I fail to see the humor in me being in an Electronics store," Link retorted, facing the CD rack.
"Oh, I get it. Getting the present to get it over with?"
"Yeah…" Link sighed. Bowser read him like a book.
"Eh, me too," Bowser faced the rack himself. "This whole 'Secret Santa' thing is a load of bologna if you ask me."
"Hey, it's an honest effort to get some Christmas spirit into the Mansion," Link admitted. "An unnecessary effort, but an effort nonetheless."
"Hehe," Bowser made that same chuckle. When the two selected their gifts, they approached the counter. As Link waited for Marth patiently, Bowser caught the sight of a certain shelf and gasped in delight. Out of curiosity, Link followed the excited Koopa King and looked at the contents on the shelf.
"'The Special Edition Scary Movie Trilogy on DVD,'" Link read out-loud, then shot Bowser a skeptical look.
"Hey, come on!" Bowser shouted. "This series is friggen' funny! And I want the box set, but it's so expensive!"
"Why not just buy the three movies separately?" Link suggested.
"But you don't get the special stuff!" Bowser wailed.
Link sighed and shook his head, thinking the Koopa was crazy, until a thought crossed his mind: I wonder how he'd feel if I bought for him…
He then shook his head subconsciously. Have I gone crazy?
"There you are, Link," Marth's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he faced his friend with a slight grin. "You ready?"
Link nodded, leaving Bowser to swoon over the movie shelf.
The two paid for their gifts and left, heading for the exit they had previously entered the mall from. But on their way there, Link froze in his tracks again, this time looking into a Woman's Boutique Store.
"What'd you find now?" Marth asked.
Link entered the store, looking at one certain dress. It was a plum purple halter-top, with sparkling pink, Chinese-style flowers. Link grasped it softly, running his fingers through the silky fabric.
Marth managed a small grin. "Well, this is a shocker. Although, I expected someone like you'd be interested in dresses."
Link gave his friend a glare. "Har, har," he responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Marth chuckled. "No, but seriously, that's a nice dress."
Link nodded slowly, glancing back down at it. "…Zelda's wanted this dress for the longest time… Every time we pass by this store, she'd always swoon over it… But she never had the time to actually get it…"
Marth bit his lower lip in thought, glancing back and forth between the dress and his suddenly quiet friend.
Finally, Link told Marth, "Wait outside the store. I'll be right back." And he grabbed the dress gently and rushed inside.
Marth watched him go with a smile and leaned against the wall, whistling to himself.
Feeling quite ridiculous in his current situation, Link frantically searched for an open counter, and found one at the back of the store, run by what appeared to be a no-nonsense woman. He rushed up before anyone else could.
"Excuse me," he said breathlessly, placing the dress on the countertop. "Is there any way you can reserve this for me?"
The woman raised a brow.
"B-because I really need to get this for someone, I can bring in the money tomorrow…"
"Uh-huh." The woman crossed her arms. "Listen, kid, everyone's in the Christmas chase, and if you can't get something, well, that's just too bad," she grumbled without emotion.
Link sighed, trying to think quickly of an excuse. He found one, and though his conscious told him no, absolutely not, he brushed it away and began playacting.
"Listen…" he sighed softly, acting upset. "The girl who this dress is for… s-she's very ill…"
The woman slowly softened her look. "Oh, she is?"
"Yeah… She's got… cancer…" he blurted out, feeling horrible of himself.
The woman suddenly charged her attitude into a sympathetic one. "Oh, how dreadful! I lost a husband to that! The poor girl…"
"Yeah, and she's only got, like, a few months at the most left, and I'm trying to make her last months the happiest, you know?" The woman nodded, and he continued. "And she's really wanted this dress for a long time…"
The woman thought for a moment, then a smile broke over her face like a wave. "Tell you what. I'll keep it aside for you, and if you can show up before noon tomorrow, it's all yours."
Link nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."
"Alright, then." She put it under the counter. "See you tomorrow, then."
Relived, he nodded. "Thank you so much, ma'am." And he rushed out, meeting Marth outside.
Marth looked him up and down as they started their stroll. "So, what happened to the dress?"
"None of your business," Link replied quickly.
"Oh, come on," Marth persisted. "What'd you do with it?"
"Dang it, Marth, it's not your business! Back off!" Link snapped, receiving a shocked look from his friend. Realizing what he said, Link briefly turned away in shame.
"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that…" he quickly apologized, but turned when Marth placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, it's alright," Marth smiled, ever forgiving. "I should've known better than to try and squeeze a secret out of you!" he chuckled.
Link smiled softly, nodding.
"Let's head out," suggested Marth. "If we can hurry, we can get back to the Mansion before the evening blizzards start."
Link nodded in agreement, walking beside his friend as they stepped out into the snow once more. Small snowflakes were already falling as they returned to the Mansion.
A/N: Okay, I should note that there will be many things that I mention in this fic, but don't own. Yeah, you'll notice them. And I'm so sorry to those people who are sensitive to the subject of cancer. No hard feelings…
Cortex: What on earth am I doing here?
You dropped out of the sky randomly at the request of one of our reviewers. Now you're in for the rest of the fic!
Cortex: I am!?
Crash: YAY!!! (hugs Cortex)
Cortex: O.O AAH!!! BANDICOOT GERMS!!!!
XDD Review, people!