A/N: here we go, another chapter already!
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"Erm, Link, we're having a bit of a problem with Zelda," said the head of the Kite Design department (named Joe--and yes, kites have their own dpt). "The only designs she seems capable of drawing are of you."
"Oh, really?" Link beamed. 'Ha, ha, so she DOES like me,' he thought, anticipating the thought of throwing it in her face. "That is certainly nice of her."
"Not r-really," Joe continued. He held up a few kites. "They're drawings of you getting stakes driven through your heart, reindeer pooping on you, and your body spontaneously combusting, etc."
"WHAT?!" Link shouted, taking the kites and glaring at them. "Oooh, she's gonna get it. I'm goin' to Kringle about this."
"But--but Link, surely you two can work this out!" Joe stammered. "I mean, she'll be fired if--"
"exACTLY," Link said, smirking. "When Santa sees these, he'll--"
"SO!! TRYING TO GET ME FIRED?!" Zelda shouted, poking her head into the room for the sole purpose of yelling at Link. "YOU HAVE GOT SOME NERVE, PAL!"
"YOU'RE THE ONE WITH NERVE!!" Link yelled back. "YOU KNOW FINE WELL YOU COULD GET FIRED FOR DRAWING THINGS LIKE THIS!!"
"SANTA WOULDN'T FIRE ME IF HE KNEW WHAT A JERK YOU WERE!!" Zelda retorted. "HE DOESN'T LIKE HAVING CREEPS WORK IN HIS FACTORY, AND I REALLY OUGHT TO REPORT YOU!!"
"THEN WHY HAVEN'T YOU?!"
"BECAUSE..."
Zelda was saved by the lunch bell. As soon as she heard it ring, she turned on her heel and stormed down the hall. Link wouldn't run after her, teasing her about why she didn't answer the question. He knew perfectly well that if she didn't eat lunch she'd be in an even worse mood, so he was perfectly willing to let her leave.
She was frustrated, because she couldn't think of a reason as to why she'd want to get Link fired. 'It's because if he was fired, you couldn't see him every day,' a voice inside of Zelda's head told her. 'You would probably never see him again!'
'Well, it's not like I LIKE him,' another voice argued.
'Yeah. Riiiiiiiiight.'
"MAN, SHUT UP!!" Zelda roared, banging her head on the wall nearest.
"Why, Zelda! Such language!!" scolded Mrs. Kringle, appearing at her side. "You know I have no tolerance for bad words!!" She clicked her tongue and walked away. "If I ever hear you say something like that again, you'll be out of here!"
Zelda moaned and continued on her way.
"Hey, girl," Malon greeted, walking up behind her. "How's your day going?"
"Awful," Zelda groaned. "First, Joe got upset when he saw my drawings at Kite Design, and he--"
"You weren't ....depicting 'The Kiss' on a kite again, were you?"
"No," Zelda sighed, rolling her eyes. "I just drew Link dying in several different ways. Is that so terrible?"
"Not if you don't work here," Malon decided. She bit her tongue to keep from teasing Zelda about Link, and said, "Well, what else has happened?"
"Link got all mad at me--"
"Now why should he do that?"
"--and threatened to have me fired," Zelda finished, ignoring Malon's sarcatic comment. "So naturally we started fighting again--"
"Naturally."
"--but the lunch bell rang mid-fight so I just stormed off in a huff in mid-sentence," Zelda stated.
"How anit-climacitc," Malon sighed. She clicked her tongue. "Oh well. What did you say to him?"
"Well, he asked if I thought he was such a jerk, why didn't I report him," Zelda said in a monotone.
"And then what?" Malon prompted her. "What happened after that?"
Zelda stopped and gazed wistfully out the window. "There was no 'then,'" she said quite over-dramatically. "And there is no after."
Malon stared at her. ".........................................I beg your pardon?"
Sighing, Zelda rolled her eyes. She hooked her arm through Malon's and they continued walking. "I started to answer him, but then the lunch bell rang so I stalked off."
"Ohhhhh," Malon said with understanding. "But what would you have said?"
"Said about what?" Zelda asked.
Malon gave her a weird look. "How would you have answered Link's question as to why you haven't attempted to get him fired?"
"Because..." Zelda said quietly.
"Because ya like him and you think he's cute," Malon supplied for her.
"I do not like him!!" Zelda said hotly, turning red as Malon giggled. "Sure, he's cute, who's gonna argue with that, but no one said I liked him!! I hate him!"
"Sure, sister," Malon laughed.
Meanwhile, walking just behind them...
'So, she thinks Link is cute, eh?' Mido thought to himself. 'Just wait until he hears this one!!!!' Then he threw back his head and laughed. "MUA HA HA HA HAAAA!!"
"MIDO!!" shouted Mrs. Kringle, once again appearing out of no where. "Evil laughter is strictly prohibited!! That is the second time this week, and three strikes you're out! GOT IT?!"
"Yes, ma'am," he said weakly.
"Hmph!" Nose in the air, Santa's wife shuffled off.
"What was the reason for the evil laughter?" Link asked Mido, walking up to him from around the corner.
"Ohhhhh, nothing," Mido said, grinning wickedly.
Link's brow furrowed. "Um, yeah, something's up with you. What is it?"
"I just overheard one of Zelda's conversations with Malon," Mido said casually. "And I heard her say something about you."
"Oi. What'd she say now?" Link sighed.
"She thinks you're cute."
"Ha ha. What'd she say?"
"I just told you."
Link stared at him. "C'mon, Mido, you gotta be work with me here," Link said. "Are you telling me the truth?"
"It's no lie, I guarantee," Mido said gleefully. "However, she also mentioned the fact that she hates you."
"Hm...." Link said, wondering how he could use this information to his advantage. "I wonder how I could use this information to my advantage..." .......... Then suddenly, he broke out into evil laughter. "BUA HA HA AHAAAA--"
"LINK!!" came the all-too-familiar shriek of Mrs. Kringle.
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"Zelda, I'd like to speak to you," Link said later that day in what she considered an uncharacteristically sweet voice.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to yell at me instead?" Zelda asked coolly.
"No, just talk."
"What about?" she asked, continuing to sketch a detailed design on kite paper.
"That's a pretty design you're making."
She glared up at him. "Don't tell me you came all the way over here just to pretend you liked something I've done when you hadn't even seen it yet."
"Well, it's just that I heard something interesting this afternoon and I was wondering if you'd care to say anything about it."
"Oh. Well if it's about that rumor about Rudolph's nose actually being green if you look too closely--it's not true."
"No, no, not that," Link laughed. "It's nothing like that."
"Well then what is it?" Zelda asked impatiently. She set down her pencil and stood up to face him. "I've got work to be done. I was doodling this whole morning .... as you know. And I need to catch up. Because of you, I almost lost my job today."
"I know," Link said calmly. "But at least you think I'm cute."
Zelda blanched and stared at him. "I....WHAT?" she asked him.
"Think I'm cute," Link repeated. "That's what you said. Who'd argue about my good looks, eh?"
"You....you....YOU FREAKISH JERK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Zelda shouted. "WHERE'D YOU COME UP WITH A SICK IDEA LIKE THAT?!"
"Hey, I'm just repeating what I heard this afternoon," Link said smugly in a sing-song voice. "It's what you and Malon were talking about."
Link felt ultimate triumph as Zelda cringed, turned deep red, and then ran out of the room, screaming, "MALON, I AM GONNA KILL YOU!!!!"
"Tsk tsk!" Mrs. Kringle said, trying to catch up with Zelda. "Death threats are against the rules!"
Not having heard the Mrs, Zelda ran next door to the Arts & Crafts department. She raced inside and found Malon quickly, who was busy cutting out hearts in red and green paper. "Oh, hi, Zelda, what're you--"
"DON'T YOU 'OH, HI, ZELDA' ME, MISSY!!!" Zelda shouted at her best friend. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TOLD LINK WHAT I TOLD YOU IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE, YOU TRAITOR!!"
"Hey, I didn't tell Link anything!" Malon retorted.
"THEN HOW DID HE KNOW WHAT I SAID?!" Zelda roared.
"STOP ACCUSING ME!!" Malon yelled, standing up.
"Um, I'm sorry, this is all my fault," Mido said, who had just arrived from the Motion Pictures department. "You see, I was listening in on your conversa--"
"YOU WERE EAVESDROPPING ON OUR CONVERSATION?!" Malon and Zelda screamed in unison.
"Erm, it wasn't on purpose, really," Mido said quickly. "But I was walking behind you, and you were talking rather loudly, and--"
"WE WERE TALKING IN WHISPERS!!!!" Zelda interrupted. When Link meekly walked inside the room as well, she turned on him. "LINK, YOU CREEP!!!"
"What'd I do?" he asked.
"YOU ARE SUCH A SELF-CENTERED SNOB!!"
"YOU'RE THE CREEP!" Link yelled back. "YOU'RE ALWAYS GETTING ON MY CASE FOR SOMETHING STUPID!!"
"YES, I GET ON YOUR CASE, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING STUPID!!"
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN, ZELDA!! YOU'RE CONSTANTLY HARASSING ME FOR DOING THE LITTELEST THINGS, AND I CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY!! CAN'T YOU JUST LIGHTEN UP AND--"
"I think this conversation has gone quite far enough," came a deep voice from the doorway. Link and Zelda, dreading who it was this time, were none to happy when Santa Claus himself began walking towards them. "You two are a disgrace."
"See what you did?!" the two elves said to each other.
"You're both to blame, I'm afraid," Santa continued. "And I don't want to have to fire you two. You are both diligent workers, and it would be my loss if I let you go. In fact, when you're not around each other, you are perfectly nice elves. So I think what you two need is a sabbatical."
"A sabbatical?!" Link asked in shock.
"It means time off," Zelda snorted.
"I KNOW what it means," Link growled.
"I think that's a great idea, Mr. Kringle," Zelda said. "I think a break from Link would really do wonders for me."
"That goes double," Link muttered under his breath.
"Ah, well, I think that would be very nice, too," Santa laughed. "However, I am going to have to insist that you and Link spend a holiday together .... in New York. Should be very nice this time of year, I think .... go over to the Sabbatical office and they'll set you up right away."
Link and Zelda stared at the man as if he were crazy.
"Have you gone completely, utterly mad?" Link asked him.
"I think you have, for calling the boss such things," Mido pointed out.
"Mr. Kringle, with all due respect, I don't think it's a very good idea to send Zelda and Link off on a romantic escapade together," Malon said. "They might kill each other."
"Oh, I won't have to worry about that," Santa assured her. "Since you and Mido are somehow wrapped up in all this mess, I'm going to send you down there to check up on them once a week--just to make sure there are no broken bones or missing limbs. Thank you, and good-bye."
"Wait a minute, once a week?" Link asked. "How long do I have to keep my sanity alone with this woman?!"
"A month," Santa responded. "Starting tomorrow; December first. Perhaps by then you two will have sorted out all this. As for you, Malon and Mido, you may accompany them to the Sabbatical Office." Then the man turned around and marched back out the door.
"I think he's gone completely, utterly mad," Mido grumbled, as the four of them walked towards the Sabbatical office.
"I cannot believe I just landed a vacation with Link," Zelda moaned miserably to Malon. "Of all the elves..."
"Do you realize that the others would kill to take your place?" Malon asked her. "Including myself .... a month alone with Link doesn't sound bad to me."
"Yeah, but Malon, he's not a complete jerk to you like he is to me," Zelda whined. "What Santa said was right--when we're alone we're so much better, but together--"
"You pout, you cry, you shout, I'm tellin' you why .... 'cause you hate each other," Malon remarked. "Maybe it'll be okay, Zelda. I mean, what's the harm in it? Maybe you two can heal the wound you've created."
"Malon, please don't ever attempt to use metaphors again."
"Sorry."
"I think you should apologize to her," Mido said to Link.
"What? ME? Apologize to HER? You're crazy," Link muttered.
"No, I'm not. If you two start this thing off on the wrong foot, things are just going to go downhill."
"Mido, in case you haven't noticed, it's impossible for me and Zelda to start a conversation without having it end in shouting and yelling."
"Yyyeah, but maybe it's just the stress of the job," Mido pointed out. "It's like the big man said--I've caught Zelda alone before." When Link stopped and raised his eyebrows, Mido frowned and immediately said, "Alone as in not around you."
"Ohhh. Continue."
"And she really is nice," Mido said honestly. "And I know you're the same way. Besides, look at her--ever see an elf around here prettier than her?"
"Looks really shouldn't have anything to do with it, especially when you've got a heart of ice," Link said bitterly. He glanced over his shoulder at Zelda, who was deep in conversation with Malon and didn't notice. He kept staring at her, fixated, but was brought rather roughly back to earth when he crashed into the wall.
"Okay, lover boy, you just missed the turn here," Mido said in a mocking tone. "Take your eyes off her and keep 'em on the hallway."
Link shook his head and kept walking. "At least she didn't see me."
"I think Link was just staring at you," Malon said.
"Of course he was," Zelda snorted. "Why shouldn't he be, he must be unbelievably angry with m--"
"No, he was like, looking at you," Malon said. "Not as if like hated you, but as if he was, erm, interested."
"Good one," Zelda laughed. "But I don't think it's at all possible for Link to possess any feeling for me at all."
"Don't discredit yourself so much," Malon said, as they drew closer to the Sabbatical Office. "You're pretty, Zelda."
"Why, thank you."
"No, really, you are. It's possible that Link thinks at least that."
"Well, I admit he's cute, but that doesn't mean I like him. So may be thinking the same thing about me," Zelda said.
"You go up there with Link and get your passes. I'll wait behind you with Mido," Malon said, pushing Zelda forward and grabbing Mido's elbow. As soon as Link and Zelda were busy telling the man at the desk their orders, Malon said to Mido, "What did he say?"
"We're getting no where," Mido sighed. "It's still denial."
"Yeah, that's what I got, too," Malon sighed. She giggled. "Honestly--those two are so immature!"
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Zelda sighed and flopped down on her bed. She twisted her head slightly to glance at Saria, who was kneeling on top of her covers, punching her pillow.
"No matter--what--I do--always--PILLOW HAIR!!" Saria shouted between punches. "RRRGH!!"
"So Zelda, looking forward to tomorrow morning?" Malon teased.
Zelda moaned. Tomorrow morning, Link and Zelda were to report outside. Santa would be waiting there for them with a sleigh, pulled by four reindeer. That's where they'd be recieving tedious details about their trip; e.g. where exactly they would be staying in New York.
'At least Malon will be there occasionally to save me from insanity,' Zelda thought to herself. But then, maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad. Maybe she and Link could work out the kinks, find out why they came up, and become friends. 'Oh, man, now I know I'm dreaming!'
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A/N: soooooooooo, how is it? ok? plz review, i need reviews 2 continue this story!!