Yeah, yeah you know the drill.

Still Not Over

Malon buckled on to her knees. For a moment, her mind went blank as she soaked in the situation. Finally she came to her senses and tears started coming down from her eyes.

"You lied!" She yelled at the rubble. "You said you were getting out of there alive Vincent." He said softer.

Zelda went over and tried to comfort her friend. She noticed the Malon was wearing Vincent's jacket. She would have been gleeful if it wasn't due to the fact that there was no Vincent anymore.

Link walked over to the ruins and started moving rocks. Even though he was injured, he dug through the wreckage looking for Vincent.

"You can't die. You only tried to play the hero so you can win Malon's heart." Link said to himself. "Bastard, you just can't die."

Zelda and Malon looked on as Link was digging for a sign. It was miserable for all of them. They lost a good friend who gave his life so they can escape unscathed. Lost someone they all loved.

Vincent may not have been the most polite person in the world only because he spoke his mind. He may not have been nice all the time, still he was honest. Maybe not the smartest, but still brave enough to go anywhere anyone needed his help.

Link gave up; he had gone through layers upon layers of rock. He accepted Vincent's fate. He sat down on the hard rocks and looked down. A few feet away, a couple of rocks were being moved up.

They stirred and they became loose. Link looked up to see them and at once his hopes rose. He quickly got up and ran over to the shifting rocks. He pried off a few and suddenly they all scattered as Vincent emerged from being buried.

Vincent was in a pretty bad shape. He had a busted lip and his shirt was soaked on his left side. His pants were torn in some places and his hair was disheveled. Yet he still wore a smile on his face.

"Your alive!" Link yelled.

"Guess so." Vincent groaned. "Was worried there for a second that I wouldn't get through that."

"Who won?" Link asked

"Still not over." Vincent said. "Son of bitches ran away. Just when it was getting good too."

Link looked down now knowing that Ganondorf was still alive somewhere. "He ran away. He'll show his face soon then."

Vincent nodded. Just then, Malon came out of nowhere and gave him a hug that was dangerously tight around Vincent.

"Malon, cant breath." Vincent struggled to say.

"Your such a jerk. Making us all worry like that. Don't you think of anyone else?" Malon said.

Link smiled, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Zelda, also with a smile on her face. They were all glad Vincent made it. Even with the thought of Ganondorf was still out there, it was better knowing that one of their greatest allies was still along for the ride.

Vincent climbed out of his would be grave. He looked around and saw only the earth sloping down. "We better get outta here. Night going to fall soon and we don't wanna be here when it does. Besides…I'm hungry."

"Question Vincent: Which way is the way 'outta here'?" Zelda asked. "How did you even get here?"

"Vincent spotted a bird. It lead us here." Link said. "Simple."

"That's great. That's the problem with you guys. See a girl in distress and off you go and save her without thinking of it all the way through." Zelda said.

"Isn't that how we met?" Link asked with a smile on his face.

"Look, is that it?" Malon asked pointing out into the sky.

The bird with the red and gold plumage was above, circling them. Apparently it also knew the way back.

"Talk about luck." Vincent said. "We better go before it decides to change its mind."

Together, they followed the bird to wherever it was leading them. The land changed from mountain to desert sand. Link noticed as they were walking, that Vincent was clutching his left side. Every time he took a step, he heard Vincent groan quietly. After a while, Link decided to ask.

"Your wounded Vincent." Link said. "You need to take a break."

"Nah, its ok. Just a little flesh wound." Vincent said.

Malon's ears caught this conversation. "Vincent, your hurt bad aren't you? Stop acting stupid and agree to take a rest."

"Listen to Malon, Vincent. It looks like you were hit bad." Link said.

"Enough, I bet were almost there." Vincent said.

Link sighed. "I'll go on ahead to see if you're right. Zelda, Malon, keep an eye on him." With that Link started to jog up ahead of them.

Malon, Zelda, and Vincent remained on their pace. Link took quite a long time and Vincent seemed worse off. Malon kept pleading with him that they take a rest but he kept saying no. Zelda then argued that she needed to rest but Vincent just kept going even after Zelda stopped.

Finally Vincent stopped. For a split second he looked better, but then he fell face first into the sand. Malon and Zelda rushed over to him to see what happened. They shook him but he wouldn't wake up. The two girls couldn't be able to move him so they sat and hoped Link would come back soon.

Almost as an answer to their prayers, Link came back to them in a few minutes. When he reached them, he asked what happened and got an answer he didn't like. He heaved Vincent up and carried him like someone coming home drunk with a drunken friend.

After a while, the group finally saw the lights of the Gerudo's. The band of thieves hideout was in sight and they started picking up their pace. The gate that separated them from inside opened up and they walked in.

Expecting a sort welcome wasn't what they got. Instead, as soon as they entered, they were greeted by dozens of sharp edged pole arms. Link realized that what happened with him and the Gerudo actually now never happened. Now he had one hope.

"Lower your weapons!" Shouted a voice from the crowd.

With only that, all weapons that were facing them stood tall at the sky. From the many thieves, one walked out with her arms crossed.

"Been a long time Link." Nabooru "Still as good looking as ever."

Link smiled nervously and watched Zelda's eyes fill with anger and jealousy. "Yeah, it has been quite a long time, I think. So, do you mind helping us out?"

Nabooru walked over to them and noticed Vincent. She grabbed him by the cheeks and looked at him. "Whose this handsome devil?"

Jealousy swung again, this time at Malon. "His name is Vincent and he needs some medical help. Are you going to help us?"

She sighed and snapped her fingers. A couple of Gerudo guards came and took Vincent from Link's shoulders and took him away.

"Come this way then." Nabooru said. She led them through on of the open doorways and into a room. "So I guess I'm having you all for dinner huh?"

She took them into another room with a long table with numerous seats. There was dinner all ready waiting to be eaten when they got there.

"Take a seat, I mean if you all are hungry." She said. Taking a seat at the head. "Plenty to go around."

All three of them took a seat next to each other as the other Gerudo entered the room. All at once they started eating the food. Link looked down and picked up what looked like a roasted cucco and bit into it. It tasted absolutely delicious and devoured it. Not eating for almost a whole day can do that.

Link noticed Malon just sitting there looking at the food while everyone else was enjoying themselves. "Malon, what is the matter?"

"Huh?" She shook her head as if in a trance. "Sorry, I was just thinking of Vincent. He said he wanted some food and its kind of mean how we're just gorging ourselves."

"See, there is something with you and Vincent." Zelda said, overhearing what she said.

Malon face reddened. "No, there isn't. Stop saying that."

"It is true, Vincent isn't a guy who doesn't like being hungry." Link said. "Let me ask Nabooru." Link turned his head and faced Nabooru. "Uhhh, Nabooru, what about our friend?"

"Who, Vin…Vintage…?"

"Vincent."

"Right, well he should be in the infirmary room right now. After he gets treated well see what next ok?"

"Yeah, ok." Link said. He took another cucco and bit into it.

Afterwards, the room was clearing out and the only people left were Nabooru, Link, Zelda, and Malon. Nabooru put down the pastry she had been eating and turned to the group. "So what brought you all out here?"

Link uttered one word. "Ganondorf."

"You can't be serious. You two locked him away." She said pointing to both Link and Zelda. "He couldn't possibly have gotten out of the sacred realm. I remember the other sages and I created a seal that he couldn't get out of."

"Alone. He had help from this realm." Link said solemnly. "Vincent and I tracked him here after he kidnapped these two. I faced off with him but I was no match, somehow, so Vincent came and did the honors. I got the girls outside and then is dark castle collapsed and Vincent emerged, claiming a stalemate as Ganondorf fled."

"So what do we do now? The other sages will have to be informed about this but for now what?" Nabooru asked.

"Our only choice now is to wait for Ganondorf to show himself. He never made himself noticeable unless he wanted to." Zelda said. "He left nothing for us to track on and we don't know his plans."

"We know his plan, he wants to rule Hyrule. Question is how." Link said.

"I think we better try to answer that tomorrow. It's getting late and I know how princesses need beauty sleep." Nabooru said, showing a mocking smile at Zelda.

They all got up and followed Nabooru to another room with two beds. Link and Zelda went in first but she stopped Malon from entering.

"I want to talk to you." She said.

Nabooru lead Malon to another room so they could talk in private. She sat her down at a table and she then sat on the opposite end of her. Malon looked around the room and was curious as why Nabooru took her here without anyone else there to bother them.

"Ok, first off, what is your name?" Nabooru asked.

"Malon." Answered Malon. "Why did you drag me away?"

"How much do you know about your mother?"

Malon looked at her susceptibly. "What do you know about my mother?"

"I thought I asked you that. Look if you don't want to leave this as this then fine."

"No, no, tell me. I don't know anything about my mother really. All I know is that she died giving birth to me. My dad never really mentions her and I don't want to bring it up." Malon said.

"Well, your mother was my best friend." Nabooru said.

"Wouldn't that make her…"?

"Yes, she was Gerudo. You have had to wonder why you're basically the only one in Hyrule with red hair who is Hylian. Also, a Gerudo rose would wither if kept with someone who didn't have Gerudo blood in them."

Malon remember the rose Vincent tied in her hair. "How was my mother like? How did she fall in love with my father? Was she beautiful?" She asked excitedly.

"Calm down, give me a minute so I can answer your questions." Nabooru said. "Ok, so you know that we Gerudo often go into town so we can get boyfriends correct?"

Malon nodded.

"Well, your mother came back here saying she fell in love with a charming young rancher in town. She went on and on about him. One day she left and never came back, but we all knew what happened. We could see that she was in love and we would never stand in the way of that. She married your father and about a year later…"

"She died…giving birth to me." Malon said sadly.

"Your mother was very beautiful. In fact, you're almost a spitting image of her. If you are anything like her, you're kind and caring. She was just so compassionate to anybody. It was sad hearing your mother had died but hearing that she had a daughter made it a little better knowing she was still in this world."

Malon and Nabooru went on for hours talking about Malon's mother. Late into the night they finally finished. Malon finally knew about her mother, something that plagued her ever since she was a child.

They both got up from the table and exited the room. Nabooru gave a goodnight to Malon and went off down the hall. Malon stretched a bit and started for the room the Gerudo prepared for the group. She was about to open the door when she decided to not disturb Link and Zelda and went off down the hall.

Malon exited the clay buildings of the Gerudo and felt the cold crisp air of the late night against her cheeks. She walked a bit and found the steps leading down toward the exit of the area and sat down on them. She looked up at the stars that dotted the black sky.

"There you are, you've been gone a long time."

Malon turned around to see a smiling Link. "Sorry, Nabooru had some information for me."

Link came and sat down next to her. "About?"

"My mother." Malon said. "How she fell in love with my dad and how she was. She was Gerudo Link. It makes me feel good to know that much about her." She smiled.

"That's good to know. Are you coming to bed?" Link asked.

"She was in love with my dad. Love at first sight. First loves too. You know Link, I loved you too. You were my first love."

Link blushed. "Ummm… I don't know how to answer that."

Malon giggled. "Your not suppose to."

"Well, you loved me, so what happened? A first love doesn't just fade away."

"Well, I don't know. You use to be on my mind all the time Link. But, before you and Zelda got married, you weren't there anymore." Malon shed a tear and wiped it away with her sleeves. Wait, she didn't wear long sleeved shirt. She just remembered what she was wearing. She quickly got up. "Sorry Link but I have to get this jacket back to Vincent."

She quickly ran back to the building and at her first right she stopped; she didn't know where the infirmary was. She spotted a Gerudo guard and asked where it was. With just directions of left her and right there, she found it without too much trouble. She noticed a Gerudo over what might be Vincent. The infirmary room looked like all the other rooms, drab with two small windows. There were two exits on each side and a few beds and medical supplies such as ointment and towels.

"Are you the medic?" Malon asked.

The Gerudo turned around and acknowledged Malon's presence with a bow. "Yes, I am. I suppose you're here to see how your boyfriend is doing."

Malon blushed. "He's not my boyfriend, just a friend. I did want to know about his condition."

"Well, he suffered from a major sword wound and lost quite a bit of blood. That's probably why he fainted on the way here. Right now he's stable and should be fine. Aside from being a little light headed and a major stitch on his stomach, he should make a good recovery."

"I would like some food though." Said Vincent meekly.

"And he has regained consciousness." She stepped aside and exited through the other exit on the other side.

Malon rushed over to Vincent's bedside. Another first for her was seeing him without his shirt. Although he was heavily bandaged at his stomach, she could see his well-developed chest and arms.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? It's almost tomorrow." Vincent said.

"I wanted to bring back your jacket Vinnie. I thought you might need it." Malon said.

"Do you still need it? I know this isn't exactly the place you would envision cold but are you still chilly?" Vincent asked.

Malon shook her head. "Nope. So here take your jacket." She slowly took off Vincent's jacket, folded it up and placed it on the table next to him that was used for a place to put medical whatevers.

From where the Gerudo doctor left peeked two sets of eyes, both blue and both curious to see.

"Come on, kiss her Vincent. Just put your lips together and smack them on hers. It isn't so hard." Zelda said quietly.

"This doesn't feel right Zel, spying on our friends. We should just let them be. If they do kiss, its because they were meant to be." Link said to her, keeping his voice low.

"Vincent told you that so now you think that you must act that way. If we don't get in there and hurry this up, who knows what my cause them to break apart."

"But Zel," Link said.

In the midst of their argument, they noticed the pair of eyes looking at them. Maybe keeping their voices down was just too much for both Link and Zelda.

"Hey Vincent," Link said. "Doing better?"

"Funny Link. We could've heard you from the castle the way you two talk quietly. Seriously, all of you have to get back so we can get the hell out of here tomorrow." Vincent responded.

"Fine Vincent," Zelda said. "But you better be good and ready to leave tomorrow." She took Link's hand and left the scene.

"You should get to bed too." Vincent said turning to Malon. "Early day."

"Alright." She said. "See you in the morning."

Malon left the room. Vincent laid still on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, deep in thought. Today his life almost ended, was he grateful it didn't.

End Chapter. What do you think? Huh? Huh? Huh? Well, just review.