So, uh…. It's been a hot minute. Remember when I said I'd finish this by Valentine's Day of 2017? Boy, that was dumb. Let's just agree it was a typo. Although, according to my laptop, I first made the document on February 9th of that year. It's just taken some time to finish it!

So hey, I don't know if anybody remembers their reviews they left, but I still want to shout out my appreciation! Thanks to Awakening5, Wavebreeze, Melody, and the other guests who all left a review! You guys are, in my eyes, pretty rad.

"Well, yeah, duh."

"No, I'm serious."

"I know. I don't know anything about her besides what you told me, but she seems cool." Groose said with a thoughtful shrug. "Are you asking for my permission or something?"

"No, no, not that, I just…" I paused for a second and thought. "I just wanted to tell you. I guess."

Groose laughed. "Well, hey, more power to ya."

I stood there, just nervously playing with my hands. "Thanks."

After a brief pause, Groose raised an eyebrow. "Do you need help?"

I immediately shook my head. "No, I'm fine." I paused, trying to think of why I wanted to see him. I was literally talking to my best friend and chose to leave in order to talk to Groose. Who am I kidding, I knew the reason I was there.

"I just wanted you to be the first person to know. I like Zelda and I'm going to ask her out."

Groose smiled and coughed lightly. "Go for it. She likes you already, so it shouldn't be too hard to get a yes out of her."

Then I did something in front of Groose that I hadn't done in years. I smiled at him.

"You think so?"

"Don't be stupid." Groose smiled back at me. "Of course she does. She walked in here holding your hand."

Almost reflexively, I flinched at the stupid comment, but quickly realized what he meant by it. It wasn't meant as an insult. It was meant to be a motivator. Don't let my doubts get in my own way, that's what he was saying to me. It was something I probably should've been told a long time ago.

Just as I was going to respond, somebody came in the room behind me.

"Link?"

I turned around and saw my Aunt Impa standing there, a look of pure shock on her face. I knew that me shutting her out and Groose's illness would leave her in a really bad place mentally, but I never even considered the physical toll it would take on her. Impa was never a large woman, but she had lost a substantial amount of weight since I'd last seen her. She stopped dying her hair, letting the grey come in. Coupled with the big bags under her eyes, it made her seem considerably older than a woman in her late 40s. Maybe it was just how she was carrying herself, but she also seemed a bit shorter than I remember. She used to hold herself up high, but the past few years had worn her down. Her wardrobe was clearly still the same, but I guess that may have been because she didn't want to waste any money on clothes. She probably had hospital bills to worry about. She was carrying a blanket, but judging by the pile at the foot of Groose's bed, it wasn't for him.

Impa scurried across the room leaving the blanket on the chair beside Groose's bed, then immediately came over to me with her arms out, wrapping me in a hug.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so glad you came. When Pipit came the other day, I wasn't sure if he'd be able to convince you to come, but…" She pulled out of the hug and looked me up and down, smiling. "Here you are."

I glanced to Groose with a questioning look. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He never told her I was here yesterday. But it also seemed like he didn't feel the need to. What we said yesterday, the very fact that yesterday had happened, was just for us to know. Nobody else needed to be involved. I looked back to Aunt Impa and gave her a small smile. "Here I am. Sorry it took me so long."

Impa turned around, waving a hand in the air as she walked over to the chair, moving the blanket to give herself room to sit. "Never mind that." She said, unfolding the blanket and spreading it over her legs. "It doesn't matter how long it took, what matters is that you're here. We're all here." She reached over and grabbed Groose's hand. He looked over to her with a smile. She held out her other hand toward me.

I wasn't sure how to react. Here I was, after actively ignoring her for years, ignoring her dying son, having my friend do the same thing, finally visiting her for a morbid reason, and this woman brushed all of it aside. Looked passed all of the times I was rude, ungrateful, and just an all around bad person to her. Maybe she was just happy to have her family together again in the moment. Maybe she was actually mad at me for never taking her calls or visiting her and Groose. Maybe it would just take a few minutes of conversation for her to tell me off and scold me for never giving them the time of day once I left. I had it coming, I wouldn't even blame her for yelling at me.

Or…

Or maybe Impa doesn't hold grudges for years on end. Maybe despite all I've done she still loves me and wants to be a part of my life. Maybe she's sorry for letting Groose get away with what he did when we were kids. Maybe she's willing to let everything in the past go. Maybe she wouldn't blame me if I yelled at her. But I realized that maybes don't really matter. She wanted one thing right now, and that was for her family to come together. And somehow, to her, that meant she needed me. She needed me to be there. Groose looked at me, wondering what I'd do, but Aunt Impa just waited, then gesturing me to take her hand, as if knowing I'd do it and it was just a matter of time.

I slowly walked over and grabbed her hand. She held it tight, as if intending to never let go again. But it was something I hadn't felt from my family in a long time. It was a feeling of belonging.

I knew what was happening, but I couldn't stop myself. I began crying, unable to control the tears once they started coming. Impa immediately stood up and put her hand on my cheek, looking at me with her big, tired eyes. I didn't even look at Groose, but I heard him sit up a little straighter in the bed. My sobs grew bigger at the feeling of my Aunt's fingers wiping some of the tears away.

"I'm so sorry…" I choked out quietly, stifling some of noises that were escaping. "I'm sorry for everything. For not being here, for blaming you for everything, for just…" I didn't even know what else to say. I couldn't begin to explain the guilt I felt. What I once used as fuel for anger and motivation was now something I wanted to get away from. All the memories that I used to run away from to further my life were now things I wanted to get away from to stop holding myself back.

"You don't have to say anything, Link." Impa reassured me. "If you want to talk, we can talk. But right now, I just want to hear you laugh."

I wasn't sure how she expected me to do that, but I didn't need to.

"Hey, Link." Groose said. I raised my head slightly, sniffing in an attempt to get myself back to my composed self. "Your crying face makes you look like a bitch."

And Aunt Impa got what she wanted.

I stayed at the hospital for a few hours. I skipped my class, not even bringing it up to Groose and Impa. I was way more comfortable in the hospital than I would've been at school. We started with light conversation, talking about school and friends, but things quickly shifted into our lives in general. I told them about my intended major, how I was working at Telma's and was looking into getting another job. I talked about some of the stories I had from living with Pipit. Impa told me about some of my old friends from the neighborhood were doing and talked a little about her friends. Groose talked about how he had been doing construction for a while, and how it was a job that made him feel productive in a way that school never did. We shared some laughs and we shared some awkward silences.

It felt like a family conversation.

After a while I stood up and told them that I'd have to go, as a friend was expecting me. Groose smiled at me knowingly, while Aunt Impa's face fell slightly.

"Ok. But it was nice talking to you again, Link." She said, getting up and giving me a hug. "Try to stop by more, ok?"

I hugged her back. "I will."

"By the way, my friend Purah, the one I was telling you about, she works at the Museum downtown." She told me. "I could always talk to her about an internship position for you. I believe it's paid, but don't quote me on that."

I was a bit stunned, unable to get my words out right away. "Uh… Yeah, actually. That'd be great. I'll be honest, money has been a bit tight lately. It could be a real help if that would pan out."

Impa's eyes grew. "Are you having money trouble? Link, just say the word and I can help you with that, you know."

I thought about how much Groose's hospital bills must've been and couldn't help but doubt her on that, but still kept my mouth shut. "No, that's alright. This is something I want to take care of on my own. It's my apartment, I want to be able to support myself. But thank you, I appreciate that. If you can just get me in contact with Purah, that would be all the help I need."

Impa shook her head, but with a smile. "So stubborn…" She looked back at me. "But I'm proud of you."

I smiled back at her.

"Get the most out of this scenery while you can." Groose spoke up, with a smile. "It won't be around much longer."

I felt really cold hearing him say that. I guess my reaction wasn't what he was expecting, because his face slowly shifted to confusion. Suddenly he widened his eyes. "Oh, whoa, not like that!" The sudden movement wasn't something he was used to, and it caused him to cough a few times. "I didn't mean me," he said when he regained control. "I meant the hospital. The doctor said I didn't have the spend the rest of my times here and could go home, coming in for check ups every few days. So take in these walls while you can."

Impa turned to him. "Oh, you decided to do that? I thought you said it'd be too much of a hassle and take too long, coming in and out constantly."

Groose shrugged. "I've got nothing else to do with my time. Why not spend it somewhere more comfortable?"

Impa smiled. "I think that's perfect. Let's get you home, we've spent too much time in this place."

I started for the door. "I'll let you guys hash out that plan, I've got to go."

"Alright dear, have fun with your friend." Impa replied.

I glanced at Groose, who had a small smile. "Bye?"

I smiled back at him.

"Yeah."

I met Zelda outside her apartment. She opened the door, and jogged down the steps to meet me. I felt myself get nervous, just seeing her in front of me and smiling. I hadn't even rehearsed anything in my head, I wasn't sure what to say. I guess that's nothing new for me when I'm talking to her, but this felt entirely different.

"So!" Zelda said, not seeming to mind my silence. "What's the plan?"

I shook my head. "I don't think we ever had one." I gestured down the sidewalk. "Want to just go for a walk?"

"Sure!" Zelda said, a bit more eager than usual. We quietly strolled for a bit, but I had a lot I wanted to tell her, so for once I didn't wait for her to break the silence.

"I went to the hospital again today. I saw my aunt and talked to her and Groose for a while."

Zelda's eyes shot over to me. "Oh. Is everything ok?"

I smiled at her. "Yeah. Things are better than ever, believe it or not."

Her eyes lit up and she gave me a big smile, but she seemed to be holding back her excitement. "That's fantastic, Link. Really, I'm happy to hear that."

"Thanks." I said, clearing my throat. "I mean, I wouldn't have been able to do this if it wasn't for you."

Zelda looked down. "I just asked if you wanted to know the future. That's all."

"I have an answer for you, by the way." I said, causing Zelda to look at me again. "And the answer is, no. No, I wouldn't look into the future if given the chance."

Zelda looked confused, but still smiled at me. "Oh? What made you decide that?"

"You." Zelda seemed shocked by that answer, but I continued. "Not knowing what the future holds is what makes the possibilities endless. Last week, I didn't know I'd start making amends with my family. I didn't know some of the regulars at the bar would be more connected to my life than I originally thought. I didn't know I'd have a new friend." I briefly thought about the other changes. Having a possible new job to help out with my bills. Meeting new people on the bus. Having feelings for the breathtaking girl right in front of me. "Not knowing those things beforehand made them so much more impactful, you know? It made them special; it makes me feel like I'm growing, not just playing by the plan. I get why you'd want to know the future. But me, I think I'd smile and turn it down every time. Even if there are moments where it would be tempting."

Zelda looked ahead, thinking about what I said. After a minute, she finally said, "I think I agree with that, actually."

"Really?"

She nodded, and stopped walking. "And it's for the same reason. You." She turned to face me, prompting me to do the same. "If it wasn't for meeting you, I'd still be terrified of the future. Things are still hard without my mom being around, but I feel a lot more reassured now. And it's because of the changes I went through after meeting you." Zelda reached out and grabbed my hand. "I don't know what the future holds. But I know that I want you in it."

I smiled back at her. "I'd love that."

After a brief moment of standing there looking at each other, Zelda took a step closer to me and I moved my head down. We shared a kiss that on the surface was just a quick sign of affection, but for us meant so much more. It was a kiss that showed that we'd be there for each other. That we were grateful to know each other. That we wanted to continue growing with each other. Our problems weren't all solved and wrapped up with a bow, but things were getting better, getting easier. And we wanted to share the journey of this growth with each other. It was a kiss of things yet to come.

When we broke, we both kind of laughed lightly, unsure of what to say. Then, my phone rang distracting us from the moment. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

"Do you need to get that?" Zelda said, with a smile on her face.

I looked at her, returning the smile. "Yeah, if you don't mind."

I grabbed Zelda's hand and we began walking. I answered the phone.

"Hey Aunt Impa."

TADA! It took four years longer than expected, but What The Future Holds finally comes to an end.

Look, I'm going to be completely upfront with you. I started writing this when I was 19. I'm 23 now. I can guarantee I'm not the same person I was when I was 19. I don't say that to get overly philosophical, I just mean that when an entire person changes, naturally the things they do change. In this case, I'm referring to my writing. I tried to stick to the style I had been using in the last few chapters though, so hopefully nobody got any sort of stylistic-whiplash. If you felt this last chapter was too different, though, feel free to really let me have it. Anyway, I've always been someone that prefers writing dialogue. 100%, that's what I enjoy and I feel is my forte. This story was an attempt to branch away from that.

I can actually remember quite a bit about starting this story. I know the music I was listening to, I know the clothes I was wearing, I even remember the exact place I was on my campus when that desire hit me. However, I wasn't trying to actually say anything. This story was literally just a journal of sorts for me to put my thoughts on. Not because "I just needed to get these thoughts out of my head" or anything. I was just thinking about stuff and wanted to write it down. I wasn't going through a crisis, I wasn't filled with self doubt, nothing like that. Admittedly, I had gone through a break up the month before, but I genuinely don't think that informed any of this, as I was already doing alright.

BUT CAN I TALK ABOUT HOW THIS STORY RELATES TO MY LIFE? BECAUSE AFTER LOOKING BACK ON IT….. DAMN.

Ok, very little of this story is based on reality, with the exceptions of people's thoughts on looking into the future. The characters' answers are literally what people said to me when I asked them, but that's it.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER I STARTED WRITING THIS.

A lot of what I wrote down ended up actually happening to me. To start, I became a bartender, like Link. It's only my side job, not my main source of income, but still. I took the job because, at the time, I needed the extra money for rent. I began talking to a girl based on relatively personal conversation, like Link and Zelda. My apathy and lack of connection towards my own family got a girl so mad at me she slapped me, like the Diner scene. My cousin got diagnosed with cancer and passed away, like Groose, although we didn't have a bad relationship by any means. Then there were things that happened to my friends, like struggling to pay rent, but that's not particularly unique. It was just something that I noticed of when I went back and read the first nine chapters. My life imitated my story. I couldn't help but think "….Holy shit." Admittedly, the lifespan of this story was four and a half years, so some similarities were bound to show up.

Also real quick, when I came back and saw that Wavebreeze had left a review, I was a bit starstruck. I had always held her stories in high regard, so seeing that she read one of mine was pretty awesome!

Ok, this will probably be the last thing I write for a while. I'm not disowning the site or saying I'm leaving, but I also can't promise I'll write anything new. I've really, sincerely enjoyed my time on this website, and there are some really talented people on here. But I generally only write when I want to. As such, there can, obviously, be a big gap between stories and updates. So unless some sort of inspiration hits me and I write a one-shot or multiple chapter of a story right away, I don't want to commit to anything then abandon it.

… Like my other stories on here I never finished. Sorry, but I don't think I'll get to thinks like "The Bookstore" and "Taking Back Hyrule". Hopefully nobody was attached to those stories.

I don't think this is good bye, since I usually look up fan fictions a few times a year, and I still like to leave reviews, but there won't be any new literary marks that I leave on this website. But I will still respond to the reviews for this last chapter. I think at the very least I owe you guys that much.

I do want to reiterate that I've really valued my time here. A lot of you are amazing people and shouldn't forget that. I appreciate everybody who has ever read one of my stories, left a review, even the critical ones that motivate me to do better, or the people who just stop in and go on their way. It wasn't until I went into my legacy stats on here that I realized what I'd done. There've been over 10,000 people who have read what I've written. Obviously, that's only a modicum of the success some people have on here, but for me that's huge. Didn't think people would care that much. And hey, maybe the don't. But they still stopped by. And that's a very humbling thought for me.

You guys are great. I've talked too long in this story footnote. The whole point to this ramble was just…

Thanks.

Marc Winter