I know, I don't do A/N's before the chapter, but I just want to warn you guys that this chapter is incredibly long. I know I said that in the A/N in the previous chapter, but I'm serious. All of our beloved characters have a scene in this chapter. So grab a bowl of popcorn, sit back, and enjoy!
Summer of Our Discontent
Slide
I'll never forget the look of shock in her eyes. It was as though time stood still, and I realized that I broke a promise I had made to myself, and a promise I forced Link to make to me. She was hurt. Incredibly hurt. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know that. After she swallowed her pride and reached out to me, I couldn't keep it to myself. I just couldn't. How could I? She deserved to know. What she and Link had was brief, but it was also serious.
"...Malon?" I prodded nervously.
She didn't respond. Not with words at least. We had just made up, and shared such a tender moment. But now, I'm pretty sure I ruined it. She slid off the bed and grabbed her purse. As she swung it onto her shoulder it hit the mug she had set on my desk. The hot chocolate spilled all over the floor and onto the bed. Some of it landed on me. She moved so quickly I couldn't tell if she did it purposefully or not.
"Ouch…" I murmured, rubbing the still hot liquid off of my arm.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing…" She muttered absentmindedly as she exited my room hastily.
"Malon, stop." I followed her frantically, running as fast as I could.
"Leaving so soon?" Impa said, with some fresh vegetables in hand. "Don't you want to stay for dinner?"
The redheaded teen said nothing, simply striding past her and out the door.
"Malon!" I said sternly, "Stop!"
No response.
"You don't get to walk away from me like this! Not again!"
That statement certainly ignited something within her because she turned around instantly.
"Is that all you have to say?"
"If you would let me explain myself, then… no."
"What is there to explain? You like him. You've always liked him."
I looked down. That feeling of guilt crept its way into me once more. I couldn't handle it.
"Yes." I said softly.
"And you pretended to hate him, so that I wouldn't think there was anything to worry about. You lied to me!"
"I lied to myself." I rubbed my arm lamely, "I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear. It just did."
I couldn't quite read her facial expression. She was handling herself a lot better than I thought she would. Which basically means she hadn't completely lost it yet.
"Is that your excuse?" She asked calmly, crossing her arms.
I bit my lip. Calm Malon was ten times scarier than full on angry Malon.
"It's not an excuse, I'm just saying -"
"You're just saying what? Why can't you just be sorry for once?"
"I am sorry! I… I…"
"You… You…" She mocked my stammering. "I'll tell you what you did. You broke girl code. Boyfriends are off limits. Honestly, what were you expecting from me? For me to be okay with this?"
"A bit idealistic, I know. But I thought you were interested in Groose, so I figured -"
"OH! I get it. You're being the bigger person by being okay with me and Groose. How HIGH and MIGHTY of you, Zelda. Too bad it isn't the same thing. At ALL. You never liked Groose, so why would you care if I was with him? Is it because you felt like you owned him?"
"That's not what I meant -" She cut me off yet again.
"You told me that you hated Link. You guys bickered constantly. You don't know how shitty I felt, looking at you guys, seeing this undeniable chemistry between you two… Having both of you convince me there was nothing going on, and now you spring this on me? I loved him! I still do!"
"You cheated on him." I reminded her, feeling defensive even though I wanted to make amends.
"Wooooow. I knew you were going to bring that up. Thanks for the reminder. Because that's exactly what I needed tonight. To be reminded of how I messed up."
"Malon, I'm reminding you that you aren't perfect."
"Oh, and you are?"
"No. I'm not. I'm definitely not. We have both hurt each other a lot this summer. But you coming here was a good first step towards overcoming that." I stepped towards her. "Can we do that? Can we move on from this? You just asked me to never let boys get in between us again."
Malon hesitated, evidently conflicted between her own profession as well as mine.
"Zelda…" She leaned toward me, but pulled herself back. "I just want to go home. This is too much for me to take in right now."
She started running off, heading in the direction of the nearest bus stop.
I watched her hopelessly, my heart sinking the further she got.
"...I love you…" I murmured, "You're my best friend."
"Wow." Link breathed, looking down at the beautiful blonde wrapped up in his arms. She traced her fingers over his bare chest, admiring his muscles and trying to take her mind off of what had happened.
"I know."
"I'm going to sound like an asshole, but the only thing I really got from that story was that you told someone about us before me."
"You ARE an asshole, so you don't have to worry about sounding like one." Zelda rolled her eyes, her fingers still dancing on his skin. They were in her bed, snuggled up after a heated makeout session. Impa had some unnamed duties to tend to, which was the perfect opportunity for the notorious couple to spend some time together.
"So you guys are giving each other the silent treatment… again?"
"I've called her several times after that night. The balls are in her court I guess. Link… I can tell she's trying. Really trying. To be better. But it isn't easy. And here we are, just cuddling with each other and acting like everything's okay."
"Everything is okay. For me at least."
"What about Malon?"
Link shrugged nonchalantly.
"Again, I don't want to sound like an asshole buuuut…"
"Don't even act for a second like you don't care about her." Zelda interjected.
"What!? Zelda, I don't want to spend all my time talking about ex-girlfriend while I'm with my new girlfriend. Malon is immature. We're ALL pretty damn immature, and if she doesn't want to talk to you you're just going to have to give her space. Isn't that what you told me to do, not too long ago?"
"It isn't the same, though. What if you were in this situation? What if you were in love with someone who was in love with your friend? What would you do?"
"I was in that situation. And now you're mine, so I guess it worked out."
Zelda rolled her eyes, a light smile playing along her lips.
"I'm sorry. This is just really bothering me."
Link stroked her back sympathetically.
"I know it is. And I should be more supportive. When I was feeling shitty about myself, you were there for me. I'm here for you, Zelda."
She tilted her head up to look at him.
"Thank you."
He kissed her on the nose.
"Anytime."
Then he grabbed her chin and leaned in to give her another, longer kiss…
The summer was almost over. School was approaching, and Ilia wanted to start on a high note. So she did copious research for her classes and decided to find some of her required readings before the year started. And what better place to begin her search… than the library?
Ilia entered through the double doors with confidence, determined not to let a few sour memories from her last encounter with an infamous librarian get her down. To the left she saw a girl with her head laying on the counter, blue hair splayed out across the table. She slowly lifted herself up to give an unenthusiastic greeting.
"Welcome to Castle Town Library, my name is… Ilia?" She said, jolting up immediately.
"Hey that's my name too…" Ilia trailed off at the sight of the blue-haired girl. "Wait a minute. Lana? I thought you were working at that restaurant a few blocks from here?"
"I was, and then they fired me. What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to get a headstart on my studies for the upcoming school year. Can you help me find the books I'll need for my Pre-AP Hylian class?"
"Sure. Just tell me the name of your teacher and we can find that instantly…" Lana mumbled, a sly smile on her face as she started typing on the computer.
"What?" Ilia asked, walking over to get a closer look.
"Oh, nothing." Lana replied in a singsong voice, "This is just ridiculous."
"What is ridiculous?"
"You."
"Excuse me?" Ilia glared at the giggling girl before her.
"You mean to tell me you're actually here for some textbooks?"
"Yes! Why is that so hard to believe?"
"You aren't here… for something else?"
"What else is there?"
As though on cue, Shad burst through the doors with a mirthful girl by his side. She had pigtails like Lana, only they were a lot shorter and she sported blonde hair instead of blue. Nestled comfortably on her shoulder was the most vibrant butterfly Ilia had ever seen.
"No insects allowed in the library." Lana said, crossing her arms as she sized up Shad's new friend.
"Lana, that's no way to greet the newest member of our team. This is Agitha, she's going to be working for the library for this upcoming school year." Shad smiled at Agitha, then turned to address Lana once more, but his gaze fell upon Ilia.
"Shad! Hi!" Ilia perked up instantly.
"Ilia? What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since all of that… uh, drama…"
"I know." Ilia replied sadly, "I thought you would have wanted to hang out a bit more, before the school year started."
Shad sighed.
"I've been busy. I'm devoted to my work here at the library, and I'm not even a part of your circle. No offense, but why would I hang out with all of you when we aren't friends with each other? From what I've seen, your friends aren't even friends with each other."
"Not true." Ilia shook her head. "Groose and Link were never friends to begin with, and Malon went to see Zelda to resolve their feud. I think things are going to look up for us. And I mean, I was talking about us, not the rest of my friends."
"Oh…" Shad murmured, a blush slowly making its way onto his cheeks.
"Ok, break it up lovebirds." Lana rolled her eyes, pointing at Agitha with a look of distaste. "Shad, you cannot be serious. No offense, but she's kind of a nut."
Agitha, who was whispering something to her butterfly, looked up at Lana with a wounded expression.
"Pardon?"
Lana ignored her, continuing to grill Shad on his poor decision-making.
"She's the best you could do for Ruto's replacement? Seriously?"
"What? You're the best I could do for an assistant here at the library."
"Look, we don't need an insect freak working at the library. It won't be good for our reputation."
"Insect expert!" Agitha corrected, "And entomology is very in right now."
"Lana, we aren't exactly getting swarmed with volunteer offers. Agitha was eager to join our fine team, so I said 'why not'?" Shad sighed.
"I can think of a few reasons." Lana mumbled.
Ilia laughed nervously.
"Okay… I think I'm just going to get that info I wanted later. I'll, uh, see you later Shad. Lana." She walked away briskly.
"Hey, wait!" Lana called out, running from behind the counter to pull Ilia back towards them.
"What is it?" Ilia asked.
"What if… you were Ruto's replacement?"
Pipit sat on a tree stump, in the thickets of a forest just outside of Castle Town. School would be starting soon, and it gave him a lot to think about. Looking back at the summer and all the drama that threatened to ruin the lifelong friendships he had with his group of friends made him realize what was important to him. He smiled lightly, watching Karane look up at the trees towering above her in awe, the green glow from the leaves casting down upon her face. She looked absolutely stunning. She noticed him staring at her and smiled back bashfully, slowly walking over towards him.
"Hey." She greeted him.
"Hi."
"I've been meaning to tell you something for the past few hours, but I'm kind of on the fence about it."
"What is it?"
"..."
Karane stayed silent momentarily, in deep thought.
"If you don't want to tell me, then don't. But if you do… you know that you can tell me anything, right?"
"Of course I do." Karane sat next to him, twiddling with her thumbs.
Pipit knew her well. When she played with her thumbs, it was because she felt insecure. There weren't many things that could make a woman like Karane feel insecure, so his interest was definitely piqued.
"Karane, what's happening?"
She sighed, shaking her head as though it were the silliest thing.
"Nothing. Nothing's happening. But word around Castle Town is that our problematic faves are finally official."
"Oh? Groose and Malon?"
"Nope." She paused, biting her lip. "...Link and Zelda."
Pipit tensed up. Sure, Link and Zelda were getting along after his break up with Malon… But after the two had been so insistent on not harboring any feelings towards each other, it was certainly a shock to find out they were dating.
"Really? But how… When…" Pipit stammered like an idiot.
"Don't know, don't care. Zelda and Link are together now. Zelda told Malon, Malon told Groose, Groose told Mido, Mido told Saria, and Saria told me."
"Damn."
"Yeah. I shouldn't be surprised though. There are no secrets in our group. Everything gets out somehow. I'm just glad we never got to the forefront of all the B.S."
"So why are you telling me this right now? Do you think we should have another mediation?"
"No. But I wanted to tell you before you found it out from someone else."
"Well, thanks for telling me." Pipit smiled at her lightly.
"Can we just cut the crap, Pip?" Karane sighed, glaring at the forest floor.
Pipit was going to answer that with a 'What are you talking about?,' but he knew better than to play dumb. Karane was rough around the edges, and infuriatingly honest about her feelings (most of the time), all she really wanted was the same courtesy.
"Karane, I don't know what to do. I don't know what you want me to say to you."
"I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to answer them truthfully."
"Shoot."
"Are you upset, hearing that Link and Zelda are together?"
"Upset isn't the word I would use. I don't feel that strongly, but I am surprised. A little disappointed."
Karane's jaw tightened.
"Mhm. Why?"
"I don't think they're a good match. Like fire and ice. Too much clashing doesn't make for a stable relationship."
"And why do you care so much about their relationship?"
"Because I care about both of them, and after everything all of us have been through, it matters that we all find some stability. I don't think I can handle another wave of drama. It's all just stupid. And now it's affecting us. Karane, let me tell you something."
"What?"
"You're my best friend. We've been best friends for a long time. Nobody around us understood it, because we act like a couple and engage in… activities that couples engage in."
Karane blushed.
"What's your point?"
"My point is that I didn't want to define our relationship because I had feelings for Zelda." Pipit reached out towards Karane, intending to cup her cheek, but she flinched away.
"I can't believe you'd say that to m -"
"That's what you wanted to hear. You told me to cut the crap. So I did. You know this. You've known this. I tried to spare your feelings, but that is the truth. Groose had feelings for her, and she was grossed out by him. She and Link had a rivalry for years, and I knew that she felt the same way about me that I did her. I had no competition. I knew we had the potential to take things further. But I didn't!"
"Yeah?" Karane asked, enraged, "And why's that?"
"Because, Karane! I had a crush on her, but I'm in love with you!"
Karane froze.
"You don't mean that."
"Of course I do."
"Then answer this hypothetical for me. If I hadn't told you that Link and Zelda were together… No. If Link and Zelda weren't together at all, would you tell me this? Would you choose me over her?"
"I chose you a long time ago, Karane."
"If you did, you would have made it official."
"It takes two to tango, you didn't want to be exclusive with me either."
"Because of her, because I knew you liked her. I want you to only want me. Goddesses, does it all come back to her? Do all the issues of our group have to go back to her?"
"She's an incredible girl. And my feelings for her, Groose's feelings for her, Link's feelings for her… They aren't her fault. And Malon shouldn't take that out on her. Groose shouldn't take that out on her. You shouldn't take that on her."
Karane sighed guiltily.
"They aren't a perfect couple. But they obviously belong together. I can't stand in the way of that. I don't have a particular desire to, either." Pipit added.
"Mother of Farore. I'm being stupid."
"We're all stupid sometimes."
"Not you. Never you. I feel like we were the most level-headed ones throughout the entire summer. And that's only because I had you to lean on."
"Everything has been very emotional for us. But we're going to get through it."
"I feel so dumb, and naive. This insecurity shit may be for Malon and Saria and Ilia… But it isn't for me."
"Come on, Karane. Don't talk about your friends like that. Let's have one last intervention before school starts up in the next few weeks. Let's put all of this drama behind us for good."
Saria, Groose, and Mido sat in their living room, watching a movie - or rather, talking to each other with the movie playing in the background. Saria smiled at Mido, the guy she had a crush on, then at Groose, the guy she had been creeped out by for the longest time. After weeks of him awkwardly tagging along with Mido whenever she tried to get some alone time with him, she had formed a friendship with Groose along the way. Not only that, but she came to like their mini triangle. Groose was an idiot. But he was a misunderstood idiot. As she spent more time with him, she could see sides to him that Malon and Mido were both fond of.
"I can't go off at her." Groose sighed, burying his face into his hands. "Malon told me not to."
"Well, why would you 'go off' at her? What they do really isn't any of our business." Mido mumbled.
"I know, but can you believe it? That they're together? It's unbelievable!"
"I mean we all had our suspicions about them. So I think it's pretty believable."
"That's what makes it unbelievable!"
"I'm sorry Groose, but aren't you moving on from Zelda?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I know we aren't going to end up together, ever. I'm fine with that. Whatever. But that doesn't mean I can't be upset about this!"
"I'm happy for them." Saria piped up, capturing their attention. "Love is in the air! Sheik and Midna are together, Karane and Pipit are practically together, and Groose, I think you like Malon."
"What? Don't change the subject. This isn't about me and her. This is about Link and Zelda!"
"Oh, shut up." Saria rolled her eyes, easing her back off of the couch to sit up and get a better look at Groose. "I know you like her. And it isn't fair for you to want to yell at Zelda when you feel that way. Come on, don't be an idiot! Especially when you're going to see both of them soon…"
"What are you talking about?"
She took her phone out and waved it around in front of the two boys tauntingly.
"The gang is coming back together! One last time, before this summer is finally over. We're going to talk everything out and hug everything out."
"And I have to come to this because…?" Groose asked.
"You're one of us now, whether you like it or not." Mido reminded him, giving him a small smile.
"Do I have any say in this?"
"Groose, we love you." Saria said, leaning over to give him a hug. "And I know that you want to be a part of this. I know that you love us too."
"I guess hanging out with you guys hasn't been too bad. Thanks Mido. For everything. I'm really glad to call you my best friend." Groose grinned at him, wrapping an arm around Saria and bringing Mido in too for a group hug.
"And Saria… Treat him right. There have been one too many broken hearts so far, we don't need another one. Wouldn't you agree?"
Mido's eyes widened in humiliation, looking to Saria frantically since they hadn't put a label on their relationship. To his surprise she smiled, nodding happily.
"Of course. I really care about him." She looked at him, and her hand found his.
Sheik and Midna walked down the streets of Castle Town, their hands intertwined.
"We don't have to go to this stupid thing, right?"
"Of course we do." Midna scolded him, "Our friends need us. And this is probably the last time all of us are going to come together before school starts."
"You're right, I suppose. Karane and Pipit sure love hosting these things, don't they?"
"Maybe now that Zelda and Link are an item, Pipit will stop fooling around and just make it official."
"Do you think that's why they aren't official?"
"I know so." She responded confidently.
"This has certainly been an eventful summer." He gave her a lewd smile, "All of us have sort of just paired off. I'm happy for them."
"Bold words." Midna commented.
"What? Is there a reason I shouldn't be happy for them?"
"Not everyone feels that way, that's all."
"Malon made her bed and now she has to lie in it. I don't think she has a right to be mad about Zelda and Link, after what she did. But maybe I'm biased. Especially since we were trying to get frisky that day Groose and Link had their stupid fight…" Sheik muttered.
"We've made up for that lost opportunity plenty of times, you pervert."
"I know. And it's been fantastic. Your neighbors hate us."
"That's as much your fault as it is mine."
"False. You're a screamer."
"Oh? And why's that?" Midna teased him, ceasing their walk to wrap her arms around him and pull him into a kiss. She loved being with Sheik. He matched her in every way possible. Emotionally, attitude-wise, sexually… They had a perfect balance of physical intimacy and emotional comfort. He was a playboy, but also insightful and intelligent. He encouraged her to work harder in school, and she was ready to start the upcoming semester with a focused mind.
He pulled away from the kiss slowly, stroking her lower back and smiling devilishly at all the flustered passerbys.
"But in all seriousness… Other than the fact that we're their friends, I don't really feel any obligation to show up for a mediation. We don't have any issues with anyone. In fact, we weren't directly involved in any sort of drama all summer."
"That's not true." Midna wagged her finger playfully. "There was…"
She paused, a bittersweet expression crossing her features.
"Zant."
Sheik pursed his lips. He knew that Midna's relationship with Zant had been very serious and intimate.
"Oh, right…" He studied her face for a moment. "Do you… I mean, we're together now, and, well -"
"It's fine." Midna reassured him, "After you pretended to be my boyfriend that day… I was able to get closure."
"Really?" Sheik took his hands in hers.
"Yeah…" She smiled lightly.
…
"I can't help feeling that the two of you aren't being entirely truthful with me. I mean, there's no way you two are together. Like, a Sheikah? Midna, you can't be serious." Zant laughed.
I glared defiantly, but Sheik spoke up before I could say anything.
"What's wrong with being a Sheikah?" Sheik asked defensively. I could tell he was biting back some scathing remarks of his own.
"Yeah, what's wrong with it?" I decided to pipe up, tightening my grip on Sheik's arm. "Sheik is a great guy." I gave him a supportive smile as I said so.
"Yeah, well, I still don't believe you two are dating." Zant said.
"Well believe it then. We've gotta get going." Sheik said.
"Not so fast. I want proof that you two are really seeing each other."
Sheik looked down at me, unlinking our arms.
"You want proof, well here's proof." Sheik said, then grabbed me by the shoulders.
I knew what he was going to do, and at the time I was still in denial about my feelings towards him, and conflicted in my feelings about Zant. But he was everything that Zant wasn't, and in that moment I couldn't resist him. I closed my eyes, trying my best to keep a smile from breaking out on my face despite how much more convincing it would make our charade.
He leaned in, and then…
"Okay! I don't need to see this. I believe you, Midna." Zant interjected.
Sheik paused, his lips just ready to brush against mine, and pulled away, taking his soothing scent and a bit of warmth with him.
"We need to get going." Sheik said, wrapping an arm around my waist protectively.
Zant looked at me, an expression of hurt etched all over his face.
"Actually, uh… sweetie… I would like to speak to Zant for a moment." I surprised both of them, and even myself by saying that. Sheik nodded reluctantly, walking away to give us some space.
"So this is what it feels like, huh?" Zant said softly, after a thoughtful silence.
"What are you feeling?"
"Jealousy. Heartbreak. Anger."
"Yeah, that sums it up." I laughed awkwardly, rubbing my arm.
"Does he treat you right?"
"Yes. He's very sweet to me."
"Is he easy to talk to?"
"Not always," I replied honestly, "But I find value in what he has to say."
Zant looked towards the young Sheikah, who was standing to the side, waiting patiently for our conversation to be over. He thought for a few moments as realization dawned upon him, then turned back to me.
"He isn't really your boyfriend, is he?"
"I… O-of course he is!" I answered indignantly, but Zant saw right through me.
"He isn't." Zant shook his head, chuckling. "We've been broken up for awhile Midna, but you haven't changed at all. I still know you better than anyone else."
I crossed my arms.
"Okay, no, he isn't my boyfriend. Does this mean you're still going to try to win me back?"
Zant rubbed his arm.
"I would, since it looked like you were ready to take me back before he showed up. But like I said before, I know you better than anyone else. And I can tell that you like him. Your nose crinkled up when he was about to kiss you. Just like it did when… when we had our first kiss. Back when you loved me, and only me."
"It could have stayed that way, if you weren't an idiot."
"So I've been told…" Zant stepped towards me, an apologetic smile on his face. "Midna, I just want you to be happy."
"I do too."
"Are you going to date him?"
"I might. I just need to be sure that he likes me too."
"I bet he does. You're a lovely girl, very much so on the outside, but even more so on the inside. I hope he sees that. I hope he doesn't make the same mistakes I did."
"Yeah, me too."
"You're my first love, Midna. That will never change, you'll always be my Twilight Princess." He smiled and I bit my lip at his endearing nickname.
"And you'll always be my first love as well."
"I'll leave you alone, now. For good. Seeing another man give you what I couldn't is too hard for me."
"Goodbye, Zant."
"Goodbye, my love."
I walked forward, grabbing his cheek and planting a gentle kiss on it. I looked back quickly at Sheik, to check if he saw, but he was staring absentmindedly into the horizon. When I stepped back Zant let out a heavy sigh. He cupped my cheek, running his thumb under my chin, an action he had done often after we shared a kiss of some sort. And then, wordlessly, he turned and walked away.
Do you slide on all your nights like this?
Do you try on all your nights like this?
Put some spotlight on the slide,
Whatever comes, comes through clear
Link hummed along to the music blaring from his car radio mindlessly, driving far out into the middle of Hyrule field, away from the city, away from the people, away from the chaos. He wasn't ready to face everyone because he knew there would be some hostilities, particularly from two specific redheads in their friend group. Once he was far away enough, he slowed the car to a stop, hopped out, and found a nice spot on the grass to sit and enjoy the sunset. His moment of peace was short lived however, when he heard footsteps. He tensed up immediately, turning around to see Ganondorf walking towards him, a sly smile on his face.
"Goddesses. What the hell are you doing here? Ran out of cities to loot?"
"Never." He smirked, taking a seat next to him.
"What are you doing here? You following me or something?"
"No, but once I saw you I decided it would be rude of me not to stop by. I just wanted to leave Gerudo Desert, and clear my mind. And you?"
"I wanted to leave Castle Town and clear my mind. I have a lot of things to think about. Not that I would tell you about any of them. After all, we aren't friends."
"Indeed we are not. But I'm not interested in picking a fight with you, Link."
"Oh? What do you want then, Ganondork?"
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"So childish. I would give a witty retort of my own, but I've decided to turn a new leaf."
"How do you plan on doing that, exactly?"
"I guess I could start by doing right by the people I've wronged. So tell me about what's bothering you. And in return, I'll tell you about what's bothering me."
Link smirked.
"Only if you go first."
Ganondorf shrugged.
"I'm going to be King soon. I've been wanting to put off coronation, but I can't anymore."
Link said nothing, silently prodding him to continue.
"I want to run around, be a wild rogue, be free. I don't want the cushy life, the boring 9 to 5 schedule."
"Can't you have all of that AND be King? I mean if you're the king, you make the rules. You're their leader, and your two mommies can't stop you from doing what you want to do."
Ganondorf bit his lip.
"I don't want to be a king. I don't want to take on this responsibility. And if I have to, I don't want to be a BAD king. I want to be the kind of ruler that treats his people well."
"Wow." Link breathed, "That's some heavy stuff, dude."
Ganondorf ran his fingers through his dark red hair.
"I know."
"So what does this mean for you and your girl?"
"My girl?" He asked dumbly.
"Yeah. The babe with the long ponytail."
"Her name is Nabooru."
"I know. I also know that there are a bunch of other girls in your little desert that fit my extremely vague description, so now I know for a fact that you like her."
"Oh, you needed me to say her name to know that I like her? I can tell you for myself. I'm crazy about her. And it's another reason why I don't want that damned throne. Either I marry her, or I cut her off completely. My 'mommies' aren't giving me another option."
"Okay, I have a solution." Link clapped his hands together.
"What is it?"
"Marry her."
Ganondorf looked at Link incredulously.
"What!?"
"You said it yourself. You're crazy about her. Don't waste your time, propose to her! You've been friends your entire life. Would asking her to stay by your side for the rest of it be so crazy?"
"Yes! I can't just ask her to marry me! I can't ask her to go from my best friend to my… fiance!"
"You could if you wanted to."
"You give really shitty advice, you know that?"
"I think it's great advice and you just don't want to admit it. But like I said before, we aren't friends. Why would I have your best interest at heart?"
"Fair point." He huffed, crossing his arms. "It's your turn now. Spill."
"I'm with Zelda now, and it's great."
Ganondorf whistled, "You sure move on fast, don't you?"
"I haven't told the whole story so if you could just…"
"Playa, playa."
"Ganondorf!" Link snapped.
The prince snorted, clamping his mouth shut. Even Link himself was struggling to keep a smile off of his face.
"As I was saying, Zelda and I are dating. It's new. In fact, it hasn't even been a whole day. But I know that it's going to last. Because she's always been the one for me. And even though we didn't grow up supporting each other like you and Nabooru, what we have is special. A lot more special than what I had with Malon. The thing is, this whole love triangle has torn everyone apart. Zelda wanted to keep it a secret. She wanted to wait. I didn't. But now it's out in the open, and I'm starting to see why she wanted to hold off on making an announcement. I feel like I might have ruined any chance of her mending her friendship with Malon."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is. I mean, sure, Malon had her fair share of screw-ups. She cheated on me for crying out loud…"
"Yeah. I saw her with Groose."
"You did? I guess I can't be too surprised."
"Who do you think sent those pictures out to your little nontourage?"
"What!? That was you!?"
"Guilty as charged."
"You dick!"
"Thank you."
"You really had nothing better to do this summer, than to make my life absolute hell?"
"I can't foot all of the blame, but I dropped by from time to time."
"Yeah, well she cheated on me long before 'those pictures' were sent around."
"How did that happen?"
"The night you and Nabooru got her drunk." Link replied bitterly, pulling at some weeds in the ground.
"You know about that?"
"She told me about it when Ilia exposed her for cheating on me, in front of everyone."
"I had no idea."
"Yeah, she kissed Groose while she was drunk. I'd resent you for it, if they hadn't kissed again the next morning… when she was sober."
"I'm sorry."
"And on top of that, wait… did you say…"
"I'm sorry." Ganondorf repeated, turning to look at Link. Link narrowed his eyes at him.
"Why?"
"Why?" Ganondorf asked in disbelief, "For messing with the birthday party you guys tried to throw? For getting your ex drunk then leaving her out on the street? For sending out those pictures of you and Zelda? How about everything I did before that as well? I never thought I'd apologize, but I guess I got so caught up in trying to make the most of this summer that I never considered how harmful this was to you."
Link had a hurt expression on his face.
"That's fair. But I don't need your pity."
"I know. It doesn't change the fact that I did wrong, and if you're holding Malon accountable for it, I should be held accountable too."
"Am I really supposed to believe that you became a good guy overnight?"
Ganondorf stood up, the sky was dark now, and all the stars were above them.
"I'm done." He said, "Technically I'm on house arrest right now. I slipped out to have some time to myself. But I have to go back home. And when I go back, I'm going to be focused on being King. It's long overdue. I won't be able to mess around with you anymore. So I figured why not make things right?"
"It sounds like you're breaking up with me." Link said jokingly.
"Sorry babe. It's not you, it's me." He replied, and the two 'rivals' shared a genuine laugh.
Link stood up, and went back to his car.
"Goodbye, Ganondorf. And good luck."
Ganondorf grinned, putting a hand up and slinked off, disappearing into the night.
Nabooru sat on the outskirts of Gerudo Valley, on a space where there was a jagged line between the moist grass and dry sand. After she went to Ganondorf's room and they had a conversation that would forever change their friendship, she had been an emotional mess ever since. She couldn't think about anything else.
He loved her. He was in love with her.
And she didn't even get the chance to tell him that she loved him too. She wasn't even sure if she would see him again, until his coronation. His house arrest hadn't let up and security became too tight for her to evade, so her remaining summer nights were going to be rather lonely.
She sighed, hugging her knees. The chilly breeze at night and her skimpy clothing did not make for a good combination. But at least the cold could take her mind off of Ganondorf, even if it was only for a few moments.
"My goodness, do you know how cold it is out here?" A deep and familiar voice called out to her. She looked up to see Ganondorf walking towards her, slowly taking his jacket off. Once he was close enough he sat down and wrapped it around her, bundling her up carefully.
She stared at him, unsure of what to say.
"What?" He laughed, looking at her face.
"... How did you escape?"
"Easily, that's how."
"But they tightened security…"
"Oh, yeah." He scoffed, "Like that made it a challenge? You goin' soft on me Nabooru? See, I always knew I was the superior rogue - youch!" He crumpled onto the grass as Nabooru punched him.
"But I can still kick your ass, so I wouldn't get too smug." Nabooru smirked.
He grinned.
"Where'd you go?" Nabooru asked curiously. "You come back from Castle Town?"
"No, didn't make it that far. I sort of just wandered about in Hyrule Field before coming back here. I didn't really have any specified destination. I just wanted to think."
"I see."
"I… I ran into Link. He was driving about, and we talked."
"You talked? As in you two had a civil conversation?" Nabooru had an eyebrow quirked.
"I'm turning a new chapter in my life, I need to stand by my people."
"Oh my goddesses. Is it true? The great Ganondorf Dragmire is no longer shirking his responsibilities?"
"Not completely," he confessed. "You know more than anyone else how I feel about this whole 'king' business. But if a sexy hunk of a man like me is only born every 100 years, who else is going to do the job?"
Nabooru shook her head.
"Such an outdated and stupid law. We're a tribe of women, and we're more than capable of governing ourselves. No offense of course, but I think it's bullshit that the one man who is born centennially gets the throne. And for what? Having a pair of balls between his legs?"
"None taken." Ganondorf said goodnaturedly.
"So no more pranks on Link? Is that what's happening?" Nabooru asked curiously.
"This past summer was the last of it. We said our goodbyes."
"Is this going to be our goodbye?" Nabooru asked sadly.
Ganondorf's eyes widened at her question and he looked down, thinking back to his conversations with both Koume and Kotake, and Link just a few hours earlier. How would he go about this?
"Never, Nabooru."
"But you can't…"
"I can't do this. Any of it. Not without you by my side." He responded, taking her hand.
"Ganondorf, please stop." She said, gently pulling her hand back.
"What?"
"If this is a continuation of what happened in your room, I don't want it. It hurts too much. I can't even handle the thought of it. We can't be together."
"We could…" Ganondorf paused, taking in a deep breath before speaking again. "If… you would marry me."
"Wh-What!?" Nabooru asked, before freezing completely. She stared at Ganondorf, not certain if he was being serious or if this was some sort of elaborate joke.
He felt his insides churning nervously, instantly regretting his rather anticlimactic proposal. He scrambled to explain himself.
"Nabooru, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. But you're my best friend, my partner in crime, my soulmate… We do everything together. I want us to take over the world together, and I can't handle losing you. I know that this is all sudden, to go from friendship to asking you to marry me, and incredibly selfish as well, but I - "
"Yes." Nabooru whispered, her bottom lip quivering.
"...Yes?"
"Yes, I… Yes." She nodded. "I'll marry you."
"Nabooru, are you sure? I understand if you - "
She leaned towards him, her long fingernails burying themselves into his scalp and pulled him to her. He kissed her fervently, grabbing her and pulling her into his lap. They continued to kiss each other, pulling away only to catch their breath. Ganondorf put both hands on her cheeks.
"I've been wanting to do that for a long time."
"Me too."
"Are you sure it isn't weird?"
"Do we need to date? Is there anything about you that I don't already know?"
"Fair point." Ganondorf smiled, leaning in to give her another, lingering kiss.
When he pulled away she had a mischievous smile on her face.
"However, I would like a long engagement, if that isn't too much to ask. Once the marriage is official I'm sure your moms will be pushing for me to become a mom."
Ganondorf laughed heartily.
"Goddesses, you're terrible."
"Whatever. Where's my ring?"
"Why don't we steal one together later on?"
"Sounds good to me."
One week later…
Zelda stepped out of Link's car carefully, Lake Hylia's warm summer breeze hitting her face perfectly. Pipit, who had been talking to Karane, took notice of her instantly. He left Karane's side to grab his beloved friend and pull her into a warm embrace.
"Oh!" Zelda giggled, returning his hug.
"I've been looking forward to this." He said, pulling away slowly.
"And I've been dreading it. I can't believe how much trouble I got myself into…"
Pipit laughed.
"Maybe you should stick to volunteer work instead."
"You're telling me."
"So it's true?"
"Is what true?"
"You and Link. I mean, everyone's been gossiping, but you know me. I like getting my facts from the source itself."
"Oh, uh…" Zelda paused. "Yes. It hasn't been that long, obviously, but we're working through things… Together."
"And you're happy with him?"
"Yes, of course."
He nodded, sticking his hands into his pockets and focusing his gaze on the ground.
"That's good."
"Are you okay?"
"Of course. We're meeting today to make sure you are okay, remember? And of course, Link and Groose and Malon…"
"You know what I meant."
"Zelda…"
"We were never going to work out, I know. I wanted us to. But at the same time, I didn't."
Pipit chuckled awkwardly.
"Is it funny that I feel the same way?"
"It's a relief. Knowing I'm not the only one."
Zelda turned to look back at Link, who was unloading a beach ball and some snacks. At the same time, Pipit looked at Karane, who was greeting Saria and Mido.
"We chose interesting people to fall in love with." Pipit commented, turning back to Zelda.
"I don't think our minds had much of a say. But the heart wants what it wants."
"You can say that again," Pipit laughed. He was about to say something else when Karane yelled out.
"Hey, losers!" She addressed everyone, "Since we're all here, it would be greatly appreciated if you guys would start heading towards the tables Pipit and I set up. We're going to start the activities soon!"
Zelda quirked an eyebrow.
"What do you guys have planned, exactly?"
"That's for us to know and you to find out."
Pipit gave her a playful smile and walked to Karane, putting an arm around her and whispering something that made her blush. Zelda smiled, happy to see two of her friends so content and in love. She walked to one of the tables and took a seat. It was big enough for six people, but before she could save the seat next to her for Link, Groose plopped down on it.
"Hey." He said gruffly, crossing his burly arms.
"Groose." She said politely.
"Are we seriously at formalities?"
"Why shouldn't we be?"
"I know you and I aren't exactly friends right now, but I find your tone condescending."
"Way to overthink things, I only said one word. And while we're at it, you and I were never friends."
Groose glared at her coldly, before turning away.
"You two should play nice," a sultry voice rang out. It belonged to none other than Midna, who had Sheik's arm wrapped around her waist. Zelda's eyes widened at the sight of her beautiful friend.
"Oh my goddesses, Midna!" She cried out, standing up to give her a hug.
"Mind if we sit with you two?" She asked, craning her neck to smile back at Groose who waved at her awkwardly.
"Of course not." Zelda replied eagerly, grateful to not be stuck with Groose.
They took two seats on the other side of the table, leaving both sides with one open chair. Zelda prayed internally that Link would take the other seat next to hers, but it looked like everyone who had arrived was getting settled.
Zelda's heart jumped when she saw Malon approaching their table. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were puffy. Zelda knew she must have been having a rough week after everything that had happened.
"Malon…" She murmured.
"Is this seat taken?" She glanced at the open chair next to Zelda.
"Nope," Midna said, "That's for Zelda's boo. But this one's open." She gestured to the open chair next to her, giving Malon a friendly smile.
Malon eyed her for a moment before taking a seat next to Zelda.
Of course… Zelda thought begrudgingly. Under any other circumstances, she would have been ecstatic to have Malon by her side. But today she knew that both redheads bunched between her, who at one point cared about her deeply, were not thrilled with her at the moment. She held no qualms against Malon, and didn't care for what Groose thought, but it was still an uncomfortable position.
"Woohoo! Now THIS is a party." An energetic young girl with blue hair sang, skipping towards them.
"Lana? What are you doing here?" Midna asked.
She sat down next to Midna and adjusted the sunhat she was wearing.
"I'm here for the party, duh!"
"It isn't a party. It's an intervention. And not to be rude, but it's only for people in our friend group. Last time I checked, you aren't in our friend group." Groose spoke up, recognizing the girl as the waitress from his date with Malon.
"Oh, and you are?" Zelda scoffed, giving Groose a bemused look.
"Yes, he is." Malon said.
"Figures you'd defend him." Zelda muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means he's the only one willing to justify the awful things you did."
"Oh, don't get all sanctimonious with me, boyfriend stealer."
"He's a person, not a piece of candy! A person that you cheated on!"
"Okay, that's it -"
"Guys! Stop!" Sheik yelled, rubbing his temple exasperatedly.
He stood up, glaring at the three culprits on the other side, who looked guilty for their outbursts. Lana and Midna on the other hand were very entertained, though they tried to cover their fascination with feigned looks of disappointment.
"Malon, you went to Zelda's house just a few days ago to make amends with her. And Zelda, you wanted to put aside the bad blood as well. What the hell could have possibly happened?"
"Excuse me? She broke girl code! Big time! Exes are off limits!"
Sheik sighed.
"I know you may feel that way, but you can't stop two people from dating each other just because it violates a 'code' that doesn't really exist. Malon, you're going to need to get over it. And I know it isn't that easy, moving on. But you can start by not taking your anger out on Zelda, or ignoring the fact that it takes two to make a relationship work and that Link made his choice as well! Zelda, Groose is Mido's best friend. He is also friends with Malon and Saria. He's a part of this group, whether you like it or not. And Groose, to be frank, Zelda owes you nothing, but your poor judgment got you into this mess."
They all stared at Sheik, surprised by his outburst.
"Wow, babe…" Midna breathed.
"I know, probably out of line, and weird coming from me. But we really have to - "
"That was HOT." She grinned.
"Really?" He scratched his head, smirking.
"Oh, goddesses. Don't jump each other's bones in public, please." Lana commented, pinching her nose.
"Shut it librarian. Now answer us honestly. How did you even know about this?"
"Shad's little girlfriend invited us. Well, she invited Shad, but I was eavesdropping on their convo and invited myself." Lana pointed to Ilia, who was at a different table. She was sitting next to Shad, who was arguing passionately over something with Link.
So that's where he is… Zelda thought to herself disappointedly.
"They're together now?" Malon asked curiously.
"Not yet." Lana winked.
Before their conversation could continue, Karane yelled out again, towering over everyone while she piggybacked on Pipit's shoulders.
"Okay, our first activity is ready! Follow us, and we'll show you what to do."
"Ooh…" Lana said as everyone stood up and followed Pipit and Karane. "Are we playing games?"
"No." Karane said, "We're doing bonding exercises."
"What!? What kind of party is this?"
"For the last time, it isn't a party!" Groose said.
They walked on in silence, until they reached a large area of sand, covered with countless rocks. It spanned quite a bit, going from the sands to the grassier areas. Everyone looked to the two leaders, completely puzzled.
"What is this?" Link asked.
Pipit helped Karane to the ground, and they grabbed a box with shoes of all sizes and blindfolds.
"We're pairing all of you off. One person will wear a blindfold, and walk barefoot across these rocks. The other will wear these protective shoes and guide their partner to the other side. And don't worry, Pipit and I tested it out. It's doable. The only reason any of you guys will fail is if you don't cooperate."
"You can't be serious." Zelda shook her head stubbornly.
Karane glared.
"Wanna bet?" She then walked over to Zelda and gave her a blindfold, then threw a large pair of shoes at Groose. "Get yourselves saddled up."
"What? I don't want to be paired up with Groose!"
"That's the point," she said, handing Link a blindfold and giving Malon some shoes. "Link, I know you've been avoiding your ex. But now, I'm putting your feet in her hands."
Link gave her a weird look, confused by the wording of her statement despite understanding the meaning behind it.
She went around, partnering everyone up randomly.
"Mido? That's an odd choice. We don't really talk..." Sheik said.
"I know, that's the point. You guys can get to know each other a little better." Karane replied.
"Why do we have to do this at all?"
"Because it'll look a little awkward if those four are the only ones making fools of themselves. Now stop complaining!"
Zelda put her blindfold on slowly.
She felt Groose's hands on both shoulders, steadying her and helping her move forward.
"Are we starting?"
"No, not yet, I'm just getting you into position."
"Is everyone ready?" Pipit called out.
"No!" Everyone yelled.
"...Okay, on your marks… Get ready… set… go!"
Zelda stood still, waiting for Groose to guide her.
Groose looked around at everyone else who gradually began walking. Several yelps and angry whispers could be heard as people fumbled, trying to walk across.
Groose put his hands on Zelda's sides, guiding her forward. She moved sluggishly, not wanting to step on a rock and start bleeding like crazy.
"Okay, step here." He instructed.
"Here?" Zelda asked. Her leg was in the air, hovering over a rocky area. Groose grimaced.
"No, just move your leg a little more to the right." He placed his hand on her leg and helped her move.
"Aah!" She squirmed away from him. "Don't touch me like that."
"Chill. I'm not trying to cop a feel, just making sure your feet aren't bloody stumps by the time this is over with. You're welcome, by the way."
"Whatever."
"Seriously?"
"I'll thank you when I'm safe."
"The whole point of this is for us to work out our differences."
"And?"
"'And,' you're kind of just being a jerk."
"Funny, that's a pretty accurate description for you this entire summer."
"I could just leave you here, you know. And let you step on all these rocks."
"Then do that. Leave me here. I'll just take my blindfold off."
Groose paused.
"You know I'm not going to do that."
"Why not?"
He didn't respond for some time. They traversed a bit more. As they neared the end, he spoke up again.
"I still care about you. Even if you want nothing to do with me."
Zelda remained silent.
"Move here. Now, here." he said patiently.
"...Groose, I - "
"We're done."
"What?"
She felt her blindfold being pulled away from her eyes. She turned around to face Groose.
"Not that bad, huh?" He asked.
"I guess not."
Zelda sighed, crossing her arms.
"Okay, out with it."
"Out with what?"
"Do you think I'm stupid? I know you've been waiting to mouth off at me for dating Link. So go ahead."
Groose's expression hardened. Zelda readied herself for a bunch of angry hand motions and yelling that had the potential to shatter her eardrums. But instead of going off like she expected, like he planned, his reaction was a lot different than either of them expected.
"You could have any guy you wanted. And it had to be him."
"I get it. I'm dating my best friend's ex-boyfriend."
"No. I hate him. I absolutely despise him. I always have. I don't think you understand what that feels like. Link has everything. He's the best looking of all of the guys. He has a badass car, a nice home, you… I can't stand it."
"You're going to have to get used to it. I was in denial for a long time. I ignored every instinct telling me how I felt, but I can't ignore it anymore."
"Can I make one request?"
"You can make one, but don't expect me to follow it through."
"Don't screw it up with him."
Another unexpected response. Groose was full of surprises today.
"Oh? And why's that?"
"Someone should get a happy ending."
Zelda smiled at him lightly.
"And that 'someone' should be me?"
"It should be 'someone.' Doesn't matter who, I guess."
"You've always been so stubborn."
"Yeah, you have too."
"But you are WAY more stubborn than me."
They both shared a laugh. This was one of the more pleasant moments Zelda felt with Groose. It was nice to actually talk to him, and not have him fawning over her very existence. She felt like he was seeing her for her, a human being with vices and virtues, not some sort of goddess that could do no wrong. For awhile she did feel weird when he was mad with her, but those vindictive emotions subsided.
She walked towards him and got on her tiptoes, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek.
"...Oh!" He blubbered in surprise. His cheeks were now red, and he immediately put a hand over the spot where she kissed him.
She giggled, watching him babble like a baby who was just learning how to speak.
"Is… Is that allowed?"
"It can't be worse than making out with a girl knowing she has a boyfriend."
"You'll never let me live that down, will you?"
"I will, eventually. Groose… I want to thank you."
"For what?"
"For loving me. For helping me. For protecting me." She thought back to the time he came to Link's house to help her with Malon's surprise party, his cheesy pick-up lines, and how he had helped her cross the sandy field of rocks just minutes before.
"I hope you find your happy ending." She said, her gaze drifting towards Malon. "In fact… I think it might be closer than you think."
Groose followed her gaze and blushed.
"Maybe it is."
Their conversation was over once the last pair had made it to the other side, and Karane called everyone to regroup.
Zelda and Groose smiled to themselves, both of them feeling like a weight had been lifted.
"We decided that after that horror show, the next activity should be something lighter and simpler. And what would a bonding session be without the classic trust fall?" Karane said. "Same partners as before, let's do this bitches!"
Link sighed, turning to his partner. He hadn't exchanged a single word of conversation with Malon, which wouldn't have bothered him if he hadn't noticed Groose and Zelda being so chummy with each other. Malon noticed too, but didn't want to say anything about it, or even acknowledge it.
Wordlessly, she stood in front of Link and got ready to fall. However, Karane, who had been monitoring everyone, stopped her before she could get to it.
"What?" Malon asked, annoyed.
"You're too close." She pulled Malon forward until there was a large gap between them.
"...Why!?" Malon looked back to see how much distance there was. It would be more than just painful if Link didn't catch her.
"The more space there is between you, the more trust you have in each other. Usually we start small and end big, this time we'll be doing it backwards. Establish trust for the big things, then focus on the finer details. Make sense?" Karane asked, but she didn't wait for an answer.
"Don't worry, you're not the one who needs to worry about trusting others." Link remarked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know what it means."
Malon fell backwards, her breath nearly escaping her as Link's arms found themselves around her sides securely. He helped her to her feet and she stepped a little closer to him, falling again.
"I know you have a right to be mad about me for what I did with Groose." She said, "But that doesn't mean I have to act like I'm ecstatic to hear about you and Zelda."
"Why should I care about what you think?" Link snapped.
After the next fall, Malon stopped so she could face him.
"Do you want to resent me forever for what I did? Fine! I never felt good enough when I was with you. I couldn't believe I had this super hot boyfriend. And then there was Zelda. The girl that's smarter than me, prettier than me, that everyone adores… Including me. She's my best friend Link. Out of everyone on this goddess-forsaken planet. You could have any girl you wanted. And it had to be her."
Link rolled his eyes, not wanting to think for even a second that he was in the wrong somehow, or that he wasn't the victim in this case.
...But this WAS supposed to be their mediation. And there were two sides to every story.
"Yes, it had to be her. I'm in love with her, Malon. I'm not going to give that up for you. I won't give it up for anyone."
"You just leave me without a proper goodbye and go straight to her." She tried to hold back tears. "You don't know how humiliating it felt when I poured my heart out to Zelda, only to have her tell me she likes you. Your trust was betrayed, I get that. Mine was too."
"But it wasn't," Link said stubbornly, "We didn't do anything when I was dating you!"
"But you felt something for her when you were dating me!"
Link said nothing, confirming her suspicions.
She shook her head, wiping her tears away shakily.
"I knew it. I knew it."
"I tried to ignore it. And I was successful, for some time. She made it easier by being obnoxious."
"Link, I'm going to ask you something. Do you think we would still be together if I hadn't cheated?"
"Do you think that if we were still together, we'd both be happy?"
Malon frowned.
"No."
"We can play hypotheticals all day long. But it's a dangerous game to play. I don't want to give you false hope."
"I understand."
"I guess I should apologize. I was so caught up in getting to Zelda that I didn't stop to think about how you felt. I wanted you to be the bad guy to make it easier on my conscience. And it worked out really well. I don't think I would have had any regrets if I didn't have to face you."
"I get it." Malon nodded, "I'm sorry too, Link. For everything. I need some time to be okay with it, but I'll get there eventually."
Link smiled, wrapping her up in a friendly hug.
"So when are you and hair gel getting together?"
"I think I'll need some time with that too."
They both started cracking up, and he pulled away from her to give her an adoring smile.
"Karane and Pipit really know what they're doing." He said.
"Or maybe they have faith in us to always work things out."
"Ready to finish our trust falls?"
"Definitely." Malon said, turning around.
Karane and Pipit had outdone themselves. After the trust falls they did group activities. Everybody bonded and was in good spirits by the end of it. It was possibly the best intervention they'd ever had.
But while they were stronger as a group, there were still tensions that needed to be resolved.
After the final activity Link left Malon's side almost instantly. She was disappointed about it, but at the same time she was glad they had a tender moment together. She stopped to survey everyone and see how they were doing. Saria was whispering something to Mido. He grinned at her and pulled her in for a hug. A few moments later, Groose came up to them and joined their conversation. Saria smiled happily at him and jumped into his arms to give him a hug.
To her right she saw Ilia, Shad, Lana, Midna and Sheik.
"This upcoming school year, I'll be volunteering at the library." Ilia said, smiling coyly at Shad.
"Wow, I wonder why…" Sheik mumbled, yelping when Midna nudged him. "Ouch! You were thinking it too."
"It'll be nice to have some fresh meat. Shad is helping me with job applications so when I leave, for good," Lana turned to glare at Shad. "I'll need someone to take my place."
"What!?" Shad said innocently.
"I'm sure you'll have fun. And it DOES look good on a college application." Midna said.
Malon stopped listening to their conversation, but her heart soared at the sight of her friends seeming happy. She had no prospects for the future, she was so caught up in her love life that she didn't even start to think about how she would be moving forward. She was going into her second year of high school, which meant she still had time to figure out what she wanted in life, but all she really felt destined for was her life on the farm. Malon looked around again, looking for more friends to observe silently. She saw Zelda and Link wrapped up in a warm embrace, kissing each other passionately. Malon felt a sudden wave of jealousy hit as she noted the way Link looked at Zelda. So loving, so happy.
She sighed, and approached the shores of the lake, sitting down to observe the pretty blue sky. A few moments later she felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Zelda smiling down at her with kind eyes and rosy cheeks.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Go ahead." Malon gestured.
Zelda sat next to her and looked out toward the horizon.
"Why is it that whenever something important happens, we come here?" Zelda asked curiously.
"I have no idea." Malon looked down.
They both remained silent for some time, both had so much they wanted to say to each other, yet nothing at all.
"Link told me you two made up."
"We did. He… he really loves you."
"I know." Zelda blushed, hugging her knees to her chest. She noted Malon's solemn expression. "... Are you mad at me?"
Malon didn't say anything, seemingly at odds with herself.
"If you are, you can tell me. In fact, you should tell me."
"I am." Malon confessed, "I've had time to process it, but I'm still upset."
Zelda nodded in understanding.
"I'm trying not to be." Malon said, looking over to Zelda and giving her a smile.
"Thank you." Zelda took her hand and gave a supportive squeeze.
"Losing a boyfriend was hard enough. But if I lost you, I'd lose my mind."
Zelda grinned.
"That would never happen."
"It almost did, several times."
"Hopefully we'll learn from our mistakes."
"I think we're in good shape. Link and I saw you and Groose. You guys seemed really happy."
"We put our differences aside. I see why you like him so much." Zelda teased.
"Wh-What!? Will everyone stop with that?"
"I didn't see it before, but I think you two would be cute together!"
"You're just saying that so I don't try to snag Link away from you."
"Not true!" Zelda protested.
Malon laughed.
"Uh huh. No worries there, my heart will go on somehow."
"Good. You deserve a relationship with someone who will love you wholeheartedly, and without question."
"I hope I find it soon." Malon murmured longingly.
"You might. But even if you don't, that right there," Zelda gestured to all of their friends behind them, some were talking and eating snacks, while another group formed to play volleyball, "is what it's all about. I love everyone here so much. Especially you."
Malon leaned over and rested her head on Zelda's shoulder comfortably.
"You're right. And I love you too."
Zelda wrapped her arm around Malon and they both continued to look out at the sparkling blue waters ahead of them, feeling ready to handle whatever came next.
A/N: This chapter is coming out later than I anticipated, due to both the length (over 10,000 words!) and my schedule. Not to mention, I cried, like… six times writing this. There's so much I have to say. I'm all 'thank-you'ed' out. My dear readers, you all know how I feel about you, and how grateful I am. I was so ready to be done with this story, to mark it off as complete. I'm glad that amidst the broken promises, I can say that I finished this. But… it's easier said than done. I thought I would be relieved. I thought I would feel like a weight has been lifted. And I do feel some of those things, to an extent. But I'm also incredibly sad. I grew up with this story, inadvertently. It was like… this consistency I had. The world around me outside of Fanfiction was changing, but I came back and wrote this story, and it whisked me to a completely different place.
Okay. I didn't know what I wanted to call this last chapter. I didn't know what to choose. I decided to use "Slide." Lyrically, no, there isn't really much of a connection to the story. Titlewise, again, nothing. This song came out last year, when I was well into my senior year of high school. I listened to it on late nights when I was drowning in homework. I listened to it on my way to senior ball. I listened to it when I was AT senior ball. And again, when I graduated. I listened to it when I was thinking about which college I wanted to go to. So now, I associate it with a turning point in my life. Ending one journey, and starting another. I feel like that's what I've done with this story. And I'm so glad you guys came along for the ride. ;)
It wasn't the best ending I could give you guys, but even back in 2012, I knew I wanted the ending to resemble something like this. Fun fact: In some 'alternate endings' I had in mind, I wasn't even going to have Link and Zelda kiss or get together. I was thinking I would make a sequel. And if I wanted to, I have plenty of material, right? Ganondorf and Nabooru getting married, Ilia's adventures with Shad, Groose and Malon getting together, and of course an abundance of fluffy ZeLink. NOT that I want to get your guys' hopes up, especially with my horrible and unreliable update schedule… But you never know what the future holds. (Crap, I've said too much).
For now, I'll be focusing on getting back on track with 'The Roommates,' and publishing my newest story, 'The Silent Assassin' (title pending). (Also you HAVE to read this when I finish editing it. It's going to be amazing. Uh… I hope.)
Okay, I guess I'm done here.
Chapter Twenty Theme Song: Slide
Artist: Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean and Migos