I'm sorry if you want to throw something at me, I really am. I'll dodge it, I promise!
(cringes)
It's been way too long since I updated this, I know. I'm terribly terribly sorry. I always start my chapters immediately after finishing the previous one but... then they sit. And sit. And sit some more. I'm trying to be better about updates, but it's not working so well.
But I hope you guys haven't forgotten about this fic. It's still alive, really! Read and enjoy, and if you've forgotten what happened in past chapters, I encourage you to re-read them. None are over 5 pages, so it won't take too long. Enjoy!
Oh, and one last thing: I'm sorry if there are some weird typos in this. It had some weird stuff going on, but I hope I fixed everything.
The Hylians stopped, listening, but received no answer.
Ezlo still would not let go of Vaati, and both frightened parties stayed motionless and silent. The father turned to his family and whispered something to them, which made them relax, but Ezlo overheard him cautioning them to be careful.
Ezlo however, did not relax his hold on Vaati, and was still terrified of being discovered. Sure, the Hylians believed that no one was there, but he couldn't afford to take any risks.
The little family walked into the living room, past Vaati and Ezlo's hiding place, and saw the kitchen. This second shock almost sent the mother into a faint, but her husband was there to catch her. Meggie was sobbing, scared because her parents were scared, and she clutched her mother like a lifeline.
The family was tense again, but mutually decided that no one was there, and that whoever had done this had already left. Meggie was sent to the living room, and she settled on a chair across from their hiding place, snuggling in a blanket and hiding her face. The mother and father were comforting each other in the kitchen, and then gathered supplies to help repair the damage and clean up.
The mother began sweeping up the kitchen, sobbing about the blood she saw and the water all over the place, while her husband took some tape to temporarily repair the front door. Meggie was still terrified, and had buried herself further into the blanket.
Ezlo and Vaati watched warily, and slowly Ezlo loosened his death grip upon his apprentice. He gave Vaati a stern look and placed a finger over his lips, his grey eyes dark and serious. Vaati nodded once, but even when Ezlo released him, he still wouldn't let go of Ezlo.
The little girl eventually fell asleep, a few dried tears still on her cheeks, and her mother came in and tucked the blanket about her. She sat on the edge of the chair, a loving expression on her face, but then she sighed and that expression was replaced with one of fear and worry. She buried her face into her hands.
Her husband joined her after a moment, assuring her that everything was really all right. Nothing had been stolen, and there was no damage to anything except the front door. Ezlo watched them, still wary, keeping his and Vaati's breathing as silent as possible. Vaati watched Ezlo, awaiting another plan.
Finally the father rose and planted a kiss upon his daughter's brow. His wife rose also, pleading with him to be careful, and he nodded. Ezlo tensed; this was the opportunity he was looking for. If they both left, sneaking by the sleeping girl would be no problem, and they could escape to freedom.
But Ezlo's hopes were crushed when the wife sat down again; only her husband was going upstairs. Ezlo overheard snatches of Hylian conversation, but he didn't pay them much attention; he already knew that the father was going upstairs to check for intruders. Vaati sighed in disappointment as well and snuggled closer. He knew that they were going to be stuck underneath the couch, hiding, for a while yet.
About ten minutes passed before the father came downstairs again, shaking his head. He had discovered nothing upstairs, and everything looked just as they had left it that morning. He stood beside his wife and sighed, but this soft sound accidentally woke their daughter.
She sat up, immediately clutching her father's arm, and asked if everything was ok, to which he nodded. But suddenly Vaati had a premonition; the girl was going to ask about the jar, and ultimately, him. He grabbed Ezlo's arm tightly to get his attention and shook it. Ezlo looked down, slightly annoyed that his observations had been interrupted, but it dawned upon him what his apprentice was about to say.
Ezlo nodded gravely, and Vaati understood that he understood. He swallowed hard, anxious. If the Hylians remembered him and decided to look for him, everything would be over; they'd never be given a chance to escape after this.
Even before word "where" had issued from Meggie's mouth, Ezlo had already risen and helped Vaati up. He dashed behind the couch's small leg and pressed himself up against it, holding Vaati close; if there was even one second that they could use, he would take it. It was just a matter of waiting for it…
Vaati swallowed again, his heart rate picking up speed. He was nervous, and the adrenaline rushing through his system was making him shaky. Ezlo squeezed him for comfort, but shushed him as quietly as he could.
He peeked cautiously about the leg of the couch to check for their opportunity to escape; the girl, Meggie, had already asked about them and her parents were searching about earnestly. Ezlo inhaled sharply; at any moment now, the girl's parents would approach the couch opposite them and search underneath it.
He looked quickly in the direction of the door, a snatch of sunlight still poking through the tape the Hylian father had used to repair it for the time being. Luckily he'd missed a tiny spot at the bottom, and even from far off, Ezlo could tell that it was large enough for a Minish to squeeze through.
Glancing back at the Hylian family across from them though, Ezlo's hope for a quick escape dwindled. The Hylians showed no signs of leaving and the girl's soft sobs about her "lost pet bug" motivated her parents to continue their search.
Vaati evidently heard the part about the "pet bug" and stiffened, and Ezlo had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep him from hissing too loudly. Vaati relaxed, but his expression was pouty.
Suddenly the two Minish heard a loud gasp and the quick step of heeled shoes. They saw the mother's shoes quickly clip-clop past their hiding spot and into the now debris-free kitchen.
"Honey! That little creature was here on the table in the jar! That's where the glass came from! He's gone!"
The Hylian father followed his wife and they conversed softly. Ezlo watched Meggie warily; if she took enough interest in what her parents were investigating, they could run for it.
But wait, Ezlo. Are you sure that running for it now is the best option? You could get into an even stickier predicament. You should wait until dark.
Ezlo mentally nodded to himself; it would be silly to attempt to escape now…
But as a stark contrast to Ezlo's patience, Vaati's was running out. He was sick and tired of being stuck in the Hylian house, hungry, still slightly sore from the healing Ezlo had performed, and irked at the Hylians' stupidity for not realizing earlier where the glass had come from. Ezlo had to squeeze his shoulder to bring him back to reality and their dilemma, but Vaati ignored the warning.
"Master Ezlo, can't we just run past the girl? She shouldn't be a problem!" he whispered pleadingly.
His words were exactly what Ezlo had been thinking earlier until he'd realized the foolishness of it. But talking now too, was foolish, and Ezlo narrowed his eyes at Vaati and pursed his lips, tense. Luckily Vaati's whisper hadn't alerted the girl, so he took a risk and answered.
"Vaati, you know that that's too risky… even if she manages not to catch us, she could still put us in a worse situation than we are in now! You know it's better to wait until they go to sleep rather than run such a risk!" Ezlo was distraught and whispered softly and angrily.
Vaati sighed, rolled his eyes, but nodded. He knew Ezlo was right… but sometimes he really hated that. So he kept his eyes on the door – freedom – but made no motion to leave, so Ezlo relaxed somewhat.
The Hylian parents were still in the kitchen, and the girl Meggie was snuggled in her blanket on the chair across from them. And as Ezlo watched the girl, he realized that she really wasn't paying much attention to anything; she had relaxed again and wasn't even interested in what her parents were discussing in the kitchen.
Maybe Vaati's right? He thought. That girl would be very easy to sneak past… but no, no… what am I thinking? We can't! It's suicide! I already told myself that we wouldn't escape now…
He became aware of Vaati's red orbs watching him intently, seeming to understand what he was thinking.
"See?" he mouthed.
Ezlo nodded once, but he was frowning. Vaati tugged upon his sleeve, his eyes shining.
"Look," Vaati whispered, "The adults are searching for us in the kitchen. If we go now, we could leave without a scratch, but if we wait, we're stuck here for hours, because they're going to come back very soon." He pointed in the direction of the kitchen and tugged on Ezlo's sleeve again, trying to be as persuasive as possible.
"Vaati…"
"No, Master! Look again! The girl's practically asleep! Let's go, please!" His expression was endearing and Ezlo almost said yes. But Vaati's appeal didn't work; Ezlo still needed time to think.
He had, at most, three or four precious minutes, and his quick mind set weighing options right away. He kept glancing at the girl on the chair; her eyes were tired and the lids kept slipping down. Finally, he reached a decision and began whispering his plan to his apprentice.
"Vaati, as soon as that girl's eyes close, we run for it. We'll leave at the same time, and I mean it, run. Don't stop until you get through that door and are outside, do you understand?"
Vaati nodded eagerly; his leftover adrenaline was making him antsy and he wanted to take a risk. And because he was still quite young, a fine line ran between fear and fun, and he was starting to get bored of hiding. He had been terrified earlier of his other risk – tipping the jar off the table – but now he wasn't scared. Ezlo was with him.
The two Minish watched Meggie's face intently; the moment her eyes closed, they'd be off quicker than arrows from a bowstring. Already they were as tense and poised as marathon runners.
A few seconds passed, and Ezlo's heart rate picked up speed again and began racing along. His palms became slightly moist and his mouth dry, but he was ready.
The girl's eyelids were still drooping, and finally, impossibly slow, they shut.
"Run!"
Ezlo shoved Vaati forward as hard as he could before tearing off after him. They sprinted quickly, Vaati slightly faster than his older master.
Yet for some reason, Ezlo hadn't had any kind of feeling about their risk until their mad dash for the door. It seemed to him that they ran in slow motion; the girl on the couch hadn't even noticed him, but suddenly the bad feeling he'd had earlier returned.
He suddenly felt that they shouldn't go through the door; something wasn't right.
But before he could think too much about it, he'd caught up to Vaati and wedged himself in the tiny hole in the door, breathing heavily as he leaned back against the wood. Vaati had already gone outside and refused to allow Ezlo to rest, and had pulled him outside after him. So they stood, in the late afternoon sun, enjoying the breeze and the way it refreshed them.
But Ezlo's bad feeling still hadn't gone away; in fact, it was much stronger now. He surprised Vaati by jerking him closer in a one-armed hug, examining their surroundings.
But he didn't see her until he glanced at his right; the last place he'd scanned.
And suddenly a loud CRACK! broke the still air and he dragged Vaati in a whirlwind of green and violet through the door and back into the house, the cat centimeters from them, some powder from Ezlo's firecracker-like spell suspended in the air.
They'd barely gotten through when the black-and-orange blur crashed into the door, the sound of her head hitting a dull thud that rang throughout the house. Petrified, Ezlo and Vaati watched as the cat steadied herself and then attempted to bat at them through the door. Her paw was wedged in the hole they'd just squeezed through, and all the Minish could do was watch.
They'd been that close to being kitty dinner, and the reality of that sunk in slowly, leaving them shaky. They still couldn't bring themselves to move.
And the Hylians had heard everything too; Ezlo's spell had been quick thinking on his part, but had only slowed the cat by a half-second. It had created the loud crack, but the Hylians had been especially alerted by the cat's crash against the door.
A sudden shadow blocked out all light above them and Vaati looked up only to see the Hylian girl above them, smiling with delight. He tried to shove Ezlo out of the way, but only succeeded in throwing him to the ground. He fell with an "Oomph!" and lay winded upon the ground, unable to move.
But Vaati had already taken off and looked back just to see Ezlo struggling to stand as the girl's hand came closer and closer. He struck her hand with his bird-headed staff, but it didn't do anything other than surprise her a little; it had been like throwing a tiny twig at her.
But it gave him the second he needed to get up, and then he was tearing after Vaati, who stood dumbly, mute with fear for Ezlo.
Unfortunately the parents were in the living room by now and there was no chance of escaping them. Ezlo ran past Vaati and grabbed him by an arm, half-dragging him and nearly taking off his arm until he regained his ground and ran with him. They tried their best to avoid being stepped on or captured, but it was difficult trying to avoid three Hylians, dodge feet, and run as fast as they were going. But they managed to do it, and things seemed fine (or as fine as things can be when imminent capture seems to be the case), and they made a last final dash for the couch in order to hide again.
Then Ezlo dropped his staff.
On instinct he stopped and turned to grab it, but the Hylian father was upon him quicker than he could reach it. Perhaps he could have grabbed the staff and escaped, but his hand had sent it skidding across the ground, and he faltered, staying still just long enough to be grabbed.
Vaati screamed and ran towards the father, tearing in vain at his shoes, and madly dodged hands that were reaching for him. Ezlo tried to yell at Vaati and instruct him, but he was already too high up for Vaati to hear him. And then he was smothered by the father's hands.
Vaati screamed again, but realized that it was futile to try and help Ezlo. He scampered away, heartlessly, his eyes prickling with unshed tears… until he saw Ezlo's staff lying forgotten on the floor. Hope flared again in his heart, and as he ran towards it, reaching as far as he could, the girl Meggie reached down and scooped him up.
He struggled madly, trying to bite, but even the little girl had gotten wise since her last experience with holding him. She grabbed him by the back of his robe and let him dangle, proudly skipping off to show her mother.
Vaati felt sick to his stomach as he watched the ground underneath him, and he felt as if he were going to fall any second now. And even if he fell… he didn't feel as if he would care. He felt suddenly empty inside, and cold. He had no hope left – it was too much of a shock to him to see his "omnipotent" and "omniscient" master be captured.
In the end he didn't fall, and Meggie waited patiently for her mother to pick something off the ground before showing off her "pet".
But as he looked down, Vaati caught a glimpse of the object the mother had picked up – it was Ezlo's bird-headed staff! He saw her place it on the little table by the couch they'd been hiding under earlier before he was plopped into the mother's hand, obscuring his view. The staff… he had to get the staff…
But Vaati finally let fear overtake him; Ezlo had been captured before his very eyes, and now he had been too. And with Ezlo's staff gone, they had no hope of escaping so easily again – or of escaping at all.
He curled into a little trembling ball, hiccupping softly. And as frightened as he was, the strangest thought occurred to him.
"Wow, I haven't had the hiccups in a long time…"
Theme of the chapter: Hiccups! Well actually, I'm kidding. (But I seriously have the hiccups right now...)
Anyway, I hope you all have enjoyed this long-overdue update for this poor neglected fic of mine. As always, I shall try my best to get the next update out ASAP (it's summer now, after all!), but I can't promise anything. My only personal note upon this chapter is that I don't really like it that much. I don't know why.
But what I can say is that SOMEDAY I shall finish this! I have my chapter outlines ready, and this looks like it will be 10 chapters or, more specifically, 9 chapters and an epilouge. Hang in there! I'll get it done sometime! (Even if it takes another two years to get 5 chapters out!)
(Cringes again.)
I'm the worst fanfic author in the universe, I know. I'm sorry. But as always, your reviews have really helped me out! I love reading them and it encourages me to keep writing. So if you enjoyed, clicky-clicky on that nice button down there and leave me a review! (Heck, if you want, drop me a PM and tell me that I suck and need to write instead of browsing online when I'm on the computer! Heheh!)
Well, I hope you all enjoyed. I bid you all adieu for now - so, until next time!
Koholint
