Chapter 3

It has been a while since I've actually been at the park. Many people take the time out of their lives just to go to this specific place and get away from the responsibilities of their life. That's how I see the park anyways. My friends don't really view it the same way I do. Probably because they take some things for granted.

Readjusting to the wooden bench, I raised my head and stared at the setting sun. Something else they take for granted, the sun. How warm it is, I almost barely get to feel the heat at first hand. The cool air from winter is settling in and yet the sun still gives off it's shining beauty and warmth to us.

Who knows when it will be the next time until my parents allow me to go out again. The unsettling thought caused my heart to quiver in my chest. It calmed down once I placed a hand right on my left breast and breathed in.

"Hey Zelda!" I turned my head towards Pit. "You sure you don't want to play with us? Kickball's fun with a lot of people!"

I waved my hand, "No Pit, I'm just going to sit this one out."

"Aww, but you always sit out during our games."

Ike walked up to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Pit, she doesn't want to play. Leave her be if she doesn't feel like playing." He faced me and gave an approving nod.

"Man Ike, you're no fun," Pit pouted.

Pit wouldn't know why I would sit out during their games. Since I have the problem with my heart, I am not allowed to cause too much action towards myself. I shouldn't stress myself anyways because a single heart attack could mean fatal consequences. My body shuddered at that fact.

The two returned to Red and back to their game of kickball as Pit called it and I'm left alone once again. I kicked my feet in rhythm of my slow heartbeat, matching the pace as it suddenly got faster then slowed down. It wasn't must fun in the park with just me sitting here and the fact that I'm restricted on doing anything bothered me.

I wish...I wish I could just-

"What are you doing?"

My heart leaped in my chest and I was startled out of my thoughts. I turned my body half way around only to meet bright red eyes staring directly into mine.

"D-Dark? You startled me..." I breathed.

"Why aren't you playing? I figured that if anyone would play like a dork it would be you, what gives?" He crossed his arms and leaned his weight on one side of his body.

"Oh I just don't feel like playing around," I lied. "I rather much sit here and watch you guys have fun." He suddenly placed his hand right on my left breast. "Dark!?"

"You're lying," he mumbled.

"W-what...?"

"You're lying." He repeated, "I can tell, your heart is faster than your normal pace and I know it beats unnaturally slow."

He kept his hand on my breast, he didn't move, his eyes were set on his hand. I just stared at him, watching and waiting for him to move his hand. I was about to tell him to move back until I suddenly started thinking about...Her. Samus. What if Samus was here, what if her hand on my breast right now?

My heart clenched and I let out a gasp, Dark's eyes widened as he felt my internal organ shudder underneath his fingertips.

"What the hell...?" Dark breathed. "What...what the hell did I just feel?" Sudden fear clouded in his eyes as they darted up at mine. "Why did your heart just-"

"Please, please don't say anything," I begged. "No one can know...I...I have a condition but I just don't want anyone to know. Dark please don't say anything to anyone, especially Pit. Please."

"You have a condition...?" he repeated with uncertainty.

"Yes...I rather not talk about it..."

He paused without saying a word. I wonder what he's thinking with his hand pressed up against my thundering heart. I sucked in the air because my heart is beating so hard, it makes it hard for me to breathe. I eyed Dark once more. He seemed to be thinking hard but about what?

"Who else knows?" he asked.

I lowered my head. "Ike...he's the only one outside of my family who knows."

"I see." He nodded his head and took his hand off of my chest. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

I smiled. "Dark, thank you so much-"

"But you know that you have to tell Pit eventually. You can't keep your secret hidden from him much longer." My smile faded and a sigh escaped my lips. I will make it your call to tell him whenever you feel like the time is right. You better not tell him when you're on your deathbed, I swear to Gods if you do-" He stopped midway of his sentence. He must have felt my anxiety because he also sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "At least tell me what precautions you're taking."

Dark walked around the bench and took a seat next to me. It made me feel better that he was willing to listen.

"Basically...I can't run or do anything that will cause my heart rate to increase. Chances are that I could end up having a cardiac arrest. All I can do is just walk around so I'm not allowed to have...'excitement' in my life."

"Geez, that explains why you never do anything with Pit. I always wondered why you always declined Pit's offer to play with him. He thought that you thought he was really childish."

I giggled and shook my head. "No, of course not. He has a great spirit and a fun personality, it's like he's still acting like a child." I hold myself and close my eyes. "I envy him."

"I guess."

I didn't expect Dark to understand, then again it's like not gave him much to go on with my vague explanation on how I'm limited to my actions. He doesn't know that I was different than other children at a younger age.

"I honestly didn't know you had to deal with it," Dark added to the silence. "Must be rough."

"You could say that." He doesn't know the half of it.

We both stayed quiet afterwards and just sat there. My hair danced in the cool breeze and I closed my eyes. I heard footsteps walk toward me and I turned my head. Ike caught my stare and waved.

"Hey, look who's here." He looked passed me and I followed his gaze. My heart jumped.

Samus was here.

The woman was sitting at a bench a little ways ahead of us. She paid no attention to anything, she was just staring out into the distance. I wonder what she's thinking about.

"Anyways," Ike begun. "Zelda I was going to ask you if you wanted to go home? We've been here a while so I thought you were kind of tired since you were sitting the whole time."

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine here. You can still keep playing with Pit. Maybe Dark can join with you guys too."

"What? Who says that I want to-" He saw the pleading look in my eyes and sighed. "Yeah, uhm, we can go kick a ball or something. I dunno."

After a small wave of my hand, both of the guys joined Pit. I returned my attention back to Samus who didn't seem to move at all. Getting up from my seat, I walked over and stopped right in front of her.

"Hey," I said.

Her head shot up and rolled her eyes after a quick look at me. "Oh, it's you," she said with disdain in her voice. I winced.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I have no business telling you."

"Oh...I just um...wanted to know." I turned back around and watched the guys kick around a red ball around. A sigh escaped my lips.

"You can sit down."

"Huh?"

"You can sit down. It's fine."

I couldn't hide my smile. I sat down on the bench right next to Samus and placed my hands on my lap. We both sat quietly, watching the people run and play in front of us. I couldn't help but feel envious of them. They don't have to worry about their health hindering them from being able to enjoy their time outside. Oh how I wish I could be like them. How I wish I could be normal.

"What's wrong?" I noticed that Samus was watching me with her worry filled eyes. My heart leaped in my chest.

"It's nothing..." I muttered.

"Doesn't seem like that."

"I'm jealous." I turned away from Samus and held my gaze at my friends. "They don't have to worry about anything while they move around like that. While they have fun."

"Why do you care?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I don't have that luxury." Lowering my head, my hands balled into a fist and I closed my eyes. "The only thing they have to worry about are classes and girls and all those other 'normal' teenage stuff. And me? All I have is..." I pause. "I don't need to tell you such nonsense...you don't even know me so why bother you with my crap?"

"You're right, I don't know you. Still, telling someone can make it better. Your...friends...are there for a reason. Talk." I heard the hesitation when she mentioned the word 'friends'.

"They wouldn't understand..." My shoulders dropped and my body slumped. "No one would understand."

With a sad sigh, she replied with, "You'd be surprised that there will at least be someone who might understand."

"Why are you even talking to me?" That came out harsher than I intended it. "You showed no interest in talking to me before...so why now all of a sudden? At least tell me that."

"I have no reason. I just did."

"Hard to believe," I muttered.

"Look, I don't need this attitude from you," she spat. "I saw that you were upset so I asked what's wrong. I guess it was stupid of me to even try."

I looked over at Samus. How could I have been harsh like that? She was just trying to help, it wasn't like she was ignoring me like Ike or pushing it away like my parents. She was actually being somewhat supportive in her own less comforting way. What am I doing?

Lowering my head once more, I apologized to her.

"Forget it," she growled.

"I shouldn't have been bitter about it..."

"I said it's fine."

I returned my gaze towards her. "But I-"

"Enough! I don't want to fucking hear it!"

I shrink in my seat and pulled myself away from her. My heart begun to palpitate harshly in my chest and I let out a soft cry. Samus noticed my pain and moved in close.

"H-hey, what's wrong?"

"...H-Hurts..." Am I having another scene? No, not now! Not like this!

I placed a hand on my chest, gripping my shirt tightly as my breathing became shallow. I shut my eyes tight for the pain was beginning to be too much to bare. At that moment, I felt someone place a hand over mine. Slightly opening my eyes, my heart painfully jumped when I saw that it was Samus' hand that held mine.

"Move your hand," she spoke softly.

As if I was in a trance, I moved my hand aside only for her to place her hand in between my breasts. I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks and hear my palpitating heart beating in my ears.

"Fuck...your heart," she whispered in a husky tone. She shook her head and stared straight into my eyes. Have her eyes been this blue? "Okay, I need you to take a deep breath with me. In." She breathed in deeply and so did I. "Out." We both released our breath. We repeated this several times until I felt my heart slow down into a normal pace and the pain subsided.

With the pain nearly gone, it felt like a huge weight was lifted from my whole body. I felt my body shift to the side until a strong pair of arms caught me before I hit the ground.

"Easy," Samus whispered in my ear that sent shivers down my spine. "You worked yourself up, you need to go home and rest."

"I..." Before I could get a chance to say anything, sleep had overcome me.

...

..

.

"Zelda!"

My eyes shot open and my heart jumped. Right in front of me, I see that Ike, Pit, Dark and Red are staring directly at me but they stood on their side. Was I lying down?

"Zelda," Ike begun with a sigh of relief, "thank gods you're alright."

"W-what happened...?" I asked as I sat up on the bench.

Red shook his head and shrugged. "I'm not sure, we noticed that you were lying down on the bench and ran over here. Ike said something about you having a...scene?"

"Yeah!" Pit jumped in. "Ike was really scared and well, it also scared all of us. When we got here, we noticed that you were actually asleep on the bench."

"A-asleep? But I was just..." Samus! I looked around and saw no trace of her. Did she lie me down while after I...?

"Zelda." I turned towards Ike, his eyes still showing great concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You didn't..." he trailed off.

I simply replied with a shake of my head and offered a tired smile. "No, no, I'm quite alright. I guess I really was tired after all," I giggled. "If you all don't mind, I would like to return home."

"Of course," Ike returned my smile.

I placed a hand over my fast paced heart. Just thinking about her is making it speed up, and it doesn't hurt. It couldn't have been a dream. She managed to calm me down before it gone even worse.

Samus Aran. What are you doing to me?

A/N: Alright, so another chapter in a month, look at me go! So I might try to also get a chapter in Through Space and Fields by the end of this week, if not then next week. I actually love how the beginning of the chapter goes and I'm not disgusted by how the chapter ends. So yay! Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving.