Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda videogame series or its characters. I also do not own Pentatonix or their music. This is a story created solely for entertainment purposes.
Hey everyone! I've finally updated! Woohoo! Sorry it's been so long! Life has been really complicated lately! I am making it a priority to churn out these chapters faster though! :DDDD I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter 35: Christmastime
A couple of months passed since I had talked to Curtis, and soon it was the beginning of December. Hyrule typically only gets a decent amount of snow in the mountains near Snowpeak, but this year was an exception. The first couple of days in December were fairly mild, but today the temperatures had plummeted, making it perfect weather for snowfall everywhere. Sally and I were on a date in Castle Town. We had sat down in Telma's for lunch before doing some Christmas shopping. We had just finished and were coming outside to see the snow begin to stick to the ground. Sally giggled and spun around in a circle, clearly mesmerized by the sight. "It's been a while since Hyrule's had this much snow below Snowpeak! It's awesome!"
"Yeah it is!" I scooped some snow into my hands and formed it into a ball and then threw it at her. It hit her back and she laughed.
"You're gonna get it, hero!" She made a snowball in her hands and threw it at me, hitting me in the chest. I hugged her from behind and she smiled as she turned her head to look at me. "It's chilly though, that's for sure."
"Should we go back to Epona at the town stables and put on some layers?" I asked as we came out of our embrace.
"Probably." She turned her whole body to face me. "As much as I like being held by you, I'd rather not catch hypothermia again." She snickered. "Wasn't fun!"
"No, not your brightest moment!" I teased her.
We were walking from the market to the West Road where the stables were when Sally stopped in her tracks, her face planted against a storefront window like a kid in front of a candy store. "Oh, my gosh! This is magnificent!" She exclaimed with an intense whisper.
"What did you find?" I backtracked to the store's window to look with her. Her eyes were entranced by the string of pearls around the mannequin's neck.
"They're so lovely!"
"Yeah, they are!" I found myself staring at the fine jewelry too.
She looked at the price. "God, not a lovely price though! 5,000 rupees?!" She huffed in shock as she looked at me, a puff of her breath stagnant in the cold air. "That's practically highway robbery!"
"That's definitely ridiculously expensive." I nodded.
"I mean, if that necklace of pearls is that pricey, how do people afford an engagement ring or wedding band? I don't even want to know how much that costs!"
"It's crazy. At least people manage somehow." I grinned at her.
"True." She smiled back.
Little does she know I've been looking. Often couples in Hyrule will settle for crystal rings instead of diamond ones. I can't find a diamond ring cheaper than 9,000 rupees...but she's worth it. The diamond will last, just like our love for each other. I'm close to finding the perfect one for her, I can feel it. I have 10,000 rupees saved, so I'll be getting it soon. I took her hand. "Should we go? The prices here are much too stingy."
"Agreed...let's go." She kissed me on the cheek. We continued on to the stables and she was silent, seeming content with holding my hand and walking.
We came up by the fountain in the middle of town and stopped upon hearing a voice boom over the crowd. "ATTENTION EVERYONE!" A young man stood on the edge of the fountain, cupping his mouth with his hands so his voice could carry. He held out his hand to a woman below him, apparently his significant other. She grasped his hand and he lifted her up to the edge with him. "I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR YOU ALL!" He smiled at the girl in front of him, making her smile in return. "Rachel Douglas, the day that I met you my world was never the same. You remind me everyday what it is like to be a good man and to cherish a woman. With these people bearing witness, I would like to profess my love to you." He gently cupped her face in his hands. She closed her eyes and blushed out of embarassment, but you could tell she was elated. He let go and got down on one knee. She and the rest of the crowd gasped, including Sally and me. Sally grabbed my arm and rested her head on my shoulder. I kissed her on the head as we continued to watch as the young woman's hands were over her mouth in shock. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He took out a brilliant diamond ring and held it in between his thumb and index finger, the mirror-like surface refracting the winter sun's dim light.
"Yes! I would love to, George!" She squealed and hugged him as we all cheered. They shared a kiss as the crowd continued to woop and holler.
"That's awesome that we got to see that!" Sally said happily as we continued walking.
"Yeah! It was wonderful!" I said with a grin.
We reached the stables where Epona was and grabbed our jackets from one of the packs on the saddle. Sally was putting hers on, getting her right arm in one sleeve, but she struggled with the other sleeve, jerking her torso to try to get the sleeve to swing her way. "Al-almost..." She gritted her teeth as it flopped back behind her. "Oh, for pete's sake!"
I walked up to her and grabbed her rogue sleeve, helping her get her arm in as I teased her. "Here you go miss, do you need help walking too?"
"Very funny!" She rolled her eyes playfully. "Thank you though."
I stuck my tongue out at her, and she leaned really close to my face; raising both index fingers and poking my cheeks. "What was that for?"
"'Poking fun' at how silly you looked!" She giggled.
"Hardy har har!" I put my hands on my hips. "Trying to create a diversion from the sleeve episode, are we?"
"On second thought..." She stopped in her tracks. "I have strangely forgotten how to walk. I will need your help, kind sir!"
"Why you-!" I huffed.
"Oh, whatever will I do?" She interrupted, placing her hand on her forehead for dramatic effect.
This time it was my turn to roll my eyes. "I'll play along!"
"I'm being serious." She sat on the ground and crossed her arms. "Please help me!" She winked.
"You're going to pay for this..." I muttered under my breath.
"I love you too." She smiled contentedly. "Careful what you offer to do for others!"
I knelt down in front of her. "Here you are, miss. Your carriage awaits."
She hopped on my back. "Mush!"
"Do I look like a dog to you?!"
"You've looked like one before!"
"Touche. Well played Sally...well played..." We both laughed as I carried her around town for a while, looking at stores and cackling at people's reactions.
"Miss..." A clothing storekeeper spoke up as I carried Sally over to a dress she wanted to look at. "...Are your legs broken or something?"
"Oh, yes." She said, getting off of me and spinning in a circle. "I can't stop twirling! I think I am broken!"
She looked at me dumbfoundedly. "She has a lot of issues." I winked.
"You two are goofy." She shook her head, but grinned with joy.
She tried on a light blue dress and decided to buy it. She went up to the counter and paid for it, and I was waiting to give her a piggy back ride again. She's going to make me pay, isn't she?! Ha! Figures! No one I'd rather get embarrassed with!
I gave her a piggy back ride to one more store, and then she decided the torture was over. We walked out of the last store and I started to head back for the horse stables. Sally grabbed my hand from behind and I twisted around to meet her warm smile. "Could we go to the House of the Arts first?"
"Sure." I raised her hand to my lips and kissed it. "Your wish is my command."
She giggled. "You have a say too, you know?"
"No." I said. "I am your servant, milady." I bowed and stifled a chuckle.
She laid her hand on my bowed head and messed with my hair. "I heard that, mister! You couldn't keep the act up forever!"
"Hey, I tried." I shrugged.
"What were you trying to accomplish?" She looked at me quizzically.
"Practicing my acting skills. I was trying to be a genie." I snickered as I looked at the shock on her face. "What?" I questioned.
"I'm just surprised." She grinned. "You have quite the acting potential!"
"Thanks." My face lit up at her compliment. Not wanting to ruin a good moment, I attempted to get back into character while rolling my shoulders. I cleared my throat. "Will you help me practice, milady?"
"I'd be delighted!" She shouted with glee. She put her hand to her chin. "Hmmm...so you're a genie...?" She was lost in thought for a moment. "Aha! I know!" She laced her hands behind her back as if to look innocent, allowing her arms to bob up and down as she walked. "Okay, if you're a genie, you have to grant me three wishes."
"Alright. I accept." I bellowed, my voice struggling to reach that low of a register.
She laughed and unlaced her hands from behind. "Sir Genie, there is a man that I love more than anything in the world. He's my light, and I want nothing more than to be with him." I nodded in response while blushing. "His name is Link. He is a well-known and highly respected swordsman."
"This Link...are you two in a relationship?" I asked her as the "genie."
"Yes, we are. We both love each other very much." She beamed.
I smiled in return and cleared my throat. "Well then, what is your wish?"
"I first would like to know if he and I may be married someday." She said with her eyes closed, as if saying a prayer. She opened her eyes and looked at me.
I reddened maddeningly. Shit! Don't spill the beans, Link! She just had to jump to that! "Well...I am terribly sorry to say this, but that is a question I cannot answer." The look on her face was mild disappointment. I pat her on the shoulder. "You see, we genies do not meddle in the subject of love."
She looked at me slyly. "I see..." She scratched her head. "Okay, tell me if Link will join me and the other Christmas carolers this year? I would love it if he would."
"Yes, he will." I said dramatically, as if it were a news announcement.
Her eyes glistened with delight. "You really will?!"
"I'm the genie, remember?" I winked. "Alright, I'm done with the act." I kissed her. "Yes, I'd love to join you."
She squealed and hugged me tightly. "Oh, I'm so excited! Thank you, Link!"
We came out of our hug and I kissed her on the head. "No, thank you. I'm so lucky to have you in my life."
She kissed me on the cheek. "I'm lucky to have you in my life."
We came up to the entrance of the House of the Arts. "Shall we head in?" I asked. She nodded.
We walked inside and up to the main desk. Mr. Cathbird was sitting behind it with a bored look on his face, staring at his own hand as he played with a quill pen. "Mr. Cathbird?" Sally spoke up.
His eyes shot up in our direction in alarm, but he blinked twice and shook the emotion from him as soon as he realized it was Sally talking to him. "Oh, miss Sally...and sir Link..." He and I looked at each other and smiled, although his was more forced and seemingly out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry about how tense I was, I thought perhaps you were the drama critic I have scheduled to come in today."
"Drama critic?" Sally said with confusion.
"Oh, I just wanted another person's opinion to hear from when choosing the parts in the next musical. She is coming in today to discuss how we'll go about with the auditions next week." He replied.
"What is the next musical you're doing tryouts for?" She queried.
"Wicked!" He chuckled as he held out his index and thumb fingers in front of us to look like a "W."
She clasped her hands together with rejoice. "Put me on the list of auditioners, Mr. Cathbird! I love that musical!"
"Very well." He reached under his desk for some paperwork.
I squeezed Sally's hand with excitement. "You'll do great!" I whispered. She gently rubbed my arm with gratitude.
"Oh, Sally, here is a copy of the music." He handed her the musical score. "Did you also come here for the Christmas music?"
"Yes." She responded. He handed the sheet music to her for the children's choir and for the caroling group that she is in. "Thank you. And one more thing, Mr. Cathbird..."
"Hmmm?" He hummed in reaction.
"Could I get a copy of the sheet music for Link? He is going to carol with us this year."
"Oh, you are Link?" He gazed at me.
"Yeah. I thought it would be fun to do." I said. He took out a copy and handed it to me. "Thanks!"
He opened the door to the theatre and looked at a clock on the wall. "It is now 2pm. I will be closing the theatre when the critic shows up. I will let you know when she arrives. Feel free to practice until then."
"Thank you again Mr. Cathbird." Sally said responsively.
"Thank you sir." I followed her into the theatre.
She looked like a giddy little school girl as she plopped down onto the piano bench and thumbed through the sheet music set aside for the Christmas carolers. She took out a song titled "The Christmas Sing-Along." (Note: One of my favorite songs by "Pentatonix." It's amazing!) She looked at me. "I'd like to test your voice, to see what your range is. May I?"
"Sure." I smiled as I sat down on the bench next to her and examined the music. "So a lot of it is sung as a solo by a guy, with others joining in. Do you want me to try the solo part?" She nodded. "Okay," I straightened up my posture. "Here goes..."
"I'll give you a four measure count off." She caressed the piano keys and looked at me for a nod to start. I nodded and she began to play. 1234...1234...1234...1234...I started to sing. About 10 seconds in, she joined in on a harmony "Oooo" sound. She sang actual words in harmony with me 30 seconds in. When I sang the chorus she was cheering in between her "Oooos." When we got to the "falala" part, we both were smiling so wide our noses scrunched up and the sound coming from our mouths was very childish. It was so much fun to sing with her. I don't think I sounded that bad, either! "That was fantastic! And you said you can't sing!" She cheered and kissed me on the lips.
"You thought it was good?" I stared at her in disbelief.
"Absolutely! I had a feeling you could be a tenor by the tone of your voice!" She hugged me. "You make an awesome tenor!"
"Cool!" I said. "Lower tones have always been more difficult for me, so I suppose it's fitting."
"And tenors often get duets with sopranos," She playfully pointed at herself. "And I'm a soprano." She winked. I kissed her.
"That was Link singing?!" Talo walked out from behind a pillar. I looked at him in shock. "That surprised me even more than all that kissy-face!"
"I'm just going to ignore your inappropriate comment, Talo..." I muttered under my breath as he taunted me.
"Kissy-face! Kissy-face!" He cackled.
"Shut up, Talo!" Beth shouted, coming out from behind. "You're the one who wanted to spy on them!" She crossed her arms. "Besides, it's sweet that they care about each other so much!" She got in his face. "Heaven forbid you might think of a girl like that someday!"
He reddened. "Who cares what you think?!" He stuck out his tongue.
Colin came out from behind with his little sister Amy on his back. She's four years old now, and with Talo and Beth being the same age as Colin, they're all now almost 14 years old. It's crazy seeing them all growing up. "You have a nice voice Link!" Amy poked her head out and yelled from behind Colin.
"I'd agree!" Colin smiled.
"Uh, thank you." I stood up. "Isn't Malo with you?"
"Nah, he didn't want to join in on the fun! He's so boring!" Talo huffed.
"It's called being mature." Beth rolled her eyes.
"So the four of you decided to follow us?" Sally said with slight irritation.
"We saw you and Link heading towards the theatre and chuckling with each other." Beth said. "We were going to leave you alone, but Talo insisted on spying. We followed him because he wouldn't take no for an answer."
"I know you're curious," Sally said. "But Link and I are adults, and we would like to have some time alone."
"Oh, I see!" Talo wiggled his eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes. "Sally's right." I echoed. "I think you overstepped your boundaries."
They hung their heads. "You're mad at us, huh?" Amy frowned deeply.
Sally got up from her piano bench. "You're the least at fault, Amy." She took her hand and picked her up, pressing her cheek against hers. Amy smiled and Sally smiled in return. "As young as you are, it makes sense that they would be watching over you while you all visit town. They should not have dragged you into this." She set Amy down and looked back at Talo, Colin, and Beth. "Please don't do this again." They nodded.
I added to the conversation. "I am disappointed in the three of you. It's frustrating to me that you couldn't act your age and leave us be. When you're older and find someone special in your life, you'll understand." They nodded again.
"Enough punishment." Sally smiled at them as she went back to the piano bench. "If you'd like to join the children's choir, I have some sheet music to give you."
"Pffftt!" Talo spat. "Isn't that for babies?!"
"No Talo..." Sally replied calmly, handing him a copy of the music. "Anyone ages 3-15 may participate in the children's choir."
"Nah. I've got better stuff to do!" He shooed her.
Sally looked a little defeated. I marched over to Talo and crossed my arms at him. "What's your deal?! What do you have against Sally?!"
"Hmph!" He turned and looked away from me.
"Cut the attitude and talk to me." I said bluntly.
"I want you to spend more time training me in swordfighting! You've trained me a little bit, but you spend more time training Colin, that or flirting around with that bitch!" Sally gasped and held her hand over her mouth. He stomped his feet. "I'm tired of it!"
I slapped him across the face. "I know your mother wouldn't want to know you're using that kind of language!"
"You're an a**, you know that?!" He shouted. By this point Mr. Cathbird was out of the office and in the theatre staring at the confrontation. "All you care about is having some pretty girl by your side and acting all 'lovey-dovey!' I hope you two break up and end up hating each other! That'd be a dream come true!" He spat at her feet. "You don't need someone like her in your life! She's making you WEAK!"
Sally shook her head in disbelief, and I got in his face pointing at Sally while looking at him. "That 'pretty girl' right there...the one you dared to call such a vile name, is the best thing that's ever happened to me! I love her more than anything...I was weak before I met her. Learning how to love her and to be loved by her in return has made me stronger...stronger than killing monsters with my sword ever would! I'd gladly give up my life for her to have another day of hers! How DARE you?!"
"Love...what the hell does love have to do with strength?!" He hollered with clenched fists.
"Get out." I growled intensely.
"Whatever, believe what you wa-" He started to protest.
"I said GET OUT!" I yelled at him.
Colin uncovered Amy's ears. "Is he gone? I don't want Amy exposed to Talo's mouth."
"It looks like he's gone." Sally said with a sigh.
"I'm sorry everyone about my explosion." I apologized. "I wanted to stand up for Sally and our relationship...I overreacted."
"No," Beth countered. "Talo was WAY out of line. You were standing up for the lady you love, as you said."
"If Talo wasn't so selfish and hot-headed, perhaps he'd get more practice sessions with you?" Colin looked at me. I nodded. He continued. "If he were to act like a decent human being, I'd be more than happy to share our practice sessions with him. That way you could train us both at the same time."
"That's noble of you, Colin..." I closed my eyes and exhaled, and then opened them up again. "As disrespectful as he was today, though, I'm not sure I want to train him. There's more to proper swordsmanship than brute strength. You've got to know how to be chivalrous too."
I turned to Sally. "Are you okay? Are you mad at me?"
"Why would I be mad at you?" Her eyes started to water. "Your words were so sweet. The way you speak of me reminds me how lucky I am to have you in my life. I'm sorry...it...it just makes me cry...but they're happy tears..." She stopped herself and raised her hand to wipe the little bit of tears that were there, but I touched her hand with mine to keep her from reaching her eyes. When she lowered her arms I took my thumbs and gently rubbed her tears away. Colin, Beth, and Amy smiled as Sally and I laughed. "Thank you." She took my hand and kissed it. "I love you." She whispered.
"I love you too." I whispered back to her as we embraced.
"Awww..." Beth and Amy said quietly.
We came out of our embrace and I grinned at Colin. "I hope you're paying attention. That's how you treat a lady. Understand?"
He smiled back and gave me a thumbs up. "Understood!"
Sally looked at Beth and Colin. "What about you two? Would you like some music?"
"Sure." Colin replied first.
"Okey-dokey!" Amy jumped up and down.
"Sounds fun!" Beth smiled. "On behalf of Talo, I'm sorry he's being so mean."
"It's okay." Sally said, patting her on the shoulder.
I went outside for a minute to talk to Talo while Colin, Sally, Amy, and Beth were inside looking at the music she just handed them.
Talo was sitting outside of the entrance to the theatre. He was watching all of the people passing by on the street, fixated on observing them. I walked up to him. "Talo?"
He crossed one leg over the other and crossed his arms, leaning his body against the wall of the theatre. "What?" He said bluntly.
I sighed. "Can we talk?" He turned his head away from me. "Alright." I put my hands on my hips. "I'm going to talk to you, even if you don't talk back, alright?" He finally looked at me and nodded. "I'm sorry about my reaction." His eyes widened as I spoke. "I was frustrated with how you were treating Sally, but that gave me no right to be rude to you."
He looked down at the ground. "I'm the one who should be sorry. You were trying to protect her from getting hurt." He looked up at me again. "I was mad because I felt like she was taking all of your free time...but then I forgot that you train Colin too, and you still herd the goats. You still do a bunch of the other stuff that you used to do. And I guess since you and Sally are so close, it makes sense that you two would want to spend as much time together as possible."
I put my hand on the top of his head. "I talked to Colin." I smiled. "Would you like to train with the both of us?"
He flashed his teeth so wide his eyes squinted with excitement. "You betcha!
"Okay!" I messed with his hair.
"Hey!" He laughed.
"I have something important that I need to do in the morning, but come on over to my house at noon and the three of us will train outside tomorrow!" I told him, holding out my hand for a handshake. "How does that sound?"
"Awesome!" He grasped my hand tight and we shook on it.