To Pieces (LoZ - Link)

Wishes and Reality

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The Lumpy Pumpkin was a much different place at night. Rather than the timid and relaxed air that was usually emanating from the building during the day, the bar was quite loud and active at night. Many sat at the tables giving exciting tales about monsters in the sky, or demons lurking around Skyloft.

Perhaps most interesting of it all, was the demeanor of the bar owner towards Link.

"Yer' damn lucky yer work paid for a new chandelier, kid. This time I've got it fixed to the ceiling, aint no hitting walls gon' knock that beauty down."

I feel my jaw slack a little as I narrow my eyes and try to comprehend everything that man just said. Jesus, was he drinking on the job?

"Well, we're here to give you some more profit anyways. Can you give us two of tonight's specials?" Link takes a seat at the counter top and the man grumbles while he nods.

"Yeh', an' what'll be fer drinks?"

"Whatever's on tap is fine." I respond, pointing to the lever.

"Pumpkin Ale." The owner says, before walking off to fill our order.

Of course it's pumpkin ale.

"What did you do to piss him off?" I release a nervous laugh as Link looks up at the ceiling.

"Broke the chandelier trying to get a-- uh... bug."

"A bug?" I raise an eyebrow and Link picks at his gauntlets.

"Yup. Bug," He slides the gauntlets off entirely, rubbing gently at his palms. "You use them for upgrades on equipment and stuff."

"Damn." I mumble, and the bar owner returns with two pumpkin ales. His daughter follows shortly after him with two plates stacked high with chicken.

"I'd say poor Link has more than paid his debt, Pop', how about you give him that thing you promised?" She suggests.

"That's not nece--"

"Nonsense! You didn't knock that damn thing off the ceiling for nothing. Clearly you needed it!" The bar owner reaches into a cabinet behind the bar and retrieves, much to my surprise, a piece of heart. "There, you wanted it so bad, it's yours."

I shoot a glance over to Link, who's been frozen in what I can only assume is embarrassment since the thing was pulled out of the cabinet. I give him a small nudge and he flinches before looking over at me, giving me a look I'd never seen before, one that stopped me dead in my tracks.

His cheeks were practically glowing they were so red, and his eyebrows sunk down. He looked... well, mortified. Upset.

I think my heart's in pieces.

Well, even more so than usual.

"You can't honestly be that embarrassed about it, Link." I say after a moment of silence passes. "I'm the one spreading hearts across the universe for you..." the last part comes out as a mumble.

"And I'm the one entirely addicted to how they make me feel," He says it so quickly, I'm almost certain it was all in my head. He proceeds to chug his entire ale, before grabbing the bar owner's daughter by the hand and requesting that she plays a song.

"You feel like helping me out tonight again, then?" She places a hand on her hip and Link shakes his head.

"Not tonight, but uh, Oriana might be willing. She can play the harp too, and her voice is stunning. You can steal her tonight, Kina." Link pats my shoulder and I snap my head to him wide eyed.

"Ooh! It'd be nice to get some more feminine life in this building. Let's do it!" She bounds up to the makeshift stage at the front of the bar and I smack my hand several times against Link's shoulder.

"Too late now, can't run away from every problem in the world, Oria!" He laughs, rubbing his arm.

"I was doing just fine until now!"

"Yeah," Link laughs. "No kidding, I'll be lucky if you ever stop running from me."

what.

What?

"Let's get Oriana up to the stage! C'mon, lets give her a big hand, encourage her up here!" Kina's voice coaxes me up from the stage, but I feel like I cant move from my spot next to Link.

What the hell did that mean?

But he pushes me out of my chair, shoving the goddess harp into my hands and ushering me up front.

Like I can even clear my damn mind enough to sing.

"Navi," I whisper nervously on my way up to stage. "It's going to happen again if I sing.. What do I do?"

"The Great Fairy wont let you feel pain, she promised. Just do it, we're trapped in this, I'm afraid... unless you want to call on your army to--"

"--No. Bad idea." I answer, my knees shaking as I step onto the stage.

I lived for adrenaline rushes, right? Then this should be nothing.

Should be.

"Good luck!" Kina whispers, before hustling off the stage. I guess 'helping' just meant doing her work for her. Sick.

When I looked up, I saw his face-- similar to the one before. Why did he have to look so sad? It'll only kill me faster.

I think I lifted the harp up too suddenly, as everyone seemed to lean forward with anticipation-- but were pleasantly surprised when the pattern I strummed was rather slow and relaxing.

"Wise men say 'only fools rush in', but I can't help falling in love with you." A few people in the bar quietly hum a long to the tune, but my focus remains on Link across the bad. "Shall I stay? Would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you? Like a river flows, surely to the sea-- Darling, so it goes: Some things are meant to be."

I wish he knew. I wish I could tell him without it... bringing about the end of everything. Of life as we knew it. I wish I could be selfish.

"Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you." I think it's my turn to look a little mortified. I'm sure my cheeks are red. It's absolutely intoxicating to be around him now, now that it actually physically pains me to be away from him. It only makes how much I love him feel so much more tangible.

It makes reality so much more brutal.

"Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling-- so it goes: some things are meant to be..."

You and her. You're meant to be.

"So take my hand, take my whole life too..."

All of it. Every last bit of my heart, because it loves you-- to pieces.

"For I can't help falling in love with you."

I feel stuck in my spot as the bar lets out a comfortable round of applause. It feels like my own words are ringing through my ears, making me numb.

And then I look at him again.

And it all doesn't feel so bad... not even the pieces.

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