Ten

I stared down at the tomb, heaviness in my heart. Though it had been more than a month since the ceremony, I still hadn't recovered. Nobody had. It had been too much of a shock, too sudden for any of us to comprehend. Alive one second, dead the next- that was how it had been. But the medics had assured us the passing had been painless, though I wasn't sure how the medics knew since the death wasn't exactly normal.

There were lilies left before the entrance to the tomb- beautiful, pure white lilies. I smiled sadly: Zelda would have liked the lilies. But Zelda was gone now, far away- where, nobody was exactly sure. The country was quiet, resigned, and even the Gerudo seemed to feel our loss. Without argument, they'd submitted to our peace treaty, speaking briefly of some strange enchantment the desert king had woven over the people and doing their best to make amends. The wounds were still there, though, and would be there for a long time- sisters resenting the men who had killed their fellow thieves, wives resenting the warriors who had taken their husband from them. But the hostility was quelled in light of the recent disaster, and tentative alliances were being formed. It was, I thought to myself, a start.

I still couldn't understand why Zelda had done what she had done: she'd made the ultimate sacrifice, exchanging my death for hers. Nobody understood, nobody could comprehend: everyone was in shock, walking around with vacant eyes and empty hearts. Damleda's face was red and puffy from constant tears, and Esten was remarkably silent. And then there was me- I would never be the same.

I remember feeling her within me, all around me, hearing her telling me she loved me as she pulled me back from death with her magic; I remember opening my eyes to see her fall. The cry of the king, the wail of Damleda as she rushed forward to Zelda's body, the gasps of shock and the tears, everywhere, the tears. But no sooner had Damleda touched Zelda than she had vanished, disappearing in a sudden burst of light, almost like she'd never existed at all.

But she had existed, and her existance touched the land, still.

A month after she'd vanished into thin air, rumors began to circulate, sightings of her in crowded places. She even gave a little boy a note to deliver to the palace, to me- and the note had been in her hand, alright. All the Hylians had been confused, uncertain. Was their princess dead? Had she not vanished? Was she a thing inhuman, a sage, maybe even a child of the goddesses? Nobody was certain, but hope had begun to spread in the strange way that hope did.

As though it were too much for the King, however, his condition had suddenly declined, and within a week he had passed. The country was in a state of mourning and anarchy- he had named me as the heir to the throne, if Zelda did not return to claim it, but in the meantime, the councelors had been running the country together in a tentative diplomacy. The King had been buried in a grand ceremony that most of Hyrule attended, packing into the large graveyard in Kakariko village. That had been nearly a month ago, but the pain had not abated.

Zelda was rumored to be alive, but the king was gone and the country had no leader.

I turned to leave, heart heavy as I set out of the graveyard, out of the village. You're so stupid, Zelda, I scolded her in my mind, walking through the village, hot, autum air gusting through and tugging at my clothes. Now we're all lost without you.

After nearly half an hour of sad contemplation, I walked down the steps of the village, turning around to look behind me one last time at the quiet town. It was so sad and so unfair, I thought to myself. I should have died instead.

I stepped off the last stair, turning to where I'd tethered Epona below a tree. She was gone- obviously untied, and, judging from the tracks, led away without a fight. I cursed to myself, kicking the tree trunk. Great. This was the last thing I needed.

"Are you bent on my destruction?" I yelled to the early autumn sky. "If you wanted me dead, couldn't you have saved Zelda?"

"They don't want you dead," a familiar voice called from within the branches of the tree, high above. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

I gasped, looking up. A figure in deep blue leathers looked down at me, a smile on her face. Her hair, longer than ever, had been pulled back to a rough braid down her back, and her eyes... were joyous and sad at the same time, and different from what they'd been before. They weren't carefree, like the Zelda I'd first met, or cold and empty, like the Zelda that I had rescued, or desperate, like the Zelda who had sacrificed herself for me. They were something else- deeper, wiser. Inhuman.

"You died," I stated stupidly. "Didn't you?"

"I did," she stated simply, hopping down suddenly from the tree. She was fast- faster than Ganondorf had been. But she was smaller now too, somehow. And her body looked different. Stronger. "The goddesses greeted me at the gate to the realms."

"Why?" I asked, mind flatly refusing to believe what I was seeing and hearing. I was crazy. Zelda was dead.

"They allowed me to live, but only on certain conditions." She looked sad as she said this, eyes turning inward to some memory of holy divinity. "First, that I would rule and protect Hyrule, at any cost. Second, that I would watch over you- the goddesses seem to have something planned. Third, that I would guard the holy secrets that they imparted to me, and pass them down through the royal family- again, their plans. And, fourth, that I would retrieve a certain artifact that would also be passed down the royal line, along with the information they gave me. They impressed the importance of the getting artifact on me, and said that it was the first thing I needed to do. That's where I've been," she added. "Finding the artifact."

"What was it?" I asked, curiosity overtaking the insanity that seemed to be pulsating all around me. Zelda reached into her pack and pulled out something wrapped in a thick, crude cloth.

"This," she responded as she unwrapped it. "It's called the Ocarina of Time."

Upon first inspection, it didn't seem so unique. In fact, my eyes glided straight over the Ocarina, as though it were boring, unimportant. I recognized the magic on it and forced myself to look, to take it in, and then I understood why the goddesses might want Zelda to retrieve it.

Upon direct inspection, it seemed to glow, appearing almost like water cast cast into the form of the little flute. It was astoundingly simple, however- the only decoration was a simple golden band around the mouthpiece adorned with the Triforce. Even still, it was the most etheral and fascinating thing I'd ever seen.

"How did you find it?" I asked quietly.

"Lots of looking," Zelda replied. "It was stolen from the goddesses by a mortal man a long time ago- an ancestor of Ganondorf, who greedily consumed its power. He hid the ocarina with magic, so that when the goddesses came after him, they could not find it. Now that he is long dead and the magic had dispelled slightly, they sent me to look for it."

"Couldn't they have gone themselves?" I asked, eyes returning to Zelda's face as she wrapped the ocarina back up.

"Yes, but they wanted me to, instead," she replied. "Nayru told me that the goddesses test the ones they love. You withstood your tests, and I had to withstand mine. This was one of them."

I wanted to know what she'd seen, what she'd done, what she'd been through since those fateful events so long ago. But, I realized, there were more important things at hand.

"Your father passed away," I said to her quietly. "Not long ago, actually. A month."

"I know," Zelda responded softly. "I saw him pass. Another of the goddesses' tests. I'm not sad, though," she added, smiling at me in a way that betrayed her words. "He has been so lonely since mother died. Now he gets to join her."

"What is it like in the realms?" I asked Zelda, suddenly aware of all the things separating us, all the things between us that would keep our love from ever being the same.

"I'm not allowed to tell you," she replied, grinning and touching my cheek. "You've been there, though. You were dead once, too."

I shook my head, confused. "That sounds so weird," I snickered, causing Zelda to laugh. She reached down and took my hand with one of her bound ones, smiling up at me.

"I heard of my father's decree," she said quietly. "That you were to assume the throne if I did not return. But I have... and yet, I cannot govern. Not on my own.

"I know that I left you," she continued, "and I know that I have changed into an entirely new person, but law says that I can't be queen without a king beside me. So, Link, won't you please stand beside me? Marry me, like you promised me you would so long ago?"

"Of course," I replied without hesitation, bringing her fingers to my mouth and kissing each calloused tip in turn. Her eyes burned into mine, and then suddenly she was in my arms, clinging tight to me and resting her head against my chest. She had, somehow, gotten smaller, just as I suspected.

"Oh, Link," she gushed. "I missed you so much... every day and night I thought about you and how much I missed you, praying that you wouldn't forget about me..."

"I know," I replied quietly. "But... it's so strange. I'm having difficulty beliving it's you."

"I understand." She pulled away, still smiling at me. "And I really don't have any way to prove to you that it really is me. Please, though, trust me."

"I will try," I responded, touching the soft skin of her hand. Nothing wrong there. No magic, nothing strange. Just Zelda's hand, calloused, but still there, down to the strange bend in her pinky from when she broke it falling down into the ravine so long ago.

"Zelda," I asked suddenly, looking down at her. "Why are you shorter?"

"I spent too long in a wood called the "Kokiri Forest", to the southwest, a ways away from the Southern Wood. It's supposed to morph the adults who get lost there into lost spirits, and the children who live there are young forever."

"But you're here," I stated, measuring her head against my chest. Definitely shorter.

"I had the protection of the goddesses. It just wound up making me a little shorter and a little younger."

"How much?" I asked, eyeing her form.

"Only about a year," she replied simply. "Not that I'm complaining."

"How are you going to convince the people to give you the throne?" I asked quietly. "And, on another subject, where's my horse?"

"The goddesses will help me," she replied, whistling through her fingers. Epona galloped up, seemingly from nowhere, and I hopped up, Zelda lithely following, wrapping her arms around my stomach as we rode off to the palace.

I thought my heart might burst from joy.

&-

We knelt together before the altar, both draped in robes of gold, the traditional color of weddings. Blinding red, blue, and green streamers and banners hung from the high ceiling, the emblems of the goddesses. Everywhere there were candles- the colored candles of the goddesses for good luck, gold candles for happiness, fertility, and prosperity, and, scattered in amongst all these candles, a white candle in remembrance of the king.

I shot a glance at Zelda from the corner of my eye. She was truly dazzling in a fitted gown that shone like the sun, her hair coiled up and decorated with strands of white pearls, for her father, and a single flower she told me she'd picked up on her quest, an ever-blooming, white forget-me-not.

"It means true and everlasting love," she'd told me the night she returned, twirling it by its stem and then offering it to me. I'd put my hand around hers, smiling.

"Wear it at our wedding."

She wasn't listening to the preacher with rapt attention as most brides did, but then again, Zelda had never been particularly rapt when she had something better to think about or do. And there was, apparently, something on her mind as she looked at the altar before us, which was typically barren save for three holy relics only brought out for large weddings: Din's dagger, Nayru's cup, and Farore's bangle. Zelda wasn't looking at the relics, however, but at the three niches they sat in. Inwardly, I shook my head- it was just another one of those Goddesses things, I was sure. It had amused me when we'd first walked into the temple and she'd immediately looked around, her eyes darting about as she located all the exits and hiding places. Truly, her adventures had changed her.

I wasn't particularly worried, and was more fixated with the many flowers around the altar, the many bursts of color. There were many buds I didn't recognize, and many buds I did, but their meanings were unknown to me- I would have to ask Zelda.

Oh, yes, and then there was the priest.

"...to be bound together for eternity, to serve the goddesses in any way the golden three might desire..."

Zelda's eyes snapped over to the preist, her brow furrowing. Then she seemed to remember where she was and was suddenly all the devout, happy bride, all ears and rapture.

"...to be humble and faithful, kind and gentle, and loving. To rule together over the grand and holy land of Hyrule in matrimony, to produce heirs to secure the future of the country, to demonstrate and lead the people of Hyrule in the devout practices of the temple: these are that which the goddesses decree." The priest indicated for us to rise. Together, we stood, joining hands as we did so, as dictated by centuries of ceremony. The priest picked up a golden bowl of holy water from behind the altar, holding it before him in his two hands and bidding us turn to face one another. It was the exchange of vows- the wedding was nearly over.

"Know thee," Zelda began, dipping her finger into the holy water, "that all the love and devotion within my soul now is thine, that eternal devotion shall bind me to thou, forever." As she traced the holy triangle on my forehead, she whispered under her breath, "I am yours, through and through."

I smiled, squeezing her hand, and dipping my own large fingers into the water.

"Know thee," I stated gently and clearly, "that all the love and devotion within my soul is now thine, that eternal devotion shall bind me to thou, forever." Lovingly, I traced the triangle on her bow. "And I, yours," I breathed. She smiled at me in a way that made my heart fill wih joy- her eyes sparkled with tears of happiness, and, deep within, sadness at the loss of her father. I knew that she would have liked him to be here. I would have, too...

"Then let this union be holy and blessed by the divine three," the preacher proclaimed, still holding the bowl. "May they lend you guidance and the strength to carry on in the face of adversity. For the good and the bad, the night and the day, for now and forever you are bound. May you bask in the holiness of the divine three for all eternity," he concluded. "This marriage is bound and sanctified by witnesses, by the temple, and by the goddesses. Do all here agree?" he directed to the many people sitting in the pews and, further back, standing. The many people in the church began to cheer, and both Zelda and I beamed.

The priest raised the bowl of holy water to the sky, proclaiming joyfully, "I pronounce thee wed." Golden confetti began to fall from the high arched ceiling, and as it did so, Zelda laughed with delight. The many people in the temple, the priest included, looked up in awe.

"A gift from the goddesses," she laughed to me over the amazed hubbub, turning in a delighted circle. I smiled, happy as well. Her giddiness was infectuous. Laughing, I picked her up, spinning her in a circle, and then kissing her on the lips once as I set her down.

"Ready to be coronated?" she asked, grabbing my hand.

"You bet," I replied, and together, we led the procession of amazed wedding-goers outside.

&-

Those who hadn't been able to fit inside the temple had stood outside during the ceremony, and they parted as we walked through their numbers, holding hands and smiling. We stopped just before the fountain in front of the temple, where there was an almost perfectly circular clearing. Two templemen stood before the fountain, and were quickly joined by a third, the priest from our wedding. Before the templemen was a mat, violet, the color of the royal family. Getting control of ourselves, Zelda and I solemnly knelt again, side by side, and the thought wandered across my mind that before the day was over, I would have large bruises on my knees from so much kneeling. Luckily, though, the coronation would not take long. I did have to admit, though, that it was difficult to keep a straight face when I looked at Zelda out of the corner of my eye- she was absolutely covered in golden confetti.

The priest took the crown of the king- my crown- from the man who stood in the middle, and set the bowl of holy water at his feet. He was old, but not ancient, with white hair and a kind face. His eyes were brown and his robes looked like light. Zelda bowed her head to him, and he smiled.

"Princess," he began, and the whole area went quiet at the sound of his booming voice. "Do you accept the duty that the goddesses have pressed upon you, to be a mother and a queen to Hyrule, to protect and to guide Their children, to uphold the name of the Goddesses and the laws that they have allocated?"

"I do," Zelda replied solemnly.

"Do you solemnly vow to accept all who have seen Their light into your lands, regardless of race or nation or past, to protect Their children from harm, both from within and without of this Most Holy land of Hyrule?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to lead your people by example, to work and live in harmony with your King and Husband, to bear his Heirs to that the legacy of Hyrule might be carried on?"

"I do."

"Then I pronounce and anoint you Zelda Aieleua Godlieva de Hyrule, Hyrulian Queen."

The heavy golden crown was sprinkled with holy water, then set upon Zelda's head. She closed her eyes, breathing in deep, then opened them and smiled.

"Thank you, Raru," she told him quietly. He nodded, also smiling, and pressed his hand gently to her face, tracing the holy triangle on her forehead.

"Anything for you, my child. In the name of the Goddesses, I decree you queen."

He stepped back, and then turned to look at me.

"Sir Link, noble knight of Hyrule," Raru said, turning to face me. "Though you are not of noble birth, you have become of noble rank. Do you accept the duty that the goddesses have pressed upon you, to be a father and a king to Hyrule, to protect and to guide Their children, to uphold the name of the Goddesses and the laws that they have allocated?"

"I do," I replied, inwardly shaking my head at the unnecessary repition that often came with ceremony.

"Do you solemnly vow to accept all who have seen Their light into your lands, regardless of race or nation or past, to protect Their children from harm, both from within and without of this Most Holy land of Hyrule?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to lead your people by example, to work and live in harmony with your Queen and Wife, to protect and raise your Heirs so that the legacy of Hyrule might be carried on?"

Heirs- our children. Just the thought filled me with inexplicable joy: Zelda's and my children. "I do."

"Then I pronounce and anoint you Link Regnus Aelfdec de Hyrule, Hyrulian King."

The cold, heavy golden crown was set upon my head, and as it did I felt no remorse that I was now in a difficult position, would be forever bound to a life of dignitaries and stress, never to be carefree again. It would be worth it, I knew- it was for Zelda, for me to be wih Zelda, forever.

As Raru traced the holy triangle on my forehead, murmuring "In the name of the Goddesses, I decree you King," I couldn't help but think that my old life was over now- no more simplicity, no more "following orders", no more leisure. I'd exchanged my organized, predictable life for something more drastic, more important, more unchangable...

Looking at Zelda, I didn't regret a thing.

&-

After the coronation was a party, which lasted long into the night. Finally, when Zelda began to nod off against my shoulder, we excused ourselves- to many a racuous hoot and quie a bit of cheering. Zelda snickered and I shook my head, and off we went to our chambers.

Our room was large and airy, our belongings already unpacked, just barely mingled together. Zelda opened up a large chest of drawers and made a face.

"I wish they wouldn't unpack everything for us. I don't know where everything is."

"Relax," I told her, sitting on the edge of the large four-poster bed and pulling off my boots. "You'll figure it out in no time. This is a nice mattress," I added, bouncing up and down a little. "Feather?"

"Yeah," Zelda replied, attention focused entirely on the chest-of-drawers.

"Don't worry, Zelda. You don't need to-"

A sudden knock at the door made both of us jump.

"Put your clothes back on, Link, because I don't want to see it," Damleda shouted through.

"How do you know it's not Zelda who's naked?"

"Because there's no way in hell she's getting out of that dress or that corset without someone experienced helping her. You, sir, are not experienced. Why do you think I'm here?"

"Damleda, you're too kind," Zelda stated, opening the door for our pretty friend.

"I only came because I'd hate to see such a good dress ruined," Damleda sniffed, and then looked at the chest of drawers. "What, can't find your robe?"

"Unfortunately not," Zelda replied sullenly. Damleda sighed, then shook her head.

"Alright, come on. Behind the screen, then... Link, could you dig through that chest of drawers and look for a robe?"

"What, this robe?" I asked, picking up the soft, squishy piece of cloth I'd been sitting on. "I thought it was a blanket."

"No, stupid," Damleda replied, taking the robe and ushering Zelda behind the screen. "And don't you two start being newlyweds until you've given me ample time to get down the hallway.

"Again, you are too kind," came Zelda's droll reply. "But thank you, though. I don't think I could get all these buttons and laces undone myself, and Link would ruin it."

"The thing about these ridiculous laces," Damlea grunted, "is that they're very-" she grunted again "-stubborn. Ah, goddesses curse fashion and stupid restrictive undergarments. Can you breathe now?"

"Yes, thank you," Zelda exhaled gratefully. "That's so much better."

"Try learning to get yourself in and out of one of these things alone. Whew!"

"What's going on?" I asked, curious.

"Torture devices, that's what," Damleda replied. "Goodness, look at those welts."

"They'll go away," Zelda responded cheerfully. "They always do."

"Those have to hurt, though."

"Wait, don't touch them! That makes it worse."

"I know, I know. Sorry."

"Welts?" I asked, trying to bend my mind around the bizarre conversation happening on the other side of the screen.

"I don't suppose you've ever pulled your belt too tight and had red marks in your skin?" Damleda asked.

"Ah."

"What I don't understand is why we're submitted to fasion," Zelda chimed. "Corsets really don't do very much for those of us who are smaller, like you and I, and then the larger women who wear them are just frightening."

"I agree completely," Damleda replied. "Maybe now that you're queen, you can outlaw them."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Alright, you're done," Damleda said, stepping back out from behind the screen. Her fingers were red, and the idly rubbed the tips. "Feel better?"

"Much," Zelda replied, stepping out as well and pulling the white robe tighter around her. "I don't suppose you'd be kind enough to undo my hair?"

"I'll take the pearls out, but Prince Charming here can deal with the pins. I'm too tired, and Esten is waiting for me."

"Fair enough," Zelda concurred, sitting down at a small dressing table and tenderly removing the white forget-me-not from her hair. "Link, would you put this somewhere safe for me? It doesn't need water."

"Sure," I replied, standing up and meandering over, taking the flower from her and looking around. I spotted a small pictograph on one of the nice tables next to the bed and stopped in front of it. It was Zelda and myself at the ball, a long time ago.

"Who took this?" I asked, picking it up and looking at it. Pictographs were rare, and those who had pictograph cameras didn't usually flaunt it.

"One of the Goron Lords, believe it or not. He's known for having a strange obsession with pictographs... like a hobby. He gave it to me just after the army marched... what was it, two, three months ago?"

"Three," I told her, putting down the pictograph and the flower, and then peeling off my slightly uncomfortable shirt- the same, golden one I'd worn at the wedding. Underneath, I wore a simple white top that had acted as insulation against the coming chill of autumn, but had been uncomfortably warm in the party.

"There," Damleda said, setting down the last string of pearls and a few pins. "Done. No need to thank me- and I got out the worst pins, too, so you shouldn't have any problem getting your hair the rest of the way down. Good night, you two," she added, heading for the door. "I won't bother setting places for you at the table tomorrow."

We'd been routinely joining Esten and Damleda for breakfast ever since Zelda returned- almost as though we were one big happy family.

"Good night," Zelda and I bid Damleda in unison, and, smiling, she left the room, shutting the door behind her. I strode over, locked the door, and returned to Zelda, who was combing her hands through her hair, trying to get out all the pins.

"Here," I offered, gently trailing my fingers through her locks. "Let me help."

She closed her eyes, relaxing and leaning back against me as I carefully removed all the pins I could find, running my hands through her hair. "That feels nice," she complimented me. I rested my hands on her shoulders, looking down at her and grinning.

"That wasn't a command to stop," she grumbled, and then looked at me in the mirror. "What are you smiling about?"

"Six months ago, we were out at the hunting lodge," I told her. She quirked a brow, her face blank.

"And?"

"You cast a spell on the door to make it... noisy." I grinned even wider, and then swooped her up in my arms. "You're not going to have to do that tonight."

"No," she agreed. "I'll have to cast a spell to keep it silent so we can have some privacy. I'm sure there are people who will walk by and put their ears against the wood."

I laughed at this, turning a little red. She smiled, patting my cheek. "Oh, dear Link," she sighed. "What ever shall I do with you?"

"Be mine," I stated, setting her gently down on the bed. "Forever."

"That, I think I can do," she replied with a grin, pulling me down to her for a passionate kiss. She waved her free hand and the candles went out, leaving us alone in the dark, together. As we two became one, I could not help but think that the struggles, the heartbreak, the trials we had faced and the time that we were apart had fed the fires of our love, and that every last trial had been worth it.

It has been many years since then, and I have had the pleasure of growing old with Zelda. Our first child, a boy, was born a little less than a year after our wedding. Not long after, Esten and Damleda had a second child, a daughter. Within three years, Zelda and I had born two more children, another son who had his mother's propensity for magic, and our daughter, Wynne, a little witch who grew to be the subject of many young men's devotions at court when she was older, despite her boyish attitude. She joined the army, however, becoming the first woman knight, and fighting with both blade and spell alongside Rowan, who also became an esteemed warrior, for many years. Neither she nor Rowan never married, choosing instead companionship in one another and love in the art of war.

Our second son, Maddox, was tutored in the ways of magic by his mother from a very young age, and later studied magical arts abroad. While on his travels, he fell in love with an Arucan peasant girl and wed her, then returned to Hyrule to take up an esteemed position in the Temple. He became the first true mage of Hyrule, his children eagerly taking up his ways to preserve the extensive knowledge of magic collected across generations. Lastly, our eldest child, Aiden, grew up to become king, taking Esten and Damleda's daughter Fiona as his wife, together having several children. Watching our children and grandchildren grow has been the greatest delight for Zelda and myself, and though many years have passed since the first flames of passion were kindled within us, the love has never since dimmed. The tale of our romance has become one of legend, sung by bards in courts all across the world and told to children as bedtime stories. The moral of our story is simple and true: trust in love and take your fate into your own hands, because if you do, anything is possible.

---

A/N: And that's the end! Sorry it took so long- I've been remarkably busy, and in between being busy and being asleep I've been consumed by apathy. So this is it, all of One Hundred Days, hopefully with an ending satisfying enough for everyone. Hooray! More stories may be coming... eventually... but for now, I'm making no promises. Not at least until April, when I (might) start having free time again. For those of you who are anxiously waiting for Ordinary Story's update, relax, sit back, maybe read a magazine or go get some ice cream or something because it'll be a while yet before I've finished working on it. For those of you who are completely dissatisfied with this story, with OS, hate me, and are considering/planning on reviewing solely to flame me and let me know how horrible I am and how my writing sucks and how you're pissed off because I didn't end MY story the way YOU wanted it to end... well, you can just go to hell. D And I mean that literally.

Now that I've got THAT out of the way, I feel like there's something more that I need to tell you guys that I'm forgetting. Oh, yeah. If there's anyone willing to devote the time and patience enough to read, edit, CRITIQUE and act like a general idea sounding board, give me a holler. I'd appreciate it tons, though I promise nothing yet. Hell, even if you're not interested/don't have the time/are only going to tell me how incredibly fabulous (hah) my work is, give me a holler. I'd be glad to hear from you, though I can't promise that I'll be replying to much email for a while- the times when I am at home and within reach of a comptuer are inconsistent at best and more often than not are nonexistant. So that's that.

If anyone has any ideas for oneshots/challenges, send 'em over. Am I missing anything? No? In that case, I'll shut up.

Thanks for your loyalty and extended patience. It really means a lot to me. See you next story!