The end was a little cold, but my heart bleeds for both of them.

very realistic portrayal of the characters. i can really see it. love the way you write...thanks for sharing!

I really have to agree with this... After all he has been through, and more to come, I wouldn't honestly be surprised if Link became stone-cold, Hard, edged, bitter, all of that. Enough to put Impa's stonyness and Ganon's malice to shame. Heh, heaven knows I would. Good work, Really enjoyed it!

Hell, this is what inspired my character of Link.

Oh, how sad. I think you captured the dynamic well between Zelda and Link... and I think also that Zelda's frustration with, but her stoicism in the face of, court life makes sense. She knows it's all a lot of puffery, but she carries on because it's her duty. That's very in-character for her.

A lot of fanfics that deal with a heroic character becoming jaded, especially one who so embodies the heroic archetype like Link does, fall flat on their faces. Often, they either go too far into the character's angst too quickly, leaving the reader to wonder where in the world the characterization came from, or the character is magically pulled out of depression/post-traumatic stress disorder/whatever serious mental problem by story's end. Or both.

This particular take on it does neither, and I think that's what makes it work so well. Seeing things through Zelda's eyes, we don't know exactly what the state of Link's thoughts are, and I think that's for the best. The quiet sense of humor Zelda keeps up throughout also prevents things from getting too angsty, too fast, and the fact that things are left unresolved at the end is a definite plus.

In short, bravo on writing one of these fics and actually creating the emotional impact you intended!

wow... you really catch the emotions of real people. Great Work!

My god. That was too good. Its a shame that its a one-shot though. Sniff.

Wow. One-shot, yes...but still great. I think you should make long stories sometimes because with your way of words, it'd work.

Funny how you can write a story tainted with bitterness, brightened with humour, and charged with emotion and still keep the mood angsty and the word count under 1500. I must confess, Startide, you are incredible. Your one-shots are so poignant and of an appropriate length to achieve utmost effect. I envy your talent. Hope to see another story from you soon. Cheers.

That was really good, infact, very emotional! Well written, it drags a person right down to the end, waiting for every next word. Oh, and congradulations on the line 'and the strap on your gauntlet that kept coming undone' xD I had to stop and laugh for that!
Keep writting!

I like it! I mean.. it's a little sad, and it really should have a happy ending... but it's pretty good. I like your style a lot.

JEEZUM CROW, THAT IS A LUCKY THREE. Each one of these is just too good for words. You're a brilliant writer; you really put emotion into it.
Damn good show,
Chris186

I absolutely adore your writing style - it is both original and evocative, and the characterization is fantastic. I love to read and, in all honesty, I am much more entertained by your little vignettes than I am by a good percentage of what I see in print in the bookstores. Keep at it! The world needs more writing like this!

Awesome story! Kinda wish it wasn't a one-shot. It was very well written, and the characterization of the characters and their emotions were pretty well-developed, very easy to believe. Great work, keep up the good work!

Emotional, dry-humored, and oh so sardonic. This is nice. I like it.