Summary: Even on bad days you can learn something useful.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda or its characters.
Warning: Some language.
A/N: A one shot about a young Link. Set in Ocarina of Time. Hope you will enjoy it! Thanks to my dear beta LadyDiablo for all your work!
Learning something new
"Heeey!"
Link shot up from his comfortable position, still half asleep, fumbling after the hilt of his sword. Wide eyed he scouted the surroundings for some sort of threat. Even the Hyrule field wasn't safe anymore, especially the outskirts near the river.
As he staggered to a stand he wondered what it was that woke him up so abruptly. The green clad boy crouched down, his wooden sword in defense position, franticly scanning the terrain around him.
No threat detected whatsoever.
A frown began to appear between the young boy's eyebrows. What in the world had he heard?
"Heey. Heeeeeey!"
A small ball of light with delicate wings fluttered near him, at the moment enthusiastically circling his head.
"Listen!"
Navi. A fairy. His fairy. It must have been her who he had heard shouting before.
"Is there some kind of danger?" Link anxiously asked. Navi didn't answer. "Hey, fairy! What is it?"
"What would Saria say if we told her we're going to save Hyrule?"
The blond boy mentally head slapped himself and fought off a tremendous urge to wring the fairy's neck. That. Damned. Fairy. She knew he liked his sleep, still she felt the need to scare him awake this early, only to tell him nonsense.
"You woke me up for that?" He glared at his now constant companion. Tiredly he tried to focus on the glowing ball, which still circled his head happily. The fairy seemed content with herself.
"You have already told me this - twice."
This fact didn't bother the small creature the slightest. She just changed her position to somewhere above his shoulder. Still as content as before. Link groaned. There was apparently no direct danger looming and silently he sheathed his sword.
Link was immensely happy about his personal fairy. He really was, he hadn't had one for the longest of times. In fact, he had never had one before, and it made him different from all the other children of Kokiri Forset. It had been bothering him, to say the least.
But when he eventually got one, why had he ended up with a senile one? A well-meaning, sweet, affectionate but senile fairy?
The green clad boy could feel one of his eyes beginning to twitch at the thoughts of his dim-witted companion. Taking reign of his irritation he squinted at the horizon. The sun had just begun to rise. Link sighed, he could just as well start his day now instead of going back to sleep. He had planned to, just as usual, be up within half an hour anyway. He had a lot to do today and therefore it was regrettably no reason going back to sleep.
Link grabbed his few belongings and started to walk towards the river. A quick detour to the water was necessary before he continued his journey to Kakariko Village. An opportunity to wash his face would be nice and he had to refill his water bottle. But the small hero was only able to take a couple of steps before he was interrupted. By an all too familiar voice.
"Hee-eey!"
"What!" Link snapped.
"What would Saria say if we told her we're going to save Hyrule?"
He really had ended up with a senile fairy. And a talkative on at that. Ignoring Navi's statement he turned around and once again started to walk.
"Heey!"
Silence. A few heartbeats of silence.
"Listen!"
Totally disregarding the glowing ball Link followed a nearly invisible trail to the water. Didn't she tire of trying to get his attention? Not even able to finish his thought, the fairy's voice was heard. He sighed. Obviously not. The same words could be heard time and time again. Every time in the same happy tone.
Annoying creature.
Still ignoring Navi's exclamations Link dropped his belongings on the ground and proceeded to take off his boots and gauntlets and putting them beside his other things. His cap and socks soon followed the gauntlets. After establishing that there weren't any enemies in the vicinity the blond boy stepped into the cold river water.
The boy thought it was best to make the time in the stream as short as possible, the cold had him already slightly shivering. Quickly Link splashed some water in his face and washed the worst grime out off his hair. Freezing and now visibly trembling he fetched the water bottle from his bag. As he filled the bottle he combed through the blond tresses with his fingers. A peek at the sun told him it was time to head for Kakariko. He wanted to arrive at the village before sunset, if possible. He swiftly turned around and was instantly smacked in the face by a glowing orb.
Instinctively Link stumbled back and desperately tried to regain his balance. To no avail. The boy fell backwards into the shallow water. Somehow in the process he managed to empty all the water in the bottle over himself. All the while hearing one common, and now hated, word - heeey.
The small ball of light observed the now flailing boy with curiosity. Had she really frightened him so bad?
Damn, damn fairy!
The soaked boy shot spluttering out of the water and frustration had him clenching his hands; one to a fist and the other had a death grip on the bottle. All the morning's built up irritation turned into a red haze anger and made all rational thinking impossible.
"Could you at least use a different word than heeey!" The question was screamed of the top of his lungs.
Yes, all the rational thinking... gone.
The fairy hovered in front of the enraged boy, confusion emitting from the small ball.
"List..en?"
It was enough. Without even realizing Link snatched the winged creature out of the air, put it in the bottle he was holding and forcefully capped the damn thing.
Surprised, Link looked at the fairy in the bottle, as she frantically flew around in her small confinement. The boy didn't take his eyes of the agitated creature. He could almost feel her screaming at him while she continued to swish around. But he couldn't hear a sound.
Blessed silence.
After a while Navi went still at the bottom of the bottle, the only movement was a few twitches in the wings, she was clearly sulking.
Link stepped out of the water, gently placing the bottle on the ground. The boy tried to dry himself off as much as possible before he put on his clothes and weaponry. After preparing for departure he went back to the bottle, concernedly surveying the inhabitant for a while and concluded that the fairy seemed okay in there. Her scowling at him alone proved that. The boy took his bag and gingerly placed the bottle inside again. It had its advantages, this new use of a bottle.
The old saying was right, you can definitely learn something new every day.
Link smirked.
A/N: Please read and review!