The first one-shot I'm to write! That was voted for by… I don't know the names, but they're most likely reading this… Thanks for that, people!

I do not claim to own The Legend of Zelda.

The mare lifted her head, ears up and swivelling about in an attempt to catch even a faint sound, nostrils opened wide so the night winds could be caught easily, should they carry even a faint smell.

Epona stomped when a sound did reach her ear, and snorted when she caught even a slight whiff. The sound had been close, and the smell had been stallion… He carried a faint whiff of sand and cinnamon, meaning he must have come from the desert.

In the darkness, the mare's white tail and mane stood out, a thing she was very well aware of and which had made her slightly nervous when handling situations in darkness.

A snort, a soft neigh, came from the night, bringing the shadowy sound of the animal who had produced it.

He said he brought neither harm or danger, only hunger.

Epona, who never trusted with no proof, danced out of the shadow-horse's way, lying her ears flat against her head in a show of displeasure.

The stallion stopped, raising his head and tilting his ears back and forth in befuddled silence. Then he asked why she had done as she had done. Why had she stepped away?

She answered that she had no want to be in his presence.

The stallion looked at her curiously, asking her why that was how she felt.

She answered the he was a shadow, and that shadows oughtn't be trusted. No one knew what came from them!

The stallion offered no answer to that other than a sad movement before moving further on a bit to graze peacefully in loneliness.

Epona, now curious, trotted over to him, asking what his sadness meant.

He explained that he knew what came from the darkness, and that it saddened him that so many feared it…

She asked what came from the shadows.

He came from those shadows, was his answer.

Epona snorted and danced away, a strange look, not of terror, came over her. She said it shouldn't have been much of a surprise… But she felt sorry for him.

The stallion raised his head, a look of hope in his raised ears.

The mare danced curiously around the hopeful, asking him what caused him happiness.

He answered that it was nice somebody pitied him for his origins… He had come from hell and ordinary horse, he had not chosen his soul to have been forged in such gruesome darkness… How was he at fault?

Epona had no answer, so she lowered her head, instead, to graze beside the Stallion Born of Shadows… He was a very hopeful shadow.

So… I have written one other story for these two in this manner, with no quotation-marks whatsoever. I've done this in the same manner for two reasons, one: Because this form portrays the fact that they are animals better, I think, as animals communicate primarily with body-language. Two: Because my first attempt got complimented by one who knows what she's talking about, and said the horses acted as she'd expect.

Right… I hope you enjoyed. ^_^ Please leave a review.