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Chapter Two

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Alanna awoke, feeling confused and dazed, as if she had forgotten something important and couldn't remember what. Her dreams had been unsettling, though she could no longer remember why. She gazed around the cave, looking for something that might jog her memory. This cave was at least three times larger than the cave she had first entered into. Unlike the first, it was completely empty of cobwebs and spiders. In fact, it seemed empty of everything. No dust covered the floor, as if someone had recently swept. An odd smell filled the air, but Alanna could not think what it was. The cave seemed oddly light, considering that she must have been at least a hundred yards from the entrance.

A rustling noise startled her into awareness. "Who's there?" she whispered, not really wanting whoever, or whatever, was hiding the darkness to hear her. Her efforts were in vain as she heard the thing draw a metallic weapon and begin slowly, but loudly, stalking toward her. Alanna tried to make her shaking hands stay still, hoping that the creature would pass her by unnoticed. She held her breath. The . . . Alanna could not think just what to call it . . . came closer and closer. A gasp escaped her as the figure stepped into the light. The light revealed a boy clad in green.

"You again?" Link said, putting away the sword he had drawn. "Darn, I was looking forward to a good fight."

Alanna released her long held breath. "You . . . you . . . what are you doing in my cave?"

"Your cave? I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that anyone owned this cave," he replied smartly.

She stammered back, "I was here first!"

"Ah-ha. I see," mussed Link, "And how would you know that, considering you obviously didn't even know I was here?" Alanna didn't even answer. She just threw her hands up in disgust and marched over to the other side of the cave. "Fine then," he said and marched toward the opposite side.

How dare he, Alanna fumed, Acting like he's so smart and tough. She wondered if she was forever cursed to meet up with such indignant people. First, there was that terrible boy she had met last summer in Hyrule market. He had been so rude as to try to steal her basket. Then there was this new boy, who was having delusions of grandeur.

Putting off her frustration for another time when she really could do something about it, she began to wonder what to do next. The logical course of action, of course, was to find her way out of this cave, out of the forest and back home. The problem with that course of action was that the entrance was over on hero boy's side of the cave. Sighing with the realization that she'd have to go over there sometime, Alanna began to approach the other side of the cave, hoping to slip out without having to deal with him again. Midway across the cave, she bumped into something. When she looked up, it was Link.

"Look, I'm sorry that I made you so mad," he apologized. Alanna could tell that he really meant it, but she was still mad at him anyway. It was better not to trust people. Too often had she been hurt that way. She was about to reply with a snappy remark, when a loud crack split the air like a cracking glacier. They both gasped as they turned their heads in the direction of the sound and were met with a burst of blinding light.

Alanna slowly removed her hands from her eyes as the light dimmed to a pale glow. "Look," she said in awe to Link, who was still shielding his eyes with his arm. The sight that met both of them was a large crack, splitting the cave wall in two. Upon further examination they found the crack was large enough for them to pass through.

The thought occurred to both of them at the same time. " Should we . . . ." whispered Alanna.

"Ladies first," Link replied. He stepped aside, extending his arm in a gesture for her to enter. She began to walk through the crack, slowly but surely. Link followed in behind her as she stared up in awe at the room they had entered.

The room seemed to be made of crystal. Every movement they made was echoed in each of the faces of the glittering walls. Sounds reiterated in the room, which had the acoustics of a grand music hall. Every step was as loud as a bowling ball dropping. Unlike the rooms before, the air in this room smelled clean and fresh, as it would after rain on a fresh spring day.

However, what awed Alanna the most was what was in the center of the room. A large pillar extended from the floor to the ceiling, which was at least a hundred feet high. The crystal of which the pillar was constructed was purer than any crystal she had ever seen. It was so pure as to seem almost invisible. Even though she knew no one else could have ever been here before, she had to wonder who had sculpted the crystal so expertly. Intricate designs filled every surface. Ancient ruins covered some faces, while others were filled with pictures that seemed to tell a story. Yet the most fascinating thing about the pillar was not its near perfection. Its only imperfection was what held her attention.

Link and Alanna walked up to the column in silent agreement to examine it further. Suspended in the center of the column was fist-sized triangle. Its deep blackness seemed to shatter the pillar's purity. As Alanna stared at it, it seemed to stare back, mesmerizing her with its dark beauty. It pulled her in as she looked further into its depths. She felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into its endless nothingness. She no longer felt that she needed to care about anything. Everything was gone. No one bothered her. She was not lonely. She was not happy or sad. She only existed. There were no emotions. There were no trees, no flowers, no rocks. . . . There was nothing. Alanna didn't care. Nothing mattered. All the worries she'd been carrying were lost. All was silent. Nothing mattered. Deeper she went. Everything silent. Nothing mattered. Deeper she went. Deeper and deeper . . . .

Alanna snapped back to life as she heard Link calling her name. "Alanna," he asked in a frightened voice, "What happened?"

She began to feel dizzy. Taking a few steps backward, she put her hand on the wall of the room for support. "I . . . I don't know," she said weakly. "I was looking at it . . . and then . . . it was . . . ." Lacking the words to describe the terrible and wonderful experience, she lapsed into silence. The room suddenly felt cold as if an arctic wind had blow through it. Alanna shivered involuntarily at the sudden chill. She longed to go back to that place, but yet she was frightened of what might happen to her if she did.

"I think we should leave here," Link said, looking distrustfully at the crystal pillar. Link didn't have to explain his reasons for leaving. Alanna could sense that something was wrong here. There was something unnatural about the room. She gave the pillar a longing, fearful glance. Finally, she nodded in agreement. She grabbed Link's hand, whether for balance or safety she did not know, and together they left the cave.