(Green Pig:- My very first attempt to write a Legend of Zelda fic! All because I found the game again the other day and decided to start a new file… I have yet to complete the dungeon in Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly – I've forgotten what to do!!!! – Anyway, I decided that the game was just so cool that there was a great opportunity to write some fanfiction and I began to type…this has taken me a long time to finally decide to post this, I have more, but as always you have to wait.)

DISCLAIMER: lemme see, never done one for this game… er… 'The Legend of Zelda', 'Link' and all other characters and things from the game 'The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time' do not belong to me.  I'm just having a little fun.

The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time

Seven years is a long time away from Reality

By Green Pig

The Start of a Beautiful Relationship…?

Lord Jabu-Jabu had been tough, but Link had handled the whole dungeon well enough though it would have been easier if it were not for her highness' incessant comments about his lack of skill and manners.  He'd never come across such a rude and spoilt little girl as she before, what did he know about talking to royals? All his life growing up in the forest with the Kokiri hadn't prepared him for any kind of communication skills with the aristocracy of Hyrule, it was so hard to believe anyone could be so snooty; especially since it was all coming from a fish.

No, not a fish, that was just plain rude to consider the Zoras as ordinary fish, though fishlike the species were as able to think and communicate as well as any Hyrulian, Kokiri or Shiek.  Link climbed back out of Jabu-Jabu's big stinking belly with princess Ruto still babbling on about how much she didn't really approve of his tactics.

I just saved her life and nearly lost mine and still she goes on…

They made it to the mouth of lord Jabu-Jabu when suddenly they heard and felt a huge tremor rumbling from within the depths of the fish's great belly, Ruto screamed and flattened herself against the mammoth teeth, Link drew his Kokiro sword swiftly and held up the Hyrulian shield to defend the princess and himself, despite how much she was annoying him right now.  As always though he was ever silent, keeping his thoughts to himself and accepting the wishes of others.  Was he right to keep his opinions to himself and never give his own advice to those who were in confusion over problems he always seemed to find so easy to resolve?

The stomach gurgled but it sounded like the wail of a dying pig, Link screwed up his face; he knew what was about to come.

Lord Jabu-Jabu belched and Link and Ruto went flying.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

He landed on something hard and oddly shaped; it was the big tree half submerged in the surrounding waters of Jabu-Jabu's shrine.  As Link stood up Ruto's big round face with those watery fishy eyes came into view and he fell off the tree in surprise right into the water with a big splash.  Ruto giggled and leapt down to join him, he spluttered briefly and then treaded the water as she swam up to him with all the ease a Zora had.  He wished he could one day be so good in the water, alas; that kind of dream could only be if he one day he suddenly found he was a Zora himself.  Dream on Link, dream on.

She thanked him wholeheartedly for helping her to retrieve her mother's precious stone and gave it up willingly.

"If you take it from me, that means you'll have to marry me; it's a Zora tradition.  Now you'll have to promise to marry me Link!" Marriage? To a Zora?!

Link thought briefly about marrying Ruto and came to the conclusion that when he was old enough to marry anybody she'd have probably forgotten all about him and he'd be away from Hyrule on another quest of some sort.  He had a feeling his life would not be smooth sailing; it was bound to involve more travelling and battling the forces of evil.

Link took the Zora's blue sapphire spiritual stone and left Zora's domain quickly; he had had enough of the Zora's and their Miss-High-and-Mighty princess for one day.

~ ( :: ( :: (:: (:: (:: o ::) ::) :: ) :: ) :: ) ~

Hyrule Field, a vast landscape that spread far and wide and linked all four corners of the world together, at its centre was Lon Lon Ranch, the soul provider of fresh milk and the horses for the royal guard of Hyrule Castle Town.  Speaking of Lon Lon Ranch, Link thought as he left Hyrule Lake and journeyed on quickly down the track, I've haven't gone to see Malon or Epona in a while.  He decided not to return to the castle at once to hand over the three spiritual stones of Hyrule, in the first time since leaving the Kokiri village, Link put his own wishes before the duty he had been set by fate.  He took a detour to Lon Lon Ranch and decided that tomorrow he would return to princess Zelda.

Malon stood as always in the centre of the horse paddock singing her mother's song she had taught Link to play on his Ocarina.  She smiled wide and clapped her hands when he walked under the arch of the horse paddock and the two quietly felt extremely happy to be with each other again.

"Epona's grown rather fond of you Fairy Boy." Link smiled.  Malon danced and sang.  Although she was a girl of few spoken words, Link didn't speak much either so they didn't feel like they were going to upset the other person by keeping silent.  He stroked the foal's soft white mane and Epona nuzzled her nose into his hands affectionately.  He wondered what it would be like to ride a horse; he really wanted to know if Epona would let him trot about the Ranch with her but as Malon said once again on this occasion: Epona was still too young and Link too inexperienced to ride her.

Night soon came and the wild birds descended once more over the paddock, so after the horses had been stabled and Malon had gone to bed, Link settled himself down in a free spot of comfortable hay and stayed up a few hours after he should have gone to sleep to ponder on the incredible changes to his life so far, whilst looking at the three spiritual stones glowing faintly in front of him.  Until tomorrow he'd have to watch over them like a hawk to prevent any evil forces stealing them in the night.

(Green Pig:- Please don't forget to review! ^_^)