At last, the long awaited sequel to Stupid Courage has arrived! Hopefully by the end of this fic you'll all be able to say it was worth the wait! It probably wasn't, but that's my dream right now :-D A big, huge, uber apology for taking so long to get this out there!
WARNINGS!: This fic is rated M for the following: mentions of child abuse, people dying, random acts of destruction and mayhem, and Zelda's potty mouth (yes, she's still at it!). If any of those things disturbs you, please don't read. I don't want to upset anyone!
For those that did not read the story that came before this one, Stupid Courage, I highly recommend that you do so before jumping into this one. It's a fun little jaunt into a world of poorly written battle scenes and confusing plot twists! Sadly, this story won't be as enjoyable to you if you haven't read that first. Unless of course you're a badass and don't care, then go right ahead and keep reading!
A big huge thanks to Rosa Bella Mortiferum. Without her this story wouldn't be being posted right now! I had a serious case of writer's block, but she helped me out immensely! Seriously, she saved me from the biggest plot hole ever, and also listened to my rambling complaints when I was going through some personal stuff! You should all go thank her and read her stories, because they're better than mine anyway!
A special, big huge thanks to VioletInc (aka Nabooru'sapprentice), who is my awesome beta-reader and is making this story sound much better than it did before she got her hands on it. Go read her stories, too, because they are also much better than mine!
You're the best, beta-reader-sensei!
And now... another story, another awful chapter title! And so it begins again. This chapter is... long. Yeah. Very much longer than the others in this fic. Sorry about the length!
SPOILERS!: Spirit Tracks (sort of), Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda, and I ain't making any money wishing I did! Credit for this story's book cover picture image thing goes to... uh... the wallpaper website I found it on. I figured since it's a wallpaper I'd be safe using it.
Onwards to adventure!
Cowardly Wisdom
Chapter One
Hibiscus Cornelia Rose
He was lying on his back on the porch, writhing in pain. Legs curled inwards in a desperate struggle to ward off his suffering. His fight against it brought him closer to the edge of the wooden boards. Just a little bit further and he would fall, drop to the stairs below. Just before he did, a large boot hovered over him and then stepped down heavily.
"Byrne!" a teenaged girl protested. "You didn't have to squash it!"
A heavily built young man lifted his foot before scraping it against the wood, leaving the corpse of a small beetle behind. "Shouldn't let things suffer needlessly, Hibiscus."
Hibiscus folded her arms around her and stared down at the dead insect. Had it really been a mercy? If she were in such pain and about to die anyway, would she want someone to come and end it for her sooner? Both ways of dying sounded horrifying.
"Come on, we should get the animals in." Byrne stepped down the porch and onto the gravel path that led towards the barn.
Hibiscus glanced up at the clear blue sky. "It's still kind of early."
"Link said there's going to be a pretty big storm tonight. It'd be safer to get them in early."
With a sigh Hibiscus hopped down the steps after Byrne. "Ok."
Her father always knew when the weather was going to change. Whenever the air began to shift he would feel it in his old injuries, especially his right shoulder, which had been so badly wounded he could barely move the entire arm connected to it. He would joke that he was actually an old man with arthritis in disguise, but she knew he was just trying to make sure she wouldn't worry about him. It never worked, though she would pretend it did to make him feel better.
Well before the hot summer sun had even begun to set, they had all the cows and horses tucked away safely in their stalls. Fresh hay was distributed, and soon the pair was walking back to the house. Just by looking at them, it would have been hard to guess that the two were friends. Byrne was tall with large, bulky muscles, short, dark hair and light grey eyes; he was also eleven years the girl's senior. Hibiscus, on the other hand, was somewhat short for her age and so skinny most who first met her had a hard time believing she worked on a farm. Her face was round where Byrne's was more angled, and her irises were so dark they looked almost black. Her hair was a light brown, and kept pinned back by a long, single braid that ended between her shoulder blades. By appearances alone they looked like complete opposites. By personality they were even more different. However, friends they were, and despite their dissimilarities they were almost always seen together.
As they climbed up the porch steps, Byrne suddenly paused and glanced over his shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Hibiscus asked.
"Did we lock the doors back there?"
Hibiscus put her hands on her hips. "Yes, Byrne," she said in an exasperated tone.
"I'd better check anyway."
"Oh go ahead then. I'll meet you inside."
Byrne gave a noncommittal grunt before turning and leaving her on the porch. With a roll of her eyes Hibiscus pushed back the door and entered the house's comfortable kitchen. A friendly yellow paint clung to the walls, making the wooden floor look lighter than it really was. Half of the room held a dining table that was surrounded by wicker chairs, and the other half was taken up by a long, stone-topped counter and a black stove. Her father was at this end of the room, standing at the counter and chopping up some vegetables. His left hand had a solid grip on the knife as it flew over the green produce, while his right one hung stiffly at his side.
"Hi there, Rosy," Link greeted with a warm smile.
Hibiscus smiled; leave it to her father to find a nickname for her that had nothing to do with her actual name. For as long as she could remember it was what he had always called her, and she didn't really mind. At least, not anymore. A few years ago she had accused him of not liking her real name, but then he had told her a story about meeting her great-great-great-how-ever-many-greats-grandmother, and how she had planned on naming one of her daughters Hibiscus Cornelia Rose.
"So, you see, it's really just a shortened version of your full name." Her father had said. Then he had winked at her. "I've never told anyone else this story, so don't go sharing it. Otherwise they'll think I'm crazier than they already do!"
She didn't really believe the story was true anymore, as it was far too fantastical, even for him. But she kept her promise to not tell anyone else, and she also began to grow rather fond of the nickname. It was like a special secret only between the two of them.
"You going to stare at me all day or are you going to help?" Link asked with amusement as he set his knife down long enough to toss her a large spoon. "Stir that soup before it burns on us."
"Oh, sure." Hibiscus quickly ran to the stove, where a pot of delicious smelling soup was bubbling.
"Where's Byrne?"
"Making sure he locked the barn door." She paused in her stirring. For a while she struggled with the temptation of telling Link about her worries of Byrne. For as long as she had known him he had never had the best of memories, but over the past few months it seemed to be getting worse. When she had asked the man about it he had deflected her questions, and then insisted that she not bring it up to anyone else. Remembering that she had promised him, she pushed the idea of telling her father out of her mind.
"Well he sure is taking his time about it. I wanted to ask him if he'd be ok watching over the farm on his own tomorrow."
Hibiscus nodded as she listened to her father, not quite registering what he was saying until she heard the sound of the vegetables being chopped behind her stop. "Wait... on his own?" She turned sharply to see her father staring at her with amusement in his blue eyes.
"That reminds me. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me to the city tomorrow."
"Oh, yes, please!" Hibiscus said excitedly. "Thank you!"
"Make sure you get up early. None of this sleeping in until noon that you seem so fond of lately, or I'll leave without you."
"Don't worry, I'll be up! I'll be up before you!"
Her father sighed as he turned back to his vegetables. "If wishes were horses..." he grumbled.
Hibiscus threw him a mock glare. "You already have a whole herd of horses, so what are you complaining about, old man?"
He laughed. "That's true."
The city! Hibiscus' eyes went wide at the idea of visiting the great metropolis. Usually the only time she was there was for school, and then she didn't have much time to explore or do anything fun besides a few visits to Sera and her family. The last time she had gone just for fun had been years ago, but she couldn't really remember what they had actually done there besides wander around through the large crowds and the deafening noise. For some reason her father didn't really like to go, and only went when he had to buy something that he couldn't wait for in the mail. The last time that had happened had been over two years ago, when one of their plows had broken and half the field still needed tilling, but she hadn't been invited along then.
"Rosy..." her father's voice brought her out of her thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"The soup."
"The soup," she repeated dumbly. Then she remembered she had been placed in charge of making sure it didn't burn. "The soup!" she exclaimed before grabbing her spoon again and quickly giving the broth a viscous stir.
Her father shuffled over and dumped his chopped vegetables into the pot. "Crisis averted?"
"No biggie..." Hibiscus replied hesitantly. "We'll just make sure Byrne gets the bottom bits."
The two winked at each other before the older Hylian wandered towards the window. "Where is that boy anyway?"
Hibiscus ducked her head to hide her smile. Sometimes she wondered if her father ever really noticed that the people around him were growing up. 'Boy' was hardly the word anyone else would use to describe Byrne.
The person in question eventually returned, and after he insisted he could handle the farm for just a day they settled down for dinner.
"It's just the animals that need caring for anyway," her father said as they tucked into their bowls of soup. "The fields are pretty much handling themselves ever since we got that sprinkler system set up."
"How does Sturgeon make those things?" Hibiscus asked as she remembered the automatic watering devices.
Her father gave a half-shrug. "Magic."
"It is not!" Hibiscus protested.
"Well we might meet him at Sera's. You can ask him yourself."
"Do you think we'll meet Queen Zelda?" Hibiscus asked excitedly.
"Probably not. She's very busy," her father answered shortly.
"But... aren't you guys friends? How come she never visits us anymore?" Hibiscus could vaguely recall the last time the woman had come by, with her stern eyes but gentle smile. But that had been ages ago, and she couldn't really remember any other details besides the fact that the aged woman and Link seemed to have had a grand old time mocking one another.
A flicker of annoyance crossed over the man's face, and Hibiscus wondered if she had asked the wrong kind of question. But then he smiled, the humor in his eyes returning just as quickly as it had left. "She comes when she wants to steal our food under the guise of taxes. And if that's not a true friend I don't know what is."
Hibiscus rolled her eyes as Byrne chuckled, and their dinner resumed.
A loud rumble of thunder that shook the entire house had Hibiscus waking up with a start. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated her room, turning the black lumps of things scattered about the small bedroom into brightly lit pieces of furniture and dolls. Crawling onto her knees and pushing her blanket off of her, Hibiscus pulled back the curtain over her window and peered out. It was pitch dark outside, but she could hear the rain pouring down just behind the thick piece of glass.
Thinking of the rain made her feel suddenly thirsty, and so she climbed out of bed before padding down the wooden floor and down the stairs, her long night gown rustling around her. Just as she reached the last step she noticed a dim light coming from the kitchen already. Trying to be even more quiet than before, she tiptoed towards the doorway and peered inside.
She noticed her father was sitting at the table, his back turned to her and his forehead resting against the wood of the table's surface as he clutched tightly to his right shoulder. Hibiscus chewed on her lip as she watched him, wondering once again what had caused those injuries that they still bothered him even today. She had asked him several times, but he had only gotten a faraway look in his eyes and then changed the subject. Byrne was no better, claiming it was none of his business to tell if she didn't already know.
With an inaudible sigh under her breath, Hibiscus turned and went back to her bedroom. She could wait until morning for her drink.
The next time she woke up, it was to the sound of bird song. Bright rays of sun were poking through a crack in her curtain, and she rolled over onto her side so it wasn't shining right onto her face.
She was about to drift off again when a knock to her door brought her back to wakefulness. "Go away," she groaned.
"Link says you have to get up now or he's just going to leave without you," Byrne called out to her.
Hibiscus frowned. Leave where? With a start she remembered their plans to go to the city that day. Leaping from her bed, she hurriedly yanked off her night gown and pulled on a comfortable blouse and some pants suited for horse back riding before rushing down to the kitchen.
Her father greeted her with a bowl of oatmeal. "The gremlin awakes," he said, giving her uncombed hair an appraising look.
"I told you I'd be up on time," she replied before quickly digging into her breakfast. Every so often she would cast subtle glances over at her father, to see how he looked now. He seemed fine, not even tired in fact. She wondered how he had managed that. It wasn't like one could just practice not getting any sleep and looking perfectly fine about it. ...Could they? Puzzling over this, she shoved another spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth before raking her fingers through her hair. It was thin enough that the fake comb her hands created was all that was needed to put her hair into a reasonable state.
"Byrne," her father began as Hibiscus continued to eat, hair now fixed. "You'll be alright today, right?"
"I'll be fine, Link. Don't worry!"
"It's mostly just the animals that need caring for anyway. The fields pretty much take care of themselves now that we've got that sprinkler system set up."
Hibiscus gave a frown as she listened to the repeated conversation from last night. Byrne was nodding as if it were the first time he was hearing this, and as her father went over what needed to be done again she began to wonder if maybe her father wasn't so clueless to Byrne's current condition after all.
As soon as they were finished with their breakfast they headed outside to saddle their horses. The barn had already been emptied of animals; most were small, dark specks in the field beyond the barn, but there were two horses that were standing together near the porch, tossing their heads at one another in the early morning rays of the sun.
"Hey, boy," Hibiscus whispered to her dark grey steed, patting the animal along his long, speckled face.
"Ready?" her father asked, already sitting atop a light brown mare.
Climbing onto her saddle, Hibiscus gave a nod.
"Here." Her father tossed her a small box shaped object wrapped in brown paper. "Stick that in your saddle bag for me, will you?"
"What is it?" Hibiscus asked as she gave it a small shake.
"Birthday gift for Orca and Beth's kid."
Hibiscus' eyes widened. "I forgot all about that!"
Link clucked at his horse to get her to start moving. "I figured that managing to survive having those two as your parents for an entire year deserves something."
With a grin, Hibiscus followed her father's horse with a long enough distance between the two animals that they wouldn't start biting each other if they got bored. The cobblestoned road to the city ran parallel to a set of long train tracks. As far as Hibiscus knew, Hyrule only had one train still, and that wasn't used by everyone. It was kept safely at the station underneath the palace. But more were being made. Byrne had once mentioned that perhaps in a few more years trains would be the main mode of transportation. Until that particular fantasy came true, however, people stuck to either horses or cars, depending on how far they needed to travel.
Along the way they passed through a few small villages that lay on the outskirts of the city, tucked away in the long grass of Hyrule Field. Eventually they lost the train tracks as they began to burrow underground, where they would continue to travel through the city in a deep tunnel underneath all the buildings. Two guards were positioned just outside the mouth of this tunnel, each garbed in the typical uniform of the Hylian military: grey, tailored pants with a long sleeved shirt of the same color. The only hint of vividness to the otherwise drab outfit was the shirt's thick, dark blue collar that hid most of the neck, making the guards look a bit like turtles that had just removed their heads from their shells. Long rifles were strapped over their backs, but the content expressions on their faces countered the intimidating look of the weapons.
As they passed the tunnel, with the guards barely sparing them a second's glance, the buildings suddenly grew much larger, and the noises of people talking amongst each other filled the air. The cobblestones turned to paved asphalt, and most of the sky was blotted out by towering skyscrapers and cars that floated overhead.
The horses walked casually through the sea of people at their feet; Hylians and Gerudo parted before the beasts, not even looking up from whatever it was they were currently attending to.
"Rosy," her father called over his shoulder at Hibiscus. "I need to make a quick stop down here." He pointed down a road, and after a quick moment of searching Hibiscus spotted a sign that claimed it led to the old Hylian district. "You can go ahead to Sera's if you want."
Hibiscus' heart nearly stopped at the suggestion. She looked with wide eyes over her horse's head, down the main road and at the large crowds she had yet to go through. Despite the fact that she spent every school year in the city, she wasn't certain she would ever get used to the hordes of people. "I'll stick with you!" she said quickly.
The man nodded and then continued leading the way. As they traveled down the more narrow road, Hibiscus noticed that the buildings around them started to sink a bit lower. Eventually they reached a large area that was almost completely devoid of people. The change felt so sudden that Hibiscus had to take a moment to adjust to the sudden silence. It was almost as if this place was in some sort of bubble, which blocked out any sounds except those of the birds that hopped around on the ground. Most of this much more peaceful place was made up of crumbled asphalt, with weeds and grass digging their way out between the cracks of the road. Around the decaying road were tiny buildings that had been patched up with different sheets of metal over several years. There was only one building that stood out from the others, at the opposing side of the battleground between weeds and pavement. This one was much larger than any of the other buildings, and in much better shape. From the looks of things, this was the only house in the area that was currently being cared for, with a fresh coat of cream-colored paint and a tiled roof that didn't look like it was about to collapse at any moment.
Hibiscus stared around her in awe. She had heard of the old Hylian district, but had never actually gone there herself. The only other object of interest in that large, empty space was a giant statue in the very center of the district. It was carved from stone, and depicted a Hylian and a Gerudo standing together, back to back, the Hylian holding a bow and the Gerudo holding a large scimitar.
She frowned confusedly, wondering what her father could possibly have to do here. The old building at the other end of the clearing appeared abandoned despite its somewhat superior appearance to the other houses, and there was no one else around except a few older couples wandering around. They seemed to be admiring both the decrepit houses and the statue, though what they were finding so impressive with the buildings Hibiscus had no idea.
"I'll be right back," her father called to her, and she realized with a start that she had lost herself in her thoughts again. The older Hylian was already dismounting near the old building.
Hibiscus urged her horse closer to the statue and scanned over the small plaque that was set at the two people's feet.
"In memory of those who died to free this city from tyranny, both Hylian and Gerudo."
Pursing her lips, Hibiscus walked her horse so it stood next to her father's and then dismounted. She walked up a small porch, the wood underneath her groaning loudly with every step she took. She ran the rest of the way into the house, worried that if she took too long the whole thing would collapse underneath her.
Inside she saw a large desk that was placed directly in front of a wide open doorway. Sitting behind the desk was a middle-aged woman with dark eyes and hair dyed a bright green.
"Hey there, cutie," the woman said with a wink. "Welcome!"
"Hi..." Hibiscus replied uncertainly. Then she saw her father through the doorway and quickly ran in after him. "Dad, what is this place?" she asked as she studied the new room she was in.
Rows of bookcases completely blocked out any sign of the walls, and in the center were sofas and armchairs, along with a few small tables scattered about between them. A blue carpet tugged at her feet, threatening to have them sink into it if she stood still for too long.
"This," her father began, turning to look at his daughter. "This is going to be a library. Someday. The receptionist out there came up with the idea."
"That's neat," Hibiscus said with a slight shrug.
Link sat down at one of the chairs and leaned into the cushions, sighing comfortably. Hibiscus soon joined him, sitting across from him and trying to read all the emotions that were currently flickering across his face as his gaze travelled across the room. Finally he looked at her, and his expression settled to its usual goofy grin.
"Arly used to live here. I think she'd like the idea of her house becoming a place where people can share and learn all sorts of different things."
Hibiscus looked around the room with a new sense of awe. So this is where that crazy woman used to live. "When was the last time you heard from her?"
"Not since that one letter three years ago," Link said. "That doesn't really mean anything though. She's probably been distracted by some new discovery," he added with a fond smile.
Hibiscus snorted in amusement, recalling the last letter they had received from Arlene. It had been short, but the writer had been clearly excited as she stated that she had discovered something incredible and that she had included pictures of it. She had forgotten to actually include the pictures, and so Hibiscus, Link, and Byrne had spent many an evening trying to guess at what it was she had discovered.
Chewing on her lip as silence fell between them again, Hibiscus tried to come up with something else to say. "Hey, that receptionist out there is kind of cool looking, huh?"
With a moan, Link let his head fall against his chair's back. "Stop trying to hook me up with every single woman you meet."
"Oh come on, you're not getting any younger! You need to meet someone!" Hibiscus teased. A strange silence passed between them at those words, and Hibiscus began to feel nervous. "Wait... you didn't already meet someone you like, did you?" she demanded.
Her father lifted his head and looked at her, a sad smile on his lips. She waited half a heart beat for him to answer her, but then noticed the closed off look in his eyes, the same that he got whenever she tried to ask him about his battles in the war against Ganondorf.
"So when's it going to open?" she asked finally. "The library, I mean."
He almost seemed grateful at the change of subject. "Hopefully in a few months, when the school opens again for the year."
A frown worked its way across Hibiscus' face. "Hey, Dad-"
"Don't start with me on this again," her father said with a sigh. "We go through this every year; yes, you still have to go to school."
"But it's not fair!" she protested. "All the other kids that live on farms get to be home schooled. And even most of the ones in the villages! Besides, I learn more from you anyway," Hibiscus added with a grumble.
Her father chuckled. "You learn how to manage a farm, and maybe a few other things here and there. We both know I don't have Sturgeon's know-how on the theoretical stuff." He straightened and looked her in the eye. "Rosy, a lot of good people died so that you could have a school to go to where you actually learn."
Hibiscus remained silent, her thoughts suddenly back at the statue outside. When he didn't continue after a long pause Hibiscus stood. "I think I will go to Sera's after all."
"I'll catch up with you in a bit," her father called after her, and his voice had lost the serious tone it had adopted just a few minutes earlier.
Hibiscus was soon back on the road, heading towards the market square. From her vantage point on top of her horse, she was able to easily see over the heads of anyone around her and pick out all of the different shops and the large signs that labeled them. She passed bakeries that made her stomach growl, clothes stores that sold Hylian outfits, clothes stores that sold Gerudo outfits, and, finally, Sera's Books and Sundries.
It was one of the larger stores in the area, set off of the ground by a small porch. Like the others, the building was bilevel; the first floor was the store in its entirety, but the second floor was a living space for its owners. Hibiscus had been in both levels several times, and though the decor changed the smell didn't. Sera seemed to carry the scent of vanilla with her where ever she went, and already Hibiscus could smell it even as she neared the porch. A little sign announcing the store closed hung between the store's large window and a thick curtain that kept prying eyes outside.
Pulling her horse as close as it would go to the side of the concrete building, she dismounted and marched towards the door. Though the sign said closed she knew the door would be unlocked; the family would be inside somewhere, celebrating the first birthday of Orca and Beth's son. Before she could reach the first step of the porch, a gnarled hand grabbed at her arm tightly.
"Hey!" Hibiscus shouted, trying to pull her arm free even before turning to see who had grabbed her.
The culprit was a heavy set man, dressed in a long robe and with short, curly, grey hair framing his square face.
"Let go!" Hibiscus snapped at him.
"You are Hylian!" the man announced, and she stared at him with a glare that said 'obviously.' "Don't support the Gerudo shops! They expect us to just forget what they did to us fourteen years ago, but we will always remember! The rebellion should have killed them all, this is our city! Our lands!"
A larger hand fell upon this man's shoulder, and Hibiscus followed the heavy arm attached to it to a long face that held light blue eyes and neatly trimmed, sandy blond hair that was flecked by a few strands of grey. It was his clothes that made him stand out, however, for instead of the typical, casual clothes that everyone else in the surrounding crowds were wearing, he was dressed in a military uniform.
"Release the little lady," this new man said, his voice laden with confidence.
The grey haired man quickly let go of Hibiscus' arm and turned sharply. "You should be ashamed of yourself," he spat at the taller man. "The Hylian military is supposed to protect us, but you let the Gerudo walk around like equal citizens!"
The blond man raised an eyebrow. "If I recall, you were living in the old Hylian district fourteen years ago, and you weren't too eager to leave when we were evacuating it... I think I remember having to knock you out and carry you."
The man glared at him and then stalked off.
"You alright?" Hibiscus' rescuer asked her.
Hibiscus nodded quietly as she rubbed at her arm. "What was that guy's problem?"
He shrugged and then looked around the square. "Do you live around here?"
Hibiscus recognized the unspoken question in the man's words. What he really wanted to know was if she was an orphan or not. "I live at one of the farms. Me and my dad are just here to visit Sera. She's an old friend of my dad's."
"Ah..." A flicker of realization burst into the man's eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be Hibiscus, would you?"
"Y...Yeah."
"Sheesh, kid, last time I saw you you could barely sit up straight, never mind walk and talk!" the man said happily. He held out his hand for her to shake. "The name's Russ."
As Hibiscus shook the man's hand it was her turn to be struck with a sudden realization. "Not General Russ!"
"Heh, guess you've heard of me then, huh?"
"Dad talks about you all the time!"
"Really?"
Russ looked rather pleased about this, so she decided not to tell him what it was that her father actually said about the officer.
"That man wouldn't recognize the brewing of a civil war if it punched him in the face," her father had once ranted. Though as Hibiscus looked around the city, she couldn't understand what her father meant either; everything seemed rather peaceful, and there were Hylians and Gerudo walking together without any problems that she could see. The strange old man had left, and everyone else had been ignoring him. She really couldn't see where Link was getting that idea at all.
"General," the voice of her father floated over their heads as Link finally joined them.
"Hey, Link," Russ said, moving to hold the horse steady while Link dismounted from it. "Her Majesty has been asking about you."
Link grimaced. "Well you can tell her that I'll talk to her again when she agrees to stop pestering me about..." he paused and glanced at Hibiscus. "Well, you know."
"Figured that'd be your response," Russ said with a shrug. "Well I have to get going, but it was nice to see you again. The both of you!"
"Bye!" Hibiscus said while her father just nodded at him. As General Russ disappeared into the crowd, she looked towards Link. "What was that about?"
"It's nothing, Hibiscus," Link answered, and she frowned at his back as he started to walk towards the store. He never used her real name unless it was something really serious. The last time she had heard him use it was when she had nearly gotten herself killed trying to calm down a startled horse on her own when she was six.
So what, exactly, was Queen Zelda pestering him about that was so important?
That's it for chapter one! Again, sorry if it was a bit too long, but the other chapters are much shorter than this one!
Updating schedule: I'm thinking Tuesdays. Any naysayers out there?
More random information: This fic is sixty chapters long, plus an epilogue. I KNOW! Super long! This is the longest thing I've written, ever! ...I just realized that, if I keep up with my one chapter a week schedule, I won't be posting the epilogue until next year! That blows my mind.
Questions/comments/concerns? Feel free to let me know in a review or PM! I love any kind of feedback (the more honest the better!), and I promise to answer any questions you have unless it's something that will be revealed later on.
Thanks so much for reading!