Chapter 1

His mind was a haze. Through blurry eyes, he watched as his opponent raised his sword high over his head. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see it come down. Maybe, if he didn't see it happen, he wouldn't feel the pain that would follow penetration. He heard the high, deafening whistling of the blade cutting the heavily fogged air. He heard the familiar sound of metal plunging through organic matter, a sound he used to take pleasure in. But the shoe was on the other foot now, and it made him sick to his stomach to hear it.

Silence hung heavy throughout the flooded room, and a breeze of unknown origin blew softly around his face, chilling it like it always did. He opened an eye, wanting to see what part of himself had been run-through. He felt no pain however, which confused him. He turned his head and saw the sword embedded in the soft sand beside his head. He looked up and saw his opponent staring at him with such bitterness & hate. He pulled out the sword, sheathed it and began to walk over to the unlocked door, his footsteps echoing throughout the now empty room.

He heard the door click as it raised off the ground. He saw his opponent look back at him one last time, then walked through, allowing the door to slam shut. He sat up, his muscles sore from overexertion. He looked around at his room. It was dark, no longer giving off the strange glow it had moments ago. The island & tree had vanished, along with the strange rock formations in the distance. He wrapped his arms around his knees and hung his head low.

"Why didn't you kill me?" he questioned aloud.

He knew he was trapped; he couldn't escape. That door was the only exit, and it had relocked itself. He felt the hot tears rolling down his face, something that never happened to him before. He clenched his eyes shut and screamed as loudly as he could. The echo of his outburst vibrated off the walls, making him feel more separated from the outside. He sighed as he wiped away the tears.

"What will I do? I'll go crazy if I stay in here..." he whispered.

He stared at the door, noting the intricate details the creators of this temple had pain-stakingly put into it. His adversary, long gone, was probably fighting the boss of the temple as he sat there, thinking about what could have been if he had won that fight. The shadowy core that was his heart ached for companionship.

"Even if it means we would fight again. I would rather fight you again then stay here alone until time itself stopped dead in its tracks...I don't want to be alone!" he shouted again, louder than before, hoping, praying for someone to hear him.

But it was not to be.

He stood up and walked over to where his sword had fallen, what seemed like hours ago. He picked it up and stared into the black sheen of the blade, and saw his reflection. He growled and threw the sword across the room. He hated his appearance; the evil gleam that was always in his crimson eyes, hair that was cut out of pure darkness, the ghost-white paleness of his skin. Every little detail, made to make him appear like a demon that would keep killing till none remained in his wake.

He walked over towards the door, that cursed door that kept him from tasting freedom. He looked at it with hatred, as if it was the cause of his misery. He clentched his hand into a fist, then struck the door as hard as he could. Over & over, the banging breaking the silence of the room. When he finally stopped, his hand was bleeding heavily, his knuckles crushed in. He let his arm fall to his side. He knew it was a futile attempt at freedom.

He leaned against the door, knowing he would never see the outside. All he could think about were the descriptions of it that his master had told him. The rolling plains, the deep lakes & oceans, the vast desert, all these things he would never see. He felt the tears coming again; he felt so hopeless. He sank to his knees, his hands never leaving the cold stone surface of the door.

It was getting very cold, and without the surface of the small island that had disappeared, he would die from hyperthermia. He shivered, trying to keep himself warm, yet the cold seeped through his wet clothes, chilling him to the bone. His eyes began to close, and he welcomed the death that would surely follow.

"Anywhere is better than being trapped here..." he whispered as his eyes shut closed.

He felt like he was sinking through the floor as his hands slid off the only escape he had. He didn't fight the force that was pulling on him. It was an almost welcoming feeling. It was warm against his chilled skin. He could hear feminine whispers in his ears, telling him he would be alright. Then, he stopped.

He opened an eye, but quickly shut it. Light quickly blinded him as he opened them again, taking in the scenery. He was on a small island, leaning against an old leafless tree, much like his own. A metal dias stood before him, low to the ground with an odd symbol etched into the center of it. A bridge lead off the island and on to another, which lead to a large building.

He stood up weakly and saw a beautiful lake in front of him. It was like a million jewels shining in the afternoon sun. He smiled as he realized that the force in the temple must have brought him out, but how? Why?

"My thanks to you...Whatever you were..." he said as he carefully walked across the two bridges.

When he stepped onto the mainland, he sighed happily. The grass was so plush under his feet; he felt like he could just take a nap on it. He yawned loudly, realizing how tired he really was. He walked over to the building and sat down, propping himself up against it. He yawned again, then slowly drifted off to sleep.

- - -

He awoke to the sound of thundering hoofs on grass. He groaned and opened an eyed. He gasped as he saw a beautiful woman jump off her tan steed. She had shoulder length red hair; her eyes shone like sapphires in the light. She wore a white blouse and a purple skirt that went down to her ankles. A dinosaur-like pendant pinned her yellow bandana against her chest. She laughed softly as she stroked her mare's muzzle.

"What a wonderful day for a ride, eh Buttercup? I just love the look of the lake in this light..." she said, her voice like velvet to his ears.

The horse snorted in agreement as she bent down to eat some grass. The woman giggled, then turned her gaze to the lake. She closed her eyes and began to hum. Within a few minutes, she began to sing. He listened to her sing and was amazed at the sound. He closed his eyes and grinned, her voice like a thousand angels. Never before had he heard such a beautiful sound.

As she came to the end of her song, he heard more hoofbeats heading their way. He opened his eyes and nearly jumped out of his skin. His opponent from the temple, atop his sorrel mare, was heading towards him. He jumped up and ran around the building, out of sight. He gasped for air, hoping he didn't see him. He heard the horse come to a stop and whinny happily.

"Why, hello Link! What brings you here?" the woman asked.

So that was his name, Link...

"Oh, Malon! So it was you! I was heading over to Kakariko when Epona went nuts! She began bucking and neighing like crazy. Then she took off with me hanging on for dear life!" he said with excitement.

Malon...That name made his dark heart sing with joy...

"Oh, you poor thing! Are you hurt?!"

"No, i'm fine. I'm just glad to know it was only your singing...I was afraid Ganondorf had some monster that made Epona crazy or something..."

"I'm so sorry for making you worry! I'll try not to sing so loud next time..."

"No, it's okay! You sing as much as you want! I'll just know it was you next time. Maybe I should let her stay with you for awhile. I think she misses you..."

He stuck his head out from behind the building and watched them. Malon was stroking Epona's neck; her attention on Link. Link was smiling as he began to tell her a huge story about his recent adventures. He growled softly as he heard the part about his battle with him.

"-in the end, I spared its life and just moved on...It was a rather tough enemy though...It mirrored my every move...But then I pulled out my trusty Megaton Hammer and WHAM! Pounded it into submission!" Link shouted, re-enacting the fight.

Malon laughed at the scene he was portraying as he continued on with the fight with Morpha, the boss of the temple. He was confused. How could this playful, joking boy be the same one who coldly cut him down? Link turned his head slightly in his direction, causing him to freeze. Link jerked his head, and he fleed behind the building again.

"What's wrong Link?" asked Malon, worry running through her voice.

"I...thought I saw it...The creature I beat in the Water Temple..."

"The one that looked like you?"

"Yeah, i'm gonna check it out..."

"Be careful Link..."

He felt his heart sink as he heard the footfalls of Link's boots heading towards his hiding place. What was he going to do? He had no weapon to defend himself with, and he couldn't go anywhere without Link seeing him and most likely shooting down with his bow. He was trapped like a rat in a cage. He sank to the ground and waited for the moment to come. Then he heard a door slam open.

"Link, my boy! I'm so glad to see you! Come in! Come in!" shouted an elderly voice.

"H-hello Professor..I would like to but-"

"Nonsense! I have some new potions I want you to test!"

He heard a loud groan as the door slammed shut. He sighed in relief, but he knew he would come out sooner or later. He heard footsteps heading towards him again. He gasped and he hunkered down, trying to hide as best as he could in the shadows. He heard the footfalls round the corner, then there was a soft gasp.

He slowly looked up and saw Malon staring at him with fear in her eyes. He stared back with the same fear written in his glowing orbs. She seemed to sense this, as she inched closer to him. He shrinked away from her, wishing he was invisible. But she kept moving closer. She stopped and stared at him.

"You do look like him...a little..." she whispered as she brushed a lock of hair off of his face.

He flinched at the touch, causing her to pull back a bit.

"You're...scared?"

He looked at her.

"I...If he finds me, he will kill me...He spared my life once; he won't do it again..." he whispered.

Malon stared into his fearful crimson eyes. She sighed and inched away.

"You better run...He will come out soon and I don't want to see you killed..." she said.

He stared at her in surprise.

"What did you say?"

"I said run...Before he comes back..."

"You're...You're not gonna tell him?"

"No...Now go!" she shouted as she gave him a shove.

He jumped up and ran away in the opposite direction of the islands. He looked back and saw her staring at him as he ran. He nodded, then took off at full speed. Within minutes, the lake was out of sight, and he had entered into a large open expanse.

"I better find a place to hide...He has a horse and he could easily catch up...I...can't trust the girl to keep her word...I only trust myself..."he said to himself.

He stopped by a stone wall, resting on the hilltop, out of sight from the front. He gasped for air as he looked over the ledge, looking for any sign of Link. When he saw nothing, he slumped down and began the long task of catching his breath. The sun wasn't helping either. It seemed to bring him pain the longer he sat under it. He knew he had to find shade and fast, or else he could die.

He stood up painfully and looked around for a tree or anything that would cast a shadow. The field seemed to be barren however. He cursed loudly. Then he spotted the large formation of rocks in the center of the field. There appeared to be buildings there as well. He stood up and began to run towards it.

When he reached the entrance, he was drained of all energy. He limbed past the entrance and a small sign,

'Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch'