Waiting
Prologue
Years ago, before Link embarked on his quest to save Hyrule. He lived a peaceful, carefree childhood in Ordon Village. Back when Ilia was the only other child in their small forest town.
It was a warm summer day in the Ordon province And Ilia was relaxing down by the spring, feeling the hot sand between her feet. Normally she would be playing with Link today, but he was out in the Faron woods having his first swordsman lesion with Rusl today. Ilia wasn't allowed out because her father insisted it was to dangerous.
"Rusl can't look after both of you if things get to hard." her father said "Now go play by the spring, I'm sure Link will be back before the you need to come home."
Ilia sat up and stretched out her arms.
"It's SO boring with him here!" Ilia groaned to herself
Ilia and Link had been friends their whole lives, she never had to play by herself, Link had always been there for her, she NEEDED him. But now he was growing up and learning the things he would need to help the community when he got older. And she was stuck at home, like a good little girl,
"I can be grown up to!" she thought.
Ilia's feet began to feel too hot, so he stood to go cool them in the spring water. As she reached the waters edge, she was thrown forward landing face down in the sallow water. Ilia looked up, blowing a strand of wet hair out of her face.
"Hiya!" cried the pointed eared little boy
"Link" exclaimed Ilia "I'll get you for that" she lunged at Link, pulling him down into the water.
The two wrestled and laughed. Ilia tried in vain, Link won, again. Link was on top of her pinning her to the ground.
"Come on, I have to show you something" Link said slyly.
He held out a hand to help her up. As they walked toward the gate Ilia count's help get excited about what Link had to show her, she tried to read something on Link's face, but he gave nothing away.
"Stay her and cover your eyes" Link ordered, the huge grin sill on his face.
Ilia did as she was told.
"Okay, you can look now"
"OH MY GOSH! a PONY!" Ilia squealed in delight
Ilia saw a beautiful young, hazel brown pony, with a short white mane.
"We found her at in the woods today, Rusl said we should keep her, maybe train her to work at the ranch." explained Link
"What's her name?" Ilia asked
"Um...She doesn't have one yet, I thought you could name her" replied Link
"Really?" Ilia said, not removing her gaze away from the pony's dark eyes
"Yeah, I kind of thought she could be...our pony" Link said shyly, blood rushing to his face.
Ilia giggled and Link blushed even redder. Ilia returned her gaze into the foul's dark brown eyes then she felt a name come to her
EPONA
The voice was strange faint, but all around her, like the spring itself was speaking to her.
"It's perfect" Link said admiring Epona's beautiful coat.
"Come on lets go home, I'm still all wet!" said Ilia
Link laughed and the three of them walked home.
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The next day
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"LINK WAKE UP! IT'S MORNING!" Ilia called
After some brief fumbling inside the house Ilia saw the mattered hair of the young boy who couldn't quite reach his head over the window sill. Ilia waited patiently beside Epona while Link got ready for the day. After he was ready, Link and Ilia walked Epona down to the spring for the day. Ilia noticed that Link had his new wooden sword on his back.
"Why'd you bring your sword with you?" inquired Ilia "no monsters come as far as the Ordon Spring."
"Anything can happen, I just don't want you to get hurt"
Both of them flushed and looked at their feet shyly.
By mid-day the three of them reached had reached the spring. Ilia and Link played in the water while Epona sun baked on the sand. After a while, the two of them lay on the sand, with their back's propped against Epona's small sleeping chest.
"Hey" said Link "I want to show you something"
"It's not another pony is it?" asked Ilia mockingly
"Haha, Nah it's something I've been practicing
Link stood up and wandered over to some weeds that where growing by the gate. He plucked a single plant, and pressed it to his lips. Ilia closed her eyes and listened to the beautiful melody that followed. The music drifting through the spring, Ilia opened her eyes and realized that Epona had walked over to Link
"Hey, looks like Epona likes it to" Ilia exclaimed "let me try."
Ilia scanned the area looking for a weed of her own. Then she spied one a few feet from her.
"This weed looks different" She thought to herself. Ilia pressed the weed to her lips, like Link had done, then blew. The sound this weed made was different and Epona didn't respond.
"Ahh" Ilia sighed, throwing the weed into the sand
"Link can do everything better" she thought to herself, pouting.
"Ilia! GET DOWN!" cried Link
Before she knew what was going on Link rushed over and threw them both into the sand. Over Link's shoulder Ilia saw a hawk swooping over where her head had just been.
"Stay still" Link whispered in her ear
the hawk began to hover over the center of the pool waiting to strike. Minutes past and without any warning the creature dove straight for Epona.
"RUN!" both the children cried
In the panic, Epona galloped out of the spring as fast as her little legs could carry her, over the bridge and into Faron woods. As soon as Ilia saw this she threw Link off her and ran over the bridge after her.
"Ilia WAIT!" Link yelled "THERE ARE MONSTERS IN THE WOODS!"
But there was no response. With no time to run for help. Link retrieved his wooden sword on the run. He couldn't bear to lose Ilia.
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Link sprinted through the tall grass, ignoring the long blades wiping his face. Then panic struck as the grass broke, and he strode standing in mouth of the deep dark cave. Link had been through the tunnels the previous day, but that was with Rusl and he had a lantern.
"I'll need to go get help" Link thought in a panic.
As he turned to leave something stop him, something INSIDE him.
"NO" He said, with a new confidence "It'll be to late then, I have to find Ilia!"
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The shear blackness of the cave terrified Link, but this new thing inside him urged him forward. Through the darkness Link could hear the small monster moving toward him, waiting for their prey, but because of this thing in him, even though Link couldn't SEE the creatures, he could FEEL them every movement, it was like another sense. Link continued through the cave, when two bats sprang at his face. Link knocked the beasts out of the air with a single swing, the bat screamed as the hit the hard ground of the cave with a thud, and Link finished them off with a stab. Link rushed through the rest of the cave, slashing the rest of the bats. With his new sense Link scanned the rest of the cave for any sign of Epona or Ilia. Nothing, either they made it through the cave, or the didn't. The thought forced Link faster through the cave.
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Link burst from the cave, and was staring out into the empty lake bed, Link could see a mob of 9 club-wielding monsters advancing on a large tree, backed against a high lake bed wall. Then Link heard a blood curdling scream
"ILIA!" Link cried
"LINK" Ilia terrified scream came from behind the mob
Adrenaline started pumping harder than ever. Link felt himself sprint forward through the lake bed, faster than ever. Link saw Epona guarding Ilia against the tree, trying to get the attackers at bay. Then the rush of battle took over him. Everything was blurry all he could hear was the dying shrieks of the monsters.
Then it stopped.
And he was standing over the bloody corpses. gasping for breath.
"What just happened?" Link thought
"Link?" Ilia came hesitantly from behind Epona
"Are *gasp* you.....ok..?" Link breathed
"I think I twisted my ankle" Ilia stayed in a timed voice
"Can you walk?" Link asked, regaining his breath
"n-no I don't think so"
"Come on, let's get back"
Link helped Ilia onto Epona's back, where she fell asleep on the way home.