Chapter 1
There was a fresh scent coming from Lake Hylia and the boy in green sat down on a patch of grass to regard it, removed his cap and placed it beside him and allowed the breeze to play with his rough blond hair. He had always liked the sea, wished to go sailing one day but knew no body of water large enough for a ship. These days dreaming was all he could do, since he last spoke with Zelda and brought a end to Ganondorf's evil plan he had travelled Hyrule looking for Navi. The Great Deku tree was dead and only the real Kokiri still had their fairies, all the other ones had left the lost woods. Link sighed. He used to visit Saira in the forest meadow, she was still as cheerful and her tunes softened his heart. But the other of woodland kind treated him as if he was disease. They did not understand that it was Ganondorf who killed The Great Deku tree and one night a few of them stormed his house. He had to fend them of with a deku stick, since that night he stayed at Lon Lon Ranch. Slept in the kitchen together with the hens and each morning he awoke to the gentle song of Malon. She was even cuter now then when he first met her, those round a childish eyes of hers, red flaming hair. Maybe he loved her, but currently he was engaged to Ruto and the Zora Princess never stopped reminding him of it, but his heart was only beating for Malon. He had promised to take her riding on Epona when the horse became of age, maybe he should take her here, to lake Hylia and as the sun rise confess how he felt for her. Link blushed enveloped by the silly though, she would only laugh at him. They where both just kids. He had to give it a few years and let the feelings grow, let her grow to what he knew would be a majestic woman.
Link looked down at the body of water, beneath the surface he could see Zoras swimming and among them Princess Ruto was probably a member. She was growing faster then both him and Malon. Maybe it was some Zora thing; like Kokiri never growing up at all and Goron's aging slowly. A gossip stone once told him that Darunia was over a thousand years old. At first Link thought it was a lie but one day when he visited death mountain and Darunia showed link his newborn son he said something about how Gorons could sleep for ages. King Zora once said something similar, that Zoras slept for seasons. It had made Link think about how long a Hylian slept, or Kokiri. Maybe the real Kokiri never slept, since they lived of the power provided by the Great Deku Tree.
A sorrow struck Link's heart and he looked down. Six years remained until a hero would exit the temple of time and defeat Phantom Ganon and liberate the forest temple of the dark influences and enable the Deku sprout to grow. It was strange how Link knew the future, he and Zelda had stopped Ganondorf but still he knew that their actions had not changed the future. Still he wondered how the evil thief would claim the triforce. He had not told Zelda about this ill omen he had, that was why he wanted to speak with Navi, she would know what to do.
The King had banned Ganondorf from the land of Hyrule accusing him of treason. Link guessed that Ganondorf was back with his two witch mothers in the Desert Colossus making new plans to invade Hyrule. That was why Zelda had given him the Ocarina of Time, she deemed him worthy of protecting it while she gave back the elemental stones to the Gorons, Zoras and Kokiri. But none of this had made him sleep easier; he had been the one opening the Door of Time, he had been the one who allowed Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm and upon Ganondorf's touch the Triforce had separated and Link himself became sealed. After Ganon was defeated Link was unsealed from the Sacred Realm and Ganon was sealed instead of him, that was why link could return here and warn Princess Zelda.
But the Zelda in the future still had the Ocarina of Time. Link removed the instrument from his pocket, looked at the shining silver surface and sighed. He could not change the future, he had made it, so he could not break it. He had to find someone to do it for him – or just leave. It was he who created this paradox, if he left he would no longer be tied to the Triforce and the fate shackled to it. Maybe his departure would break the future, appoint another Hero and himself fade and his doings die with him.
But to leave Malon, it was unthinkable. She was the girl he liked, she was the girl he wanted to marry. Maybe he could leave, then return and while doing so break the future he himself had forged? No, it all sounded so completely weird in his head. Why was he so obsessed with the future, why could it not just leave him alone? A question to which he knew the answer, he was the hero of time, people celebrated him in the future, or at least the thought so. maybe there would be two of him. One who killed Ganon and another who lived happily with Malon. That would be a good future, have three kids with her, move somewhere down south. Link looked up at the blue sky. "Yes." He said and exhaled. "Three kids with Malon and a wild stallion."
"What did you say link?" A shriek voice said from the water's edge. "Bet you're talking about havin' kids with me. Goddess, I would like to have you fertilizing my eggs. Because you're my fiancé." A laughter sounded from Ruto then she crossed her arms and placed them before herself on the sandy piece of beach. "Did you come to see me?"
Link looked down again and could not help but smile. Ruto was cute... for being a advanced fish that was. Her jelly blue colour with thin fins attached to waist and arms. Her face was more mature but still contain many of her more childlike features and Link did not find them as intimidating any more, the well shaped lips that when she smiled where sharp as daggers. The rounded chin and almost triangular shape to her head and last the body that seemed to grow more voluptuous by the day. Link was still a boy but Ruto was quickly becoming a woman, she didn't need him. She needed some ocean prince. "No, I just came here to think."
A giggle sounded from the water. "About me?" The two blue eyes cheerfully opened then she leaned her hands against her arms. "I bet you did, want me to squeeze my soft belly against you as we kiss." She exhaled. "Why do you torture me Link?" She pouted and Link had to remind himself that she loaded hookshot of hormones. "Each night I wait for you in my chamber, just sitting there waiting for you to come and give me some love, a embrace Link, is that to much to ask?" She closed her eyes and Link did the same.
Beating Ganon was one thing, telling a girl you didn't fancy her scales was another thing. Link could not begin to imagine how pissed she would be and if he had to he could bet his buckler on her father arranging for his capture once he got to know about their engagement. He had to do it smoothly, like promising that she could marry his older self who appeared in roughly seven years and, once again, kicked Ganon's tail. They would make a much better couple, but have very creepy kids. Link had never heard about hylians mating with Zora, he wondered why, maybe there was some law that forbid it but he had never heard of one. Maybe one of those unwritten rules like never use the bathroom when Malon is in there, Link had learned this the hard way, or never walk behind Talon on a rainy day.
"Why don't you say anything?" Ruto complained from the water. "I'm just waiting for you to come down here, the water is warm and would get really hot if you where in here with me?" She smiled as she always did, caring still snarky and slipped down into the water.
Link stood up, began to undress and when done folded his clothes neatly and walked down to the water. He could see Ruto waiting there, spying on him from below the surface. He still had his underwear on so there was nothing embarrassing but the way she looked at him made him nervous. He did not enter the water, crouched beside it and disturbed the surface with two fingers then saw Ruto dash towards him in the water, broke through the surface and stopped with her lips a inch away from his.
"What is it?" She asked forcing her hot exhale over his face.
"I love Malon." Link replied without looking at Ruto.
"I know." The Zora Princess said and dived down into the water.
She knows. Link repeated in his mind, looked down at the Princess in the water. "Why aren't you mad?"
Down below the princess spoke but it took awhile for the bubbles to reach the surface and pop. "I'm really pissed." Then another bubble reached the surface. "You promised me. Just used me." A moment later she was back to the surface and regarded him closely while he was terrified. "You just wanted my sapphire so you could get into the Sacred Realm. Dad told me."
Link shook his head, sighed and reached for her. Touched her cheek while thoughts gathered in his mind. "It's not that simple, I needed that stone to get to the Master Sword, help Zelda. Then everything went bad."
She did not shy from his touch, instead took his hand and held it still against her cheek. "Father refused to say anything about that, even how much I begged. Is it bad?"
Link smiled. "We are not a couple, but." He sighed. "Neither was I and Malon."
Ruto released his hand. "So who are you with, I bet the girls where running jeebz over a guy like you." She smiled letting him now that at least she was doing the jeebz, whatever that meant. "So tell me?"
"I was alone." Link replied and stood up. "A dreadful future." Then he dived into the water and she followed him. He felt her presence through the water, how neatly the water flowed around her. Then he looked at her, the grace with which she swam. Made loops and turns around him making his hair flow while she smiled and a chiming laughter sounded through the water.
They spent some time in the water and Link took his mind of the problems and had fun. When they returned to land they sat down on a patch of grass to dry and there he found courage to excuse.
"I'm sorry." Link began. "When you gave me the Sapphire I really didn't know what it meant, now that I do it feels like I robbed you of something precious." He looked at her and she looked back with eyes wide and embarrassed. She nodded and Link dared not look her any more.
"You did." Her smile faded. "You took my love, became my hero, my prince and my dreams had a figure for my emotions. I hoped you had feelings for me, looked forward to each day hoping that you would come visiting. The times you did I was happy, really happy. Believe me, but you." She dried her cheeks where lubricant had began to flow. "Always had some task, mission to do. Never came to say hi or ask me on a date or something. Then after you helped the princess capture Ganondorf the rumour reached me, that you lived on Lon Lon with Malon." She princess sobbed. "I didn't eat fish for a week, father thought I was sick and called for Dr. Mizumi." She smiled and looked silly, "He diagnosed me with a broken heart and father asked what had happened." *Sob* "So I told him, about the rescue, engagement and then Malon." Ruto exhaled and the two looked at each other. "And he smiled, told me that once he had been in love with a Hylian chick, a feisty one at that with lashes like reed and body like a blowfish. They spent many days together but then she just didn't come any more, he wondered why. Two days later he found her body floating in Lake Hylia, she had tossed herself from a cliff after her father had forbid her from seeing my dad."
Link smiled at her and hoped it brought some comfort. "If you're going to throw anything it's gonna be your body into the arms of a proper Zora." Link then said. "I would bet my boomerang that many would like to know you better."
Ruto looked away shyly and brought her knees closer to her body. "If you say so." She flapped her fins as a gesture of joy. "Princess Zelda gave the Sapphire back, so I guess our engagement is off?"
"Guess so." Link added, scratched his arm and glanced at her. "So what do you think about Malon?"
Ruto began rubbing the flat end around the ear holes. "Don't get me started." The Zora princess smirked. "But I think she liked you, have you two?" She opened her eyes wide and raised the fleshy structure of her brows.
Link felt awkward. "Done what?"
"Dated?" Ruto said and smacked him over the head with a closed fist. "God! Girls falling in love with you have to be the stupidest fish in the fryer." She sighed but still smiled. "Take her out for milk some night or stay up and just talk."
"You seem to have some knowledge." Link said and braced himself for another slap and surely there was one.
"Stupid." Ruto cursed. "I'm a Princess, I have to go to boring underwater balls and dance with dry Zoras." Link swallowed a giggle. "Maybe, just once in a while I find someone who treats me right; talks with me about things I want to talk about, shares with me some of his experiences and treats me to some munchies."
Link scratched his head. "Do I have to feed Malon to make her happy?"
Ruto shook her head and looked away. "I don't know how she works, but I am a growing girl and he who feeds me some snacks might just get a good word in with my father. But it's no way to my heart."
Link looked at her suspiciously from head to toe. "So where is the way in there?" He asked and received another slap.
"Geez Link." She turned away from him again. "It's a metaphor. The way to my heart is..." Ruto looked at Link and blushed. "A secret." She bit her lower lip. "But I have heard that Malon dreams that a knight to take her away."
"A knight." Link said and looked up at the sun that had began a fast decline. "Thank you Ruto." And he stood up and she did the same. A moment they looked at each other, smiled then feel into a embrace that lasted beyond awkward. "Good luck my friend." He whispered to her before the embrace ended and she nodded and looked towards the lake then ran and Link knew that she was crying.
Chapter end.
~ Love is a fruit sown in joyous soil, nourished by patients and harvested by a few. ~
The Legend of Zelda and The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is the property of Nintendo. Scenario is the property of Peder Andersson. Revision: 1. Responsible publisher: Peder Andersson. E-mail: .