**DISCLAIMER**I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters.
Leigh, Leena, Keman, Aiden, Rhiannon, and several other characters are
figments of my imagination.**
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fan fiction is based on the events of Ocarina of Time,
and takes place after Zelda has sent Link back in time, assuming that he
has lost his memories. To clear up any confusion later on, in this story
Hylian refers to the race of people (not all Hylians are from Hyrule)and
Hyrulian refers to someone from Hyrule. I'm new at this, so please read and
review. I'd appreciate it. Thanks: ) ~Alatariel Sirenial~
PROLOGUE
She lay in her bed in a tightly curled ball, desperately clutching her blankets around her tense form. Flimsy though they were, the linen bedclothes gave her a feeling of security. They were familiar, in a world where everything else had been turned upside down. And they smelled faintly of her mother.
He's going to kill me.
She shivered and pulled the covers closer to her skin. He was looking for her, and when he found her.. Her mother had been the only thing keeping her safe, and now she was gone.
Mama, why did you leave me all alone? I'm scared. He's going to kill me.
She thought back to the day before. Everything had been so different. The sun had shone down brightly on the Queen, Princess, and a small group of the Royal Guard. They had just left the small village where she and her mother had gone to visit her aunt. She had been happy that only she and her mother had gone. Her father and brother had stayed back at the castle. She had been riding on the front of her mother's horse, a beautiful roan mare, leaning back against her mother. The day was warm and a sweet wind was blowing, carrying with it the songs of birds.
"Look, Leena!" her mother had exclaimed. "It's a fairy! They are very rare, and are almost never seen. They say that if you see a fairy, you get to make a wish, and that wish will come true. Make a wish, sweetheart, but don't tell anyone what you wish for, because then it won't come true," the Queen said, smiling at her little daughter. The girl was mesmerized by the tiny winged ball of light hovering beside their trotting horse, easily keeping up with them. Within the glow, she could see a very small girl. The fairy giggled, then flew off. The girl made her wish.
I wish for all of us to be happy.and safe.
She added safe as an afterthought. She had heard her parents talking about something called the Great War. It was a big war happening in the land across the sea. It had yet to reach their kingdom, but the warring land was only three days from here by boat, so it didn't hurt to wish for safety.
The small party had ridden all day, stopping to rest and eat at nightfall. At dawn, they awoke to find that the clear sky had filled with dark clouds. They rode quickly without stopping to avoid the coming storm. Instead of growing lighter, the day grew darker, storm clouds chasing the riders across the sky.
When they were an hour from their destination, the storm struck. Driving rain came down in bullets. Lightning flashed and thunder roared. The party quickened their pace. They had been minutes from the castle when it happened. A bolt of lightning forked across the sky, shattering the heavens into a thousand pieces. In that brief flash of light, the Guard had spotted dark figures approaching them at a run. The riders had stopped, swords had been drawn, and the little girl and her mother had been forced into the center of the protective ring formed by the soldiers. The girl was frightened, but curious nonetheless. She stared out into the darkness, but had seen nothing. Then the figures had reached them.
They had fought viciously with the guards, killing several outright. The girl could see them now. She saw people, both men and women, clothed in bodysuits of blue and red. Many had their faces covered. On the chests of most uniforms there was an eye. That eye scared her. Suddenly, a young man had broken into the circle. His face had been uncovered. Wet blond hair was plastered to his skull; his long bangs were blown away from his face by the wind. But the Princess had cared nothing for his face. It was his eyes that held her. They were bright red, the color of fresh blood. Those eyes frightened her more than anything she had ever seen.
She had felt a hand on her shoulder as her mother pushed her away and drew a long dagger. Even then her mother had protected her. The warrior fought the Queen, who looked to be the same age as him. Their blades had come together again and again until they had stopped, locked together. Before they young woman could move her blade, the warrior drew a long dagger from a sheath at his wrist and stabbed her in the chest and stomach. As she had watched her mother fall to the ground the girl heard the warrior give an indiscernible cry, causing the fighters to run off and disappear into the night. She had run to her mother's side, panicked.
"Mama! Mama? Are you okay? Mama?" The woman had risen up on her elbows and looked her daughter in the eyes sadly.
"Leena, I'm not coming back to the castle with you. You can't see me anymore, so we have to say good-bye." The girl shook her head.
"But why, Mama? Why can't you come back?" Her mother had a pained expression on her face: she didn't want to explain what had happened to her daughter.
"Because I'm hurt, Leena. Very badly. I will leave soon. I don't want to leave, but I have to."
"I can make you better! With magic!" She put her hands on her mother's arm and concentrated.
Please. Make her better. Please..
That was the way her magic worked. She asked it to do something, and if it could, it did. Light had flowed from around her palms, going to her mother's wounds. The Queen and the Royal Guard were shocked to see the bleeding stop. Her magic spent, the little girl had fallen into her mother's lap.
When she had woken up, she was in the castle, sitting beside her mother. They were waiting for the King to come in. A messenger had been sent to find him only seconds before she woke up.
"Leena, I owe you my life. I would be dead were it not for your magic. I am proud of you," her mother had said. "But you must not tell your father of this. You know how he feels about magic."
"But, Mama," the child said, "Magic that makes people better is good magic. It's not sour.sarce.um.." Her mother had smiled.
"Sorcery, dear." The girl nodded.
"Uh-huh. And Papa only hates sorcery. And it's not." The Queen shook her head sadly.
"No dear, your father will not understand." The woman had looked down then and had seen that her wounds had started to bleed again, this time much faster. It was as though the magic had been damming the blood up, and now that the dam was gone, the blood was making up for lost time. The Queen tried to stand up, but fell instead to the floor in a faint.
"Mama?!" the girl had screamed. "Mama!! Wake up!!" Just then, the King had come through the door.
"Liarra!" he cried, seeing his wife on the floor and running to her. "Liarra? Can you hear me? Say something!" He knelt beside his wife and felt her wrist for a pulse, dropping it seconds later. "She's gone," he said softly. "How did this happen?" he had asked, to no one in particular. The messenger answered anyway.
"Attacked by Sheikah, Majesty. They may have been assassins, or merely political upstarts."
"Sheikah," the king breathed. "Damn them." He turned to the messenger. "You told me that she was doing well, and yet I come in to find her mortally wounded. Just what do you think is 'doing well'?"
"Well, Majesty," the messenger had sputtered. The King had a volatile temper and a great fondness for executions. "When I left to fetch you, she was doing well. You see, the Princess used a spell that stopped the bleeding and-" He was cut off by the King.
"A spell?" he inquired, turning on his daughter, his face furious. "What have I told you about magic?" he had asked, his voice dangerously quiet. The girl had felt herself beginning to shake, and tried to straighten herself under her father's glare.
"But it was good magic Papa! I didn't hurt nobody! I was helping-"
"Silence!" the King had roared, and the girl had fallen silent. "How dare you contradict me?! Didn't hurt anyone, you say? Look what you have done. Your mother is dead because of you!" The girl's eyes had filled with tears. She tried to stop them, knowing that her punishment would be worse if she cried, but she had not been able to. Unable to stop the tears, she had abandoned all composure and crumpled to the floor, sobs wracking her body.
"I'll deal with you later," her father said quietly. "Stay here until I come back." With that, he had stridden out of the room, the frightened messenger at his heels. The girl had listened as his footsteps echoed down the hallway until they could no longer be heard, then she had risen and run to her room. And now here she was.
She gathered her courage and sat up in the bed, preparing to leave. She would escape from the castle and get on one of those huge wooden monsters that floated on the sea. But she was stopped as she caught sight of her reflection in her mirror. Chest-length black hair, straggly and matted from the rain, framed a pale white face, two pointed ears poking out from beneath it. And out of that face stared frightened purple eyes. Purple eyes. Fey-eyes, like a witch, a sorceress. She looked nothing like her parents. She didn't even look like her twin brother. She had a slight hint of her mother's face, but no one had black hair and purple eyes. Kreeb, her father's oily adviser, had managed to convince the King that his daughter was cursed, that she was a witch. It had ruined everything. Ever since that day, her brother had been her father's favorite. He had never trusted her. He had never loved her..
It didn't matter now. She had to leave, before he found her. She crept out into the hall and carefully made her way towards the stairs. She had made it only a few steps before she was stopped by a voice.
"Going somewhere, little one?" crackled an ancient voice. The Princess turned to see an old hag dressed in black and gold robes, and red jewel in a headband on her forehead. Her grey hair was pulled back behind the band. The woman was very short, and slightly hunched over, a huge nose protruding from between two beady black eyes.
"No need to be afraid, I shant hurt you." The witch slowly hobbled over to where the young girl was standing. "My name is Koume. Now, don't gape at me like that, I'm here to help you. Be a good little girl and come with me. I'll help you escape." The girl backed up a step.
"I.I'm not going anyplace. Leave me alone!" She turned to run, but the old woman grabbed her arm and turned the child to face her.
"I've tried being kind, but it doesn't seem to work with you. You're coming with me. You must! If you stay here, you shall die." The young girl stopped struggling. The witch was right.
"Tell me your name."
"Leena." The woman smiled.
"You would do well to remember that, Leena. Where we are going, you will receive another name. Darkness is all you will see for a long time. Remember your name, for it will be the sole light in your darkness. Never forget who you are, or you will be lost. Now come." The child stared at the old woman, not sure what she had been talking about. All she knew was that she needed to remember her name. She was confused. The woman had said she would help her escape, but they were not moving. Suddenly, the air around them grew hot and red, as though flames were engulfing them. The child gasped as the walls of her home disappeared, replaced by red light. Seconds later, the light faded and the girl was amazed at what she saw.
Sand-colored walls, carved by the wind, surrounded her. Course tan sand covered the canyon floor. Directly in front of her towered an immense stone fortress that seemed to have been hewn from the canyon wall. Several purple-garbed figures stood on walkways on the fortress, holding spears. Everything was silent under the star-filled sky. The witch put her arm on the girl's shoulder.
"Welcome to Hyrule."
**DISCLAIMER**I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. Leigh, Leena, Keman, Aiden, Rhiannon, and several other characters are figments of my imagination.** CHAPTER 1
It's raining. I can hear it ruthlessly pounding the sides of the house; I can see it running down the windows on the floor below me, distorting and obscuring the world outside. Not that I could see outside if it was clear: it's pitch-black out there. I turn to look at the clock downstairs, barely visible in the flickering light of a low-burning candle on the table beside it. It's 3 hours past midnight. I've been 17 for 3 hours. Happy birthday.
I'm lying on a straw mat in the loft-like upper room of the house. The loft only takes up half of the building, so one can easily see down to the first floor. There are stairs leading down to the bottom floor along the right wall. There is a small table with one chair against the left wall, Neal lying with his head under it, snoring loudly. I can hear his mother downstairs snoring as well, albeit more quietly. I grin; Neal must get it from her.
Neal and his mother took me in when I was twelve. I've lived with them ever since. Neal's father died when Neal was five, and I never knew my parents, so we can relate to each other. Neal is like the brother I never had. We've been through a lot together: playing tricks on everyone in town, making sure Malon never gets her chores done, working for Dampé. It's only been 5 years, less than a third of my life, yet I feel like I've been here forever.. Goddess, Neal snores loudly. I sit up and draw my knees to my chest, since there is no way I'm getting back to sleep. It's ironic, really. The only time I'm allowed to sleep in, and I wake up when it's still dark out. Oh well, I'm up now.
I grab my forest-green tunic and pull it over my head, then grope around in the darkness for my hat. I find it put it on, and reach out for my boots. There's one.but the other one is missing. Again. I pull my one boot on and, on a hunch, crawl to the edge of the upper floor and look down into the room below. Sure enough, there's my boot, next to the bottom of the staircase. I must have kicked it down there when I was sleeping. Personally, I think ledges like this are dangerous. When I was thirteen, I broke my arm when I fell out of this loft while having a nightmare. Needless to say I never slept that close to the edge again.
I reach into the pouch I always carry and take out the fairy ocarina Saria gave me back when I lived in Kokiri Forest. when I thought I was a Kokiri.. I stop myself there. It hurts to think about my time in Kokiri Forest, too much to dwell on, so I just try to forget about it as I creep downstairs. Once on the bottom floor, I creep over to where my rogue boot landed, pull it on, and silently make my way out the door and into the rain.
The rain isn't coming down in bullets; it feels almost sluggish, but there is plenty of it. I've barely taken three steps out the door and I am already soaked. If I wasn't awake before, I am now. I make my way past the potion shop and down some stairs, squinting to make out the village in the darkness. Kakariko is smaller than Castle Town, but I prefer it anyway. Everything seems to go more slowly here; no one is ever really in a rush. The village is also removed from the bustle of town life. Not many people live here, so everyone knows everyone else. We may not all like each other, but we know each other at least. As I pass the well my destination, a small fenced-in pen, comes into view: Anju's cuckoo pen. As I step over the fence, I smile to myself: all the cuckoos are huddled under a small thatch overhang. For once, I don't think they'll be running away today.
I sit down on the fence, not even bothering to try and squeeze under the overhang. After all, there is no room and I am already as wet as I can possibly get. I lift my ocarina to my lips and Saria's Song drifts out into the village. The rain has an odd muffling effect on the notes, enhancing the feeling that I am isolated in my own little world. My song won't wake anyone up.
I've been playing for some time when the wind picks up, blowing the rain into my face. I look up to see a figure looming in front of me and give a start, falling backwards off the fence. I rush to get up, cursing myself for not bringing my bow with me. I stand and hurl myself at the figure, not giving whomever it is the chance to attack, but forgetting one little thing: the fence. I trip over it and fall clumsily into my assailant, who has braced himself for the impact as though he was expecting this. Even so, when we collide he stumbles back a step, the wind knocked out of him.
"Nice to see you too, Link." I stop mid-punch. I'd know that voice anywhere.
"Keman!" I cry, pushing him away from me. "Why did you do that? I practically had a heart attack!" The Sheikah smirks, an unusual thing for the straight-faced race. Apparently, their features are only set in stone around people who aren't close friends.
"For the same reason you jumped me in the graveyard last week. What was it you said? 'Because I thought it would be fun.'"
"You're lucky I didn't have my bow with me," I reply ruefully. Keman's face straightens into his normal unreadable look.
"I knew you wouldn't arm yourself just to go play that sissy flute of yours during a rainstorm in the middle of the night. You'd probably never bring your bow with you anywhere unless Neal reminded you to," he says with painful practicality. "By the way, what were you doing out here anyway? Do you usually come out here in the middle of the night?" I shrug.
"I couldn't sleep, and my ocarina isn't sissy just because you can't play it. Besides, do you think a harp is any better?" I expect a clever answer, but all I get is a confused stare.
"I don't play a harp, Link. I don't have a musical bone in my body. You know that." He's right. Keman doesn't play an instrument. But I seem to remember knowing a Sheikah who plays the harp. That's impossible, though, because Keman is the only Sheikah I know. right?
"Maybe I should go back to sleep." Keman nods.
"That might be a good idea. Do you think Karina would mind if I came back to the house with you?" he asks. I shake my head.
"Karina's generous. I'm sure she won't mind. Just make sure you don't wake anyone up."
"Don't worry about me," he says, grinning. "I'm a Sheikah remember? We don't make noise." I roll my eyes. We make our way back to the house, the rain coming down as hard as ever. Once we're inside and out of the rain, Keman sits down next to the door and closes his eyes.
"Link, wake me up in two hours, all right?" he asks without opening his eyes.
"Sure," I answer, going to sit at the foot of the stairs. Since I'm here, I might as well try to get some sleep. I close my eyes and listen to the rain pounding on the roof. It sounds as though it may be letting up. Over by the door, Keman's breathing has become slow and regular; he's asleep. On the opposite wall, the clock begins to chime the hour. One. two. three. four..
I'm standing in a cold room illuminated by several torches in sconces on the grey stone walls. The ceiling is lost in darkness. In the torchlight I can make out deep grooves carved into the floor forming a symbol I recognize: the Triforce.
A noise causes me to direct my attention to the far wall. A Gerudo in a black uniform stands there, looking at herself in a small hand mirror. After scrutinizing her reflection for several more seconds, she sets the mirror down, turns to look at me and smiles, white teeth flashing. I am reminded of a wolfos.
"I have been waiting for you, Hero of Time." She starts toward me and I become suddenly aware of the scimitar at her waist. The voice in my head is screaming at me to get out. I look around frantically but the only door is barred. I'm trapped.
Meanwhile, the Gerudo is still approaching, taking her time. She knows I'm not going anywhere. As she draws closer, she draws her scimitar and suddenly leaps at me, knocking me to the floor and impaling me. I make a futile attempt to pull the blade from my stomach, but the Gerudo just grins and pushes it in further.
" 'The blood of he that hath slain thee shall set thee free once more,'" she recites, her eyes burning. Her eyes.they're very strange. They seem to be forever changing color, as though they can't decide what to be. The floor beneath me, soaked with my blood, begins to burn and the room fills with white light. The Gerudo's eyes are still changing. Gold, green, purple, red..
Red. Red eyes are staring down at me now. A man with embers for eyes glares down at me. There is a different blade inside of me now. It's straight, not a scimitar, and the gold hilt is dripping with rubies. It's not just a different sword; it's a different place entirely. I'm outside, in a meadow surrounded by earthen walls. It's familiar. I know now. This is Saria's secret place. But what am I doing here?
My attacker sneers at me and wrenches out his sword, sending pain tearing through me. I'm too weak to cry out. My vision blurs, and everything goes black..
"Link!" I awake with a start and turn to see Neal kneeling beside me, a hand on my shoulder.
"That must have been some nightmare. I've never heard you scream like that before. How did you get all the way down here, anyway? You didn't fall, did you?" He takes in my tunic, boots, and hat. "What's with the get- up? You don't usually sleep with your shoes on, do you?" I shake my head.
"No, I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk." Neal beams.
"HA! I have a confession!!" he cries triumphantly. As I give him a puzzled look, his mother crosses over to us from behind the stairs.
"Link, dear, could you leave a note next time? I woke up to find you gone and thought that you had left us. I was worried." The one thing that sometimes bothers me about living here is that Karina is far too overprotective of me. I'm not her son; I'm just a border, and if I want to take off in the middle of the night and never come back, then I should be allowed to do it without guilt. I can't believe I just thought that. I'm a horrible, ungrateful pig. I'm not a border. Karina lets me live here free of charge, even though I've offered to pay her. I can at least let her know where I am. I owe her that much.
"Sorry, Karina. I'll leave a note next time." She smiles.
"Thank you." She turns to Neal. "Nealan, shouldn't you get ready? Link's already dressed, and I thought you two were going to Lon Lon Ranch."
"Oh, right." Neal rushes upstairs to get dressed.
"Lon Lon Ranch?" says a voice from the door. Keman's awake. "Mind if I tag along?" I shake my head.
"No, go right ahead." I say it nonchalantly, but I'm glad to have Keman coming with us. Malon, whose father owns the ranch, is Neal's girlfriend, and Neal will be acting lovey-dovey all day. I need someone in his right mind to help me bother the happy couple and keep them acting relatively normal.
"Ready!" Neal calls as he rushes down the stairs. As Neal, Keman, and I head out the door, Karina calls after us.
"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" Neal turns his head to answer her.
"We're fine, Mom. We're eating at the ranch."
"All right. Have a nice time then. Oh, and Link, happy birthday!"
"Thanks," I say, and close the door. The rain has stopped, but the clouds still loom overhead and we still have a pretty miserable walk ahead of us. It's only about six o'clock, so no one is outside just yet. We hurry through town, cross the bridge, and head out onto Hyrule Field. We walk quickly, wanting to get to the ranch as soon as possible. The ground is sodden and dark, pitted with deep puddles. We skirt around them, staying on what little grass there is whenever possible. After an hour of walking, we enter Lon Lon Ranch.
The three of us approach the main house. Neal knocks on the door and it opens almost instantaneously.
"Hi! You're here!" Malon stands in the doorway, beaming, her blue eyes sparkling. Her waist-length red hair flies out behind her as she practically rushes into Neal, hugging him and giving him a peck on the cheek.
"I missed you, Neal," she says sweetly. too sweetly.
"I missed you, too," Neal answers, not catching her tone. Malon's smile evaporates as punches him in the stomach.
"Then why haven't you come to visit me?!" she cries angrily. Neal steps back nervously, holding his hands in front of him to block any other attacks.
"Um, well, I. I've been busy." Malon looks at him skeptically.
"I'm sure you have. with that Anju girl!" Neal blanches.
"Malon! I would never-"
"Save it," Malon says cutting him off. "Really, Neal. If you don't shape up I'll- hey, fairy boy," she interrupts herself, smiling coyly and winking at me. I smile back: I see what Malon is doing. She's punishing Neal by making him think she's going to run off with someone else. She loves to scare him like this. Normally, it might seem a little cruel, but Neal hasn't come to see her in three weeks. Girls get really temperamental about stuff like that. And anyway, scaring Neal is fun.
Malon purposefully steps around Neal with her back completely to him, flicking her head slightly so that her hair hits him in the face.
"Malon," Neal tries, "I-" Malon saunters away from him and over to me, taking a few steps sideways so Neal can see her face.
"So, Link, it's your birthday today, right?" Malon asks, fluttering her eyelashes. I think she's overdoing it a bit.
"Yeah," I answer, wondering where she's going with this.
"And how old are you?"
"Seventeen." Malon raises her eyebrows.
"Wow, seventeen. Well, fairy boy, I got you two presents for your seventeenth birthday. One's a surprise, and you can't have it yet. I want to build up the suspense. But you can have the other one right now," she says, smiling, tilting her head down and looking up through her lashes. I see her cast a quick glance at Neal to see if he's been punished enough yet. Obviously not, because she keeps going.
"You want your present?" I know what she's talking about now. It started out as a cute gesture and became a bit of a tradition. I had been living at Lon Lon when my eleventh birthday came around. Malon had felt bad that no one had gotten me anything, so she gave me a "kiss for good luck". She's given me a kiss for my birthday ever since.
Neal knows about the kissing thing, so I look over to see if he has realized what Malon is talking about yet. He and Malon have been going out for three years, and it has only bothered him to the point where he sulks off until Malon kisses him too. Of course, their kiss is always a lot more involved than the traditional peck on the lips I always get, which is understandable. But now I'm not so sure.
Suddenly, it dawns on Neal and he starts looking sulky. He tries to catch Malon's eye, but she ignores him, so he settles for glaring at me. I can read his look pretty well: "kiss her and I will kill you". Too bad for Neal I'm better at fighting than he is. Malon looks at me expectantly.
"Well?" she says, and then she asks straight out. "Do you want me to kiss you or not?" I smile.
"Sure." I pull Malon close and she kisses me really hard. It goes on for about a minute, all the while me thinking Wow, she must be really mad at Neal. Eventually Malon pulls away.
"Happy birthday." Then she turns to Neal. "Well?" Neal sighs.
"I'll visit you more often."
"Once a week."
"Once a week? Malon, I don't know if I can-" Malon crosses her arms, and Neal sighs again. "Fine. I'll visit you once a week."
"Thank you!!" Malon says, immediately brightening.
"Malon," calls a male voice from inside the house. It's definitely not Talon, who is Malon's father, or Ingo, who works at the ranch. The four of us turn towards the door. There is a Sheikah standing in the doorway. His face and head are covered, revealing only his red eyes and some blond hair.
I'm standing in a stone room. It looks like the inside of a temple. There is a platform with six symbols on it, and a marble pedestal coming from it in the center of the room. The pedestal has a slit in it a Triforce symbol on it. The red-eyed Sheikah stands on the platform, facing me.
"I am Sheik," he says, "Survivor of the Sheikah."
The Sheikah, Sheik, judging by that vision, is outside now, saying something to Malon.
"So we are understood?" Sheik asks. Malon nods. "Very well. You mustn't tell him anything. Remember that." Malon nods again, looking uneasy, and then seems to remember the rest of us.
"Oh, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce everyone," Malon says, turning to us. I am still dazed and shaking slightly from the vision. "Everyone, this is-"
"Sheik," I say numbly, interrupting her. Everyone looks surprised, but Sheik has something besides surprise in his eyes. It looks almost like. hope.
"Um, yes," Malon says, confused. "Do you two know each other?" Sheik doesn't answer. He looks at me, waiting for my answer, as though unsure of his own.
"No," I say. Behind his marble features, Sheik looks slightly crestfallen. "We haven't." Malon looks back and forth between the two of us, confused. Maybe she's caught on to Sheik's disappointment.
"Um, well," she stammers, "I guess it was a lucky guess."
"Yes.." Sheik says nodding. He notices Keman for the first time and nods at him.
"Keman." Keman nods back.
"Sheik. What are you doing out here? I though you were training with Impa." Sheik shakes his head.
"I had an important errand to run." He turns to us. "Good-bye. Nice meeting you all." He turns and walks away, but not before meeting my eyes for a few seconds. That guy is starting to freak me out.
"Well," Neal says, "that was interesting." He turns to Malon. "Hey, Malon, who was that guy? Weren't you just saying something about being faithful to each other? Well, what did he want?" Malon gives Neal an annoyed look.
"His name is Sheik, and he just showed up an hour ago. I have never seen him before in my life. As for what he wanted, well," Malon pauses, "I'm not allowed to say. It is not anything bad, but no one must know of it." Now it's Neal's turn to look skeptical.
"Right. Sounds like an affair to me." Malon glares at him and gives an aggravated sigh.
"Neal!" Neal pretends to sulk and looks offended.
"Well, what am I supposed to think?" Malon sighs.
"Fine, Neal, you win. I shouldn't have overreacted like that." Neal's smile widens into a huge grin.
"What was that? I didn't hear you."
"I said 'you win'." Malon says. Neal continues, gloating.
"I win? As in, I was right? So, that would make you.wrong, wouldn't it?" Malon glares at him.
"You're pushing it, Neal."
"Oh, am I?" Malon throws her hands in the air.
"I don't have time for this." She turns to Keman and I, who have been trying very hard not to laugh through this whole ordeal. "You two follow me. We're going to eat breakfast. Just leave the idiot out here. It won't notice if we're gone," she says, turning and entering the main house. Keman and I look at each other and then follow Malon, leaving Neal to catch up. He takes his time coming after us, trying to remain dignified.
"That was cold, Malon," he says after following us into the building. Malon ignores him and goes to a crate in a corner of the room. Neal comes over to stand next to me.
"Why do I bother?" he whispers under his breath. I shake my head.
"I told you girls were nothing but trouble." He gives me a skeptical look.
"You did not. And you're only saying that now because you're seventeen and you still haven't had a single girlfriend. Jealous, I'll bet. I guess I'm the better looking one after all."
"I have too had a girlfriend."
"Really? Name one."
"Malon." Neal still looks skeptical.
"Yeah? For how long?" I look sheepish.
"Two weeks."
"Wow," Neal says, grinning again, ",long time, eh?" His grin disappears. "What happened, anyway?" I shrug.
"We both got so sick of each other, we couldn't take it."
"Somehow I'm not surprised."
Malon comes back, interrupting our conversation. "Here you go. Drink up," she says, handing each of us a bottle of Lon Lon milk. Neal gives his bottle a shocked look, and then looks up at Malon.
"This is it?" he asks. "A bottle of milk? You know, we turned down breakfast because we thought we were eating here."
"You are. Now drink it. It'll fill you up." Neal grudgingly obeys. Keman and I are already finished. When Neal is done, the four of us go outside and head for the corral that takes up the majority of the ranch. As we approach the corral's open gate, I take in our surroundings. The early morning sun has yet to burn away the mist from last night's rain. Sunbeams slant through the vapor, turning it to gold. A light breeze stirs the golden mist, sending it swirling through the air. Small beads of dew cling to blades of grass, shining like jewels. It looks almost magical.
I shake my head. I've always been a sucker for a pretty landscape. We are walking through the gates now. The gates have these metal disks on them, and it looks as though they bore an image that has long been worn away. I know it's strange, but I've always thought that the barely-there image sort of looks like Ingo. Malon's voice breaks through my thoughts.
"So what do you want to do?" No one answers. "Well?"
"Archery?" I suggest. The suggestion is met with nods of agreement, so Malon and Neal run off to get the archery targets and Malon's bow, leaving Keman and I alone. We stand in silence for a few minutes before Keman turns to me.
"How did you know Sheik's name if you've never met him before?" he asks suddenly. The question catches me off guard.
"Um, I'm not sure, really," I say. For some reason I'm reluctant to tell Keman about that vision. "Lucky guess, I suppose." I can tell from Keman's look that he doesn't believe me, but at least he doesn't pry any further. After a moment, I ask him, "Who is Sheik, anyway?" Keman looks like he is thinking carefully. I can't help but get the feeling that he is deciding what and what not to tell me.
" No one really knows that much about him. He spends all his time with Impa, our leader. He has magic, you see, and Impa is teaching how to use it. Or was teaching him, anyway. He surpassed her in skill long ago. Why he still hangs around with her remains a mystery. In case you were wondering," he says, seeing the question in my eyes, "I don't know why he came here today. Lately he's been acting very strangely." I nod. Malon and Neal are coming back, so I push Sheik from my mind. I have to concentrate on beating everyone at archery.
"Great shot, Malon!" The score stands with and me and Neal at 220, Keman with 190, and Malon completely out of it with 150. Malon has just fired a pretty poor shot into her target's outermost ring and Neal is trying to make her feel better. Malon is actually a pretty good archer: she usually hits the center five times out of ten. Today she's just a little off. She fires another shot. Scratch that; she's way off. Malon fires her last arrow, retrieves it and her other five from the target, and goes to stand next to Keman, who is also done. We're having a final round before it gets dark, and Neal and I still have to shoot.
Neal steps up to the shooting line and looses his first arrow: a bulls eye. The two following it also hit center. The fourth arrow hits the second ring, and the fifth and sixth hit the bulls eye, leaving Neal with a score of 248. He retrieves his arrows and goes to stand with the others.
"That was nearly perfect, Link! You can't beat that," he calls. Watch me. I step up to the shooting line, nock an arrow, and raise my bow arm to draw. I've raised my arm a little too high and find myself aiming into the setting sun.
I stand on an island in Lake Hylia. The cold dawn air is still. It is sunrise, and I am aiming east at the sliver of sun already over the horizon. My arm shakes with the strain of holding my draw for this long, but I keep my aim steady. Not much longer now. The sun slowly creeps into the sky. As soon as the blazing orb is fully over the horizon, I let my arrow fly. It stops mid-flight, falling to a platform on the lake. The arrowhead is encased in a red crystal.
"Hey Link! You going to shoot that or what?" I shake my head at the sound of Neal's voice and lower my bow to aim at the target. What was that? What just happened? I realize my hands are shaking and take a deep breath to steady myself. I then proceed to fire all six of my arrows into the bulls eye.
PROLOGUE
She lay in her bed in a tightly curled ball, desperately clutching her blankets around her tense form. Flimsy though they were, the linen bedclothes gave her a feeling of security. They were familiar, in a world where everything else had been turned upside down. And they smelled faintly of her mother.
He's going to kill me.
She shivered and pulled the covers closer to her skin. He was looking for her, and when he found her.. Her mother had been the only thing keeping her safe, and now she was gone.
Mama, why did you leave me all alone? I'm scared. He's going to kill me.
She thought back to the day before. Everything had been so different. The sun had shone down brightly on the Queen, Princess, and a small group of the Royal Guard. They had just left the small village where she and her mother had gone to visit her aunt. She had been happy that only she and her mother had gone. Her father and brother had stayed back at the castle. She had been riding on the front of her mother's horse, a beautiful roan mare, leaning back against her mother. The day was warm and a sweet wind was blowing, carrying with it the songs of birds.
"Look, Leena!" her mother had exclaimed. "It's a fairy! They are very rare, and are almost never seen. They say that if you see a fairy, you get to make a wish, and that wish will come true. Make a wish, sweetheart, but don't tell anyone what you wish for, because then it won't come true," the Queen said, smiling at her little daughter. The girl was mesmerized by the tiny winged ball of light hovering beside their trotting horse, easily keeping up with them. Within the glow, she could see a very small girl. The fairy giggled, then flew off. The girl made her wish.
I wish for all of us to be happy.and safe.
She added safe as an afterthought. She had heard her parents talking about something called the Great War. It was a big war happening in the land across the sea. It had yet to reach their kingdom, but the warring land was only three days from here by boat, so it didn't hurt to wish for safety.
The small party had ridden all day, stopping to rest and eat at nightfall. At dawn, they awoke to find that the clear sky had filled with dark clouds. They rode quickly without stopping to avoid the coming storm. Instead of growing lighter, the day grew darker, storm clouds chasing the riders across the sky.
When they were an hour from their destination, the storm struck. Driving rain came down in bullets. Lightning flashed and thunder roared. The party quickened their pace. They had been minutes from the castle when it happened. A bolt of lightning forked across the sky, shattering the heavens into a thousand pieces. In that brief flash of light, the Guard had spotted dark figures approaching them at a run. The riders had stopped, swords had been drawn, and the little girl and her mother had been forced into the center of the protective ring formed by the soldiers. The girl was frightened, but curious nonetheless. She stared out into the darkness, but had seen nothing. Then the figures had reached them.
They had fought viciously with the guards, killing several outright. The girl could see them now. She saw people, both men and women, clothed in bodysuits of blue and red. Many had their faces covered. On the chests of most uniforms there was an eye. That eye scared her. Suddenly, a young man had broken into the circle. His face had been uncovered. Wet blond hair was plastered to his skull; his long bangs were blown away from his face by the wind. But the Princess had cared nothing for his face. It was his eyes that held her. They were bright red, the color of fresh blood. Those eyes frightened her more than anything she had ever seen.
She had felt a hand on her shoulder as her mother pushed her away and drew a long dagger. Even then her mother had protected her. The warrior fought the Queen, who looked to be the same age as him. Their blades had come together again and again until they had stopped, locked together. Before they young woman could move her blade, the warrior drew a long dagger from a sheath at his wrist and stabbed her in the chest and stomach. As she had watched her mother fall to the ground the girl heard the warrior give an indiscernible cry, causing the fighters to run off and disappear into the night. She had run to her mother's side, panicked.
"Mama! Mama? Are you okay? Mama?" The woman had risen up on her elbows and looked her daughter in the eyes sadly.
"Leena, I'm not coming back to the castle with you. You can't see me anymore, so we have to say good-bye." The girl shook her head.
"But why, Mama? Why can't you come back?" Her mother had a pained expression on her face: she didn't want to explain what had happened to her daughter.
"Because I'm hurt, Leena. Very badly. I will leave soon. I don't want to leave, but I have to."
"I can make you better! With magic!" She put her hands on her mother's arm and concentrated.
Please. Make her better. Please..
That was the way her magic worked. She asked it to do something, and if it could, it did. Light had flowed from around her palms, going to her mother's wounds. The Queen and the Royal Guard were shocked to see the bleeding stop. Her magic spent, the little girl had fallen into her mother's lap.
When she had woken up, she was in the castle, sitting beside her mother. They were waiting for the King to come in. A messenger had been sent to find him only seconds before she woke up.
"Leena, I owe you my life. I would be dead were it not for your magic. I am proud of you," her mother had said. "But you must not tell your father of this. You know how he feels about magic."
"But, Mama," the child said, "Magic that makes people better is good magic. It's not sour.sarce.um.." Her mother had smiled.
"Sorcery, dear." The girl nodded.
"Uh-huh. And Papa only hates sorcery. And it's not." The Queen shook her head sadly.
"No dear, your father will not understand." The woman had looked down then and had seen that her wounds had started to bleed again, this time much faster. It was as though the magic had been damming the blood up, and now that the dam was gone, the blood was making up for lost time. The Queen tried to stand up, but fell instead to the floor in a faint.
"Mama?!" the girl had screamed. "Mama!! Wake up!!" Just then, the King had come through the door.
"Liarra!" he cried, seeing his wife on the floor and running to her. "Liarra? Can you hear me? Say something!" He knelt beside his wife and felt her wrist for a pulse, dropping it seconds later. "She's gone," he said softly. "How did this happen?" he had asked, to no one in particular. The messenger answered anyway.
"Attacked by Sheikah, Majesty. They may have been assassins, or merely political upstarts."
"Sheikah," the king breathed. "Damn them." He turned to the messenger. "You told me that she was doing well, and yet I come in to find her mortally wounded. Just what do you think is 'doing well'?"
"Well, Majesty," the messenger had sputtered. The King had a volatile temper and a great fondness for executions. "When I left to fetch you, she was doing well. You see, the Princess used a spell that stopped the bleeding and-" He was cut off by the King.
"A spell?" he inquired, turning on his daughter, his face furious. "What have I told you about magic?" he had asked, his voice dangerously quiet. The girl had felt herself beginning to shake, and tried to straighten herself under her father's glare.
"But it was good magic Papa! I didn't hurt nobody! I was helping-"
"Silence!" the King had roared, and the girl had fallen silent. "How dare you contradict me?! Didn't hurt anyone, you say? Look what you have done. Your mother is dead because of you!" The girl's eyes had filled with tears. She tried to stop them, knowing that her punishment would be worse if she cried, but she had not been able to. Unable to stop the tears, she had abandoned all composure and crumpled to the floor, sobs wracking her body.
"I'll deal with you later," her father said quietly. "Stay here until I come back." With that, he had stridden out of the room, the frightened messenger at his heels. The girl had listened as his footsteps echoed down the hallway until they could no longer be heard, then she had risen and run to her room. And now here she was.
She gathered her courage and sat up in the bed, preparing to leave. She would escape from the castle and get on one of those huge wooden monsters that floated on the sea. But she was stopped as she caught sight of her reflection in her mirror. Chest-length black hair, straggly and matted from the rain, framed a pale white face, two pointed ears poking out from beneath it. And out of that face stared frightened purple eyes. Purple eyes. Fey-eyes, like a witch, a sorceress. She looked nothing like her parents. She didn't even look like her twin brother. She had a slight hint of her mother's face, but no one had black hair and purple eyes. Kreeb, her father's oily adviser, had managed to convince the King that his daughter was cursed, that she was a witch. It had ruined everything. Ever since that day, her brother had been her father's favorite. He had never trusted her. He had never loved her..
It didn't matter now. She had to leave, before he found her. She crept out into the hall and carefully made her way towards the stairs. She had made it only a few steps before she was stopped by a voice.
"Going somewhere, little one?" crackled an ancient voice. The Princess turned to see an old hag dressed in black and gold robes, and red jewel in a headband on her forehead. Her grey hair was pulled back behind the band. The woman was very short, and slightly hunched over, a huge nose protruding from between two beady black eyes.
"No need to be afraid, I shant hurt you." The witch slowly hobbled over to where the young girl was standing. "My name is Koume. Now, don't gape at me like that, I'm here to help you. Be a good little girl and come with me. I'll help you escape." The girl backed up a step.
"I.I'm not going anyplace. Leave me alone!" She turned to run, but the old woman grabbed her arm and turned the child to face her.
"I've tried being kind, but it doesn't seem to work with you. You're coming with me. You must! If you stay here, you shall die." The young girl stopped struggling. The witch was right.
"Tell me your name."
"Leena." The woman smiled.
"You would do well to remember that, Leena. Where we are going, you will receive another name. Darkness is all you will see for a long time. Remember your name, for it will be the sole light in your darkness. Never forget who you are, or you will be lost. Now come." The child stared at the old woman, not sure what she had been talking about. All she knew was that she needed to remember her name. She was confused. The woman had said she would help her escape, but they were not moving. Suddenly, the air around them grew hot and red, as though flames were engulfing them. The child gasped as the walls of her home disappeared, replaced by red light. Seconds later, the light faded and the girl was amazed at what she saw.
Sand-colored walls, carved by the wind, surrounded her. Course tan sand covered the canyon floor. Directly in front of her towered an immense stone fortress that seemed to have been hewn from the canyon wall. Several purple-garbed figures stood on walkways on the fortress, holding spears. Everything was silent under the star-filled sky. The witch put her arm on the girl's shoulder.
"Welcome to Hyrule."
**DISCLAIMER**I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. Leigh, Leena, Keman, Aiden, Rhiannon, and several other characters are figments of my imagination.** CHAPTER 1
It's raining. I can hear it ruthlessly pounding the sides of the house; I can see it running down the windows on the floor below me, distorting and obscuring the world outside. Not that I could see outside if it was clear: it's pitch-black out there. I turn to look at the clock downstairs, barely visible in the flickering light of a low-burning candle on the table beside it. It's 3 hours past midnight. I've been 17 for 3 hours. Happy birthday.
I'm lying on a straw mat in the loft-like upper room of the house. The loft only takes up half of the building, so one can easily see down to the first floor. There are stairs leading down to the bottom floor along the right wall. There is a small table with one chair against the left wall, Neal lying with his head under it, snoring loudly. I can hear his mother downstairs snoring as well, albeit more quietly. I grin; Neal must get it from her.
Neal and his mother took me in when I was twelve. I've lived with them ever since. Neal's father died when Neal was five, and I never knew my parents, so we can relate to each other. Neal is like the brother I never had. We've been through a lot together: playing tricks on everyone in town, making sure Malon never gets her chores done, working for Dampé. It's only been 5 years, less than a third of my life, yet I feel like I've been here forever.. Goddess, Neal snores loudly. I sit up and draw my knees to my chest, since there is no way I'm getting back to sleep. It's ironic, really. The only time I'm allowed to sleep in, and I wake up when it's still dark out. Oh well, I'm up now.
I grab my forest-green tunic and pull it over my head, then grope around in the darkness for my hat. I find it put it on, and reach out for my boots. There's one.but the other one is missing. Again. I pull my one boot on and, on a hunch, crawl to the edge of the upper floor and look down into the room below. Sure enough, there's my boot, next to the bottom of the staircase. I must have kicked it down there when I was sleeping. Personally, I think ledges like this are dangerous. When I was thirteen, I broke my arm when I fell out of this loft while having a nightmare. Needless to say I never slept that close to the edge again.
I reach into the pouch I always carry and take out the fairy ocarina Saria gave me back when I lived in Kokiri Forest. when I thought I was a Kokiri.. I stop myself there. It hurts to think about my time in Kokiri Forest, too much to dwell on, so I just try to forget about it as I creep downstairs. Once on the bottom floor, I creep over to where my rogue boot landed, pull it on, and silently make my way out the door and into the rain.
The rain isn't coming down in bullets; it feels almost sluggish, but there is plenty of it. I've barely taken three steps out the door and I am already soaked. If I wasn't awake before, I am now. I make my way past the potion shop and down some stairs, squinting to make out the village in the darkness. Kakariko is smaller than Castle Town, but I prefer it anyway. Everything seems to go more slowly here; no one is ever really in a rush. The village is also removed from the bustle of town life. Not many people live here, so everyone knows everyone else. We may not all like each other, but we know each other at least. As I pass the well my destination, a small fenced-in pen, comes into view: Anju's cuckoo pen. As I step over the fence, I smile to myself: all the cuckoos are huddled under a small thatch overhang. For once, I don't think they'll be running away today.
I sit down on the fence, not even bothering to try and squeeze under the overhang. After all, there is no room and I am already as wet as I can possibly get. I lift my ocarina to my lips and Saria's Song drifts out into the village. The rain has an odd muffling effect on the notes, enhancing the feeling that I am isolated in my own little world. My song won't wake anyone up.
I've been playing for some time when the wind picks up, blowing the rain into my face. I look up to see a figure looming in front of me and give a start, falling backwards off the fence. I rush to get up, cursing myself for not bringing my bow with me. I stand and hurl myself at the figure, not giving whomever it is the chance to attack, but forgetting one little thing: the fence. I trip over it and fall clumsily into my assailant, who has braced himself for the impact as though he was expecting this. Even so, when we collide he stumbles back a step, the wind knocked out of him.
"Nice to see you too, Link." I stop mid-punch. I'd know that voice anywhere.
"Keman!" I cry, pushing him away from me. "Why did you do that? I practically had a heart attack!" The Sheikah smirks, an unusual thing for the straight-faced race. Apparently, their features are only set in stone around people who aren't close friends.
"For the same reason you jumped me in the graveyard last week. What was it you said? 'Because I thought it would be fun.'"
"You're lucky I didn't have my bow with me," I reply ruefully. Keman's face straightens into his normal unreadable look.
"I knew you wouldn't arm yourself just to go play that sissy flute of yours during a rainstorm in the middle of the night. You'd probably never bring your bow with you anywhere unless Neal reminded you to," he says with painful practicality. "By the way, what were you doing out here anyway? Do you usually come out here in the middle of the night?" I shrug.
"I couldn't sleep, and my ocarina isn't sissy just because you can't play it. Besides, do you think a harp is any better?" I expect a clever answer, but all I get is a confused stare.
"I don't play a harp, Link. I don't have a musical bone in my body. You know that." He's right. Keman doesn't play an instrument. But I seem to remember knowing a Sheikah who plays the harp. That's impossible, though, because Keman is the only Sheikah I know. right?
"Maybe I should go back to sleep." Keman nods.
"That might be a good idea. Do you think Karina would mind if I came back to the house with you?" he asks. I shake my head.
"Karina's generous. I'm sure she won't mind. Just make sure you don't wake anyone up."
"Don't worry about me," he says, grinning. "I'm a Sheikah remember? We don't make noise." I roll my eyes. We make our way back to the house, the rain coming down as hard as ever. Once we're inside and out of the rain, Keman sits down next to the door and closes his eyes.
"Link, wake me up in two hours, all right?" he asks without opening his eyes.
"Sure," I answer, going to sit at the foot of the stairs. Since I'm here, I might as well try to get some sleep. I close my eyes and listen to the rain pounding on the roof. It sounds as though it may be letting up. Over by the door, Keman's breathing has become slow and regular; he's asleep. On the opposite wall, the clock begins to chime the hour. One. two. three. four..
I'm standing in a cold room illuminated by several torches in sconces on the grey stone walls. The ceiling is lost in darkness. In the torchlight I can make out deep grooves carved into the floor forming a symbol I recognize: the Triforce.
A noise causes me to direct my attention to the far wall. A Gerudo in a black uniform stands there, looking at herself in a small hand mirror. After scrutinizing her reflection for several more seconds, she sets the mirror down, turns to look at me and smiles, white teeth flashing. I am reminded of a wolfos.
"I have been waiting for you, Hero of Time." She starts toward me and I become suddenly aware of the scimitar at her waist. The voice in my head is screaming at me to get out. I look around frantically but the only door is barred. I'm trapped.
Meanwhile, the Gerudo is still approaching, taking her time. She knows I'm not going anywhere. As she draws closer, she draws her scimitar and suddenly leaps at me, knocking me to the floor and impaling me. I make a futile attempt to pull the blade from my stomach, but the Gerudo just grins and pushes it in further.
" 'The blood of he that hath slain thee shall set thee free once more,'" she recites, her eyes burning. Her eyes.they're very strange. They seem to be forever changing color, as though they can't decide what to be. The floor beneath me, soaked with my blood, begins to burn and the room fills with white light. The Gerudo's eyes are still changing. Gold, green, purple, red..
Red. Red eyes are staring down at me now. A man with embers for eyes glares down at me. There is a different blade inside of me now. It's straight, not a scimitar, and the gold hilt is dripping with rubies. It's not just a different sword; it's a different place entirely. I'm outside, in a meadow surrounded by earthen walls. It's familiar. I know now. This is Saria's secret place. But what am I doing here?
My attacker sneers at me and wrenches out his sword, sending pain tearing through me. I'm too weak to cry out. My vision blurs, and everything goes black..
"Link!" I awake with a start and turn to see Neal kneeling beside me, a hand on my shoulder.
"That must have been some nightmare. I've never heard you scream like that before. How did you get all the way down here, anyway? You didn't fall, did you?" He takes in my tunic, boots, and hat. "What's with the get- up? You don't usually sleep with your shoes on, do you?" I shake my head.
"No, I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk." Neal beams.
"HA! I have a confession!!" he cries triumphantly. As I give him a puzzled look, his mother crosses over to us from behind the stairs.
"Link, dear, could you leave a note next time? I woke up to find you gone and thought that you had left us. I was worried." The one thing that sometimes bothers me about living here is that Karina is far too overprotective of me. I'm not her son; I'm just a border, and if I want to take off in the middle of the night and never come back, then I should be allowed to do it without guilt. I can't believe I just thought that. I'm a horrible, ungrateful pig. I'm not a border. Karina lets me live here free of charge, even though I've offered to pay her. I can at least let her know where I am. I owe her that much.
"Sorry, Karina. I'll leave a note next time." She smiles.
"Thank you." She turns to Neal. "Nealan, shouldn't you get ready? Link's already dressed, and I thought you two were going to Lon Lon Ranch."
"Oh, right." Neal rushes upstairs to get dressed.
"Lon Lon Ranch?" says a voice from the door. Keman's awake. "Mind if I tag along?" I shake my head.
"No, go right ahead." I say it nonchalantly, but I'm glad to have Keman coming with us. Malon, whose father owns the ranch, is Neal's girlfriend, and Neal will be acting lovey-dovey all day. I need someone in his right mind to help me bother the happy couple and keep them acting relatively normal.
"Ready!" Neal calls as he rushes down the stairs. As Neal, Keman, and I head out the door, Karina calls after us.
"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" Neal turns his head to answer her.
"We're fine, Mom. We're eating at the ranch."
"All right. Have a nice time then. Oh, and Link, happy birthday!"
"Thanks," I say, and close the door. The rain has stopped, but the clouds still loom overhead and we still have a pretty miserable walk ahead of us. It's only about six o'clock, so no one is outside just yet. We hurry through town, cross the bridge, and head out onto Hyrule Field. We walk quickly, wanting to get to the ranch as soon as possible. The ground is sodden and dark, pitted with deep puddles. We skirt around them, staying on what little grass there is whenever possible. After an hour of walking, we enter Lon Lon Ranch.
The three of us approach the main house. Neal knocks on the door and it opens almost instantaneously.
"Hi! You're here!" Malon stands in the doorway, beaming, her blue eyes sparkling. Her waist-length red hair flies out behind her as she practically rushes into Neal, hugging him and giving him a peck on the cheek.
"I missed you, Neal," she says sweetly. too sweetly.
"I missed you, too," Neal answers, not catching her tone. Malon's smile evaporates as punches him in the stomach.
"Then why haven't you come to visit me?!" she cries angrily. Neal steps back nervously, holding his hands in front of him to block any other attacks.
"Um, well, I. I've been busy." Malon looks at him skeptically.
"I'm sure you have. with that Anju girl!" Neal blanches.
"Malon! I would never-"
"Save it," Malon says cutting him off. "Really, Neal. If you don't shape up I'll- hey, fairy boy," she interrupts herself, smiling coyly and winking at me. I smile back: I see what Malon is doing. She's punishing Neal by making him think she's going to run off with someone else. She loves to scare him like this. Normally, it might seem a little cruel, but Neal hasn't come to see her in three weeks. Girls get really temperamental about stuff like that. And anyway, scaring Neal is fun.
Malon purposefully steps around Neal with her back completely to him, flicking her head slightly so that her hair hits him in the face.
"Malon," Neal tries, "I-" Malon saunters away from him and over to me, taking a few steps sideways so Neal can see her face.
"So, Link, it's your birthday today, right?" Malon asks, fluttering her eyelashes. I think she's overdoing it a bit.
"Yeah," I answer, wondering where she's going with this.
"And how old are you?"
"Seventeen." Malon raises her eyebrows.
"Wow, seventeen. Well, fairy boy, I got you two presents for your seventeenth birthday. One's a surprise, and you can't have it yet. I want to build up the suspense. But you can have the other one right now," she says, smiling, tilting her head down and looking up through her lashes. I see her cast a quick glance at Neal to see if he's been punished enough yet. Obviously not, because she keeps going.
"You want your present?" I know what she's talking about now. It started out as a cute gesture and became a bit of a tradition. I had been living at Lon Lon when my eleventh birthday came around. Malon had felt bad that no one had gotten me anything, so she gave me a "kiss for good luck". She's given me a kiss for my birthday ever since.
Neal knows about the kissing thing, so I look over to see if he has realized what Malon is talking about yet. He and Malon have been going out for three years, and it has only bothered him to the point where he sulks off until Malon kisses him too. Of course, their kiss is always a lot more involved than the traditional peck on the lips I always get, which is understandable. But now I'm not so sure.
Suddenly, it dawns on Neal and he starts looking sulky. He tries to catch Malon's eye, but she ignores him, so he settles for glaring at me. I can read his look pretty well: "kiss her and I will kill you". Too bad for Neal I'm better at fighting than he is. Malon looks at me expectantly.
"Well?" she says, and then she asks straight out. "Do you want me to kiss you or not?" I smile.
"Sure." I pull Malon close and she kisses me really hard. It goes on for about a minute, all the while me thinking Wow, she must be really mad at Neal. Eventually Malon pulls away.
"Happy birthday." Then she turns to Neal. "Well?" Neal sighs.
"I'll visit you more often."
"Once a week."
"Once a week? Malon, I don't know if I can-" Malon crosses her arms, and Neal sighs again. "Fine. I'll visit you once a week."
"Thank you!!" Malon says, immediately brightening.
"Malon," calls a male voice from inside the house. It's definitely not Talon, who is Malon's father, or Ingo, who works at the ranch. The four of us turn towards the door. There is a Sheikah standing in the doorway. His face and head are covered, revealing only his red eyes and some blond hair.
I'm standing in a stone room. It looks like the inside of a temple. There is a platform with six symbols on it, and a marble pedestal coming from it in the center of the room. The pedestal has a slit in it a Triforce symbol on it. The red-eyed Sheikah stands on the platform, facing me.
"I am Sheik," he says, "Survivor of the Sheikah."
The Sheikah, Sheik, judging by that vision, is outside now, saying something to Malon.
"So we are understood?" Sheik asks. Malon nods. "Very well. You mustn't tell him anything. Remember that." Malon nods again, looking uneasy, and then seems to remember the rest of us.
"Oh, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce everyone," Malon says, turning to us. I am still dazed and shaking slightly from the vision. "Everyone, this is-"
"Sheik," I say numbly, interrupting her. Everyone looks surprised, but Sheik has something besides surprise in his eyes. It looks almost like. hope.
"Um, yes," Malon says, confused. "Do you two know each other?" Sheik doesn't answer. He looks at me, waiting for my answer, as though unsure of his own.
"No," I say. Behind his marble features, Sheik looks slightly crestfallen. "We haven't." Malon looks back and forth between the two of us, confused. Maybe she's caught on to Sheik's disappointment.
"Um, well," she stammers, "I guess it was a lucky guess."
"Yes.." Sheik says nodding. He notices Keman for the first time and nods at him.
"Keman." Keman nods back.
"Sheik. What are you doing out here? I though you were training with Impa." Sheik shakes his head.
"I had an important errand to run." He turns to us. "Good-bye. Nice meeting you all." He turns and walks away, but not before meeting my eyes for a few seconds. That guy is starting to freak me out.
"Well," Neal says, "that was interesting." He turns to Malon. "Hey, Malon, who was that guy? Weren't you just saying something about being faithful to each other? Well, what did he want?" Malon gives Neal an annoyed look.
"His name is Sheik, and he just showed up an hour ago. I have never seen him before in my life. As for what he wanted, well," Malon pauses, "I'm not allowed to say. It is not anything bad, but no one must know of it." Now it's Neal's turn to look skeptical.
"Right. Sounds like an affair to me." Malon glares at him and gives an aggravated sigh.
"Neal!" Neal pretends to sulk and looks offended.
"Well, what am I supposed to think?" Malon sighs.
"Fine, Neal, you win. I shouldn't have overreacted like that." Neal's smile widens into a huge grin.
"What was that? I didn't hear you."
"I said 'you win'." Malon says. Neal continues, gloating.
"I win? As in, I was right? So, that would make you.wrong, wouldn't it?" Malon glares at him.
"You're pushing it, Neal."
"Oh, am I?" Malon throws her hands in the air.
"I don't have time for this." She turns to Keman and I, who have been trying very hard not to laugh through this whole ordeal. "You two follow me. We're going to eat breakfast. Just leave the idiot out here. It won't notice if we're gone," she says, turning and entering the main house. Keman and I look at each other and then follow Malon, leaving Neal to catch up. He takes his time coming after us, trying to remain dignified.
"That was cold, Malon," he says after following us into the building. Malon ignores him and goes to a crate in a corner of the room. Neal comes over to stand next to me.
"Why do I bother?" he whispers under his breath. I shake my head.
"I told you girls were nothing but trouble." He gives me a skeptical look.
"You did not. And you're only saying that now because you're seventeen and you still haven't had a single girlfriend. Jealous, I'll bet. I guess I'm the better looking one after all."
"I have too had a girlfriend."
"Really? Name one."
"Malon." Neal still looks skeptical.
"Yeah? For how long?" I look sheepish.
"Two weeks."
"Wow," Neal says, grinning again, ",long time, eh?" His grin disappears. "What happened, anyway?" I shrug.
"We both got so sick of each other, we couldn't take it."
"Somehow I'm not surprised."
Malon comes back, interrupting our conversation. "Here you go. Drink up," she says, handing each of us a bottle of Lon Lon milk. Neal gives his bottle a shocked look, and then looks up at Malon.
"This is it?" he asks. "A bottle of milk? You know, we turned down breakfast because we thought we were eating here."
"You are. Now drink it. It'll fill you up." Neal grudgingly obeys. Keman and I are already finished. When Neal is done, the four of us go outside and head for the corral that takes up the majority of the ranch. As we approach the corral's open gate, I take in our surroundings. The early morning sun has yet to burn away the mist from last night's rain. Sunbeams slant through the vapor, turning it to gold. A light breeze stirs the golden mist, sending it swirling through the air. Small beads of dew cling to blades of grass, shining like jewels. It looks almost magical.
I shake my head. I've always been a sucker for a pretty landscape. We are walking through the gates now. The gates have these metal disks on them, and it looks as though they bore an image that has long been worn away. I know it's strange, but I've always thought that the barely-there image sort of looks like Ingo. Malon's voice breaks through my thoughts.
"So what do you want to do?" No one answers. "Well?"
"Archery?" I suggest. The suggestion is met with nods of agreement, so Malon and Neal run off to get the archery targets and Malon's bow, leaving Keman and I alone. We stand in silence for a few minutes before Keman turns to me.
"How did you know Sheik's name if you've never met him before?" he asks suddenly. The question catches me off guard.
"Um, I'm not sure, really," I say. For some reason I'm reluctant to tell Keman about that vision. "Lucky guess, I suppose." I can tell from Keman's look that he doesn't believe me, but at least he doesn't pry any further. After a moment, I ask him, "Who is Sheik, anyway?" Keman looks like he is thinking carefully. I can't help but get the feeling that he is deciding what and what not to tell me.
" No one really knows that much about him. He spends all his time with Impa, our leader. He has magic, you see, and Impa is teaching how to use it. Or was teaching him, anyway. He surpassed her in skill long ago. Why he still hangs around with her remains a mystery. In case you were wondering," he says, seeing the question in my eyes, "I don't know why he came here today. Lately he's been acting very strangely." I nod. Malon and Neal are coming back, so I push Sheik from my mind. I have to concentrate on beating everyone at archery.
"Great shot, Malon!" The score stands with and me and Neal at 220, Keman with 190, and Malon completely out of it with 150. Malon has just fired a pretty poor shot into her target's outermost ring and Neal is trying to make her feel better. Malon is actually a pretty good archer: she usually hits the center five times out of ten. Today she's just a little off. She fires another shot. Scratch that; she's way off. Malon fires her last arrow, retrieves it and her other five from the target, and goes to stand next to Keman, who is also done. We're having a final round before it gets dark, and Neal and I still have to shoot.
Neal steps up to the shooting line and looses his first arrow: a bulls eye. The two following it also hit center. The fourth arrow hits the second ring, and the fifth and sixth hit the bulls eye, leaving Neal with a score of 248. He retrieves his arrows and goes to stand with the others.
"That was nearly perfect, Link! You can't beat that," he calls. Watch me. I step up to the shooting line, nock an arrow, and raise my bow arm to draw. I've raised my arm a little too high and find myself aiming into the setting sun.
I stand on an island in Lake Hylia. The cold dawn air is still. It is sunrise, and I am aiming east at the sliver of sun already over the horizon. My arm shakes with the strain of holding my draw for this long, but I keep my aim steady. Not much longer now. The sun slowly creeps into the sky. As soon as the blazing orb is fully over the horizon, I let my arrow fly. It stops mid-flight, falling to a platform on the lake. The arrowhead is encased in a red crystal.
"Hey Link! You going to shoot that or what?" I shake my head at the sound of Neal's voice and lower my bow to aim at the target. What was that? What just happened? I realize my hands are shaking and take a deep breath to steady myself. I then proceed to fire all six of my arrows into the bulls eye.