Written by Carrotawesome:
Link sat, bothered, in the middle of the field. The Ordona goats lazily grazed around him, paying no attention to Link.
All day he had hoped Zelda would come.
It was only after she visited him yesterday had he realized how badly he missed her.
It was a quarter past twelve. Link had eaten a small lunch of goat cheese and bread with Fado a little while earlier, and he still remained a little hungry.
Link looked into the ranch house. Fado was cleaning up the stables.
"Fado! Do you need any help?" Link stood up and shouted.
"No, my boy." Fado cried back. "I'll try to herd the goats a little later me self. Why don't you go play with Colin for a bit?"
"I was actually hoping to take Epona for a ride."
"Great! Colin can go with you!"
Link sighed.
He would have to take Colin.
Link took Llia's charm from the string on his neck and whistled the familiar tune.
Not long after, Epona emerged from the entrance of the ranch and settled near Link.
"Good girl." Link cooed softly as he massaged the soft hair on her neck.
He mounted her and rode into Ordon Village, scanning left and right for Colin's face.
He found Colin crouched at a patch of grass near his own house.
"Colin?" Link called.
Colin immediately swiveled around and saw Link and Epona.
"Look! I picked some mushrooms." Colin said, running up to Link.
"Nice." Link said. "You want to go for a ride? It won't be long."
"Yes! Yes!" Colin cried, jumping up and down and dropping the white mushrooms.
Link dismounted and helped Colin get on the front of Epona.
He then mounted Epona behind Colin and held the reins.
"Hold tight to the saddle."
"Okay." Colin said, eager to get moving.
Link dug his heel into the side of Epona gently and they were off, trotting slowly out of Ordon Village.
"Where are we going, Link?" Colin said. He had never ridden a horse out of Ordon Village.
"Somewhere fun. You'll see."
They passed the man selling oil near his house, and Link waved.
"Hey, guy! You need more oil?" He cried after them.
"Nope! I got!" Link cried back.
They rode out into Hyrule Field, where Epona picked up the pace.
Link bent over Colin protectively, who had his arms in the air, letting the wind brush over his blond hair.
They rode for a while, until they entered Lanayru Province.
Link stopped Epona near a little stream, and helped Colin off the horse.
He sat down and pulled out a hunk of cheese from his pouch.
"Here." Link offered.
"More goat cheese?" Colin complained, but took it gratefully.
They both sat and ate for a while, Epona grazing somewhere near.
They finished, and Link wiped his hands on his dirty pants.
"Ready to keep going?"
"Yep." Colin said.
Link whistled for Epona and he hefted Colin back onto the horse.
He got on as well and they kept riding.
After a few minutes, they came to the familiar towering heights of the castle and Castle Town.
"We're going to Castle Town!?" Colin exclaimed.
"Yeah. And maybe even into the castle."
Colin bounded up and down excitedly, and Link had to calm him down.
Just as they neared the eastern entrance, there was a sudden explosion.
Link and Colin were thrown off Epona, who galloped away swiftly.
The sky had turned from a light blue to a violent purple.
"Colin! Colin! Are you alright?" Link took Colin into his arms, who opened his closed eyes.
"I'm - I'm okay. What happened?"
"I'm not sure." Link sat Colin in a tuft of grass and looked around.
The stone bridge to the town was collapsed, and Link heard a booming, unforgettable laugh.
"No…" Link muttered, his heart racing.
He watched as Ganondorf emerged from a billowing smoke cloud.
His cruel smile and deadly eyes nearly made Link faint, but he stood bravely for Colin.
"It can't be real." Link whispered.
"Oh, yes, it's very real!" Ganondorf laughed again, approaching Link.
"Stop! I can't fight you now!" Link yelled.
"Sometimes, I don't think you understand my plan. That was my intention, to find you at a helpless moment."
Link reached over his shoulder to grab the hilt of his sword, but nothing was there.
He had left his sword and shield back home.
Ganondorf noticed Link's face and chuckled.
"Not so mighty now, are you hero?"
"I don't know why you're here." Link cried. "But you're going leave us alone now."
"I see. And as you puny Hylians might say… You and what army?"
"And THIS army!" A voice cried.
Ganondorf's body flew through the air and landed hard on the ground, where he lay paralyzed by a strange blue light.
Where Ganondorf once stood was Zelda, dressed in a long white robe.
Link picked up the shocked Colin and ran over to Zelda.
"I don't have my sword!" He cried.
"Well, do something! I won't be able to keep him down long!"
Her face looked pained, and her hands were up, forcing Ganondorf to stay on the ground.
What should I do? Link thought.
"I'll tell the guards!" Link told Zelda.
"No! They don't stand a chance, and they'll take too long to get here!"
Ganondorf roared and jumped up, casting aside the blue light. He started running towards the three.
"Let's go!" Link yelled to Zelda, but she wouldn't move.
She sweated, and she barely held her eyes open.
"The – the spell. I'm drained." She panted.
Link put one arm around Zelda's waist, and started trudging forward, pulling Zelda and Colin at the same time.
He knew it would be the end for all of them, but he kept moving.
Link stole a glance backwards, and saw some sort of energy ball moving towards them.
Link immediately huddled Colin and Zelda in front of him, his back to the energy ball.
The pain hit Link like nothing he had ever felt before.
He was thrown forward, and Zelda fell down too.
Link lay on the grass, unmoving.
He felt the taste of blood in his mouth.
Link tried to stand, but found he couldn't.
"Link…"
He heard either Colin or Zelda call his name. He wasn't sure – he was very dizzy and his senses were muddy.
He tried to say something, but he vomited violently on the ground next to him, a mixture of goat cheese and blood spilling out.
Link was able to turn his head and found Zelda next to him, breathing heavily. Her dress stained red.
"Zelda." Link croaked.
Zelda's head turned and she saw Link next to her.
"Your friend…" She said. "Ganondorf has him."
Link heard Ganondorf's voice echo.
"Do not underestimate me. I will soon be king, and my partner will serve as my heir."
Link remembered the letter from the day before.
How odd. As if Ganondorf would simply tell him like that. Sure, he was a proud man, but to explain a plan beforehand… Link had trouble comprehending.
"Do not meddle with me. I will take this young one. He will be… useful."
There was utter silence afterward, and Link lay with Zelda on the ground for a long time.
Nobody came.
Link fell into a deep sleep, clutching Zelda's arm.
Link woke up a while later, still immensely tired. He looked around him.
He was on a large bed in a big hut lit by torches around the room. His clothes were fresh and smelled a little of sulfur.
"Link!"
Zelda stood from her bed and limped over to Link.
She grabbed Link's face and gave him a long kiss.
Link moved the hair out of her face and kissed her back.
"You're alright." She pulled away and sat on the edge of Link's bed.
"Are you okay?" Link croaked.
"Yes… just a little bruised. You took Ganondorf's blow."
Link nodded.
"I know. And Colin?"
"I was just as disabled as you were, Link. I wasn't sure, but I saw Ganondorf pick up Colin. They vanished."
Link weakly nodded. He knew he should do or say something heroic, but his muscles were all sore and his right arm ached greatly.
"Where are we?" He asked.
Just then, Darbus walked through the door.
"On Death Mountain, you are!"
He leaned against the wall and stared, making Zelda and Link feel uncomfortable.
"How did we get here?" Zelda asked.
"We had a goron stationed in Castle Town selling hot springwater. He claims to have seen you two outside in Hyrule Field after he finished. He rushed you two up here. And, well, Mr. Hero, it's our duty to help the knight of Hyrule in any way."
He awkwardly bowed.
"Thank you, Darbus." Link said.
He nodded and kept staring at them with his purple, beady eyes.
"Uh, we'd like some time alone, if you don't mind." Link added.
"Of course." He nodded. "If you are hungry, we have food downstairs."
He left the room.
Zelda looked at Link. "What do we do?"
"I don't know. But Ganondorf wasn't lying. He will try to become king. I don't have a clue what he'll do with Colin. Anyway, I don't have my sword or my shield."
Zelda nodded slowly.
She closed her eyes and pointed her head skyward.
"I think we need to make a prayer." She said.
Link agreed and closed his eyes as well.
He wished for fortune and good luck, and he wished for the safety of Colin.
When he was almost done, something unexpected happened.
He saw himself and another boy running together.
Except… Link didn't look exactly the same. It seemed like his familiar green clothing was larger, and his facial features were… a little different.
The image changed, and a picture of Zelda flashed into his mind.
Again, she didn't look the same. Her hair seemed to be blonder, and she looked to be a little younger. She was holding a harp.
Zelda spoke.
"You will be the guide to Clinn. His world is in great peril as of now."
Link opened his eyes, frightened.
What was that?
He waited until Zelda stopped praying, then he spoke to her. He would tell her of the vision later.
"We'd better get going… but where?"
Zelda shook her head softly.
"I don't know. But I'm sure of one thing. We've met with a rather terrible fate."
Note: Carrotawesome gave me full permission to publish this story.
