He watched her ease down to her bedroll by the fire. "Harder going to the dungeons when you're alive, isn't it?"
She groaned as she stretched, her muscles protesting against even the tiniest of movements. "Shut up, Link…"
He merely chuckled. "Well, one Spiritual Stone stored away; two to go."
"We would've gotten to at least the Gorons if you hadn't kept asking questions…"
He decided to ignore her comment and change the subject. "I still can't believe you even got permission to do this."
Zelda rolled onto her stomach. "Permission, sure…"
"You mean to tell me you didn't even tell anyone you were leaving?"
"Eh… They'll live."
"Zel, I know it's been a few years—"
"Five, actually."
"—since the incident, but you have to get it into your head that they're going to freak out every time you go missing!"
She snorted through her nose, raising an eyebrow. "Hmph. They'll be fine. Discussion over."
The two Hylians laid in silence, staring at the stars above them. Link began to hum a tune softly. As he did so, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. He suddenly longed for the rush of wind in his hair, the kind that a train can't give. He wanted to hear the steady beat of hooves beneath him, and the feeling of being the only one in the whole world as he rode across the rolling hills and fields of his beloved Hyrule.
"Zelda…" He whispered tersely. "Zelda, are you awake?"
"I am now." She rolled over to look at him. "What is it?"
He took a deep breath. "Do you think, maybe… We could get horses?"
"Horses?"
"Yeah! Horses, for traveling…"
She glanced at the Spirit Train. "Isn't that was trains are for? Isn't that part of the reason we risked our lives five years ago?"
"W-well… Trains can only go where the tracks lead them and only go one way. Horses can go almost anywhere and they have more mobility. Besides, the more people there are in Hyrule, the more trains we'll need… Horses are cheaper."
She nodded tiredly. "I'll put it to some serious consideration."
"Epona…"
"Hm?"
He smiled. "That's what I'll name my horse: Epona."
"That's pretty, I guess…"
The Hero of the Spirits continued to gaze at the stars as he thought about someday owning a grand horse, his Epona, and galloping all over Hyrule without a care in the world. "Zelda, I— Oh." He saw that she was fast asleep.
Her blonde hair cascaded loosely over her shoulder and her arm, which currently served as her pillow. He reached down to brush some stray hair from her face. She stirred slightly, a small moan slipping between her lips. In his mind he knew watching the Princess sleep was a bad idea; yet he couldn't help himself. There was just something about the whole situation that made him keep his gaze stuck to the young woman.
Link looked up at the stars again, the never-changing heavens, and sighed. He felt…happy to be in the middle of nowhere with the Princess. It was a joy to watch over her, knowing that, though she insisted she could take care of herself, he knew she couldn't. But he let her believe and remained her hero, just like always.
"So this is where you got her, hm?" The Princess looked around daintily. "Very nice."
The Hero of Time nodded furiously, taking her hand in his own. "Come on, you've got to meet Malon!"
"Malon…?" She allowed herself to be dragged toward the large corral.
The two of them walked up to a young woman with fiery hair. She waved once she saw them. "Hi Link!" She greeted, smiling. "And… Oh! Your Highness!" She quickly curtsied in respect.
Zelda laughed lightly. "Please, you're fine. We came today for, well…a horse."
"Then you've come to the right spot." Malon gestured behind her. "Here at Lon Lon Ranch, we've got all the milk, Cuccoos, and horses your heart can desire!"
"Indeed you do…" She cleared her throat. "All we need is a horse today."
Malon led them to the corral gate. "For loan or for keeps?"
"I'm hoping to purchase one…" The Princess looked interestingly at the horses.
"Then take your pick." She opened the door and ushered the two others inside. "Or maybe the horse will pick you like Epona did with Link."
Zelda walked through the corral, picking her steps carefully as she observed the animals. "I'm afraid I don't have much experience in this!" She called to Malon.
"That's all right. You'll know which one you want when you see it."
Suddenly Zelda felt a warm breath on her neck. She stiffened, a cry of surprise caught in her throat. Only when her assailant began to nibble on her pointed ear did she whirl around. "Stop that!" She ordered roughly, shocked to find herself staring into two large brown eyes.
Link ran over to her. "What's going on?"
"This horse decided he wanted to make a meal of me…" She wiped the horse saliva from her ear with a grimace.
"That just means he likes you."
"Does, huh?" She tentatively pressed her hand to the horse's nose. He leaned into her touch. "This one then. I choose this one."
Link looked over the brilliant white horse. "What's his name?"
She smiled slightly. "Nohansen."
Zelda leaned against the side of the cab of the train, watching him. "Link, I was thinking about your request…"
He looked up to wipe some beads of sweat from his brow. Stoking fires in the Fire Realm was never a cool thing. He noted that the Princess looked at least comfortable in her white tunic and leggings. "About the horses?"
"Yes. I think horses would be a marvelous idea. As soon as we finish this little quest, I'll commission a temple to be built and horses to be sent after. Of course, we'll need a ranch to keep them in… And a rancher."
He nodded thoughtfully. "Having someone new in Hyrule would be interesting."
She looked around absently, as if preoccupied. He noticed now her hand was clenched protectively around the pouch slung across her shoulders, which held the last Spiritual Stone. "Did you have another memory?"
She winced visibly before looking at him. "I was with you and another woman; Malon, I think her name was. I was picking out a horse of my own." She smiled somewhat bitterly. "Named him Nohansen."
"That's definitely an interesting name." Link put the train into high gear. "We should be at the Ocean Realm eventually. Before twilight, I'd say."
"That's good. The sooner all of these old artifacts are put away the better. They're beginning to affect my mind."
"I know what you mean… I don't like remembering things I've never done." He looked out ahead. "Sometimes I feel like I'm dreaming, like I'm going to wake up and be in that time in the past."
"You're not the Hero of Time. Not in this generation, anyway. Just keep telling yourself that. You're the Hero of the Spirits. The Hero of Time is long dead. And so is the Princess of Destiny." She touched his arm lightly with her right hand, the faded mark of the Triforce visible on her pale skin. "We may be their descendants, but we're not them."
He glanced at her hand. "I know." Link closed his eyes with a quick sigh. "I know…"
"Good. Now drive on, Link; I'm tired of Death Mountain."
"If we had horses it'd be faster…"
"You'll get your horses eventually! Just drive!" Zelda crossed her arms and turned away from him.
He smiled as he pulled the whistle rope. "As you wish, Princess."