Hola! Sorry about the long delay, I had to start and finish a 3-4 page paper this week! My brain was literally fried, and so I couldn't update until today! Anyway, the other part of it being so late was the actual planning itself. I could go in two ways from where I left off in the beginning, so I took the second way and I think it worked out better! Anyway, I'm going to do something that will make writing for two stories easier for me. From now on I will work on one story a week. This week counts from Sunday to Friday, which I tried to work on this story, so the next week I will be working purely on my other story. This way will make it easier for me to not have to switch between plots every day. I know that it is early Sunday, (midnight to be exact) but the weekend is reserved for the other story, just like next weekend will be reserved for this story. Anyway, enjoy! I wrote a long chapter to make up for it! BTW I forgot to mention earlier but since Link is a young child in Majora's Mask, I decided to choose how old Link and Zelda are. They are both 11 in this section, that's why they act childish and silly.
Link's POV
"So Link, I have a very important question to ask you" Zelda stated as they headed towards Kakariko Village. Link turned around while Epona was still in motion and smiled at her. "What is it, Zel?"
"Where exactly are we going?" Zelda asked. "Well, that just depends on you. Where do you want to go?" Link smirked. "Well, I have always wanted to explore Hyrule. The only problem is that everyone would recognize me as the princess, and question where I am going. You know, it's not easy being a princess" she sighed.
"It's not easy being a hero either. Fighting monsters to protect the people you love is not something that we have to do. It's a voluntary thing, but we choose to do it anyway. We could just let the people get hurt and killed but what good would that be? Hyrule wouldn't be as peaceful as it is today if it weren't for brave heroes like me that go out in the world and rescue people from grave danger. Heroes and princesses have many similarities as well. For one thing, we both look very good. Another thing is that we are there to protect the citizens. Princesses have to rule the kingdom but what good would that do without someone there to protect everyone?" Link concluded.
"You know, you are very right. I'm glad that I ran away from all those stressful duties. I just hope my poor father isn't too worried about me" Zelda agreed. Link stopped Epona, turned around, and gave Zelda a big hug. "Oh, I'm sure he's fine. He probably is too busy bossing people around. You know how he likes to boss people around" Link joked.
Zelda giggled. "Yeah, in fact I bet he is demanding that Anthony has to drop and give him 50!" ""Wait, what? What does that mean? Who is Anthony?" Link asked.
"Oh, it's how we train the new royal guards. They must be able to have great strength, agility, and speed in order to protect Hyrule to the best of their abilities, so my father has a training court within a section of the castle. Anyway, they do things that make them stronger like running, sit-ups, and push-ups to strengthen their muscles so they can be strong. Drop and give him 50 means to do 50 push-ups for him as a punishment. Anthony is the weakest guard in training, he has great difficultly training because he has a little muscle disorder. It's actually kind of sad" Zelda explained.
"Oh" Link said quietly. "I had no idea." "Yeah, neither did my father until he told him one day while they were doing strenuous laps around the entire castle and up and down the halls. The sad thing is is that my father took no pity at his disorder, instead he is making him work twice as hard. I have no idea why, but I think it has something to do with the past. Anthony's father and my father go back a long way." Zelda mentioned
"Hmm, interesting. Well, it seems that I am lost and it is getting late" Link admitted. Zelda looked around the field that they were in and turned back to Link. "Weren't you heading towards Kakariko Village?" she asked. "Well I was, but now I have no idea where I went!" Link admitted.
Spotting a river, Link decided to walk up to it. "This must be Zora's River" he pointed out. "If we follow it, we'll either end up at Zora's Fountain or the Sleepless Waterfall. Still, if we do follow the river it is very dangerous. Octoroks and Blue Tektites infest the waters!"
"Ah, are you scared?" Zelda teased. "Wh-what? Me? Scared? Haha, good one Zelda! Of course I'm not scared!" Link argued. "We'll see about that" she smirked. "Oh, so you doubt me?" Link questioned. "Well, I've got news for you, princess. I am not afraid of anything and I'll prove it!" he exclaimed before charging straight for the river.
Hopping off of Epona, Link dived right in the river. Zelda watched him very closely. "Link, be careful! You might get hurt!" she warned. Link stood up and smirked at her. 'Come on princess, join me!" he said. Zelda crossed her arms and shook her head. "There is no way that you will ever get me to go in there" she argued. Link hopped out of the river and walked straight towards her. 'Are you sure about that?" he asked. "Yes, I'm positive" she giggled.
Picking her up, Link swung her off of Epona and into his arms. Zelda screamed and giggled and tried to escape. Link however had a strong grip, and so he carried her all the way to the river. Smiling mischievously at her, he then brought her to a deep point and dropped her straight in.
Link giggled as Zelda poked her wet head out of the water. "Link! What was that for?' she asked while pretending to sound furious. Link laughed as hard as he could and looked at her. "Sorry Zel, that is just too funny!"
Zelda gave Link another glare but instead of pretending to sound angry, she seemed really calm. "Well, why don't you come over here so I can tell you something?" she asked. Link smiled and eagerly darted towards her with a goofy smile on his face. When he got close enough, Zelda grabbed his arm and yanked him in with her.
When Link came up gasping for air, he stared at Zelda in amazement. "Nobody had ever tricked me as well as that!" he exclaimed. Zelda smiled and nodded. "Yep. I am quite sneaky and mischievous when I want to be" she smiled. Link giggled and dunked her head under the water.
When she came up again, Zelda stuck out her tongue at him. 'Oh, so this is how you want to play? Well, two can play at that game!" she giggled before dunking Link's head underwater.
Link giggled. "Alright, alright, you win" he surrendered. Zelda smiled and bowed. "Thank you, thank you very much!".
Climbing out of the river, Link helped Zelda get out too. As they layed together on the bank, Link suddenly sat up.
"What's wrong, Link?" Zelda asked. "Oh, nothing. I've just just realized something." he replied. "What have you realized?" she wondered.
"Zelda, I couldn't live without you. I mean, we've been friends since we were extremely young, and I just can't imagine a life without you in it. Will you promise me that we will always and forever be friends? I don't want to lose you...r friendship" he quickly corrected himself.
"Of course, Link we will always be friends! I couldn't imagine my life without you either. In fact, I don't even want to! Running away with you has been the best decision I have ever made" she smiled. Link cheered and they hugged.
Pulling back, Link blushed slightly. "What?" Zelda asked, studying his complexion. "Oh, um nothing. That's just the first time that we have hugged..ever" he realized.
Zelda laughed. 'I guess it is" she blushed. Suddenly, they heard a loud growl coming from Zelda's stomach. Zelda laughed and patted it. "Man, I am starving! Is there any food around here?"
Link giggled and looked back at the river. 'Sometimes I see fish swim in the river. Look, there's one now!" he exclaimed before pointing towards the river. Pulling out his fishing rod, he began to fish.
After a short while, Link had already caught 6 fish. "Wow Link, you're a really good fisherman!" Zelda smiled. "Thanks! Well, looks like dinner is ready!" he smiled.
Zelda smiled back. "Yay! I'll gather some berries to go with it. Be right back!" she waved before going into the forest with a basket that Link had put in Epona's saddle bag.
Zelda's POV
Entering the forest, Zelda came across a large bush with juicy looking berries. They were black and very ripe. She looked at them very carefully before deciding to put them in the basket. After all, they were just black berries.
After she picked the black berries, she walked a little farther. Spotting another bush, she ran up to it.
" Oh wow! Blueberries and raspberries! We are going to have a delicious dinner after all!" she smiled. Picking the berries, she headed back the direction she came from until she reached the river.
At the river, Link already had the fish prepared. They were steaming hot on a wooden table that he had carved from a tree. On the table, there was also two cups with some water in them.
"Link! How in the world did you cook those fish, and where did this table come from?" Zelda asked with a shocked expression. 'I was only gone for a few minutes!"
"Actually, you were gone for an hour, which is quite a long time. I actually just cut a small tree and used its wood to make a little table so that we wouldn't have to eat on the ground. I learned tree carving from a nice girl I met while I traveled to Termina. Her name is Faith, and she is an amazing friend. Also, I cooked the fish by making a campfire. It's over there" he pointed at the campfire, which was very large.
"Ohh, awesome! Cooked fish is better than raw!" Zelda smiled. "Thanks Link!" "You're welcome. Now, what kind of berries did you gather?" Link asked. Zelda scooted over to him and showed him the basket. Link looked inside before smiling very largely. "Oh my gosh! Black berries, blueberries and raspberries? Awesome!" he exclaimed.
Sitting down, they had a nice dinner. The fish was extremely good, and the berries only made it better. After a delicious meal, Link decided to make a bed for himself and Zelda. Walking back to Epona's saddle bag, he took out some blankets and two pillows.
Link's POV
"Quick question, when did you have time to pack a saddle bag before you came back home to me?" Zelda asked. "Oh, well when I was in the Lost Forest,the thought hit me to run away together so before I came back to the castle to talk to you, I gathered some necessities from a good friend that happened to live in the forest" he explained. It went on like this:
Entering the woods, Link made himself a bed of leaves. Laying down, he closed his eyes. Before long, he fell asleep in the woods next to Epona.
A few hours later, Link opened his eyes. The sun was just starting to set in the sky, indicating that it was getting late. Standing up, he rubbed Epona's nose and hugged her. "Oh Epona, I'm so tired of being a hero. I mean, saving the kingdom is exhausting! Maybe I should take a break" he said to her.
Epona lowered her head and whinnied softly. Link smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "You're right, girl. I do deserve a break, and what better way than to spend it with you and Zelda?" he giggled. "Before I go, I've got to get some necessities so that we won't be left with nothing though!" he exclaimed. "I know, I'll just visit my good friend Henry. He lives very close from here" he said.
Going up to Henry's house, Link knocked on his door. A tall, thin, brunette man opened it. "Link! How are ya buddy? I haven't seen you in forever!" Henry exclaimed. Link smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it's good to see you too, pal" he smiled. Henry hugged him very tightly, and cheered. "So what brings you here pal?" he asked while letting Link go. "Well you see, I um need to uh borrow some blankets, food and any other things you might have to go camping with Zelda. We're going to go camping but I totally left all of my things in Termina" he lied with a smile. "Ah, sucks don't you worry about it! Anytime you need anything, I am always here for you! You saved my life countless times and so I will repay you however much I can" Henry smiled before disappearing in the house.
Coming back out, he had a tent, a couple of blankets, two pillows, a basket, lots of food, a couple of cups and some rupees. "Sorry about all of this, I just am always prepared! So where are ya'll headed?" Henry asked with a smile. "Oh, we're just going to find a nice camping spot somewhere and camp there. We don't know where yet though!" Link said.
Packing up the things in the saddle bag, Link patted Epona with sympathy. "Sorry girl, looks like you're going to have to carry a bit of extra weight on you. Not to worry, this is all for a good cause" he whispered. Turning back to Henry, he waved at him. "See you later, pal!" Link mounted on Epona and nudged her onward towards the castle.
"Ah, ok I get it now. That's awesome! Well, it's getting kind of dark, you want to set up camp for the night?" she asked. Link nodded. "He also packed a tent, remember? We don't have to sleep in it, it's just in case it starts raining" Link suggested. "Yeah, and besides, the stars are out tonight" Zelda said while looking at the sky. She layed down on the blanket and stared at all of the stars. Link smiled and layed down beside her.
"Can you spot any constellations?" Zelda asked."Well, I do see the Big Dipper" Link replied. "I see it too. Did you know that the Big Dipper is also part of the constellation Ursa Major?" Zelda smirked. "Wait, how did you know that? Link lifted his head to look at her. "Oh, when I was younger, my mother used to teach me all about the constellations. She also taught me a lot about history, math, science and the English language. She was a good teacher and mentor" Zelda wiped a tear from her eye.
"Zelda, you've never really mentioned your mother to me" Link said softly. "I know. She died when I was only 8 years old. It was a tragic freak accident, and it ended up killing her" Zelda sobbed. She hung her head down in shame. "Her death is all my fault!" she wailed.
"Zelda, Zelda there is no reason to blame yourself for that! You were not the cause of her death. You are a great person and her death is not your fault" Link comforted her. Zelda looked up at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head. "No Link, her death is my fault. I was the one who caused the accident in the first place!" she sobbed again and held her face in his chest. Link pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.
Zelda's POV
Zelda sobbed for a very long time, letting the tears constantly run into Link's tunic. She felt a wave of sadness rush over her as she remembered her mother. She could remember the day of her death as if it were yesterday:
A young Zelda stands in the kitchen, making a delicious breakfast for her mother. It happens to be her mother's 32nd birthday, so it was a special occasion for her. As she cooked the eggs and bacon, Zelda couldn't wait to surprise her mother.
After preparing the food, Zelda carried it to her parent's bedroom. It was in the middle of the castle, behind two very big and tall wooden doors. Opening one, she quietly snuck inside and smiled at the sight of her sleeping mother. Her mother was very beautiful, something Zelda had always wished to be. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her kind blue eyes were closed. Her breathing was steady, and she seemed to be smiling in her sleep.
Zelda walked over to the bed and gently woke her sleeping mother up. Opening her eyes, the mother smiled at her daughter and hugged her. 'Well, good morning Zelda. Why are you up so early?" her mother smiled at her.
"Happy Birthday!" Zelda exclaimed, hugging her mother very tightly. "I love you very much and so I made you breakfast in bed!" she smiled. Getting the food from the table she had set it down on, she made her way back over to her mother. Seeing the food, her mother smiled with delight. 'Why thank you darling! I love it!" her mother exclaimed.
Zelda laughed. "I knew you would mommy!" Her mother ate the food very politely and delicately, like she always did. Setting down her plate, she smiled at her daughter once more. "Zelda, that meal was quite delicious! It looks like my cooking skills are finally rubbing off on you" she joked. Standing up, she went over to her dresser to pick out her most favorite outfit for her birthday.
Zelda understood what she was about to do, so she went out of her mother's room and to her own room. Opening the door, she was greeted by a bunch of stuffed animals that fell on her. There were huge piles of stuffed animals everywhere. Going to her own dresser, Zelda changed and went back to her mother'r room. Opening the door, she gasped at the amazing sight that stood before her.
Her mother was standing there in a gorgeous long red dress that almost touched the ground. Her blonde hair was down and it had a rose in it. There was a lovely red necklace around her neck, made entirely of rubies. She looked like a beautiful queen, like Zelda had always wanted to be. Running towards her, Zelda hugged her tightly again. "Oh mother, you look absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaimed.
"Oh really? Well, I know for a fact that my beautiful daughter is just as beautiful as me" her mother smiled. Zelda blushed and giggled. "So what do you want to do today, mom?" Zelda asked. "Well, I'm glad that you asked that because I have something special planned for both of us" her mother said. Zelda cheered and clapped. "Ooh, what is it?" she asked. Her mother laughed and shook her head. "Be patient child. It wouldn't be a surprise if you knew what it was" she smiled. "Alright let's go!"
Heading out, they hopped in a carriage that took them through Castle Town, with a lot of shops to browse through. Stopping at a theatre, they got out. Zelda smiled as she recognized where her mother was taking her.
"This is Hyrule Theater! Wow, awesome! What show are we going to see?" Zelda asked. Her mother smiled and looked at the pamphlet. "Well, you have a choice between The Three Goddessesand The Princess and the Pauper." her mother smiled. Zelda thought about it for a moment before finally deciding on The Princess and the Pauper. "The Three Goddesses sounds like a historical documentary anyway" she said.
After watching the play, Zelda and her mother decided to get some tasty ice cream next door. Eating the ice cream on their way out, they shared with each other. Zelda smiled at her mother and held her hand. Skipping happily on the sidewalk, she started to sing about how happy she was to have a mother as great as her own. Joining in, her mother made it a duet. She had a beautiful singing voice, just like a mockingbird. Singing about her lovely daughter, Zelda's mother smiled as they finished the song together.
Suddenly, they weren't looking where they were going and a carriage came flying around the corner. She tried to stop her mother from going out into the street, but it was too late. There was a sickening thud as the carriage kept on going, not even noticing the body that it held under it.
Screaming, Zelda ran up to her mother and cried. Her mother was on the ground, but there was no sign of injury. That was until Zelda discovered that she wasn't breathing anymore. Taking her into her own arms, Zelda sobbed for dear life. Only mere seconds ago they were singing a happy duet, and now her mother lay dead on the street. Picking her up, Zelda cried as she carried her back to the castle.
Her father was sitting in his usual throne as they came through the door. Seeing Zelda he smiled, but as soon as he saw what she was carrying, his smile soon faded. Running up to them, he took Zelda's mother into his own arms.
"Harriett? Harriet?! NO! NO NO NO! Zelda, what happened? Why is Harriett not breathing?" her father cried. Zelda shook her head and sobbed. 'Daddy, mother was hit by a carriage! I saw the whole thing too, it was terrible!" she cried.
"Zelda, it's ok, ssshh" her father comforted him. "It's going to be ok." he said while swallowing back the tears. "We still have each other baby, shhhh. Mommy is in a better place now" her father said.
Then, the dream changed to her funeral. Her mother was in a coffin, with a mournful band playing in the background. Millions had gathered to watch her be put into her permanent resting spot, her grave. She was buried underneath her favorite tree in the castle's courtyard. Zelda and her father were crying and sobbing in each other's arms while everyone cried with them. It was a sad day indeed, for many loved the beautiful queen. She had done lots to improve the lives of her people, and she was the greatest queen that Hyrule had ever seen.
Zelda finished explaining her memory of her mother to Link with a single tear sliding down her face. Link hugged her tightly and looked at her. "That must've been very traumatizing for you, Zelda. I remember that day too. I was there, watching everything but you never saw me. I did plant some flowers at her grave though. Remember how she loved me? She treated me as her own son, just because I was your friend" he giggled. "When I told her I had no parents, she had enough sympathy to let me stay in the castle with you for a couple of days." he smiled.
"I remember that! She loved you Link, she really did. I'm sure she would be proud of the young hero you have become" Zelda smiled back. They hugged again and layed back down to look at the stars. "You know, she loved looking at the stars as well. It was one of her favorite things to do" she smiled.
Link's POV
"Yeah" Link sighed. "She was an amazing woman". Suddenly though, he felt very sleepy. "Well, I think I'm going to head off to bed, Zel. See you tomorrow" he sighed. Link drifted into an amazing sleep filled with lots of good dreams.
Zelda smiled and layed down too. She closed her eyes and fell asleep as well. They had just finally completed their first day of being rebels together.
The next few days were very blissful for both of them. They gathered food, hunted, and even went fishing from time to time. Zelda taught Link how to catch sajas, adorable ladybug-like bugs that loved to be friendly towards humans. They were the size of a medium sized turtle, and they had rainbow wings instead of spotted, but they closely resembled a giant ladybug. They were great pets as well, if you got to know them. Link in return taught Zelda how to fish. He even made her a fishing rod out of simple wooden material, some string, and a fishing hook. They shared stories about their past life and about their families, although Link didn't have much to share on that subject. They loved to go swimming in the river, and never missed the chance to get each other soaked every time.
At night, Zelda and Link pranced around the field catching fireflies and watching them glow in their hands. They also would build a campfire and roast smores occasionally. They would tell each other spooky and scary stories filled with ghosts, goblins, and witches of all kinds. Of course, there were always the stars to look at as well. Zelda taught Link about most of the constellations, while Link pointed out all of the planets and starts themselves. They were living a good and blissful life together indeed. Link was very glad that Zelda had agreed to run away with him. He wanted to continue this forever, just him and Zelda together forever. Nothing else felt so right.
As we know though, all good things must come to an end. As Link and Zelda enjoyed their blissful life, the mysterious cloaked figure was planning a very evil and bad plan. Of course, they had no idea about the plan or what was going to happen, but fate likes to play a cruel part in ruining peoples' lives and that's exactly what it was going to do.
OMG this is officially the longest chapter I have ever made, 4,171 words without the intro or this part! Ohmigosh! My other story's longest chapter was about 3,100 words! Anyway, hoped you enjoy but I shall be working on the other story until next weekend where I will rotate to this story, and then the weekend after that is the other story's weekend. Crazy, right?