Chapter Two: Mysterious Stranger
Link walked through Hyrule Field; he was about halfway home. It was still raining, but it was fairly light. Link would've normally hated the rain, but it didn't bother him today. It was the perfect complement to his dreary mood. Shopping in the market today didn't turn out to be such a good idea. Saria was right about the rain. Link was glad that he had the common sense to buy an umbrella first. At least he wasn't soaking wet. Of course, once it had started raining, all the merchants had closed up. He could go shopping another day.
As he walked, Link tried to avoid the many mud-puddles that had formed during the storm. He looked at the sky and could see that the storm wasn't over. There were more dark clouds on the horizon, and they were slowly making their way towards him. Brilliant bolts of lightning streaked and branched through the sky. It was going to be another dreary night. It was the beginning of the rainy season, and there would be many more days like this.
Link passed the large tree that marked the entrance to the Kokiri Forest. He walked across the bridge and into the forest. It still drizzled outside, even in here. All of the children were secure inside their homes by their fireplaces. Most of the Kokiri children didn't like rain, especially when it was a severe storm like this. They just stayed inside and waited for better weather. Link made his way towards Saria's house. He sloshed through the puddles and mud. His mood had improved a little since this morning. Maybe Saria would have some new words of wisdom for him.
Solo was amazed when she entered the Kokiri Forest. This was the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. There were so many beautiful trees and flowers here. She was taken aback by the peace and tranquility of the forest. It felt so wonderful just being here. She felt as if she could forget all her problems while she was in this stunning forest. If she lived here, she wouldn't even mind being homeless. Who needed a home if the outside was so wonderful?
Solo snapped back into reality and concentrated on the task at hand. She surveyed her surroundings to make sure that no one would see her. There were groups of quaint little houses with smoke coming from their chimneys. But no one was outside. Everyone must have gone in because of the weather; it made sense. Solo continued to follow Link as he walked towards Saria's house. He never once turned around to see the girl who was following him.
Solo crept behind houses to make sure no one saw her. She watched Link walk into a house that was nearly identical to the others. That must be where he lives, Solo thought. She quietly sneaked over to the house Link had walked into. Trying not to be noticed, she peeked through the window. She saw Link sit down and start talking to a green-haired girl. They looked happy together. Solo noticed that this girl wore clothes that were similar to Link's. All the people here must wear the same kinds of clothes. Solo was fascinated by the glowing, winged creature that hovered above the green-haired girl's head. These kids seemed so strange to Solo. She peeked in the window, and tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Link sat down at the table in Saria's house. She sat next to Link and gave him a comforting smile. He folded up the dripping umbrella and leaned it against the table. Link's head and some of his clothes were wet, regardless of the umbrella. Saria could see in Link's eyes that he was feeling a little better, but was still depressed. "So, did you find anything you liked at the market?" asked Saria.
"Not really," replied Link. "I didn't have much time to browse before it started raining. At least I bought this umbrella first."
"I told you it was going to rain," Saria said in her I-told-you-so voice. Link rolled his eyes.
"I thought maybe it would start later. Besides, the rain didn't really bother me. It was the hail."
"Ouch," Saria said. "I hope you weren't hurt by it."
"It wasn't too bad. I went under the overhang of some house. I didn't get hit by much of the hail. You know, something weird happened while I was there."
"Oh?" Saria said, raising an eyebrow.
"I was walking around the market, and I saw this girl. She was crouching behind a bush and I think she was watching me. I tried to go up to her and see who she was, but she ran away. I tried to chase her down, but it was raining so hard that I couldn't see and I lost track of her. An you know what the weird part is? She looked exactly like the girl I saw in my dream."
"Really?" said Saria. "Are you sure? Maybe you were just seeing things. Did you get a good look at her?"
"Well, not really. She was running, so I didn't really get the chance to get a good look at her. But I really think she looked like that girl in my dream; her hair looked exactly the same."
"You really think the girl you saw in the market looked like the one from your dream? I suppose that's possible. But do you think that girl from your dream could be real...you know, an actual person?"
"I don't know," Link said, thinking deeply. Even though the girl at the market had looked like the one from his dream, he doubted that the dream-girl was actually real. "I don't think she's real. She probably just a dream."
"I know what it is. You know how your dreams always end up being premonitions? Well, maybe your dream is a premonition or something like that. You said that the girl had really long hair. Maybe that's just what you want. Maybe you want Zelda to have long hair like that. You're always talking about how you love Zelda's hair but wish it was longer." Saria wasn't very serious about this comment, she just wanted to get a reaction out of Link.
Link tried to stifle a smile. "No I don't think so. I like Zelda's hair the way it is." He gave Saria a playful glare.
"It was just a thought," she said. "Besides, you seem to have an obsession with girls' hair. You're always talking about how pretty Zelda's hair is."
Link turned red. "What?" he said defensively. "I just think her hair is pretty. I'm not obsessed with it."
"Whatever you say, I believe you. You know, you're all wet. You should go change into some dry clothes."
Link looked down at his damp clothes. He didn't even notice that he was still wet. "That's a good idea. I think I'll go home for a while. I'm a little tired 'cause I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm gonna take a nap. I'll be back in a couple hours." Link stood up and smiled at Saria as he walked out the door.
When Solo saw Link stand up and get ready to leave, she immediately ran behind the house and out of sight. She watched Link walk away from Saria's house. She wondered where he was going now. Maybe that wasn't his house after all. Solo wasn't sure because she wasn't able to make out the conversation that Link and Saria were having. Solo watched where Link was going. She made sure not to make any noise. He went next door to a strange-looking tree house. Solo was amazed when she first saw this house. It was so unique, and didn't look like the others. Solo crouched near the tree house and watched Link climb the ladder and walk inside.
Solo looked around to make sure no one was looking at her. The rain had started to pick up again. Solo was completely soaked, and she was terribly cold. She wished that she could go inside where it was warm and dry. Solo walked to the front of the ladder and looked up. She could partially see inside the house. Link was walking around and it looked like he was changing his clothes. Solo ducked under the porch when she saw him approach the doorway. He closed the curtains that hung over the doorway. Now no one could see in or out.
Solo thought that she might as well do something. She quietly climbed up the ladder, wincing whenever she heard the slightest creak come from the wood. She stealthily ducked near the doorway to Link's house. Solo moved the curtain ever so slightly so she could peek inside. Link was on his bed, lying on his side. He looked like he was going to go to sleep. Thunder and lightning crackled in the sky once again, and the rain deluged again. She shivered as the oversized raindrops pelted her already sopping body. Solo repositioned herself so she could see inside better. A loud creak from one of the balcony's planks startled her. She looked inside Link's house and saw him stir. He rolled over, and looked like he was going to get up. Solo was terrified. She couldn't let him know that she was here. She had to get down before he saw her. She quickly scrambled for the ladder so she could climb down. As she reached the edge of the balcony, Solo felt her foot slide on the slippery deck. As look of horror came upon her face as she realized that she was going to fall. In what seemed both lightning fast and like an eternity, she flew into the air. With a startled shriek, Solo fell and her back slammed into the muddy ground. The air was completely knocked out of her lungs and she couldn't breathe. The world spun around her in a daze as everything blurred and went black.
Link was startled when he heard a scream come from outside. He sat up in the bed and looked towards the doorway. Was that scream real? He had been half-asleep when he heard it, maybe it was just a dream. Still, he had to make sure. Maybe Saria had slipped and fell when she tried to climb the ladder. Link quickly walked out onto the balcony and into the pouring rain he looked down towards the ground to see who was there. To his utter astonishment, it wasn't Saria that he saw outside, it was some strange girl. He quickly climbed down the ladder to see if the girl was okay.
Link knelt beside the girl. He was surprised to see that it was the same girl whom he saw at the market earlier today. How in the world did she get here? Link couldn't worry about that now, this girl was hurt and he needed to help her. He gently shook the girl to see if she was awake. Her eyes twitched but didn't open. Link saw a small trickle of blood dribble from the corner of her mouth. She looked really hurt. Link quickly picked the girl up and carried her up the ladder and into his house. He was accustomed to carrying large objects up the ladder, and a person wasn't much different. The girl was also surprisingly light, which only made the task easier. Link placed the soaking-wet child on the bed. He needed help.
Link ran out of his house and towards Saria's. Saria gave Link a puzzled look when he came barging into her house, dripping with rainwater and breathing heavily. "What's wrong?" Saria asked frantically, seeing the urgency in Link's expression.
He paused to catch his breath. "I need you to help me," he replied. "I think that girl followed me home. She fell off my balcony, and she's really hurt."
"What?" Saria said in confusion. Link was so frenzied that she could barely understand him. Before she could say any more, Link grabbed Saria's arm and dragged her over to his house. They climbed up the ladder and into his house. Saria gasped when she saw Solo's thin body lying on Link's bed. She was still unconscious. Saria quickly went to the bedside to assess Solo's injuries. There was a small bruise on her left cheek, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She must've bitten her lip when she hit the ground. Saria felt sorry for the girl when she saw how pitiful she looked. The girl's clothes were torn and dirty. She was soaking wet and shivering from the cold.
"We have to get her out of those wet clothes," Saria said. Link gave a look of confusion. What could they dress her in? Saria saw Link's face and sighed. "She's going to freeze to death if we don't get her out of these cold, wet clothes." Saria leaned over Solo's body and tried to pull the worn rags off her. Solo only gave an unconscious grunt. Link turned his face away when Saria pulled the dress off Solo. "Will you quit being embarrassed and do something useful? Go get a towel." Link nodded and fetched a large bath towel for Saria. She quickly dried off the girl's goose bump-covered body. When Solo was dry, Saria gently wrapped her in one of Link's blankets. The girl still shivered, but didn't wake up.
"You think she'll be all right?" asked Link with great concern.
"She'll probably be okay," she replied. "She needs to rest. Why don't you stay here and make sure she's okay. I'm going to go make some food. She looks like she hasn't eaten in a while." Saria remembered the way Solo's body looked. She was very thin and bony. If she had eaten something, it wasn't very much. Saria felt so sad for this girl. She left Link's house and went to hers so she could prepare some food for the girl. Link sat by the side of the bed and watched the unconscious Solo. She had finally stopped shivering, and a little color returned to her face. Link wondered why this girl was here. Why would she follow him home if she ran away from him when he tried to talk to her? He had a lot of questions to ask her when she got up.
Solo was awake now, but didn't open her eyes. She tried to think clearly. Where was she? She remembered falling off that balcony, but what happened after that? She felt comfortable now; it was warm and soft here. For a second, she wondered if she was dead and in heaven. She couldn't feel this good and still be alive. She slowly opened her eyes to see where she was. Her blurred vision focused onto the ceiling of some house. She turned her head and looked at the inside of this residence. She was inside that boy's house. Solo looked down at her body. She was wrapped in a soft, warm comforter. It was such a new feeling, being safe and secure.
Solo wondered how she got into the house in the first place. That boy must've brought her in here. She wondered why anyone would go through the trouble of helping someone like her. She closed her eyes and lay down on the soft mattress, enjoying the feeling of the soft blanket against her skin. She could lie here forever, in perfect bliss.
"Oh, you're finally up," said a voice. Solo started and sat up to see who was there. It was the boy in the green clothes. He approached Solo. She jumped back and huddled in the corner of the bed like a frightened animal. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," said the boy in a kind, soothing voice. Solo only stared at him, not sure if he was for real. "You really should lie down, you took a pretty nasty fall." Link walked up to the bed and tried to show the girl that he was only trying to help. "You look hungry, Saria should be bringing some food by any minute."
Upon hearing that sentence, Solo relaxed a little. Was this boy really going to bring her food? She was so hungry; it would be a god-send if she got to eat something. Solo sat back down on the bed, and wrapped herself tighter in the blanket. It was so warm, she didn't want to leave. Link sat down on a chair next to the bed and gave her a warm smile. "Maybe I should introduce myself, my name is Link," he said. So that was his name: Link. Solo looked at him, gazing into his eyes. She saw something in those bright blue orbs that she had never seen in another person before: concern. She saw genuine concern in his eyes. Link actually cared about her. She had no idea how to respond to him; she never really had much contact with people who weren't shunning her or telling her to go away. Not able to think of any words, she just continued to stare at him.
"What's your name?" asked Link. Solo gave a confused look, and her eyes started to well up with tears.
"Um...I...don't have...a name," she mumbled. She must have sounded so stupid to him.
"Oh, come on," Link said. "Everyone has to have a name. What do people call you?"
Solo thought about that question. Did her name for herself count? Or did Link want to know the name her parents would have given her? She couldn't remember even having parents. "People usually call me 'kid' or 'you little runt'," she replied. "Or they call me a smelly little girl and tell me to go away." Solo sniffled upon recalling those painful memories.
Link frowned, not knowing that people were actually treated like that. "Well...is there any name your parents call you, or your relatives?"
"No. I don't have parents or relatives," she said, hugging her knees to her chest. "No one ever gave me a name. I call myself Solo."
"Solo?" Link repeated. "That's your name?"
She nodded. "That's the name I made up for myself. I heard someone say that I was solo once. I think that means that I'm alone and by myself. I used that as a name." It hurt for her to say these things, but at the same time, it made her feel better. She had a good feeling about Link. She felt like she could tell all her problems to him and he would listen without shunning her or telling her she was dirty and stupid.
"So you're all alone? You don't have any friends or family at all?"
Solo shook her head. "No, I don't have anyone at all," she said, struggling not to cry. It was such a new feeling to have someone listen to what she was saying. She could tell that this boy cared deeply about her. She never knew that people could be this nice.
"Where do you live then, if you have no family?" asked Link.
Solo sniffled and cried. "I don't live anywhere. I...have no home. I lived in...the alley...on the street. Sometimes I had a box or a crate to sleep in." Link looked at the sniffling girl and almost cried himself. He never knew that there were homeless people so close to him. He felt so sad for this girl.
"You're homeless?" Link said with almost disbelief. Upon hearing a noise from outside, Link turned and looked at the doorway. He walked outside and onto the balcony to help Saria. Solo smelled the most beautiful aroma as Saria and Link entered the house. It was food, she could smell food. Solo's stomach rumbled. She was so hungry. She was weak and shaking from not eating anything for so long. Saria carried a picnic basket and laid it down on the table.
"I hope you're hungry," said Saria, opening the basket and placing the food out on the table. Solo stared at the basket and the food Saria was removing from it. Saria removed a large loaf of fresh bread and a big pot of hot soup. "I hope you like the soup I made," Saria said, ladling some of the soup from the pot into a smaller bowl. Solo was completely focused on the food, and never took her eyes off it.
"Is...that for me?" Solo asked sheepishly, slowly approaching the table with the blanket still wrapped around her.
"Of course," Saria replied, smiling.
"All of it?" asked Solo.
"You can have as much as you want." Solo smiled brightly. So couldn't remember ever being so happy. People were actually giving food to her, without having to beg for it. Still wrapped in the blanket, she sat down at the table and smelled the wonderful aroma coming from the soup. Solo was in her own world now, only she and the food existed here. She grabbed the loaf of bread and tore a large chunk out of it. The crust was crispy and flaky, while the inside was warm and soft. It was heavenly. She quickly devoured the entire loaf of bread, barely stopping to breathe.
Link and Saria were amazed at how quickly Solo ate the food. "You poor thing, you must've been starving half to death," said Saria. Solo paid no attention, caring only about the food in front of her. When the bread was gone, Solo started on the soup. She bypassed the spoon entirely and just grabbed the bowl with both hands. She put the bowl to her mouth and loudly slurped the soup. This soup was ambrosia to Solo. It had many chewy chunks of chicken and oodles of different vegetables. In a few large gulps, she swallowed the bowl of soup without even stopping to chew the pieces. Solo plopped the wooden bowl back onto the table after gulping down the soup.
"There's more if you..." began Saria, but she paused when Solo had already taken her suggestion. Solo gently tipped the pot and poured more soup into the smaller bowl. She then proceeded to slurp down that serving of soup as she had the previous one. She repeated the process until the large pot had been completely emptied.
"Wow, I've never seen someone eat so much so fast," commented Saria. "Even Link doesn't do that, and he's a pig." Solo didn't pay much attention to Saria. She was still in her own little world. She finally had real food. She prayed that this wasn't a dream. Maybe things would go right from now on. She walked back to the bed and sat down on it. She felt so happy and content. Solo couldn't remember the last time she had been able to eat as much as she wanted, if ever.
"So what's your name?" asked Saria. Solo came was startled out of her daydream when Saria asked that question. Solo gazed into Saria's soft, caring face.
"Um...Solo," she mumbled. Saria gave a warm smile that made Solo feel better.
"That's cute. I'm Saria," she said, holding out her hand towards Solo. "Where do you live?" Saria asked innocently, not knowing about Solo's origins. Link tried to silently gesture that that wasn't the right question to ask, but he failed. Link was not very good when it came to subtlety. In cases like this, Link was about as subtle as a lead pipe.
"I...don't...have...a home," Solo murmured, feeling ashamed.
Saria gave a surprised look. She had never known anyone who didn't have a home before. Saria's whole world were these few cottages in the Kokiri Forest. Even with the stories Link told her, she was still unaware of many of the facts in the outside world. She couldn't understand how someone couldn't have a house. "You mean...you don't have a house? You're homeless?" asked Saria. Solo nodded, feeling sorry for herself again. "What about family?" Solo shook her head. Saria was heartbroken. This poor girl didn't have a house or a family. It baffled Saria that Solo could even survive.
"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Link said. Saria and Solo both looked at him. Link decided to take the initiative now. He wasn't going to let Solo go back to the streets and starve. It was wrong for him to let someone go back to those conditions when he could easily prevent it. "You can stay here with us."
Solo was amazed. Was she really hearing this? Did Link just offer to let her live here? No one had ever offered her shelter before. She wondered if there were any strings attached. "You want me to live here?"
"Well, I'm certainly not going to let you go back on the street," said Link. "So yes, you can stay here with us. I want you to be here." Link thought about the dream he had, and about the girl. He knew now that Solo was the girl from his dream. It was fate that brought them together, and Link wanted to find out why.
"I don't have any problem with her staying here," said Saria. "It would be interesting to finally have a new person around here. It gets a little boring." Saria smiled at Solo, and she smiled back. "But there's one thing we need to do first." Link and Solo gave Saria questioning looks. "I don't want to sound insulting or anything...but you need a bath." Solo looked down at herself. She was dirty and smelly, and she was used to people pointing that out. But she wasn't being insulted by Link and Saria, they cared about her. Solo knew that she needed a bath, she rarely bathed at all. The closest she ever came to it was swimming in the river. She came to the realization that she wasn't in her disgusting dress anymore; she was clad only in the blanket that she had been sleeping on.
"Okay," Solo replied. "Where are my..."
"Clothes?" Saria interrupted. "When we found you, you were soaking wet and shivering. We had to get you out of that wet dress. I'm sorry we didn't have anything else to dress you in. Besides, the dress you had on was all grungy and worn out. We'll get you some new ones." Solo felt ecstatic, not only had she gotten food and a place to live, she was also going to get new clothes, clothes that were clean and didn't smell like garbage. "Now we have the problem of what to actually dress you in. I don't think my clothes will fit you..." Saria eyed Link up and down to gauge his size. Even though Solo was fairly thin, she was about the same height as Link. "Link, you could give her some of your clothes. You two are about the same size."
"Huh?" he said.
"You and Solo. You're the same height. She would fit in your clothes. She's too big for mine. You wouldn't have any problems with wearing a boy's clothes, would you Solo?"
"Um, no. I don't mind," replied. She was happy to have any clothes at all. She wondered if she would get shoes, too.
"Come on, I'll take you outside to the spring," said Saria, taking Solo's hand. She self-consciously kept the blanket wrapped around her like a cloak as she walked out to the balcony. Solo was faced with a small dilemma when she reached the ladder. She tightly wrapped the blanket around her chest just under her arms. She climbed down the ladder without the blanket falling off. At least she could keep her modesty. Saria led her over to her house where she retrieved a large towel, a cup with goop in it, a bowl, and a bar of soap. Solo then followed Saria through the clearing of the Kokiri village and to the edge of the dense forest.
There was a narrow trail worn into the ground that lead to another small clearing. Solo was amazed when she saw what was just inside the forest. There was a large pond surrounded by smooth stone platforms. Stone cliffs about thirty feet high bordered one end of the pond. It looked as if the pond had been carved out of the rock. The stone surrounding the pond was smooth, and not rocky. This whole area stood in stark contrast to the trees and forest that completely surrounded it. Saria walked up to Solo and pulled the blanket off of her. "Go on, get in," said Saria. Solo walked to the water's edge and put her foot in to test the temperature. It was warm, very warm. She walked into the pond which started out shallow and grew to be about ten feet deep in the center.
Solo sat down in the warm water and basked in the steam coming off the surface. This area was a natural geothermal spring. The whole area was volcanically active because of Death Mountain. This hot spring just happened to come up out of the ground in this area. All of the Kokiri thought it was magic and didn't question it. Link knew there was a more rational explanation, but he didn't bother with his people's beliefs. The Kokiri greatly enjoyed this area, especially during the winter. During the hot summer months, they played in the cool stream and pond. During colder times, such as today, they bathed in the hot spring.
Saria took off her slippers and waded into the spring until she was thigh-deep. Solo splashed and played in the water. She had never been in a hot spring like this. She had never even bathed in warm water before. "Here, take this," said Saria, handing the bar of soap and a washcloth to Solo. She took the items and examined them. She sniffed the off-white bar of soap. It smelled like roses. She held the cloth and the soap, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do. Was there a right way to using this kind of soap? Saria saw Solo's confusion and showed her how to lather the soap with the washcloth. When Solo realized how simple it was, she took the soap and cloth and began to wash herself.
"I'll wash your hair for you," said Saria. She dunked the bowl in the water and then dumped it on Solo's head. She repeated the process a few more times until her hair was completely soaked. "My, my. This is going to be a challenge." Saria looked at Solo's hair. It was oily and soiled. The strands were tangled and stuck together due to years of neglect. It would be difficult for her to wash Solo's hair. She had never seen a person with so much hair. It went all the way down her back to just above the backs of her knees. Although it was very dirty, this hair had great potential. It would be beautiful when it was clean. Saria grabbed handful of the gelatinous shampoo and gently massaged it into Solo's hair.
"What is that stuff?" asked Solo.
"It's shampoo. It'll clean your hair and make it nice and pretty. I made it myself from the plants in the forest. It'll make your hair smell nice, too." Solo could smell the fragrance coming from the shampoo on her head. It was a fruity smell that was reminiscent of peaches and apples. Combined with the rose-scented soap, Solo was in heaven. She would no longer have to deal with the shame and humiliation of the way she smelled because she never bathed. Saria continued to massage the bundles of hair, Solo wincing whenever she pulled at a tangle. Still, Solo enjoyed the feeling of being clean. She had never gotten so much attention.
"That'll do," said Saria as she rinsed the soap off Solo's hair. "Okay, we're done now." Solo stepped out of the spring and Saria wrapped her in the large towel that she brought with them. Saria then led Solo back down the trail and to her house. They entered the house and Solo stood there while Saria put all the stuff away. She saw that Link had placed a set of his clothes on her bed for Solo to wear. Saria took another towel and dried Solo's hair. "There's some clothes for you to wear," said Saria. "I hope they're okay."
Solo smiled and walked over to the bed. She began to dress herself in Link's clothes. Saria smiled as Solo put on each piece of clothing. Solo fiddled with the belt and Saria helped her fasten it. Saria stood back from Solo and assessed her appearance. "Oh, you look so cute in that," commented Saria. "I never thought a girl would look good in Link's clothes. Now go over in that chair and I'll fix your hair for you." Solo walked over to the vanity and sat in the chair in front of the mirror. Saria stood behind Solo and worked on her hair. She finished drying Solo's hair and then grabbed a brush from the table. She gently brushed Solo's long, golden locks and smoothed out the rest of the tangles. "So, how do you want me to do your hair?" Saria asked.
"Um...I..." mumbled Solo.
"Never mind, I'll just leave it down. I think it'll look nice that way." Saria grabbed a pair of scissors from the table, and Solo got a frightened look on her face. She didn't want Saria to cut off her hair. She liked her hair. She didn't want it cut off, it was the only thing she had. "Don't worry, I'm just going to even it out a little," said Saria in a reassuring voice. Saria quickly trimmed Solo's bangs and evened out the hair at the bottom. She stood back and admired her work. Solo's hair looked better than she thought it would. The flowing, golden hair shone in the light coming through the window. "Hmm...it's missing something," said Saria. With a burst of inspiration, Saria dug through one of the drawers in the dresser. She rummaged around until she found the object she was searching for. She pulled out a green bow and tied it to the top of Solo's hair. "Perfect," commented Saria. Solo stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a whole new person, a person who was clean and beautiful, a person who was happy.
"Come on, let's go show Link how nice you look," suggested Saria. Solo smiled ecstatically and followed Saria to Link's house. She was so happy to finally look and smell nice for once. After all the ridicule she had gotten over the years, this was a welcome change. When she had gotten the chance to bathe, it felt like a whole lifetime of sorrow and depression had been washed away. Not only had her body been cleansed, but her soul as well. When they entered Link's house, they saw him lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He sat up when they walked in.
Link eyed Solo up and down. She looked a far cry better than she had just a few minutes prior. She looked like a whole new person. "Wow," said Link, that being the only word he could think of. He thought that Solo looked pretty good in his clothes. He never realized that she had such beautiful hair. It now looked so shiny and clean. It was no longer tangled and frizzy like it was when he first met her. "You look really nice," Link added. Solo smiled, she had never been so happy. She had just stumbled across these people by accident and they took her in. They gave Solo everything that she had always wanted. She had food, clothes, shelter, and friends. But a thought still bothered her in the back of her mind, the thought that this was all fake. She hoped that this wasn't another one of her dreams, that she wouldn't wake up just as her life was beginning to improve. Solo could only think of one way to respond to this kindness. She ran up to Link and hugged him, tears flowing down her cheeks. She clutched him tightly, not wanting to ever let go. He was the one who rescued her from hell. "What's wrong?" asked Link, wondering what was upsetting Solo.
"Nobody has ever been nice to me," she replied. She continued to hold her arms around Link. He was the boy she dreamed about, the boy she waited for all these years, the boy who saved her from a life of misery.
Zelda sat was lying on the bed in her room. She was so bored today. There was nothing to do in the castle. Impa was busy doing paperwork and her father was endlessly talking with his advisors and staff members. Zelda wanted something to do. She thought of Link, which was the only thing she did at these times. She wondered what he was doing right now. They had planned on him coming over tomorrow and having lunch. She didn't want to wait that long. Maybe she could go over to Link's house right now and surprise him. She knew that Link didn't like surprises, but she was so bored.
Zelda got up out of her bed and wandered down the hallway to find Impa. She wasn't in her room. Zelda ran downstairs to the administrative wing to see if Impa was down there somewhere. Zelda cracked open all the doors and peeked inside the offices. So far she only met with sighs from the people in the offices. She opened one more door and saw Impa standing in front of a desk, talking to one of the officials. Zelda quietly walked in and prepared to put on her puppy-dog-face. Zelda cleared her throat as a subtle way to get attention. Impa and the official kept talking, paying no attention to her. Zelda tugged on Impa's shirt, and she turned around to see what the little girl wanted.
"What is it honey?" asked Impa with a sigh.
Zelda wore the cutest face she could muster. "I was wondering if you could take me somewhere."
"Where?" asked Impa, trying not to show her annoyance at the interruption.
"Well, I was bored and I wanted you to take me to Link's house." Even though they trusted Zelda to go to Link's house any time she wanted, she still wasn't allowed to go by herself. Someone had to escort her there. And since Link wasn't here, she needed Impa to take her.
"Can't it wait a while, honey? I'm really busy right now."
"Oh please..." Zelda begged. "It's so boring here," she whined. Zelda began to cry fake tears. "Please, I promise I'll never ask for anything again as long as I live. You can make it my birthday present. Please, please, please, please?" Zelda completed the melodrama by kneeling and begging.
Impa sighed when she looked at Zelda's face. Why did that girl have to be so cute when she wanted something? Impa had work to do, but she could spare a few minutes. She didn't like spoiling Zelda like this, but it was easier than listening to her throw a temper-tantrum. "Oh fine," said Impa. "I have some stuff that I have to do right this minute. Do you think you could wait for a half-hour or so?"
Zelda gave a pouting face. "Fine," she said. "Do you promise you'll take me in thirty minutes?"
"I guess," Impa said grudgingly. "You go upstairs to your room and I'll come get you when it's time to go." Zelda smiled and ran happily back up to her bedroom. She was finally going to do something today. She hoped that Impa would really come and get her in half an hour. When grown-ups said something was going to take a certain amount of time, it usually took ten times longer. Zelda looked around her room and wondered if she should bring anything with her. She couldn't spend the night because she was looking forward to spending time with her father tonight. She rarely got to see him nowadays because of all the work he had to do. Zelda hoped that Link wouldn't mind her coming without knowing ahead of time. She leaned back on her bed and counted the swings of the pendulum dangling from the grandfather clock in the corner of her bedroom. It would only be a little while until she could go and see Link.