Chapter 3

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A few fore weeks passed, with the same old routine. Eating, sleeping, working. Trying again and again to meditate when the hour of twilight came. Growing more and more disappointed that he wasn't getting anywhere...

One morning, Link was helping Fado, the ranch hand, herd the goats. Once again, Fado was asking about Princess Zelda.

"So, what did she say to you?"

"Not much."

"Was she wearing the royal insignia?"

"Yes, it was on her dress."

"What color was it?"

"Blue."

"A blue dress? Wow."

"No, the dress was pink, the insignia was blue."

"Whoa...Was she hot?"

Link sighed. Fado asked these same questions every week.

"She was very pretty. But she looked sad, though. Solemn."

Fado chuckled. "Well, you can't be immature and goofy and rule a kingdom."

Midna had been solemn too. She had her little laughs, but she had always put business before fun. With the weight of a kingdom on them, a ruler couldn't afford to mess around.

"Yo, you listening? I said, could she do magic? Could she zap you with her mind powers?"

"Yes, Zelda could do that, if she wanted to."

"What other powers did she have?"

"Well, she--" Link stopped. An idea had come to him. Zelda was a master at magic and mental concentration. Her arms may have been weak, but her mind was stronger than a rock wall.

And on top of that, Zelda knew Midna. They had communicated before, even though there were borders between their realms.

Zelda was the one to talk to. She could help him strengthen his mind, and she could tell him how to contact Midna.

Link stood up.

Fado looked confused. "Dude, are you okay?"

"I'm going to Hyrule Castle."

"What?"

"Let's finish up. I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning." Link stood up and walked to Epona.

Fado watched as Link herded the goats faster and more efficiently than ever before. That was Link's best time.

"See ya, Fado." Link called, and he and Epona leapt over the gates and rode to town. The wind blew through Link's hair. He felt the feeling that he hadn't felt in a year. The sense of purpose, of adventure. The feeling that, with determination, anything was possible. It felt like he had woken up from a long sleep--he felt energized and confident.

He rode to town and hitched Epona in front of the mayor's house.

"What! You're leaving?!" cried the Mayor, his mustache twitching. Ilia peeked downstairs, listening.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I'm going to Hyrule Castle."

"What for?!"

"To see Princess Zelda."

Ilia blinked. Zelda? She walked downstairs innocently, asking, "What's going on? Oh, hi Link."

"Link's leaving for Zelda's castle."

"Oh? I want to go too. I've always wanted to see castle town."

Link stared at her, and the Mayor wailed, holding his hands over his ears.

"WHAT?! My precious daughter wants to leave?!? I won't hear of it!"

"Father, Link will keep me safe. He's a hero after all."

"I won't risk it, Ilia. I've already lost your mother, I don't want to lose you too."

"Father! I want to leave this village for a while, to see the world!"

"No!"

"FATHER! I am going with Link. Right, Link?!"

Link flinched. He shrugged his shoulders, wishing he wasn't involved.

"No, Ilia!" said her father.

"Father, are you going to keep me imprisoned in this village?! Like a bird in a cage?! What kind of life is that for me to live!"

"Ilia, that's not true!"

Link backed away from the two. "I'll just be leaving, now..." he mumbled.

He left their house, relieved to be gone. He could understand what the mayor was saying. The world was a dangerous place, and he wouldn't want those he cared about running around it. But he also understand Ilia's point of view. She was old enough to make her own decisions. And if she did come, he would protect her.

And as for himself, he didn't mind if she came. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. The journey to Hyrule Castle took a couple of days, and having some company wouldn't do any harm.

Link rode Epona back to his tree house, and he began packing. There was a knock at the door.

It was Rusl. "Link, is what I've heard true? You're leaving Ordon village?"

Link nodded.

"I just came to see. You be safe, okay? Although, with some of the sword moves you've shown me, I don't think you'll have too much trouble."

Link smiled. "They're not that special..."

"Nonsense, Link! I've never seen anyone wield a sword like you. You almost make me wish I was a lad again, so I could swing a sword like you and not pull a back muscle."

Link chuckled. "If only... Well, don't worry about me and Ilia. The Mayor was kind of worried about the journey, but he shouldn't be."

Rusl froze. "What...? Ilia?"

Link nodded carefully.

"Ilia's going with you?...My, my oh my..." Rusl mumbled to himself.

Link said, "Yeah, she might come with me. If she does, I will protect her, you don't need to worry."

Rusl shook his head. "No, not that, son. ...Listen, I know your parents are passed away, so you've never had a father to tell you these things."

Listening politely, Link wondered where Rusl was going with this.

"Son, why don't we sit down for this." Rusl walked past Link in the doorway, and they sat at Link's table by the fireplace. The book, "How to Hoove a Horse," lay open on the table, and Link flipped a page or two, waiting for Rusl to talk.

Rusl stared at Link. Link stared at a page of "101 Magical Ordonian Herbs and 101 Ways to Use Them. "

Rusl reached across the table and closed Link's book, setting it aside.

"Link, my boy, I want you to think. I want you to be careful."

Link nodded. Rusl chewed on his lower lip and furrowed his eyebrows. He cleared his throat, and continued. "Ilia's a pretty girl, and being around her too long might make you do things you wouldn't do if you were thinking straight."

Link blinked, realizing what Rusl was trying to say.

"I want you to think before you try anything. Remember, she's the mayor's daughter. If anything at all happens to her, if you do anything to her, think how the mayor and the village would treat you."

Link smiled, trying to reassure Rusl. "You have the wrong idea. Ilia's like a sister to me. I would never do anything like that."

And besides, Link added in his mind. Ilia's not the one I'm interested in anyway. It's Midna.

Link decided to say something along those lines. "I'm not interested in Ilia that way."

Rusl didn't look convinced. "Just remember, son. Use your head, and be careful." He got up to leave. "I wish you well on your journey."

Link thanked him, closing the door.

As Link finished up packing, he thought about what Rusl had said. Ha! He thought to himself. It sounded a little mean, but why, he thought, would he be interested in Ilia when he had Midna. Sure, Ilia had grown up with him, but it felt like Midna had been with him for longer.

When Link had been seized by Zant's creatures, transformed by the twilight into a canine beast, and thrown in a dungeon, it was Midna who freed him and helped him make sense of what was going on.

When Link travelled the lands of Hyrule for the first time, it had been Midna who guided him. He'd never even been to the Faron region, but Midna was there to help him.

When Link entered into real battle for the first time, it was Midna who gave him strength and wisdom, and she even helped him fight.

When Link felt the weight of being the "chosen hero of the gods," Midna was there, always saying the words he needed to hear, or the jokes that lifted his spirits.

They had worked together, just the two of them, to restore light to the lands and defeat Zant and Ganondorf.

Link felt connected to Midna on a different level than he could ever be to Ilia. Rusl had nothing to worry about at all.

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A/N: HUNG DEAD SCREAMING, what's 'capitulo' mean? I understood everything else, though. Thanks for the soda and cookie.

In other matters, classes start tomorrow. I feel dumber after a week of no classes. All I've been doing is playing video games, messing around, writing/reading fanfictions, and generally doing nothing.