Chapter 4 – No Ordinary Girl
Summary: Zelda visits Link's hometown (...home forest?) and starts to feel inadequate about no longer having the strength and poise she possessed as Sheik
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A/N: What a quiet bunch you guys are. No reviews for the past two chapters? Come on! I'd like to know what you out there in Internet land are thinking of these stories.
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Sitting side-saddle atop Epona, Zelda found herself wondering what the hell she'd been thinking when she agreed to do this. If it had ever crossed her mind that she would end up extremely queasy and unable to stop clinging for dear life to the young man in front of her, she would have thought twice before asking to accompany Link on this trip.
To be fair, she had only ridden a horse a few times in her life, and a slow one at that, so this experience was completely new for her. Zelda's father had never thought of horse-riding skills as a necessary part of her upbringing due to the availability of the far more comfortable carriage, so it was understandable that she would be frightened when galloping along at a velocity she had never even thought possible before, let alone from atop a full-grown horse which suddenly seemed much taller now that she was looking down from it. She was in awe of Link's composure even when riding at such incredible speeds. The frequency and enthusiasm with which he spurred Epona on made it apparent that he enjoyed the thrill of the speed. As much as she wanted to, Zelda simply didn't have the heart to tell him how much she wished he would slow down a bit.
On the way, they noticed a long-haired person off in the distance riding a chestnut brown horse in their general direction. The horse was pulling a cart filled with what appeared to be large urns. As the figure came closer, Link could discern who it was from the rider's features. Her red hair gave the appearance of a trailing flame. Her long dress was hiked up to a very unlady-like degree, exposing her knees (and then some...). And a devilish glint appeared in her eyes as she noticed the red fur and white mane of the one-of-a-kind horse she had given away to a certain "fairy boy" from the forest once upon a time. These were all telltale clues that the vivacious rider coming near them was the very same farm girl who had provided indispensable help to Link in the other timeline.
Both parties pulled the reins on their horses to slow them enough so they could hold a conversation as they galloped alongside each other.
"Hi, Link!" the redhead greeted. "Epona sure looks healthy! You must be feedin' and treatin' her real good!"
"Hi, Malon," Link responded. He was glad she had finally stopped calling him 'fairy boy,' a nickname which he had only tolerated reluctantly.
Zelda simply remained quiet, observing their interactions with each other—clearly, they were already acquainted. She had never met Malon before and found her tomboyish demeanor intriguing.
It didn't take long before the farm girl noticed who the person behind her favorite forest denizen was. "Oh goddesses! It's you, Princess!" Malon suddenly tensed up, becoming noticeably flustered. She fidgeted with her hair and fretted over her appearance nervously. "Um...uh...oh gosh, I really have no clue how to behave around a royal! Forgive me if I do something that offends you, Your Honor...I mean, Your Majesty...or is it 'Milady'?...Aagh, I don't know!" she yelled at herself in frustration.
"It's perfectly fine," Zelda assured. "You don't have to behave in any particular way around me. I'm more comfortable being spoken to casually than anything."
Malon immediately ceased her frantic preening and posturing. "Whew! What a relief! I hate having to act all formal—it totally goes against my nature! So...what brings the Princess of Hyrule out of the comfort of her castle on this fine day, anyway?" she questioned curiously.
"We're going to Kokiri Forest," Zelda answered.
"Awesome! I was heading there too! I'm making a milk delivery there—free of charge, of course, since the Kokiri can't pay us nothin'."
Zelda was impressed to hear of this charitable act. "Wow—you do that simply out of a desire to help them?"
"Partly yes, but partly just 'cause we have too much milk left over some days and it would get wasted otherwise. Since we're going to the same place, you wanna ride together?"
Both nodded in agreement.
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Upon arrival at the forest entrance, Malon and Link lifted a leg over their horse and slid smoothly and easily to the ground. Zelda, however, landed unexpectedly hard. She lost her balance, causing her to topple on her rear.
Link chivalrously offered his hand to help her back on her feet, yet Zelda was so thoroughly embarrassed from the incident that she wouldn't have been averse to curling up and dying right then and there. Her years of physical training in the other timeline would have rendered such a pitiful faux pas a statistical impossibility, but the sedentary activities that filled her schedule in this timeline certainly had not endowed her with anything approaching an enviable level of physical fitness.
Malon starting unloading one of the milk jugs from the cart. Each was embellished with a simple drawing of a cow with the words "Lon-Lon" written in Hylian underneath. Link offered to help her with the one she was currently holding.
"That is so sweet of you, Link! But it's OK—I've got this one. Could you be an angel, though, and help me bring in the other jugs? That would save me a lot of back pain later on if you would be so kind."
Zelda didn't miss the flirtatious tone and mannerisms Malon employed when speaking with Link. Trying to be helpful, Zelda attempted to lift one of the milk jugs herself but only managed to drag it to the edge of the cart (with much difficulty).
She couldn't recall a single moment in all her life in which she had felt more incompetent or useless than she did right then. Link and Malon, both about the same age as herself, were able to pick up and carry the jugs seemingly without effort.
Why can't I do it too? Zelda wondered dejectedly.
"Ah, don't be so glum, Princess," Malon urged, as if she could read her thoughts. "Not everyone is cut out for this sort of thing."
Unsurprisingly, this did nothing to lift Zelda's foul mood.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O
The Kokiri were instantly captivated by the sight of the fascinating new guest to their sacred forest. The members of this race made up entirely of children swiftly surrounded Zelda, making no attempt to hide their stares. The intricate patterns of her dress and her numerous adornments, which included a headdress of the finest fabric and a ring with detailed engravings, elicited gasps of awe from all around.
Now I know what it must feel like to be an animal at a zoo, Zelda mused. Although she was well aware that their behavior was a completely normal reaction to the sight of something so foreign to them, it nonetheless made her feel uncomfortable to be gawked at.
Luckily, Link seemed to notice her discomfort and asked everyone to give her space and be more respectful. A thousand questions were simultaneously launched at her as a sea of eager hands raised up in the hope of catching her attention.
"What's it like being a Princess?" one Kokiri girl yelled excitedly.
"You can use magic, can't you?" asked another.
"How many servants do you have?" "How big is your castle?" "How come you've never visited us before?" Etc, etc, etc...
"Everyone, please—enough with the questions!" Link shouted. "It was a long trip here from the castle and she may be too tired to answer you right now."
"No, Link. It's all right," she assured him. "It's only natural they're curious. I'm sure I would be too if I were in their shoes." She knelt down to be at eye level with them and proceeded to answer their questions, one by one, with an unrivaled level of patience. She explained that she likes being a princess but wishes she could see more of her kingdom and have more free time; that yes, she can use certain types of magic; that she has no one she would specifically describe as a servant but that she does have various guards and caretakers who are dear friends of hers (she looked in Link's direction as she spoke this); that her castle is approximately the same size as the clearing in Kokiri Forest they're currently in; that she is very busy with her studies and royal duties and regrets not having visited sooner; etc, etc, etc.
Mido, the self-proclaimed, unofficial leader of the Kokiri, eventually pushed his way to the front of the pack, putting a sudden halt to the questioning. The devilish glint in his eyes was similar to what Zelda had seen in Malon's not long ago.
"Hey, Princess," he said cavalierly, showing no deference to her status. "Wanna play truth or dare?"
Link knew immediately that accepting an invitation to play a game with Mido was a bad idea if there ever was one. As a child living in Kokiri Forest, Link had constantly been badgered by Mido to play various "fun new games" he had invented solely for the purpose of embarrassing Link in front of the other Kokiri, but especially in front of his only real friend in the forest, Saria. He didn't doubt for a moment that this wasn't just another one of those games.
"It's a really bad idea, Zelda. Trust me—don't do it," Link whispered to her in warning.
Mido noticed her hesitation. "Ah, c'mon, Princess," he coaxed with a playful grin. "It's a really fun new game that all of the Kokiri are trying and loving. Don't you want to let loose for a day and have a good time?"
Link continued shaking his head no. Although Zelda didn't make a habit of turning down his advice, she didn't see any harm in playing a simple child's game. She told herself that she could stop at any time if she didn't want to play anymore—simple as that.
"OK, I'll play," she finally announced.
Link groaned in response. He was about to say something else to Zelda but thought better of it, instead sitting off to the side to observe but staunchly refusing to participate.
Saria soon came to sit next to Link and the two quickly struck up a conversation. Before long, they were sharing a laugh.
Probably reminiscing over something from their childhood, Zelda thought. While still sitting, she repositioned herself to such an angle that she could avoid having them in her line of sight. She did this not because she cared what he was doing with her... or how much fun he was having with her... or anything like that... Besides, they just looked weird together because of the many years of physical maturation that now separated them.
Malon soon noticed that a game was going on and asked to join in. "Of course," Mido replied. "The more, the merrier. Considering all the free milk you send our way, we owe you a lot."
Malon did a mock curtsy before sitting down.
Mido called on Malon to begin, who chose truth.
"What's the grossest thing you've ever done?" he asked. It was clear now why Mido had suggested this game in particular since it gave him free reign to be as nosy as he wanted.
"Hmm...I guess it was the time I had to help my dad with one of cows when it was in labor. I had to stick my hand up it's..." Zelda's eyes went wide as Malon proceeded to give an...unnecessarily detailed account of the incident. She had no idea such horrid, repugnant tasks had to be done on farms and she could barely stomach hearing Malon talk about it.
It was Malon's turn next. She picked Mido's fairy, Tella, who chose truth. "What's it like to have to follow the same person around all the time?" Malon asked. "Doesn't that get boring? Especially someone as...aesthetically challenged as Mido here."
Mido glared at the smirking redhead. He crossed his arms and tapped his feet out of indignation.
"The Great Deku Tree assigned me to be Mido's faithful companion which is a duty I am honored to uphold," Tella declared proudly. However, she could've sworn she heard Malon say "suck up" in response.
Tella then picked Zelda who, after careful deliberation, selected a dare. "Hmm..." the fairy pondered. "I got it! I dare you to...run around in circles acting like an angry cucco!"
It was her first time being chosen and Zelda was already wishing she could just throw a Deku nut and vanish. She really didn't want to do it, but how would that make her look if she gave up so soon? Malon and Mido (and presumably also his fairy, although it was impossible to tell due to her diminutive size and surrounding aura of light) were looking at her intently, eagerly awaiting the sight of the Princess of Hyrule acting like a dumb farm animal. Zelda had only seen a cucco a few times in her life but was at least familiar enough with their mannerisms to be able to passably imitate one.
Reluctantly, Zelda rose to her feet and started walking around in circles while flapping her arms in a simulation of wings. Clearly, she was putting very little effort into it out of a desire to hurry up and get it over with. All eyes were on her, including Link's, who had stopped chatting with Saria in order to see what had caught everyone's attention. Loud laughter from all directions was pressing in on her.
Zelda quickly sat down again, feeling like she was about to die from embarrassment. She started looking for an opportunity to bow out more or less gracefully before losing every last shred of her dignity. She chose Mido on her turn who coolly and calmly elected a dare.
"Um..." She paused for several moments to ponder a dare that she thought would be equally as embarrassing as what she had been subjected to. "I dare you to...crawl around and cry like a baby."
To her surprise, Mido hardly looked the least bit fazed. Without any sign of reluctance or dread, he got on his hands and knees and started pretending to wail his eyes out, but somehow managing to do it with enough style and flair to actually earn cheers from the others. Zelda couldn't believe what she was seeing. How did he get applause for doing something silly and embarrassing while those same people relentlessly laughed at her instead?
Mido chose Malon again on his turn and she picked a dare this time. He grinned mischievously as an interesting idea came to him. "I dare you to...kiss the person here you like the most!"
"Now wait a minute, Mido!" protested Tella. "You can't order people to do stuff like that! You gotta respect people's personal boundaries and their right to be—" Zelda stopped paying attention to what Tella was saying as she focused on the sight of Malon racing toward an oblivious Link, the one who the ranch girl had been crushing on for years. Despite having frequently and aggressively flirted with him whenever their paths crossed in the other timeline, her efforts were always met with marked timidness and apprehension on his part. Thus, the opportunity to assert herself was too tempting to resist. She completely tuned out Tella's pleas for her to stop and brusquely tackled Link to the ground where she planted a kiss directly on his lips.
Link's eyes were wide open for a moment from the shock of the sudden and quite unexpected act of affection. Saria's brows were raised in surprise and concern as she gaped at the scene in front of her. Once Link recovered his bearings, he pushed Malon away from him defensively. "Wha—what was that for, Malon?!" he demanded, undeniably upset.
"It was a dare!" she responded playfully with a feisty smile. "Did you like it? That wasn't your first kiss, by any chance, was it? Ah, who am I kidding? It couldn't have been your first. You're far too handsome for that!"
Link was noticeably flustered from being asked such a personal question and it showed clearly in his tone. "That...that's not any of your business anyway! ...Look, just because you were given a dare doesn't give you the right to do that! It was completely inappropriate!"
Taking Malon to the side, out of the hearing of others, Link explained himself as calmly as he could. "Look, Malon. I really like you...and I appreciate all the times you've helped me out...but...I just see you as a friend. And I would really like for us to stay friends, OK? So, please...promise me you won't try to pull a stunt like that ever again."
Malon looked off to the side dejectedly. "It's because of someone else...isn't it?" she guessed glumly. "I have a pretty good idea of who it is...but even through that thick skull of yours, you must know that the two of you are from two totally different worlds. I'm sure one day you'll come to your senses and realize just how much better things'd be with me...but who knows if I'll still be waiting for you when that day comes, Link." She pecked him on the cheek before hurrying off in the opposite direction.
Link touched his face where Malon had kissed him, in a daze about what had just happened. Several long moments passed while he mulled things over in his head. Before long, however, Zelda was invading his thoughts. This prompted him to look around the forest for her. He was concerned to find that she was nowhere to be seen.
Link asked Mido if he knew her whereabouts but the red-headed boy claimed to not have noticed her leave. "She must've got scared of being picked again, I bet!" he guessed.
After questioning the other Kokiri in the area, he was alarmed to find that no one had noticed her departure. He searched the village and all its structures but couldn't find a trace of her. An investigation of the area around the Deku Tree also turned up nothing. Epona and Malon's horse were still at the entrance to the forest so he knew it was unlikely she had left the forest altogether. That left only one place she could be—the Lost Woods. He hated venturing into that labyrinthine place but he simply couldn't rest until he found her.
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As soon as Link entered the woods, he heard a strange noise coming from the west. He immediately went to investigate. Behind the tree stump where he had met the Skullkid many years ago was Zelda, sitting on the grass with her legs pulled up to her face. Now that he was this close, he could tell that the sound was...crying.
"Zelda...what's wrong?" he asked gently.
The unexpected voice startled her. After taking a few moments to hastily compose herself, she answered in a low tone that was interrupted by uncontrolled sniffles. "Please go away. I just want to be alone for a while."
She waited a minute in relative silence until she assumed he had complied and left. The next moment, though, she felt a hand tenderly touch her shoulder. The comforting sensation of it caused her to lose control of her emotions. Although tears were pouring out of her eyes against her will, strangely enough, the act of crying now felt therapeutic to her instead of depressing.
"I hope you're not still bothered about what happened outside the forest today, Zelda. Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. What you lack in physical strength, you more than make up for with your wide range of knowledge. Hell, even I can't believe how much you know sometimes. You're the wisest person I've ever met."
Link withdrew his hand from her shoulder, causing Zelda to emit an audible cry of protest. However, her protector was simply positioning himself in front of her, kneeling to support himself, as he offered her his shoulder. She accepted this and cried openly until she was sure she had no reason left to cry.
Link pulled away from her just enough to wipe away the last traces of her tears. His face sported a modest yet heartwarming smile which Zelda couldn't help but return in kind with a smile of her own.
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On the ride back to the castle, Link couldn't help noticing that Zelda held on to him tighter than she had even on the ride over to Kokiri Forest...in fact, she was clinging to him tightly even before he spurred Epona on...