The Legend of Zelda:

The Right of Passage

CHAPTER FOUR: The Farm Girl

"Link..."

"Link...c'mon...Link..."

Moaning in my sleep, I had found myself in a half-awake state.. I could feel the hard mattress of the bed beneath me. Feathers poked out from my pillow, prickling my face, while I could smell a faint scent of hay mixed with a delicate aroma all too familiar with me.

And when I felt another push at my arm, I flinched, hearing the female voice speak to me once more. "Link, get up! Get up!"

Her high-pitched voice was a whisper, yet a harsh one, as she resulted to shaking my shoulders, eliciting another moan from me. It emerged from my throat as a deep grumble, raspy and thick, melded with emotions of frustration and annoyance. My eyes were heavy as I lifted them, and I couldn't see her image before me quite clearly right away. Slowly the random colors I saw cleared into the portrait that was Malon, a week away from turning twelve.

At last, she smiled at me. "Hurray! You're awake!"

"Hurray," I mumbled, my face hitting the pillow once more.

Though I did not see it, I could imagine that her face wrinkled just then, because she had clutched the back of my tunic so heartily that she yanked me up with one swift pull, snatching any sleepiness left in me, my eyes shooting open like two bright blue globes.

"Ok! I'm up, I'm up!"

There she smiled in victory, hopping onto the bed with me, twirling several strands of my fringe on her little finger, something she always seemed to find a strange delight in doing. And every time I would blush at the little temptress, for she knew how sheepish I was.

It had taken me a minute to realize that the room was lit by a candle, one that I had failed to put out as I fell to sleep. I looked at Malon with squinted eyes.

"Malon, it's the middle of the night."

"I wanted to play with you, that's all."

"I'm tired."

With a humph, she snapped her neck away from me. "Fine, I was going to show you something amazing, but I guess I changed my mind!"

"Why can't you show me in the morning?" I asked. "Why now?"

"Because it won't be there in the morning!" Malon faced me once again after her proclamation, extending her arms out, hands flexed, while her eyes widened with an interesting excitement that I didn't see often from her. I repositioned myself on the bed.

"Okay," I spoke slowly, not even trying to cover the yawn that emerged from my throat, distorting the single word. "What is it?"

"I don't wanna say, let me show you!"

"Malon—"

But before I could counter her, she yanked me out of bed. Hastily did I tug on my boots, by her order of course. There she grabbed me again, the both of us stumbling as she pulled me out of the little shed and into the darkness of the night.

The girl was barefoot, and in a night dress, continuing to drag me along while we scuffled out of the ranch. The wind whistled in the night, shivers lifting the thin hairs on my thighs. Yet, she continued to further us as we left the safety of the ranch, into the darkness of Hyrule Fields.

"Where are we going?"

"By the lake!"

Here, I stopped her, pressed my heels to the grasses, so that she could only drag me a few more feet before I ceased our movement. When she turned around, her eyes were full of inquiry, her brows lifted as if she was surprised by my action.

"Malon," I began, a little breathless. "We can't be walking around the fields at nights, there's monsters out here." My eyes trailed to her feet, her naked toes wiggling in the grasses.

"Not only do I not have my sword," I continued, my arms wildly gesturing to her little feet, "You you're not wearing any shoes! What if you cut yourself? Then what am I supposed to do?"

Giggling, the smile on Malon's face soon morphed into a warming one, her eyes softening as she took hold of my hand, a blush suddenly twitching my cheeks.

"You'll carry me, of course."

I rolled my eyes, and this seemed to amuse her even more. "And the monsters?" I added. "I wouldn't forgive myself if you got hurt."

"I just want to show you really quick. We won't get into any trouble, I promise."

I glared at her for a moment, hoping my stare would convince her to change her mind. But instead, she pouted at me, the flesh of her bottom lip poking out very dramatically. Rather, the girl convinced me, as a defeated sigh fled my lips, and I tightened the grip of our hand hold.

"Okay, okay. Let's go."

Merrily, she led me to the lake near Castle Town, her feet seeming to tip-toe as she jogged, most likely attempting not to step on any glass or something that could cut her.

We stopped before the slim body of water. The bridge to Castle Town was lifted, securing anyone from entering inside. The massive chunk of wood seemed to capture my attention, while I gazed at it peculiarly.

"Link, look! Look right there!"

I turned to the direction at her trembling pointed finger, and there I exhaled, my eyes relaxing, an amused smile tugging at my lips.

"It's the moon," I remarked. "A full moon." In my mind, however, I asked myself, what was so special about the full moon? I had seen them plenty of times before, and she could have easily shown me from within the ranch.

Though, right there, it seemed to look more beautiful than the vision I would have seen if we had not ventured out. The sky was decorated with stars, their twinkles lighting the night so that the clouds shown a dark blue instead of miserable black. And there—right there—did the moon appear to glow feverishly in the center of the sky.

"Isn't it beautiful, Link?"

Dreamily, Malon sighed, sitting herself onto the grasses, her elbows on her knees, while her cheeks rested in her palms.

"I remembered that story you told me about how you stopped the moon from killing all those people. This reminded me of your story."

My body involuntarily sat beside her. I did not think about the action, or even considered it. At her words, her dreamy state, I didn't object, didn't hesitate.

"Do you believe me?"

At the tenderness of my voice, Malon shifted her face towards me, a grin to her features. She hugged her knees to her chest, returning her gaze to the sky. "Of course I do! You're my friend, Link. I know you wouldn't lie to me."

"How do you know that?"

"Because my father and I wouldn't let a little liar be staying with us this whole time!"

"I don't always stay with you," I corrected her.

"But you always come back."

Silence had succumbed after she spoke, the smiles fading from both of our faces, until our eyes showed an expressionless mix of emotions.

Maybe it was here when I first looked at her this way, my lonely heart sucking up every ounce of affection she had to offer. My head was tilted, my mouth slightly agape. I was a twelve year old boy filled with emotions I couldn't comprehend, as well as a burning pit of passion that still remained locked in my heart.

"Will you stay with us forever?"

I did not know how to answer the question, because I didn't want to be in Hyrule anymore. I wanted to leave, travel far, far, away, and leave everyone and everything I knew. Horridly, I wanted to forget everything. I wanted to forget and have a new memory of my life, for the one I had made no sense to me, and I believe no sense could be conjured from it.

But the fierce plea present in her eyes brought the lie from me, when I answered her that I would, to stay with her and her family at the ranch forever.

I knew then she didn't believe me, I could see it in her tired eyes. But she smiled, seeming to feign it, and there she leaned over and kissed my mouth, very briefly, the contact between our lips very light.

I received my first kiss from the farm girl, and there on out, I continued to spend a lot more time with her. My days grew abundant at the ranch, and soon enough I found myself turning into a farm boy, the elements that made me a hero beginning to vanish as if they never existed.

Perhaps this was the new life for me? My new purpose? I felt the goddesses had intended for something much more grand to be my life. I had always felt it immensely. But for a while, I seemed to ignore it, because figuring out my destiny hurt me too much, it hurt me because I saw it as a means of losing people that I cared for.

I spent twelve years with Malon in the ranch. Twelve years of transforming into a farm boy, eventually disgarding my tunic that labeled me as a kokiri, because I was growing, I was turning into a young man. And I began to dress like one, leaving behind the attire that seemed to define me as the Hero.

I know many of you are wondering, how could a man be in love with two women at the same time? And I wouldn't know how to answer such an inquiry, for now even I do not know how I could feel conflicting emotions for two different girls.

But I can tell you, that those feelings were different for Malon and Zelda. My passion for Zelda grew as I grew, where I kept it locked inside the depths of my soul, praying it would never escape and find residence in my mind again. But she would continue to haunt me in the night, as I would see her in my dreams rebuilding Hyrule without me.

My love for Malon was a different kind of fondness. I am shamed to admit it stemmed from my infatuation from my princess, as sometimes when I would look at into the blue eyes of the redhead, they would turn into the eyes of Zelda. And I would be happy for a moment, absolute bliss filling me until I realized it was not really her, but the lonely girl I was living with.

Perhaps that was how we connected so, we were both the same in some ways. Both lonely children. I never saw children her age come to play with her, I seemed to be her only companion. My days at the Kokiri Forest grew scarce, and soon enough even Saria became distant to me. All I had was Malon at the time, and she had me.

I think she knew. Yes, she knew very well. She knew of my obsession with the princess. I rarely spoke of her, yet whenever she would bring her up, mention her, declare how her father was delivering milk, quickly I would attempt to change the subject, refusing to think of her.

She knew, and it probably killed her inside. But she wanted me for herself, and she held onto that pain and hid it somewhere so it would hurt her less. Just as I had done with my passion for the princess.

And Navi...I would be lying if I said I had completely let go of my dream to find her. I convinced myself I had, swearing I would never partake in such a quest again. After I reached a certain age during puberty, I accepted my role as a farmer. I was finished with adventures.

But, no matter what I wanted to believe, the goddesses had chosen me as the Hero. My destiny was theirs to control, not my own. And even when I lived this normal life for many years, they intervened by placing themselves in my mind.

Which was better, to die young with a legacy, or live to the extent of Hylian life in simple comfort?

Or a better question is, which was worse?